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Keywords or Page Speed: What's more important for your search engine rankings?

Published by The Good Marketer

Did you know that 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine query and that people rarely go to the second page to find what they are looking for?

Clearly, to be discoverable, you have to be on Page 1 of Google. Not easy, but entirely worth it. This puts Search Engine Optimisation among the MUST-DO marketing activities.

SEO is a complex and competitive field that requires constant nurturing, and no matter what they say, there are no DIY options. If you want to use it to drive business bottom lines upwards, then we recommend working with a reputed digital marketing agency from the day you make your website live.

To do SEO well, you have to focus on one truth: For Google, users are GODs. Hence, they balance two main points: relevance and user experience. Google wants people to find the information they are looking for and enjoy interacting with the website that provides it!

Broadly, SEO rankings are impacted by the following factors:

• Keyword Optimisation
• Website Loading Speed
• High-quality Content
• Backlinks
• Search Intent and Content Relevancy
• Mobile Friendliness
• Domain Authority
• Website Structure
• Website Security
• On-page Experience

While all these factors play an important part, the ‘gateway factors’ that get users to visit and stay on a website - keyword optimisation and page speed – are especially vital. Let’s understand their role in driving websites to the top of the search rankings.

Keyword Optimisation

The first thing a user does on Google is type in a search query asking for information. These words allow Google to find relevant web pages and display a list. Naturally, if your website has the same keywords as the query, you have a shot at making it to Page 1 of the search result. All good in theory, right? However, it’s a bit (or a lot) more complicated than that!

Google’s algorithm not only matches keywords but also considers frequency, location, and the relevance of the surrounding text. This helps the search engine understand the context of keyword usage and determine the page’s relevance to the user’s query.

Page Speed

Page speed refers to how quickly your website reacts and works for the users. For example, if a user finds the right website but is unable to view it quickly enough, he or she will lose interest, hit the back button, and try something else.

Keywords vs. page speed: which one should you prioritise?

Think of Google as a map! Without the directions and street names, i.e., ‘keywords’, you will not be able to get to your destination. But once you have the right directions, you also need a tanked-up fast car, aka ‘Page Speed’, to get there. A broken-down jalopy will get you to your goal, but late and stressed.

It is not a question of either-or; both are equally important and play different roles in the search journey. Keywords get users to your website, and page speed is one of the key factors in getting them to engage more.

Establish relevance through keyword optimisation

Keywords allow Google’s algorithm to determine what your content is about and the purpose of your website. Without well-ranked and well-matched keywords (both primary and secondary), even the best website will remain dark and distant.

2 Basic Steps Towards Keyword Optimisation

1. Research the keywords your users are looking for. While several online tools can give you enough data-backed insights into your industry keywords, we recommend auditing your competitors’ websites and reaching out with a survey to uncover search journeys from some key customer groups.

2. Once you have a list of your main keywords, make sure to use them intelligently in your content, as well as in titles, headings, meta descriptions, title tags, and more. Add related keywords to your body content as well.

Give the users a positive experience with page speed

Once you have been presented to the user as a likely source of information and they are convinced to enter your domain, it is up to the webpage to ensure the user has a pleasant time on the site. Apart from content, navigation, and design, one of the key factors for providing a good user experience is page speed. The average page speed of a first-page Google result is 1.65 seconds, and according to a report by Portent, sites that load in 1 second have 3x higher conversion rates.

Choosing a performance-optimised hosting solution, keeping your web page light with compressed images and videos, reducing redirects and HTTP requests, and caching your web pages are just some of the ways page speed can be kept fast.

Working Together to Build a Strong SEO

SEO is not about one or two variables that can be tweaked to benefit your business; when you are in a constant race to align with Google’s algorithm, EVERYTHING is important. You need to bring together a cohesive blend of content quality, technical finesse, strategic keywords, swift page speed, and more to fight for your space on Page 1.

If all this seems a tad daunting, then remember that you don’t have to do it on your own. Get in touch with our team of experts to outsource your SEO worries.

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