How to Show Up on Google in 2021
Every business owner has a similar goal: they want to get phone calls or orders organically from customers finding them online.
In theory, it’s a simple statement. However, showing up on Google is no easy task, and it doesn’t happen by accident. Business owners must partake in internet marketing and ranking strategies to outrank competitors and show up on Google.
The higher you rank on Google, the more organic traffic and conversions you receive on your website. Showing up on Google is achieved by combining and optimizing a wide variety of internet marketing tools, which our team of SEO experts have highlighted below.
1. Define keywords
The first step to a successful internet marketing campaign is breaking down which keywords you would like to rank for on Google. These should be words or phrases that relate to your business. For example, a florist in Miami will want to rank for keywords such as
“florist near me”
“best florist in Miami”
“rose bouquets”
The list of starting keywords should range between 10-20 keywords. The list should also determine your top five most important keywords to rank for and use through your content, website, local listings, and more.
2. Ensure your website is ranking-friendly.
When it comes to showing up on Google, the search engine continually indexes and reads your website. If your website isn’t performing or converting well online, it will be more challenging to rank well on Google. Websites should be refreshed and updated every three years to ensure that it is still indexing correctly. Look out for web errors that affect rankings, such as
- 404/Redirect errors
- Mobile-friendly issues (run test here: https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly)
- Lack of written content on webpages
- Slow load time
- Broken contact forms
Once you have done a thorough review of your website, it’s best to reach out to a web developer specializing in SEO-optimized websites to help ensure all updates are implemented correctly for functionality and rankings.
3. Blogs, blogs, blogs.
The more long-form and in-depth content you publish on your website, the more it tells Google and other search engines exactly what your business is about. When writing blogs, keep your word count above 800 and integrate your keywords throughout the piece. The best example is this blog you are currently reading. We are an internet marketing company that helps businesses rank on Google, so throughout this blog, I am integrating keywords such as
“rank on Google”
“how do I show up on Google”
“Internet marketing company”
Beyond the keywords, we are inputting multimedia throughout the piece, linking to other relevant articles, placing alt tags on all images, and completing all backend SEO to ensuring it has the highest possible chance of ranking in the future.
4. Optimize Google My Business & local rankings.
Out of the billions of Google Searches that users search monthly, most of them are local searches. This means that people are search keywords for businesses in their local area. These rankings show up through Google Local rankings, which are optimized through Google My Business.
If you do not have a Google My Business listing yet, set one up here: google.com/business.
If you do have a live listing already, it is essential to know that the listing must be optimized weekly to achieve and grow rankings on the platform. Post monthly offers, updates, products onto the listing while incorporating keywords. Beyond that, make sure you are posting updated images on the platform, answering user questions, and promoting your Google My Business link so customers can quickly leave your rankings on the platform. Other optimizations for this platform include
- Schema markups
- Link to city-specific webpages
- Backlinks
- Adding 30-second video clips
5. Backend SEO
Once you establish your keyword list, it’s time to go into the backend of your website and incorporate them into all pages and relevant past blog posts. WordPress is the best web platform for backend SEO optimization and indexing by Google. This includes a plugin called Yoast SEO that helps make it simple to add focus keywords, meta descriptions and adjust page titles for SEO purposes. Other web platforms, such as Wix and Squarespace, have more limited options for backend SEO optimization.
6. Increase average session duration.
There is a term known as “bounce rate” in the internet marketing world, which means how fast someone bounces from your website after clicking on a link. High bounce rates can incur because of slow speed times, poor web designs, and other factors. All websites should shoot for a low bounce rate with a high average session duration.
The longer a visitor stays on your website, the more likely they are to convert. One of the biggest aspects of keeping users on a website is a highly effective and engaging web design. The other includes the humanization of your brand. Capture users by showing them your company culture, highlighting your team, and engaging them throughout all pages.
Google takes note of a website’s average session duration and bounce rate, affecting how it ranks your online again competitors.
Showing up on Google in 2021
When it comes to showing up on Google in 2021, there are many functional elements to outrank competitors and get organic traffic. This list could go on for another 20 items, but these are the six core items to establish a base for your brand.
- Establish keywords.
- Ensure your website is ranking-friendly.
- Blogs, blogs, blogs.
- Optimize Google My Business & local rankings.
- Backend SEO.
- Increase average session duration.
Optimizing rankings is a full-time job and takes a lot of knowledge into aspects such as Google algorithm updates, rich snippets, keyword integration, monthly updates, and more. That’s why we make it easy for businesses by offering every aspect of internet marketing services, from SEO-optimized and mobile-friendly websites to full content production and SEO programs.
