In How to get to page 1 on Google – Part 1, I started by stating that no one knows exactly how Google rank pages on their search engine and explained the reasons why. It is reported that their algorithm can change up to 600 times per year and marketers often monitor regular updates in order to improve their Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Changing an algorithm that frequently might seem like overkill but it is useful to remind yourself what Google are trying to achieve. They want to remain the number 1 search engine and believe that by serving you the most relevant sites based on your search (and your internet history), you will repeatedly return to their service.
So what are some the popular recommendations to help you get to that coveted place on the first page of Google?
- Become an expert in SEO
- Hire an SEO expert
- Pay for Google Ads
If you achieve number 1, you probably won’t need to do number 2. However without knowing a great deal about SEO, how do you know who you are hiring are suitable, cost effective and truly are experts in that field?
The truth is, if you are a small and growing business, you probably won’t have the time or inclination to learn about SEO to the extent required to get you to that Page 1 position on Google.
If you do want to learn straight from the horse’s mouth and delve deeper into this area then Google’s Webmasters SEO Starters Guide is a great introduction into the depth and breadth of what is required.
If however, that seems too much of a stretch there are easy steps to take that are free and can yield quick results in improving your ranking.
Social Media
Many of us already have a personal presence on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. If you already do, consider creating separate social media accounts for your website. This is a cheap and effective way of getting your business in front of people that mightn’t come across it unless they are already googling very specific long tail keywords related to your enterprise.
Start by following your friends as they are likely to like or retweet your new venture, especially in the early days. This will help expose your website to a wide audience, even if you are still on page 100 of Google. Make sure that your website is in a good state though before you take this step. There is no point getting that early interest only to be faced with a “Coming Soon” page when they click the link to your website. Chances are slim that they will be revisiting any time soon.
Don’t spread yourself too thinly. Try to keep to 2-3 social media accounts as a maximum. Any more and you may find you are spending too much time chasing followers and updating your social media accounts rather than concentrating on your business. According to Sean Parker, the founding president of Facebook and co-founder of Napster, the thought process behind Facebook was “How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?”
So set your self sensible limits and stick to them. For example:
- One hour maximum on Social Media per day.
- Follow at least two new people every day.
- Tweet at least once a day.
- Retweet someone else at least once a week.
The numbers above are just suggestions. You will find in time what works best for yourself, your business and the arena you are operating in. The important thing is to not get consumed by social media but to use it to reach people who otherwise might not have come across your website. We have all seen tweets or Facebook posts go viral so this is an area not to be neglected.
So how does great Social Media coverage effect your position on Google?
Well according to Google, it doesn’t:
Having 10,000 followers on Facebook and a high-ranking page on Google are “correlation, not causation”.
“So Social Media doesn’t help then?”
Well according to Google your Social Media presence doesn’t directly influence where you end up on their search results.
However, a well received Social Media post can result in someone creating a link from their website to your website. This is an all-important area that will improve your ranking on Google and will be explored soon in “How to get to page 1 on Google – Part 4“.
Peter Horgan is the founder of Jeppstones.
You call follow Peter on Twitter: @PeterJeppstones
