How to write a blog post that ends up on Google’s first page (and stays there)

How would you feel if you wrote a blog post that ended on the first page of Google? Nothing prepares you for the feeling, and as a writer, it is a really big moment. I have done it a couple of times. I wrote a blog for a cleaning company a few weeks back and it ended up on Google’s first page, but that is not all; it was actually ranked as the number 1 content for the main keyword in that industry on Google, and it stayed that way all week long.

In this article, I will share with you 6 proven tips that will get your content skyrocketing to the top of Google in no time.?

Why should you struggle to be on Google’s first page?

What is the hassle even about? Why should you struggle to get to the first page of Google? Well, asides from the obvious reason of first things always getting preferential treatment, everyone knows that traffic and click-through rate drops drastically as we go further down the pages.

Let’s use you for instance, when was the last time you checked the 2nd page of Google? Okay, let’s say that was recent, how about the 3rd, or 4th? I’m certain you cannot remember, you probably have never done that. It’s the same with everyone, the higher you are, the more your chances of being found.?

Getting on Google’s first page means;

• More exposure for you: Your products or services will have more eyes on them when they are on the first page of Google. You could even get featured in a featured snippet, which means more credibility and more visibility for you.

• Top traffic share: According to a study on Google, top results on Google get 33% of search traffic. This is a lot and will have positive effects on your business.

• Increased intentional leads: If you are trending on the first page, chances are you are going to land new clients. First, there is a high chance that people searching for keywords like that are ready to buy. If you are on top, they will most likely see you as credible and be converted from visitors to customers.?

• Increased industry authority: Landing on Google’s first page means that you are putting in the work to create high-quality content that satisfies the needs of searchers. This automatically places you in a place of authority in your industry.?

How can you get to Google’s first page?

Fortunately, there are more than one ways to get to the first page of Google. You can get there by;

• A Google My Business (GMB) account
• Blog posts
• Website page
• Snippets of your website content
• A landing page

How to get on Google’s first page

Okay, so let’s delve into the steps you can take to get on the first page of Google.?

1. Choose your keywords:

First, you need to choose your keywords carefully. What keywords would you want to rank for? Think about this carefully and outline them. Basically, your keywords are the search terms that your audience is likely to input into Google when searching for your products or services.?

For instance, if you sell YSL bags in the UK, your keywords can be;

• YSL bags in the UK
• Bags in the UK
• UK bags
• London bestselling bags
• Where to find quality YSL bags in the UK

There are some free keyword tools that you can use to make this task easier for you like; Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush, Ahrefs, and Google Trends.

2. Tell Google what keywords you are using

Now that you have chosen the keywords to use, the next step is to share this with Google. Google crawls the web, fishes out keywords, and arranges websites according to their performance then stores this arrangement in an index. When users search, Google then presents this index to them in a more orderly manner.?

The goal is to ensure that Google already has your page indexed for relevant keywords and to do this, you need to make it easy for Google to crawl, find, and index your page.

How?

• Meta title: Place your keywords in the title that appears at the top of your page in the form of a header.?
• Meta description: This is the brief blurb that shows up underneath the title on Google. This tells the reader (and Google) what your page is about. Insert your keywords here.
• ?URL: This is a link to your page. It consists of the domain name, a forward slash, and texts explaining what the page is about. Including keywords in your URL helps Google identify your page.
• Alt tags: Google will only see images on your page when there is an alt tag on them. Including keywords in your alt tag will improve your page’s relevance.

3. Write for humans:?

While you are trying to get Google to recognize your page and index it, remember that the AIs would not read your page, humans will. So, ensure that your page is optimized for easy reading by humans. Include keywords generously in the body of your page as this is a certain way to rank, but do not overuse keywords, and do not write them in a way that does not make any sense. Make sure that your sentences transition into an easy flow.?

You need to make sure that the content you are giving Google is trustworthy, reliable, and educative. Use links and images to further buttress your point and make sure you write in a conversational tone. Ensure that you actually deliver the information that the readers were searching for when they clicked on your page. The longer you are able to retain readers on your site, the higher the relevance of your site, thus leading to better Google ranking.

4. Target location-based queries:

This is another fast way to get to the top. Sometimes, users are very specific with their search, and if you have included location keywords in your page, then you stand a better chance of ranking.?

For instance, if someone searches for; where to find an emergency plumber near me, and their location is turned on and they are in San Diego, If you have included the keyword; “Emergency plumber in San Diego”, Google will likely suggest your page to the searcher. Even when the user does not include a location, Google can use their IP address and if it matches the location in your keyword, you will still rank for that keyword.?

5. Link building:

Link building is a way to network on your page. Use the advantage of internal and external links on your page to direct readers to other pages on your website, and to other more established brands in your industry. What this does is that the credibility that those big pages already have has begun to rub off on your brand.?

6. Update your information:

It is one thing to get to the top of Google, and another thing to stay there. People are constantly working to take the first page, and if you do not keep the information on your page updated, Google will prioritize other pages that are more informed and put them ahead of yours.?

Conclusion

Getting to the top of Google is very doable. Once you apply these principles even as a small business owner, you can make it to that top spot.?