17 December, 2015

Website Not Top Of Google Search Results?

Surfing on Google
When one of our clients asked this question recently...  

"Quick question, is there any reason why our website does not come up at top of page when searching in Google?" 

We decided to answer for everyone, in the form of a blog post. There is no quick answer, unfortunately.



About Google. There are literally millions of companies competing for top spot in Google's search results. Millions! Google sets out guidelines for webmasters to follow for websites to be included in their search index but there is no magic formula to propel any website to the top of page 1. Google says this. If anyone tells you any different, be wary.

Google search If you want to be top of local geographic searches for your company name, e.g. "Sparmelly & Dople, Accountants, St. Albans" it's easy to be on page 1. Your 'impression' will probably be amongst directory listings with links to your website. However, to be found for more competitive keywords, such as a generic search for "Accountants near St. Albans" you need to work a bit harder.

This search produces more than a quarter of a million results! Further inspection reveals that paid advertisements take priority, followed by websites that have been submitted to Google Places - and verified by Google - then the organic results.
When an SEO services company promises to put your website "top of Google" check whether this refers to a paid ad or organic results. For organic results, check which keywords are being used.
Keywords should be the short phrases that you think your targeted potential clients would use when searching for a service that you and your competitors offer. Don't use your company name - you should already be on page 1 for that or there may be something fundamentally wrong!

About Your Website. All the important pages should have a text link from the home page. Ensure that the links are within relevant text and are limited to a small percentage of the page content. Write at least 300 words and include phrases that users would type in to search for your services. Create interesting, information-rich content. Behind the content, make use of meta-data, such as alt-tags on images, and ensure that each page has a unique, relevant <title> and meta-descripton. When content is in place, check the website for broken links.

You should be open and honest when writing website content. There are also some things that Google says you  must not do, including: duplicate content, hidden text, keyword stuffing and participating in link schemes.


If you'd like to  use The BPc for website design, optimisation, ongoing SEO or Social Media management, please get in touch.

No comments:

Post a Comment