29 Sep 2023
The first results in Google are paid advertisements.
Did you know that?
The consequence of this is that the site doesn’t necessarily have to be good… it just needs to pay enough to Google to appear at the top?!
Who bids more?
The highest bidder gets the top position in the first 3-4 search results.
AdWords – the program behind the paid search results – can even be set up to pay more per click to outbid your competitors.
On popular searches, websites end up paying 1-4 euros per click!
And who ends up paying that? (That’s rhetorical)
Still be found in Google
Let’s forget about AdWords for now!
We’re going to explore the possibilities of being found in Google without paying:
- Write articles with multiple specific keywords
On popular keywords, you’ll first come across the advertisements.
For example, “score in Google” shows advertisements…
But “how to score in Google 2017” currently doesn’t show any advertisements.
This way, you have a chance of being seen! - Keep your website fast and secure
A real killer in the search results is a website that phishes for bank details and other customer information (through malware).
Similarly, a slow website. No one wants to visit a slow website where you have to wait 10 seconds per page.
Google also pushes such websites to the back of the line (check here to see how fast your site is). - Regular updates
We’re not even talking about the plugins and WordPress itself.
But about the content: texts, news.
Google loves websites that regularly publish news. These websites get priority over others. - Backlinks
Here we go with those English terms again…
Backlinks can also be called “references.”
Backlinks are links on other websites that point to your website.
Think of important, large websites rather than directories or forums. - Patience
If you want to be at the top of the search results without paying Google through AdWords, it will take longer to rank well.
It’s a matter of patience and effort. Or… you could try a viral campaign!
