Most resources and articles I come across provide tips on getting top search engine rankings…but once I’m there, how do I stay on top?
There are literally millions of websites circulating the Internet with several who are in the same industry or niche you’re in. They all want to get to the top of the search engines, knocking you out of their way in the process.
So if you have accomplished the feat of achieving top rankings in the search engines, you need a strategy to keep you there. Continue reading to learn 5 strategies you can employ to maintain your top position in the search engines.
1. Increase link-ability
Success in SEO depends a lot on having great content with lots of inbound links. But getting to #1 isn’t an excuse to take it easy. You need to maintain your ranking page’s link-ability if you’re going to stay on top.
Some ways you can encourage links to your site include: improve your site design, continue building good content and temporarily remove advertising. Too much advertising on a webpage can potentially turn people off.
2. Find new links on your own
Look for additional linking opportunities by guest posting, article marketing and good old fashion asking. If you’re at the top for a certain competitive keyword, you can leverage your position to get additional links.
3. Get more clicks and conversions by tweaking site elements
Getting to #1 isn’t the sole goal of online marketing and SEO. You may have a page that’s ranked #1 for a certain keyword but it won’t stay there long if you’re not getting enough people to click on your site. Tweak title tags and metatags to draw attention but don’t do it too much since search engines take time to adjust to these changes. Doing this too much may cost you your #1 position.
This is also the time you should test different things on your homepage to see what works better in terms of conversions. For instance, is a blue “buy” button better than a green one?
4. Expand keywords for more ranking opportunities
Another way to maintain your #1 ranking is to expand the scope of keywords on your ranking page. This will dilute your keywords somewhat but it shouldn’t affect your position if you follow the tips outlined in step #1 and #2.
Let’s say your top keyword is “green clocks” – add “green clocks in California” for more specific searches. The majority of searches are done using long-tail keywords so if you narrowly focus on one keyword, you may lose your #1 ranking as fast as you got it.
5. Future proof your SEO
Something that may work today may not work tomorrow. Google is always changing their algorithms based on new trends and technology. You need to stay ahead of the curve by knowing what’s going on out there and adjusting your site accordingly.
In addition to good content and quality links, Google and others are starting to also focus on: traffic/user engagement, branding and social media.
Employ these kinds of strategies when managing your websites to improve the chances of holding on to your #1 ranking in the search engines. Learn more about these 5 strategies to maintaining #1 search engine rankings here.