If you want your blog to appear in Google search results, you must meet a set of criteria that Google uses to rank web pages. These rankings consider tons of information that might not be common knowledge to the uninitiated. So, what does it take to help your blog post appear in Google searches?
Making your blog posts appear in Google searches is a great way to increase traffic to your page or monetize visitors to your page. However, it requires some work that you might not know about. So, read on and learn about making your blog posts appear in Google searches!
The Ways to Make Your Blog Post Appear in Google Search
There are certain things that the Google algorithm does that people might not know about.
It is a complete program that watches everything you do online and keeps a log of these interaction times and a few other facts about your online browsing.
Then, they compile the stats from your browsing and choose the best sites from their data.
Thinking Like Google is an Excellent Way to Appear in Google Searches
The computer folks at Google are some of the highest-paid and highly sought-after workers in the computer industry.
They have an algorithm for every type of internet search and transaction that has come to define our digital world and made Google a billion-dollar company—knowing how their algorithm works can help your blog appear in the searches.
A few bits of data that the algorithm uses to rank the Google searches are:
- Read Time – Google analyzes the time you have been reading on a page to determine its worth. If users spend more time reading a page, Google knows that the page has information that answers the keywords. So this time is used in the algorithm to push your page to the top of the results for that keyword. So, to increase average read time, try having longer posts.
- Time on Page – Another way Google uses its algorithm is by keeping up with how much time is spent on a page. If there are videos or pictures with descriptions, that page isn’t scrolled, like when you are reading. These times spent on other media bits add up to another number that Google uses for ranking.
- Click Through – Click through is the term Google uses to address if your page is attached to another page with the answer you seek. Click through shows that your site has the answer with supporting information. This is great for sites that need journalistic integrity or links to research.
- Traffic – If your page has lots of traffic Google remembers. When your page has high traffic, it is because you have authentic information that can be proven with links and the traffic to prove it. People coming to your site to get the answer to their keyword search is also the key to making money off of your blog.
- Links – Every site with social media and positive links will rank high on a Google keyword search. These links are essential because they show that your site is reputable and answers the keywords you have listed.
The algorithm is what rules Google. Engineers and programmers at the company take time to debug and keep people from driving traffic to fake pages or ones only after your personal information.
In addition, Google protects you as much as possible from people trying to corrupt the algorithm and provide false information to its searches.
A Blog that has High Keyword Density is Great for Google Search.
You might not have heard of keyword density before, but it is a search engine optimization tool that helps drag your blog to the top of search results.
You get a high hit on the results page by placing the words you are talking about in your blog not too many times. Too many phrases will get you flagged and knocked to the bottom.
Some ways to improve keyword density for your blog are:
- First and Last – When you read a blog, the keyword concentration is always at the beginning and the end. The middle of the blog is usually filled with technical jargon or tips. By adding the keywords in the first and last paragraph, the algorithm will give it a higher ranking.
- Title – You must add your keywords to your title. If you want to make any headway with Google placing topics in the header is an excellent place to start. By placing the keywords in the title, the algorithm places it at a higher priority than average.
Keyword density is another trick that SEO gurus use to make sure your page lands near the top of a search.
Getting a high landing spot isn’t just about the keyword density, though. Some other factors, like your site’s credibility, could impact the search results even more.
The Credibility of the Blog is Another Big Factor
Your website shouldn’t be a work in progress. For example, if you are discussing a topic like investments, your site should be fact-checked and corrected by a professional.
There shouldn’t be reasons that people jump from the page to the following listing because of broken links or information they know to be false or outdated.
Some ways to improve the credibility of your blog are:
- Bad Links – There can’t be any links on your page that lead to dead ends. You must have clear links to either source material or an affiliate’s blog that did an excellent job answering the question.
- Just the Facts – In this time of opinion and personal voice, having a site that has factual information that can be backed up is critical. If you have a blog full of private chatter and no substance, it will drop in the rankings.
Having a blog the population knows is truthful and honest is a great boon for your blog. Always search for the truth, even if you don’t like the answer you get.
People who know they can trust your word will go out of their way to use your site.
Choose Selective Keywords to Improve Google Search Results
Don’t be one of those pages with a perimeter of keywords lining your page. Instead, concentrate on the most important words, no more than three, to gain success with the algorithm.
Keeping your keywords concise and powerful gives you a much better chance of moving up the results.
A few things to concentrate on when creating selective keywords for your blog are:
- Topic – What are you talking about? The subject of your blog must be evident to everyone who comes to the page. While using too many keywords is bad, using the wrong ones that are off-topic could skew results completely.
- Hit the Targets – Think of your keywords like targets in a shooting gallery. Concentrating on the densest keywords for the topic, you bait the algorithm into choosing your page over others.
- Use the Keywords – Once you have some strong keywords, you should add them to the title and heading of each section. By adding solid keywords, Google can’t help but place your result near the top.
Selective keywords will do two things for you: improve your results and build trust. Like credibility, keywords are critical to building and maintaining your blog.
Once you have strong keywords associated with your page, the hits will come.
Add Descriptions to Your Blog
Some people make their blogs for fun. Others make them for effectiveness. Those who want to be effective know that you can’t get far without improving the meta description of your blog.
The meta is a section of about 150 words that allows you to talk about what the site does.
Some ways to add some beef to your meta description are:
- Be Accurate – Don’t put any obscene boasts into your meta description. By choosing only accurate and concise info for your page, you make the search results work in your favor. Inaccuracies will always get you placed near the bottom.
- The Competition – Another sneaky trick for meta descriptions is to see what your competitors are doing and copy it. While this could be considered hacky, some sites rank near the top by following the lead dog. So don’t be afraid to check in on your competition.
Meta descriptions are fertile ground to make your brand and area of expertise known. These are often less than 160 character fields that want to know what your website does.
By sticking to your brand and the topics in which you specialize, you can improve your chances of landing at the top of the Google search results.
Your Blog Post Must Meet Mobile Requirements
The blog must have a user-friendly mobile platform. Today, people get most of their news and information off their phones.
Mobile viewing could be the difference between getting onto the first page of search results or being at the bottom.
A few reasons that your blog must be mobile-friendly are:
- Timing – Remember the timing we talked about earlier? It still applies to searches done on phones and tablets. If you have a page that doesn’t work well with phones, people will immediately back out of your page and go somewhere else. The algorithm is robust, and timing and clicks on mobile are at the top of the power listing.
- UX – User experience is something that is directly related to Google search. If people do not enjoy how your blog works or looks with mobile, you will tumble down the listing like Jack and Jill.
Mobile is the way of the future. More people use phones and tablets than laptops or home PCs. You increase your traffic and reading times by having a mobile experience fitting your blog and an extension of your blog.
Your placement on the search results will go up.
The Blog must Link with Other Pages on Google Search
Having a site full of valuable places to click is a surefire way to increase your listing. You create traffic to your page and others by having valuable links that meet Google requirements.
Of course, valuable links have some disadvantages, but your search results will improve once you are linked to the right places.
A few advantages of valuable links are:
- Influencer Appeal – Tagging influencers or people on social media is an excellent way to get search traction. If you are working on a hiking blog and Bear Grylls is tagged and responds, your credibility goes through the roof. Tagging social media influencers draws eyes to your blog from all their followers.
- Industry Leader – If you have a link supporting your evidence that comes from an unquestioned authority of a subject, it is a definite advantage. These large sites can offer people education by backing up your story. It is a win-win for both parties.
Valuable links are a great way to improve your blog search result. Ensure you are using links that are beneficial to you and not things that could be false or misleading.
As a blog owner, you must take journalistic integrity in every page aspect. Do the right thing and always tell the truth to keep yourself out of trouble.
Become a Subject Matter Expert on the Topic
Becoming a subject matter expert is the longest route to getting better search results. By writing about a topic several times, you become a voice that people familiar with the subject look to for information.
It takes time, but it shows you know your stuff and can be trusted.
The ways to become a subject matter expert are:
- Know Stuff – A subject matter expert knows everything about a topic. Companies often hire them to brief clients or even staff about particular areas. SMEs can attract search traffic due to how or what they know. By being a subject matter expert, your name and blog will appear in searches about the subject.
- Write on the Topic – By having a large amount of your blog written about one subject, you build credibility with readers. Writing shows that you have taken the time to research and do your homework. As a result, people will read on your page, increasing the time logged by the algorithm.
Subject matter experts are an excellent way to increase your search results. They are well regarded for their knowledge of particular subjects, and their names will attract people familiar with the issue.
Conclusion
Making your blog rank high in the Google search results is a bit of work and a dash of critical thinking. However, following a few rules can increase the chances that people will turn to your blog for information about specific topics or events.
In the end, doing Search Engine Optimization is your goal. SEO works to increase traffic, sales, or brand recognition. When these things improve, your chances of finding your blog at the top of the Google search page are inevitable.
