In broad terms, here is how to optimize your website to increase search engine rankings.
In great details however, an infographic from Fuzz One provides much insight into what it entails to increase search engine rankings.
The infographic, “The New Face of SEO”, compared what used to work in the past and what is recommended presently for both on-site and off-side optimization, and link building. We will explore the key approaches in details.
An important note
Always put it at the back of your mind that as you set out to optimize your website for high search engine rankings, the search engines are looking to optimize their results for their users. Optimize your website for users and the search engines will love you for it and reward you with high rankings.
Constant changing of search ranking algorithms by search engines is undertaken to improve users experience by providing them with better quality search results. Optimize your site for users and constant algorithm changes won’t affect you much. Your site will always be relevant and ranked highly because users are happy and the search engines take note.
You also have the added benefit of becoming a brand that users always go back to, do business with, and recommend to their networks.
Having said that….
On site optimization
To optimize your website to increase search engine ranking you should on your website:
Target wider range of keywords
You should target a wider range of keywords to rank for. Based on your objectives, you should target keywords that are likely to convert. To know keywords that are likely to convert, you should focus on the possible intend of the searcher and/or data from pay per click conversion if you have it.
For intend, think like a searcher, what could possibly be on your mind as you search a particular keyword of interest. Would you have had intend to buy or were you definitely just searching for information? Keywords with intend to buy are winners and more likely to convert.
Create good user experience
As mentioned earlier…
Users visiting your site should have a good experience. Design your site for users. Try to increase the average time visitors spend on your site and the number of pages visited per visit.
Work on reducing bounce rates and avoid poor site engagement like a plague.
Optimize your title tags. Let your title reflect the keyword you are trying to rank for, but be guided by good user experience.
Users that have had a good experience on your site will most likely keep coming back and recommend it, if the need arises. You want that as much as you want high search engine rankings.
Write compelling content
Write for your target audience and not search engines. Remember, good user experience is what both you and the search engines want.
Write naturally sounding engaging content well targeted at your audience that they will want to share.
Off-page optimization and link building
Generate sharable content
You want people to link to your website to drive traffic to it and present it as an authority site to the search engines.
People want to link to highly professional and creative content depending on your industry. Provide them with it.
Such content can be video, infograhic, rich media, etc. Just as far as it is of high quality and something people want to share.
Promote your content through social media. Target quality sites rather than quantity.
Build a long lasting brand
Insert in your article
It’s all about branding now. Focus almost all effort on building traction to the core of your brand. Search engine are looking at social signals to determine brand domains. They are looking at LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and of course Google +.
hxxp: blog. afriquehost. net/2013/05/how-to-optimize-your-website-to-increase-search-engine-rankings/
