SEO TIPS to rank higher on Google

1. Stop guessing what to write about

The biggest content mistake I see founders make: writing about what they wish people searched for.

There's a faster way. Pull up your top three competitors and look at which of their pages actually drive organic traffic. Those pages are proof of demand — someone already validated the topic for you.

Your job isn't to be original about topic selection. It's to be better on execution. Take a proven topic, add the insight only you have, and publish something more useful than what's ranking.

Every competitor page that ranks is a blueprint someone left lying around. Pick it up.

2. The five-minute trick that gets your posts indexed the same day

You published a new article. Now what — wait for Google to find it?

No. Go tell Google it exists.

Open Google Search Console, paste your new URL into URL Inspection, and click "Request Indexing." That's it. Most pages get indexed the same day instead of sitting invisible for weeks.

I'm always surprised how many founders skip this. It costs nothing, takes two minutes, and it's the difference between your content working for you today versus next month.

3. Your easiest SEO wins are hiding on page two

Before you write anything new, check what's almost working.

In Google Search Console, export your keyword data and look for pages ranking in positions 8–20. These are pages Google already likes — they just need a nudge.

The nudge: internal links. Find your stronger, related pages and link from them to the almost-ranking page. You're passing authority you already own to the content that needs it.

New content takes months to rank. A page sitting at position 11 can move to page one in weeks.

4. One layout change that made readers stay 2.6x longer

Pat Walls ran A/B tests on Starter Story and found something almost embarrassingly simple: adding a table of contents or a TL;DR at the top of each article multiplied session duration by 2.6x.

Why does that matter for SEO? Because when people stay on your page instead of bouncing back to Google, that's a signal your content answered the question.

Readers don't want to commit to your article blind. Show them the map first, and they'll take the journey.

Ten minutes of formatting. Try it on your top five posts this week.

5. The backlink strategy with a 60% success rate

Most backlink outreach gets ignored because you're asking for a favor.

Broken link building flips that — you're doing one.

Here's how it works: find high-authority sites linking to your competitors' dead (404) pages. Email the site owner, let them know they're linking to a page that no longer exists, and suggest your relevant content as the replacement.

They fix a broken link on their site. You earn a quality backlink. Nobody had to be begged.

This kind of outreach converts at roughly 60% — because you led with value instead of a request.

6. Find guest posting opportunities with one search

Want backlinks without paying for them? Google has a built-in directory of sites that are literally asking for your content.

Search this: intitle:"write for us" {your industry}

Every result is a site actively soliciting guest posts. Check the domain authority, pick the strongest ones, and send a short pitch: who you are, what specific topic you'd cover, and why their audience would care.

Don't blast a hundred sites with the same email. Pick five great ones and write each pitch like you actually read their blog. Because you should.