Get Your Google Rankings Love 2019
Leverage Local SEO
Google gave small business a helping hand back in 2014, when they released the first version of their pigeon update. This update made it possible for local businesses to compete with national brands; which up until then was near impossible.
Local SEO is a major search weapon for your business online. Google is placing more emphasis onto location based searches everyday. Google My Business is a tool that no business can afford to not optimise these days, least of all be without.
This free listing allows you to showcase your products and services locally like never before. Not only is it a great place for people to read your reviews, but also for posting new specials and offers.
With 46% of searches now local, this opportunity is one you can not afford to ignore.
Some other places you will want to focus on:
SEO is without a doubt one of the most critical competitive digital marketing advantages you can have over your competitors. As website owners become more SEO savvy, you should strive to stay afloat with future trends for you to remain competitive as well as maintain your Google rankings. With search engines becoming smarter and Google answering more questions directly on result pages, you might need to change your website optimisation strategy to remain relevant to Google. Here are some essential tips to help your Google rankings in 2019:
1. Focus on Security with SSL Encryption
If you have been using Google Chrome, you might have noticed a warning pop up that states “your connection is not secure” every time you navigate a website without the SSL certificate. According to a report by HubSpot, at least 82% of visitors abandon a site that is not secure, affecting its Google rankings.
Having all your websites equipped with an SSL encryption will help you rank higher on search engines in 2018. Once you encrypt your website, it makes engagement with your site, whether from submissions or financial transactions un-trackable by hackers. Hence, it is crucial that you implement
2. Use Topic Clusters
A topic cluster is a strategic organization of your website into groups of related content so that visitors can easily navigate among related topics to ensure their search questions are fully answered. Topic clusters are important, especially because they enable you to establish authority on an entire subject. So instead of just publishing content, create cluster content to give your visitors a more in-depth understanding of their questions as well as boost your Google rankings.
A good example of a topic cluster:
3. Utilise Keywords in the URL and the Blog Post
Did you know that Google can identify what your blog post is about through its URL? URL helps a lot in making higher ranking on Google. One of the most important parts of your URL is what comes after the .com. For instance, if you run a mobile accessories website, your URL should read something like www.mobileaccessories/iPhone10cover
Such a URL makes it easier for Google to know what your website is all about.
4. User Experience Has Never Been so Important
In 2019, user experience for SEO will become even more important. Google has made it clear that the focus should be on the user as it increases the chances of visitors engaging with the pages they visit. The search engine is able to determine which pages are more useful for people and favor them over others. The first thing you need to check when reviewing your website’s user experience is to check the site’s speed, readability, and navigation structure.
You can also look at your visitor’s browsing habits as they offer helpful insights. For instance, if the visits are coming from search only last 30 seconds or less, this could be an indication that your website’s user experience is hurting its conversions. Also, remember to optimise your site so that it provides excellent user experience across all devices.
Although most of these tactics are not entirely new, they can go a long way in helping you rank on Google. SEO is a continually changing process that requires a substantial amount of time to understand your target market, careful planning, and execution.
At Cronk Media, we are dedicated to search engineering and ensuring that your websites rank higher and higher throughout 2019. Contact us today for more information on how we can help you rank on the top of search engines.