Everybody wants their website to rank on the first page of Google but is it even possible? If your business is trying to rank for generic terms like, “bicycles,” then it’s time to restructure your online marketing strategy. The outlook on Google’s search algorithm is a more precise return on search queries that cater to the user’s IP address. So, “bicycles” returns Google Shopping, Local Listings, the highest ranked bike websites, and bike companies located in your city.
Identifying Your Business’s Niche
In order to increase your site’s chances of showing up on the first page of search engines, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is my business’s niche?
- What do we do better than anybody else?
- What is our hero product?
- What do we want to be known for?
From here, identify what IS your business’s niche. This is similar to a branding exercise. The more specific you can get, the better (i.e., lightweight mountain bikes).
However, if you have more than one specialization, then consider spreading out your eggs rather than putting them all in one basket as you risk losing out on business if you have some pretty awesome BMX bikes too. It is not recommended to try to rank for all the products and services you offer as this is near impossible and decreases your chances of ranking for much—stick to your hero products.
Choosing Your (Key) Words Wisely
Once you’ve decided on your company’s niche, the next branding exercise is: Who’s your target? Are you a local business that only caters to one or two cities? Are your products only for children but geared towards parents?
Branded long-tail keywords are Google’s favorite search terms and if you’re still building your brand, then focus on location and product detail for your keywords, i.e. boulder children’s strider mountain bikes. But wait, is this how people phrase things when they search? Many businesses make the mistake of constructing keywords using industry terms and assuming that’s how their consumers also speak. There’s a fine line between being too specific and too generic when it comes to keywords. “Boulder mountain bikes for kids,” is a much more likely search term people might type in.
Google’s Hummingbird Update, Keywords & Content
In general, identifying keywords that are in between being too specific and too generic, are long-tail, what people are searching for, and less competitive, will make it easier to rank for. If this is a headache, don’t worry, Google’s Hummingbird update tells marketers to rely less on keyword ranking, though keywords in general are still important. Instead, businesses should focus on creating high-quality content that is relevant to their target market and posting them on their websites.
People come to search engines like Google to help them find out more information about something. Google bots look at every single website every single day analyzing what type of information is available on each website so that they can be indexed and ready for Google to return. The more people that come to your website, stay for a while, and return for more, indicates to Google that your website is indeed helpful, interesting, and a resource so it is rewarded with a higher ranking.
Writing Quality Content
When businesses provide high-quality content that is published regularly, not only are they seen as an authoritative resource, they also now have multiple paths of entry from users onto their site. Remember to focus your blogs around your niche and branding. Maintaining an updated onsite blog is a good option for doing this and when you’re writing blogs, make sure that you’re writing for your target audience and not for Google. The voice and flow should be natural and not keyword stuffed. Also consider the layout and design of your articles—large paragraphs, small fonts, and no images is an eyesore.
Once your blog is published, be sure to share through social media, emails, and especially Google+. Anything posted to Google+ is automatically indexed and pulled up alongside your website in search results. Through these means, you’ll be able to build your audience, allow for engagement, and increase your rankings as an authoritative site.
If you would like some help identifying what your company’s niche and hero products are, or would like help with your content marketing, contact us today for a FREE SEO analysis.