In this post, we’ll cover all the steps you need to take to start appearing higher in Google’s search results. Whether you run an e-shop or offer services, your website won’t achieve a good organic ranking unless you regularly update its content.
How does Google decide what content to display?
Let's start with the basics. Google relies on algorithms that consider over 200 factors to decide which site will appear first. To earn the favor of these algorithms, you need to:
- High-quality content: Your site must have content that answers users’ questions. Not vague or generic, but clear, understandable, and with a touch of personality. This means you need original content based on your expertise, not "borrowed" from other websites.
- Keywords: The right keywords are crucial, but they should be used wisely and naturally integrated into your content to climb Google’s rankings.
- Technical optimization: Your site must load quickly, be mobile-friendly, and have a structure that makes it easy for visitors to navigate.
Step 1: Optimize your content for search engines
Content optimization applies to your entire website and every new article you write. It significantly boosts your Google ranking:
- Title: Make sure to include the keyword in the article’s title as early as possible. If that’s not feasible, prioritize user experience over making it look like a robot wrote the article.
- Descriptive URLs: Use URLs that include keywords and clearly describe the page content, e.g., example.com/seo-tips. Focus on structure and categorization, such as example.com/seo/seo-guide-2025.
- Improved titles and meta descriptions: Each page should have a unique title that includes keywords and a meta description that grabs the user’s attention.
- Internal linking: Use links that connect related pages on your site. This helps Google understand your site’s structure and improves user experience.
- Use tags: Organize your content with proper use of headings (H1, H2, H3). This makes it easier for both readers and search engines to understand your content.
- Image optimization: Use descriptive file names and alt tags with keywords for your images in top quality.
Tip: Instead of obsessing over metrics, think like a user. For example, how would someone search for ways to improve their site’s ranking? Gather low-competition keywords and build your funnel around them.
Step 2: Use longtail keywords in a smart way.
Let’s say you run a clothing store and want to rank for the keyword "women’s clothes." This keyword is highly competitive, with 14,800 searches per month. Start targeting keywords with lower search volume and build a strategy around long-tail keywords. For instance, instead of solely focusing on "women’s clothes," aim for more specific phrases like:
"summer women's beach dresses"
"clothes for women over 40"
"elegant women's shirts for the office"
These phrases usually have less competition, but attract an audience that is looking for exactly what you offer.
How to implement the strategy:
Use tools for keyword research: Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or Semrush can help you identify long-tail keywords with lower competition.
Update your content: Add these keywords to your pages, articles, and meta tags, ensuring they fit naturally into the text.
Create new content: Write articles answering specific questions or covering niche topics, e.g., "How to pair women’s clothes with accessories for an interview."
Use FAQ sections: Frequently asked questions help integrate long-tail keywords naturally.
Optimize product pages: Ensure your product descriptions include long-tail keywords to attract users looking for specific features or solutions.
By following this strategy, you’ll be able to target a more specialized audience that’s more likely to convert. Additionally, as your site gains traffic and recognition for these keywords, it can also rank higher for more general searches, such as “women’s clothing.”
Tip: Google favors websites that frequently update their content. While creating new articles, ensure you’re also refreshing older ones.
Step 3: Use visual content
The importance of visual content in SEO is now undeniable, as it contributes to enhancing the user experience and significantly improves a website's position in search engine results.
According to research, pages that include videos are 53 times more likely to appear on the first page of search results, while 91% of users prefer visual content for understanding information. Images, videos, interactive graphics, and animations reduce the bounce rate by an average of 40% and increase the time spent on the page by 88%.
Optimizing these elements—using alt text, compressing files, and adapting to mobile devices—contributes to faster page loading, a critical factor since 53% of users abandon pages that take more than 3 seconds to load. Therefore, visual content is not just an aesthetic choice but a key tool for businesses and content creators to maintain their competitiveness in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Step 4: Optimize technical SEO
Optimizing technical SEO can significantly improve your ranking on Google's search engine. Use Pagespeed Insights to evaluate how your website performs against Google's standards and follow the recommendations to optimize accordingly. The tips mentioned are effective and are the ones I’ve personally used to bring our page to this level:
Then, Search Console is your best friend, and if you're working on improving your site's Google ranking, I hope you've already activated it.
Go to the "Pages" section and check those that are not indexed. In many cases, non-indexing is intentional, as some pages may be unnecessary or problematic, such as low-quality content, duplicate pages, or pages with URL parameters that don’t need to appear in search results. If the non-indexing is not intentional, check for potential technical issues, such as errors in the `robots.txt` file, the presence of a `noindex` tag, or access restrictions due to server configuration.
For example, if an important product or service page is not indexed, you can use the URL Inspection Tool in Search Console to check for any errors. If the tool indicates that the page hasn’t been crawled due to a blockage, fix the issue by removing the restrictions and request Google to crawl the page again.
Additionally, if there are pages with temporary errors, such as 404 Not Found, make sure they return the appropriate HTTP status code and provide a friendly, personalized guide for the user. In cases of permanent content transfers, use 301 redirects to maintain the connection between the old and new address and transfer the associated SEO “value”.
Step 5: Create high-value content.
Google prioritizes ranking results that are useful, reliable, and created for people, following the principles of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). To ensure your content meets these criteria, focus on your experience and expertise.
Examples:
If you are writing about health, present your knowledge based on your professional experience or scientific sources. Example: “How to recognize the symptoms of anemia” with references to reliable medical sources.
In travel topics, you can share personal experiences from a destination you have visited, such as “The best hidden beaches in Crete.”
Questions for content evaluation according to Google guidelines:
Does the content provide original information or analysis?
Does the content include reliable sources and clear attribution of their origin?
Is the content written by someone with real experience and knowledge in the subject?
Is it formatted in a way that is easy to read and helps the user understand the topic?
Επιπλέον, βεβαιώσου ότι οι τίτλοι σου είναι περιγραφικοί και όχι παραπλανητικοί, όπως “Ο πλήρης οδηγός για να ξεκινήσεις μια επιτυχημένη επιχείρηση.”
By implementing the E-E-A-T principles, your content will inspire trust, stand out for its quality, and help improve your website's ranking.
Step 6: Share the content on as many platforms as possible.
The sharing of content on social media and the creation of a corporate profile are critical steps to enhancing your content’s visibility. Create a business profile on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, depending on your target audience. Each platform offers unique promotion opportunities, such as ads, stories, or viral content.
Don’t hesitate to recycle content in a creative way. For example, a blog post can be turned into a series of Instagram stories, an infographic on Pinterest, or a professional article on LinkedIn. By combining creativity with consistency, you will gradually build a strong and recognizable brand on digital platforms, strengthening your position in search.
Step 7: List your business on Google
Registering your business on Google is essential for boosting your SEO and increasing your online visibility. Through the Google My Business service, you can create and manage your presence in search results and on Google Maps. This helps users find your business more easily and provides them with direct access to important information such as your address, phone number, and operating hours.
To enhance your SEO, make sure to fully complete your business profile, add high-quality photos, and respond to reviews, as this signals to Google that your business is active and trustworthy. Don’t forget that allowing customer reviews can help build trust and credibility, but ensure you’re prepared to manage them, as responding to reviews is crucial for your business’s reputation and SEO.
Afterwords
In the era of rapid digital evolution, nothing is certain. The recent TikTok outage in the U.S., even for just 24 hours, serves as a reminder of how volatile our online presence can be. Platforms come and go, trends shift, but your website remains the cornerstone of your strategy.
Your website is not just a digital storefront, it's the heart of your online identity. All of your customer conversion strategies should start and end there. It's the only place you have complete control over, the place where visitors find reliable, targeted, and quality information about your business.
Is SEO dead in 2025? Of course not.
In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) and data uniformity dominate, SEO is more important than ever. As users seek personalized experiences and deep, meaningful information, the demand for the following will only grow:
- Articles that incorporate critical thinking.
- Targeted research.
- Quality instead of quantity.
Search engine optimization is not just a way to improve your website’s ranking in search results; it’s a tool that drives your strategy and builds trust with your customers.