When it comes to SEO for small businesses, what can you do to optimise your website to its full potential? How do you know which elements to prioritise so it appears on the front page of Google search? These questions can be answered with the right knowledge of SEO ranking factors.
When a customer does a web search, Google’s algorithm takes into account these factors when parsing through pages, and displays those which it thinks have the highest quality and best performance. While Google’s algorithm criteria is constantly changing, there are certain constant ranking factors that greatly enhance SEO for small businesses. Here are five of the most crucial ranking factors as determined by our SEO agency in Melbourne.
On-page ranking factors relate to the quality of the content used on your web page, and is also the first thing the customer sees when doing a Google search. These include the use of relevant keywords relating to your product, that are also popular search terms. An experienced SEO agency in Melbourne such as One Stop Media can help you determine what keywords will best optimise your website and where to place them. Adding correct and relevant contact information is also an important on-page factor in SEO for small businesses. Make sure to display the address and phone number of your enterprise on each page.
Backlinks are links to your website that are added on a different website. This can be done either by a relevant external website linking back to your business, or internal links pointing to different parts of your website. To generate relevant results, search engines crawl and index the content on your website, and having more internal links helps them properly index pages to bring them up first. Make sure your internal links point to relevant pages for that block of content. Resource articles are a good way to increase backlinking and optimise your website.
It’s not your imagination: these days more customers use their phones to search for products and information than their desktop computers. Google has also adjusted their algorithm to index websites by their mobile versions first. A mobile-friendly website has become more crucial than ever in SEO for small businesses, and to expand customer reach. A good mobile website is responsive, i.e. fits automatically to any phone screen size, with readable font and design and clear, accessible menus. Make sure to preview your website across devices before launch.
Page speed is another critical ranking factor in SEO for small businesses, especially on mobile websites. With Google’s mobile-first update to its search indexing algorithm, your site could be penalised if it does not load fast on mobile devices. Along with its existing PageSpeed tools for speed checking desktop websites, Google has launched a handy mobile testing tool you can use to check the loading speed of your mobile website. A quick-loading website makes for a hassle-free customer experience when finding the right information.
Google’s artificial intelligence also includes user experience when ranking web pages. These include factors such as the click-through rate versus the bounce rate of users, i.e. the number of people who click on your website in search results versus those who leave it afterwards. If users do not stay on your website for too long and elevate the bounce rate, Google will determine your site to be less relevant. Using good content with effective, relevant keywords is the best strategy to avoid this. Good content and a website with minimal delay and distractions make for the best user experience.
At One Stop Media, we’re here to set you up on your business growth journey, with the power of SEO and digital marketing. Our strategy is to put real data first, understanding exactly what you need for maximum customer engagement. If you’re looking for an SEO agency in Melbourne to optimise your online presence, contact us today.