Everyone wants better search engine rankings, but it takes hard work and determination to get there. There are certain techniques and SEO tips you’ll need to employ to get results, and it won’t happen overnight.

For example, you’ll need strong on-page SEO along with a system to ensure all new web pages are built to the same standards. You’ll also need an off-page SEO plan, which can get pretty involved.

If you’re searching for ways to get your website ranked higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs), here are some solid SEO tips.

1. Be intentional with link building

Instead of building links in bulk, be intentional. You need link juice to rank, but it’s also an opportunity to drive traffic. Find link building opportunities in your niche so that your content aligns with the publishers you choose.

Better yet, work with a professional SEO service to handle everything for you. When you work with a pro, they’ll create a strategy to generate high-quality, relevant links so you can rank higher in the SERPs and generate organic traffic to your website.

Generating backlinks for SEO purposes is essential, and it’s also risky if you don’t stick to good practices. There are consequences for using bad link-building strategies. For example, while paying for links in large quantities might seem like an easy way to get backlinks, it can harm you in the long run. Google cracks down hard on link farms, and if you get too many links from the wrong source, you could end up with a blacklisted domain name.

You also need to be aware of links that don’t provide value. Just because someone is willing to give you a backlink doesn’t mean it’s worth anything. If a website doesn’t have the authority to pass to your site through your link, it’s not going to help you rank. Aim for sites with a high Domain Authority (DA) for ranking, and sites with plenty of traffic for getting visitors. Just be sure to create a varied backlink profile so it looks natural to Google.

2. Fix 404 errors and site problems

One of our easier SEO tips is fixing errors. It is one of the easiest ways to help your site rank higher in the SERPs. Although it won’t directly make you rank higher, it will prevent your rankings from dropping. The two main errors to watch out for are 404 errors and random problems with your site, like buggy navigation or overlapping elements on mobile.

Fixing 404 errors

To start, 404 errors aren’t a ranking factor on their own. However, they become a problem when you’ve built backlinks that point to a web page that no longer exists. Inbound links are a ranking factor, and if your inbound links no longer exist, the PageRank you earned from those links will drop. The solution is to put 301 redirects in place, which is perfectly acceptable, according to Google.

Fixing site problems

Most minor issues will inconvenience visitors but won’t affect your rankings. However, if Google determines that your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you will see a drop in ranking, and your site might even disappear from search results completely.

Overlapping elements is one of the most common reasons a site doesn’t pass Google’s mobile-friendly test. The solution here is to use a responsive design.

Check your site from different mobile devices to make sure it works on small screens. If not, it’s time for a redesign.

3. Target less competitive keywords and phrases

First-page results are ideal, but with personalized results, nobody gets exactly the same results for a given query. There is no longer an objective first page that shows the same results for everyone. This means your web pages will show up in a different order and on different pages in the search results based on the user who submits the query. Thanks to personalized results, each user’s results vary based on a variety of factors, like search history, previously visited websites, and more.

One of our SEO tips is instead of having a general goal to “get on the first page of Google,” set your goal to continually rank higher for each of your chosen keywords and phrases, and find additional, relevant, low-competition phrases to rank for. Targeting keywords with high competition probably won’t get you anywhere near the first page unless you have a multi-million-dollar marketing budget.

Focus on ranking for longtail queries and other relevant phrases with less competition. The more niche your terms, the easier it will be to rise to the top of the SERPs when personalization is at play.

Not every website will make it to the first page but don’t get discouraged over second-page rankings. The truth is, you don’t even need first-page rankings to generate massive amounts of organic traffic from Google.

You may have noticed that Google no longer makes users click to view the next page of results. Now, all you need to do is keep scrolling to see more results. This will definitely have a positive impact on SEO efforts, considering 56% of people would rather run a new search than click on the second results page. Scrolling removes the need to click, and that means users will be viewing additional pages.

4. Don’t try to rank obscure pages

There are some pages you shouldn’t waste your time trying to rank. For example, skip trying to rank your contact page and any other pages that don’t actually have content. While it’s hard to rank a contact page in the first place due to the lack of content, trying to do so will be a waste of your time and money.

Stick to ranking pages with rich content, like your services, products, and blog pages. Aim to rank your most valuable content. Think about it from a user’s point of view and ask yourself if the content on a page is something people would specifically be looking for. If the answer is no, don’t bother ranking that content.

5. Utilize deep internal links

Internal linking is when you add links to your own content. For example, after publishing a blog post, you’d find other articles or pages on your site to link to that new blog. Adding internal links to your content helps Google find and index more pages on your website. The anchor text you use will help Google understand the content on each page.

If possible, link new content from your home page to pass on more link value to that content. This can be easily done with a widget that displays your latest posts.

6. Publish a blog

Another one of our SEO tips is you can’t really have strong SEO without a blog. SEO hinges on quality content, and for most businesses, the best way to get content is through publishing articles on a regular basis. Most people use WordPress, but there are other options available.

Having a blog gives you a massive SEO advantage on several fronts:

• You’ll have more chances to get organic traffic. You can create authoritative blog posts for every search phrase you want to rank for. The more your content gets ranked, the more likely users are to find your website.
• Your blog is the foundation for content marketing. If you’re going to generate backlinks through content marketing, you’ll be using links from your blog. The more articles you have, the more options there are for building backlinks. You can even craft blog posts just for building backlinks.
• Fresh content. Google loves sites that publish regular content. The web is no longer just a place for static content. Users want new information, and when you have a blog, you can publish content regularly for your subscribers.

Regardless of your industry or niche, make sure you have a blog. You can publish how-to articles, tips, tricks, or just general information that would be helpful to people searching for answers.

7. Run paid ads on Google

PPC ads may not be a direct part of SEO, but since they appear inside search results, they can help you generate organic traffic just like SEO.

According to many studies over the years, most users pay more attention to ads than they do to the first set of organic search results on Google. This means if your website ranks on the first page, users are more likely to click on an ad that seems relevant to their query.

If you want your website to show up in the SERPs on the first page, but can’t seem to rank for important keywords, use PPC ads. It will give you an advantage in the SERPs without having to work hard to get your pages to rank.

8. Use Quora for content ideas

Question and answer websites, like Quora, are excellent sources for content ideas. These Q&A websites will tell you what people care about, what their concerns are, and what they want to know.

Search for questions related to your industry and see what’s being discussed. You’ll get some ideas for common problems and their solutions, some of which you may not have thought of before.

Take each of the issues you find and turn them into blog posts. However, aim to write complete posts that cover the topic fully. However, you’ll need to do some additional research for each post to provide value to your readers.

For example, find statistics and studies to support your claims, look for varied opinions to present an unbiased view, or just choose one angle to dive into deeply.

Search engine optimization takes time

SEO is a long-term game, so be patient while you’re waiting to see your web pages rise in the SERPs. In the meantime, if you feel stuck, reach out to an SEO pro for help and SEO tips.

Deanna Ritchie

Managing Editor at ReadWrite

Deanna is the Managing Editor at ReadWrite. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

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