A website is an absolute must for any business today. This is especially true since we live in a world where everything is going digital. However, getting Google to notice your website is a whole different matter and it’s not always easy. In this article, we’re going to discuss 15 methods you can employ to help increase your visibility on Google. If done correctly, you will attract new visitors, which, in turn, means that you’ll grow your business.
How to Get Your Website on Google
First off, you need to ensure that your website can actually show up on Google. You can do this by confirming that Google can index your site. This process will vary depending on your website builder or CMS. While the processes vary, most of them make it painfully clear if your site is not set to index.
However, even if Google is indexing your site, you might find a page that it is not indexing. There are a handful of tools out there that will help you identify these pages. My personal favorite is Google Search Console. You can also look directly in your CMS. For instance, in WordPress, using the Yoast plugin, there’s a setting that explicitly asks if you want search engines to show a specific page or post in the SERPs.
Alright, now that we’ve covered the extreme basics, let’s discuss how you can increase your visibility on Google.
How to Increase Your Visibility on Google
In case you weren’t aware, Google is basically the biggest player in the world of getting noticed online. Here’s how you can increase your visibility on Google’s SERPs.
Target Keywords with Your Website
Google does more than just notice solid websites. It notices pages that are relevant and will likely answer user questions.
Writing keyword-relevant advertisements with high-quality scores is one thing. However, you also need to consider your on-page SEO.
You need to make sure each page on your website clearly and effectively targets a specific topic. This means that you need to conduct intense keyword research to identify high-volume and relevant keywords. Once you identify your keywords, you must incorporate them into your page and your meta tags. The more specific and targeted your keywords, the higher the chances that each page has to show up on the first page of Google and get noticed.
Make It Easy for Google to Crawl Your Pages
Google is always crawling the web and looking to add new content to its index. Furthermore, Google is always updating the pages it has already crawled. With this in mind, the easier you make it for Google to navigate your website and learn what it needs to learn, the faster it can index your content and serve it up to users. This means that you do the following:
- Insert keywords related to your target topics in the meta title, URL, meta description, and image tags of your pages.
- Develop a strong internal linking structure for your website so that Google can crawl your site more easily.
- Conducting a technical SEO audit to ensure that there are no indexation holes throughout your site.
Build More Website Pages to Increase Your Visibility on Google
If you haven’t started a blog yet, you really should. A blog is without question the best way to increase your organic reach. Every blog post is a chance to catch Google’s attention and rank for a more diverse set of keywords.
However, do make the mistake of starting a blog purely for the extra pages. Google ranks blog posts because they offer visitors helpful information or advice. If your blog is a trusted resource that increases the value you bring to the table, it will most certainly help your website get noticed by people searching for information on Google.
Add Your Website to Online Directories
Do you want to get your website noticed in places other than Google? If so, there are tons of online channels where you can create profiles and add your website. The more places you list your business and add your website, the better your chances are of getting noticed. Here are a few popular places where you can list your website:
- Yelp
- Google Business Profile
- Local.com
- Manta
- YellowPages.com
- CitySearch
- Metromix
- Kudzu
- City-Data
- Angieslist
- BBB.org
- Foursquare
- LocalGuides
Get Verified to Increase Your Visibility on Google
Google constantly crawls the web and discovers website pages. The rate at which it does so depends on how easy it is to read and categorize the content. Do you want to allow Google to crawl your pages more efficiently? If so, you need to submit your business to Google Maps using Google Business Profile.
Here’s how to make it happen:
- Create a Google Business Profile
- Find your business on Google Maps
- Claim your business on Google Maps
It’s that easy. The final step involves waiting for a verification code in the mail and entering it into the Google Business Profile page.
Once you’ve claimed your business, you will be verified via Google and have the ability to optimize your Google Business Profile listing. The more complete your business listing, the more your business (and website) will start to pick up impressions and clicks (aka getting noticed) on Google.
Use Powerful Titles to Increase Your Visibility on Google
Including keywords in the titles of your website pages will help both Google and users identify them. However, you want to get noticed, not just identified. In order to get noticed, you need to create powerful titles. You need to stand out. However, don’t overpromise anything or overdo it!
Remember, you want to produce clear and captivating headlines without coming across as desperate. Here are 88 examples that should help get you started!
Reach Out to Websites and Blogs that Google Has Already Noticed
Keep an eye out for bloggers and influencers in your niche who already have a large following. Once you connect with these industry leaders, you can:
- Invite them to guest blog on your site. They will promote the post to their audience, which will help draw some attention to your website from a whole new set of prospects.
- Ask for them to feature you in one of their round-ups, reviews, or social media posts with a link to your website.
- Offer to write a guest post on their blog with a link to your website in the post in the author bio.
No matter which route you take, make sure to reciprocate or offer something of equal value in exchange. Seek out partnerships and collaborations that are symbiotic, in which both parties help the other reach a broader audience.
Write Quality Content to Increase Your Visibility on Google
Including keywords and properly placing those keywords throughout your content will help Google notice you. However, if you want more people to notice you, you need to rank higher on the SERPs.
The key to ranking higher on Google is quality content. There are no shortcuts. Google considers how long people stay on your site and whether they click around your site before leaving. If you want to write awesome content that people notice, you need to:
- Dive deep into topics and answer the most common questions associated with your keywords.
- Incorporate images, videos, and other media to hold your audience’s attention and increase dwell time.
- Aime to provide an experience via your website, not just answers.
- Monitor load times and optimize for mobile.
- Earn backlinks from other trusted sources on Google.
If you focus on quality rather than ranking, you will actually help your business rank higher on Google and get noticed by more people.
Use Compelling Images to Increase Your Visibility on Google
People search Google images way more than you think. If you include high-quality photos of your products or services, make sure they’re optimized to rank in an image search by doing the following:
- Select an appropriate file name
- Keep the file size small to reduce load time
- Add captions
- Use alt text and title text
- Include images in your XML sitemaps
Run Google Ads to Increase Your Visibility on Google
Paid search ads require a financial investment. With that in mind, Google Ads can seriously increase your online exposure.
While GoogleAds do cost money, they also convert well across the board. Advertising on Google is a great way to get your brand to the top of the SERPs. If you don’t reach the top of the SERPs, you’ll likely get a lot more coverage.
Other Ways to Increase Your Visibility on Google
Provide Review-Worthy Services
Most directories allow users to sort the results based on the number of positive reviews. This means that the quantity and quality of your reviews are of the utmost importance.
In short, the more reviews you have and the better they are, the higher the chance is that a user will click on your listing.
To get more reviews on Google and other platforms, make sure you:
- Provide superb service to your current and potential customers. Value each individual, be sincere and transparent and work to quickly resolve any issues. If you do all of that, then you’re primed to acquire positive reviews
- Ask! Don’t hesitate for a second to ask satisfied customers for a five-star review. Most of the time, they’ll be happy to do so (just so long as you make it easy for them). If you’re feeling hesitant, start with a few loyal customers first.
- Once you acquire reviews, respond to them regardless of whether they’re positive or negative.
Better reviews will rank you higher on Google and directory searches. This helps those who matter notice your business!
Post to Social Media to Increase Your Visibility on Google
One of the easiest and most cost-efficient ways to increase your visibility on Google is to actively post to your business’s social media accounts.
You don’t have to promote your business every time. However, it’s a good idea to aim to promote your business about 20% of the time. The rest of your content should include informational content and other content you find interesting.
Make sure you stay actively engaged on social media to get your posts to stand out. You can:
- Ask questions that spark conversations
- Answer questions asked by your followers (bonus points for humor here!)
- Join LinkedIn and Facebook groups
- Use popular or custom hashtags
- Direct people who have asked questions via social media to your site for answers
It’s also worth mentioning that your social media profiles and posts can sometimes make their way onto the first page of Google!
Shareability = Noticeability
Instead of just your social media followers, why not get your followers’ followers to notice your website too? Use intriguing images, captivating captions, and relevant topics to maximize the appeal of your content. If you link to a brand you like in one of your posts, make sure to let that brand know on social media or via email.
Doing so can create a snowball effect of reposts and help you cast an even wider digital net.
Use Local Media to Increase Your Visibility on Google
Plenty of local media outlets will mention you in their publications for free or for a reasonable fee. If you’re willing to sell out some billboard dollars, try some out-of-home advertising.
You can reach out to local newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and news channels with an interesting story about your organization or an upcoming event and direct traffic to your website for additional information. Placing ads in newspapers and local publications will also help reel in some newcomers to your site.
Capture Small Opportunities to Get Noticed
In short, promote your website anywhere you can! Include it in your email signature, promotional flyers, invoices, and receipts. You may even want to add a decal to your car. The more eyes you get on your URL, the more people you’ll see visiting your website.
Increase Your Visibility on Google (and elsewhere) Today
Do you want Google to notice your website today? Do you want to rank higher, earn more spots on Google’s first page, drive more quality traffic to your site, and generate more leads? Then you really should give the strategies we covered above an honest try!
