How to Create a Better Footprint in Search Engines

Having a high ranking in search engines can lead to more traffic and improve branding for your business. However, due to search engines evolving over the years there are concerns about space for sites that are not purchasing ads. With Google being the most popular search engine today, that is where most businesses tend to focus when trying to achieve relevant ranking. For local businesses looking to rank high in Google, the field is constantly changing which means fewer spots and it will harder to prosper.

One key to solving this issue is to develop a larger footprint in the search engines. This way you can be sure that searchers will be able to find you in a number of different ways. Use the following to better search rankings.

Success always leaves footprints.

by Booker T. Washington

Featured Snippets

Featured snippets provide users with a direct answer to their questions in content boxes at the top of the page - on the search results page. Take full advantage of snippets by searching for keywords based around questions in your niche. Then build structured posts using short paragraphs, numbers or bullet points and in many cases, searchers will still click the link to get the full information.

Schema Markup

Use schema markup to stand out in the search results, feature reviews, products, and other elements that provide more information than a simple link. Schema markup is code that you put on your website to aid the search engines to return more description results for users. You can use schema markup to show factors like location, events, social media profiles, and more.

Learn more about schemas at https://schema.org/

Sitelinks

Sitelinks are additional links that show up beneath your main site listing. The benefits of links include your listing taking up your more space on the page and multiple pages being shown to searchers. Put your site links into action by internally linking important pages together, while at the same time ensuring navigation is user-friendly and simple. Also, remember to build a brand around your business so your site is not mistaken for other generic terms.

Targeted Directories

Top directories have authority and a strong influence on search engines. Therefore, you can leverage the directory to gain traffic that they receive. Directories gather data from businesses, contact details, providing summaries, and more. The goal would be to become a prominent business within the directory for your business category or niche. Directories are great for leverage however be sure to rank your personal site with similar methods.

Google My Business

For local businesses, Google My Business is an essential tool if you are looking to stand out for target keywords. Even though there have been changes to what is presented in local searches, you can still put yourself in prime position. To enhance your Google My Business listing, ask clients to leave positive reviews, complete all profile details requested, and add sharp images. Additional feature elements of Google My Business like business phone number and address, along with a star rating all encourage increase click-through rate as well as customer engagement.

Video Marketing

Creating useful videos on YouTube, while using relevant keywords within the title can help you boost your search position. Usually, videos can be found in the search results sometimes taking top positions for various keywords. Target videos in your niche that may require tutorials or guides, ensuring your videos will appear for searches. Be sure to spotlight your videos and post them on your blog and any social sites for additional exposure.

The following techniques offer a way for you to help your business rank high on any relevant search terms in your industry, despite prominence given to ads in most major search engines. Over time, search engine marketing has advanced in sophistication as the search engines themselves have adjusted to the updates. The changes caused a reduction in traffic and a hard time gaining exposure for some businesses. Other businesses, saw an improvement from new changes, with better rankings and a sizable footprint for the search terms they are targeting.