My website isn't ranking as high as it should be, what can I do?

The process to get to the top of search results naturally is known as SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and it's a very complex task that very few understand without having significant experience or training in working with web deign or optimisation.

To start there are 2 aspects which are broken down below:

On Page SEO

This refers to all the areas within your website that are important factors in determining your search engine ranking. All Aztec Design websites follow the best practices with regards on page SEO meaning you don't have to worry about the following factors:

• Keywords and Metatags on every page
• Responsive Design (does your website have a mobile phone/tablet version
• Valid HTML (All Aztec Design websites are built using our own templates and follow this rule)
• Alt tags behind images
• Social Media integration (Facebook, Twitter etc)
• Original quality content
• Header Tags and well formatted text

Off Page SEO

This refers to factors outside the control of your website that play a factor in determining your website ranking. This is usually where small business' need to work on. Some of these factors are below:

• Mentions and back-links on social media
• Are there people actively searching for your website specifically
• Back-links on other websites such as partner websites and local business directories
• Mailing/Subscription lists with blogs and content linking to your website

If you feel your website is not ranking as high as it should be consider the following as these are most likely where you are falling down: 

• Are you updating your website much? The more frequently you update your website the more frequently google and other search engine spiders come back and reevaluate your position. It's highly recommended to start a blog add testimonials or expand on your services on your website.
• Are you making the most of social media? Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms are excellent sources of high value back-links. Not only are they placing back-links to your website but they are highly visible and can contain keywords within text - all something which you can control yourself by simply adding a link to your website (or specific pages of your website) to each social media post. Besides adding to the number of back-links you have its driving your friends or contacts to your website where they can find out more about your business and services. 
  
• What are the keywords you are searching for? While you might not be first for "Building Contractors Gorey" do a search for "General Builders Gorey" or even reverse the words and you more than likely will see a different set of results. If you are not getting the results you are looking for ask yourself why. Do you have enough keywords and related words mentioned on your website, if not add to your text and modify your keywords and metatags to suit.  
• What is your location? Generally all good search engines will filter your search results based on your location if you did not enter a location in your search term. For example if you are a builder based in Wexford you will be more likely found higher on serch results for people who search for terms such as "Building Contractor" if they are based in Wexford. Somebody in Donegal who types into Google "Building Contractor" will most likely be given listings for local or more regional builders websites. If you are aiming to get visitors to your website from across Ireland then bear in mind you are competing with a high amount of competition so you should have a website that reflects this and ticks all the box's. You should be active on social media, send out newsletters, update your website with testimonials and everything else to give you a better ranking than your competitors.
• Be realistic!! If you have a website that you don't update, a website that doesn't have any social media integration, no signup forms to your newsletter and doesn't have enough original text can you really expect to be found on Google and the other search engines more so than websites that do? It's not just up to us as website designers. When it comes to marketing your business it's a whole new dimension that business's in the modern era should really invest time in.

Twitter