Is Google Your Friend?

With all of the online tools we have today, it’s easy to overlook those that have been around for awhile and are still extremely helpful. For example, look at Google. Year after year, Google provides professionals and web junkies alike with any information that they may be seeking. Whether it be, “What are the best shingles for my roof?” to “When is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday?”, Google answers all. However, it can be a bit of an art form getting Google to be your friend; essentially, pushing your website/content to the very top of the search engine.

Here’s how you can improve your relationship with our very reliable friend.

Content that Answers a Question

As aforementioned, we ask Google everything. However, unlike textbooks or asking a friend, our answer is provided perfectly within seconds. But, in order to have these answers provided to us, other professionals need to be uploading the information on their website. So, in order to push your website to the top, you need to create content that answers a question. The best advice is to ask a specific question in the headline and answer it immediately below. This way, when a user pops their question into Google, yours will be one of the first websites to be clicked on!

Make Your Page Mobile-Friendly

Flash ads, incorrect screen fitting, slow access–all of these situations can take your website immediately out of the running for Google’s top spots. In the last several years, how easily users could access a webpage from their mobile device became a ranking requirement for Google. Those who had newer, easier to maneuver pages for smartphones began to rise over their less tech-friendly competitors. If you’re wondering if your page is mobile-friendly, here is an article from Search Engine Watch that breaks down the entire process. 

Befriend Social Media First

As backwards as it sounds, you might need to become poker buddies with the big social media platforms, such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, or Twitter, first. The reason for this is that Google likes to give favor to those who have their webpages shared on social media sites, as well as those who have repeat visitors. So, having others link to your content through social media (share, share, share!) is what can really set you ahead of others. The idea of repeat visitors is all about giving your users a quality web experience; if you’re not providing worthy content, you’re most likely not bringing back viewers. Essentially, provide materials that will make users want to share your content. The more attention you give to social media, the more Google will give to you.

Skip the Snippets

In a society that is increasingly becoming more instant-gratification-hungry, it can be tempting to write small blurbs of information. Many journalism classes will tell you that when writing for the web, your writing should be succinct and concise. While this has major validity, it might not be the case for gaining Google’s affection. For example, if a user clicks back from a webpage too fast, Google will register that this user did not find what they were looking for. If you don’t believe me, you can read a bit about their analytics here. However, the longer you garner their attention on your webpage (clicks are also monitored), the more Google regards your webpage as a source of quality information. This isn’t to say you should put fluff into all of your pieces, but it may be worth finding relevant videos/photos to incorporate into the piece.

As anyone knows, friendship can be a great investment for your future, as well as your business’s. With all that Google has to offer to your audience, it’s definitely a friend worth making!

 This article was inspired by Corp! Magazine and Search Engine Watch for their relative data on the topic.