Getting a solid ranking on Google can open the doors to a lot of opportunities for your website. SEO (Search Engine Optimization). doesn’t only mean Google, but most of the time it does. The best way to make sure that your site is being recognized by Google’s web crawlers is to use best practices for SEO

You should have an SEO strategy that can be applied across all the major search engines like Yahoo, Bing and even social media search engines on Facebook and Twitter. Nevertheless Google is the biggest player in the game and finding the right strategy can reap enormous benefits. Follow these tips to get your site indexed and receive a good ranking.

Create Solid Content

Creating good content is important for receiving a high ranking. You can optimize your technical elements all you want, but if the content leaves something to be desired you will have problems. Strive to publish content that is detailed and authoritative. Make sure that you are posting content that is relevant to your audience. There’s no easyroad to becoming a good content provider. It takes time and work. Below are some tips to keep in mind:

  • Include detailed information
  • Long form content gets a better ranking. Keep it over 500 words but don’t force it.
  • Have lots of references to trusted authoritative websites.
  • Invoke users to action.
  • Add fresh content often. If you can, blog daily or at least a couple times a week. Gaining loyal subscribers can pay off bigtime.
  • Avoid duplicate content. Even if it’s your own content and you are not breaking copyright law, avoid publishing duplicate content.

Organize Your Code

Keep the code clean. The web crawlers that scan your page do it through the backend. If your code is not well organized and clean you will be penalized with a lower ranking. Keep JavaScript and CSS files separate, since Google’s web crawlers don’t pay attention to those as much as text. Also make sure to keep your text out of the footer. Place it at the top of the page for it to be registered. Crawlers only scroll through the top 2/3 of your page.

Responsive Design

Today most of the internet’s traffic now hailing from mobile devices. Making sure that you have a responsive design for optimal browsing will help you secure a better ranking. Google’s new algorithm update prioritizes websites with mobile versions over those that don’t. Design and test your site to make sure it works on a wide variety of devices.

Social Media

Social media integration with your site is not an option, it’s a must. Leverage social media channels to promote your website and your brand. The more people you can connect with the better off your will be. A quick Google search of “Forbes” shows you just how valuable running a successful social media page can be in terms of SEO. The top 5 results include links to their Facebook and Twitter.

SEO Strategy

It’s Google’s mission to fill their site with relevant and quality links. You get a great ranking for your site if you are willing to put in the time and effort into your strategy. Make sure and review Google’s recommendations and guidelines for best SEO practice. No matter what research you choose or what plan of action you take, you will have to adjust things to see what works best. Consult an expert or a trusted advisor, make a plan, and then start experimenting to find the best path to SEO success.