How to Rank on the First Page of Google

It’s a fact that approximately 80% of online, and more than 45% of offline, purchases all start with a search query. What is a search query you might wonder? Well, it’s any form of an online search happening on a search engine like Google, Bing, or Yahoo, etc. So in a nutshell, it’s when you “Google” something. Yes, it’s scary to think that search engines have impacted customer behaviour in such a dramatic way over the last few years. That is why it’s so essential to ensure your business can be found online. But the burning question usually is: “How does one rank on the first page of Google?”

Unfortunately the answer is not black and white. In fact, it’s so complex that Google mentioned there are over 220 factors that their algorithm called Rank Brain takes into account when ranking a website on their search engine.  For the sake of preventing you from suffering from information overload, we thought it might be best to list some of the most important factors below which will help you rank on the first page of Google.

Rank on the first page of Google

5 Major Ranking Factors That Have a Direct Impact on Your Google Rankings

1. Domain Authority

Your domain age and authority play a huge role when it comes to your Google rankings. This is because thousands of websites get launched every single minute. Google sees domain authority as “trust”. The higher your domain authority, the more Google “trusts” your website. It’s only natural that your domain authority will be low in the beginning because let’s face it, no one really trusts the new guy.

2. Backlinks

A link to someone else’s website or a link pointing to your website is similar to a “vote” in Google’s eyes. A backlink specifically is when another website is linking out to yours. When someone links out to your website, it’s like they are “approving” the fact that your site is trustworthy. The same goes when you link to another website.

3. Keywords

A keyword is a word that helps articulate what you are trying to rank for on Google. If you have a website for your business then it’s essential that you clearly articulate your products and services on the site. This is not only beneficial in explaining to customers what your business has to offer but it can also help Google understand what your business and website is all about.

4. Meta Tags and Titles

This is now where things might git a bit techie, however, bear with us. We will try and keep it as simple as possible.

Metadata, when it comes to search engines, refers to information that can help better explain your blog topic, posts or website. The most common metadata search engines require in order to get a better understanding of your site or post are meta titles and meta descriptions.

Meta Title

When it comes to providing your website or blog post with a title, you need basically need two titles. You need to provide the actual title of the post. This is the title the reader will see. And then the title you are providing Google (the meta title) is the title that can help Google better understand what your post is all about. Google will use this to match it to a specific search query of a user.

Meta Description

Similar to a meta title, a meta description is the overview of your post that you are providing Google. See it as a 160-character summary that sums up the post to provide Google with some extra information about the post.

Why is Metadata so Important?

Metadata is crucial when it comes to ranking your website on search engines and getting to rank on the first page of Google. Without it search engines might not have a full understanding of what your blog or post is all about which means that it won’t be able to match your website or post to a specific user’s search query.

As the world of digital becomes increasingly crowded by the day so the need to optimise your website becomes more important. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Web Analytics is not a luxury but an absolute necessity. (Want to know about why you need to define your target market for SEO purposes? Read our article to find out.)

Contact the Digital School of Marketing

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The Digital School of Marketing (DSM) brings together the best SEO minds in the business to bring you this comprehensive course. It runs over a three-month period. It ensures that you are ready to face the on-page, off-page and technical aspects of SEO and Web Analytics. After completing this course you will be well on your way to be able to enter the job market or increase your position as a comprehensive SEO and Web Analytics specialist. Follow this link to read more.