How to Get to the Top of Google Search Results for Free

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How to Get to the Top of Google Search Results for Free

Ranking astatine the apical of Google tin instrumentality time. Google prefers to fertile websites with a trusted online reputation. And that person built their manufacture authorization done high-quality content.

But newer websites can amended their visibility successful Google. And get much eyes connected their products and services.

By the extremity of this guide, you’ll cognize precisely what to bash to get to the apical of Google hunt results.

How Do Google Search Results Work?

Understanding however Google works tin assistance you corroborate that your webpages suffice for ranking well.

Google finds and ranks sites utilizing a three-step process:

  1. Crawling: Google’s bots, oregon “spiders,” statesman by scouring the web’s links. They travel links to hunt for caller oregon updated webpages and download text, images, and videos.
  2. Indexing: Google examines the information from the URLs it found. It looks astatine what’s connected each page, including text, images, and different media. All this info is stored successful a elephantine database called the Google index
  3. Serving: Finally, Google decides which pages champion lucifer circumstantial hunt queries. Google hunt algorithms usage ranking factors to determine which pages to amusement astatine the top.
An infographic showing however  hunt  engines work

Further reading: Read much astir however Google works successful our guide to SEO.

Google uses thousands of signals (i.e., ranking factors) erstwhile determining which results to amusement connected a hunt motor results leafage (SERP). And those signals tin change, arsenic Google updates its algorithms each the time. 

But definite confirmed ranking factors person remained accordant implicit time. As they are the superior signals Google uses erstwhile serving its results.

Some of the astir important are:

  • Meaning and intent: Google’s algorithm uses precocious language models to fig retired precisely what users are looking for based connected the hunt query. And matches those queries with contented that champion meets that hunt intent. 
  • Relevance: Google analyzes a webpage’s contented to measure whether it contains accusation that is applicable to what users are searching. The astir basal awesome of a page’s relevancy is erstwhile it contains the aforesaid keywords arsenic the query. 
  • Quality: Google values authoritative contented that shows expertise and trustworthiness. Google looks astatine backlinks from reputable sources and assorted different indicators to find a page’s quality. It besides considers however helpful content is and whether it leaves users feeling satisfied.
  • User experience: Google values idiosyncratic experience, determined by factors similar mobile-friendliness and leafage speed. A mobile-friendly site ensures contented is accessible and usable crossed devices. Fast-loading pages supply a smoother experience, particularly for users connected slower networks.
  • Context and location: Google personalizes results based connected a user’s location, hunt history, and preferences. For instance, if you hunt “pizza,” Google whitethorn tailor results to section pizza places based connected your location.

By knowing these factors, you tin tailor your website and contented to align with however Google ranks websites.

Which gives your webpages a amended changeable astatine landing those premier hunt effect spots.

Billions of radical usage Google. And the apical fewer Google results get astir of the attraction from those billions.

More specifically, the apical 5 results connected a Google hunt motor results leafage (SERP) person a corporate integrated click-through complaint (CTR) of astir 70%.

A graph showing Google integrated  CTR breakdown by position

This means that the higher you rank, the much apt users are to click connected your nexus successful hunt results. 

Some further benefits include:

  • Consistent web traffic: The much of your site’s pages that fertile successful hunt results, the much opportunities you person to get website traffic
  • Highly targeted: When done correctly, SEO strategies similar keyword research tin assistance you fertile for the hunt presumption that thrust the astir qualified postulation to your website (i.e., the users who are astir apt to convert)
  • Better estimation and credibility: Appearing successful hunt results for communal keywords and topics related to your manufacture builds your estimation and credibility
  • Long-term benefits: Top-ranking webpages tin nutrient ongoing postulation results. Unlike paid ads, wherever the results halt arsenic soon arsenic you halt investing.
  • Cost-effective: You don’t person to wage erstwhile a idiosyncratic clicks connected your integrated result. So earning much traffic, leads, and income done integrated hunt tin assistance little your selling costs.

10 Tips to Get to the Top of Google Search Results

1. Target the Right Keywords

Each of your webpages should beryllium optimized for a antithetic keyword oregon hunt query to maximize your opportunities to look astatine the apical of results. 

But immoderate keywords are much apt to thrust results for your concern than others. So it’s important to people the close ones.

Keyword research is the process of identifying those hunt terms. Which keywords are champion volition beryllium connected your selling goals, your website authority, and the competitory scenery of your niche.

Let’s accidental you’re successful complaint of SEO astatine a women’s manner brand. And your extremity is to get your leafage to the apical of Google truthful you tin merchantability much of a peculiar product.

First, unfastened the Keyword Magic Tool from Semrush.

Enter your effect keyword, (i.e., a wide word related to your products, services, oregon topics you’d similar to fertile for). In this case, we utilized “dress with pockets.”

Then, adhd your homepage URL. Select the state your people assemblage is in. Then click “Search.”

Keyword Magic Tool with "dress with pockets" arsenic  keyword and "yourdomain.com" successful  the AI-powered diagnostic   box.

You’ll spot thousands of keywords related to your effect keyword. If you person a webpage already ranking, you’ll spot your existent presumption noted to the close of the keyword.

Broad lucifer  results for the "dress with pockets" keyword with the "Position connected  SERP" statement   highlighted.

But don’t get overwhelmed. Here’s what to wage attraction to:

  • Volume: The estimated fig of times a keyword is searched for per month. You privation keywords you people to person a important volume.
  • Personal Keyword Difficulty (KD%): How hard it is for your website to fertile good for the keyword based connected your website’s existent authorization and content. The higher the score, the much hard it volition beryllium to fertile astatine the apical of results.
  • Search intent: What searchers privation to find erstwhile they usage a circumstantial keyword

You tin constrictive your database of keywords utilizing the filters astatine the apical of the table.

Let’s accidental you privation to constrictive the database to presumption with the lowest PKD%. As those volition supply the champion accidental for your website to fertile adjacent the apical of results and thrust postulation sooner.

Click connected the “Personal KD %” drop-down menu. Select “Possible,” “Easy,” oregon “Very Easy.” Or participate a circumstantial scope underneath the “Custom range” option. Then click “Apply.”

"Personal KD" filter drop-down paper   highlighted successful  Keyword Magic Tool.

Now you person a overmuch narrower database of low-competition keywords to perchance target.

"PKD" file  highlighted successful  Keyword Magic Tool.

Select the keywords that align with your goals and products by clicking connected the container beside each keyword. Then deed the “+ Add to keyword list” button.

Keyword checkbox and "Add to keyword list" fastener  highlighted successful  Keyword Magic Tool.

Choose from an existing list. Or click “Create caller bare list.”

Once you person chosen your keywords, you volition request to trade high-quality contented that includes those keywords.

2. Prioritize Meeting Search Intent

Google wants to fertile the astir applicable and adjuvant pages for users. So contented that is optimized for search intent has a amended accidental of appearing successful the apical results.

Search intent (or keyword intent) refers to the underlying intent oregon information driving a user’s online hunt queries. 

Understanding intent is important due to the fact that it enables you to align your contented with what users are seeking.

There are 4 main types of hunt intent:

  1. Navigational: The idiosyncratic is searching for a circumstantial website oregon webpage (e.g., “Amazon login”)
  2. Informational: The idiosyncratic is looking for wide accusation connected a taxable (e.g., “do dresses person pockets”)
  3. Commercial: The idiosyncratic is researching their options earlier making the last determination connected which merchandise to bargain (e.g., “best women’s dresses with pockets”)
  4. Transactional: The idiosyncratic is searching for a circumstantial merchandise oregon marque with the volition to marque a nonstop acquisition (e.g., “buy formal with pockets Amazon”)

To find retired the intent down a keyword, bash a speedy Google search. 

Take enactment of the benignant of contented that is presently ranking. Is it acquisition “how-to” contented and basal “what is” information? Product pages connected ecommerce sites? Or a operation of these? This volition assistance you recognize what Google thinks the hunt intent for that keyword is.

Another mode (that’s much efficient) to place hunt intent is by utilizing Keyword Overview

Let’s usage this instrumentality to hunt for “casual formal with pockets.”

Keyword Overview instrumentality   with the "casual formal  with pockets" keyword, AI-powered box, and "Search" fastener  highlighted.

Under “Intent,” you’ll spot that the intent for this keyword is commercial.

"Overview" tab of the Keyword Overview instrumentality   with the "Intent" conception  highlighted.

To fertile astatine the apical of Google for this keyword, you’ll request to marque definite your contented meets that intent.

In this case, a class leafage that features aggregate women’s dresses to browse mightiness beryllium helpful. As the idiosyncratic is inactive successful the probe signifier and not needfully acceptable to buy.

If a keyword has informational hunt intent, blog posts, listicles, oregon how-to articles that supply answers to their questions are champion to create. As they volition supply a much satisfying and adjuvant acquisition to users who privation much information. 

Further reading: What is Keyword Intent & How to Align Keywords with User Needs

3. Create Quality Content

The adjacent measurement is to make high-quality contented that is genuinely helpful. To bash that, you request to recognize however Google defines those 2 requirements. 

Google has circumstantial guidelines connected what constitutes high-quality contented that deserves to rank. Those guidelines tin beryllium summarized with the acronym E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).

E-E-A-T is portion of Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines—the handbook that prime raters (people who enactment for Google) usage to measurement the prime of hunt results.

Diagram of E-E-A-T that includes experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trust

Here’s what each portion means:

  • Experience: The writer has first-hand acquisition moving with the topic
  • Expertise: The writer is an adept connected the taxable they are penning about
  • Authoritativeness: Your marque has a bully wide estimation successful your industry
  • Trustworthiness: Your contented is close and cites trustworthy sources (among different factors)

Google’s helpful contented update besides provides factual guidance connected what helpful, satisfying contented looks like. 

Content should include:

  • Original information, reporting, oregon research
  • A broad overview of a topic
  • Substantial worth successful examination to different hunt results
  • Correct grammar and spelling

To get started creating quality, adjuvant content, usage the SEO Content Template

Go backmost to the database of keywords that you created successful step one. Add 1 of them to Semrush’s SEO Content Template. Then click “Create contented template.” 

"sustainability" entered into the SEO Content Template hunt  bar

This creates a contented little that provides suggestions to assistance you fertile for that keyword. Like semantically related words, readability, and length.

"SEO Recommendations" study  for "sustainability" hunt  successful  SEO Content Template

Write your contented according to the brief, optimizing your contented with the recommended semantic keywords. 

When you're done, plug your written contented into the SEO Writing Assistant. This instrumentality checks your contented for readability, SEO, originality, and code of voice.

To usage this tool, paste successful your text, participate the keywords, past click “Get recommendations.”

"The Significance of Sustainable Communities" texted entered into SEO Writing Assistant substance   editor

You’ll person feedback connected the readability and SEO. Aim for a people of 8 oregon higher.

SEO Writing Assistant provides SEO and readability feedback for the entered content

If your people is nether an 8, travel the suggestions successful the sidebar to amended your content. And usage the AI Smart Writer features erstwhile it’s adjuvant to your penning process.

SEO Writing Assistant instrumentality   with the nonfiction  people     and the "Smart Writer" conception  highlighted.

4. Optimize for On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is the process of optimizing the on-page elements of webpages for amended rankings. Google uses these elements to find whether a leafage matches what a idiosyncratic is looking for. 

Here are the astir important on-page elements to absorption on:

Title Tags

Your title tag describes the main contented of your leafage to your user. Google whitethorn usage it arsenic the blue, clickable hyperlink of your SERP result. 

A clear, compelling rubric tag improves your chances of ranking. And encourages users to sojourn your page. 

Like this one:

"Beginner's Guide to Meta Tags for SEO" rubric  tag connected  Google SERP

To marque your rubric tags click-worthy and optimize them for SEO, travel these champion practices:

  • Use 1 unsocial rubric tag for each webpage
  • Mention your people keyword successful your title
  • Stick to nether 60 characters
  • Avoid generic and vague titles, similar “Home” for the homepage
  • Include a people keyword
  • Make it compelling, but debar clickbait

Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions entice users to click done to your leafage and springiness them much accusation astir the content. Google whitethorn usage your meta statement beneath your rubric tag successful hunt results.

Semrush nonfiction  shown successful  Google SERP with the meta statement  highlighted.

To optimize your meta descriptions for amended rankings and clicks, bash the following:

  • Use a unsocial meta statement for each webpage
  • Include variations of your keywords
  • Stick to nether 108 characters (or 680 pixels for mobile)
  • Entice your idiosyncratic with click-worthy accusation (e.g., Free template, Free shipping, etc.)

Heading Tags

Headings springiness your webpage operation and marque it much casual to scan. It besides shows Google the assorted subtopics that are covered connected your page.

Semrush infographic showing an nonfiction  with the headings highlighted.

To leverage your headings for amended rankings, optimize the following:

  • Align heading substance with contented type
  • Only see 1 H1 tag per page
  • Add keyword variations and long-tail keywords into your H1-H3 tags
  • Create a logical hierarchy (H2s nether your H1, H3s nether H2s, and truthful on)
  • Use your heading tags to amended optimize for hunt intent

Multimedia

Engaging multimedia elements similar videos and images heighten idiosyncratic experience. As agelong arsenic they’re optimized for SEO. 

Here’s how:

  • Ensure each images incorporate descriptive alt text. This helps guarantee they’re accessible to each users, similar those who trust connected surface readers.
  • Compress images for faster loading times. Google prefers faster loading times. And your users won’t hold for your tract to load if it takes excessively long.
  • Choose record names for your images that see invaluable accusation applicable to the image’s content. This tin assistance hunt engines recognize and scale your visuals effectively.

Internal links usher users to related contented wrong your site, providing much worth and encouraging them to research further.

Search engines besides usage these links to recognize the operation of your tract and the relationships betwixt pages.

An infographic showing however  Google discovers pages

So reappraisal your blog articles, merchandise pages, and different important content. To spot wherever you person opportunities to nexus to related contented connected your site.

Then, marque definite you nexus to pages that are contextually relevant. It’s besides a bully thought to prioritize pages with invaluable accusation that request a postulation boost. 

A beardown interior linking strategy tin pb to Google discovering much of your webpages. And gathering topical authority signals that amusement your website has a ample magnitude of adjuvant content.

To cheque your interior linking (and different on-page elements listed above), usage the Semrush On Page SEO Checker.

Enter your domain. Then, click “Get ideas.”

On Page SEO Checker hunt  bar

Select your people determination and click “Continue.”

"Select people     location" model   acceptable   to "United States"

Add the pages you privation to analyze. Then click “Collect ideas.”

"Add pages to optimize" window

You volition find ideas connected however to optimize your pages. And a database of the apical pages to optimize. 

On Page SEO Checker overview study  for "nerdwallet.com"

Backlinks are links connected different websites that constituent to your site. For hunt engines, they service arsenic integer votes of assurance that your website is credible and trustworthy.

When reputable websites nexus to your content, Google whitethorn presumption these endorsements arsenic a awesome that your contented is invaluable and worthy showing to users.

People often nexus to contented they find valuable. So, if you make tons of high-quality content, you whitethorn person an easier clip getting backlinks.

Here are immoderate types of contented that tin beryllium precise link-worthy:

  • Expert takes
  • Case studies
  • White papers and reports
  • Surveys
  • Infographics

As agelong arsenic your contented is simply a large resource, you tin get backlinks organically. But the process tin beryllium slow, particularly if you’re conscionable starting out

Here’s however you tin actively question backlinks from websites.

Head to Semrush’s Link Building Tool to find imaginable sites that whitethorn beryllium consenting to nexus to your website.

To get started, participate your domain and click “Start Link Building.”

Link Building Tool hunt  bar

Then, adhd applicable keywords connected with the contented you privation to fertile for. 

"Add your keywords" model   successful  Link Building Settings

After you adhd keywords, click “Competitors” astatine the bottommost of the screen.

"Add your competitors" model   successful  Link Building Settings

Add the competitors you privation to outrank. Or proceed with the competitors automatically suggested by Semrush. 

Then, click “Start Link Building.”

The instrumentality volition instrumentality a infinitesimal oregon truthful to cod and analyse the data. Then, you’ll spot a confirmation pop-up showing however galore prospects it found. To presumption the results, click “View prospects.

"Collecting and analyzing information  is complete. We've recovered  1, 778 domain prospects" message

You’ll find a database of websites you could scope retired to for backlinks:

"Prospects" study  successful  Link Building Tool

For guidance connected however to scope out, cheque retired our afloat usher to link building

7. Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly

Google uses mobile-first indexing. That means Google volition usage the mobile mentation of your tract for indexing and ranking. 

So, if you privation to get to the apical of Google, your mobile pages indispensable beryllium decently optimized. 

To cheque if your tract is optimized for mobile SEO, cheque connected the “Mobile Usability” study successful your Google Search Console account.

“Mobile Usability” study  successful  Google Search Console

The study shows you the fig of pages with mediocre mobile usability. It besides lists the circumstantial issues, truthful you cognize what to improve.

"Why pages aren't usable connected  mobile" conception  of the report

Need assistance optimizing your tract for SEO? Check retired our complete usher to mobile SEO.

8. Prioritize Fast Loading Times

Users and hunt engines similar pages that load quickly. Slow-loading pages frustrate users. And if a website loads faster, hunt engines tin crawl it faster.

To cheque however accelerated your tract loads, usage the Semrush Site Audit tool

Just participate your tract successful the hunt bar, and click “Start Audit.”

Site Audit instrumentality   hunt  bar

Then, take the fig of pages and crawl the source. Click “Start Site Audit.”

"Site Audit Settings" window

You’ll spot a dashboard similar this one. Click connected the “View details” fastener nether “Site Performance.”

“View details” fastener  highlighted nether  “Site Performance" widget

Within the “Site Performance” report, you tin find your mean leafage load velocity successful seconds. 

"Average leafage   load   speed" metric highlighted wrong   "Site Performance" report

In general, you’ll privation to purpose for a page load speed of little than 3 seconds. The faster, the better.

There are galore things you tin bash to marque your tract faster. To get ideas and step-by-step instructions, instrumentality a look astatine our guide to leafage speed.

9. Fix Any Technical Issues

Technical SEO involves optimizing method factors that interaction the crawling, indexing, and ranking of your website.

If Google can’t find oregon work your leafage content, it won’t amusement your pages successful hunt results.

So, if your pages don’t look to beryllium ranking adjacent aft you’ve optimized them for SEO, past you mightiness person a method issue.

To find that method issue, tally your website done Semrush’s Site Audit tool

You’ll get a acceptable of percent scores and “Thematic Reports” for antithetic categories. As you resoluteness issues connected your site, these numbers should improve.

"Overview" tab of the Site Audit instrumentality   with the "Thematic Reports" and "Site Health" sections highlighted.

To find what to fix, spell to the “Issues” tab.

"Issues" tab of the Site Audit instrumentality   showing the "Errors" section.

It volition amusement you a database of the errors recovered connected your site. And telephone retired immoderate pages that can’t beryllium crawled.

"Errors" conception  nether  "Issues" tab with "1 leafage   couldn't beryllium  crawled" enactment     highlighted

You tin instrumentality this study to your website developer oregon IT team. Or behaviour further probe to hole the issues yourself.

10. Improve Your Local SEO

If you ain a concern with a carnal location, oregon that serves a circumstantial geographic area, you’ll privation to fertile for searches related to that area.

That’s wherever local SEO comes in. Local SEO is each astir ranking for those users who are searching for services successful your determination area. Like:

  • “Pizza adjacent me”
  • “Dallas hairdressers”
  • “Coffee shops successful Denver”

Ranking for section searches tin beryllium a large vantage for section businesses wanting to summation appointments, telephone calls, and ft traffic. Because they look close astatine the apical of the hunt results page.

Like this:

Google's "Places" results for "pizza transportation  adjacent   maine  nyc" query

For mobile users, top-ranking mobile results besides supply the enactment to telephone oregon get directions immediately. 

In summation to Google’s accustomed ranking factors, its local hunt algorithms usage 3 main factors to determine which pages to rank:

  • Relevance: How intimately related a Google Business Profile effect is to what a idiosyncratic is searching for
  • Distance: How geographically adjacent the concern is to the user 
  • Prominence: How reputable Google thinks a concern is

Many of the strategies outlined earlier successful this nonfiction tin assistance you summation these signals. But different impactful strategy is to physique local citations

Local citations are mentions of your concern accusation connected third-party websites (e.g., Yelp, Angie’s List, Thumbtack, etc.) 

Google promotes your tract by looking for accordant accusation crossed your concern listings (like telephone fig and address).

Focus connected third-party websites that are important to your industry. Then, usage Listing Management to upload your concern info into aggregate directories simultaneously. 

Keep Tracking Your SEO Performance

Once you’ve created and optimized your content, it’s indispensable to way the results. So you tin measurement the interaction and place areas for improvement.

One mode to bash that is with Google Analytics. You tin cheque to spot if your integrated hunt postulation has changed for the pages you optimized.

Open Google Analytics. In the paper connected the left, click “Acquisition” and past “Traffic Acquisition.” You’ll spot the fig of users and sessions from integrated search. You tin alteration the clip framework to spot the improvement implicit time.

“Traffic Acquisition" study  successful  Google Analytics

Google Analytics volition archer you however overmuch traffic you get from integrated searches.

Then, way your SEO rankings with the Position Tracking tool.

Simply participate your domain and click “Set up tracking.

Position Tracking instrumentality   with "yourdomain.com" successful  the substance   tract  and the "Set up   tracking" fastener  highlighted.

Then, prime your targeting settings. Including hunt engine, device, location, and your concern name. Then click “Continue to Keywords.”

"Targeting" tab of the Position Tracking instrumentality   with Search engine, Device, Location, and Language sections highlighted.

Then participate the keywords you privation to way positions for. When you’re finished, click “Start Tracking.”

"Keywords" tab of the Position Tracking instrumentality   with the keywords and "Start Tracking" fastener  highlighted.

The study provides penetration into however good antithetic pages of your tract are ranking for your people keywords.

"Landscape" tab of the Position Tracking tool.

Scroll down to “Top Keywords” to spot the positions and visibility for the keywords you entered.

"Top Keywords" conception  of the Position Tracking instrumentality   with the "Position" and "Visibility" columns highlighted.

With a tracking campaign, you tin show your (and your competitors’) rankings connected a regular basis. And with customized notifications, it’s casual to enactment connected apical of immoderate changes successful rankings.

Get to the Top of Google with Semrush

Now, you’re equipped with the indispensable insights and strategies to get your tract to the apical of Google. But wherefore halt there?

Take the adjacent measurement by signing up for a free Semrush account

From in-depth keyword probe to backlink analysis, method optimization, and overmuch more, Semrush has everything you request to maximize your SEO performance.