How to Rank Your Website at the Top of Google with Proper SEO?

The truth is simple: No matter how much time and money you’ve invested in your website, if it doesn’t appear among the top results on Google or any other search engine you’re targeting, it’s almost as if it doesn’t exist.

If your site ranks too low, one of the first steps you should take is to optimize your content for search engines, known as SEO. SEO is the tool that makes a site “visible” to your target audience right at the moment they’re searching for a solution.

So let’s look at simple steps and practical examples of how you can improve your website’s SEO to boost your ranking.

But first, before diving into the actions you need to take, it’s important to understand how a search engine works and evaluates your website. We’ll use the functionality of the most popular search engine, Google, as our base.

Google uses automated explorers called web crawlers that “scan” the internet to discover and evaluate content. The process begins with crawling, where the crawlers visit a website by following internal and external links to map the entire structure of the site. Next comes indexing, during which the page’s content is stored in Google’s index, provided it meets technical and quality standards. The crawlers assess the HTML structure, clarity of information, use of titles (H1, H2, etc.), meta tags, and the presence of structured data. They also check mobile usability, page load speed, HTTPS availability, and signs of low-quality or deceptive SEO practices (like keyword stuffing).

Additionally, they track how many backlinks the page has and from which sources, as this indicates trustworthiness. All this data, along with signals related to user experience, feeds Google’s algorithm, which ranks the page based on its overall quality and relevance to the search query.

So how can you improve your website to rise in these rankings?

Start by targeting the right keywords with your content
Everything begins with what people are searching for. Find keywords that are relevant to your product and to what people are specifically searching for. Once you’ve compiled a list of your keywords, make sure to include them:

In page titles
In your site text
In image alt texts
In URLs (e.g., www.toxenodoxeio.gr/romantic-getaway instead of /page1?id=43)

Pro Tip: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or SEMrush to identify high-demand, low-competition phrases and conduct focused research.

Create high-quality and useful content
Google loves useful content. Articles, guides, FAQs, comparison charts—all help build a trustworthy image and add value for the user visiting your site.

Also, creating helpful content that users want to read extends the time they spend on your site, which is a positive indicator for search engines.

For example: If you run a hotel, you could create themed articles like:

“What to do on a 3-day trip to Parga”
“Guide to family vacations with kids on the island”

Ensure your website loads quickly and is responsive
As mentioned, a primary goal of search engines is to provide the best user experience. Two major factors that influence user experience are your site’s speed and its adaptability.

Ideally, each page on your site should load in under 3 seconds, and the content and all elements should adapt to any type and size of screen.

So make sure every page is optimized to prevent users from abandoning your site within the first few seconds.

Strengthen your site with backlinks
Getting recommended by another trustworthy site acts like a “vote of confidence” for Google. Seek partnerships, blog features, directory listings, etc., to gain backlinks from credible sources.

For example, continuing with the hotel example: If your hotel is featured on a major tourism blog with a link to your website, it boosts your credibility and gives your site momentum.

Keep your content updated frequently
Google rewards sites that are active and up to date. That’s why you should update your old pages regularly, add new articles, and remove useless or outdated content that no longer provides value to users.

SEO requires strategy and patience to achieve the results you want and elevate your website in the rankings.