Pleasing search engines is becoming increasingly important. Internet users worldwide make around 8 billion search queries every day. Most of these end up on Google, the market leader in Germany. If you want to reach the right target group with your website, one thing is clear: you need to make friends with Google! If you know the nooks and crannies of the search engine, your website will be one step ahead. This is the only way you have a chance of appearing at the top of the Google hit list. And that is the most important thing that counts! According to studies, Internet users only notice the first hits in the Google ranking. If they don't immediately find what they are looking for, they often prefer to start a new search instead of scrolling further down. We explain step by step how to get a place in pole position here and in the summary at the end of the article.
Move number 1: Show Google who you are
If you want to improve your SEO ranking, Google needs to understand your website. It is often due to technical problems alone that Google ignores your site. The first thing you need to do is create the right technical conditions so that search engines can read ("crawl") your website. Crawling works automatically via so-called "bots". These are programmes that read and evaluate websites. The programming language of your website, the HTML sitemap, all metadata and content must be designed in such a way that the programmes can process them. You can use special tools to test yourself whether your website is already crawlable: https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/
The same applies to the entire content of your homepage. Every article, every image and every link must be designed in such a way that Google understands what it is about. That's why keywords are so important in search engine optimisation. They give Google an indication of what your website is about. The automated programs also catalogue websites according to their own criteria, but the predefined keywords serve as a guide. The keywords should therefore always be logically related to each other: Ideally, they should appear in important places in the text (such as in headings or subheadings), in the metadata (such as title tag, meta description, alt tags) and in the link names including your main URL. In this way, the keywords give search engines a helpful, comprehensible signal as to what content your website is about. As a reward, your homepage will most likely be rewarded with a place on the winners' podium for these keywords. You can read how to determine the right keywords in this Keyword research guide.
Move number 2: Orientate yourself towards the mobile phone user
You can improve your SEO ranking if you observe the following principle: "mobility first". This is because search engines rate websites according to this rule. This means that the user experience of people accessing your website on a mobile device takes priority. Therefore, make sure that your website is mobile-friendly - for example, with fast loading times and an appealing responsive design. Search engines will immediately recognise if internet users don't like your website due to high bounce rates. And then your site will drop in the rankings. Therefore, pay close attention to what mobile users want. This also includes structuring your content clearly.
Write the most important information at the top and be more detailed towards the bottom. This saves long scrolling on the small screen. This makes it less likely that mobile phone users will quickly leave your site because they think they cannot find the information they are looking for. Also make sure that you choose font sizes, graphics and images that are easily recognisable on the small mobile phone screen.
It is also important to know the search intentions of mobile phone users. Most people "just want to have a quick look". They are looking for a good restaurant in their area, want to compare where their favourite product is cheapest before making a purchase decision or are looking for an immediate solution to an acute problem - such as a flat tyre.
Studies show: Compared to a PC at home, different Google pages are displayed on a mobile phone. This is because Google always tries to adapt the search results to the user's search intention. Search engines immediately recognise the device from which the search is started. Pages that provide very condensed content therefore rank better on mobile devices. This means condensed, concise information in a clear form. Make use of this knowledge! Avoid lengthy continuous text or unnecessary links to endless subpages that are difficult to access on a smartphone. Organise your information from top to bottom - the most important information is immediately visible at the top. The further down you scroll, the more detailed the information becomes.
Move number 3: Convince with your own story
Welcome new visitors to every page of your website. Depending on the search query, Google can display any subpage of your website as a hit. Every page of your website can be the first entry page for search engine users and should therefore appear inviting. This is the only way to avoid a high bounce rate, which has a negative impact on your ranking. Introduce yourself briefly on each subpage and make it immediately clear who you are. And above all: what you offer the user. Avoid the mistake of only shining on the "About us" page. Because that's where the visitor has to get to first. If the first entry page is already too complicated or too boring, there is a good chance that the user will simply leave your homepage again instead of clicking through the menu.
If you want to improve your SEO ranking, you should consider the personal story behind the company as the centrepiece of marketing. Why do you put so much passion and energy into your company or self-employment? What interested you so much about your product or service? Why do you feel called to infect others with this enthusiasm? When you realise your personal motivation, countless exciting content ideas will emerge. A principle has become established in media and marketing that can also serve as a guideline for your website: "People are interested in people". With personal stories behind the products and services, you create added value for website visitors and increase the general length of stay. Instead of just listing customer references, you can, for example, write your own blog post about your collaboration with the customer. You can also mould your stories into very different formats - such as an interview video or a podcast where you or your customers have their say. Be creative!
Summary:
- Google must be able to "crawl" your site - create the technical prerequisites for this first
- Use keywords throughout the content and metadata to show Google what the content of your page is about
- "mobility first" - content, images and loading times must be optimised for smartphones, this is the benchmark for Google
- Create added value with your personal story: people are interested in people!
- Use different formats - such as blog, video or podcast; this increases the dwell time of visitors and can thus improve your SEO Google ranking
