For years, Google continuously implements major updates in its algorithm to improve its search engine rankings. The search engine giant launched Core Web Vitals to help website owners measure their user experience online. It means that the sites that maintain a good user interaction will do well in the page ranking, while those with poor user experience will significantly drop in the search engine results page.
Since all businesses invest efforts and resources into their web presence, it is important to understand how the upcoming Google update works. Here are several factors that could help businesses deal with the next big Google update to improve their search engine rankings in the coming year.
Prioritize Link Building
Since links are crucial to boost search engine rankings, businesses must ensure that they exerted all efforts to build links for their website.
However, they also need to make sure that they will only attract links from reliable and trusted sites because links pass on equity and values from one webpage to another through the link juice. Because of this, they must also avoid getting links from sites with a bad reputation, since Google may penalize them due to these links.
The website must contain an adequate amount of internal links to redirect their viewers to view other pages within site. It must also contain external links to credible websites, especially if they are citing crucial information in their content.
Also, businesses must attract backlinks from other websites. They can either obtain these inbound links through natural links, which could happen if they have high-quality content. It may also help if they exert more effort to manually obtain links by asking other website administrators to link back to their site.
Produce Lengthy, SEO-Friendly Content
Various researches claimed that content works well in helping sites rank higher in search engines. One of the surveys claimed that 69% of digital marketers believe that content is better than public relations and direct mail. Another research mentioned that businesses that invested in content marketing achieve six times more conversions than businesses that do not use content in the SEO strategy. Yet businesses must always keep in mind that content only works if done properly.
When producing content, the businesses must make sure that they consider their audience’s demands to determine the right keywords and relevant topics. They must also naturally incorporate those keywords into the site’s header tags, meta tags, and the body of the content. It would also help to develop informative content with at least 1,000 to 1,500 words long since search engines consider this length when ranking a site.
Develop A Responsive Website
Launching a responsive website also helps boost the rankings of a site in search engines.
To have a responsive site, businesses need to make sure that their site functions properly in any device. This is a crucial factor nowadays since most people use various devices like laptops, smartphones, or tablets when accessing a website. According to a study, 75% of online users click on mobile-friendly sites when using their smart devices. So those who do not have a responsive website may be at risk of falling off the top rankings.
Optimizing Page Speed Load
The fast loading speed of a website is crucial in providing a good user experience. Companies can check out if their sites have a fast loading speed using an SEO analyzer tool online. This tool can show the site speed using a 3G connection. If the site takes too long to load, it might prompt the users to abandon the site and look for another one to get what they need. As much as possible, the site speed analysis’s result must be in the 3 seconds range.
- Evaluate the Site Design
It is crucial to ensure that the web design is uncomplicated and easy to the eyes to ensure that the users will continue browsing the site. One can use tools like Crazy Egg test to see if there are any usability issues in their clients’ website. Remember, any glaring website design issue could affect the overall user experience if not addressed immediately. - Present Interactive Content
Web-users enjoy online interaction. If the brand ensures that the web design includes interactive content, it will instantly hook users to spend more time on it. It can allow them to have fun with exciting activities and games available on the site. However, it is also important to remove distracting pop-ups since it normally causes users to get annoyed and make them want to leave the website. - Provide a Safe Browsing Experience
Google has been doing everything possible to protect users from harmful content. Due to the growing number of incidents that cause online threats, some users are wary of websites that have no security features, especially if the site is selling products or services. As much as possible, the site needs to have an HTTPS certificate for the best security measures.
These are the important factors that all companies must incorporate in their SEO strategies for 2021. All of these can help improve their clients’ search engine rankings, which would also provide better business opportunities due to wider brand awareness and improved online visibility.
