You’ve created content better than anything already in existence. You published it several months ago. And everyone you speak to is raving about how wonderful it is.

Yet you still aren’t ranking on Google. Your competitor is still there at the top spot.

So what went wrong?

We are here to lift the veil on SEO. Getting a high ranking means understanding that there are many types of SEO, and you’ll need to master each if you want to reach that coveted top spot.

Here’s what you need to know. 

On-Page SEO

On page is everything you do on your website to influencer your Google ranking. Here are some of the critical steps:

Keyword Optimization

One of your first SEO tasks involves deciding what keywords you want to rank for on Google. That requires keyword research to find out the most popular search terms for your target customer.

Once you have created your list of keywords, you must create content on your website relevant to those words and phrases.

The content must include enough natural references to that phrase that Google recognizes the topic. That means adding the keyword into the title and in the body of the content.

Page Optimization 

As well as including your preferred keywords in the content you produce, you’ll also need to have them in the page metadata.

That is what page optimization is all about. That will include the page description, sub-headings, and image alt tags. Use a SEO company to help you with the more technical aspects. 

Speed, Accessibility, and Usability 

The final aspect of on-page SEO for businesses is the technical optimization of your website.

You’ll need to ensure that you have an XML site map so that Google can crawl your website.

You’ll also need to ensure your site is accessible to all users. That means abiding by good practice in marking up images with relevant descriptions and demonstrating that your site is mobile-friendly.

A speedy website is also a critical component for your ranking, so you’ll need to optimize your page loading time.

Finally, your site will need to be user-friendly and easy to navigate. That means a good use of headings, sub-headings, clear navigation links, and a sensible structure. 

Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO is what happens away from your website to influence your ranking. You can think of this as Google taking recommendations from others before deciding how to rank you. It includes: 

Social Media

Technically, a social media presence doesn’t impact your site ranking.

But social media allows you to share and distribute your content, which will bring you plenty of high-quality traffic, page comments, and recommendations.

That will help Google determine that your page is of good quality. 

Backlinks

You can recommend your content for people to share on their websites. Alternatively, you can provide guest posts to other websites that link to you.

Business Reviews

Finally, business reviews are becoming an increasingly important aspect of page rankings.

You’ll notice with local SEO that you will often see the Google reviews pop up for local businesses.

But there are plenty of review sites for other types of businesses too, and getting good quality feedback on these websites will help your SEO ranking.

Have You Mastered All Types of SEO?

Now that you know the different types of SEO, it’s time to revisit your best content and begin optimizing it.

Doing so could bring you the benefits of SEO you are seeking, including the rankings you want and the quality traffic you deserve.

For more traffic tips, head to our marketing section now.