Learn how to rank on Google with SEO strategies: technical fixes, keywords, optimized content, backlinks, and search intent-driven tactics.
Are you dreaming of ranking in the top 5 search results on Google?
Reaching the top spots will mean thousands of organic clicks a day, and the potential for increased revenue from affiliate marketing and Google ads.
I have been starting and growing websites since 2014.
In that time, I have developed a process that I have used to create several articles that rank on the first page of SERPs.
In fact, I recently used that process to rank #1 for “Best SERP Checkers For 2023.”
I wrote this article to help you discover how to rank on Google.
Here, you will learn the steps you can take to catapult your blog to the first page of search results for relevant keywords.
As a new blogger, or someone looking to take your blog to the next level, you will naturally have a few questions that should be clarified before delving into this article.
My research discovered the following popular questions:
Yes, you can get to the top of Google Search, but no one knows for sure how Google’s algorithm works.
Typically, Google tends to rank the pages of sites that have developed a good reputation as experts in the relevant subject matter at the top of search rankings.
The competitiveness of your keyword and the domain age of your website will determine how difficult it is for you to get to the top of Google.
As you optimize your website for SEO, rank-tracking tools can help you monitor changes in your keyword ranking.
The cheapest way is to rank using organic SEO. It can get you to the top for free unless you are outsourcing content creation.
Another approach is to work with an SEO agency, which can cost between $1000 to $7500 per month.
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To implement the process covered in this article, you will need the following:
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Getting to the first page of google is no easy feat, even for the most skilled digital marketers.
Below, I will explain an easy-to-follow 9-step process to help get you there.
Technical SEO is all about making sure search engines can crawl and index your website easily.
Technical SEO problems are not common in most modern WordPress sites, but I will still recommend checking your website to be sure it’s 100% free of such problems.
You will need to check the following:
You have a better chance of getting to the top of search results if you focus on keywords with decent search volumes, but little competition.
Popular phrases and keywords are usually highly competitive, and you may end up wasting time competing with established sites that have more resources.
Do your keyword research with a paid or free tool like Ubersuggest to get relevant search terms.
I will recommend prioritizing longtail keywords because they are very specific search queries.
Once the domain authority of your website increases, you can start creating content for more competitive keywords.
Search intent is what your target audience hoped to learn or achieve when they typed the keyphrase for your topic into Google.
The search intent of a keyword phrase can be:
Knowing the search intent of your keyword will help you align your content to fit the exact information your readers are looking for.
You must create content that not only covers your topic better than any blog post out there, but also matches Google’s E-A-T standards.
Use the People also ask, Related searches, and Feature snippet boxes on the search result page for your keyword to find the questions people are asking about your topic.
You can also get ideas from Google autocomplete suggestions.
Make sure your content marketing shows the following qualities:
Once you are done writing, follow on-page SEO best practices to optimize the key elements of your web page.
Focus on the following elements:
You need to publish tons of blog posts on your website to rank for more keywords and to boost your chances of getting external links.
LSI (latent semantic indexing) keywords are words or phrases that Google uses to understand what the content on your page is all about.
LSI keywords are not limited to synonyms, they include any term that is semantically related to your topic.
For example, if your longtail primary keyword is “how to use WordPress,” relevant LSI keywords will be phrases like WordPress plugins, install WordPress, WordPress.org, etc.
You can use an SEO editor like SuferSEO, or a free online tool like KeySearch to get LSI keywords for your topic.
An internal link is a hyperlink that connects one page on your website to another.
I recommend internal link building because it helps boost a page’s authority and makes it easier for Google to understand how related articles are grouped together on your website.
The placement of internal links on your page must be well-timed — only used when they are relevant — and placed as close to the beginning of your content as possible.
A backlink is a hyperlink placed on a third-party site that links back to a page or blog post on your website.
Backlinks are useful to both users and Google.
They help users find other relevant information that can expand their knowledge of the topic, while Google sees quality backlinks as proof that other websites find your content valuable.
Getting backlinks from authoritative websites should be one of your main goals because Google confirmed that backlinks are one of the important ranking factors.
Some techniques you can use to get external links include:
One approach is to use a SERP checker to check your progress.
These tools help you figure out where your website ranks among search results for a specific keyword.
While tracking your Google ranking is important, organic traffic is the most important metric for measuring SEO results.
By linking Google Analytics to your website, you will be able to see the number of impressions your site is getting, and how many of those users on Google actually clicked on your web page.
You can start your journey to the top of Google by first focusing on the easy fixes.
Work on your technical SEO, do keyword research, optimize existing content, and engage in other less challenging activities.
Soon, time-consuming activities like content creation and backlink building will no longer sound like too much work.