How To Rank a New Website on Google: Full Strategy

Introduction

When you first set up a new website, you may be excited for all the traffic to come. But then, no traffic comes.

Why? Because your website pages do not rank on Google.

This is a common issue our link building service clients initially face. But never fear—we have helped many clients overcome this issue with a complete link building service and strategy! If you need backlinks for your website, head over to our services page and let us help you!

In this guide, we will take you through the full strategy to get your website ranking on Google. Whilst results may vary based on many factors, such as your website’s niche, content quality etc. This blueprint strategy should provide you with an excellent start!

How To Rank a New Website on Google – Summary

• Start link building early: Aim for about 20 dofollow links from niche-relevant sites.
• Produce content consistently: Create blog posts with a well-thought-out content strategy, targeting around 30 pieces of quality content.
• Optimize site speed and performance: Ensure your site has reasonable speed and performance—world-class speed isn’t necessary, but it should be sufficient for user satisfaction.
• Focus on user experience (UX): A solid UX ensures better user engagement, which Google monitors to evaluate your site’s quality.

Start Building Backlinks To Your Website – Aim For 20 Niche Relevant Dofollow Links

Backlinks are links from other sites linking to you. They are hugely important because they serve as a major ranking factor Google uses as “votes” to estimate the trustworthiness and authority of your website.

Google itself specifies that backlinks are a key ranking factor. Moreover, we see the effectiveness of backlinks with our clients all the time. Check out our case study where we used backlinks to increase a client’s traffic by over six times!

How many backlinks do you need?

• The number of backlinks you need depends on the competitiveness of your website’s niche.
  • Competitive Niches include:
    • Health & Wellness: Weight loss programs, supplements, fitness plans.
    • Technology: Consumer electronics, software solutions, tech gadgets.
    • Finance: Credit cards, personal loans, insurance, cryptocurrency.
    • Real Estate: Home buying and selling, luxury properties.
    • E-commerce: Fashion, electronics, dropshipping products.
    • Education: Online courses, test preparation (e.g., GMAT, GRE, SAT).
    • Travel: Luxury travel, destination reviews, airline ticketing.
  • Less Competitive Niches include:
    • Local Services: Handyman services, regional catering.
    • Hobbies: Model trains, knitting patterns, gardening tools.
    • DIY Projects: Upcycling furniture, home improvement tips.
    • Regional Travel: Small-town tourism, local guides.
    • Unique Pets: Care for exotic animals (e.g., hedgehogs, ferrets).
    • Niche Tech: Open-source software communities, Raspberry Pi projects.
    • Health Sub-Niches: Menopause remedies, specific allergy solutions.
• Building 20 quality backlinks from niche-relevant sites with existing authority and traffic is a great starting point, even for sites in the more competitive niches.
• Many SEOs will claim you need thousands of links to outrank your competitors. This is not true. What you need are a few high-quality backlinks combined with a strong content strategy.

How to identify quality backlinks?

1. Relevance: Ensure the webpage where you want to place your backlink is relevant to your niche. Ideally, the entire site would be related to your niche, but as long as the individual page is, that’s a good start.
2. Legitimacy: Make sure the website is a real, legitimate site. Avoid black hat techniques such as private blog networks (PBNs).
3. Backlink profile: It’s ideal if the site has a good backlink profile itself. Tools like Ahrefs provide metrics such as Domain Authority, which can help you evaluate a site’s credibility. While these metrics aren’t perfect and can be gamed, authoritative sites with strong backlink profiles will pass on more ranking power (“link juice”).
4. Traffic: Sites with a healthy amount of traffic are generally ranked and trusted by Google. Use third-party tools like Similarweb to estimate a site’s traffic. Aim for sites with over 500 monthly visits, and ideally over 1,000.

How do you get backlinks?

Now that you understand the importance of backlinks and how to identify quality ones, how do you acquire them?

• Check out our guide on the most effective ways to get backlinks for a new website.
• For those needing backlinks quickly, we also have an in-depth guide on the fastest ways to acquire backlinks.
• Link building can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, so consider outsourcing the work to our team at The SEO Corner.

Key Strategies to Acquire Backlinks:

Here are the key strategies you may wish to employ to build links for your new website.

1. Guest Posting:
   • Reach out to niche-relevant blogs and offer to write high-quality articles in exchange for a backlink.
   • Ensure your guest posts provide real value to readers and include your link naturally within the content.
2. Influencer Partnerships:
   • Collaborate with influencers or thought leaders in your industry to mention your website in their content.
   • This can be in the form of reviews, shoutouts, or even co-created content.
3. Creating Link-Worthy Content:
   • Produce content that others want to link to, such as in-depth guides, case studies, or unique infographics.
   • Focus on evergreen content that remains relevant over time.
4. Broken Link Building:
   • Find broken links on relevant websites and offer your content as a replacement.
   • Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify broken links in your niche.
5. Resource Page Outreach:
   • Many websites have resource pages where they link to helpful tools and articles. Reach out to these sites with your relevant content.
6. Skyscraper Technique:
   • Find top-performing content in your niche, create something even better, and reach out to sites linking to the original content.
7. Directory Submissions:
   • Submit your website to high-quality, niche-specific directories.
   • Avoid spammy directories; focus on legitimate, well-curated ones.
8. Social Media and Community Engagement:
   • Share your content on social media and participate in forums or communities where your audience hangs out.
   • Engage authentically and provide value before pitching your links.

By implementing these strategies, you can systematically build a strong backlink profile to boost your site’s authority and search engine rankings. The key is to ensure you are acquiring high quality backlinks. To understand more on how to find such quality backlink opportunities, we have an article just for you!

Produce Content Such As Blog Posts – Aim For 30 Pieces of Unique, Quality Content

Having content is a key aspect of ranking your website on Google. Well-thought-out content and a solid content strategy signal your expertise on the topic and provide authority in Google’s eyes. This, in turn, boosts your rankings alongside backlinks.

Additionally, writing content on topics related to your niche gives your site an opportunity to rank for many additional keywords and search terms that your initial pages may not rank for. You can then use this content to refer to the pages you want to drive traffic to.

What is a good content strategy?

• Cluster your content: Organize your content around relevant topics. For example, if you’re writing about the best dog food, you could add articles about the best dog food for older dogs, puppies, etc. Make sure to interlink the content with internal links to strengthen its structure.

• Target less competitive terms initially: Focus on long-tail keywords, which are longer and more specific terms. For example, instead of trying to rank for “best lawnmower,” aim for “best lawnmower for older people.” These terms are easier to rank for and attract a more specific audience.

How much content should you produce?

• Initially, aim for 30 pieces of quality content covering the key topics you wish to rank for. Unless your niche is extremely competitive, this—combined with backlinks—should help your site start ranking well on Google.
• In general, your site authority will grow with consistent content production and backlinks. Focus on quality over quantity; avoid producing “thin” or low-quality content.

What topics should you cover?

• Cover topics that are relevant to your site niche and that you can realistically rank for. For example, a pet niche site could cover topics like dog food, pet training tips, or health advice for specific animals.
• Ensure the topics complement the purpose of your website. This way, you attract traffic that is relevant to your site. For example, if your site is a travel agency specializing in Mediterranean trips, focus on content addressing common questions Mediterranean tourists have to draw them to your website.

By implementing a thoughtful content strategy, you will improve your site’s rankings, increase your authority, and attract a steady stream of organic traffic.

Ensure Your Site Performance and Speed Is Solid – Aim For a Load Time Under 3 Seconds

40% of visitors will leave a website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. This is why it is absolutely key to make sure your site speed is up to scratch. Bad user experience can definitely impact your Google rankings.

How to Check Your Site Speed

A good way to check your site speed is via Google PageSpeed Insights. The main metric you want to look at is the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which indicates how long it takes for most of your content on the page to load. Aim to keep your LCP under 3 seconds.

If your site takes longer than 3 seconds to load, follow the recommendations provided by PageSpeed Insights. These recommendations often include optimizing images, enabling compression, and reducing unnecessary scripts.

Factors Affecting Site Speed

1. Hosting Quality:
   • The quality of your hosting service has a huge impact on your site speed. A good hosting provider can help you achieve excellent speeds with minimal optimization.
   • Conversely, a poor hosting service may make it difficult to achieve the desired speed even with extensive optimization efforts.
   • Solution: Invest in a reputable hosting service that emphasizes performance and reliability. Look for hosting providers with solid reviews and features like SSD storage and CDN integration.
2. Web Builder and Themes:
   • The web builder and WordPress theme you use can significantly impact site performance. Some themes and builders include excessive code or unnecessary features that slow down your site.
   • Solution: Opt for lightweight, performance-optimized themes and builders. Conduct research on performance benchmarks before committing to one.
3. Image Optimization:
   • Large image files are one of the leading causes of slow loading times.
   • Solution: Use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to compress images before uploading. Consider using next-gen formats like WebP for further improvements.
4. Unnecessary Scripts and Plugins:
   • Too many plugins or poorly coded scripts can bog down your site.
   • Solution: Audit your plugins and remove any that are redundant or underperforming. Minimize the use of third-party scripts and only include what is absolutely necessary.
5. Caching:
   • Lack of proper caching can lead to slower load times, especially for repeat visitors.
   • Solution: Implement a caching solution like WP Rocket or use server-level caching options provided by your host.
6. Content Delivery Network (CDN):
   • If your website caters to a global audience, distance from servers can increase load times.
   • Solution: Use a CDN to deliver content faster to users by utilizing multiple data centers around the world.

Why Speed Matters

Fast-loading sites not only reduce bounce rates but also improve user satisfaction, which Google factors into rankings. By addressing these factors and optimizing your site speed, you create a better user experience and improve your chances of ranking higher in search results.

Ensure a Satisfying User Experience

User experience (UX) and how users interact with your website can significantly influence Google rankings. A positive UX encourages longer user engagement and lower bounce rates, both of which signal to Google that your site is valuable.

Why UX Matters

When users find the answers they’re looking for quickly and your site is easy to navigate, they are more likely to stay on your page longer and explore further. Google interprets these actions as indicators of high-quality content and ranks your site higher in search results.

Tips for Improving User Experience

1. Clear Navigation:
   • Ensure your website has a simple, intuitive navigation structure. Users should be able to find what they need in just a few clicks.
   • Use a well-structured menu and include a search bar for convenience.
2. Mobile Responsiveness:
   • With the majority of web traffic now coming from mobile devices, ensure your website is mobile-friendly.
   • Test your site’s mobile usability with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and make adjustments as needed.
3. Fast Loading Times:
   • As mentioned earlier, site speed is a critical aspect of UX. Ensure your pages load quickly to keep users engaged.
4. Readable Content:
   • Use clear fonts, proper formatting, and sufficient white space to make your content easy to read.
   • Break up long paragraphs with headings, bullet points, and visuals.
5. Engaging Visuals:
   • Incorporate high-quality images, videos, and graphics to make your site visually appealing.
   • Ensure these elements are optimized to avoid slowing down your site.
6. Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons:
   • Use clear and compelling CTAs to guide users to take desired actions, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.
7. Error-Free Functionality:
   • Regularly test your website for broken links, missing images, or malfunctioning buttons to ensure a seamless experience.

By focusing on user experience, you not only improve your Google rankings but also create a site that visitors will want to return to and recommend to others.

FAQs

How long does it take Google to index a new website?

A few factors can impact this. If you request indexing of your pages via Google Search Console, your page may be indexed overnight or within two days. Without this step, it can take up to 3 months in some cases. Ensure you request indexing for every key page you add!

How do I tell Google about a new website?

The easiest way to inform Google about your new website is via Google Search Console. Use the URL Inspection tool, input the URL you wish to index, and request indexing. This puts your URL into Google’s priority crawling queue and often results in overnight indexing.

How long does it take for a new website to rank on Google?

This depends on various factors, such as how well you execute your SEO strategy, your site’s performance, and the competitiveness of your niche. Most websites can achieve meaningful rankings within 3–6 months. To speed up the process, focus on backlinks and consistent content production.

Can a new website rank on Google?

Absolutely! In most niches, you’ll need around 20 quality backlinks and 30 pieces of quality content to rank a new website. We have helped many clients achieve this via link building, as showcased in our case study where traffic to client’s new website increased over sixfold.

Conclusion

Ranking a new website on Google may seem challenging at first, but with the right strategy, it’s entirely achievable. Focus on building high-quality backlinks, creating engaging and relevant content, optimizing your site’s speed and performance, and delivering a seamless user experience. These foundational elements not only boost your visibility on Google but also establish your site as a trusted authority in your niche.

Remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency, patience, and a commitment to best practices will pay off in the long run. If you need expert guidance or support, The SEO Corner is here to help you every step of the way. Let’s work together to get your website ranking and driving the traffic it deserves!