You’ve heeded the advice that a good business needs a good website, and have invested in a shiny new site complete with all the necessary pages. It’s linked to your social media and you’re very proud of the new branding and how it speaks to your business values and mission. But where does your website stand in the mountain of search results towering around you? At this point, you may ask “Where does my website rank on Google?” and scratch your head.
Luckily, we’re here to answer just that. This blog post will guide you through the topic of Google rankings, why they matter, how to check them, and what steps to take next.
Contents:
What are Google rankings?
Google rankings determine where your website appears in the search engine results pages (SERPs). When someone types a query into Google, the search engine uses complex algorithms to decide which websites appear first based on a cocktail of factors. Higher rankings mean more visibility, more clicks, and ultimately, more business.
Why Google rankings matter for small businesses
For small businesses, being visible on Google is crucial. Imagine your website as your digital shop front and its appearance on the search engine results page as the sign across the street pointing towards it. Without high Google rankings, your site might as well be invisible. High rankings can bring in more organic traffic, boost brand awareness, and increase your chances of converting visitors into customers.
4 ways to check your Google rankings
You might be tempted to simply Google your products or services to see where you rank, but you wouldn’t ‘bee-lieve’ how misleading that can be! Even in incognito mode, Google tailors results based on your search history and location, so you’ll be getting a biased look. To get an accurate picture, use tools like the following.
1) Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that gives you detailed insights into how your site performs in search results. We use it extensively. To have a go yourself:
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- Set up: First, you’ll need to verify your website by adding a meta tag to your site’s HTML or uploading a verification file.
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- Analyse the data: Once verified, you can view which queries bring traffic to your site, see your average position in SERPs, and identify any indexing issues.
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- Fix any issues: Use the data to fix errors and optimise your site accordingly.
2) SEMrush
SEMrush is a comprehensive SEO tool that shows your rankings for various keywords, and here at WebHummel, it’s another one of our favourites. Here’s how to use it:
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- Sign up: Create an account and enter your domain.
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- Keyword tracking: Set up a project and add the keywords you want to track.
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- View rankings: SEMrush will show your site’s position for each keyword and provide insights into how your rankings change over time.
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- Competitor analysis: Compare your rankings with competitors to find opportunities for improvement.
3) Ahrefs
Ahrefs is another powerful tool for tracking keyword rankings and overall SEO performance. To get started:
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- Sign up: Create an Ahrefs account and add your website.
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- Keyword explorer: Use the Keyword Explorer tool to see where you rank for specific keywords.
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- Site audit: Run a site audit to identify SEO issues and opportunities for improvement.
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- Backlink analysis: Use the backlink analysis feature to see which sites are linking to your competitors but not to you.
4) Google My Business
We’ve covered several tools for tracking your website ranking for specific keywords, but what about local ones? This is where Google My Business kicks in – this useful feature is a separate entity from plain old Search that is well worth tracking separately.
In order for your business to show up for relevant searches in your area, you’ll need to claim a Google My Business (GMB) listing and fill out all of the details from a company summary to descriptions of your services. As local searches are primarily based on relevance, distance and prominence, it’s important that you link to your website and provide accurate information for address and contact number. This way you can better answer local searchers’ queries and get the Google algorithm on your side, allowing you to rank more highly.
It records the number of impressions your business has on Maps along with metrics like clicks, directions and calls that come through the listing. All handy stuff!
Interpreting your rankings: High vs low
A high ranking means your website appears near the top of the search results, ideally on the first page. This is prime real estate and can significantly increase your visibility and traffic as few people will scroll past the first page at all. Snag the number one spot, and you’ll be 10 times more likely to receive a click compared to spot ten. Well worth it, in our humble opinion!
If you’re floating around between the 10 and 20 mark, don’t worry. You have a brilliant opportunity to get yourself into the sweet spot. Identify what the top-ranking articles are doing well, how they satisfy their target search query and then write your own post covering things they’ve missed out or not done so well. This is a great strategy for improving your own rankings.
An objectively low ranking (page 3 or lower), however, means your site is buried under your competitors, making it less likely to attract visitors. You don’t want to join the 96.55% of sites that get zero traffic!
Understanding ranking factors
It’s all well and good asking “Where does my website rank on Google?”, but without a proper understanding of the underlying mechanisms of this search giant, we can’t improve them.
The specialists at Google HQ say that there are 5 major factors that help determine which results are returned for search queries, these being:
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- Meaning
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- Relevance
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- Quality
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- Usability
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- Context
Meaning of your query
Google tries to understand the intent behind your search query. It uses language models to match your few words with the most relevant content. This can involve correcting spelling mistakes or understanding synonyms. For instance, if you search “change laptop brightness,” Google knows you mean the same as “adjust laptop brightness.”
Relevance of content
Google analyses whether a page’s content matches your search query. It looks for keywords in the headings and body of the text but also considers whether the page offers more relevant content like images, videos, or additional context related to your query.
Quality of content
The webmasters at Google also prioritise content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Signals like backlinks from other reputable sites can indicate that your content is well-regarded. Google’s algorithms also use feedback from their search quality evaluation process to refine their assessment of content quality.
Usability of web pages
The algorithm favours content that offers a good user experience. This includes factors like mobile-friendliness, fast loading times, and easy navigation. If your site is more accessible and user-friendly, it’s more likely to rank higher.
Context and settings
Google personalises search results based on your location, search history, and settings. For example, if you search for “football” in Boston, you’ll see American football results, but in London, you’ll get Premier League results. This contextual understanding helps Google deliver the most relevant results for each user.
5 steps to improve your Google rankings
So, with these key ranking factors in mind, here are 5 steps you can take to improve where you rank on Google. It’s time to climb the digital rungs!
1) Enhancing your site
Ensure your website is user-friendly and loads quickly. Google favours sites that provide a good user experience. Check for broken links, optimise images, and make sure your site is mobile-friendly.
2) Optimising content
You’ve heard it a million times before – content is king in the world of SEO – and if you haven’t, can we swap brains, please?
Make sure you use relevant keywords naturally throughout your site, especially in H1 titles, alt text for your featured images, headers, and meta descriptions. But remember, don’t ‘bee’ too obvious – keyword stuffing can do more harm than good as we demonstrated in our guide to keyword density.
3) Regular blogging
Keeping a blog and updating it regularly can boost your SEO. Write about topics relevant to your industry and your audience’s interests. This not only helps with rankings but also establishes your authority in your field, so it’s definitely worth the time investment.
4) Promoting your business locally
Local SEO is essential for small businesses. Claim your Google My Business listing, encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews, and make sure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information is consistent across all platforms. Local promotion can give you a nice boost in local search results as well as enhancing foot traffic to your physical location.
5) Republishing content with optimisation
Don’t forget about the content you’ve already published. Updating and optimising existing content can give your site a significant SEO boost. Start by researching new keywords and integrating them naturally into your content. Enhance your posts with additional resources like images, infographics, and videos to make them more engaging and informative.
Evergreen content, which remains relevant over time, is particularly beneficial for this. By regularly refreshing your evergreen content, you ensure it continues to attract traffic and stays high in the rankings. Think of it as giving your content a little boost to keep it fresh and attractive to search engines.
The final verdict: Finding out and improving your ranking
Understanding and improving your Google ranking is essential for the success of your website and business, and the best way to find out your website’s ranking is by using a specialist SEO tool like those we mentioned above.
High rankings lead to increased visibility, more traffic, and greater business opportunities. Key factors like the meaning and relevance of your content, its quality, usability, and context play crucial roles in where you stand on Google.
To improve your rankings, focus on enhancing your site’s user experience, optimising content with relevant keywords, regularly blogging, promoting your business locally, and updating existing content with new keywords and resources. Evergreen content is your long-term ally in maintaining relevance and attracting consistent traffic.
Get yourself at the top of Google – the right way
Understanding where your website ranks on Google and how to improve that ranking can feel overwhelming, but with these steps, you’ll be well on your way to climbing the search results ladder. Remember, SEO is a long-term investment. Regularly audit your website, keep your content fresh, and stay updated with SEO best practices by exploring the rest of our digital marketing blog.
