There are about 8.5 billion searches on Google every single day, but 75% of people scrolling through the search engine never go past the first page. 

If your shop isn't showing up on the first page of the search results, then you might not get many visits despite so many people using Google every day. 

So how do you get people to engage with your website, and how do you improve your rank on Google?

It's simple, really, with search engine optimization (SEO) and some helpful tips from the experts! 

SEO is designed to get your website seen online by your target audience. By improving your SEO, you'll be able to push your website to the top of the search results, where it'll get noticed by potential clients. 

Of course, Google is constantly updating and changing its algorithm. So even if your website was previously optimized for search engines, it might be time to refresh it. 

Today we'll show you how to improve your auto restoration and performance shop's rank on Google and how you can keep your audience engaged longer with your website's content. 

Dive into these 7 easy tips to improve your SEO and online presence. 

 1. Create high-quality content for your website

Publishing high-quality content on your website that has valuable information and provides your audience with the answers to their questions is one of the best ways to:

• Attract clients
• Keep your audience engaged
• Get approval from Google
• Get your website ranked at the top of the search results

Why?

Because every time a new blog is added to your website, there's a new page indexed on Google, and a new opportunity to rank for keywords and phrases pops up. 

The more informative content you post to your website, the more you'll be seen as the expert, and the more Google will recognize you as an authority. 

If you want to write content that ranks on Google, be sure to:

• Choose relevant topics - always make sure the title and content are relevant to your niche and are something your clients want to read. 
• Do in-depth keyword research - make sure you know what keywords are ranking for your topics, and be sure to include them in your article. 
• Make it easy to read and digest - if your content is easy to read, more people will read it and stay on your website, making you look more trustworthy to Google. 
• Update your blog regularly - SEO is a long game, so you must keep your blog updated with new content.
• Stay on top of trends - look at the trends in the auto performance industry, and what your competitors are writing about so you can take advantage of opportunities to attract new clients. 

Don't forget your website copy!

It's essential to update your blog as regularly as possible but also update your website content. 

If it's been a while since you gave your website copy some love, then now is the time to enhance it. Do in-depth keyword research and rewrite your content to include these new keywords in your headings, body text, meta titles, and descriptions. 

2. Build links from reputable sources

Building links for your website is a fantastic way to get your website noticed by Google and get your site boosted to the top spot on the search results. 

What is link building?

Getting backlinks is when your website is linked to from another trustworthy website in your industry. 

When your website is linked to on another industry site, Google sees this as a recommendation. It notices that you're a trustworthy website and pushes your site to the top of the search results. 

How do you build links for your shop's website?

One of the best ways to build links is to get in touch with other companies, shops, bloggers, publishers, event websites, and online magazines and enquire about getting linked on their sites. 

You can request them to link to your website on their site or blog post, and they might happily do it for you. But, 9/10 times, they'll probably want a link in return, and some might even charge you a fee. 

Links from reputable sites are like gold; they will improve your ranking because it shows Google you're a credible shop to work with. 

3. Optimize your website’s performance

No matter how many strategies you try to improve your SEO, if your website isn't performing the way it should, then you won't keep your visitors engaged. 

Your website might be hitting the top of Google for specific keywords, but if it fails to keep the attention of your clients, then you're in big trouble. 

Before improving your SEO, ensure your website is optimized for usability and user-friendliness.

You can enhance your website's performance by:

• Improving the loading speed
• Having an easy-to-use navigation 
• Creating easy-to-read content
• Making clear calls to action 
• Making it easy to contact you 
• Clearly outlining your products and service
  
  

4. Use images and videos

Your visitors are more likely to stay on your site for longer and engage with your content if you have images and videos mixed in with your written text. 

Breaking up long walls of content with images, graphics, videos, and even statistics is a great way to make your content easier to read. 

The longer your visitors stay on your website, the more Google will see you provide valuable content to its users. When Google sees this, it'll boost your website to the top of the search results page. 

Top Tip: You should also optimize your images with alt tags and videos with a title and description. This helps your website rank and improves usability, especially for people using screen readers and assistive technology. 

5. Take advantage of social media

Social media is incredibly beneficial to your shop's online presence. Not only will it drive traffic to your website, but it also helps position you as a trustworthy shop to work with. 

The best way to get people to visit your website using social media is by linking and sharing your latest blog posts and articles. This provides your followers with valuable content, encouraging them to check out your blog. 

You can also link to your shop's website in your bio or about section. Most social media platforms have a space dedicated to connecting a website. 

Increasing traffic to your website with the help of social media will prove to Google you're a trustworthy company.

6. Make sure your website is mobile responsive

Most people these days surf the web using their phones or tablets. With this in mind, your website should be mobile-responsive, or you'll lose potential clients. 

Think about it this way: if you're surfing the web on your phone and you open a website only to find it won't load or it's too hard to navigate, you'll most likely leave almost immediately. So will your customers.

This high bounce rate will affect your ranking on Google, so you’re losing potential clients and lowering your ranking on the search engine. 

Make sure your website is easy to use on mobile devices; if not, contact your developer as soon as possible to make necessary updates! 

7. Monitor your ranking

There's absolutely no point in trying to improve your ranking on Google if you're not keeping track of it. If you don't monitor your ranking, how will you know if you're achieving your goals?

Over time your ranking might fluctuate or drop. By staying on top of this, you'll be able to react quickly to keep your website ahead of your competitors. 

Try using tools like SERPWatcher or Rank Tracker to keep on top of your ranking, or head over to Google Search Console to check on it manually. 

We hope our blog has helped you learn how to improve your website's ranking on Google and keep your audience engaged with your content. 

If your website is in need of an update or you want some help improving your ranking, then the team at Motorhead Digital is here to help. 

We have years of experience helping automotive aftermarket restoration, performance, or race shops get the clients they deserve with custom digital marketing strategies and website design. 

Improve your ranking with help from our team by getting in touch today.