Mastering SEO  —  From Traffic to Revenue: Part 2

Part 2 of 5: How to Rank Higher in Search Results

You have an excellent piece of content packed with relevant keywords. The question is, how can you position your content page at the top of SERPs?

In this article, we explore the best practices for enhancing the visibility of your content on search results pages. After identifying the best keywords to use for your content strategy, there are many enhancements you could make to your content to elevate your page’s position.

Let’s dive into our recommended approaches to increase your website’s visibility. Each one will include actionable steps to ensure your presence when your audience is searching for you.

Page structure

A clear page structure is crucial for readability when search engines crawl content. If a reader struggles to navigate your page hierarchy, chances are search engines will encounter the same issue. Make it as easy as possible for users to browse your content and for search engines to crawl it. Here are some simple ways to add more structure:

• Use headers to section text and establish page hierarchy.
• Segment text with bullet points.
• Break up text chunks with white space.
• Balance text with imagery.
• Design the layout with visual appeal in mind.
• Implement strong CTAs (calls to action).
• Incorporate internal links and buttons to aid navigation and drive more traffic.

Internal linking

Internal links serve as virtual signposts, guiding users to their next destination, preferably on your own website. They improve site navigation for both users and search engines, providing you with more control over users’ navigation paths. Use internal links frequently to encourage efficient content crawling and indexing by search engines. Consider these internal linking pointers:

• Always consider linking new content, such as a blog post, to relevant existing content. Don’t forget to link the new post within the old one as well.
• Spread links throughout your page where applicable.
• Use hyperlinks to incorporate links more seamlessly.
• Aim for at least three internal links in every new content piece.

Visuals

Visuals add color and life to a page. A wall of text can overwhelm your readers or bore them to the point of leaving. Break up text with images that complement or enhance the topic. When adding visual elements, ensure appropriate alt text accompanies them. Alt text boosts accessibility for users with disabilities and provides context for search engines. Remember that up to 1 in 4 Americans live with some form of disability, so overlooking this segment of the audience is a significant misstep. Vary your visuals by incorporating:

• Images and graphics
• Videos
• Infographics
• GIFs
• Animations

Optimized content

In 2023, unique, quality content matters more than ever. Stand out from the competition by offering your audience valuable content tailored to address their pain points, solve problems, or entertain them. Optimize your content by using stronger keywords. Consider these content tips:

• Research topics your audience cares about.
• Share insights or stories that establish your credibility.
• Create more elaborate content like videos, case studies, or infographics.
• Consider behind-the-scenes content like team introductions or process breakdowns.
• Emphasize your unique selling points.

Backlinks

Utilizing backlinks can bolster your website’s authority and improve your ranking. Link-building is time-consuming and may take a while to pay off, but the potential return on investment is high. Most backlink strategies start with cold-emailing and guest blogging, which can be tedious. Be selective about the sites you choose, however. They should be relevant, credible, and authoritative. Leveraging existing business relationships is a good starting point for beginners.

Mobile-friendly website

In this day and age, having a mobile-friendly website is a must. More users than ever before are using their phones as the primary way to search. If your website is not optimized for mobile, you’re missing out on a lot of potential traffic. A poor mobile user experience will cause visitors to quickly seek alternatives. Mobile-first sites can also rank better due to improved accessibility.

Page speed

How fast does your website load? Is it buffering from page to page? Google cares about your page speed, and so do your users. Slow page speed not only leads to a negative user experience but also makes it harder for search engines to crawl and index content. Consider these quick fixes for a slow website:

• Remove unnecessary plugins.
• Compress images.
• Reduce redirects.

Prompt search engine indexing

An integral component of SEO is indexing your web pages. While search engines crawl your site daily, they may not always include newly posted content. While internal linking helps, a limited daily crawl budget can reduce the number of pages a search engine navigates. You can improve search engine crawling by requesting website indexing from Google Search Console or Bing Webmasters. These tools can also help check for any site pages that are not indexed.

Deploy a holistic SEO strategy with Adcetera

This list is a good starting point, but to efficiently improve your website’s position, you’ll need a dedicated SEO for enterprise strategy that requires constant updates and management to stay ahead of the curve. While rank isn’t the ultimate decider of traffic, it’s a great way to increase visibility and credibility online. If you’d like assistance with these website optimizations, please contact Adcetera.

We’d be happy to lend a hand with our expertise in creating a custom SEO strategy integrated with other areas of digital marketing to bring you measurable results.