How to get your business to the top of Google search

Dominating Google search results, in a given niche, is of great value to any business. But many businesses struggle to publish great content with sufficient SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and social influence to make an impact on Google search results.

Believe it or not, so many businesses get blogging, Internet marketing, social media, and SEO wrong, that with a little bit of effort you can start generating decent Website traffic and make money online.

Blogging, Internet marketing, PPC advertising, and social media marketing sound great on paper, but they're practically worthless if not done correctly.

So, if your blog or website has so far failed to generate a positive ROI (Return on Investment), or doesn't drive reasonable volumes of organic search traffic, then it's time to change strategy.

This article will provide a minimum viable content marketing and SEO strategy that should get your business to the top of Google SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) as quickly as possible, with the least amount of investment in time, effort and cost.

The minimum viable investment in SEO for business

The good news is that, despite the sheer number of competitors online, so many do a poor job that there is always a gap to exploit when it comes to capturing the highest search rankings for relevant search terms on Google.

All you need is a bit of focus.

1. How much is getting to the top of Google search results worth to your business?

Knowing the answer to this is important because it tells you how much you should be prepared to risk in terms of investing time, effort and money in getting there.

To learn more about quantifying the value of Google search, SEO and SEM, read How to implement a financially viable SEO strategy.

2. What niche SEO terms and phrases do you need to go after?

It's pointless generating reams of blog content that doesn't speak directly to potential customers. Your content could be written by Hemingway and still be useless (from a business perspective) if it isn't focused, relevant, and sprinkled with target SEO keywords.

Learn more about SEO and content by reading:

• How to get the best SEO results?
• 5 expert SEO tips to dominate Google search
• 5 top SEO tips from Wikipedia

3. Is your Website of sufficient quality to convert traffic?
How fast is your page execution time. How long does it take for a page to fire the onload event? What is your conversion rate? What is your bounce rate?

Driving traffic is not only about content. It's also about the quality of the browsing experience. Google takes this seriously. It monitors things like page speed, bounce rate, referrals and backlinks. All of these are indicators of quality, which affect how well your content ranks in organic search results.

SEO and content marketing is not a trivial exercise. That is why so many businesses get it wrong, and that is why there is scope for companies that get it right to dominate - regardless of whether they are big or small.

Part of being smart about SEO, content and dominating Google search is recognizing when to call in an expert, or at least consult with an expert. Read 5 reasons why hiring a top SEO consultant is crucial for small business.

4. What does it take to top Google search?
Getting to the top of Google search is not something that can be measured in absolute terms.

It's not possible to guarantee first place for each and every SEO keyword you would like to dominate on Google. However, it is possible to guarantee that you won't succeed without delivering high quality, relevant, SEO content.

Don't be put off though. WSM4B competes against some of the biggest and most established business and entrepreneurship websites in the world, and still dominates some competitive and valuable SEO keywords on Google, like:

• marketing ideas for small business
• best small business software
• local seo tips
• online business ideas 2012

The great thing about getting to the point where you can dominate Google search results through content and SEO is that the sky is the limit. You learn how to pick juicy targets and capture them to drive more and more business.

The effect of great SEO is also self fulfilling. The more you dominate Google search, the more likely it is that people find you and talk about you, leading to better quality signals and higher page rankings, which leads to more organic search traffic.

5. What is the least amount of work required to reach your SEO targets?
The short answer is to:

1. look at who dominates the search phrases you want
2. analyze what they have done well, and poorly
3. do it better

What determines how much work it takes to get the results you want is how well you do your research, and how well you focus your efforts on delivering content to disrupt the organic search status quo.

Find the right people to consult with (Don't be afraid to take advice. If you knew everything, you would already be dominating Google search). Work with them to create targets and deliver content and marketing to meet those targets.

You'll start seeing results possibly in the short term (a few weeks), but most likely in the medium term (a few months). Once you do start dominating Google search results for your business, you'll find the Website traffic arriving at your site to be targeted, high converting, and long lasting.

Has your business been able to make an impact in Google search? Have you hired an SEO who has been a) effective, or b) useless? What tactics have you tried to get to the top of organic search results?

Share your business SEO tips, advice and experiences in the comments.