It’s 2019 and it’s pretty apparent that ranking on page one of Google and other search engines for your industries top keywords can take your business to a level you may not have thought possible.

But… how do you get there?

With over 1 billion websites online today, separating yourself from the masses becomes more difficult every day. On April 21st, 2015, Google openly stated that Mobile Usability had become a ranking signal. In 2014 the need for an SSL (secure socket layer also known as HTTPS) became another factor in Google’s Algorithm, and in 2017 they announced that its Chrome Browser would flag sites as “not secure” in the URL bar when they aren’t using HTTPS. So, what’s going on in 2019?

Before we dive into our 5 Important Keys, If your website is missing out on rankings because it has no SSL or isn’t mobile friendly, schedule a free consultation with us and we’ll help you resolve the issues at hand.

Now let’s get started!

1. Publishing High-Quality Informative Content

Content is king. And it has been for some time now. But it’s not just any ordinary kind of content. It must be informative and valuable to your target audience while optimized for competitive keywords.

Thanks to Google’s Panda and Fred algorithm updates, creating pages with no real value can actually penalize your website with search engines like Google. Even a power house like eBay was affected by these updates!

The content you need is focused on providing insight into your industry. What does this result in? Increased time on page, lower bounce rates, and valuable answers to your audiences’ questions.

However, that’s not it.

Your content must be more than just well-written, and long-form copy. It also has to cover the following areas to increase the rankings in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages):

• Search Intent
• Keyword Research
• Voice Optimization
• Rich Snippets

If you hit on all of these factors with your content, you’re more likely to find success ranking on the top search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. If you’re still lost and have no idea where to even start, utilize an SEO Company and have them take the lead.

2. Your Site Must Be Mobile-Friendly

Every day, you and pretty much everyone else in the world uses their mobile phone. So why wouldn’t you want your website to be as functional on a mobile device as it is on a desktop computer?

In 2018, 58% of site visits were from mobile devices while occupying 42% of the total time spent online. These numbers are huge! Especially if your website isn’t responsive. Think about the amount of traffic you’re missing out on.

Having a responsive website not only increases your rankings on mobile devices but has proven to help your rankings on desktops as well. Most of this comes from factors that bleed-over between the two. As an example, bounce rate. If you’re website is lacking mobile friendliness and produces a high bounce rate on key pages, you’re gonna feel the negative effect on your desktop rankings.

There are multiple ways of providing a mobile website to your audience, whether it’s dynamic web pages or separate URLs. However, having a responsive design is Google’s preferred form of web design, and has been for the last half a decade. As long as mobile devices come in a variety of different screen sizes, mobile or tablet, responsive design is going to ensure your serving everyone equally.

Do you need help making your website mobile friendly? Take a look at our responsive web design services and let one of our experts help you bring your website up to speed.

3. Make Sure Your Website is Secure (HTTPS) 

As stated at the beginning of this post, in 2014 Google revealed that SSLs (HTTPS) would become a ranking signal. However, this didn’t necessarily have too much effect on most websites and their page rankings.

Fast forward to 2017. Google announced that its browser Chrome, which accounts for well over half of the web traffic, would start flagging all websites as “not secure” in the URL bar when they weren’t utilizing HTTPS. After their final warning announcement in October of 2018, we saw a huge spike in bounce rates from the websites that didn’t transition.

Some hosting and web design companies charge a pretty penny for SSLs, however here at SELO Marketing, we’re all in with Google, and believe that a more secure internet is for the better. That’s why we provide free SSLs to all of our clients.

4. Metadata & Schema Markup

Metadata is the “behind the scenes” information like title tags, page descriptions, author bio, and image data. Some of this information can be seen by users in your SERPs.

Yes, some of this information can help users understand what your page is about before visiting your site and should provide an enticing call to action to drive traffic. However, most forms of metadata are used mostly to speak to search engines and to communicate important information to their bots.

In 2011, Google, Bing and Yahoo launched the Schema.org project to allow for webmasters to mark their pages with specific data to help search engines digest the content more accurately and efficiently.

These markups are instrumental in allowing the search engines to display information about your items directly in the search results.

5. Relevant & Authoritative Backlinks

Links have been and will continue to be one of the leading SEO factors for ranking your website in 2019. By receiving backlinks from relevant websites, you’re proving to Google that other authoritative websites trust you and your content.

Googles number one goal is to provide valuable information to its users. When they start to trust your site, your website will sky rocket in rankings.

Here are a few powerful link building strategies:

• Guest Posts
• Foundation Links
• Client Case Studies
• Infographics
• Influencer Content
• Industry Surveys

Here at SELO Marketing we provide a la carte services like Guest Posts and Foundation Link packages to help build authoritative backlinks for your website.

What Now?

There are 100’s of factors that go into Google’s ranking algorithm. This means a more comprehensive and sophisticated SEO strategy is needed more than ever.

As we pay attention to newer changes that have already been or will be released this year, rest assured that SEO which focuses on QUALITY over short-term gains is what will help your website rank higher.

If you struggle to achieve ranking success or just don’t have the time to focus on the complexities that are SEO, contact us at SELO Marketing to receive a free consultation and site audit. We can help your website become more than a business card, but a lead generating machine.