Have you tried everything to reach page one for that oh-so-important keyword phrase, to no avail? Over time, publishing original, informative, sharable, interesting content may land you where you want to be, but is Adwords your only hope for reaching page one of Google now? Actually, it isn’t.
I would never, ever condone black hat tactics. As a copywriter, I am a staunch advocate of content marketing, the legitimate way to rank high. However, there is more than one kind of content. In addition to text, content includes images and videos.
The secret I’m about to reveal requires preparation and close monitoring, or it’s just a shot in the dark. I highly recommend you do your research, analyze your Google Analytics and WordPress statistics, make sure your text is well optimized for search, and then try this…
Get comfortable in front of your computer, then:
- From the dropdown menu to the right of your Google search bar, select Incognito Page.
- You should see a little computer spy in the left, upper corner of your browser.
- Now, type that coveted, impossible-to-rank-for keyword phrase into the browser.
- Your competitors – er, colleagues – will show up in Google search results on page one.
- Now, click over to VIDEOS from the navigation menu at the top of the results page.
- What’s listed there? (write down listings or print page)
- Click over to IMAGES from the navigation menu.
- What’s listed there? (write down listings or print page)
Example of Potential Backdoor Route
When I type in Dallas Dentist, under VIDEOS, a news clip holds position one. It’s about a dentist building a waterpark in his backyard. Second, there’s a legal matter about a dentist. Third, a cosmetic dentist’s video is listed, then another two news videos.
Under IMAGES, there are some dentists’ photos, a few website banners, and stock photographs. Note that stock images are duplicate content, and Google knows it. If you post original photos, optimized for your coveted keyword phrase, they’re more likely to rank high than stock images, according to what we know about Google’s algorithm.
The competition for the keyword phrase Dallas Dentist, under both VIDEOS and IMAGES, isn’t nearly as competitive as it is under WEB search results. Now, your potential patients may not be likely to click over to VIDEOS and IMAGES when searching for a dentist. That’s true. However, if you show up high in Google Search for videos and images, your website can earn credit with Google. Ultimately, ranking high for VIDEOS and IMAGES could help your website reach page one under WEB results.
What to Do First
Before adding videos or unique image to your SEO strategy, make sure that your website is well optimized. Videos and photos won’t help much if your site is in bad shape, in terms of SEO. Internet marketing should happen in phases, much like big-case dentistry.
First, address the underlying problems, like duplicate content, lack of metadata, not enough content, poor site organization, poor user experience, lack of a blog with weekly posts, and reputation management. Once you’ve handled these issues, work on credible incoming links, social media profile integration, and guest blogging. Then, for an addition boost, you can try videos and images.
All along the way, track 1) traffic and 2) rankings for important keyword phrases. Make sure your site is rising in the rankings as you build your marketing strategy. With time, attention, and lots of effort, you can build a stellar online reputation and rank on page one for all of your keyword phrases.
