How Can Your Brand Rank on the First Page of Google?

With 360 billion searches in one quarter, 200 frequently changing ranking factors, and 250,000 new websites from possible competitors each day, does your brand have a chance of ranking on Google’s first page? Mahmoud Alhamed, head of performance at Serviceplan Group Middle East, explains the role rich content and user experience play in a brand’s Search Engine Optimisation and Positioning success. 

In the first quarter of 2021 alone, there were 360 billion Google searches, with the first five organic results accounting for 67.60% of all clicks. The mobile queries 'where to buy' and 'near me' have grown by over 200% in the last two years. In fact, consumers now do as much as 70% of their purchasing research online before they even engage in a sales conversation. But how can you rank on the first page of Google? 

Well, there are 200 factors that Google considers when ranking a page, and since Google frequently rolls out new algorithm updates, these factors are always changing. Google recently released several updates, most of which revolved around the user experience on a given website, and all of them – like any business update – aimed to improve the SERP and provide the best results to the users. So, with the constant updates, what do we need to know as business or site owners? Google recommends against optimising for its algorithm when simply creating a page or a piece of content. We are instead urged to build the website or craft the content based on the user’s interest. But what exactly does this mean?

The content we are serving is the first thing that we need to consider. We have all heard the saying ‘content is king,’ but the question here is, is content still king? 

The answer is both yes and no. Let's explain precisely what we mean. With stiff competition caused by more than 250,000 websites being created daily, it is difficult for brands to appear on the search engine. So unless the content is rich and high-quality, it can be very difficult to rank. But what is rich content?

Rich content, in very simple words, is the content that your users need to satisfy their search query. To ensure you are creating such quality content, always ask yourself these questions while creating a page or a piece of content:

1. Is the content original? Original content means that you have created it from scratch instead of taking it from other websites.
2. Is the content of interest to the target group? Based on the keyword research you conducted, did you find a sizeable search volume around the topic for which you are creating content?
3. Is the content complete? When writing about any topic, make sure that you have covered all of the key points in a logical flow, with an introduction in which you present the topic and the points you will be covering, a body where you elaborate on each of the points mentioned in your introduction, and a conclusion where you summarise the article and the value it adds to the readers.
4. Is the content adding value? Make sure that you are adding value to your users by coming up with an interesting new approach to the topic instead of just repeating what other websites have written.
5. Is the content answering your users’ questions? The answer to this question must be yes. 

If the answer to all these questions was yes, then congratulations, you have produced quality content that has a high chance of ranking and getting shared organically amongst your users.

The second step to increase your brand’s Search Engine Positioning is focusing on the user experience of your website. You need a healthy, user-friendly website in order to effectively convey your high-quality content. 

The following checklist will help you improve the user-friendliness and health of your website:

1. Seamless user experience - This means that the users can navigate from one page to another in a smooth and clear way, and they should be able to expect the content of the next page.  
2. Page load speed - When you optimise assets such as images, videos, and JS and CSS files, you must have a quick loading website while also paying attention to the server time response.
3. Mobile-friendly experience - If you are looking to create this kind of experience, your users must be able to smoothly browse your website from a mobile phone, and the website must seamlessly transfer to a mobile frame without any cutting or cropping of the content.
4. Passing the web core vital - This is the latest algorithm update that is focusing on the user experience on the website in terms of loading speed, theme responding, and time responding. In its latest update, Google said that this has now been added to their long list of ranking factors.

If the answer to all of the above is yes, you have a strong chance of securing a high ranking on the search engine result page.

To sum up, we at Serviceplan Group believe that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is all about providing the best website, in terms of content and user experience, to the users. While there are many other points to consider as a brand, 62% of marketing executives say that these two approaches are the most effective SEO tactics. Focusing on just these two areas will ensure better results for both your brand and your users.