By Bob Speyer – Web Success Team

People use search engines everyday to do research, find answers to questions, look up directions and locate products they’re interested in. But why do certain searches show up while others don’t? It has to do with search engine rankings. It’s a complex system and having a top search engine ranking is not something that happens overnight. There are a lot of ways you can improve your rankings, and below are a few tips you can follow in order to help shoot your name straight to the top of the list.

1.Choosing the Effective Keywords

Choosing the right keywords is crucial to the visibility of your website on the web. If you don’t target the right keywords, then your site won’t show up in searches. It truly is the backbone to the success of your search engine ranking. Some keywords are more effective than others. There are several variables to consider when deciding on keywords such as its search relevance, how common the word is in searches, as well as how similar words compare in popularity and effectiveness.

2.Determining Competitiveness of Keywords

Once you have your list of keywords, it can sometimes be difficult to determine how competitive they are compared to similar words. You want to make sure the keywords you have chosen are targeting an audience that will cultivate just enough traffic. Generally having high traffic volumes means high competition, so keeping your keywords targeted will ensure you stay just within the right level of traffic. For example the keyword “doctor” is going to be highly competitive, as it is used for millions of doctors around the world, thus making it harder for you to compete within this realm. Make sure you use the Google AdWords tool to see what level of competitiveness your keywords have.

3. Stay Above Competition

After deciding on your keyword phrases that you want to target, you need to figure out how to gain priority in search results over your competitors. You can do this through authority and relevance. Authority is generally determined by the number of links to a website, or the online presence of a website. The amount of links is actually the most influential factor when it comes to gaining authority in search engine rankings. In addition to authority you have relevance, which refers to how keywords match the title of the page, its internal navigation and its domain name. Both of these factors will determine how high your website will rank in terms of search engine status.

4. Use Social Media

Social media is quickly becoming a huge factor in determining search engine rankings. While linking is still important, social media stature is also just as important as well. Google adjusted its algorithm earlier this year in order to be able to incorporate social media into its search results. For example, if your Facebook fan page has a lot of “likes” then it is more likely to show up in a Google search when someone searches for one of your target keywords. Twitter also influences the search in regards to how many “followers” you have and the quality of your followers. By using keywords in your Twitter “real name,” you can increase your visibility in search results. According to Hub Spot, this is the most important aspect of your Twitter profile because this title is highly searchable and will appear in Google’s link to your profile. Using keywords here will ensure that your search rankings are increased.

Get Started Now!

Search Engine Rankings can get tricky and complicated, fast. There are so many strategies and steps that go into cultivating the right keywords and getting your website to show up in searches ahead of your competitors. Social media is definitely an up and coming force, so take advantage of its search engine ranking authority now while it’s still in its infancy. Research various ways that social media platforms can help boost your website’s rankings and you’ll be surprised just how much information is available on this topic. If you spend a few minutes a day cultivating the right online marketing strategy, you’ll ensure that you’re website’s search engine rankings will skyrocket in no time.

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