Getting your website to the top of Google for keyword searches is what SEO is all about
Here’s something you should know about your website’s PageRank – it is not relevant when you are working to improve your SEO ranking – for a targetted keyword phrase.
Your website’s page rank is simply the Google value of your website in relation to all other websites on the Internet. It is only about how likely your website is to be found on the Internet.
The whole notion of page rank (a numerical value attached to your website) is not the key driver if you want to be at the top of Google for specifically targetted keywords. SEO or Search Engine Optimisation, is what gives your webpages relevance for any given keyword search. If your page is relevant, Google says ‘yes’ and you go to the top of the list.
How to make your webpages relevant for high SEO
Your website position in the search results (SERP or Search Engine Results Page) is totally dependent on how your webpage matches the keyword phrase being searched.
For new websites, you do need Google to index your website. Once indexed, you now need to focus on creating content relevant webpages for each keyword phrase you identify as a likely search.
How content on your website can improve SEO
Boost your SEO with good keyword content on your website and targetted inbound link
With quality web writing – adding content via new webpages on a regular basis that target your keywords appropriately – your SEO ranking will continue to improve.
While inbound links are important for page rank and for SEO, Google’s algorithm looks for textual indicators of the topic on any webpage (including your own webpages) in relation to any given keyword phrase – this is the critical point for improving SEO.
Writing relevant content is the first step for improving SEO.
How inbound links can improve SEO
Anchor text – this is the wording that is linked on someone else’s website to your website. Linking a URL doesn’t say anything to Google but linking ‘new design bright red dress’ that links to your page about a new design bright red dress is perfect. It says to Google, ‘this page is about a new design for a bright red dress’ so if someone types in new design red dress’, your website is looking great in terms of SEO>
Google uses the anchor text on the other person’s website as a key factor when ranking your web page if the keyword phrase is searched.
Some inbound link qualities that impress Google
Inbound links need to be relevant to your website content to make a difference
Think about the overall topic of the webpage. What is the linking page about? If it is an article about your newly designed bright red dress or talks about the latest trends in bright red dresses, then this is great for Google to recognise a strong connection with your webpage about your new design bright red dress.
Position of the link on the webpage is important. The higher up the page and the higher up the hierarchy of text on a page, the more importance Google is going to give a link. A link in the footer is considered less important than a header link or a link in the body of the page (main text area).
Context of the link – where the link to your website is positioned within the context of the linking page is also taken into account. If the context relates directly to the anchor text that is the same or ‘talks to’ the content on your webpage, the link is perceived as more important for the keywords that have been searched.
When someone somewhere types in a search for ‘new design for bright red dress’ Google is looking for the most relevant webpage (not website) for the keyword phrase that was searched. Google wants to put the webpage most relevant to the person’s search term. If you hit the right buttons, metaphorically speaking, you go to the top of the list and chances are, you’ll get the enquiry over your competitors.
The question to ask always is: What is it the person is looking for when they search Google? Use the Google Keyword Tool to find relevant keywords for your business. Then write great content (one subject per webpage) for the keywords that people are searching. Get good inbound links from websites that can help make Google see that you are the relevant authority for these specific keywords.
Make sure you conform to good practice and WWW standards
One standard that we apply at Balmain Website Designs – do the right thing by the numerous web visitors whom you want to attract. W3C Internet conventions have been developed to incorporate all people including sight impaired.
W3C – World Wide Web Consortium is the definitive standard for all things web
Make sure you provide ALT text for all images that makes sense to visually impaired people and that you write clearly for humans to read. If you write for Google’s algorithm, you’re missing the point. Google is looking for indicators that the webpage is for humans so write for people not robots.
How we can help
Balmain Website Designs writes web copy for many clients that improve SEO. We get results with one client getting four times the number of visitors for identified keywords. His business quadrupled in the first eight months and continues to grow each month.
Contact Balmain Website Designs about improving your SEO. BWD is the web development division of Bold Type.