How to Rank Higher on Google & AI Search Engines - the research by GoodFirms
Today, with so much business and marketing revolving within the world of digital marketing and online business, the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) has yet to wane in ensuring a business’s visibility. Whether you run a small business or manage a large corporation, every one of us wants a top spot on the search engine results. So, how do you do that, especially when algorithms are constantly changing?
In a recent study by GoodFirms, the factors that influence website rankings on search engines and AI-driven systems are discussed. This research was conducted with over 800 respondents, which gives you a few of the main things that you must take into consideration to improve your search engine ranking if you are in an AI-powered system.
1. Following SEO Techniques (91.9%)
By its results, 91.9% of respondents think that tha most important factor defining a site’s ranking are following basic SEO rules. So, it means that SEO largely still is a cornerstone of any successful online strategy. So what’s under this term exactly?
There are many techniques used to improve a site’s position on search engine results pages. It includes tweaking the website structure, using relevant keywords, speeding up page loading time and making sure that the website is mobile responsive. On the whole, you need to focus on both on–page and off–page optimization, which means that you need to work on the actual content of your website and build high-quality backlinks coming from external sources.
But, that said, it’s important to know that search engine algorithms just keep moving. Last year, what would have worked, doesn’t work today. That’s why it’s so important to keep up to date with current trends and be constantly switching up your strategy.
2. Type of Content (84.2%)
Type of content (84.2%) was found to be the next critical factor: the type of content you deliver has a huge impact on your site's usability. Your content on your site should be relevant and engaging not only for users but also for search robots. Whether AI powered or not, search engines understand how good the content quality is, how original it is, and how informative it is.
The role how AI is playing today in deciding what content should be relevant to users is very interesting. As opposed to just analyzing keywords, AI observes context, the way you write, as well as the sentiments of what you’ve said. That means the goal isn’t just to optimize for specific keywords, it’s also to make sure the content meets user intent.
Content comes in many forms: From blog posts to articles, videos, infographics, and even podcasts. Having diverse content types in the types you offer means you attract a wide audience and satisfy various user queries.
3. Frequency of Posting Content (56.3%)
The third thing is how often you are posting content. According to the survey, 56.3 of the respondents reckon that a site’s ranking depends greatly on regular content updates. Any site that meets this demand will win with search engines as they like to see active sites that are keeping the information current.
Users also care about the frequency of posting content. Regular updates keep the audience on your toes, lures them back, and helps your brand engagement. It also plays a role in SEO: the more pages search engines index, the higher your chance to be found by users.
But it’s something you shouldn’t lose your head over. If quality should always precede quantity, why then does any coach fail to punish a ball carrier for a bad pass? Rather than flooding your audience with lots of low-quality content, it’s better to publish less, with higher quality, valuable content.
4. Marketing Strategy (51.7%)
51.7% of respondents find search engine rankings important to them and an important area to influence is their marketing strategy. That’s not a big surprise, as SEO has never been SEA (search engine advertising) – it is only one part of your overall marketing strategy. The most successful results come from a combined strategy approach which includes SEO, marketing, and social media, and advertising campaign.
Having a solid marketing strategy means not only making your website google friendly, but also driving traffic from things like social media, email, affiliate programs, and anything else you can think of. You also have to brand and manage customer reviews, which build trust and help you rank higher in search rankings.
5. Monitoring Effectiveness (46.8%)
Monitoring effectiveness is equally important, 46.8% of respondents indicated. That translates to, doing SEO techniques won’t guarantee success enough. They are the very definition of ‘big data,’ and you have to be constantly looking at results and adjusting your strategy on data.
Performance monitoring allows you to spot which methods work as well as which require improvement. But it also allows you to rapidly react to changes in search engine algorithms and user behavior.
With Google Analytics and Search Console, and a myriad of other AI driven platforms, it’s easy to learn what is working and what needs to be changed. Assessing your key performance indicators (KPIs) regularly can help you make more educated decisions so that you can keep the productivity and relevance of your SEO efforts.
6. Social Media Presence (35.2%)
The last hinted at in the study is the presence of social media. Although this is only considered important by 35.2% of respondents, this should not be ignored. Social media can be the fastest way to have your brand noticed and drive traffic to your website.
Right now, social interaction has been added not only for communicating but also for promoting content and connecting with users. Especially for those brands that are looking to build a loyal audience and increase brand recognition, this is what’s relevant.
Since search engines don’t consider social media presence as a direct ranking factor, having an active presence in social media can develop brand signals, bring backlinks, and increase sharing of your content — all of which affect your search engine rankings indirectly.
Conclusion
GoodFirms research concludes that a robust understanding is required to optimize the rankings of one’s website in search engines. Essentially, you are led by SEO techniques, publishing diverse high-quality content, regularly, using a good marketing strategy, monitoring your performance, and using your social media presence successfully.
We may not agree with each point, but make no mistake these factors are the important things to think about when weighing the visibility of your business in search engines.
Head over to the research here to find out more and read the full report!
