How To Get Your Website Found Online Using SEO

14 Ways to Make Your Website More Visible Online

Having a website is an absolute necessity in today’s world, especially in a world full of digital marketing. However, getting your website noticed on search engines like Google is another matter, especially since it’s a crowded field.

In this article, we’re diving into our top 14 tips to help you get your website noticed on search. We’ll cover how to target your website pages for keywords, structure your web pages for Google Search, and much more.

How to get your website on Google

The first step is making sure your website can show up on Google. If you don’t know how to do this, there are several resources out there that can explain what needs to happen. And once you’ve done that, here are some ways to check whether your site is showing up correctly on Google.

Google Search Console can diagnose indexing errors. Here you’ll see a list of URLs that aren’t showing up correctly. These could be broken links, missing images, or anything else that prevents Googlebot from crawling your site. Fixing any issues in this section will improve your chances of getting indexed.

You can use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tools to test whether your data validates correctly. Just enter one of your URLs into the tool and verify that everything looks correct. If something isn’t working, you’ll see why. Once you’ve confirmed that your data is valid, you can submit it to Google via the Rich Results Previewer. This lets you preview your rich results without waiting for Google to crawl your site.

If you still have trouble crawling your site, you can try submitting your URL directly to Google. First, enter your domain name, followed by /site_id/, where “site_id” is replaced by either your sitename.com or www.sitename.com. Click Submit URL, and Google will take over.

Target keywords with your website

Google doesn’t just notice good websites. It detects relevant webpage pages that are best suited to specific searches. You see, there are many ways to rank well on Google. And some of them involve writing keyword-rich ad copy that appeals to searchers. However, ensuring every site page is optimized for the targeted keywords would be best. This includes internal linking, meta descriptions, and even your page headers.

Submit your site to Google

If you want to make sure your website gets indexed quickly by Google, you must submit it to Google. 

The easiest way to do this is to use the free Google Webmaster Tools account. Enter the URL of your site into the text box, select the type of site you are creating (e.g., blog), and hit the Submit button. If you don’t already have one, sign up for a free Google Webmaster Tools Account.

Manage your meta tags

Meta tags are an essential part of SEO. They’re the little pieces of text that appear in search results to give users previews of the content. Think of them like a movie trailer—they tell people what they might find inside.

The best way to use meta tags is to fill them out completely. Your site won’t rank high for those terms if you don’t include enough keywords. And if you do put too many words into the descriptions, your site could end up cluttered and confusing.

For example, let’s say you run a blog about fashion. You want to write a post called “What Not To Wear.” Your metadata looks something like this:

Title: What Not To Wear

Description: A list of things you shouldn’t wear.

But if you try to cram too much information into the description, your readers will miss some key points. So instead, break down your topic into smaller chunks. For instance, here’s how you might describe the same article:

Title: What Women Shouldn’t Wear

Optimize for mobile

Mobile Internet usage is growing quickly around the world. In 2017, there were 2.5 billion smartphone users, representing 50% of internet use. By 2021, that number is expected to reach 3.4 billion people.

Google recognizes that many users access the web via smartphones, tablets, and even wearable tech like smartwatches. These days, most people start searching on their phone, tablet, or watch and then move to desktop computers later. This behavior change challenges sites that don’t optimize for mobile viewing.

When someone searches for something on Google, they’re looking for information, which often needs to be found quickly. As such, Google’s algorithm favors sites that provide fast loading speeds because showing users what they want faster makes sense.

For example, let’s say you’re trying to find a restaurant nearby. If you type “restaurant near me,” you probably already know where you want to eat. You might even have a specific place — maybe a favorite local spot serving excellent food. But the problem is, that restaurant could be miles away, and it wouldn’t matter if it took 10 minutes to load.

Instead, you’d much rather see a list of restaurants in your area and pick the one closest to you. So Google uses location data to determine whether a particular restaurant is relevant to the search term. When it finds a match, it ranks the restaurant based on factors like price, reviews, and distance.

This process happens every single time you perform a search, no matter what device you’re using. However, since most people aren’t savvy enough to manually enter their location into a search bar, Google assumes that everyone is located within a certain radius of their physical address.

That’s why we recommend optimizing your site for mobile. Not only will this help you rank better for queries like “restaurants near me,” but it’ll ensure that your visitors have a pleasant experience while navigating your site.

Here is a more in-depth article for tips on mobile-friendly websites.

Make it easy for Google to crawl your pages

Google is constantly crawling the web. It adds new pages to its index daily and updates its profile of existing pages every few months. But how does Google decide whether to include a particular page in its index? Does Google look at the number of words on a page? Or does Google consider things like the language used, the type of images on a page, and the internal structure of a page? How do you know if Google is indexing your pages?

The answer lies in the way Google crawls your website. There are three main components to this process:

1. Keywords – A keyword is a word or phrase people use to find information online. When someone types a search term into Google, Google looks through all the pages that match that search term. If Google finds enough pages matching a specific search term, it assumes that those pages contain relevant information about the subject matter of that search term.

2. Links – Links are important because they tell Google where else on the web a particular page exists. 

3. Sitemaps – submitting your sitemap in Google webmaster tools will help get your website index. This is a place you can directly check to see if your site is on the search engine or if it’s not.

Add your website to online directories

Do you want to ensure people see your website when searching for your products or services? Then, you might consider adding your site to some of the most popular online directory sites. These include Google My Business, Angie’s List, Citysearch, Yellow Pages, and others.

When someone performs a search on one of those sites, your business gets added to the list. So, for example, if someone searches for vinyl siding in Rhode Island, your business appears near the bottom of the results.

While there are many benefits to having a presence on these sites, including increased traffic and better rankings, there are also drawbacks. First, you must pay to maintain listings on each site. Second, if you don’t actively market your business, you could lose out on potential customers because no one knows about your business.

Use compelling titles

The title of your web page is one of the most critical factors in determining whether someone will read your site. When creating a title, consider what makes your content unique and memorable. Is there something special about your product or service? Can you make people laugh? Or cry? If you ask yourself these questions, you’ll develop some great ideas.

If you’re writing a blog post, try thinking like a reader. What are they looking for? Then, how can you use that information to write a catchy title that will draw readers in?

Reach out to websites and blogs that Google has already noticed

When you think about it, thousands upon thousands of blogs are published daily. So what makes yours stand out? How can you reach people who might be interested in what you have to offer?

You don’t want to waste your limited time and resources reaching out to sites that aren’t relevant to your niche. Instead, focus on building relationships with bloggers and influencers in your space. This way, you’ll find yourself working with like-minded individuals who will be able to provide you with some great opportunities.

Write quality content

Writing about keywords and adequately placing them on your pages will help them notice you, but if you want more people to see your site, you’ve got to stand out above the rest. You’re competing against hundreds of thousands of sites for every single keyword. This is why it’s essential to make sure your content is high-quality.

Google looks at how long visitors spend on your site and whether or not they are navigating away from your site before they exit. If the visitor stays longer than three seconds, it’s likely a bot. Bots don’t care about your topic; they look for keywords and phrases to use in their automated searches. They aren’t looking for anything specific, so they tend to bounce around a lot.

To write a fantastic blog post, dive deep into topics and provide answers to the most common questions. Make sure your writing style is engaging and interesting. Don’t try to trick Google. Instead, write about what you know, and give unique insights that nobody else offers.

Use compelling images

Google searches more than 2 billion images every day. People are searching Google Images more than anywhere else online except YouTube. So it makes sense that many businesses are taking advantage of this opportunity to promote their brand. But how do you ensure that your product photos rank well in Google Image Search? Here are some tips to help you optimize your images:

Choose an appropriate file name.

If you want your photo to appear in Google Image Search, ensure the filename includes keywords related to what you sell. For example, if you run a dental practice, use words like “dental,” “tooth,” “fillings,” etc. This helps Google understand what your photo is about and gives searchers an idea of whether or not it matches their needs.

Keep the file size small to decrease loading times.

The smaller the file size, the faster your image loads. And the less likely someone will bounce off your site because your page takes too long to load. Try resizing your photos without losing quality to keep your file size down. You can often resize photos in Photoshop without losing quality. Also, don’t forget to compress your images once you’ve uploaded them to your server. Compressing images reduces their size while maintaining their original quality.

Add captions

Captions give Google additional information about your photos. They include things like the location where the picture was taken, the type of equipment used, and the names of the people pictured. Captions are essential to rank highly for queries such as “best dentist.”

Post to social media

One of the easiest ways to get your brand noticed online is to actively post to social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. While there are many different types of posts we could discuss here, one thing is true: you shouldn’t just post anything and everything.

You don’t have to promote yourself every time you post something either. Focusing on creating quality content people want to read is much better. So what does “quality” mean? Here are some guidelines to help you figure it out:

1. Write for humans – Don’t write like you’re talking to a robot. When writing for human beings, always remember that you’re speaking to real people who care about things that interest you. If you’re passionate about a topic, chances are others are too.

2. Be helpful – People love getting free advice. They’ll appreciate articles that offer tips and tricks, answer questions, or deliver information that helps them solve problems.

3. Focus on practical – Your audience doesn’t want to hear about your latest product launch or your favorite vacation spot. Instead, they want to learn something new, see pictures of places they haven’t been to, and find inspiration.

4. Keep it short – Most readers won’t spend more than five minutes reading a piece of content unless it’s truly exceptional. So make sure each article you publish meets that standard.

5. Engage – Social media platforms reward those who interact with their followers. If you comment on someone else’s blog, send them a personal email, or ask questions, you’ll gain attention and increase your visibility.

Check out some of social media content here.

Shareability = noticeability

The goal of every online marketing strategy is to increase your visibility—and reach out to people who are interested in what you do. But how do you go about doing that? Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter provide great opportunities to spread the word about your brand, products, and services. However, achieving real success takes more than posting once or twice weekly. You need to post consistently over a long period. And it would help if you used your social media channels effectively because there are many ways to optimize your content for maximum exposure.

Here are some tips to help you gain attention for your brand across multiple social networks:

1. Know Your Audience

You don’t want to post something that no one cares about. Before hitting “post,” consider whom you’re trying to attract. What type of audience does your product or service cater to? Is your target market male or female, young or old, tech-savvy or not? Think about where your customers hang out online and try to find similar audiences.

2. Be Consistent

To build trust with your audience, you’ll need to post consistently. Don’t wait three months between posts; keep up a steady stream of quality content. Posting regularly increases the likelihood that your audience will see your messages.

Use local media

Local media is one of the most effective ways to reach people in your area. Local media includes TV, radio, print, online, and mobile sources. You might even consider reaching out to local businesses, such as restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc., to see if they are interested in having your ad placed in front of potential customers.

Seize small opportunities to get noticed

Promotion is one of those things that most businesses overlook. They think that once their website goes live, everything else is done. But advertising is just as important as building a great product or creating fantastic customer experiences.

You might be surprised how much attention you can garner simply by doing something different. For example, I recently saw someone put a sticker on his laptop that read “I’m a Mac.” Of course, he had no idea what he was getting into, but it got him some attention. And it didn’t cost anything!

Another way to attract attention is to promote your website everywhere you can. This includes social media, emails, physical mailers, and more. Don’t forget about your car either—you never know when someone will notice your logo while driving down the road.

And finally, don’t underestimate the power of stickers. Most stores sell them, and they’re cheap enough that you could buy a bunch and stick them around town. If you choose this route, choose a high-quality image that stands out against whatever background you use.

If your business is here in Hawaii, we have Professional SEOs in Hawaii that can help you get your online presence off the ground.