In the modern world, your dominance over the internet can determine how far you’ll go in reaching your potential audience. Whether you operate as an individual, a firm, an organization, or a small business, the internet is key to massive progress. Now that this is clear, many people are left to wonder about the secrets of the internet.
Without doubt, the world’s leading search engine, Google, is your best friend when it comes to worldwide connection. Hence, you can begin your control over the internet by simply learning how to rank on Google.
In this post, I’ll show you how to rank on the first page of Google amidst the massive competition online. You’ll also learn how to write the killer blog post that deserves that first page in search results. As complex as it may seem, ensure you read to the end so you can have a better grasp of it all.
How Does Google Choose What Ranks on the First Page?
Like every other online platform, Google uses a mechanism to determine what pops up on its first page. When it comes to Google, there are five major factors it considers, which are:
- Meaning of Query
- Relevance of Content
- Quality of Content
- Usability of Webpages
- Context and Setting
Meaning of Query
Google needs to understand the user’s goals and needs in order to provide them with useful search results. To accomplish this, Google uses language models to try to interpret the few words they type into the search box. It then checks how they correspond to the most relevant material.
Its databases also make an effort to grasp the specifics of your information needs. For example, you may search for the term “cooking” or “photography.” Then, Google’s algorithms figure out that showing you recipes or photos is more likely to be relevant to what you were looking for. Also, if you conduct a search in French, for instance, you will get results primarily in French.
Google’s algorithms are smart enough to know that you could find greater value in recent articles while searching for popular terms. This ensures that users get the most up-to-date results, whether they are looking up breaking news, breaking sports scores, or corporate profits.
Relevance of Contents
Next, Google’s algorithms evaluate the text to see if it includes any tidbits that could be useful to the user’s search. Google mostly uses keywords to figure this out, but that’s not all it does when it looks for relevance.
It also uses data from interactions that has been anonymized and put together to figure out if search results are useful. Here, it takes that information and converts it into signals. Its machine-learning algorithms can use these signals to make more accurate estimates of what is important.
Quality of Contents
Google’s technologies seek to rank material based on how useful it is once it has been found. They do this by looking for signs that show which pieces of information are authoritative, helpful, and reliable.
One of the ways they do so is by looking at how many other major websites reference the material in question. In many cases, this has been indicative of reliable data. Their search quality evaluation process feeds into a larger feedback loop that improves their systems’ ability to evaluate content.
Usability of Webpages
Google also takes into account how easy it is for people to get to the information. A lot of how well content does depends on how easy it is for the target audience to get to.
For example, Google has to make sure that people viewing on mobile devices have a good time. To do this, its systems will consider factors including whether or not the material is mobile-friendly. The same holds true for checking how quickly material loads, which is crucial for mobile users and desktop users alike.
Context and Setting
Finally, Google uses information like the user’s location, search history, and preferred settings to give them the most useful and relevant results.
It also uses your country and location to give you content that is right for you. The user’s search preferences and the search engine’s algorithm are two important parts of figuring out how relevant search results are.
Why Should You Get Your Post on Google’s First Page?
As a business owner, you have several goals that you’re working on achieving. Having your name on the first page of search results brings you closer to them. The rewards are boundless, as you can see below:
Get Your Name Out There the More
If you want people to notice your business, you need to ensure it appears on the first page of search results. As your views increases on Google, the result is more exposure for your brand. A more well-known brand attracts more customers.
Increase New Leads
One of your primary objectives should be to provide solutions to the problems faced by your target market. As you rank, those looking to interact with you or make a purchase can easily find you on the first page. It’s more probable that these folks will become potential leads when you’re on the first page of their searches.
Boost Participation
Before making a large purchase, the vast majority of people now turn to Google for information. Visitors can now learn everything they need to know about your company simply by viewing the Google search results. Google also entails features:
- The “People also ask” section
- Answer boxes
- Presentation of data like the company’s physical address, phone number, description, testimonials, etc
- Google Maps location
- Star ratings and many more
With this data, customers can interact with your company and evaluate it in comparison to competitors before they even click.
Gain Confidence
High-quality content is the key to getting to the first page of Google search results. Google’s ranking algorithm can identify low-quality and potentially harmful content and will not promote it. Being prominent on Google’s front page builds credibility, and credibility is the foundation of any successful business.
Build a Fanbase
The quantity and quality of your content creation efforts can also increase your company’s customer base. You can increase your audience size, for instance, by focusing on longer pieces of content and avoiding shorter ones. Recycling and redistributing your materials across social media platforms, paid advertising channels, and email lists, is useful for social media marketing.
Dominate in Sales
Google has enabled information to be available at your fingertips. Online shopping has made it easier than ever for people to look into their options and choose the best one. Getting to the top of Google’s search results page brings in leads at the top of the sales funnel.
How to Write an Awesome Blog Post that Will Rank on the First Page of Google
It’s not enough to work on getting your content onto the first page of Google without also paying attention to its quality. To this effect, you’ll be looking at writing an “awesome” blog post, alongside ranking it on Google, as shown below:
- Understand the Audience You’re Writing for
- Do Your Keyword Research
- Know the Keywords You Wish to Use
- Study Your Competition
- Do Your Research
- Create a Content Outline
- Build a Comprehensive Article
- Place in Keywords Without Stuffing
- Fix in Headers Correctly
- Apply Visuals (Images and Graphics)
- Create a Content Headline
- Create a Hook and Metadescription
- Fix in Internal and Outbound Links
Understand the Audience You’re Writing for
It’s vain when you start writing a blog post without knowing for whom you’re writing it. Find out who you want to read your post before you start writing it.
Who would you consider to be your perfect reader, and to what end are they inquiring? Use the questions to come up with problems and ways to solve them in your article. The process will also help you improve your marketing skills.
If your blog markets a product, it will help you understand who you’re selling to and what to offer. Start by making a buyer’s persona or avatar based on what your audience is like.
Do Your Keyword Research
Finding appropriate keywords is the next stage. The term “keyword” refers to a word or phrase that is used in online searches.
Using a keyword tool, you may see how often a certain term is searched for each month. They also provide an indication of the keyword’s competitiveness.
Incorporating keywords into a blog post makes it more accessible to search engines. In addition, keyword research reveals the precise questions that people have. Thanks to them, you won’t have to speculate about or invent a subject out of thin air.
Keep in mind that “long-tail keywords,” or those consisting of four words or more, are an excellent jumping-off point. These types of keywords are both more specific and less competitive.
Know the Keywords You Wish to Use
When you’re done with your keyword analysis, you’ll need to choose a single phrase to be your focus keyword. It’s important to consider the context of your term before you begin writing. What, exactly, is the searcher after when they type this word into Google?
Someone looking for the “best gaming platform free,” for instance, expects to find a comparison and assessment of available “free” options. They hope to get insight into which free gaming platform is perfect for them at the end of your essay.
The meaning of a term isn’t always obvious, though. Google the term if you are unsure of what is being asked. Just ensure you have a deep insight into and understanding of what the keyword is referring to.
Study Your Competition
After you decide on your target audience and keyword, the next step is to study your competition. To keep your browsing history from affecting your results, set your browser to “private browsing” mode. If you type something into Google, it will provide the top 10 results.
You need to open these results and look through them all if you’re serious about your ranking. The best-performing articles for a certain search term will reveal just what Google considers to be of the highest quality.
Learn to critically assess the shared and unique strengths of these articles as you read. You’ll need to outdo all of these other posts with one that’s even more engaging, informative, helpful, attention-grabbing, world-changing, etc.
Do Your Research
In addition to spying on the opposition, you should look into the matter further from a more formal perspective. Unfortunately, if blogs just echo each other, false information can proliferate. Get your facts straight from the source before passing them on.
Make sure you check your facts before you put any information or data on your site. You’ll be able to produce better content and rank higher on Google as a result. Remember that Google’s goal is to return the most relevant and trustworthy results for a user’s search. Therefore, that’s the kind of material you should strive to produce.
Create a Content Outline
When writing a long piece of background information, it’s easy to get off track. Make an outline before you start writing to keep your thoughts organized and your work focused.
This blueprint should not be very detailed. However, it should cover the general format of your blog entries and the main points you wish to make. It’s like having a template.
Any research you completed or notes you took about the competition can go here. For a fast list-style article on your blog, you may use the following format:
- Title
- The introduction which should just be a couple of paragraphs long. Make sure the reader understands you’re going to answer their query by using your major keyword.
- If you’re authoring a lengthy tutorial, a table of contents with internal links may greatly improve the reading experience.
- Use your focus phrase once more in the heading 2, then introduce your list with a few lines.
- The H3s are the article’s main body. You should have two to four paragraphs (of about two to three sentences apiece) under each H3 heading. See to it that these follow a sensible arrangement and hold the interest of your readers.
- A conclusion which should be in heading 2. It should be brief and contain a wrap-up of what you want the readers to benefit from your article.
An outline such as this can help you stay on track and clear your mind as you write your blog post.
Build a Comprehensive Article
Now, you can begin writing your awesome blog post. At this point, you’ll need to refer back to the part where you get to understand your audience. It should guide what you write in the body of the post.
Think about what questions they might have and what information would be most helpful to them in your blog post. Write a piece that addresses all their concerns and inquiries.
Be brief and reasonable, and ensure every line counts. You don’t have to write a novel just because you want to provide timeless, foundational material.
It’s risky to stray too far from the topic at hand, as you could lose your audience with irrelevance. In some cases, you may find yourself deviating from the main point of your post while composing. Consider reserving that material or idea for a later piece.
Place in Keywords Without Stuffing
Use your focus keyword many times in the body of your text. It’s recommended to use your major keyword roughly three times in a 1,000-word post.
If you use this term too much, Google will think you are “keyword stuffing,” which will hurt your search engine rankings. If you’re not sure if you’ve used the keyword enough, the Yoast plugin can tell you how often you’ve used it.
Use the keyword at least once in the introduction, and preferably in a header (H2 is best). In addition to your core keyword, you may also utilize some secondary keywords.
Also, you shouldn’t publish too many articles with the same keyword because that will make you compete with yourself. Instead, focus on producing a single masterpiece per term if you want to improve your search engine rankings.
Fix in Headers Correctly
We all know how a dull introduction can send a reader away instantly. In the same way, a wall of text that’s difficult to navigate pursues potential readers.
When writing a blog article, it’s ideal to keep things brief and scannable. This is where headers come into play.
Don’t just throw in some keywords here and there; use headers to organize your content. Begin with H2 (H1 is the headline of your blog article) and go to H3s and H4s as necessary.
Also, avoid filling the space under each heading with unnecessary text. A new heading should be used to divide the material if it grows longer than four to six paragraphs.
Never overwhelm readers with too much text in a paragraph. When writing a blog article, it’s best to keep each paragraph to no more than a few sentences.
Apply Visuals (Images and Graphics)
Headers aren’t the only way to increase your blog post’s aesthetic appeal. You can add one of the following as well:
- Pictures
- Graphs
- Charts
- Tables
- Infographics, etc.
There are several websites where you may get images to use. Ensure the style of images you use on the blog is consistent throughout the content. It is important to give credit where credit is due.
Create a Content Headline
The next step after completing your blog article is to think of a catchy title. Try to keep in mind that there are only 10 results displayed to Google users on the very first page.
In order to get readers to read your blog post, you need an attention-grabbing headline. Your headline must convince them you have the answer to their question.
If you can work the keyword (or a close variant of it) into the headline, that will help. Checking out your competition titles is also useful here. For instance, if the keyword appears in its exact form in all top-ranking articles, you should probably stick with that.
However, there are situations when you don’t have to stick to what others do. You can also observe your competitors to see what they got wrong and make the corrections in yours.
Create a Metadescription
Before you click “publish,” ensure that your lengthy blog post has a slug and meta-description. These three elements make it easy for Google’s algorithm to pick out your posts.
Regardless of the headline you select, your primary keyword should be included in the slug (URL). You can easily modify this in the backend when uploading your post.
The Yoast plugin makes it simple to include a keyword and meta-description. Include your keyword and some background information about the article’s subject in the meta-description. Although Google no longer utilizes the meta-description as a ranking criteria, you should still write one if you wish to attract viewers.
Fix in Internal and Outbound Links
In your blog post, make sure to use internal links to your advantage. You can put links all over your blog to other things you’ve written that people might find interesting.
The beauty of hyperlinking is that you don’t have to necessarily tell the readers to click on it. Naturally, you can fix it into the text using appropriate words. A hyperlinked word or phrase will have a slight glow within the text.
A reader will normally understand that the particular highlighted phrase is clickable for more details. You could also use a direct call to action that tells the reader to go to a particular post.
The other side of linking is linking to posts other than your own, which are referred to as “outbound links.” However, you should be careful not to link to a competitor’s post that ranks for the same keyword phrase you target. When it comes to external links, it’s best to stick with sites that are trustworthy and have a high domain authority.
Conclusion
Many have concluded that to get their posts ranking on the first page of a search result, they’ll need an expert. While this may be true, there’s actually no need when you can optimize your posts yourself. With the guide you have in this article, you should be able to get your killer blog post written. You won’t just stop in writing alone now, but you’ll also be ranking on the first page of Google itself!
