SEO, Google Rankings, Keywords - Oh My! - Part 1 of 4
Kirsty Pilgrim • December 18, 2020
Congratulations! You have recently launched a website for your small business. Your next logical step is to let the world know you're online and open for business! What do you need to do to get your website noticed on the world wide web?
The internet is an enormous platform. Rumour has it that Google uses about 200 various factors to rank a site. Wow! That can be intimidating.
But which of those 200 factors carry the most punch? How do you weed out the less important factors?
Lucky for you, we have put together a list of terms and guidelines that can help you to navigate the jungle that is known as the SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Along with how to get your website to rank the highest within the Google Search.
Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing a series of 4 Blog Posts explaining which factors are essential in making your website the most visible in terms of SEO. The elements will be broken down into: On-Page Factors, Off-Page Factors, Domain Factors and finally Site Factors.
Today's blog post will focus on ' On-Page factors '.
Ensuring the critical On-Page factors are addressed will determine how well your webpage is optimized and will ultimately have the most effect on its rankings. Here are the On-page optimization factors that can affect its search visibility:
- Keywords in the title meta tag . The title meta tags are used to describe the content on the page. By using a keyword in the title tag, the search engine will use this as a ranking factor. The keywords should be placed at the beginning of the title tag rather than at the end. Webpages that are optimized in this manner will rank higher than those that did not.
- Keywords in meta description tag . The ultimate goal is to gain user clicks from search results pages. By including the keyword in the meta description tag, this serves as, yet another relevance factor used for ranking by the search engine.
- Keywords in H1 tag. H1 tags are used as another relevance factor and serve as a description of the content of the page.
- Keywords being used in the copy of the page . Using the keyword in the copy sends a relevancy signal of what the content is about.
- The length of the content . These days searches on Google look for authoritative and informative content to rank first. The longer your content is will give you a greater chance that you can cover more aspects of your topic.
- Duplicate content. Try to avoid using duplicating content by writing original copy for each page. Your rankings can be affected by having similar content across various pages of your site.
- Use of Canonical tags. This tag tells Google that one URL is equivalent to another. The tag clearly states that despite two pages having the same content, they are one.
- Image Optimization. Images on your webpage can send the search engine relevancy signals through their alt text, caption, and description.
- Content Updates. Google algorithm prefers updated content. Create a strategy to update certain types of content at a minimum of once every 12 months.
- Outbound links. The use of too many outbound links can significantly diminish the page's PageRank, hurting its search visibility. Outbound links can affect your rankings, so only use them in moderation.
- Internal links. The established strength of factors can be passed between Interlinking pages on your site.
- Keyword in URL . Including the keyword in the URL slug is another way to send a relevancy signal to Google.
We hope you have found this blog post both informative and insightful as to what factors Google uses to rank webpages. Stay tuned for our next blog post where we explore Off-Page Factors that can increase your Google relevance.
Kre8tive Agency ensures all of our web designs come fully optimized, incorporate the above-mentioned factors along with a variety of other SEO strategies. We want to be sure your website ranks well in the Google search results.
Not sure how your website stacks up? Contact Kre8tive Agency today to arrange for a website audit.
Like regular intervals, Google has launched its core updates starting November 2024. It is an attempt by the search engine giant to refine the search system and enhance the quality of results. While the updates are now highlighted to the general users, they will reflect on the search engine when the complete roll-out process is finished.
Modern SEO is changing. There are some rising trends in SEO you need to keep up with. This will bring you digital success.
With effective strategies, digital marketing agencies can help businesses obtain a strong online presence
Discover the benefits of hiring a professional web designer. Learn why they can help your website stand out and attract more visitors to your business.
Instagram's recent shift to prioritize video content has important implications for brands. Stay up-to-date on the latest trends with Kre8tive Agency's guide.
The Manifest Recognizes Kre8tive Agency Among Edmonton’s Most Reviewed Digital Marketing Companies
Is your goal to reach large numbers of people and get them interested in your product or service? If yes, social media marketing is an efficient way to achieve this. When it comes to marketing your business, there is no doubt social media is one of the best methods! It’s one of the most powerful tools out there for business owners and digital marketers alike. Let’s take a look at six advantages that come with utilizing social media as part of your overall marketing strategy. Increase Your Companies Brand Awareness & Recognition More than HALF of the world’s population is on social media, so needless to say, you want to be where your customers are. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter make it easier than ever to build a brand! They offer you the ability to directly engage with customers as well as social sharing. Both are amazing for raising awareness. You can chat with customers right in your DM’s plus they can comment on and share your posts with their friends! Take a look at the engagement from this one post and see the power of social sharing!
With over 2 billion monthly users, YouTube has become one of the most popular video-based platforms. More than any of its competitors, such as Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok, YouTube has become the go-to platform for sharing information via video. The general public utilizes YouTube as a place to learn about how to do new things. For example, if you needed to change out a doorknob. You can bet that YouTube probably has a video created by a locksmith or a handyman that will teach you how to perform the task. The question now becomes, how does one wield YouTube as a powerful tool for business? On YouTube, by creating a video channel, you can connect with your users in a totally different way than other social media platforms. YouTube is an excellent platform to: create visual and auditory content to back up your written content create visual demonstrations of your products use as a method to share personal press releases to your followers YouTube is also a valuable tool to gather followers' contact information to grow your email list. Pros Videos drive more conversions It is a great way to show off your brand's personality Videos nicely complement other marketing strategies Cons Videos can take longer to produce Users have high expectations for visual/audio quality Ranking your video can be difficult Taking all of the above into account, YouTube is a great social media platform to grow your business exposure. While the knowledge required to learn how to shoot and edit videos might take some time to master, it can be relatively inexpensive. The majority of smartphones are capable of recording high-quality videos, which the user can then publish with ease. If your business could benefit from implementing YouTube as a marketing strategy, Kre8tive Agency can help! Reach out to us today for a free consultation.
.As we near the finish line of our six-part blog series, in the edition we will be exploring the merits of Pinterest. Since its debut in 2010, Pinterest is one of the top social media platforms for small businesses, with 291 million active users today. The vast majority of users are millennials. Over half are women between the age of 25 and 54 and most recent an upward trend is showing users being 40% men. Pinterest gives a $4.3 return for every $1 spent on ads on average. Pinterest is a considerably less expensive and more profitable advertising platform when compared to Facebook or Twitter. The key elements for utilizing Pinterest as a profitable marketing option for your small business is: a consistent schedule, creative pictures, a strategy for gaining followers Pinterest acts as a great traffic driver to your website. But not all businesses can thrive on this particular social media platform. Businesses specializing in home decor, cooking recipes, photography sites, travel, health and beauty are examples of the most successful companies utilizing Pinterest as a marketing platform. Why, might you ask? Just like its competitor Instagram, Pinterest has content that is visually appealing and can be easily shared. Creativity is the key with Pinterest. Nearly all businesses that have used Pinterest as part of their marketing strategy have shown a significant boost in website traffic. Surveys have revealed that 40% of Pinterest users have a household income of around $100k. Users pursuing Pinterest are there to spend their hard-earned dollars. With that in mind, it's not surprising that this platform is also great for driving conversions! If your business falls within the businesses seeing success from Pinterest, we would love to talk to you! Call the marketing professionals at Kre8tive Agency for a free consultation today!
Not surprisingly, LinkedIn has demonstrated staying power amongst the plethora of social media sites available. Perhaps because LinkedIn is geared more towards professionals using it as a networking tool or to seek new employment opportunities. Just like other social media platforms, LinkedIn is also an excellent resource for content sharing. Rather than finding new customers, you're more likely to find business partners on this platform. Unless, of course, your market focuses on the business-to-business client, then you've come to the right place! Pros 65+ million active users Great for promoting business-related content Perfect for networking Makes it easier to recruit talent Cons Not designed for eCommerce Better for home businesses or freelancers Has a fraction of the users compared to other platforms In summary, LinkedIn may not be the place to keep up to date on social adventures with your family or friends. However, it is still an imperative tool to be used in your professional life. By establishing a LinkedIn business page, you can show off your brand while expanding your professional network. If you are a professional looking to expand your network by using LinkedIn but aren't sure where to start, Kre8tive Agency has the answers! Reach out to us today for a free consultation.
