03 Jan 3 Steps to Better Search Engine Rankings

3 Steps to Better Search Engine Rankings
Olympians have gold medals. Football players have the Lombardi Trophy. Hockey players have the Stanley Cup. Online marketers have the front page of Google. It’s our Holy Grail. It’s our national championship. It’s what separates the successful from the…well not so successful. Ranking on the first page of any search engine whether it be Google, Yahoo!, or Bing, is important. Really important. In fact, a recent study by Chitika found that 94% of users clicked on a listing on the first page of Google while the second page received a measly 6% of user activity. So the question naturally becomes how do you get on that illusive first page? If you are after the gold in online marketing, there are three easy steps that will get you to the winner’s circle.
Step 1: Create Amazing Content 
You’ve heard it before…and perhaps you are growing a little tired of hearing it…but the fact remains, content is king. Every search algorithm update, from panda to hummingbird, is predicated on one simple thing: improving user experience; and search engines know that quality content is the key component to accomplishing just that. So, if you want to increase your chances of getting on the first page, you need to make sure you are creating amazing content. But what exactly constitutes amazing content? Great content always keeps the needs of the reader in mind. It is informative, engaging, and interesting, while being chock-full of useful advice and quality entertainment. It is also unique. Plagiarizing content will hurt you in many ways, including your search engine rankings. So make sure to write unique and amazing content for online marketing gold.
Step 2: Create Quality Back Links
Search engines love promoting content from people that are authorities in their niche. One key factor that demonstrates authority is quality back links. When different websites link back to yours, search engines start to believe that others consider you an authority, leading them to do the same. So the more people that link back to your site, the more your search engine rankings will improve. If you are wondering how to get others to link back to your website, don’t worry…I’ve got you covered. Here are a few easy ways to get quality links back to your site:
Create Amazing Content– I know we’ve said this before, but again, it really is important. If you create great content, you will get great back links, and you will get great search engine rankings.
Guest Post on Authority Blogs– Have you heard the expression, “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch my back”? Well guest blogging is a perfect way to get an amazing back scratch for both parties involved. You see, great content is not always easy to produce. It takes a great deal of time and energy. So authority blogs are always willing to allow others to create fantastic content for them. It makes their lives easier and keeps their readers happy. So contact an authority blog and ask to guest post. At the end of your article, include a brief bio that links back to your website. Also make sure to sprinkle links to other articles you have written throughout your guest post.
Participate in Blog discussions– Almost every blog that matters has a comments portion. Make sure to comment on great articles and help develop a great discussion. Make sure to include links back to your website in your comments.
Get Social– We are all aware of the power of social media. So use it. Share all your content on different social media platforms. These are powerful back links that the search engines just love.
Step 3: Utilize Niche Specific Keyword Phrases
Keywords are important. Not as important as creating quality content, but still, they are important. Proper keyword utilization ensures that your content gets in front of the correct audience. So sprinkle keywords throughout your articles. Put them in the title, on images, and even on videos. Just remember that there is a point of saturation, where too many keywords can actually hurt you. Use keywords organically.
So the moral of the story is if you create amazing content, build quality back links, and utilize niche specific keywords, you will boost your search engine rankings and earn that online marketing gold. Enjoy the first page!