The Ultimate SEO Guide to Getting to the Top of Google

There are many myths about Google ranking. Some people think that you can simply "game the system" and achieve the number one ranking for any keyword you choose. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Google has become very good at detecting spammy techniques, and they will penalise your website if they catch you trying to cheat the system. In this article, we will discuss some of the best SEO tips to help you get higher rankings in Google and other search engines.

The sections we will cover are:

1. Keywords
2. Content
3. Backlinks
4. Credibility
5. Reviews

1. Keywords

There is a huge misconception that you have to flood your website or blog post with hundreds upon thousands of the same keywords, just to get your page noticed by Google. This is simply not true. It might of been slightly true back the infancy of Google, but in today's modern age, Google is a powerhouse and relies of masterful algorithms to scan your website for the relevant content.

So what are keywords?

Keywords are words that you use in the content of your website/blog to tell Google what the subject or topic you are writing about.

For example, Our website is about 'Graphic Design' and 'Website design'. So we use those words as our keywords in our content to help match a web users Google search with our website. The hope here is that when the users types in "Web Design Wokingham", they are presented with a link to our website that talks about or service of "Web Design" and that we are based in Wokingham, Berkshire.

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2.  Content

This is by far the most important aspect of SEO. Google loves great content, and so do users. If you can produce high-quality, informative, and engaging content, people will naturally want to link to it, share it on social media, and Google will take notice. Google looks at various factors when determining the quality of your content, including:

• Spelling and grammar
• Originality
• Length
• Structure
• Formatting

All of these factors play a role in how Google ranks your content. In general, longer articles tend to perform better than shorter ones because they show that you have in-depth knowledge on the subject matter. However, this is not always the case—if your article is well written and covers all.

According to a HubSpot study from 2021, the ideal blog post length for SEO should be 2,100-2,400 words. That’s a lot longer than the 200 - 500 word blog posts most writers or webmasters think is ideal.

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3.  Backlinks

One of Google's main ranking factors is the number and quality of backlinks your website has. Backlinks are simply links from other websites that point to your website. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the better Google will rank your website.

There are a few things you can do to increase the number of backlinks to your website:

• Publish great content that people want to link to
• Submit guest blog posts on high-traffic websites
• Get involved in online discussions and forums related to your industry
• Create infographics or SlideShares about your industry and post them on popular sites.

Be warned, there are many services out there that offer to publish your site/link in exchange for money. These usually offer a really low quality backlink and should be avoided. Remember, It's far better to have less backlinks from more reputable sources, than it is to have many backlinks from less trusted sources.

Quality... Not Quantity

4.  Credibility

Google is constantly trying to improve the quality of their search results by weeding out low-quality websites. One of the ways they do this is by looking at a website's credibility. Google looks at various factors when determining a website's credibility, including:

• age of domain
• length of time site has been active
• number of backlinks
• social signals (shares, likes, etc.)

If you have a new website, don't worry—there are things you can do to increase your credibility in Google's eyes. One thing you can do is get involved in online discussions and forums related to your industry. This will help show Google that you are an expert in your field and that your website is a credible source.

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5.  Reviews

Google uses reviews as a ranking factor, so it's important to have them on your website. Google looks at the quality and quantity of reviews when determining where to rank your website. The more positive reviews you have, the higher Google will rank your website.

To get started, you can add a Google review widget to your website. This will allow people to leave reviews directly on your website, which will help increase both the quantity and quality of your reviews. You can also encourage customers or clients to leave reviews on popular review sites like Yelp or Google My Business.

Don't be afraid to ask for a review from your audience/customers - It can go along way into proving to Googles crawl bots that you are great at what you do.

Recommended SEO Tools:

Here is a list of some excellent web tools to help boost your SEO ranking and insight. The majority of SEO tools do come at a cost, but the amount of time it saves you is so worth it.

• UberSuggest
• SpyFu
• SemRush
• Google Search Console
• Google Analytics
• Google Trends

Conclusion

SEO can indeed be a complex journey, especially in the face of ever-evolving Google algorithms. It often feels like a full-time endeavour just to stay ahead of the curve. However, with the strategies and insights shared in this guide, you're equipped to navigate this dynamic landscape and propel your website to new heights on Google's rankings.

Consistency and adaptability are key, so keep optimising, keep learning, and soon you'll find your online presence soaring to the top.