How to Improve Website Ranking: 6 Steps That Actually Work in 2026

Let’s be real—watching your website sit on page 5 of Google while your competitors dominate page 1 is frustrating. You’ve probably tried a bunch of random tactics, maybe even hired someone who promised quick results, and here you are still wondering why nobody can find your business online.

Here’s the thing: improving your website ranking isn’t rocket science, but it does require doing the right things in the right order. No magic tricks, no shady shortcuts that’ll get you penalized. Just solid, proven steps that actually move the needle.

In this guide, I’m going to walk you through exactly how to boost your website’s search ranking—step by step. Whether you’re a plumber trying to get more local calls or a lawyer looking for more clients, these steps work across the board. Ready to stop being invisible online? Let’s dive in.

Step 1: Run a Quick Site Health Check (Find What’s Broken First)

Think of this like taking your car to the mechanic before a road trip. You wouldn’t start a cross-country drive with a check engine light on, right? Same deal with your website.

Start by setting up Google Search Console if you haven’t already. It’s completely free and gives you a direct line to how Google sees your site. Once you’re in, head straight to the “Coverage” section. This shows you which pages Google can actually find and index, and which ones are having issues.

Look for red flags like “Submitted URL not found” or “Server error.” These are pages you think are live but Google can’t access them. Fix these first because if Google can’t crawl a page, it definitely can’t rank it.

Next up: site speed. Head over to PageSpeed Insights and run your homepage through it. If you’re scoring below 50 on mobile, you’ve got problems. Slow sites don’t just annoy visitors—they actively hurt your rankings. Google’s made it crystal clear that page speed matters.

Common speed killers? Massive uncompressed images, too many plugins, and bloated code. The good news is PageSpeed Insights tells you exactly what’s slowing you down.

While you’re in detective mode, scan for broken links using a free tool like Broken Link Checker. Dead links create a terrible user experience and signal to Google that your site isn’t being maintained. Same goes for missing meta descriptions—they’re like leaving price tags off products in a store.

Check for duplicate content too. If you’ve got the same paragraph showing up on multiple pages, Google gets confused about which page to rank. Pick one page to be the authoritative version and make the others unique.

Success indicator: You should have zero critical errors in Search Console, a site speed score above 70 on mobile, and no broken links or duplicate content issues. Once you hit this baseline, you’re ready to move forward.

Step 2: Nail Your Keyword Strategy (Stop Guessing What People Search)

Here’s where most people screw up. They write content about what they think people are searching for instead of what people actually type into Google. It’s like opening a restaurant that only serves food you like instead of what your customers want to eat.

Start by putting yourself in your customer’s shoes. What problems are they trying to solve? What questions are they asking? If you’re a plumber, people aren’t searching for “comprehensive plumbing solutions”—they’re typing “leaky faucet won’t stop dripping” at 2am.

Use Google’s free tools to your advantage. Type your main service into Google and look at the autocomplete suggestions. Those are real searches from real people. Scroll to the bottom of the results page and check out “Related searches”—more gold right there.

The “People Also Ask” boxes are treasure troves. These show you the exact questions people are asking related to your topic. Answer these questions on your site and you’re speaking Google’s language.

Focus on long-tail keywords—those longer, more specific phrases. Yeah, “plumber” gets searched more than “emergency plumber for burst pipes in Austin,” but guess which one converts better? The specific one. Plus, it’s way easier to rank for.

Here’s a critical rule: one primary keyword per page. Don’t try to rank for “plumber,” “plumbing services,” “drain cleaning,” and “water heater repair” all on your homepage. That’s keyword cannibalization and it confuses Google about what your page is actually about.

Create separate pages for each main service or topic. Your homepage targets your brand and main service category. Individual service pages target specific keywords. Blog posts target question-based keywords.

Success indicator: You should have a clear keyword mapped to each important page on your site, and those keywords should reflect actual search terms your customers use, not industry jargon you made up.

Step 3: Optimize Your On-Page Elements (The Stuff Google Actually Reads)

Alright, you’ve got your keywords. Now you need to put them where Google can see them. This isn’t about keyword stuffing—it’s about clear communication.

Your title tag is the most important on-page element. It’s what shows up as the blue clickable link in search results. Keep it under 60 characters or Google cuts it off with those annoying ellipses. Include your primary keyword near the beginning, but make it readable for humans first.

Bad title: “Services | ABC Plumbing Company | Plumbing”

Good title: “Emergency Plumber Austin | 24/7 Burst Pipe Repair”

See the difference? The good one tells both Google and humans exactly what they’ll find on that page.

Your meta description doesn’t directly impact rankings, but it absolutely affects whether people click on your result. Think of it as your ad copy in search results. You’ve got about 155 characters to convince someone your page has what they need.

Use header tags to structure your content logically. Your H1 should be your main page heading—only one per page. Use H2s for major sections, H3s for subsections under those. This helps Google understand the hierarchy of information on your page.

Don’t sleep on image optimization. Every image on your site should have descriptive alt text. Not only does this help visually impaired users, but it’s also how Google “sees” your images. Instead of “IMG_1234.jpg,” use “leaky-faucet-repair-austin-plumber.jpg” and write alt text like “plumber repairing a leaky kitchen faucet.”

Make sure your URLs are clean and descriptive too. “yoursite.com/services/emergency-plumbing” is way better than “yoursite.com/page?id=1234.”

Success indicator: Every page on your site should have a unique, optimized title tag and meta description, proper header structure, and descriptive alt text on all images. No duplicate titles, no missing descriptions.

Step 4: Create Content That Actually Helps People (Not Just Google)

Here’s the truth bomb: Google’s gotten really good at figuring out whether your content is actually useful or just SEO fluff. The days of gaming the system with keyword-stuffed garbage are over.

The content that ranks now is content that genuinely helps people. Think about the questions your customers ask you all the time. Those annoying repeat questions? Turn each one into a piece of content.

If you’re a lawyer and everyone asks “How long does a personal injury case take?” write a comprehensive article answering that question. Don’t just give a one-sentence answer—dig into why timelines vary, what factors affect them, and what people can expect at each stage.

Comprehensive beats superficial every time. A 2,000-word guide that thoroughly covers a topic will outrank ten 200-word fluff pieces. But here’s the catch: those 2,000 words better be valuable. No filler, no repeating the same point five different ways.

Structure your content for how people actually read online—which is to say, they scan. Use short paragraphs, clear subheadings, and bullet points when listing things. Make it easy for someone to skim and find exactly what they need.

Here’s a pro move for 2026: structure your content to answer questions directly and concisely. Google’s Gemini AI and featured snippets love content that provides clear, direct answers. Start sections with the question as a heading, then answer it in the first paragraph before diving deeper.

Don’t forget to update old content. That blog post you wrote three years ago about “2023 marketing trends”? Either update it or delete it. Stale content doesn’t help anyone, and Google knows it. Go through your existing content quarterly and refresh anything that’s gone outdated.

Add new information, update statistics, remove outdated advice, and republish with a new date. Google rewards sites that keep their content current.

Success indicator: Your content should be getting engagement—people spending time on the page, sharing it, linking to it. If you’re seeing high bounce rates and low time on page, your content isn’t hitting the mark no matter how well it’s optimized.

Step 5: Build Your Local and Technical Foundation

If you’re a local business and you haven’t claimed your Google Business Profile, you’re basically invisible. Stop reading right now and do that first. Seriously, I’ll wait.

Your Google Business Profile is free advertising in local search results and Google Maps. Fill out every single section completely. Add your hours, services, photos, and respond to reviews. The more complete your profile, the more Google trusts it. If you’re struggling with visibility in map results, understanding how to improve Google Maps ranking can make a significant difference for your local business.

Upload real photos of your business, your team, your work. Not stock photos—Google can tell the difference and so can customers. Add new photos regularly. It signals that your business is active and engaged.

Make sure your site is mobile-friendly. Most searches happen on phones now, and Google primarily uses your mobile site for ranking. Test your site on your actual phone. Can you easily tap buttons? Is text readable without zooming? Does everything load properly?

Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check. If your site fails, fixing it isn’t optional—it’s urgent.

Now let’s talk schema markup. This is structured data that helps search engines understand what your content is about. It’s what enables those rich results in search—star ratings, FAQ sections, event details, product prices.

You don’t need to be a coder to add schema. Tools like Schema.org provide the formats, and many website platforms have plugins that add it for you. At minimum, add Organization schema to your homepage and Local Business schema if you have a physical location.

Fix your site structure so Google can crawl everything easily. Your most important pages should be no more than three clicks from your homepage. Create a logical hierarchy: homepage → service categories → individual services. Use internal links to connect related pages.

Submit an XML sitemap to Google Search Console. This is basically a roadmap of your site that helps Google find and index all your pages efficiently.

Success indicator: You should see rich results showing up in search for your business, your Google Business Profile should be 100% complete with recent photos and reviews, and your site should score well on mobile usability tests.

Step 6: Earn Quality Backlinks (The Right Way)

Backlinks are still a major ranking factor, but the game has changed. It’s not about quantity anymore—it’s about quality and relevance. One link from a respected industry site beats 100 links from random directories.

Think of backlinks as votes of confidence. When another site links to yours, they’re telling Google “this content is worth checking out.” But Google’s smart enough to know that not all votes are equal.

Focus on getting links from sites that are relevant to your industry. If you’re a local plumber, a link from your local chamber of commerce or a local news site covering a community project you worked on is gold. A link from a random tech blog in another country? Worthless.

Create content that people naturally want to link to. Comprehensive guides, original research, useful tools, or unique insights all attract links. If you survey your customers and publish the results, local media might cover it. That’s a quality backlink.

Reach out to business partners and industry associations you’re already connected with. If you’re a member of a professional organization, make sure they link to your site from their member directory. If you’ve done work for other businesses, ask if they’d be willing to mention you in a case study or testimonial.

Local link building is often easier than you think. Sponsor a little league team, participate in community events, partner with complementary businesses. These relationships naturally lead to links from local websites. For service businesses like auto shops, implementing local SEO strategies alongside link building creates a powerful combination for attracting nearby customers.

Here’s what NOT to do: don’t buy links, don’t participate in link exchanges or link schemes, and don’t spam comment sections with your URL. Google’s gotten incredibly good at detecting these tactics, and the penalty isn’t worth it. You’ll tank your rankings worse than if you’d done nothing.

Success indicator: You should see a gradual, steady increase in referring domains over time. Check Google Search Console’s “Links” section to monitor this. Quality over quantity—a few links from authoritative, relevant sites matter more than dozens from sketchy directories.

Putting It All Together: Your Ranking Improvement Checklist

Look, improving your website ranking isn’t an overnight thing. Anyone who promises you page one results in a week is either lying or using tactics that’ll get you penalized. But if you follow these steps consistently, you will see improvement.

Start with the foundation—fix what’s broken, optimize what you have, and create content that actually helps your customers. Then build on that foundation with local optimization and quality backlinks.

The key is consistency. Check your Search Console monthly. Update your content quarterly. Monitor your rankings and adjust your strategy based on what’s working.

Here’s your action checklist to get started today:

Week 1: Set up Google Search Console and run your site health check. Fix any critical errors, broken links, and speed issues.

Week 2: Do your keyword research and map keywords to your existing pages. Identify content gaps where you need new pages.

Week 3: Optimize your on-page elements—titles, meta descriptions, headers, and image alt text for your most important pages.

Week 4: Claim and fully optimize your Google Business Profile. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly and add basic schema markup. Healthcare providers like optometrists and doctors can benefit from industry-specific approaches—check out resources on SEO for doctors to see how medical practices are adapting these strategies.

Ongoing: Create one piece of quality content per week. Reach out to one potential link partner per week. Update old content monthly.

Remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. The businesses that win are the ones that play the long game with quality content and genuine value. Once you’ve nailed the basics, you can focus on improving your website conversion rate to turn that increased traffic into actual customers.

Need help implementing these strategies or want someone to handle the technical stuff while you focus on running your business? That’s exactly what we do. Learn more about our services and how we help small businesses get found online without the BS or hidden fees. We’re a Google Partner agency that focuses on marketing that actually converts—not just traffic that looks good on a report.

Your competitors are probably still stuck on page 5 trying to figure this stuff out. Now you’ve got the roadmap to leave them behind.