How to Rank Higher for a Keyword

Everyone wants their website to rank higher in Google’s search results. Although it is not easy to get to the top unless you are Wikipedia or the BBC, it is still possible. You can do it if you stay consistent and take it seriously.

In this article, we will look at eight steps to rank higher for a keyword in Google’s search engine.

Step 1: Basics

The most important thing is you need a strong website which follows SEO good practice and has external links. Secondly, it is useful to have an audience on social networking websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, where you can share content.

Step 2: Keyword Research

You probably know what keywords you want to target but it is best to check the facts using keywords tools to see the search volume for the keyword as well as the competition before you finalise your keywords for targeting.

It is best to choose a keyword which is relevant to your business model and has an average search volume.

Step 3: Competition

After choosing a target keyword for your website, do a search on Google to see your competitor’s websites. Check the following:

• The domains and URLs – how many domains and URLs have the exact keyword?
• The titles – how do the title tags incorporate the keyword?
• The type of content – do they have product pages, blog posts, videos, etc?
• The authority of those sites – use third-party SEO analysers to check the domain age and source of backlinks.

In order to beat your competitors, you need to do better than them. Therefore, try to do more and better on your website.

Step 4: Long Tail Keywords

It is recommended you target long tail keywords as they are easier for searchers to find. Try to be more specific and keep one page for one specific keyword.

Step 5: Content

The next part of the plan is to make sure you have quality content on your website. Quality with quantity will do the job. Plan your keywords on each page including on blog posts, product pages, and videos.

Step 6: Optimise the Keyword on Every Page

Optimise your content while you create it. Use the targeted keyword in the page title, headline, body text, URL, meta description, meta keywords, and even in image titles and alt attributes.

Step 7: Promote

When your website is all set, it is time to promote it. Share your content on social media pages and use social buttons on your website to make it easy for readers to share.

You should also build links to your content – strong links makes it easy for Google to crawl.

Step 8: Analyse

Use free third-party SEO analysers to make sure your website follows all good SEO practices. Find out which points are missed and which sections need improvement. You should also check keyword rankings manually. Use analytics tools to see which keywords are performing well and which keywords need improvement.

This process is time-consuming and requires patience and constant improvement. There are no shortcuts but, whatever your business is, you can make this work for you.