Boosting your rankings on Google could be as easy as 1, 2….. wait 15 proven ways? Get your local business to the top and start focusing on these most impactful SEO strategies.
Here are the 15 most impactful ways to rank higher on Google:
1. Keyword Research
Start with keywords that match the services that are offered by your company. Please note that the way people search for services could be different than what you think.
For example, if you run a landscaping company, using broad keywords like “landscaping services” might be too competitive. Instead, go for long-tail keywords like “affordable landscaping in Snohomish County” to target a specific audience with less competition.
Use tools like:
- Google Keyword Planner
- Ahrefs
- SEMRush
to identify the right keywords based on search volume and difficulty.
2. Title Tags
Your title tags are the first thing potential customers and Google Bots will see on a search engine results page (SERP). Keep them to the point of the query you are trying to target, ideally under 60 characters.
A title tag like “Affordable Excavation Services in King County | XYZ Excavation” includes the primary keyword, location, and business name. Each page should have a unique title that exactly states what the page is about. This is one of the top 5 most important things to do to improve both your ranking and click-through rates.
You used to be able to check when the last time Google Bots had been on your site by typing in the search bar:
“cache:https://examplesite.com“
but, this method does not seem to work anymore since the beginning of September 2024.
3. Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions don’t directly impact rankings, but they can affect whether a user clicks your link or not. Write meta descriptions under 160 characters that include your target keyword and a call to action.
A great example is, “Get expert landscaping services in Sacramento County. We offer retaining wall installation & repair and Landscape Installation. Call today for a free estimate!” This kind of text can significantly increase click-through rates and improve your SEO over time.
4. Link Building
Earning backlinks from high-authority websites can increase your site’s credibility and ranking in Google’s eyes.
Let’s say you’re featured on a trusted industry blog that links back to your site. it signals to Google that your site is reliable.
Getting quality links can be a pain, but you can try writing guest posts for other reputable sites in your industry or ask partners and clients to link to you in exchange for providing them valuable content.
Click here to understand more about why backlinks are important for ranking in the SERPs.
5. Internal Linking
Link to other pages on your site to keep users engaged and search engines crawling through your content.
A good example is if you have a blog post on “Best Plants for Washington Gardens,” link it to your service page about “Garden Design Services in Washington.” This helps users navigate around your site, increases conversion rates, and allows Google to have a more in-depth idea of the content. Since the Google Ranking Leaks in March 2024, internal linking has become a bigger part of improving rankings for sites.
6. Core Web Vitals Optimization
Keep your site fast, simple, and visually appealing for increased UX and site speed. Tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights will show you where your site is lacking.
For example, if your images are too large and take a while to load, you should compress them to improve the speed of the page. A faster, more stable website keeps users engaged and also signals to Google that your site is user-friendly via Google Analytics 4 (User engagement metrics)
7. Quantity & Quality of Content
Google favors in-depth, high-quality content that provides real value to users. Now you may ask what is high-quality content? Well, Google does not know either, but what Google does know if the user are engaging a page of your site by using Google Analytics 4 (GA4) engagement metrics.
The word count of a blog topic really depends on the depth you can write about it.
Typically, as a local service company, writing about “what, when, where, who, why, best of” topics are the best for middle-of-the-funnel (MoF) queries such as “How much does land clearing cost in Snohomish County”. A lot of top-of-the-funnel (ToF) queries do not convert very well and in our experience your time is well spent writing about these kinds of topics.
Shorter articles don’t tend to perform as well, but that does not mean they will not rank. It is very dependent on the topic you are writing for.
Don’t just use an AI blog writer. Try to give your own personal experiences and knowledge in the articles.
8. E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness)
Google wants to rank sites that demonstrate expertise, authority, and trustworthiness, but honestly, we do not see this making a difference in rankings.
The one main factor that this plays into is, are you a real company or not? Does your brand actually exist to help the public? This is what we truly feel EAT is
Using screenshots of customer testimonials usually does the trick. If you’re a contractor, include case studies or customer reviews of your successful projects. The more Google trusts your content (backlinks), the higher it will rank.
9. Regular Content Updates
Updating old blog posts with new information and refreshing service pages with relevant details shows Google that your site stays current.
A good example is if you have a post about “Best Lawn Care Tips for 2023”, you could update it annually with new trends to help maintain and even improve rankings over time.
Note: if you make a “Best of xxxx” and plan to update it every year, please do not add the year to the URL slug.
10. Multimedia
Including a mix of text, images, videos, and infographics makes your content more engaging. For example, posting a video of “How We Build Retaining Walls” keeps users on the page longer and more engaged.
You can also you can post it on social media linking back to the page. This sends a social signal (link from a social media platform) to Google.
11. Optimized Images
Use alt text to describe each image helping the search engines “read” your visuals.
From our experience, keyword stuff the alt text of an image can have negative affects for rankings.
If you post a photo of a completed excavation project, the alt text could be “Completed excavation project by XYZ Excavation in Snohomish County.” This will improve your chances of showing up in Google’s image search results.
12. Schema Markup
Schema markup is like giving search engines an extra hand in understanding your website. Adding it to your service pages increases your chances of appearing in features like rich snippets. This helps ensure that important details such as contact info, hours, and reviews are easy for Google and your customers to find.
You can have ChatGPT write you up schema markups to put in the backend of your site or use Schema.org as a reference.
13. Contact Page
Your contact page should be more than just your phone number. Include your address, a map, working hours, and a contact form. This builds trust with visitors and helps search engines see your business as reliable.
14. Testimonials
Real stories from happy customers build trust.
Highlight your best reviews, like “XYZ Landscaping transformed my yard in just two days!” to reassure potential clients and signal credibility to Google.
15. Mobile Optimization
Since most people search on their phones, your site needs to be mobile-friendly. Ensure it looks good and works smoothly on all screen sizes.
Google offers a free Mobile-Friendly Test to help you check your site’s performance, making sure you’re optimizing for SEO success.
