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Over the years, the Internet has helped tackle an endless pool of user questions. It seems to have answers to almost everything. That’s whether you’re looking for the right visual content marketing strategies or “SEO ranking tips”.

Unfortunately, finding these answers is trickier than we might think. It’s because the page with the answers we want don’t make it to the top of our search results.

This is where SEO ranking comes to the rescue.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) might seem like such an overwhelming and mind boggling bit of a concept. However, with the right principles to guide you, you will be navigating your way to the top ranks in no time.

How do I improve my Google SEO ranking?

In this article, we will be giving you directions to the best SEO ranking strategy to get your site the traffic it needs, in no time. And you can pair that with our guide for selecting the best stock image to boost your site rep.

1. Keyword research for SEO ranking.

Before the creation of your content, or before you even think to write a post for your page, finding the right keywords to use takes priority over everything else.

You can’t exactly rank high if you don’t know which words related to your content niche are generating a lot of traffic now, can you?

One of the best SEO keyword research tools to use when finding the perfect keyword for your page is the Google Keyword Planner Tool. It’s free and and pretty easy to use.

You may think SEO ranking stops at just searching for the perfect word to use, applying it to your page and you’re good forever. 

However, this is only your starting point. Often times, we tend to go for the highest ranking keyword on the list.

But it isn’t a complete guarantee that our pages will eventually make it to the top of the search results. 

What you should be doing is looking at the intent behind the existence of that word. Find out what makes that word rank so high in the search results and why users search around that word so much.

For instance, “SEO ranking” might be highest on the list of keywords. But if a user were looking for articles that would explain what SEO means, such a page like this would be irrelevant to him. 

Why?

Because he doesn’t even know what SEO is, to begin with.

So, opting for “SEO meaning” or “SEO definition” will then have more relevance to that user than any article offering to give “Tips to improving SEO ranking”, even if it ranks a little way lower among the list of keywords.

Hence, the sensible option would be to employ “SEO meaning” as the keyword in your content.

Besides searching for keywords with the Google Keyword Planner Tool, you can also try:

• Q/A sites. These include sites like Quora. They are proof that search results don’t always have all the satisfactory information that users need. So, they resort to other means of obtaining answers- asking the public. 

Question and Answer sites will help you know what kind of questions users are asking, in relation to your niche. They will also help shape your content to answer them better than anyone else’s. 

Additionally, give you the opportunity to connect with more people. Just by answering user10394’s question, “can DNA store digital data?”, and inserting your link below your answer, you’ve given them, and others too, a chance to visit you.

Therefore, you’ll end up generating traffic for yourself! 

• Finding popular sites related to your niche. These are other sites similar to your line of content that have successfully made it to the top ranks. 

Going through their content will help you know what you’re up against, your competition, and how to improve what they have put out there in your own way.

2. Creating Unique Content

Now that you know what keyword to feature on your page, the next question to ask is “how will I create content that will rank high in the search results?”. To answer this, you should keep in mind these goals:

For humans first, rankings later. Unfortunately, most people tend to be too “rank focused” that they lose sight of what’s most important in their pursuit.

People.

Remember that, though you might be looking to be the best in the search results, search engine rankings don’t get you traffic.

Humans do. These are the people that will buy what you’re selling out there on the net platter. You can’t make it to the top if your content is not satisfying their needs first.

• Engage. Capturing the interest of your readers is quite easy. keeping that interest all the way down to the end of your content? Now, that is a challenge. 

It would be a shame if a user were to click the link of your page and end up bouncing back to the search results almost immediately, unsatisfied because your content was not up to bar with their expectations. 

It tells search engines like Google that your page does not have relevant information. Or that it doesn’t deserve to be at the top.

Eventually, you’ll get down ranked.

• Link out in your content. This may seem like giving your competition the knife to stab you with. “Why would I want to redirect own my page visitors to other pages?”, you may ask.

But linking out can go a long way to help your page visitors, and yourself as well. 

There’s nothing more helpful to a page visitor than knowing that even though your page doesn’t have everything they’re looking for, you’ve been thoughtful enough to redirect them to places where they can find more answers. 

Who knows? You might just get backlinked!

• Be visual. Do you hate too much info dumping? Then your users will too. 

Nothing scares off visitors than an article with loads of words and no images to rest their eyes on. Getting the assistance of stock images, especially original ones, will help you keep your visitor’s attention.

Also, it will explain your content better to them, helping them form a visual-mental understanding as they read. 

On the side, you can include your keyword into these image titles to boost your rankings.

3. Use SEO-friendly Permalinks.

No one likes a long and incorrigible link address. They are discouraging and they keep your page visitors from sharing them.

It helps to have a short and simple link to your content page that’s easy to remember and enticing to visitors. The trick to creating an SEO friendly permalink is to:

• Keep it short and simple. For example, “https://Seo.com/seo-ranking”

Don’t constantly change your permalink. It’s not called a permanent link without reason.

Changing your link excessively, especially when done outside the proper process, will bring about complications when users want to navigate their way through your site. 

If you change it, search engines can pick this up and assume that you are switching from an old link to a new one. Thus, rendering the old one obsolete. 

So, if a user has already bookmarked your old page and wants to revisit it, they would get error messages instead, telling them that the page is no longer available. 

To avoid this, it’s best if you think hard about what link you want to use and settle on just that one.

Include your keyword in your permalink. It gives the search engine a strong sense of the stuff your page is made up of.

Also, it boosts your chances of getting high ranked in the results.

4. Backlink Building.

Backlinks are the spider webs that link websites together. They keep sites connected in such a way that visitors on one site can do a quick jump to the other site. 

They are great for SEO ranking, except they take time to build. Getting other sites, especially highly reputable ones, to link out to your content is something that involves proving that your content is worth giving a shout out from theirs. 

But another way to redirect viewers to your site is to ensure that you make it to the top of local citation listings. Imagine if you could help your customers find you so easily without having to do it the old fashioned way where they have to ask around endlessly. 

Local citation lists can make that possible. They put your NAP (business name, address, phone number) at the forefront of online attention where anyone can have access to you without difficulty.

This NAP combo can take settlement on business directories, websites and even on social media platforms, without you the business owner having to do that much about getting there. 

However, they depend greatly on the validity of your data and content. Search Engines like Google are always on the hunt for authentic content.

So, when it trusts that your data is true to the core, this can give a push to your SEO ranking.

What next?

Think of SEO ranking as a business pitch. Imagine search engines as the owners of multibillion-worth companies. 

Your SEO ranking strategy is your ticket to proving that you belong at the top with the rest of the best, even with the tough competition going on around you.

What SEO ranking strategy are you bringing to the table?