Three things decide most rankings: content that genuinely answers the question, a page that is technically and editorially tidy, and links from places that matter. In that order. Everything else is a refinement of one of the three.
Most online purchases begin with a search. If you want to trade online you have to be in that space, and unless you are prepared to pay through the nose for ads, it does not come easily.
Google’s ranking algorithm weighs hundreds of factors and changes constantly. What worked last year can hold you back this year. There is no shortage of tips and tricks. The question is what actually matters, and what actually works. In my experience it comes down to three things.
1. Content is king, as long as it is good
Write for people, not for machines. Consider the customer, their needs and their journey at every step. Content is your website’s bread and butter, and what counts is whether it is unique and whether it adds value. A page should answer a real question and help the reader move towards a decision, which, ideally, is buying from you. Google says the same thing at length in its guidance on helpful, people-first content, and it means it.
Enough words to answer the question properly (a few hundred as a rule of thumb, more in complex industries), plus images or video where they help, gives visitors exactly the information they came for. That earns better rankings, a lower bounce rate and a higher rate of enquiries or sales.
2. On-page optimisation
This is the technical and editorial work on the site itself. The page title matters a great deal. Repeat its theme in the main heading and in a few natural places in the copy, and the page ranks better for it. Pay particular attention to the homepage, and keep the theme consistent across headings and internal links throughout the site.
Do not overdo it. Search engines recognise over-optimisation and demote or remove pages for it. Use descriptive URLs that tell a reader what the page is about before they click. Write a proper meta description for every page. And avoid anything crawlers cannot read: at the time that meant Flash and framesets, today it means content that only exists after a pile of JavaScript has run.
When choosing keywords there are two broad strategies:
- High volume. Concentrate on a few frequently searched terms. Lots of competition, and you will need plenty of relevant links to compete.
- Long tail. Target many specific phrases. This needs a technically tidy site, natural links and a good amount of content, and it usually converts better.
3. Internal and external links
High-quality links are ranking gold. Links from relevant sites raise the awareness and authority of yours; links from low-quality or spammy sites do the opposite, and buying them is against Google’s spam policies. A natural link profile built over time, ideally with a few high-authority sources, permanently increases the visibility of your content. Good sources include industry directories, guest posts, and associations, chambers of commerce and other bodies you genuinely belong to.
My conclusion
There are other factors I have not covered, social signals among them. To be found on Google, both the technical side and the content have to be done well. Which parts matter most for your site is the real question, and the answer is different every time.
The right place to start is a technical SEO audit. Contact me and I will tell you what I find.
Questions people ask
How long does SEO take to work?
Technical fixes show within weeks. Content and links take months, because rankings follow trust and trust is earned slowly. Expect a fair picture after three to six months.
Is it worth paying for links?
No. Paid links that pass ranking signals are against Google’s spam policies and put the whole site at risk. Earn links with content worth linking to and with memberships you genuinely hold.
Sources
- Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content, Google Search Central
- Spam policies for Google web search, Google Search Central