When it comes to your online business, your website has one purpose- to bring in new leads and convert them to happy, loyal customers. But in order for this to happen, these leads need to actually find your website. And how do people on the internet find things they’re looking for?

You guessed it.

Google.

Understanding how search engines like Google rank your website can make the difference between your website attracting your dream client, or gathering dust in a sad corner of the internet. 

What is website ranking?

Website ranking is how search engines like Google find, compare, and rank your content in the search results page. The higher your website is ranked for a specific topic, the higher it will appear in the search results.

In a perfect world, we’d all love our website to appear on the first page of Google. After all, the more opportunity people have to discover your content, the more likely you are to get paid! That’s why understanding Google search ranking is such an important part of optimizing your seo strategy.

How do search engines rank your website using SEO?

According to Hubspot Academy, popular search engines like Google rank your website based on three main factors: discovery, relevance, and authority. 

Learning how to optimize each of these factors when creating content for your site is key to finding success on the search results page. 

Google ranks your content based on discovery

The first stage of Google website ranking is the discovery stage. During this stage, Google search engine bots “crawl” your page and take note of what’s there. While crawling a page, Google looks for things like quality, originality, engagement, and relevance. Creating content that hits on all of these things helps Google understand if your page is worth discovering in the first place.

Google ranks your content based on relevance

The second stage of Google website ranking is the relevance stage. During this stage, search engine bots use the information from stage one to determine how relevant your content is. In order to increase your search engine ranking, focus on creating high quality content that you want to be known for in your industry. 

Your content should be…

Well written

Your content is easy to understand, concise, and clear in its messaging.

Original

Instead of copying competitor sites, you’re contributing new ideas that add value to your industry.

Engaging

Your content engages readers to stay on the page, check out other pages, and has a fast load time.

Relevant

You’re choosing topics that your ideal client is interested in and are relevant to your industry. You know how to use targeted keywords to help Google find and categorize your content easily. 

Creating high-quality content that touches on each of these will improve your site’s discoverability and relevancy. 

Google ranks your content based on authority

The third stage of Google website ranking is the authority stage. Authority is determined by how much your content is discussed, shared, and cited online. 

Examples of websites with large authority are household name brands like Nike, Gatorade, and Lululemon. These brands hold authority because they are well established in their industries, and featured across many sites.   

The best way to build your website’s authority is with a strong SEO strategy that includes high-quality backlinks. 

What are backlinks?

Backlinks are hyperlinks that link back to your webpage from other sites on the internet. Essentially, they happen when another website wants to cite you or your blog as a resource for their own content. 

Backlinks help establish authority because Google considers them a sign of trust. The more websites linking back to your own, the more relevant and valuable your content is. 

You can start building backlinks to your site by establishing relationships with other bloggers, influencers, and journalists in your industry. Pitch guest post ideas to write for their site, and offer up some links they may want to feature that add value to their audience. When it comes to building your website (and brand) authority, the right relationships can take you far.

Tips for improving your website ranking

Now that you understand how search engines find and rank your site, here are a few tips to make sure you’re creating content that is optimized for Google. 

Choose topics that are relevant and helpful to your industry

Before sitting down to write your next blog post, make sure you’re writing about something people in your niche want to learn about and are actually searching for. 

Optimize your content with relevant keywords

Optimize your content for SEO by choosing the right keywords to make sure Google actually finds your content. I suggest using a keyword research tool like Moz or Ubersuggest to choose the best keywords for your piece. 

Get your article featured on other websites to build authority

Reach out to other websites in your industry to create more backlinks to your site. You can do this by responding to press request alerts, building relationships with other bloggers, and writing guest posts for relevant sites. 

Developing a strong SEO strategy that actually works can be overwhelming. There is a lot to learn and implement to find success. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or are struggling to create content that gets new leads to your site, then check out my SEO Copywriting for Small Businesses. We’ll work together to provide you with targeted, purposeful content that will actually convert your audience into paying customers (woohoo!). Learn more about whether this service is right for you here.