Have you been creating content for your website, but you’re disappointed with your Google ranking? Have you been wondering about the steps to take so that your blog ranks on the first page of Google? If yes, then you’re in the right place. This article provides an in-depth guide on creating SEO-friendly blog posts that will rank on Google’s first page. 

There is an array of factors that Google takes considers when ranking websites such as domain authority, website loading speeds, keywords, security, consistency in creating and updating existing content along with mobile optimization. It’s only by incorporating these factors to outwit your competitors to rank on Google front page. Besides ranking, these factors will help you achieve a positive return on investment (ROI). 

With that in mind, here are tips for writing blog articles that rank on Google

Think about your audience and their needs

Before getting into the technical aspects of what makes a blog rank well the number one thing to consider is who are the people that are likely to read your blog. To help google decide how it should present your blog to other people your blog should have a set category or niche that it is looking to help. After establishing your sites niche you can then consider writing articles the target questions that your audience is likely to have.

For example if your website it devoted to boating a new boat owner may ask a question such as “How much does a boat weight”, “What kind of boats are there”, “How do I buy a boat”, etc… Then you can google these questions yourself and check the articles that already exist on this topic. If you are able to provide articles that are more detailed and helpful than what already exists then there is a good chance Google will eventually find those and recommend them to other people asking those same questions. High quality content is kind and people are more likely to share high quality links on their social media or on their own sites. Google and other search engines will recognize these “back links” as your blog helping our your audience. As your blog is more helpful Google will give your web site more “domain authority” and rank your web pages even higher.

Include Keywords and Use Them Appropriately

Though keywords are very critical when it comes to search engine ranking, keyword stuffing is not recommended. Proper use of keywords will not only help your blog rank high on Google. Wrong use of the keywords will cause your blog more harm than good as far as search engine ranking is concerned. Avoid random use of keywords and, instead, come up with a smart mechanism of generating them. 

Go to the competition. Evaluate the keywords which have fared well with your audience and earned your brand lucrative deals. Reuse such relevant keywords when creating new content or update them. 

Finding the right keywords for your blog can be strenuous and time-consuming. Unlike in the past, when people used to spend hours going through dozens of blogs to search for the appropriate keywords for their blogs, nowadays, there are several tools you can depend on to get the job done. Some are free, while others come at a cost. 

For a vast majority of these tools, once you sign up, all you need to do is copy the competitor’s URL and allow the tool to do the rest. You’ll get to learn the keywords your competitors use and which ones are doing well. The next step is to come up with informative content. 

Identify Old Posts and Update Them

People dislike out-of-date posts. Updating your blog will not only benefit you as a writer but also your audience. Your audience will be eager to read an updated post from the one they read months or years ago. This will drive traffic to your blog. 

Updating existing posts is different from writing new ones from scratch. Having a good idea and having content that you can repost is very beneficial. This helps you to create content in far less time. 

Don’t only concentrate on content, though. Have a look at the URL. For instance, if you wrote a post about new year resolutions for 2019, now it’s 2020, think of extra resolutions that you can add to your post and update it to 2020. Once you write more resolutions, your post will be ready. 

Note that your URL should not be too wordy; otherwise, it may negatively impact your search engine ranking. Try as much as you can to shorten your URL. Also, your URL shouldn’t contain the exclusive headline. Instead, it should include keywords, and this can improve your ranking. 

Updating your old blog posts is one of the first steps to driving traffic and leads in your blog, improving your ranking on Google. 

Keywords help the readers to know what to expect when reading a particular blog. 

Secure Your Blog with HTTPS

Security is an essential component when it comes to search engine ranking. We all believe that our blogs are very secure, but that is always not the case. Security has been a challenge even to the world’s biggest companies as we heard reports of hackers finding their way into those companies. 

Like any other search engine, Google considers the site’s security when determining where the blog will rank. Authoritative sites typically rank high in Google when compared to non-authoritative sites whose security is questionable. One of Google’s objectives is to protect users from malicious websites that can infect their devices with malware.

Google, as a reputable search engine, is determined to maintain its reputation. No doubt, authoritative sites rank high on Google. What can you do to make your site rank high on Google? The solution is to use HTTPS instead of HTTP. 

According to studies, sites secured with HTTPS rank high on Google than HTTP sites. HTTPS offers advanced security with an extra layer of encryption. Even if Google opts against favoring HTTPS, you’ll have the advantage of further securing your website. 

Get Mobile

Technology has eased the way we talk, share, and obtain information. A sizeable percentage of the world population owns a smartphone. This means they rely on their device to learn new concepts online besides communicating and sharing ideas. Smartphones are portable, and most people prefer them over laptops when it comes to visiting websites. Getting mobile is a good idea because more of your customers will be able to check out your site on their smartphone, tablet, etc. 

Every site that loads on a PC will also load up on a smartphone, though it may have a different look. Unless the site is optimized for mobile viewing, users won’t be able to navigate the website. 

Optimizing your site is highly recommended because more of your target audience will be able to access your site via their smartphone. Users won’t see your precise images, menus, and texts found on your website. 

Sites optimized for mobile viewing usually are much friendlier to users. Besides this, your site will rank high on Google. 

If you haven’t optimized your site for mobile viewing, then this is the time. Otherwise, you’re dwindling your chances of ranking high on Google and even missing out on many prospective customers who won’t see your site. A mobile-friendly website is a way to go. 

Double-Check Your Site Speed

Site speed is a critical factor that influences search engine ranking. It’s worth noting that this doesn’t only depend on a user’s internet speed. Your blog has its speed. Customers are usually impressed with sites that load faster and not vice-versa. If your site time minutes to load, then most of your customers will migrate to a site that loads faster. 

Google does not rank slow sites on its front page. Google does this to preserve its reputation. Google earns trust by ranking speedy sites on its front page; otherwise, it would lose its good reputation. 

Most people rush to conclusions that their sites are slow or fast without initiating a speed test. There are unlimited websites out there that can help to determine your site speed at no cost. 

If you discover your site speed is below par, then advance it. Here are some things you can do to better your site speed. 

• Discard plugins. Plugins are only used for some time. If your plugin is out of date, delete it. 
• Change hosts: You can switch to a faster website host if you feel the one you’re using is slow. 
• Shrink your photos. Nonetheless, optimize them to avoid diminishing quality. A blog that has countless pictures is likely to be slow. Pictures generally soar a site loading time.

By embracing the aforementioned tips, your site will rank on the front page of Google. However, note that besides these, there are many other elements that you can incorporate on your blog to improve your prospects of ranking on the first pages of Google.