Posted February 3, 2025 by Angus
With so many sites out there, all competing for the same spot it’s hard to get your site to rank on Google. But with the right tools you can analyse and improve your website’s ranking with aims to improve your organic traffic. In this article we will touch on some basic steps and tools that will help optimise your site for ranking in 2024.
Check if your site is crawlable or indexable
If Google hasn’t indexed your site it won’t show up in search results. Google can find new pages on its own but it’s a good idea to check and speed up the process which can be done with Google Search Console. So to start with by setting up Google Search Console,, then submit your sitemap and check the URLs indexing status to make sure it’s being crawled.
You can also use tools like Screaming Frog to analyse indexed pages, find broken links and make sure your site structure is crawlable.
Do Your Keyword Research
Understanding how users search for information is key to reaching the right people. Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Screaming Frog to find terms that are relevant to your content. Focus on long-tail keywords as they have less competition and are more specific to a user’s search query which can help with engagement and conversions.
Also understand search intent. Keywords can be informational, navigational, transactional and commercial investigation. Matching your content to user intent will improve relevance and conversions.
Optimise On-Page Elements
Optimising on-page elements not only improves user experience but also helps search engines understand your content. Focus on:
- Short and descriptive page titles that include primary keywords.
- SEO friendly URLs that match the content.
- Meta descriptions that increase click through rates.
- Structured headings (H1, H2, H3) that create a content hierarchy.
- Optimised images with alt text for accessibility and SEO.
Create Valuable Content
Google rewards content that provides real value to users. To rank highly make sure your content is:
- Unique and informative, not duplicate or thin.
- In-depth and well researched, covering the topic.
- Visually appealing, images, videos and infographics.
- Regularly updated, staying relevant.
Using E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) will improve your site’s credibility and ranking potential.
Mobile Friendly
With Google’s mobile-first indexing, your website’s mobile version is the priority. Improve mobile usability by:
- Using responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes.
- Improving page speed for a smooth mobile experience.
- Testing with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to make sure it’s optimal.
- Using mobile friendly navigation, no intrusive pop-ups and easy to click buttons.
Secure Your Website
A secure website builds trust and can rank better. Essential security measures are:
- Using SSL encryption (HTTPS) to protect user data.
- Using a secure hosting provider with good protection.
- Keeping software, plugins and themes updated.
- Running regular security checks to find vulnerabilities.
- Using 2FA for extra security.
Speed Up Your Website
Google’s Core Web Vitals update has made page speed a priority. Faster loading times can reduce bounce rates and rank better. To improve performance:
- Compress images for faster load times.
- Minimise unnecessary scripts and plugins.
- Enable browser caching and lazy loading.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) for content distribution.
- Server side optimisations, upgrade to a faster hosting plan or use a dedicated server.
Use Internal Linking to Navigation
Internal linking helps Google understand your site’s structure and improves user navigation. Naturally link to relevant pages to help users navigate through your content, pass link equity and increase dwell time.
You can also use breadcrumb navigation to help users know where they are and provide a clear path back to higher level pages, improve both UX and SEO.
Get High Quality Backlinks
Backlinks from authority sites helps to build credibility and rank better. Some effective ways are:
- Guest posting on relevant platforms.
- Creating shareable assets like infographics and reports.
- Digital PR, getting mentioned in reputable publications.
- Broken link building, finding outdated links on other sites and proposing your content as a replacement.
- Participating in industry forums and discussions to establish yourself as an expert and get referral traffic.
Remember when building backlinks, link quality must be assessed at each stage, spammy links from SEO sites and other bad practices are not sustainable long term and can lead to big drops in authority.
SEO is a long term process, you need to be consistent and structured. Follow this guide to improve your search visibility. Make sure you reach the right audience and improve user experience. Another tip is to stay updated with Search Updates; especially Core updates that can cause temporary visibility issues to some sites. Overall focus on refining your content and provide value to the end users as that’s what Google will judge your site and its content on.
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