As of 2014, there were over 1 billion sites, and there are hundreds of new sites that are launched online each day in Singapore. Among the most used sites is Google, and thousands of Singaporeans use this search engine for research and to find vital information.
Considering how many search requests are submitted on the platform at a go, you can’t help but wonder how Google can work so fast to bring up all the results in a split seconds.
Search algorithms
For Google to be able to sort through the millions of sites, it has to have a criterion that it uses to be able to choose the sites that best fit your query. This criterion is what is known in the SEO world as algorithms. These are metrics that Google uses and that websites have to adhere to, which allows Google to rank sites quickly, depending on your search request.
Crawling and indexing
Most of the results that you find on Google are predetermined. Google is always crawling and indexing sites. Even as you are reading this, Google is probably sending a bot to one of your sites right now and running through the keywords and other metrics of SEO.
From the results that these bots come up with, Google is able to provide results that offer the best matches for the queries that are submitted by the users.
How Can Your SEO Affect Google Results?
The effect that your SEO is going to have on Google will largely depend on the effort and metrics that you decide to implement.
Higher ranking
Optimising your site for SEO does not always mean that you are going to get a favourable ranking. You have to research to make sure that you are implementing the right elements, those that will be more responsive to your target audience.
Factors like relevant keywords, page speed, H-tags and so forth will see your page ranked higher after Google bots have crawled through your site.
Lower ranking
There are many reasons why your page could be ranked lower and appear further down in the results that Google provides. The reasons for a lower rank could include, slacking on your SEO or your competitors having more effective SEO strategies than you. In some cases, you may also be penalised by Google when you use a metric that has been outlawed, like keyword stuffing.
How to Improve your SEO ranking in Google Results
Research shows that as much as 90% of people running searches on Google in Singapore do not go past the first page. As you progress from the second, third and fourth pages, the visibility continues to reduce. Your goal should be to maximise the high traffic that does not go beyond the first page of results. To achieve this, there are a couple of processes you will need put in motion.
SEO Audit
Before you embark on an SEO strategy, you need to identify what your site is lacking as well as the most common search terms your target audience is using.
An SEO audit will not only help you to identify areas that need attention, but it will also help you come up with a plan of action.
Implement your SEO strategies
The SEO strategy you adopt for your website will depend on a couple of things. These include your target audience and also the report you get from your SEO audit.
You should remember that the SEO should not be something you work on in a day and immediately expect results. You need to continually work on it and keep on adjusting as the results start streaming in.
