How Can I Get My Website to Show Up on Google?

“Will my website show up on Google?” is one of the most common questions I get about website design projects—and understandably so. If you’re investing in a new site design, you probably want people to see your new site!

My answer to this usually goes something like, “I input basic SEO features like page descriptions and image keywords, though I am not an SEO expert, so if search engine ranking is important to you I’d love to refer you to an SEO professional.”

The reason I don’t offer SEO services is because they involve an entirely different skill set than design, and a big investment of time and research to be done properly.

It’s important to know that simply designing a site and publishing it on the Internet won’t get you found—sometimes even if someone Googles your exact business name! There are so many factors involved in showing up in search engines. In this post I want to break down what SEO is, what impacts your rankings online, and how to find a great SEO professional to help you.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is the process of increasing your website’s visibility when people search for the things you offer on sites like Google.

One common misconception is that SEO is a thing you can just “do” once and be done with. There are loads of SEO providers out there who say they will “go in and do your SEO,” which often means stuffing your site with keywords that your audience might be searching for. Keyword research is important, and this may get you a few more views in the short term, but long-term this alone doesn’t do much.

Many of these providers will also focus on only immediate fixes to your website, like site speed and image optimization, and fixate on only these things. These quicker fixes are known as “technical SEO.” Don’t get me wrong, these things are important, too, and if your site is too slow and buggy then that can harm your rankings. But again, these will have a minimal impact if other important factors are ignored. There are actually over 200 factors that Google considers in its rankings.

So what is important for SEO?

Content

One of the biggest factors affecting search engine rankings is content—its quality, its length, its structure, and how often it’s updated. If the content on your site is relevant, helpful, clear, and original, Google knows that it will be more valuable to people and gives it a boost. Further, the more people visit your site and read that valuable content, the more “popular” your site appears to Google.

This is why things like consistent blogging and regularly updating the information on your website are so helpful. If your site is just sitting there with no new content added for months, it essentially looks like a “dead” site to Google.

Valuable content also needs to be properly formatted and long enough. Of course clarity is important and you shouldn’t ramble on and on, but if there’s not enough text on your pages, Google will consider your site too sparse. All significant pages should have at least 300 words, while 600-700 is optimal. And in fact, Google generally ranks well-structured pages with 2,000+ words highest.

When it comes to keywords, their value is in thorough and intentional keyword research that is specific to your business and your ideal customers. This means understanding what your audience searches for and incorporating it into your content. Keyword stuffing (or forcing a bunch of keywords into your text in a clunky way) is a detriment, but finding ways to incorporate meaningful keywords naturally is a boost.

Mobile compatibility and page structure

58% of website visits are on mobile phones.1 For this reason, it’s imperative that your website translates properly to mobile view. If text gets too small or information gets cut off on a phone, that’s a no-no for Google.

Proper structure means proper use of headings and page layout. Not only does proper structure create a more positive experience for your website visitors, but Google rewards this, as well. A professional web designer (hello! 🙂) will take care that your site is laid out in a way that is approachable for both customers and search engines.

Backlinks

Backlinks are links to your website pages from other high-ranking websites that are relevant to your work and industry. Google prioritizes websites with strong backlinks because this tells Google that other valuable sites trust your website and find your content important enough to send their audience to.

It’s important to emphasize “relevance to your work and industry” in these sites—even if they are smaller sites—over giant directories that are very general and easy to list on.

This is one reason building relationships is so important for your business. Partnerships, collaborations, and community groups are all great opportunities to refer website visitors back and forth. Building relationships requires more legwork than simply adding keywords to image descriptions, but is a lot more authentic with a longer-lasting payoff.

Off-page SEO

Did you know that your content on other platforms can also impact your website’s SEO? Giving attention to your Google Business Profile, social media, and things like podcasts and events can be rewarded by Google, as well. This is called “off-page SEO,” since it is “off” your website. Backlinks (mentioned above) are a form of off-page SEO, too.

Developing strategies with other platforms can actually increase the authority and relevance of your own website when it comes to search engines. This is why it’s important to look at your SEO in the context of a larger marketing plan.

What to look for in an SEO professional

I know this sounds like an awful lot to think about. That’s why I can’t stress enough how immensely helpful it is to work with a marketing professional when it comes to your SEO. Just as a professional web designer will maximize the positive experience visitors have on your website, an SEO pro will maximize your ability to reach as much of your ideal audience as possible, and get them to visit that beautiful new website design.

Because the most important SEO factors rely on research, intentionality, and long-term strategy, you want to look for an SEO partner that thinks big-picture.

• Look for someone who:

  • Talks about SEO in the larger context of strategic digital marketing

  • Has a long-term plan and tells you that it may take time for you to start seeing results

  • Understands the need to get to know you, your business, and your audience on an intimate level in order to “do” your SEO

  • Takes the time to understand your business’s goals with growth and revenue, because different goals require different strategies

• Steer away from anyone who:

  • Offers a once-and-done solution, such as a flat fee to “go in and optimize everything,” without providing you with a long-term plan or suggestions for the future

  • Tells you you’ll see immediate results, or promises to get you on page 1 of Google

  • Does not take the time to talk with you on a consultation call about their process

  • Doesn’t bring up the importance of consistent quality content

  • Bases your solution on general information about your industry instead of specifics about your business and goals

My hope is that this post clears up some misconceptions about SEO services. As I mentioned, I’m a web design expert, not an SEO expert, and that’s why I consulted with actual SEO experts Sarah Moon Co. before publishing this article. Sarah and Andrea fact-checked everything and provided a few pointers to help me ensure I’m providing accurate and valuable info for you.

Sarah Moon and her team specialize in movement marketing and human-centered SEO for change-making brands. Their strategic framework is highly customized with long-term planning that is aligned with your abilities and your goals.

Sarah’s weekly newsletter is also probably the best newsletter I subscribe to. It’s a breath of fresh air in my inbox, and chock-full of ethical marketing wisdom and tips, so I highly recommend subscribing! (And she didn’t ask me to plug her newsletter; I truly wanted to because it’s so valuable!)

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If you’re ready to take the next steps with custom website design or branding, please reach out! I’d love to hear about your business and goals.

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