SEO
How to Rank Higher on Google (10 Steps)
Hundreds of factors could improve your Google rankings. But some are more difficult to influence than others.
For that reason, if you want to rank higher, you need to be methodical. Start by working on the easy things that are within your control, then move on to more challenging things if needed.
Here’s the process:
Before we get started…
The process in this guide works best for internal pages. If you want to rank your homepage, read our guide to homepage SEO. If you run a local business and want to rank in local search, read our guide to local SEO.
If you already know which keyword you want to rank higher for, skip this step. Otherwise, you need to find a page that could rank higher for its target keyword.
Here’s an easy way to do this:
- Paste your domain into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer
- Go to the Organic keywords report
- Filter for rankings in positions 2–10
You should now see all keywords you rank for on the first page of Google, but not in position #1. All you have to do is choose one.
Here’s a tip: look for your main keyword targets for the corresponding page.
For example, our guide to learning SEO ranks in position #10 for “how long does it take to learn SEO.” But this isn’t the primary target keyword for the page, so it’s likely not the best one to try to improve rankings for.
Recommendation
If you don’t have any first-page rankings, try to rank higher for keywords on page two or three. It’s usually easier to improve rankings for pages that are already doing quite well. But if you don’t have any, improving rankings on page two or three is your best bet.
Search intent is the “why” behind the query. It’s why 90% of the top-ranking results for “air fryer” are blog posts and not sales pages. Google understands that searchers aren’t ready to buy. They want to compare products.
You need to align your page with search intent to stand the best chance at ranking.
We learned this the hard way when trying to rank for “backlink checker.”
Here’s the page we first created:
You can see that it explains how to check a site’s backlinks with Ahrefs and offers searchers a free trial.
This performed OK and ranked for years in positions #6–10—but it never cracked the top five.
In 2018, we realized this was a search intent issue. All the top-ranking pages for “backlink checker” were free tools.
To solve this, we added a free tool to the page. Almost overnight, the page shot to #1—and it’s been there ever since.
To see how well your page aligns with intent, check the top-ranking pages for the three Cs:
- Content type – Are they mainly blog posts, product, category, landing pages, or something else?
- Content format – Are they mainly tutorials, listicles, how-to guides, recipes, free tools, or something else?
- Content angle – Is there a dominant selling point, like low prices or how easy it is?
For example, all the top-ranking pages for “pancake recipe” are blog posts with recipes. And the dominant selling point is how easy they are to make.
Even if your content aligns with search intent, you may not be giving searchers everything they want. There may be subtopics they’re looking for and expecting you to cover.
For example, most top-ranking results for “how to write a press release” are how-to blog posts. This paints a clear picture of search intent.
But if you look at these posts, most of them include a template or links to templates.
Google likely knows that searchers value posts with templates more than those without, so you should probably include one if you want to rank higher for this keyword.
Here are a couple of ways to find subtopics to include in your content:
- Eyeball the top-ranking pages for commonalities – Pay particular attention to subheadings.
- Find keywords top-ranking pages rank for that you don’t – These often map to subtopics.
Here’s how to do the latter in Ahrefs’ Site Explorer:
- Paste your page into Site Explorer
- Go to the Content Gap report
- Paste in a few top-ranking URLs
For example, here’s what we get if we plug in our post about creating a go-to-market strategy.
Freshness is a query-dependent Google ranking factor. If searchers are likely to value updated content, Google ranks fresh pages higher.
For example, people value freshness when searching for “top google searches.” They want the most popular Google searches right now, not 10 years ago. That’s why rankings and traffic for our page drop when the content becomes stale and jump back up when we update the page.
If you’re unsure whether Google values freshness, check the dates on top-ranking pages.
For example, all top-ranking results for “best headphones” were updated recently. But many top-ranking results for “best parks in london” haven’t been updated for months or even years. This doesn’t matter because it’s not like new parks are built daily.
If freshness is important for your keyword, you may rank higher by refreshing your page.
Making the purpose and relevance of your page clear to Google and searchers is the job of on-page SEO. It’s the icing on the cake that highlights the work you put into matching intent and covering the topic in full.
Here are a few simple ways to improve your on-page SEO:
- Use H1–H6 tags to structure your content hierarchically – Google recommends this. Wrap your title in an H1, subheadings in H2s, sub-subheadings in H3s, etc.
- Use a short, descriptive URL – Google says simple URLs convey content information.
- Write a compelling title tag and meta description – This may help you get more clicks and send positive signals about your content to Google.
- Optimize your images – Google says to use brief but descriptive filenames and alt text. It’s also worth compressing images to improve page speed—which is a ranking factor.
- Polish your copy – Google says users enjoy content that’s well written and easy to follow. Use short paragraphs, good grammar, and proven copywriting techniques to keep readers engaged.
Learn more: On-Page SEO: Complete Beginner’s Guide
Internal links are links from one page on your website to another. They’re important because they’re how PageRank flows around your site. In other words, internal links boost a page’s authority and tell Google it’s important.
Here’s an easy way to find relevant internal link opportunities:
- Sign up for a free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools account
- Crawl your website with Site Audit
- Go to the Internal link opportunities tool
- Set the target URL to the page you want to rank higher
This tool takes all the keywords your target page ranks for in the top 100 and finds mentions of them on your site. It then suggests them as contextual internal link opportunities.
For example, suppose we set our guide to building a content marketing strategy as the target page. In that case, there are 13 potential internal link opportunities.
Here’s one of them:
Here, it’s suggesting that we internally link the phrase “content marketing strategy” in our list of content marketing tools.
Internally linking this phrase may help our post to rank higher.
If you don’t see any results in this report, it’s either because:
- Your target page doesn’t rank in the top 100 for any keywords.
- You don’t mention any of the keywords it ranks for on your site.
Either way, you can find opportunities in Google by searching for site:domain.com "".
For example, there are plenty of mentions of “content marketing strategy” on our blog.
Having many similar pages about the same thing is shooting yourself in the foot. That’s because backlinks get spread between pages and are a ranking factor. So you can end up with many weak pages instead of one strong enough to rank.
To solve this problem, redirect weaker pages about a topic to the strongest one. This consolidates backlinks and creates a page more capable of ranking.
To find pages on your site about the keyword you want to rank higher for, search Google for site:domain.com .
For example, our site has two very similar pages about meta keywords. We have a blog post explaining meta keywords and a glossary page that does the same thing.
Redirecting one of these to the other to consolidate backlinks may help us rank higher for this keyword. It creates one stronger page from two weaker pages.
Recommendation
Keep search intent in mind when doing this. If your pages fulfill different intents, redirecting may not be the best idea. This tactic is best when pages are very similar.
Backlinks are one of Google’s most important ranking factors. Andrey Lipattsev, a search quality senior strategist at Google, confirmed this in 2016.
Unfortunately, building high-quality backlinks is one of the most challenging parts of SEO. This is because it’s not something you can fully control. You have to create something worthy of earning backlinks, then convince people to link to you.
This is why it’s the final step in our process.
Here’s a good starting point if you’re new to link building:
- Paste a competing page into Site Explorer
- Go to the Backlinks report
- Look for backlinks you may be able to replicate
For example, let’s say we want to build links to our beginner’s guide to SEO. If we search Google for competing pages with the Ahrefs’ SEO Toolbar installed, we’ll find that one has links from over 14K referring domains.
According to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, here’s one of the pages it got a backlink from recently:
Looking at the referring page, it seems the link comes from a section listing three of the best SEO guides.
If we reach out to the author and introduce our beginner’s guide to SEO, there’s a chance they may add it to their page.
Rank tracking is the only way to know if your efforts to rank higher on Google are working.
Although you can do this for free by searching on Google, it isn’t usually reliable. This is because factors like location and search history can affect where you see a page ranking. Using a rank tracking tool like Ahrefs’ Rank Tracker is much more accurate.
You can track 10K keywords in this tool, but you only usually need to track the main keyword for each page.
Hit the graph caret next to any keyword in Rank Tracker to see its ranking progress over time.
Ranking high on Google for one keyword is great, but ranking high for many keywords is even better. So once you’ve followed this process for one keyword, repeat it for more.
You’ll rank higher for hundreds of keywords and get tons of organic traffic before you know it.
Final thoughts
You can do many things to rank higher on Google, but it makes sense to start with the easy ones that are within your control. If those don’t move the needle, invest in more challenging things like link building.
Give me a shout on Twitter if you have any questions.
SEO
How To Write ChatGPT Prompts To Get The Best Results
ChatGPT is a game changer in the field of SEO. This powerful language model can generate human-like content, making it an invaluable tool for SEO professionals.
However, the prompts you provide largely determine the quality of the output.
To unlock the full potential of ChatGPT and create content that resonates with your audience and search engines, writing effective prompts is crucial.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the art of writing prompts for ChatGPT, covering everything from basic techniques to advanced strategies for layering prompts and generating high-quality, SEO-friendly content.
Writing Prompts For ChatGPT
What Is A ChatGPT Prompt?
A ChatGPT prompt is an instruction or discussion topic a user provides for the ChatGPT AI model to respond to.
The prompt can be a question, statement, or any other stimulus to spark creativity, reflection, or engagement.
Users can use the prompt to generate ideas, share their thoughts, or start a conversation.
ChatGPT prompts are designed to be open-ended and can be customized based on the user’s preferences and interests.
How To Write Prompts For ChatGPT
Start by giving ChatGPT a writing prompt, such as, “Write a short story about a person who discovers they have a superpower.”
ChatGPT will then generate a response based on your prompt. Depending on the prompt’s complexity and the level of detail you requested, the answer may be a few sentences or several paragraphs long.
Use the ChatGPT-generated response as a starting point for your writing. You can take the ideas and concepts presented in the answer and expand upon them, adding your own unique spin to the story.
If you want to generate additional ideas, try asking ChatGPT follow-up questions related to your original prompt.
For example, you could ask, “What challenges might the person face in exploring their newfound superpower?” Or, “How might the person’s relationships with others be affected by their superpower?”
Remember that ChatGPT’s answers are generated by artificial intelligence and may not always be perfect or exactly what you want.
However, they can still be a great source of inspiration and help you start writing.
Must-Have GPTs Assistant
I recommend installing the WebBrowser Assistant created by the OpenAI Team. This tool allows you to add relevant Bing results to your ChatGPT prompts.
This assistant adds the first web results to your ChatGPT prompts for more accurate and up-to-date conversations.
It is very easy to install in only two clicks. (Click on Start Chat.)
For example, if I ask, “Who is Vincent Terrasi?,” ChatGPT has no answer.
With WebBrower Assistant, the assistant creates a new prompt with the first Bing results, and now ChatGPT knows who Vincent Terrasi is.
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023You can test other GPT assistants available in the GPTs search engine if you want to use Google results.
Master Reverse Prompt Engineering
ChatGPT can be an excellent tool for reverse engineering prompts because it generates natural and engaging responses to any given input.
By analyzing the prompts generated by ChatGPT, it is possible to gain insight into the model’s underlying thought processes and decision-making strategies.
One key benefit of using ChatGPT to reverse engineer prompts is that the model is highly transparent in its decision-making.
This means that the reasoning and logic behind each response can be traced, making it easier to understand how the model arrives at its conclusions.
Once you’ve done this a few times for different types of content, you’ll gain insight into crafting more effective prompts.
Prepare Your ChatGPT For Generating Prompts
First, activate the reverse prompt engineering.
- Type the following prompt: “Enable Reverse Prompt Engineering? By Reverse Prompt Engineering I mean creating a prompt from a given text.”
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023ChatGPT is now ready to generate your prompt. You can test the product description in a new chatbot session and evaluate the generated prompt.
- Type: “Create a very technical reverse prompt engineering template for a product description about iPhone 11.”
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023The result is amazing. You can test with a full text that you want to reproduce. Here is an example of a prompt for selling a Kindle on Amazon.
- Type: “Reverse Prompt engineer the following {product), capture the writing style and the length of the text :
product =”
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023I tested it on an SEJ blog post. Enjoy the analysis – it is excellent.
- Type: “Reverse Prompt engineer the following {text}, capture the tone and writing style of the {text} to include in the prompt :
text = all text coming from https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-bard-training-data/478941/”
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023But be careful not to use ChatGPT to generate your texts. It is just a personal assistant.
Go Deeper
Prompts and examples for SEO:
- Keyword research and content ideas prompt: “Provide a list of 20 long-tail keyword ideas related to ‘local SEO strategies’ along with brief content topic descriptions for each keyword.”
- Optimizing content for featured snippets prompt: “Write a 40-50 word paragraph optimized for the query ‘what is the featured snippet in Google search’ that could potentially earn the featured snippet.”
- Creating meta descriptions prompt: “Draft a compelling meta description for the following blog post title: ’10 Technical SEO Factors You Can’t Ignore in 2024′.”
Important Considerations:
- Always Fact-Check: While ChatGPT can be a helpful tool, it’s crucial to remember that it may generate inaccurate or fabricated information. Always verify any facts, statistics, or quotes generated by ChatGPT before incorporating them into your content.
- Maintain Control and Creativity: Use ChatGPT as a tool to assist your writing, not replace it. Don’t rely on it to do your thinking or create content from scratch. Your unique perspective and creativity are essential for producing high-quality, engaging content.
- Iteration is Key: Refine and revise the outputs generated by ChatGPT to ensure they align with your voice, style, and intended message.
Additional Prompts for Rewording and SEO:
– Rewrite this sentence to be more concise and impactful.
– Suggest alternative phrasing for this section to improve clarity.
– Identify opportunities to incorporate relevant internal and external links.
– Analyze the keyword density and suggest improvements for better SEO.
Remember, while ChatGPT can be a valuable tool, it’s essential to use it responsibly and maintain control over your content creation process.
Experiment And Refine Your Prompting Techniques
Writing effective prompts for ChatGPT is an essential skill for any SEO professional who wants to harness the power of AI-generated content.
Hopefully, the insights and examples shared in this article can inspire you and help guide you to crafting stronger prompts that yield high-quality content.
Remember to experiment with layering prompts, iterating on the output, and continually refining your prompting techniques.
This will help you stay ahead of the curve in the ever-changing world of SEO.
More resources:
Featured Image: Tapati Rinchumrus/Shutterstock
SEO
Measuring Content Impact Across The Customer Journey
Understanding the impact of your content at every touchpoint of the customer journey is essential – but that’s easier said than done. From attracting potential leads to nurturing them into loyal customers, there are many touchpoints to look into.
So how do you identify and take advantage of these opportunities for growth?
Watch this on-demand webinar and learn a comprehensive approach for measuring the value of your content initiatives, so you can optimize resource allocation for maximum impact.
You’ll learn:
- Fresh methods for measuring your content’s impact.
- Fascinating insights using first-touch attribution, and how it differs from the usual last-touch perspective.
- Ways to persuade decision-makers to invest in more content by showcasing its value convincingly.
With Bill Franklin and Oliver Tani of DAC Group, we unravel the nuances of attribution modeling, emphasizing the significance of layering first-touch and last-touch attribution within your measurement strategy.
Check out these insights to help you craft compelling content tailored to each stage, using an approach rooted in first-hand experience to ensure your content resonates.
Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or new to content measurement, this webinar promises valuable insights and actionable tactics to elevate your SEO game and optimize your content initiatives for success.
View the slides below or check out the full webinar for all the details.
SEO
How to Find and Use Competitor Keywords
Competitor keywords are the keywords your rivals rank for in Google’s search results. They may rank organically or pay for Google Ads to rank in the paid results.
Knowing your competitors’ keywords is the easiest form of keyword research. If your competitors rank for or target particular keywords, it might be worth it for you to target them, too.
There is no way to see your competitors’ keywords without a tool like Ahrefs, which has a database of keywords and the sites that rank for them. As far as we know, Ahrefs has the biggest database of these keywords.
How to find all the keywords your competitor ranks for
- Go to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer
- Enter your competitor’s domain
- Go to the Organic keywords report
The report is sorted by traffic to show you the keywords sending your competitor the most visits. For example, Mailchimp gets most of its organic traffic from the keyword “mailchimp.”
Since you’re unlikely to rank for your competitor’s brand, you might want to exclude branded keywords from the report. You can do this by adding a Keyword > Doesn’t contain filter. In this example, we’ll filter out keywords containing “mailchimp” or any potential misspellings:
If you’re a new brand competing with one that’s established, you might also want to look for popular low-difficulty keywords. You can do this by setting the Volume filter to a minimum of 500 and the KD filter to a maximum of 10.
How to find keywords your competitor ranks for, but you don’t
- Go to Competitive Analysis
- Enter your domain in the This target doesn’t rank for section
- Enter your competitor’s domain in the But these competitors do section
Hit “Show keyword opportunities,” and you’ll see all the keywords your competitor ranks for, but you don’t.
You can also add a Volume and KD filter to find popular, low-difficulty keywords in this report.
How to find keywords multiple competitors rank for, but you don’t
- Go to Competitive Analysis
- Enter your domain in the This target doesn’t rank for section
- Enter the domains of multiple competitors in the But these competitors do section
You’ll see all the keywords that at least one of these competitors ranks for, but you don’t.
You can also narrow the list down to keywords that all competitors rank for. Click on the Competitors’ positions filter and choose All 3 competitors:
- Go to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer
- Enter your competitor’s domain
- Go to the Paid keywords report
This report shows you the keywords your competitors are targeting via Google Ads.
Since your competitor is paying for traffic from these keywords, it may indicate that they’re profitable for them—and could be for you, too.
You know what keywords your competitors are ranking for or bidding on. But what do you do with them? There are basically three options.
1. Create pages to target these keywords
You can only rank for keywords if you have content about them. So, the most straightforward thing you can do for competitors’ keywords you want to rank for is to create pages to target them.
However, before you do this, it’s worth clustering your competitor’s keywords by Parent Topic. This will group keywords that mean the same or similar things so you can target them all with one page.
Here’s how to do that:
- Export your competitor’s keywords, either from the Organic Keywords or Content Gap report
- Paste them into Keywords Explorer
- Click the “Clusters by Parent Topic” tab
For example, MailChimp ranks for keywords like “what is digital marketing” and “digital marketing definition.” These and many others get clustered under the Parent Topic of “digital marketing” because people searching for them are all looking for the same thing: a definition of digital marketing. You only need to create one page to potentially rank for all these keywords.
2. Optimize existing content by filling subtopics
You don’t always need to create new content to rank for competitors’ keywords. Sometimes, you can optimize the content you already have to rank for them.
How do you know which keywords you can do this for? Try this:
- Export your competitor’s keywords
- Paste them into Keywords Explorer
- Click the “Clusters by Parent Topic” tab
- Look for Parent Topics you already have content about
For example, if we analyze our competitor, we can see that seven keywords they rank for fall under the Parent Topic of “press release template.”
If we search our site, we see that we already have a page about this topic.
If we click the caret and check the keywords in the cluster, we see keywords like “press release example” and “press release format.”
To rank for the keywords in the cluster, we can probably optimize the page we already have by adding sections about the subtopics of “press release examples” and “press release format.”
3. Target these keywords with Google Ads
Paid keywords are the simplest—look through the report and see if there are any relevant keywords you might want to target, too.
For example, Mailchimp is bidding for the keyword “how to create a newsletter.”
If you’re ConvertKit, you may also want to target this keyword since it’s relevant.
If you decide to target the same keyword via Google Ads, you can hover over the magnifying glass to see the ads your competitor is using.
You can also see the landing page your competitor directs ad traffic to under the URL column.
Learn more
Check out more tutorials on how to do competitor keyword analysis:
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