Have you wondered how Google determines search results? While their algorithm remains largely a secret, there are some factors that correlate with higher rankings in the internet's largest search engine.
In the AudienceBloom infographic below, you'll find some valuable SEO best practices you can use to boost your search engine rankings, become more visible online, and bring more traffic to your website.
How Google Determines Search Results
In two separate studies done (one by Moz and the other from SearchMetrics) to determine which factors lead to higher search rankings, some valuable statistics were uncovered. Instead of getting lost in all of the technical details of the study, here is a list of best practices to follow:
Linking SEO Best Practices
- Build lots of awesome links to your page. When you're writing content for your business blog, make sure you are linking to other relevant posts within the text.
- Get a good mix of links from different IP addresses. C-blocks, and root domains.
- Don't be afraid to link to other external sources from your own website content.
Website SEO Best Practices
- Keep both your brand name and URL short and appealing.
- Don't host your blog on a subdomain. Instead, put it in a subdirectory (ie, domain.com/blog)
- Optimize website speed.
- Include meta elements (title and description) on all pages
- Get a .com domain; they may be favoured by Google in search visibility. (Unless you're located in Canada, where a .ca domain is the best choice.)
Social Media SEO Best Practices
- Google+ has the highest correlation to higher rankings. Create a profile for your brand!
- Facebook and Twitter engagement have very high relative ranking correlations.
- Focus on creating valuable and relevant long-form content. There are a lot of valuable benefits that come with having an active blog and better search results is one of them.
Not optimizing your website for search engines is a silly internet marketing mistake that is often overlooked. Now that you know how important it is to your inbound marketing strategy, it's time to put these best practices into action and boost your SEO! Always remember: The easier it is for people to find your content, the more traffic and conversions you'll get.
Photo credits: Google