How to optimise your start-up website for Google’s new algorithm

Many startups wanting to have their online presence take off, can find implementing a successful search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy a challenge. Whilst it is indeed challenging, the core concepts and trends underpinning SEO are relatively easy to understand with some basic training.

SEO is complex as it is, and it doesn’t help that Google is continually updating and revising its search algorithm. The one constant thing that continuously perplexes business owners is Google’s indexing algorithm.

This can be difficult for even the experienced to adapt to changes as they occur.

Even the most experienced digital marketers can only make educated guesses about how the algorithm functions because only Google’s internal staff can claim to know all the ins and outs.

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding how Google’s algorithm evaluates your website.

How does Google index your information?

Google analyses the entire web with a special code that copies pages and sends them to its servers. Google will disregard pages that have low-value content – these are usually pages that have been duplicated or offer little value to the online audience.

Due to the vast amount of content on the internet, Google devised a series of shortcuts to improve search query functionalities, otherwise known as indexing. Stop words like “and”, “if” or “the” are generally not stored in Google’s algorithm. Creating unique content with high value will be favourably indexed by Google.

How does Google rank your webpage?

Once your page has been indexed, Google can rank it on its search pages. From a strategic business perspective, having your page ranked highly is one of the most important parts of the entire process.

Having your website positioned in the first page of Google has a profound effect on your visibility, and consequently, your profitability online.

Your site can be found when matched with a relevant search query. For example, if you run an online fashion store, searches such as “shoes online” or “online shirts sale” would be search terms relevant to your business.

Depending on the industry, there could be thousands of other websites similar to yours and this is when to pay attention to your competition.

Google has its own set of weighted metrics to evaluate webpages and rank them. Webpages that perform will be ranked higher in Google’s listings, which can lead to greater online visibility, user interaction, and sales.

Improving your website’s search engine results page (SERP) is essentially the end goal of any SEO strategy.

What type of metrics does Google record?

There are a variety of metrics that Google takes into consideration and it uses these metrics to evaluate the authority, quality and overall value of a website to avoid serving low-quality results to its browsers.

A few factors should be implemented for your site to be indexed favourably. An important one is to ensure your website’s content is well-written and engaging for users, because Google rewards websites that provide its users with high-quality content.

Including relevant links to ‘high authority’ websites will also work in your favour, as Google will see that your website is associated to reliable sources.

Additionally, Google will take into consideration your page’s usability and overall technical competency. Intrusive advertisements or slow loading time due to too many high-resolution images and other clunky digital media will bring your rank down.

Meanwhile, aesthetically pleasing webpages will satisfy both the user and Google.

Apart from these visual metrics, Google uses the presence of keywords in your webpage as signals to suggest users that your webpage is relevant to their search query. Littering your website with keywords to inflate its search relevancy used to work, but Google’s algorithm can now tell whether it’s used ethically or not.

Google can invoke harsh penalties or ban your website when its algorithm is exploited.

How can you use SEO tactics to improve your ranking?

With so many methods to employ in order to boost your website’s ranking, it’s important to take the time to understand them and use them correctly.

These tactics seek to optimise the content and performance of your website so that it has a high presence of favourable ranking signals for Google to analyse.

All SEO tactics are designed to make your website as attractive as possible to Google’s algorithm, as it wants to serve quality content to its user base.

The search engine giant will list your website highly in its search page in return for high-value, authoritative, user-friendly and technically proficient web content for its users.

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Lucas Bikowski

Managing Director and Senior SEO Strategist at SEO Shark

Lucas Bikowski is Managing Director and Senior SEO Strategist at SEO Shark, a digital marketing agency. Lucas’s experience in the industry spans over 15 years and includes contracts with dozens of enterprise clients, as well as small and large businesses.

Latest posts by Lucas Bikowski (see all)

• How to optimise your start-up website for Google’s new algorithm - January 17, 2019