How to Rank on Google<\/p>\n
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I<\/p>\n
f you\u2019d like to know how to rank on Google, you need to understand SEO.<\/p>\n
SEO stands for search engine optimization. And it\u2019s a set of practices used to increase a website\u2019s visibility on search engines like Google.<\/p>\n
In this guide, we\u2019ll explain what you can do to improve your rankings and grow organic (meaning unpaid) Google traffic.<\/p>\n
Google has shared some ranking factors (more on those below) publicly. And many SEOs have discovered suspected ranking factors via tests and case studies.<\/p>\n
But webpages don\u2019t just go from published to appearing in search results. Here\u2019s an overview of how Google ranks a page.<\/p>\n
Google discovers and ranks content in three stages:<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a visual overview of the process:<\/p>\n
Now, let\u2019s get into some more specific Google ranking factors.<\/p>\n
A ranking factor is something that can affect where (or whether) your webpages appear in results for terms users are entering into search engines.<\/p>\n
And your SEO rankings are dependent on search engine algorithms.<\/p>\n
There are many\u00a0SEO ranking factors<\/a>. And Google has confirmed some of them. Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at how you can apply what we know about ranking factors to get ranked on Google.<\/p>\n Now that you have a basic understanding of how Google ranks a page, let\u2019s talk about the specific things you can do to rank on Google.<\/p>\n The first thing you need to do is perform keyword research. Which is the process of researching keywords you think your audience would use when searching on Google.<\/p>\n The end goal is to get your target audience to your website by producing content that targets those keywords.<\/p>\n For example, let’s say your business sells pet food online.<\/p>\n Keyword research will help you find terms you can (and should) target in your content. Like \u201cfreeze dried dog food\u201d and \u201corganic cat food.\u201d<\/p>\n But what does the keyword research process look like?<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to approach it.<\/p>\n The first step in choosing which keywords to target is creating a seed keyword list. This is a list of broad search terms that are related to your business.<\/p>\n To start coming up with ideas for your seed keywords, ask yourself the following questions:<\/p>\n After you\u2019ve come up with ideas, pick one to start your research in Semrush\u2019s\u00a0Keyword Magic Tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n Simply enter that seed keyword into the tool\u2019s search bar and click \u201cSuchen<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n The next screen will show you a list of related keywords along with their\u00a0keyword search volume<\/a>\u00a0(the average number of monthly searches a keyword gets),\u00a0Keyword Difficulty<\/a>\u00a0(a metric on a scale out of 100 that measures how difficult it would be to rank in the top 10 results for a given keyword), and more.<\/p>\n You can look into more specific keywords that will likely be great opportunities to target in your content by using the suggested groups and subgroups in the column to the left.<\/p>\n If you start with \u201cpet food\u201d as the seed keyword, you can expand the group \u201cBuy<\/strong>.\u201d And then click \u201cDog<\/strong>\u201d to get keyword ideas that incorporate those terms as well.<\/p>\n Check the box next to each keyword you\u2019d like to add to your keyword list, and then click \u201cAdd to keyword list<\/strong>\u201d and choose which list you want to add these keywords to.<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t started your keyword list yet, click on \u201cCreate a first list.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n To find even more terms your target audience is searching for, click the \u201cRelated<\/strong>\u201d tab.<\/p>\n Or you can get keyword ideas from your competitors.<\/p>\n Open the\u00a0Keyword Gap<\/a>\u00a0tool and enter your domain and the domains of up to four competitors. Then, click \u201cCompare<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019ll see an overview of how you compare to your competitors in terms of keyword rankings.<\/p>\n Scroll down to the table and select \u201cMissing<\/strong>.\u201d Which will show you all the keywords your competitors rank for but you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n This list can reveal keywords you\u2019ll want to incorporate into your content.<\/p>\n Compare Your Keywords with Competitors\u2019<\/p>\n with the Keyword Gap Tool<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Using your list of keyword ideas, you’ll now want to choose the main one (your primary keyword) to target in a new piece of content.<\/p>\n In the\u00a0Keyword Manager<\/a>\u00a0tool, open the keyword list you just made.<\/p>\n You’ll be taken to the \u201cTable\u201d tab and will see all the keywords you added. Along with several metrics such as keyword search volume and Keyword Difficulty.<\/p>\n Next, go to the \u201cClusters<\/strong>\u201d tab. And click on \u201cCluster this list<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Clustering keywords<\/a>\u00a0groups them based on what searchers are likely trying to find. And allows you to effectively target more than one keyword for a given page.<\/p>\n Once the list has been clustered, you\u2019ll see something like this:<\/p>\n For every cluster, you\u2019ll see metrics like the total number of keywords in the group, the average number of monthly searches a given keyword receives, and Keyword Difficulty.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll want to use the cluster name as your primary keyword.<\/p>\n Some clusters will be labeled as \u201chigh ranking potential.\u201d These may be the best clusters to prioritize because they have a Keyword Difficulty similar to the keywords your domain already ranks for and a relatively high search volume. Which may lead to faster results.<\/p>\n Now that you\u2019ve chosen a cluster, you can open it up and see the keywords that are related to it. And use these as secondary keywords.<\/p>\n Secondary keywords are additional keywords you can target with the same piece of content. To improve your chances of ranking for multiple keyword variations.<\/p>\n Since\u00a0Keyword Manager<\/a>\u00a0automatically grouped all of the keywords in your list into clusters, you don\u2019t have to guess which keywords are related to your primary keyword.<\/p>\n Now, you can make sure these keywords are peppered throughout your content in a natural and helpful way.<\/p>\n The key to ranking on Google is creating high-quality content that aligns with search intent\u2014the intent or goal of the person searching.<\/p>\n For example, are searchers looking to learn how to do something? Or are they looking to make a purchase online?<\/p>\n Generally, there are four main types of search intent:<\/p>\n When it comes to creating SEO content, it\u2019s important to analyze search intent before creating the content.<\/p>\n One way you can do this is by using the\u00a0Keyword Overview<\/a>\u00a0tool.<\/p>\n For example, enter the keyword \u201cpet food\u201d into the tool to see what the intent of the keyword is.<\/p>\n In this example the intent is commercial. Which means the user wants to do some research before deciding what to purchase.<\/p>\n So, your content should cover the information they\u2019d need to make their decision. Such as product reviews and comparing products.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of a search that has commercial intent:<\/p>\n Google recommends\u00a0creating content that\u2019s helpful<\/a>, useful, and written for people (as opposed to being only written for search engine bots) to best meet users\u2019 expectations.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive into each of these recommended elements:<\/p>\n Original content is unique and valuable to your readers. And Google is looking for content that has more value than what\u2019s already available in search results.<\/p>\n But originality also means the content wasn\u2019t plagiarized or taken from other sources. In other words: You didn\u2019t steal someone else\u2019s content and put it on your website.<\/p>\n You can still include quotes from other webpages. If you\u2019re quoting an article, simply cite your source to give them proper credit.<\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Your content should actually be helpful to the people who are reading it.<\/p>\n Google mentions that they\u2019ll prioritize content that\u2019s helpful. Which means it demonstrates Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).<\/p>\n E-E-A-T isn\u2019t a direct ranking factor. But it is part of Google\u2019s Search Quality Rater Guidelines. These guidelines are used by real people who review Google\u2019s search results.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a simple overview of what E-E-A-T represents:<\/p>\n You can evaluate this by asking yourself these questions about your content:<\/p>\n Tip:<\/strong>\u00a0There\u2019s a\u00a0great list of questions from Google<\/a>\u00a0that can help you to gauge how useful and reliable your content is.<\/em><\/p>\n Google recommends considering who created the content, how the content was created, and why the content was created.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth mentioning that leveraging AI to write content isn\u2019t against Google\u2019s guidelines as long as it\u2019s being used appropriately. But generating content primarily to manipulate search rankings is against Google\u2019s spam policies.<\/p>\n Plus, AI tools (like the one pictured below) can have \u201challucinations\u201d that lead to inaccurate information.<\/p>\n Hallucinations \u201care when a generative AI model outputs nonsense or invented information in response to a prompt,\u201d\u00a0according to Google<\/a>. This issue hasn\u2019t been solved yet.<\/p>\n At the very least, you should be fact-checking content that was written by AI. But ideally, you\u2019ll add your own expertise and experience rather than relying on AI to completely write your content.<\/p>\n Google has made it clear that content should be written for humans\u2014not search engines.<\/p>\n If you are creating content only for SEO purposes, you\u2019re not thinking about the people who will be reading and using it.<\/p>\n Content written for people means making the content read naturally. And adding keywords where it makes sense naturally (as opposed to forcing keywords to just so search engines see them).<\/p>\n We recommend creating content with people in mind first. And SEO second.<\/p>\n With this mindset, you\u2019ll be able to create content that satisfies people and search engines.<\/p>\n After you\u2019ve written your content, you\u2019ll want to leverage\u00a0on-page SEO<\/a>. Which means optimizing elements on your webpages to give them the best chance of ranking.<\/p>\n You can do this before publishing your content. Or afterward if you\u2019re making improvements to content that\u2019s already published.<\/p>\n There are lots of on-page elements. We advise starting with these first:<\/p>\n The title tag isn\u2019t visible on the page itself. But search engines can read it. And it shows in both the search results and in your browser tab.<\/p>\n Here’s an example of what a title tag looks like:<\/p>\n Title tags are a ranking factor. So, you\u2019ll want to include the target keyword.<\/p>\n Best practices are to include the target keyword at the beginning of the title tag. But you want it to read naturally, so that doesn\u2019t always have to be the case.<\/p>\n And we recommend making title tags about 50-60 characters in length. If title tags are longer than that, Google may truncate them in search results.<\/p>\n Just know that Google can still read the end of your title tags even if they\u2019re longer than the recommended length.<\/p>\n Meta descriptions<\/a>\u00a0are used to describe what a page is about. Think of them as a short summary of a page\u2019s contents.<\/p>\n They\u2019re not visible on the page itself. But search engines can read them, and they show in the search results directly under the title tag element.<\/p>\n Meta descriptions aren\u2019t a direct ranking factor. But they can help to increase\u00a0click-through rate (CTR)<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here’s an example of what a meta description looks like:<\/p>\n It\u2019s best to keep meta descriptions under 105 characters to ensure they don\u2019t get cut off in Google\u2019s search results.<\/p>\n Including the target keyword in the URL is important because it shows users what the page is about. URLs are also a minor Google ranking factor.<\/p>\n URLs shouldn\u2019t be excessively long or complicated. Long or complicated URLs are harder to read. And they look unattractive.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a good example of a URL: domain.com\/blog\/what-is-seach-intent\/<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a not-so-good example of a URL: domain.com\/2023\/06\/01\/what-is-seach-intent-and-how-to-optimize-your-content-for-the-right-search-intent-based-on-googles-search-results\/<\/p>\n Adding things like dates into a URL can make it become outdated quickly. And it can be confusing if the page is updated at a later date.<\/p>\n The content title on a webpage\u00a0is<\/strong>\u00a0often an\u00a0H1<\/a>. This is the top level of header tags (which run from H1 to H6).<\/p>\n Unlike the title tag, the H1 is visible on the page.<\/p>\n Some H1 best practices include:<\/p>\n Subheadings (H2, H3, etc.) indicate different sections of content that live under the main heading. They provide structure and a logical hierarchy to your content.<\/p>\n Subheadings also help Google understand your content better, break up the content, and make it easier for people to skim and find what they\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what a page with subheadings looks like:<\/p>\n Subheadings can influence rankings. So, consider adding the primary keyword and secondary keywords to a number of the subheadings.<\/p>\n But in a way that makes sense. And only if they actually describe the content below them.<\/p>\n For example, you could mention your primary and secondary keywords in your subheadings like this:<\/p>\n These shouldn\u2019t be overly lengthy, either. Keep them under 60 characters if possible.<\/p>\n Alt text helps to give search engines more information about the images you have on your webpages. Alt text isn\u2019t visible on the page itself, but search engines can read it.<\/p>\n Alt text is also important for accessibility. Because it allows people who use screen readers to understand what an image is conveying.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of alt text:<\/p>\n An internal link is when you link from one page on your site to another page on your site.<\/p>\n Adding internal links can improve rankings for the pages you\u2019re linking to. And help users navigate your website easily.<\/p>\n When adding internal links, it\u2019s important to use appropriate anchor text\u2014the clickable text that\u2019s used to link to the other page.<\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Anchor text helps tell search engines what the linked page is about. And makes it clear to the user where the link will take them if they click on it.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of how to add an internal link to a product page from a category page:<\/p>\n Tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Our\u00a0Site Audit<\/a>\u00a0tool can help you analyze and optimize your internal links.<\/em><\/p>\n Best practices for internal linking are to:<\/p>\n Further<\/strong>\u00a0reading:<\/strong>\u00a0Internal Links: Ultimate Guide + Strategies<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n External links are links from your website to other websites. They can be useful when backing up facts or claims in your content.<\/p>\n You can enhance the user experience and build trust by adding external links to relevant, high-quality, and authoritative sources when appropriate.<\/p>\n Schema is a type of structured data that helps search engines make more sense of the information on your webpages.<\/p>\n For example, you can use schema to tell Google specific things like:<\/p>\n In addition to helping search engines understand your content better, Google may use this information to make your content stand out more in their search results. They do this via\u00a0rich snippets<\/a>\u00a0(also called rich results).<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of a rich snippet showing pricing, reviews, inventory and other features:<\/p>\n Google pulls these details from the schema markup you\u2019ve implemented on your webpages.<\/p>\n Further reading:<\/strong>\u00a0Dive into our\u00a0beginner\u2019s guide to schema<\/a>\u00a0to learn more.<\/em><\/p>\n Technical SEO is the process of addressing technical aspects of your website to improve SEO.<\/p>\n If your site has technical issues, then it doesn\u2019t matter whether your content is amazing. Because some\u00a0technical SEO<\/a>\u00a0issues can prevent your content from ranking well or even getting indexed.<\/p>\n Here are some examples of technical SEO problems that can affect rankings:<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what you can do to improve some technical aspects of your website for both users and search engines:<\/p>\n Crawling is a prerequisite to getting indexed and ranked.<\/p>\n If Google can\u2019t crawl your webpages, then it can\u2019t index them. So, making sure Google can crawl your site should be a top priority.<\/p>\n You can use our\u00a0Site Audit<\/a>\u00a0tool to find technical problems that could affect your site’s crawlability.<\/p>\n Enter your domain into the Site Audit tool and click \u201cStart Audit<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Then, go through the site audit settings by following our guide on\u00a0configuring the Site Audit tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n Once the audit is complete, open the \u201cOverview<\/strong>\u201d report and click \u201cView details<\/strong>\u201d under \u201cCrawlability.\u201d<\/p>\n Click on the \u201cIssues<\/strong>\u201d tab. To see a list of crawlability issues that need your attention.<\/p>\n Each issue will either say \u201cWhy and how to fix it\u201d or \u201cLearn more\u201d next to it. Clicking these will give you information on how you can fix these issues.<\/p>\n Find and Fix Technical SEO Issues<\/p>\n with the Site Audit Tool<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Next, you\u2019ll want to make sure your webpages load quickly and easily. To ensure a positive user experience and also help your odds of ranking well.<\/p>\n First, it\u2019s important to know that Google has a set of metrics called\u00a0Core Web Vitals<\/a>\u00a0that can be used to measure how a page is performing from a user experience perspective.<\/p>\n You can use Google\u2019s\u00a0PageSpeed Insights<\/a>\u00a0tool to see what types of improvements can be made to speed up your webpages.<\/p>\n The following metrics are measured (among other things):<\/p>\n This part is quite technical. So, you may need to hire a developer to help you implement any of Google\u2019s recommendations if you\u2019re a beginner.<\/p>\n You can improve your site\u2019s speed in a number of ways:<\/p>\n Off-page SEO<\/a>\u00a0is a set of tactics implemented outside of your own website that can help improve your rankings.<\/p>\n Backlinks are a good example of off-page SEO.<\/p>\n Backlinks can be very powerful because they\u2019re an important ranking factor. But they can be hard to get.<\/p>\n Usually, building backlinks means you need to reach out to other website owners to see if they\u2019d be willing to link to your website.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to start an outreach campaign, try Semrush\u2019s\u00a0Link Building Tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n First, you\u2019ll need to create a project and\u00a0follow the setup instructions<\/a>.<\/p>\n Once the tool is ready, head to the \u201cProspects<\/strong>\u201d tab to see a list of websites you can reach out to for backlinks.<\/p>\n Next, review prospects. You can study the \u201cURL Type\u201d (which helps you understand more about the domain), \u201cAuthority Score\u201d (a measure of a webpage\u2019s overall quality), and \u201cRating\u201d (a score that indicates how valuable and easy it is to acquire a link from that site).<\/p>\n When you find sites you want to reach out to, click \u201cTo In Progress<\/strong>\u201d next to each one.<\/p>\n Then, go to the \u201cIn<\/strong>\u00a0Progress<\/strong>\u201d tab and click the \u201cKontakt<\/strong>\u201d button next to a prospect. So you can reach out to them via email.<\/p>\n You can also gain backlinks with a few other methods:<\/p>\n Further reading:<\/strong>\u00a0Link Building Strategies: 8 Ways to Build Links<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Performance monitoring is critical. Because it allows you to see whether your SEO efforts are working.<\/p>\n Some tools we recommend using are Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to track organic traffic and our\u00a0Position Tracking<\/a>\u00a0tool to track changes in rankings over time.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s see how this is done.<\/p>\n In GA4, go to \u201cReports<\/strong>\u201d on the left side. Then, select “Acquisition<\/strong>” (under \u201cLife cycle\u201d) and then \u201cOverview<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n And select the date range you want to look at in the top right.<\/p>\n This screen will show you which sources are bringing traffic to your website. The \u201cOrganic Search\u201d source shows how much traffic is coming from organic searches.<\/p>\n Further reading:<\/strong>\u00a0Google Analytics for Beginners: Getting Started with GA4<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n To get started with\u00a0Position Tracking<\/a>, follow our guide on\u00a0configuring the tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
How to Rank Your Website on Google in 7 Steps<\/h2>\n
1. Use Keyword Research to Find Opportunities<\/h2>\n
Create a List of Seed Keywords and Conduct Research<\/h3>\n
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Choose a Primary Keyword<\/h3>\n
Identify Secondary Keywords<\/h3>\n
2. Create Relevant and High-Quality Content<\/h2>\n
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What to Focus on to Help Your Content Rank on Google<\/h3>\n
Content That\u2019s Original<\/h4>\n
Content That\u2019s Helpful to Users<\/h4>\n
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Content That\u2019s Written for People<\/h4>\n
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3. Implement On-Page SEO Best Practices<\/h2>\n
Title Tag<\/h3>\n
Meta Description<\/h3>\n
URL<\/h3>\n
H1<\/h3>\n
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Subheadings<\/h3>\n
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Alt Text<\/h3>\n
Internal Links<\/h3>\n
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External Links<\/h3>\n
Schema<\/h3>\n
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4. Improve Your Technical SEO<\/h2>\n
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Make Sure Google Can Crawl Your Website<\/h3>\n
Improve Your Site Speed<\/h3>\n
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5. Work on Your Off-Page Strategy<\/h2>\n
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6. Monitor Your Performance<\/h2>\n