In today’s crowded online marketplace, if you aren’t at the top of the search results, your business may as well not exist. Studies show that most people never move beyond the first page of Google — which has led to the popular joke that the best place to hide a dead body is the second page! Of course, if you’re making the climb from the bottom of the search results, you’re not out of luck. There are plenty of helpful tactics to help you make the most of your SEO campaign in 2021 and beyond. Here’s what you should know to improve your Google ranking this year.
1. Improve Load Speed
Your website’s load speed has always affected its ranking in the search engine results, but it’s more important to have a shorter load time than ever. With today’s crowded market, the margins for a better position can be incredibly slim. As a result, it’s important to consider the technical details of your web hosting, including website images and other obstacles slowing you down.
2. Optimize Meta Descriptions
It’s easy to overlook this as an old-school SEO trick these days, especially since Google now rewrites your meta description if it doesn’t use the keywords a user is looking for. However, a keyword-rich and compelling meta description won’t be changed, and it can tempt readers to click. This, in turn, shows Google that your site has authority and value for the mentioned search.
3. Relaunch Relevant Older Content
Even our best content goes stale after a few years, especially as Google prefers current content. However, it’s possible to revive old content and boost your rankings, whether you scatter fresh keywords into outdated posts or transform old posts into videos or e-books.
4. Reach Out for Content Partnerships
Partnering with an influencer or like-minded business is a great way to extend your reach. By creating new content together and sharing it with both your respective audiences, you can earn a great deal of traffic—especially if you opt to tackle ongoing content projects together.
5. Increase Internal Linking
Increasing your internal linking, especially if you have never taken the time to do so, can be a great way to use Google SEO to jump up in the rankings. However, if you’ve been posting content for months or years, don’t forget to update older content with new links as well. Using established content to direct traffic to newer offerings (provided they include related keywords) can create a healthy link network across your site.
6. Try Long-Form Content
Shorter content can rank just fine, provided the copy is authoritative and uses relevant keywords. However, long-form content can not only earn more links and shares, but it also keeps readers on your website longer, which can be helpful in terms of SEO ranking potential.
7. Get More Featured Snippets
If any post on your website can answer a question, a user might have, work to get it listed as a Featured Snippet. This only works if you’re already close to the top of the search results, of course, but a Featured Snippet can help increase your visibility a great deal.
Improve Your Google Ranking in 2021 and Beyond
The world of SEO is constantly changing, but these tips can help you improve your Google ranking and prioritize your digital strategy in 2021 and beyond. Use them to launch your next campaign, and see how far the changes take you!
If you’re tackling the latest SEO tactics, you need WordPress hosting that can keep up. With our help, you’ll have room to manage your website with confidence, earning more of the traffic you need to succeed. Contact us today to learn more about our WordPress web hosting services.
