How to Get Your Blog to Rank on Google in 2022
Google is changing again. Here is how to get your blog to rank on Google in 2022.
In this article – Top 5 Tips for Ranking Blog Posts in 2022
- Do more targeted keyword research
- Answer the question first
- Use ‘question’ keywords
- Run a survey
- Write better content
Yes, I know, it can feel like Google changes its mind more than a toddler at snack time. Just when you’ve gotten the hang of Google’s ranking system and algorithm, it pivots. And you’re left wondering how you’re ever going to achieve, or maintain, those highly coveted and revenue-generating top spots in the search results.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Here’s my top tips on how to get your blog to rank on Google in 2022.
How Google is Changing
Our goal has always been to get onto page one of a Google search (because this is where your potential customers and clients will find you). But it’s just getting harder.
When you run a Google search today, depending on the keyword you use, you might find no organic company listings at all.
That’s not a typo.
No. Organic. Company. Listings.
Instead, you might find:
- A few paid ads.
- An ‘answer’ to your query (pulled out of an organic listing)
- The ‘People also ask’ section
- Video content
- Blog posts
- The ‘Related searches’ section
But what is conspicuously absent is any company listings.
Example
Let’s take the example of a simple search for ‘deck cleaning and oiling’. Here’s what happens when you run that search in Google:
First, you’ll find some ads.
Next you’ll find an excerpted answer to your question.
Then it’s the ‘People also ask’ section.
Next… it’s videos.
Then, it’s blog posts.
Next you find images.
More ads….
And finally… related searches.
But what’s missing? Organic company listings.*
What Does It Mean?
What this means is that potential real estate for ranking your actual company pages is getting less and less available.
In this age of video and innovative social media platforms, blog writing continues to be important.
OK, so an SEO copywriter might always spruik that line, but it’s frankly true. In fact, it’s been reported that a massive 77% of internet users read blogs and typically, websites that have a blog have 434% more indexed pages. Those are some big numbers!
In addition, blog writing will become increasingly important as Google seeks to be the almighty one providing all the answers. It’s vital to remember that GOOGLE IS A BUSINESS. And just like any business, they want their users to stay on their site and not go off clicking on other sites. They understand that if they can offer the answer a user is searching for right on the search results page, then there’s no reason for users to be redirected elsewhere.
So websites that answer users’ questions in accessible and easy to understand ways will be promoted in Google’s rankings. But you’ll only have a few key opportunities to get onto page one. Here are five tips to help that happen.
5 Tips for Ranking Blog Posts in 2022
Tip 1: Do more targeted keyword research
Most keywords won’t give you the right opportunities to rank for your company. When we look at the above ‘deck cleaning and oiling’ search for example, we can see that most of the videos, blog posts and other content ranking on page one aren’t actually for companies that clean and oil decks.
However, if you optimise for ‘deck cleaning services’, you get a far better result. In this case, you’ll get a bunch of ads at the top, followed by the local pack (the top three organic local-only listings in your area), the ‘People also ask’ section, a decent number of organic listings for companies, a few more ads and the ‘Related searches’ section at the bottom.
What’s the lesson? The more you can target your ranking keywords the better business results you can achieve.
Read more: 7 Easy and Actionable SEO Techniques You Can Implement Today
Tip 2: Answer the question first
Google wants to be able to pull out a bullet point answer list or a paragraph of answers that it can feature as a snippet on its site. So start your blog post by giving the answers to the keyword question in the easiest and most accessible way possible.
If you remember back to the start of this post, we listed the five tips for ranking blog posts in 2022 first up, before diving into each one for a more in-depth explanation. This kind of concise feature will help Google to pull out the key information to respond to a search query. And when Google finds it easy to do that, it increases our chances of appearing in a featured snippet.
Tip 3: Use ‘question’ keywords
Another way to nab a featured snippet on Google, is by using a ‘question’ keyword. When questions are typed into the Google search bar, the results page will often show a featured snippet at the top of the page. A featured snippet will of course boost the chances that someone will click on your site over another.
It’s no secret that users’ search requests are changing – not only are they becoming more specific, but they’re also favouring long form questions. Think ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘why’ and ‘how’. This is partly down to users being more savvy as they search for specific information. And it’s partly down to our use of voice search – Siri or Alexa, for example. Either way, a question keyword will get you highly specific users who are searching for highly specific answers, and you should aim to be the one to give those answers to them.
Tip 4: Run a survey
Surveys are a great way to find out what your readers and subscribers want. Instead of guessing, you just ask them – what do they want to read or see, and what are they interested in? You’ll get honest feedback and you’ll be able to tailor your blog posts in a truly responsive way.
Alternatively, you can simply poll your community. Find your own data and then use it to answer the question. The use of data and research will always help your site to rank better.
Tip 5: Write better content
Easier said than done, but the fact is your blog post needs to be better than your competitors. That’s the only way to grab a featured snippet, gain respect and authority in your industry and convert more Google searchers to customers.
You can’t just write 200 words and call it a day. You must produce at least 800–1000 words of well-researched and well-written copy. You need to compile data and make actionable suggestions, which gives your reader great value. Remember, your reader is investing in you with their time. You need to invest in them as well by giving them valuable content.
How to Get Your Blog to Rank on Google – The Good News
The good news is there’s still a lot of space to get top ranking blogs. You just have to make it a priority and put in the work. Of course you don’t need to do it all yourself. Outsourcing to experts is always an excellent choice.
I’d love to help you with your blog writing strategy. Get in touch!
*Of course, your particular search may look slightly different to mine since Google’s algorithm will customise your responses.
