As a blogger always on the lookout for ways to improve my website’s search engine optimization (SEO), I recently stumbled upon a video titled “How to Rank #1 in Google (How to Sprint Faster) | #4.”
The video promised to share an exact process for ranking number one in Google for the keyword phrase “how to sprint faster,” and I was intrigued.
The video’s creator, a marketing expert, dove into the nitty-gritty details of analyzing the competition, assessing keyword difficulty, and crafting high-quality content that would satisfy the user’s intent.
The video was full of valuable insights and actionable tips, and I knew I had to share what I had learned with my readers.
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- The video discusses how to rank #1 in Google for the keyword “how to sprint faster”.
- A low keyword difficulty (KD) doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good keyword to target.
- It’s important to analyze the search results on Google manually, as they can provide insights into the competition and potential opportunities.
- YouTube also presents a significant opportunity to rank for the keyword and capture more SERP real estate.
- The key to being successful in a relatively competitive keyword is to come up with a unique angle while still satisfying the intent.
Ranking number one in Google is the ultimate goal for any website or business. But how do you achieve it?
In this video, the speaker (Nathan Gotch) walks us through the exact process he would use to rank number one in Google for the keyword phrase “how to sprint faster.”
Step 1: Evaluate the Keyword Difficulty
Nathan uses a tool called Ahrefs Keyword Explorer to determine the keyword difficulty for “how to sprint faster.”
The tool indicates a keyword difficulty of four and informational intent. He also notes that it’s important to understand the intent behind the keyword, as it informs the type of content you should create.
In this case, the keyword has informational intent and is likely at the top of the funnel.
The speaker cautions against simply targeting keywords with low difficulty, as there are other factors to consider when determining if a keyword is worth targeting. However, in this case, the keyword looks promising with decent volume and traffic potential, as well as opportunities to build topical authority by creating other assets to support the primary asset.
Step 2: Analyze the Search Results on Google Manually
When Nathan does this for “how to sprint faster,” he immediately notices that the number one result is a featured snippet.
This indicates an opportunity to steal the featured snippet from the current top ranking result.
Additionally, the speaker notes that there is a video pack that’s pushing down the third result, making it important to also consider ranking in YouTube in addition to Google.
Step 3: Evaluate the Competition
Once you have decided to target a keyword, the next step is to analyze the competition.
In the video, the presenter suggests using Ahrefs to analyze the competition, but you can use any SEO tool that you are comfortable with.
To further understand the competition, he exports the search results from Ahrefs and analyzes them in a Google sheet.
He does this in two phases: quantitative and qualitative analysis.
In the quantitative analysis, he looks at metrics such as title, domain rating, referring domains, word count, content score, on-page SEO score, and number of images.
Nathan notes that the first five results have the exact keyword phrase in the title, indicating that it’s important to get the exact keyword in the title.
Additionally, there are two competitors that are doing things pretty well: wikiHow and Athlete’s Forge.
WikiHow is by far the best page with good content, great visuals, and great videos. Athlete’s Forge has a decent page but a low domain rating.
In the qualitative analysis, the speaker looks at the content itself and notes areas for improvement. For example, he suggests that the meta description should include the primary keyword and that it should be mentioned in the first sentence of the content.
He also notes that some pages have too many images, which can be bad for user experience if they push the content too far down the page.
Step 4: Come Up with a Unique Angle
To be successful in a relatively competitive keyword, it’s important to come up with a unique angle while still satisfying the intent
While every page currently ranking for “how to sprint faster” is a guide or how-to post, the speaker suggests adding a little spice or humor to stand out.
He also recommends leveraging other people’s names to drive more clicks and interest in the content.
Step 5: Optimize for YouTube
Finally, it’s important not to neglect YouTube as a platform to rank for the keyword and capture more SERP real estate.
In our example, we identified that the top-performing videos for the keyword had millions of views, presenting a significant opportunity for visibility and brand building.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
Creating Content and Building Links
Once you have analyzed your competitors and identified opportunities, the next step is to create content and build links.
Nathan advises creating content that satisfies the search intent behind the keyword. For example, if the keyword has informational intent, you should create a comprehensive guide or tutorial. If the keyword has commercial intent, you should create a product page or landing page.
In addition to creating great content, you also need to build links. He suggests using a variety of link building strategies such as guest posting, broken link building, and resource page link building.
When building links, it is important to focus on quality rather than quantity. A few high-quality links from authoritative websites are more valuable than many low-quality links from spammy websites.
Conclusion
Ranking #1 in Google for a particular keyword requires a lot of hard work and dedication. You need to understand your target audience, identify the right keywords, analyze your competition, create great content, and build high-quality links. Watch the video to understand everything in depth!
