It’s no secret that SEO is a pillar of digital marketing. After all, if your website isn’t ranking high on search engine results pages (SERPs), you’re missing out on potential customers and sales. For B2Bs, the SEO landscape is even more competitive than most e-commerce businesses.
There are usually fewer B2Bs than e-commerce businesses in any given industry, which means that the top SEO spots are much more valuable. This means that the SEO landscape will shift and develop rapidly as voice search and mobile devices become more widespread.
So, if you’re not keeping up with the latest trends, you’ll likely fall behind your rivals, no matter your industry. Even though there are over 200 ranking factors, some are more important than others. Here are six that you should be focusing on:
Factor #1: Content
This should come as no surprise. After all, content is one of the most important ranking factors for SEO. The reason is simple: your website will struggle to rank high on SERPs without quality content. For your content to be considered “quality,” it needs to be informative, well-written, and relevant to your target audience.
It also needs to be unique; if you’re simply regurgitating information already there, Google will likely penalize your website. To ensure that your content is high-quality, focus on creating long-form blog posts and articles (over 1,000 words). This will give you more space to include relevant keywords and show Google that you’re an authority on the subject matter.
Factor #2: Mobile-friendliness
With the rise of mobile devices, it’s more important than ever to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly. Google now uses what’s known as “mobile-first indexing,” which means that the search engine crawlers primarily assess the mobile version of your website when determining your ranking.
To make sure your website is mobile-friendly, start by using responsive design. This ensures that your website will automatically adjust to fit any screen size. You should also use large font sizes and buttons and plenty of white space to make your website easy to navigate on a small screen.
Factor #3: Page Speed
Page speed is another ranking factor that’s becoming increasingly important, especially with the rise of mobile devices. After all, no one wants to wait around for a slow website to load, regardless of what device they’re using.
To improve your page speed, start by compressing your images by at least 70% because this will reduce their file size without affecting their quality. You should also minify any CSS and JavaScript files, and cache your website if possible.
Factor #4: HTTPS Security
HTTPS security is another ranking factor becoming increasingly important, so much so that Google has made HTTPS a “ranking signal” for SEO. Since HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP, it encrypts the data sent between your website and the user’s browser. This ensures that sensitive information (like credit card numbers) can’t be intercepted and stolen.
To switch to HTTPS, you’ll need to get an SSL certificate for your website. Once you have the certificate, you can then have it installed it on your server and make the switch. Of course, this process can be a bit technical, so you may need to hire a developer to help you out. Sievers Creative provides this certificate on all the sites we host at no cost.
Factor #5: Backlinks
Backlinks are one of the most important ranking factors for SEO. A backlink is simply a link from another website to yours, but they are essential because they act as “votes” for your website. The more backlinks you have, the more popular your website is in the eyes of Google.
To get backlinks, you can start by guest blogging on other websites in your industry. You can also reach out to influencers and ask them to mention your website in their blog posts or social media posts. But never resort to buying links and other black-hat SEO strategies, as this will only get you penalized by Google.
Factor #6: User Experience
According to Google, user experience is one of the indicators they consider when determining ranks. Many factors contribute to a good user experience, but critical ones include website design, navigation, and content.
To improve your website’s user experience, start by ensuring that your design is clean and easy to navigate. You should also make sure that your content is well-written and relevant to your target audience; otherwise, they will likely leave your website without taking any action.
SEO is a complex process that involves a multitude of ranking factors. While it’s impossible to optimize for all of them, focusing on these six factors will help you improve your website’s ranking.
If you don’t know where to begin, consider working with the experts at Sievers Creative. Sievers Creative is a digital marketing agency that specializes in SEO. We can help you improve your website’s ranking by optimizing your content, website design, and user experience. Contact us today for a free consultation and learn more about our services.
