As a SEMrush partner and an established SEO company, we feel qualified to speak on the topic of improving a website’s ranking. There can be no doubt of the importance of ranking high in today’s digital landscape, so the question of how to improve your ranking has become a huge discussion.
Let’s look at four ways you can do this well.
Create Quality Content That Adds Value
Great content is the magic ingredient for ranking high in search results. Search engines love informative, trustworthy articles that users find valuable. This is especially true for SEO. By creating content specifically designed for your target audience, you’ll attract more visitors and boost your site’s authority and relevance in the search engine’s eyes.
Become an Authority on Your Topic
Refine your writing skills and establish yourself as an expert in your field. Each high-quality piece of content on your website should target a specific search term. Here are some examples of search terms people might use:
- Online master’s degrees in engineering management
- How to apply for scholarships
- FAFSA deadline explained
- Engineering vs. engineering technology: What’s the difference?
Target One Keyword Phrase per Page
It’s challenging for a single webpage to rank for many different search terms unless they’re closely related. For example, a page could rank for “biomedical engineering jobs” and “biomedical engineering careers,” but not for something broader like “student affairs” and “dean of students” on the same page.
To target multiple keywords, create separate web pages for each specific phrase.
Smart Keyword Placement
Once you’ve chosen a keyword phrase for a page, consider incorporating it strategically:
- Can you include part or all of it in the URL (using folders)?
- Can it be included naturally in the page title?
- Can it be woven into headings and subheadings throughout the content?
While using your keyword phrase is important, prioritise natural-sounding writing and user experience. Don’t stuff your content with keywords or repeat the same phrase excessively.
Content is King
Content has the biggest impact on search engine rankings, beyond URLs, titles, and headings. This optimisation process is called “on-page SEO” or “page optimisation.” Here’s how to optimise your content:
- Include your keyword phrase naturally a few times throughout the content, including the beginning and closing paragraphs.
- Showcase your expertise by linking to relevant sources and providing additional information, both from your own website and external sources if helpful.
Credibility is Key
Sharing your experiences and insights sets your content apart, especially in today’s world of AI-generated content. Expertise builds trust, keeps users engaged, and fosters long-term success. This aligns with search engines’ goals of providing high-quality information to users and helps you establish a strong online presence with better SEO.
Formatting for Readability
Use bold, italics, heading tags (especially H1), and other emphasis tags to highlight key points, but don’t overdo it. Prioritise clear and natural language. Remember, you’re writing for users, not search engines.
Keep Your Content Fresh and Relevant
Search engines love fresh content. It shows your website is active and up to date, which is a major ranking factor. To stay on top, schedule regular content audits to identify areas for improvement. Update existing content with new information, add fresh sources, and generally keep things interesting for your audience.
Blogging for SEO
Regular blog posts are another powerful tool for boosting your search engine ranking. These content pieces can be shorter updates on your target topics, packed with relevant keywords.
The length of the blog article is always a contentious topic, so we wrote this article to explore the topic in detail.
Remember to link your blog posts to related pages on your website. This will help users find more information and improve the overall user experience on your site.
Make it Mobile Friendly
Make sure your website shines on smartphones and tablets! Design it to be responsive, meaning it adapts to any screen size for a smooth user experience. Don’t forget to optimise images and other media for faster loading on mobile devices.
Consider partnering with a skilled web developer to implement best practices for technical SEO. This focuses on creating a website that’s both user-friendly and high-performing for search engines. Here’s what it entails:
- Optimise images to reduce file size and minimise HTTP requests for faster loading times.
- Enable browser caching to improve performance for returning visitors.
- Use a clean and organised URL structure that’s easy for both users and search engines to understand.
- Implement schema markup, which provides search engines with additional information about your content. This can lead to richer snippets and improved visibility in search results.
Meta Titles, Descriptions, & More
Your website’s pages have a hidden compartment called the <head> section. Here, you can add metadata, which is essentially information describing your content.
Title Magic
The title metadata is what shows up at the top of your browser tab and as the headline in search results. It’s the most crucial piece of metadata on your page. For CMS users, our system automatically generates titles based on your page titles. This highlights the importance of crafting clear and keyword-rich page titles.
Description
The description metadata is a short blurb search engines might use to display in search results. Think of it as your website’s storefront window – a concise and captivating description that entices users to click.
Aim for two clear sentences here. While search engines may not always use your description, it’s good practice to provide them with the option.
Keyword Magic (Not Quite)
Keyword metadata isn’t a major ranking factor for search engines anymore. But since you likely already have your target keywords in mind, you can include them here. Use various relevant phrases (3-7, ideally 1-4 words each) – think “computer science degree.”
Don’t Forget Alt Tags
Always describe your images and videos with alt tags (alternative text descriptions). This helps search engines find your content, especially important for users with text-only browsers or screen readers.
Interested in Finding Out More?
We’d love to work with you. We’re veteran SEO consultants who love solving problems for businesses. Get in touch today to see what we can do for your business!
