Gone are the days when Search Engine Optimisation was all about getting as many keywords into your website as possible. Now, Google’s algorithms are much more complex, evaluating a number of aspects in order to rank your website against your competitors.
There is no set list of the things Google looks for, and the algorithm changes so regularly that it would be next to impossible to keep up with a list anyway, but the search giant does announce some of the top aspects that it considers to ensure that businesses can try and stay on top of their SEO.
Some of the key things that we know Google measures are the speed of your website, mobile optimisation, high-quality back links, high-quality content and organic keyword usage.
So, the main message you get from this is that looking at the quality of your website is key.
When it comes to creating the copy, you want to think about providing relevant and engaging information to begin with. If you’re doing this, then keywords should organically fit into the content without you even thinking about it. If you find that you’re having to shoehorn them in, then you need to think about whether what you’re writing is actually what your website visitors want to read.
The speed of your website is also a hugely important aspect, as well as its usability. Google has a free tool that measures the speed of your website and gives recommendations for how to improve it. However, if any big changes need to be made, your best bet is to speak to a web developer, as they have the skills and expertise to ensure any changes are made smoothly.
How users interact with your website is also key, as this is an indication of its speed and usability. If people are quickly dropping off your website without interacting in any way, this suggests that they have an issue with it.
It’s important to continuously track your Google Analytics so that you can monitor this and make any necessary modifications.
You don’t just need to think about the usability of your website on a computer any more, as mobile devices are increasingly being used for internet searches. In 2015, Google updated its algorithm to penalise any website that wasn’t optimised for mobile. Learn more here.
This involves having a web developer create a slightly different website for you that is easier to use on a mobile device.
Of course, these are just a few of the key things that you need to keep up with to get the best results from your SEO. It can be difficult at times, as you don’t always know what you need to do to stay on top, but an SEO expert will be much more up to date with the trends, be able to track your website’s success and be best placed to make any changes you might need to ensure that you can reach those top-ranked positions on Google.