With a whopping 1.72 billion websites across the Google playing field, it can be hard to get spotted in crowded cyberspace. This is where SEO (search engine optimization) comes in to lift you above and beyond.

Did you know that the top five search results get 75 percent of the clicks? Using strategies like keywords, link building, and publishing frequent content are just a few ways you can improve your Google search engine optimization.

Cracking the SEO code isn’t difficult. Following our top tips, you can make some small changes that can result in big ones for your business.

So, what is Google’s secret?

Use long-tail keywords

Keywords are a trusted way to boost traffic flow to your website. But did you know that long-tail SEO keywords account for 70 per cent of all web searches? They are a great way to not only generate organic search traffic but overtake your competitors as you do so. But make sure not to throw keywords in an attempt to cheat Google. Strategically placing keywords throughout your content—making sure it’s readable for the user—helps build connections with your target audience and provide the answer to their problem.

Write for people before search engines

It can be tempting to write content driven by SEO goals, but you have to connect with the person reading it. The aim is to create a site for a human, not a spider, so making sure your content is high-quality, beneficial, engaging, and speaks to the web user will help convert readers to customers.

Link building

Spread your site far and wide by linking out to other relevant and authoritative content pages. This is a great way of generating more traffic flow as Google will recognize your site as a valuable, scalable source. Bare in mind that it’s all about quality over quantity, and ensure that you include a few reliable links as opposed to several poor ones to help build more trust in your niche market.

Meta content

An important element that is often overlooked is well-crafted meta content. This is the first thing readers will see when Google presents your page to search users. Including a meta title and description for every page is a valuable way of catching the attention of search engines and also the readers themselves. However, watch out for duplicate meta content—a big ‘no-no’ from Google—as repeating content across webpages can lead to poor experiences for users.

Lose anything that slows down your site

Sure, back in the day people were more patient with notoriously slow loading times, but nowadays, a three-second wait is enough to make a staggering 40% of users abandon the site. Get rid of any non-essential elements on your site like plugins and unnecessary widgets in your sidebar. This way, you’ll up your speed and get back in the race and gain more traffic to your site.

Publish unique and frequent content

Regularly creating and publishing fresh content for your site can earn you up twice as much traffic compared to the sites that don’t. That’s twice as much chance of increasing your sales. These regular posts determine the fresh factor of your site, helping you climb up the search engine rankings. It’s also a great way to get more SEO keywords and links out there to draw more attention to your site.

So, when it comes down to it — there is no big Google search engine optimization secret… Just following these useful tips is enough to get you on your way to higher rankings and greater traffic.

Could lack of SEO be what’s blocking your desired audience from visiting your site? Get in touch for a free consultation and we’ll pop the hood on your business to see whether investing in SEO would be the best next step for your business.