Read Level: Beginner

SEO Search Engine Optimization is the skill needed to get to page 1 of search engines. Simple, not really. Anyone who tells you there is an easy way to rank your website to page one is lying. The standard joke in SEO is, where do you bury the body? It is on page 3 of Google search. Over 90 percent of searchers never leave page 1. Only 6 percent use page 2 or 3. So obviously you need to be on page 1. There are many factors to getting to page one.

Ashmith is a Fresno SEO expert. Even the agencies come to me to get their SEO projects, and Web Design experience and certification. I am now available to you at a fraction of the cost of an agency.

What you need to get to Page 1:

Quality Content
The most important thing is Relevant Quality Content. If your page is not about what they are searching for then they will never find it. If you are knowledgeable and well-spoken people will not only link more often but they will react better to your request. We can help with content if you are looking.

Length Of Content
While the quality of the content is the most important, the length is next. Research has been done on content length and ranking in the top ten spots of organic rankings. For major search subjects that are highly competitive, it has been found that the web pages have over a 2000 word count. But it is not just the length that is important, you must know your subject. This helps in all areas, not just rankings. It also helps with click-throughs and ROI (return on investments). It helps close the deal. There is also a side benefit that it can lower the cost of PPC (pay per click) advertising.

High-Quality Backlinks
Backlinks are still important to SEO rankings but they are tricky. With the latest search algorithms, like Penguin, poor quality backlinks not only are ignored they can even be penalized. So the days of using backlink sites to push your ranking up are gone. They are looking for links from authoritative sites and from people reposting your content on social media. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media is a great influencer in your ranking. We know how to earn you top quality backlinks.

Mobile Optimization
Making your website mobile friendly is more important than ever. Google started as of 2016 ranking mobile sites before desktop sites. This means that you need to design the site first for mobile and then for desktops. This use to be the other way around. Well over 50% of all searches are now from mobile devices. Ashmith.com is a custom web designer who specializes in mobile design and optimization.

Page Speed
Where you host your website is more important than ever. Not only do you have to design the website to be fast but to sell. The days of waiting for pages to take minutes to load are no longer acceptable. People will leave a page taking over 5 seconds to load most of the time. The search engines do understand this and penalize a site that has a lot of people leaving the site even before it loads. Some of this is who you host your site with. The rest is how you design the page.

Local Optimization
Make the site visible to the search engines. Set up a Schema that makes all your business information easy to find. People do not wish to deal with companies that do not have contact numbers or addresses. There are so many bad sites out there that one would really have to be desperate to deal with one. So make it easy to find your contact information on your site.

Domain Name
A good domain name is still very effective. If you can put not only your location but your product in the name it pulls matches in searches much easier. For example, a fake name like JKMInc.com tells people nothing about your company. They will not click it unless it is a big brand. Now, something like FresnoAutoInsurance.com will pull great on the search engines. Consider the site name carefully, catchy names work.

HTTPS
With all the phishing and fake sites out there, you must use HTTPS encryption for your site. It gives people a feeling of safety. Think about your own experience and who you trust online. HTTPS is a little expensive, here is how to get HTTPS for free.

Analytics
Not what most people consider to be part of the ranking process, but so necessary. Anyone truly wanting to get to page one, or even the number 1 spot, analyzes their visitor data. If you do not set up analytics you are doing nothing but guessing. Analytics will tell how long they stayed on your site as well as why they left your site, Analytics can track where they went to your site. This combined with PPC advertising will allow you to lower your advertising cost and get a better ROI. Ashmith.com is Google Analytics Certified.
 

Designing the User Interface and User Experience
This is really the purpose of great web design, knowing where to put things and how to make the site work for people. Get rid of the visual interference and guide them into the sales funnel. This is what guides them through your pages so they become your customer. This is truly the most complicated area. There are some set points to be established to get a serviceable page but UI/UX is really about testing.

Summary
As you can see there truly is a lot of factors that affect your rankings on Google and other search engines. You may take months or years to learn how to do this yourself. If you do my respect is given. Or you can find someone who knows how to accomplish what you want. Surprisingly, it is not always the big name advertising companies. Many of them hire skilled freelancers to accomplish these goals. But many times they do not always know what goals to accomplish. I am an experienced web designer and search engine optimization expert used by many of the big names. These services are now available to you, at an individual level direct to you.