Google is still the world’s most popular search engine. Google’s search engine algorithm is continuously being updated so how do you keep your firm’s website up to date so that you show up in online searches?
More than 2.3 million Google searches are conducted every single minute. The top 5 search results on Google get over 70% of the click through traffic. There is no point in being on the second or third page of search results – people don’t tend to look that far. Your firm needs to be in the top half of the first page in order to allow potential customers to find your business online.
Mobile search is also on the rise – 88% of smart-phone users are searching on Google. As such, you should make sure that your firm’s website is optimized for smart-phone screens as well as computers and tablets.
Google offers a free service called Google Search Console. This service allows you to submit your website to Google for indexing.
You can also use the tool to identify any potential search related errors on your site, view the kinds of search queries that are driving traffic to your site, etc.
You can also link your firm’s website to Google My Business. This can help
your website to appear in relevant geographic search results. Google will then send a postcard to verify your business’s physical address and your firm will show up if people are searching for a business like yours in the local area.
The speed at which your website loads also affects the way it is ranked by Google. Google ranks faster loading sites higher than slow websites. You can make your site load faster by minimising the size of image files and using fast hosting services.
Finally, ensure that you use relevant keywords in your page titles, meta descriptions, URLs and throughout your actual content. Don’t use too many keywords as this can actually have a negative effect on your site’s Google ranking. If in doubt, consider hiring in an external consultant to help you.