How to Rank #1 on Google: Proven SEO Techniques
Who doesn't want to be ranked number one on the world's most popular search engine? Ranking higher on Google not only drives more visitors to your site, increases your online visibility, and strengthens your company's trustworthiness, but it also feels nice.
Now, to rank #1 on Google, there isn't one miraculous formula, but it is a combination of many SEO techniques.
1. Choose the best keywords to target for ranking on Google
First and foremost, figure out what you want to rank for. Of course, you want to rank for the keywords that your target customers enter into the search box. These are keywords, and you'll need keyword research tools to figure out which ones you can realistically rank for. If you're just getting started with your SEO strategy, your best chance is to begin with low-volume, low-competition keywords to gain traction before progressively increasing. The definition of "low" varies per industry, but keywords in the 90-400 area could be a decent place to start.
2. You need to opt for Long-form Content
What is the key to ranking high on Google? In-depth, long-form information about the term you're targeting. This is most obvious in blog entries, but it can also be applied to landing pages. For example, a blog post of "Smart Home Setup" on an appliance website can rank higher for the term "Smart Home Setup".
3. Attach Visuals
Including photos on your page can help it rank higher in a variety of ways. First, it creates more compelling content that keeps visitors on the website longer; second, ordinary search results are getting more visual; and third, your photographs have a better chance of ranking in image results. However, stock photos and empty graphics will not suffice for high-ranking blog entries. You need visuals that illustrate concepts, add value, and reflect the keyword's objective.
4. Meta Title
Your SEO title, also known as the meta title, is the title that is displayed on the SERP. Similar to headers, Google does not allow for much inventiveness. A title that is comparable to what is already on page one is usually the best option. So, while you might use a more colorful H1 title (the title that shows on the page), keep your SEO title to 60 characters or fewer, front-load the keyword, and pay attention to popular modifiers, such as the year in the title.
5. Use a reader-friendly layout
Google is increasingly focussing on delivering solutions rather than simply listing pages. Hence, the term "zero-click search" allows users to acquire the information they seek directly on the results page without having to click on any one result. This isn't ideal for those of us who want to boost website traffic, but if you can't defeat 'em (Google is like Goliath on steroids), then joining 'em is the next best thing---and your method to rank higher. The best method to address this is to make your material skimmable. This allows Google to take snippets of your text to generate answer-like results, such as the Featured Snippet, Passage Ranking, and even meta descriptions.
6. Backlinks
A backlink is a link to your page from another website, and it is a significant ranking element. If you create quality content and promote it on social media, you may already be receiving backlinks. However, you can also be proactive in obtaining backlinks for specific pages.
7. Pay attention to the ranking pages
It can sometimes be easier to get a post to move from position nine to position four than from, say, page nine to page four. Not only that, but the former will drive a much bigger increase in traffic than the latter. If you have an extensive website, use an SEO tool like Ahrefs or Semrush to filter your organic keywords by position. If you have any pages that fit this bill, then see if you can reoptimize it.
8. Technical SEO
A lot of technical SEO is done at the site level, but there are several page-level optimisations you can do to boost your position, such as ensuring that your images are properly compressed and scaled and that there are no indexation issues. You may check a page's Core Web Vitals, mobile usability, and other metrics directly in Search Console. In addition, perform a manual mobile usability test---that is, visit the page from a mobile device to ensure the elements are rendering properly, rather than simply using Google's mobile-friendliness checker.
9. Monitor the Search Queries
Search Console will tell you which searches bring users to your website in search results and which contribute to clicks. This might help you locate more headers to add to a page as well as new keywords to target with their pages. If you're already ranking for it by accident, you'll almost certainly rank when you target it on purpose. Example: "Best advertising sentences" is a query for which we receive impressions. If I discover that it's a keyword, I might compose a blog post about it or use it as a heading in an existing post.
10. Long question Keywords
Long-tail keywords, in general, will hit the sweet spot in terms of volume and competition; however, long-tail question keywords are an added bonus because they provide opportunities to appear higher than the top results for broader, super-high-volume keywords---via the People Also Ask section. For example, "social media marketing" has a 32K search volume. WordStream is the top search result, followed by Sprout Social. The PAA part, however, is sandwiched between the two findings. If a reader expands on one of those inquiries, the page that answers it suddenly ranks higher than the #2 result in Google.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to rank #1 on Google?
It depends on factors like keyword competition, website authority, and content quality, but it can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months.
What are the best SEO techniques to improve ranking?
Effective SEO techniques include keyword research, high-quality content creation, backlink building, and technical SEO optimization.
Does keyword research still matter for SEO?
Yes, choosing the right keywords helps target the right audience and improves visibility on search engines.
How does content length impact Google rankings?
Long-form, in-depth content tends to rank better as it provides more value and answers users' queries more comprehensively.
Are backlinks necessary to rank higher on Google?
Yes, quality backlinks from authoritative websites boost credibility and help improve search rankings.