How to get your site on Google in 6 easy steps

We all rely on Google's powerful search engine to help us manage our lives. From learning about the latest trends to getting advice on problem solving, we would find it hard to imagine where we would be without it. It's easy to think of this platform as something we use to search for information about other people, places or events. Still, as a small business owner, you also need to think proactively about how people use it to find you.

Furthermore, there are organized systems at work that determine which websites are ranked higher than others. The first step to being found at all is to create a website, which instantly enhances your online visibility. After that, you have several tools at your disposal to give your site a top ranking on Google's search engine results pages. In this article, we will take a closer look at what these resources are and how you can make the best use of them.

To get your site on Google:

1. Submit your site to Google

2. Add a link path

3. Choose the perfect keywords

4. Manage your meta tags

5. Optimize for mobile

6. Prove that you are a local

01. Submit your site to Google

So you understand what SEO is and its importance to be found on Google. Although your site will most likely be found at some point by the Google robots that are constantly crawling the web, you can take a few steps to speed up this important process. Start by giving Google a quick message that you exist by submitting your site to them.

Make sure your site appears on Google by submitting the Sitemap to the Google Search Console. This gives Google a push to speed up the indexing of your site.

To get started, connect your domain to Wix SEO - which automatically submits your site to Google in 60 seconds or less right from the dashboard.

To find out if your site is already included in Google's search index, simply do a quick site search using the site's homepage URL (for example, a site search for Wix will take the form of site: wix.com). If the search results show pages from your site, then your site is actually on Google.

02. Lay a link path

At this stage, you want to ensure that your site appears as one of the best results, so that users actually see and click on your pages.

It brings us to another way to get your site on Google: plant links to your site around the web. When robots reach the blue text hyperlinks, they essentially receive a command to proceed directly to your site.

One way to get high quality backlinks is to write content for other publications or blogs within your niche. This gives you the opportunity to showcase your expertise, build the authority of your brand and add a link back to your site so that readers - and Google - can find you better.

Another option is to post your URL in all social media profiles and web directories for your industry or geographic area. Not only do these links make it convenient for potential customers to access your company's website, but they also act as a freeway to your site.

03. Choose the perfect keywords

Keywords are often mentioned in conversations about how to get your site on Google. But what are they and why should you care?

Good keywords are usually 3 to 5 word phrases that a person can search for to find a business like yours. Keywords with more than 3-4 words are called keywords with long tails. These have a lower search volume, but can be very strategic to incorporate because they are so specific. When there is a match between the words people type in the search box and the exact terms you have included on your site, your listing is more likely to appear in the search results. In other words, choosing the right keywords increases your visibility on Google and other search engines.

For example, let's say you have a website that sells vegan pet food. If so, you want people who type "vegan pet food" in the search box to click on your site. Including the keyword "vegan pet food" on your web pages and blog increases your chances of appearing on Google for that particular search. This is a valuable SEO technique on the page that, if achieved strategically, can get your site on the first page of Google.

Let's expand this keyword logic a little more to explore some other ways these phrases can help you be found on Google. Think about what makes you reach for your nearest entity to consult Google's wisdom. Sometimes, as in the animal feed example above, it is a more general question. Other times, however, you search for the answer to a very specific question: "How is the weather today?" "What temperature should I bake brownies?" "How do I find my site on Google?" You know, such questions.

Your potential customers are no different. You should imagine that your audience is asking Google the specific question that your business is uniquely ready to answer. Once you know how to do keyword research and find out the frequently searched phrases that are relevant to your business, your mission is to spread them through the content and SEO settings of your site to tell Google that your site provides the best solution for users. .

The search engine loves to point users in the right direction, so it is important to use keywords in a way that matches the intention of relevant searches. If you feel stuck, these Wix SEO tips can help you tremendously.

04. Manage your meta tags

Filling out your site's meta tags is another strategy for getting your site on Google. Essentially, meta tags are the pieces of text that appear in Google's search results to give users a preview of their content.

When you type in a search on Google, you will see the meta tags displayed in a specific format: blue font (called the title tag or SEO title) and the short text in black below (called the meta description). Together, this information is referred to as metadata.

This text does not actually appear on your site, but you can choose clear and concise wording for the metadata of each web page you create. These labels are essential to convince users to click on your link.

Just like you do with your entire site, remember to incorporate strategic keywords into your metadata. This helps Google identify the relevance of the content for specific searches, which increases your chances of getting your site on Google.

Wix SEO helps you manage your meta tags as well, and guides you through your website to show you which components should be optimized for SEO. For more information on how to appear at the top of search engine results, take a look at these tips to improve SEO for your site.

05. Optimize for mobile

Mobile devices now account for about half of all global Internet traffic. And trust us, none of these users want to sneak through cut screens on their phones, or pictures that never seem to load completely.

Google knows this, and they want to keep their own users happy, so they take into account how mobile-friendly your site is when deciding which pages to show first in the search results. This means that when considering how to get your site on Google, you need to optimize for mobile browsing in order to appear as a top result.

Therefore, make sure that your website not only looks good from the computer screen, but that it is also ready for mobile. All Wix sites are automatically optimized for mobile, a valuable SEO that is essential to get your site to rank in search engines.

In addition to making sure that your formatting and page loading speed is mobile friendly, you will also learn the best practices for mobile web design.

Think about the kind of cases that make people make a purchase on the phone. It's rarely a random browsing situation, and more of an "I need it now" action. Google has actually created a concept for this experience: micro-moments. It is "an intense moment when a person turns to a device to act on a need - to know, walk, do or buy."

Let this definition guide your choices about what to include on the mobile version of your site. For example, you might want to do away with the menu options on the website that lead to your company's history and blog, and instead focus on placing your product gallery at the center. Similarly, if you have a subscription form with multiple registration fields, make it easy for visitors by reducing the number of questions they have to answer on a smaller screen.

In short, when your mobile site provides a fast, valuable solution to a user's problems, more people will linger and surf. This sends a signal to Google that your site provides a strong response to a particular search - and helps your site rank higher as a result.

06. Prove that you are a local

Local business owners, this step is for you. Within the wider SEO world, there is an area known as local SEO, where Google helps guide site-specific searchers to solutions in their geographic area. Why is this important? Most people go to the Google search box to find the business they are looking for before taking a stroll down Main Street.

Google My Business is the answer to this reality. There is a directory of business listings that fills in what appears on Google Maps, as well as what appears in Local Pack (the map and three business options that appear at the top of searches with a specified location). In addition to keywords, creating a Google My Business account is another way to give Google a hint that your business will be a Quality Score to show to users.

To take advantage of this service, claim your business and fill out your profile with all relevant information, including: company name, address, phone number, website, opening hours and location.

This is another case where it is useful to create a website on Wix. Wix SEO tools give you a comprehensive SEO plan, which points out all the places on your site that you should optimize - from the contact information to the text on your website - to get your site on Google. This makes it easy for users to find you with a quick Google search.

Freddy Fix borrowed from Wix