Are you an online service provider looking to get your website found on Google? Many businesses rely on a stream of leads finding their websites via search engines.
However, achieving maximum visibility for your website doesn’t just happen by itself. Most service providers get buried on page ten of results for their most important keyword – not where they want to be.
The good news is – you don’t have to stay buried on page ten! It is possible to improve your ranking and make sure potential customers find your website. Whether you’re an online coach, consultant or course creator, there are a few key things you can do to get found on Google. Let’s explore them below:
Write Relevant Web Pages
Google’s search algorithm has no way of telling if you have a beautiful, engaging website or not. All it can do is look at raw data and ask whether your site is relevant to users. If it is, you’ll appear high in search rankings. If it isn’t, then you’ll drop like a stone to the bottom of the pond and stay there.
The trick here is to write highly relevant pages inserting keywords that users are actually typing when looking for a service like yours. For instance, you might prioritise “life coach in Perth” if you sell services in to local Western Australians.
The more relevant keywords you can include naturally in your pages, the better. Put them in body text, titles, headers, meta descriptions and image tags for maximum benefit.
Make It Easy For Google To Index Your Pages
Google constantly crawls websites to index them. In English, that means it uses algorithms to map out all the pages on the web, seeing what’s on them and then categorising them. Crawling is good for improving your website’s ranking, but to take advantage of it, you need to set up your website in a particular way.
There are two main things you should do to make your site more amenable to crawling:
- Internally link between your pages. This way, when Google’s crawling algorithm finds a link on one of your pages, it can follow it to the next page, creating a bridge between the two
- Perform an SEO audit of your site, checking Google is indexing all pages
Write More Blog Posts
It might sound like a slog, but writing more blog posts is one of the best things you can do for your site. Each new article is an opportunity to get found on Google for a particular keyword or topic.
Look for ways to make your posts a trusted resource for users across the internet. If your post becomes the go-to place for information, it will attract more people. To get started with writing your first blog check out Your Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Your First Blog
Verify Your Business With Google
Setting up a Google My Business & Google Console account is one of the most powerful ways service-based businesses can increase their online visibility. In the SEO world, it’s a bit of a cheat code. It tells Google to list your business in search and on Maps whenever users type in a service-related keyword.
Add Compelling Titles To Your Pages And Posts
Steer clear or boring, generic titles that don’t grab attention. Instead, combine click-bait headers with real value in the body of the text. Avoid the temptation to write long paragraphs to try to make up the word count
Here’s an example of a boring title: Ways life coaching can benefit you.
And here’s an example of a more compelling title: How life coaching can double your career satisfaction.
Add Compelling Content To Your Site
The more compelling you can make your content, the more successful and celebrated your website will become. Over time, there’s a snowball effect where one success leads to another at an ever-increasing pace.
The trick to ranking higher on Google isn’t to write 3,000-word spam articles containing your target keywords. Instead, it is to provide other internet users with value they can’t find anywhere else.
As a rule, therefore, you should:
- Dive deep into topics you cover
- Always ask what value a particular sentence, section or paragraph is providing the user
- Monitor the impact of your posts and look for patterns in those that are most successful
- Find plenty of charts, images, and photographs to substantiate the text and create interest
- Use evidence to back up all your claims
- Link to sites that you want to link back to you
- Aim to provide an experience, not just information
- Write engagingly, as if you were having a conversation with your audience
Google Uses Keywords To Establish Website Relevance
Doing your homework and brushing up on your website’s keywords can also help you get found on Google. Keywords make it easier for you to target your audience and insert the types of phrases they’re using onto your website. In many cases, customers use a different set of words from you, so proper research is essential.
Despite its apparent intelligence, Google’s ranking algorithm doesn’t have a mind as such. Instead, it is a rules-based programme that scours website content and then uses statistical methods to rate page relevance against users’ search terms. Because of this, search algorithms can’t get the gist of what your page is about like humans can. Instead, they require concrete keywords to determine the relevance of your site.
Website owners who know this are at an advantage. If your page offers keywords while a competing page doesn’t, then yours is much more likely to appear on page one of Google search results. The more relevant keywords you can include, the better. Just remember not to stuff them.
Discovering Keywords Helps You Craft Your Content To Your Readers
At the same time, having good knowledge of your keywords also makes it considerably easier to target and engage your readers. When you use their language, you automatically make your pages more approachable and user-friendly. Proper keyword discipline helps you steer clear of industry jargon and meet users’ immediate needs.
To develop good keyword ideas, you need to know what potential customers are searching for when looking for the types of goods and services you sell. To do this successfully, you’ll need some knowledge of your industry. You’ll also need to know how keyword research tools work and how to interpret their outputs.
First, you’ll need to select a seed keyword. Start by brainstorming some keywords and phrases related to your industry. Consider what users are most likely to type into search engines when looking for the services you sell. (For instance, if you offer virtual assistant services, your seed keywords could include “virtual assistant” “virtual assistant in my area”, or “administration support near me).
Next, take a look at which keywords your competitors rank for. Try typing in a keyword that relates to services in your area (such as “virtual assistant in Perth”) and see who comes up.
If you can’t see any competitors, just informative pages, your keyword might lack commercial intent. In other words, Google might classify it as a phrase users type into the search bar when they want information, not when they want to buy something. In this case, you’ll need to change the keywords to something that does indicate the desire to make a purchase.
Once you start using keywords on your pages, you’ll begin ranking higher on Google. Eventually, the search engine will reward you for displaying relevant content to its users.
If you successfully follow all the advice listed here, the success of your online services business should grow tremendously. If you would like assistance with SEO or blogging you can contact us HERE