How to improve your search ranking

Ever feel the frustration of being buried on the second, third, or even fourth page of Google? 

You’ve put time and effort into your website, yet it seems invisible online—no one’s finding you, and you’re barely getting any clicks. Maybe you’ve tried a few quick fixes, followed some advice you found online, but nothing seems to stick. The truth is, SEO isn’t always a quick win. Depending on factors like competition and your industry, getting to the first page can take serious, strategic effort.

This guide is here to help. It’s a straightforward, practical resource to give you the steps and insights needed to improve your search rankings. Whether you’re just starting out with SEO or need to fine-tune your current strategy, these tips will point you in the right direction, helping you get your business seen by the audience that matters.

1.) Compare Your Page To Your Competitors

Comparing your page to competitors is essential if you want to outrank them. For any target keyword, you should always start by analysing what top-ranking competitors are doing, as this sets a benchmark and allows you to see the work that needs to be done. 

I will go into more detail about each of these metrics/findings, but to start, use a tool like SEMrush or Ahrefs to research the keyword(s) you’d like to improve rankings for and check who is in the top ten positions for them. 

Search results pages appear differently, so make sure to set your search parameters to the country you’re targeting to get the most relevant data.

To pinpoint why competitors are ranking well, analyse these aspects of their pages:

Check Their On-Page SEO: 

Examine competitors’ use of title tags, meta descriptions, clean URL structures, and correct heading hierarchy. Look for natural keyword use, descriptive alt text on images, and strategic internal and external links. These elements reveal how they structure content to rank effectively. You can use the Semrush on-page SEO checker to help you.  

Analyse Content Length:

Using a tool like WordCounter, check how many words top competitors have written by copying and pasting their content into the tool. This gives you an idea of the content length standard for your keyword. However, keep in mind that this is a reference point—not a requirement to write the same or more words. Quality and relevance are more important than sheer word count.

Evaluate Page Authority:

Page Authority (PA) serves as an indicator of how challenging it may be to rank for a particular keyword. Higher page authority is often built through quality content and backlinks. Generally, the higher the authority, the tougher it is to outrank, but it provides insight into the level of effort required.

Assess Backlink Quality:

Backlinks remain a critical ranking factor. Look at both the quantity and quality of backlinks to top-performing pages. Tools such as Ahrefs or Moz's Link Explorer can help you examine the backlink profile of competitors. 

Understand Keyword Intent:

Understanding user intent is crucial. Users may be looking for information, services, or products when they search for a particular keyword. Analyse the top-ranking pages to see if they’re primarily informational articles, product pages, or service listings.

Measure Page Speed:

Page speed affects user experience and ranking. Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to assess how your page speed compares with competitors for both desktop and mobile. If competitors load significantly faster, this could negatively impact your ranking, especially on mobile. 

Evaluate User Experience (UX):

Evaluate how competitors use UX elements to enhance clarity and engagement. Do they place CTAs (calls-to-action) at the top of the page, use dropdown menus, or include interactive elements that encourage users to stay longer? Google considers user interaction metrics like time-on-page and bounce rate, so creating a smooth, engaging user experience can positively influence rankings.

Identify Content Gaps:

Identifying content gaps can give you a competitive edge. Use tools like BuzzSumo to discover topics that top competitors cover extensively. Do they include videos, images, or other types of media? Are there topics they discuss in more depth than you do? Find areas where you can add value by covering content that users would find helpful but is missing from competitor pages.

Analysing these key findings will determine how you approach your strategy from then on out.

If you’d like us to analyse competitors for you, then reach out to get an SEO audit here. 

2.) Optimise For On-Page SEO

On-page SEO forms the foundation of any successful SEO campaign; it’s the first actionable step in re-optimising your content to improve its search ranking. Once you’ve optimised your on-page content, you won’t need to revisit it as frequently, allowing you to focus on other factors affecting your search performance. Several tools can speed up this process depending on your CMS: WordPress users can leverage the Yoast SEO plugin, and HubSpot has integrated SEO features for content optimisation.

Here’s a quick overview of key on-page optimisation steps:

• Title Tag Optimisation: Include your primary keyword near the beginning of your title, keep it under 65 characters to prevent truncation, and ensure it aligns with user intent.
• Meta Description: Craft meta descriptions under 160 characters, naturally incorporating your keyword. Use compelling language and CTAs to boost click-through rates.
• Optimised URL Structure: Use short, clean URLs that include your primary keyword and avoid unnecessary words. The slug should clearly reflect the page content.
• Correct Heading Structure: Incorporate your primary keyword naturally in the H1 and at least one H2. Use a logical heading hierarchy: H1 for the main title, H2 for sections, and H3 for sub-sections under H2 headings.
• Keyword Usage: Naturally include primary and related keywords without forcing exact matches. For local SEO, incorporate relevant geographic terms.
• Alt Text for Images: Use descriptive alt text for accessibility, accurately describing each image without overusing keywords.
• Internal & External Links: Include internal links to other pages on your site and external links to reputable sources. Use keyword-rich anchor text where relevant and ensure each link adds value to your content.

Remember, search engines are smarter than you might think and can recognise synonyms and related phrases. Use keyword variations naturally so that both visitors and search engines aren’t overwhelmed by repetitive keywords.

3.) Add Semantic Keywords

Adding semantic keywords, which are phrases directly related to your main keyword, helps expand your content’s reach while staying relevant. For example, if your target keyword is “Sheds for sale Australia,” semantic keywords might include materials like wood or metal, dimensions, common uses, or key buying considerations. 

These terms naturally enrich your content, boosting relevance without keyword stuffing. Incorporate semantic keywords within product descriptions, headings (H1 & H2), FAQs, and other content sections to provide depth and relevance.

Here’s how to identify effective semantic keywords:

• Google’s “People Also Ask” Section: Search for your main keyword on Google to find the “People Also Ask” box. Ensure that these questions are relevant to your content, and that build off of your overall keyword focus.
• Google’s “Related Searches” Section: At the bottom of the search results, the “Related Searches” area shows common queries associated with your primary keyword. You add these as new sections, just as long as they are relevant to your main topic. 
• LSI Graph: LSI Graph generates Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords, or terms that frequently co-occur with your main keyword. Just enter your target keyword, and it will provide a list of related keywords to help expand your content.
• AnswerThePublic: AnswerThePublic visualises questions, prepositions, and comparisons linked to your keyword. It’s a useful tool for finding FAQ ideas, subheadings, and content topics that align with user intent and improve relevance.
• Ahrefs & SEMrush Keyword Research Tools: Both Ahrefs and SEMrush offer keyword research features that show related keywords, questions, and search queries people commonly use.

4.) Align With Keyword Intent

As I’ve discussed in more detail in my article on search intent, aligning your content with keyword intent is crucial for achieving higher rankings. Your content must align with what’s currently ranking in search results; otherwise, no amount of on-page optimisation will make a significant difference.

One common mistake is to push certain keywords from page 2 or 3 to the first page, thinking that a bit of on-page work will do the trick. However, without understanding keyword intent, you might end up missing the mark. Remember, Google ranks a single page for hundreds—sometimes thousands—of related keywords, but that doesn’t mean all those keywords will land on page one.

For example, let’s say you have a blog post about the best shed companies in New Zealand and notice that it’s ranking on the third page for shed companies New Zealand. However, if the top-ranking pages for this keyword are service-based pages (e.g., landing pages for specific shed providers), Google is signalling that users want service options, not informational content. 

This discrepancy in intent will make it extremely challenging to move your blog post to the top of the rankings, as search engines have tested various content types and determined what best satisfies user intent.

To ensure you’re meeting keyword intent:

1. Review the top-ranking pages: Take time to examine the top results for your keyword. Note whether these pages are blogs, product pages, service pages, or something else entirely. This will give you insight into the kind of content users are expecting.
2. Re-evaluate your content format: If your content doesn’t match the top results, consider re-optimising it. For instance, if you have an informational article but the top results are product pages, you may need to create a separate product page or service page that directly targets transactional intent.
3. Optimise for sub-intent: Even within these main categories, there are often sub-intents. For example, informational content can target queries with phrases like best, how to, or guide. Transactional queries can include buy or compare. By including relevant variations that target sub-intents, you’ll increase the relevance of your content.
4. Use data to refine intent alignment: Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Google Search Console can help you track what keywords are bringing impressions or traffic to each page. Reviewing these keywords can reveal any mismatch in intent—if your page is attracting traffic from queries that don’t align with your original goal, consider adjusting the content.

If your content doesn’t directly address what users are searching for, it won’t rank as well, no matter how optimised it is.

5.) Update Content Regularly 

Search engines love fresh up-to-date content, and if done right it can perform better in search results. Ideally, you should aim to update key pages every 6–12 months, depending on competition and industry changes. A gradual decline in traffic might be due to outdated content that no longer meets user expectations or search engine standards.

Here’s some tips on how to update content effectively: 

• Streamline Content: Remove any filler content that doesn’t add value. Unnecessary information can overwhelm users and reduce engagement. Be careful to keep in any important details that meet the intent of the page.
• Incorporate Visuals: Adding relevant images or videos can enhance engagement, boost on-page time, and make your content more visually appealing. Visuals help break up text and make complex topics easier to understand.
• Update Data and Statistics: Outdated statistics or information can hurt user trust and credibility. Regularly updating numbers, dates, and other key data points ensures accuracy. If you use dates in your meta title, be sure to update them as well.
• Expand Content: If your page lacks depth or detail, consider adding relevant sections, FAQs, or new paragraphs to address user questions and broaden your content’s scope. This can also involve creating infographics, updating messaging, or adding new information based on recent trends.

If you have many pages on your website that you want to increase positions for, the best way to check which pages need updating is filtering by the date published, and then cross-referencing it with Google Search Console to see how well it’s performing. 

6.) Improve Technical SEO and UX (User Experience)

Real people are visiting your website, and they’re often impatient. Search engines prioritise sites that load quickly, are easy to navigate, and provide an excellent user experience. This means you need to satisfy both search crawlers in the backend and users on the front end. 

Here are key areas to focus on for UX and Technical SEO:

• Page Speed: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix to measure metrics such as Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and First Contentful Paint (FCP). Aim for LCP under 2.5 seconds to keep bounce rates low and improve user experience.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Test your site on various devices to ensure a consistent layout. Buttons should be clickable, images should load quickly, and pop-ups should be easy to close, avoiding any interruption in the user experience.
• XML Sitemap: Submit an XML sitemap to Google Search Console to ensure your content is properly indexed. A well-structured sitemap helps search engines discover and crawl your pages more efficiently.
• HTTPS Security: Having an SSL certificate (HTTPS) is essential, as Google uses HTTPS as a ranking factor. Secure connections build trust with users and help prevent ranking penalties.
• Canonical Tags: Use canonical URLs to prevent duplicate content issues, ensuring search engines focus on the main version of each page. Tools like Screaming Frog can help identify duplicates.
• Schema Markup: Implement schema (structured data) to enrich your search results. Structured data can lead to rich snippets, like star ratings, which improve click-through rates.
• Broken Links: Regularly check for broken internal and external links. Redirect, replace, or remove these links to improve user experience.
• Clear CTAs and Visual Hierarchy: Use a clear visual hierarchy with easily identifiable calls-to-action (CTAs) to guide users through your site. Well-placed CTAs improve engagement and conversions.
• Accessibility: Follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure your site is usable by everyone, including those with disabilities. Tools like WAVE can help you identify areas for improvement.

7.) Create A Strong Internal Linking Structure

Internal linking plays a critical role in helping both search engines and users navigate your site. 

Search engines crawl your website through links to understand the structure, content, and importance of each page. If your pages aren’t linked to from other pages, search engines may perceive them as less important, making it more difficult to get results. 

Here’s how to check & improve your internal structure: 

• Audit Your Internal Links Regularly: Regularly use tools like Google Search Console to identify pages with few or no internal links. 
• Ensure Key Pages Are Accessible: Make sure no important page is more than three clicks away from your homepage. This helps both people and search engines find content quickly.
• Use Descriptive Anchor Text: When linking to pages you want to improve, use clear, keyword-rich anchor text such as 'explore our shed designs' instead of generic terms like 'click here.' Use these opportunities to include relevant keywords in your hyperlinks.
• Leverage Navigation Menus and Footers: Incorporate links to important pages in your website’s navigation menus and footers. 
• Spread Link Equity Across Your Site: By linking important pages from various areas of your site, such as blog posts or category pages, you can help boost their SEO value. 

Proper linking helps search engines crawl your pages more efficiently, boosts the SEO of key pages, and enhances the user experience by making content easier to find.

8.) Build High Quality Backlinks

What you do off your website is just as important as what you do on it. Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) signal trust to search engines. When reputable websites link to your content, it boosts your authority and helps improve positions. 

I believe that great content is key to earning high-quality backlinks, as other websites link to you because they see value in your content. However, building links isn’t always straightforward, especially for service pages that aren’t often linked to.

If you haven’t done any link building before, here’s what I recommend doing to get started: 

Directories: 

Submitting your website to reputable local directories is an efficient way to earn backlinks. While they may not be the highest quality, they are still useful to get the ball rolling, especially if you're aiming to improve visibility locally or nationwide. For example, in Australia TrueLocal and StartLocal are popular choices.

Guest Posts: 

If you have the time and resources, writing articles for reputable websites can be an effective backlink strategy. To find websites you can contribute to, search for 'your niche + write for us' on Google and look for their contact details.

Public Relations (PR): It can be difficult, but if you have connections to journalists, a press release about new products or business milestones can be valuable. Focus on reputable sources like Stuff.co.nz or ABC in Australia. Smaller, more local news outlets are also great for improving local SEO.

There are multiple link-building methods, but I recommend starting by making your content as linkable as possible. Content like infographics, videos, graphs, custom images, statistics, and case studies positions you as a valuable source of information that others will want to reference. If you notice that a page (that's not your target page) is receiving backlinks, you can internally link it to the page you want to pass authority to.

9.) Keep Up With Trends & Algorithm Changes

A lot has shaken up SEO this year, including artificial intelligence, shifting user behaviours, and frequent updates. It’s more important than ever to keep your finger on the pulse. Staying informed about these changes not only keeps you ahead of the curve but also helps you outrank competitors who aren’t paying attention.

Google’s algorithm changes frequently, with multiple major updates every year. User behaviour also evolves over time, influencing which types of content rise in the rankings. To stay ahead, regularly check Google Trends for breakout topics within your niche, and follow news outlets like Search Engine Journal to stay updated on the latest algorithm shifts. While doing this, observe how top-ranking websites in your industry structure their content. Look at their page layouts, the types of content they prioritise, how they engage users (e.g., through CTAs or multimedia), and how they address common user queries. Doing so can provide a blueprint for optimising your own website and content strategy.

Joining SEO groups on platforms like Reddit is also an effective way to stay in the loop. Engaging with the community allows you to share ideas, ask questions, and get advice from other professionals with practical knowledge.

Always continue to learn, grow, and adapt to these changes now and in the future. 

Ready To Improve Search Rankings? 

Achieving higher search engine rankings can be hard, but with a structured, data-driven approach, you can improve visibility and reach the right audience. Each of the strategies outlined here gives you the tools to enhance your website’s performance. 

SEO results can be transformative for your business. By applying these insights and regularly refining your strategy, you’re setting the stage for long-term success, helping more potential customers find and engage with your brand. 

Remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Stay proactive, stay patient, and watch your efforts pay off in improved rankings and greater online visibility.

If you’re not satisfied with your results and you can’t seem to figure out what you’re doing wrong, we can help out! Get an SEO audit today to diagnose why your rankings might be falling short, and let us help you create a strategy to grow your organic traffic and get you noticed by the right audience.