{"id":157996,"date":"2023-04-26T00:10:02","date_gmt":"2023-04-26T05:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=157996"},"modified":"2024-03-20T07:45:39","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T12:45:39","slug":"how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get on the First Page of Google"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">If you rank on page two of Google or beyond, you\u2019re practically invisible.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, almost all of the traffic to our blog comes from first-page Google rankings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1924\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/first-page-rankings-traffic.png\" alt=\"93% of our blog traffic comes from first-page Google rankings\n\" class=\"wp-image-158053\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/first-page-rankings-traffic.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/first-page-rankings-traffic-353x425.png 353w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/first-page-rankings-traffic-768x924.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/first-page-rankings-traffic-1277x1536.png 1277w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, nobody can guarantee first-page Google rankings. But you can improve your chances of getting them by following a logical process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here it&nbsp;is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"3504\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google.png\" alt=\"How to get on the first page of Google\n\" class=\"wp-image-158055\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google-194x425.png 194w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google-768x1682.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google-701x1536.png 701w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google-935x2048.png 935w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s go through it step by&nbsp;step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div> If you run a local business, read <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/local-seo\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/local-seo\/\">our guide to local SEO<\/a> instead because there are two main ways to rank on the first&nbsp;page.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"1. Make sure your page aligns with search intent\" data-section=\"search-intent\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Make sure your page aligns with search intent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google wants to rank the type of pages that searchers are looking for. Unless your page aligns with the searcher\u2019s intent, it\u2019ll be near impossible to rank on the first&nbsp;page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, it\u2019s impossible to say for sure what searchers want. But as the point of Google is to rank the most relevant results, you can get a good idea by looking for the most common <em>type<\/em>, <em>format<\/em>, and <em>angle<\/em> of the pages ranking on page&nbsp;one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content type<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The results you see ranking on the first page will usually be one of&nbsp;these:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Blog posts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interactive tools<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Videos<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Product pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Category pages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, all first-page results for \u201cdays between dates\u201d are interactive calculators:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"979\" height=\"627\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image17.gif\" alt=\"A few of the interactive calculators ranking on the first page for &quot;days between dates&quot;\n\" class=\"wp-image-158058\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For \u201csweaters,\u201d they\u2019re all e-commerce category pages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1162\" height=\"829\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image21.gif\" alt=\"A few of the e-commerce category pages ranking on the first page for &quot;sweaters&quot;\n\" class=\"wp-image-158061\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/202a5b36-e324-4244-8368-786116a1d623\" alt><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content format<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This applies mainly to blog posts. If you\u2019re mainly seeing this content type on the first page, check to see which of these formats appears the&nbsp;most:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Step-by-step tutorials (i.e., how to do&nbsp;x)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Listicles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Opinion pieces<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Comparisons (e.g., x vs.&nbsp;y)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, you can tell that most results for \u201chow to get on the first page of google\u201d are step-by-step tutorials from the page titles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1382\" height=\"908\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image27-3.png\" alt=\"Examples of &quot;how to&quot; guides ranking on the first page for &quot;how to get on the first page of google&quot;\n\" class=\"wp-image-158064\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image27-3.png 1382w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image27-3-647x425.png 647w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image27-3-768x505.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1382px) 100vw, 1382px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For \u201cbest chrome extensions for seo,\u201d on the other hand, they\u2019re mostly listicles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1388\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image18-6.png\" alt=\"Examples of listicles ranking on the first page for &quot;best chrome extensions for seo&quot;\n\" class=\"wp-image-158065\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image18-6.png 1388w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image18-6-655x425.png 655w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image18-6-768x498.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1388px) 100vw, 1388px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content angle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is harder to quantify than <em>type<\/em> and <em>format<\/em>, but it\u2019s basically the most common unique selling proposition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, almost all first-page results for \u201cbest savings account\u201d have 2023 in their titles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1420\" height=\"914\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image12-9.png\" alt=\"Examples of fresh results on the first page for &quot;best savings account&quot;\n\" class=\"wp-image-158067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image12-9.png 1420w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image12-9-660x425.png 660w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image12-9-260x166.png 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image12-9-768x494.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1420px) 100vw, 1420px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This indicates that searchers are looking for fresh information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, most first-page results for \u201cblogging tips and tricks\u201d are aimed at beginners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1414\" height=\"1020\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image16-9.png\" alt=\"Examples of beginners' guides on the first page for &quot;blogging tips and tricks&quot;\n\" class=\"wp-image-158069\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image16-9.png 1414w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image16-9-589x425.png 589w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image16-9-768x554.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1414px) 100vw, 1414px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Can\u2019t align your page with search intent?<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s best to switch gears and target a more relevant keyword. If you try to force an irrelevant page to rank, you\u2019ll be fighting a losing battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"2. Make sure your page covers the topic in full\" data-section=\"topic-coverage\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Make sure your page covers the topic in&nbsp;full<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Having content that broadly aligns with search intent isn\u2019t enough. It also needs to cover everything searchers want to know or expect to&nbsp;see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, every first-page result for \u201cmens sneakers\u201d has a size filter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1094\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9.gif\" alt=\"Every first-page result for &quot;mens sneakers&quot; has a size filter\n\" class=\"wp-image-158071\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is because searchers will inevitably want to filter for shoes that actually fit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, all first-page results for \u201cbest mens sneakers\u201d break down recommendations into categories like the best for walking, running, or cross training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1896\" height=\"1132\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image26-4.jpg\" alt=\"Every first-page result for &quot;best mens sneakers&quot; breaks recommendations into categories\n\" class=\"wp-image-158073\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image26-4.jpg 1896w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image26-4-680x406.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image26-4-768x459.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image26-4-1536x917.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1896px) 100vw, 1896px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is because the \u201cbest\u201d sneakers depend on the activity you need them&nbsp;for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few ways to find what searchers may be expecting to see covered on your&nbsp;page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look for commonalities among first-page results<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a manual process where you open and eyeball the pages that&nbsp;rank.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, many first-page results for \u201cbest running shoes for flat feet\u201d talk about the best budget option:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"583\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image29.gif\" alt=\"Many first-page results for &quot;best running shoes for flat feet&quot; talk about the best budget option\n\" class=\"wp-image-158075\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look for common keyword mentions on first-page results<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to do this with Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter your keyword<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose your target country<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>Related terms<\/strong> report<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Toggle \u201cAlso talk&nbsp;about\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Toggle \u201cTop&nbsp;10\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1490\" height=\"368\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image22-5.png\" alt=\"Finding common keyword mentions on first-page results with Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\n\" class=\"wp-image-158078\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image22-5.png 1490w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image22-5-680x168.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image22-5-768x190.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1490px) 100vw, 1490px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, many first-page results for \u201cbest running shoes for flat feet\u201d mention \u201carch support\u201d and \u201cmuscle weakness\u201d:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"594\" height=\"160\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image28-3.png\" alt=\"Common keyword mentions across pages ranking for &quot;best running shoes for flat feet&quot;\n\" class=\"wp-image-158080\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These are obviously problems that folks with flat feet care about, so your content should address them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look for common keyword rankings among first-page results<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to do this with Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter your keyword<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose your target country<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>Related terms<\/strong> report<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Toggle \u201cAlso rank&nbsp;for\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Toggle \u201cTop&nbsp;10\u201d&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the first-page results for \u201cbest running shoes for flat feet\u201d frequently also rank for keywords related to support:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"908\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-14.png\" alt=\"Common keyword rankings for pages ranking for &quot;best running shoes for flat feet&quot;\n\" class=\"wp-image-158082\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-14.png 908w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-14-680x292.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-14-768x330.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is clearly an important quality that flat-footed searchers are looking for in a pair of running shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019d prefer to see common keyword rankings for specific top-ranking pages, use the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/content-gap\">Content Gap tool<\/a> in Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>. The quickest way to do this is to enter your keyword in Keywords Explorer, scroll to the SERP overview, and&nbsp;then:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select which first-page results to include in the gap analysis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click \u201cOpen in\u201d and choose \u201cContent gap.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1162\" height=\"964\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image20-9.png\" alt=\"How to send top-ranking pages for a content gap analysis from Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\n\" class=\"wp-image-158085\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image20-9.png 1162w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image20-9-512x425.png 512w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image20-9-768x637.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1162px) 100vw, 1162px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, these three pages all rank on the first page for \u201cbest brooks for flat&nbsp;feet\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"224\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image24-4.png\" alt=\"Example of a common keyword ranking for three of the top results\n\" class=\"wp-image-158087\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image24-4.png 1500w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image24-4-680x102.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image24-4-768x115.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This tells you that some searchers are looking for the best options from this brand (Brooks), so you should probably include them in your&nbsp;post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"3. Make sure your page is optimized for on-page SEO\" data-section=\"on-page-seo\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Make sure your page is optimized for on-page SEO<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google looks at things on the page itself to help decide if it should rank. This is where on-page SEO comes&nbsp;in.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most on-page signals are only small <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-ranking-factors\/\">ranking factors<\/a>. However, as most of them are quick to change and fully within your control, they\u2019re worth optimizing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at a few easy things you can do to improve on-page SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mention your keyword in the&nbsp;URL<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/fundamentals\/seo-starter-guide\">says<\/a> to avoid lengthiness and use words that are relevant to your site\u2019s content in your URLs. This doesn\u2019t mean that you have to use your target keyword. But it makes sense, as it\u2019s short and describes your&nbsp;page.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the target keyword for this post is \u201chow to get on the first page of google,\u201d so that\u2019s what we used for the&nbsp;URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"866\" height=\"70\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image14-10.png\" alt=\"Example of a URL used with the target keyword in mind\" class=\"wp-image-158089\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image14-10.png 866w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image14-10-680x55.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image14-10-768x62.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/title-tag-seo\/\">How to Create SEO-Friendly URLs (Step-by-Step)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mention your keyword in the title&nbsp;tag<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/title-tag-seo\/\">title tag<\/a> is a bit of HTML code that wraps around the page title. You\u2019ll often see it displayed in search engine results, social networks like Twitter, and browser tabs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"516\" height=\"84\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-11.png\" alt=\"The title tag shows up in browser tabs\n\" class=\"wp-image-158091\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s John Mueller <a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/title-tags-are-tiny-ranking-factor\/425417\/\">says<\/a> it\u2019s only a tiny ranking factor, but we think it\u2019s still a good place to mention your keyword. Just make sure to do it naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wrap the visible page title in an H1&nbsp;tag<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>H1 tags are HTML code used to mark up page titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1485\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image19-7.jpg\" alt=\"How H1s look in the code vs. on the page\n\" class=\"wp-image-158094\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image19-7.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image19-7-458x425.jpg 458w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image19-7-768x713.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image19-7-1536x1426.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Google is a bit unclear on the importance of H1 tags. John is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rwpwq8Ynf7s&amp;t=1427s\">on record<\/a> saying that they\u2019re not critical for search ranking, but Google\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/news\/publisher-center\/answer\/9607104?hl=en-GB\">official documentation<\/a> says to \u201cplace the title of your article in a prominent spot above the article body, such as in a &lt;h1&gt;&nbsp;tag.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our advice is to use one per page for the page title and to include your keyword where relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/h1-tag\/\">What Is an H1 Tag? SEO Best Practices<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use subheadings to improve readability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QG2BoWRhb0k&amp;t=2168s\">uses subheadings<\/a> to try to better understand the content on the&nbsp;page.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This doesn\u2019t necessarily mean they\u2019re a ranking factor, but they improve your content by making it easier to digest and skim. That can have an indirect impact on&nbsp;SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our advice is to use subheadings for important subtopics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1727\" height=\"1999\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-13.png\" alt=\"Subheadings improve readability by creating visual hierarchy\n\" class=\"wp-image-158097\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-13.png 1727w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-13-367x425.png 367w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-13-768x889.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-13-1327x1536.png 1327w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1727px) 100vw, 1727px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Showcase the author\u2019s expertise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google wants to rank content written by experts, so it\u2019s important to demonstrate that expertise on the&nbsp;page.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few ways Google <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/blog\/2019\/08\/core-updates\">suggests<\/a> to do&nbsp;that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provide clear sourcing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide background information about the author<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep the content free of easily verified factual errors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a great example from Healthline:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1389\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image15-9.png\" alt=\"Example of how to showcase the author's expertise on the page\n\" class=\"wp-image-158099\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image15-9.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image15-9-612x425.png 612w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image15-9-768x534.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image15-9-1536x1067.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/on-page-seo\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/on-page-seo\/\">On-Page SEO: The Beginner\u2019s Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"4. Make sure your page is internally linked\" data-section=\"internal-links\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Make sure your page is internally linked<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Internal links are backlinks from one page on your website to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Generally speaking, the more of these a page has, the more <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-pagerank\/\">PageRank (PR)<\/a> it will receive. That\u2019s good because <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/methode\/status\/829755916895535104\">Google still uses PR to help rank webpages<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at a few ways to find relevant internal linking opportunities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use the Internal Link Opportunities report in Ahrefs\u2019 Site&nbsp;Audit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This report finds on-site mentions of words and phrases your page already ranks for. It\u2019s free to use with an <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/webmaster-tools\">Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT)<\/a> account.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how to use&nbsp;it:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-audit\">Site Audit<\/a> (and choose your project)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click the <strong>Internal link opportunities<\/strong> report<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Search for the URL of the page you want to rank on the first page, and choose \u201cTarget URL\u201d from the dropdown<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1842\" height=\"748\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image13-8.png\" alt=\"Using the Internal Link Opportunities tool in Site Audit to find internal links to add\n\" class=\"wp-image-158101\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image13-8.png 1842w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image13-8-680x276.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image13-8-768x312.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image13-8-1536x624.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1842px) 100vw, 1842px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, as <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/keyword-research\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-research\/\">our keyword research guide<\/a> ranks for \u201ckeyword research,\u201d the report finds unlinked mentions of that keyword on our site. We can then internally link those words and phrases to our&nbsp;guide.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use the Page Explorer tool in Ahrefs\u2019 Site&nbsp;Audit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This tool shows all kinds of data about the pages on your website, but you can apply filters to find internal linking opportunities. It\u2019s free to use with <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/webmaster-tools\">Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT)<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How\u2019s how to use&nbsp;it:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-audit\">Site Audit<\/a> (and choose your project)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click the <strong>Page Explorer<\/strong> tool<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click \u201cAdvanced filter\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set the first rule to <em>URL Not contains [URL of the page you want to add internal links&nbsp;to]<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set the second rule to <em>Internal outlinks Not contains [URL of the page you want to add internal links&nbsp;to]<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set the third rule to <em>Page text Contains [keyword you want to rank for on the first&nbsp;page]<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"819\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-12.jpg\" alt=\"Using the Page Explorer in Ahrefs' Site Audit to find internal link opportunities\n\" class=\"wp-image-158103\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-12.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-12-680x279.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-12-768x315.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-12-1536x629.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the tool tells us that <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/pogo-sticking\/\">our pogo-sticking guide<\/a> mentions the keyword \u201cfree keyword research tools\u201d but doesn\u2019t link to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/free-keyword-research-tools\/\">our list of free keyword tools<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we open the page and search for this keyword, we see a clear opportunity for a relevant internal link:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1238\" height=\"308\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image23-6.png\" alt=\"Example of an unlinked keyword mention on a page\n\" class=\"wp-image-158105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image23-6.png 1238w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image23-6-680x169.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image23-6-768x191.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1238px) 100vw, 1238px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use Google<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you search Google for <code>site:yourwebsite.com \"keyword\"<\/code>, you\u2019ll see all pages on your website that mention the keyword.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, it tells us that our keyword research guide mentions \u201cfree keyword research tools\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1202\" height=\"370\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-14.png\" alt=\"Searching for internal link opportunities in Google\n\" class=\"wp-image-158107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-14.png 1202w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-14-680x209.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-14-768x236.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1202px) 100vw, 1202px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem with this tactic is that it doesn\u2019t tell you whether there\u2019s already an internal link.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, in this case, the internal link is already there:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1356\" height=\"196\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-11.png\" alt=\"Example of an opportunity that's already linked\n\" class=\"wp-image-158109\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-11.png 1356w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-11-680x98.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-11-768x111.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1356px) 100vw, 1356px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This makes it time-consuming and inefficient compared to the previous methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/internal-links-for-seo\/\">Internal Links for SEO: An Actionable Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"5. Make sure you have enough backlinks\" data-section=\"backlinks\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Make sure you have enough backlinks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Backlinks are an important ranking factor. If you don\u2019t rank on the first page of Google by now, it\u2019s probably because you don\u2019t have enough of&nbsp;them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But how many backlinks do you need, and how do you get&nbsp;them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given that some backlinks are more powerful than others, it\u2019s impossible to say exactly how many you\u2019ll need to rank on the first page. However, we do offer a rough estimate below the Keyword Difficulty score shown in Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"836\" height=\"942\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-11.png\" alt=\"Very rough estimation of how many backlinks you'll need to rank on the first page in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\n\" class=\"wp-image-158111\" style=\"width:418px;height:471px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-11.png 836w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-11-377x425.png 377w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-11-768x865.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 836px) 100vw, 836px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Not an Ahrefs user?<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>Use <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keyword-difficulty\">our free keyword difficulty checker<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n        <div class=\"tool-widget-outer\">\n            <div class=\"tool-widget\">\n                <div class=\"body\">\n                    <div class=\"title\">Keyword Difficulty Checker<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t                        <div class=\"heading\">See keyword difficulty score in seconds<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                    <div class=\"icon  icon-keyword-difficulty-checker\"><\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <form action=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keyword-difficulty\" method=\"GET\">\n                    <div class=\"form\">\n                        <input type=\"text\" class=\"input\" name=\"input\" placeholder=\"Enter keyword\" required>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t        <select name=\"country\" class=\"country-choice\" required>\n\t\t\t                <option value=\"af\">Afghanistan<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"al\">Albania<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"dz\">Algeria<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"as\">American Samoa<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ad\">Andorra<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ao\">Angola<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ai\">Anguilla<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ag\">Antigua And Barbuda<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ar\">Argentina<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"am\">Armenia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"aw\">Aruba<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"au\">Australia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"at\">Austria<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"az\">Azerbaijan<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bs\">Bahamas<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bh\">Bahrain<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bd\">Bangladesh<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bb\">Barbados<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"by\">Belarus<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"be\">Belgium<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bz\">Belize<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bj\">Benin<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bm\">Bermuda<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bt\">Bhutan<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bo\">Bolivia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ba\">Bosnia And Herzegovina<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bw\">Botswana<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"br\">Brazil<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bn\">Brunei Darussalam<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bg\">Bulgaria<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bf\">Burkina Faso<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"bi\">Burundi<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"kh\">Cambodia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"cm\">Cameroon<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ca\">Canada<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"cv\">Cape Verde<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ky\">Cayman Islands<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"cf\">Central African Republic<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"td\">Chad<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"cl\">Chile<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"cn\">China<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"co\">Colombia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"cg\">Congo<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"cd\">Congo, Democratic Republic<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ck\">Cook Islands<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"cr\">Costa Rica<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ci\">Cote D'Ivoire<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"hr\">Croatia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"cu\">Cuba<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"cy\">Cyprus<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"cz\">Czech Republic<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"dk\">Denmark<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"dj\">Djibouti<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"dm\">Dominica<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"do\">Dominican Republic<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ec\">Ecuador<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"eg\">Egypt<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sv\">El Salvador<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gq\">Equatorial Guinea<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ee\">Estonia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"et\">Ethiopia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"fo\">Faroe Islands<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"fj\">Fiji<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"fi\">Finland<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"fr\">France<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gf\">French Guiana<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"pf\">French Polynesia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ga\">Gabon<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gm\">Gambia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ge\">Georgia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"de\">Germany<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gh\">Ghana<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gi\">Gibraltar<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gr\">Greece<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gl\">Greenland<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gd\">Grenada<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gp\">Guadeloupe<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gu\">Guam<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gt\">Guatemala<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gg\">Guernsey<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gn\">Guinea<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gy\">Guyana<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ht\">Haiti<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"hn\">Honduras<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"hk-hk\">Hong Kong<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"hk\">Hong Kong<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"hu\">Hungary<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"is\">Iceland<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"in\">India<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"id\">Indonesia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ir\">Iran<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"iq\">Iraq<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ie\">Ireland<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"im\">Isle of Man<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"il\">Israel<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"it\">Italy<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"jm\">Jamaica<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"jp\">Japan<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"je\">Jersey<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"jo\">Jordan<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"kz\">Kazakhstan<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ke\">Kenya<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ki\">Kiribati<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"kr\">Korea<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"kw\">Kuwait<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"kg\">Kyrgyzstan<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"la\">Lao People's Democratic Republic<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"lv\">Latvia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"lb\">Lebanon<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ls\">Lesotho<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"lr\">Liberia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ly\">Libyan Arab Jamahiriya<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"li\">Liechtenstein<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"lt\">Lithuania<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"lu\">Luxembourg<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mk\">Macedonia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mg\">Madagascar<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mw\">Malawi<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"my\">Malaysia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mv\">Maldives<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ml\">Mali<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mt\">Malta<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mq\">Martinique<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mr\">Mauritania<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mu\">Mauritius<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"yt\">Mayotte<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mx\">Mexico<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"fm\">Micronesia, Federated States of<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"md\">Moldova<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mc\">Monaco<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mn\">Mongolia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"me\">Montenegro<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ms\">Montserrat<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ma\">Morocco<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mz\">Mozambique<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"mm\">Myanmar<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"na\">Namibia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"nr\">Nauru<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"np\">Nepal<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"nl\">Netherlands<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"nc\">New Caledonia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"nz\">New Zealand<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ni\">Nicaragua<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ne\">Niger<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ng\">Nigeria<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"nu\">Niue<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"no\">Norway<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"om\">Oman<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"pk\">Pakistan<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"pw\">Palau<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ps\">Palestine, State of<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"pa\">Panama<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"pg\">Papua New Guinea<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"py\">Paraguay<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"pe\">Peru<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ph\">Philippines<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"pn\">Pitcairn<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"pl\">Poland<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"pt\">Portugal<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"pr\">Puerto Rico<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"qa\">Qatar<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ye\">Republic of Yemen<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"re\">Reunion<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ro\">Romania<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ru\">Russian Federation<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"rw\">Rwanda<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sh\">Saint Helena<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"kn\">Saint Kitts and Nevis<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"lc\">Saint Lucia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"vc\">Saint Vincent And Grenadines<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ws\">Samoa<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sm\">San Marino<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"st\">Sao Tome and Principe<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sa\">Saudi Arabia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sn\">Senegal<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"rs\">Serbia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sc\">Seychelles<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sl\">Sierra Leone<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sg\">Singapore<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sk\">Slovakia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"si\">Slovenia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sb\">Solomon Islands<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"so\">Somalia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"za\">South Africa<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"es\">Spain<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"lk\">Sri Lanka<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sr\">Suriname<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sz\">Swaziland<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"se\">Sweden<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ch\">Switzerland<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"sy\">Syrian Arab Republic<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"tw\">Taiwan<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"tj\">Tajikistan<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"tz\">Tanzania<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"th\">Thailand<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"tl\">Timor-Leste<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"tg\">Togo<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"tk\">Tokelau<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"to\">Tonga<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"tt\">Trinidad And Tobago<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"tn\">Tunisia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"tr\">Turkey<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"tm\">Turkmenistan<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"tv\">Tuvalu<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ug\">Uganda<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ua\">Ukraine<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ae\">United Arab Emirates<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"gb\">United Kingdom<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"us\" selected=\"selected\">United States<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"uy\">Uruguay<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"uz\">Uzbekistan<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"vu\">Vanuatu<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"ve\">Venezuela<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"vn\">Vietnam<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"vg\">Virgin Islands, British<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"vi\">Virgin Islands, U.S.<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"zm\">Zambia<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t                <option value=\"zw\">Zimbabwe<\/option>&gt;\n\t\t\t\t        <\/select>\n\t\t                        <button type=\"submit\" class=\"button\">Check keyword<\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/form>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n<p>Just remember to take this number with a very large pinch of salt, as it\u2019s far from an exact science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, Ahrefs estimates that you\u2019ll need backlinks from ~53 websites to rank on the first page for \u201ccardigan sweater.\u201d But if you plug one of the first-page results into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a> (or <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/backlink-checker\">our free backlink checker<\/a>), you\u2019ll see it only has links from two referring domains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1978\" height=\"742\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-12.png\" alt=\"Number of websites linking to the top-ranking result for &quot;cardigan sweater&quot;\n\" class=\"wp-image-158113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-12.png 1978w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-12-680x255.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-12-768x288.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-12-1536x576.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1978px) 100vw, 1978px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This happens for two reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Backlinks aren\u2019t the only ranking factor <\/strong>\u2013 There are <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-ranking-factors\/\">other ranking factors<\/a> that matter.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Some backlinks are more powerful than others <\/strong>\u2013 You\u2019ll need fewer of these to&nbsp;rank.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>If you think you need more backlinks to rank, check out the resources below or take <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/academy\/link-building-course\">our free link building course<\/a>. Just know that building backlinks can be challenging, so it may take a while to build enough to rank for competitive keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/link-building\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building\/\">Link Building for SEO: The Beginner\u2019s Guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-backlinks\/\">How to Get Backlinks: 15 Proven Tactics<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building-strategies\/\">9 Easy Link Building Strategies<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Following this process should help you rank on the first page of Google, but it still takes&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How much time? It\u2019s hard to say. But <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-long-does-seo-take\/\">our poll<\/a> of 4,300 SEOs revealed that 83.8% think SEO takes three months or more to show results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1240\" height=\"1536\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image25-4.png\" alt=\"Results of our survey asking how long SEO takes\n\" class=\"wp-image-158115\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image25-4.png 1240w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image25-4-343x425.png 343w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image25-4-768x951.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1240px) 100vw, 1240px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also true that unless you rank high on Google\u2019s first page, you likely won\u2019t get much traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, we rank #8 for \u201cwhat is affiliate marketing.\u201d But despite having a monthly search volume of 30K, the keyword only sends us an estimated 885 monthly visits from the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1252\" height=\"136\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image11-8.png\" alt=\"Our current ranking position for &quot;what is affiliate marketing,&quot; via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" class=\"wp-image-158117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image11-8.png 1252w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image11-8-680x74.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image11-8-768x83.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1252px) 100vw, 1252px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So once you\u2019re on the first page, your goal should be to rank #1.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following these two guides will&nbsp;help:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-top-of-google-search\/\">How to Get to the Top of Google\u2019s Search Results<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-rank-higher-on-google\/\">How to Rank Higher on Google<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Got questions? Leave a comment or ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/joshuachardwick?lang=en\">on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In fact, almost all of the traffic to our blog comes from first-page Google rankings: Unfortunately, nobody can guarantee first-page Google rankings. But you can improve your chances of getting them by following a logical process. Here it&nbsp;is: Let\u2019s go<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[336],"class_list":["post-157996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Get on the First Page of Google<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To even be seen by searchers, you&#039;ll need to rank on Google&#039;s first page. We cover five steps that&#039;ll help get you there.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Get on the First Page of Google\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Earn your place.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-04-26T05:10:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-03-20T12:45:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/first-page-rankings-traffic.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joshua Hardwick\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Earn your place.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@JoshuaCHardwick\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Joshua Hardwick\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e6a89cbde8e750d22996aa26e213e712\"},\"headline\":\"How to Get on the First Page of Google\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-04-26T05:10:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-03-20T12:45:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2208,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/how-to-get-on-the-first-by-joshua-hardwick-general-seo-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"General SEO\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\\\/\",\"name\":\"How to Get on the First Page of Google\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/first-page-rankings-traffic.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-04-26T05:10:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-03-20T12:45:39+00:00\",\"description\":\"To even be seen by searchers, you'll need to rank on Google's first page. We cover five steps that'll help get you there.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/first-page-rankings-traffic.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/first-page-rankings-traffic.png\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":1924},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\",\"description\":\"Link Building Strategies &amp; SEO Tips\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ahrefs\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/ahrefs-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/ahrefs-logo.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"Ahrefs\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/Ahrefs\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/ahrefs\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/ahrefs\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/c\\\/ahrefscom\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e6a89cbde8e750d22996aa26e213e712\",\"name\":\"Joshua Hardwick\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/meme.jpg109e89523fcea81015d3cc08c79f9036\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/meme.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/meme.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Joshua Hardwick\"},\"description\":\"Head of Content @ Ahrefs (or, in plain English, I'm the guy responsible for ensuring that every blog post we publish is EPIC).\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/JoshuaCHardwick\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/joshua-hardwick\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Get on the First Page of Google","description":"To even be seen by searchers, you'll need to rank on Google's first page. We cover five steps that'll help get you there.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Get on the First Page of Google","og_description":"Earn your place.","og_url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/","og_site_name":"SEO Blog by Ahrefs","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/","article_published_time":"2023-04-26T05:10:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-03-20T12:45:39+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/first-page-rankings-traffic.png","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Joshua Hardwick","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_description":"Earn your place.","twitter_creator":"@JoshuaCHardwick","twitter_site":"@ahrefs","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/"},"author":{"name":"Joshua Hardwick","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e6a89cbde8e750d22996aa26e213e712"},"headline":"How to Get on the First Page of Google","datePublished":"2023-04-26T05:10:02+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-20T12:45:39+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/"},"wordCount":2208,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/how-to-get-on-the-first-by-joshua-hardwick-general-seo-1.jpg","articleSection":["General SEO"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/","name":"How to Get on the First Page of Google","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/first-page-rankings-traffic.png","datePublished":"2023-04-26T05:10:02+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-20T12:45:39+00:00","description":"To even be seen by searchers, you'll need to rank on Google's first page. We cover five steps that'll help get you there.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-get-on-the-first-page-of-google\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/first-page-rankings-traffic.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/first-page-rankings-traffic.png","width":1600,"height":1924},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/","name":"SEO Blog by Ahrefs","description":"Link Building Strategies &amp; SEO Tips","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Ahrefs","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ahrefs-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ahrefs-logo.png","width":2048,"height":768,"caption":"Ahrefs"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/","https:\/\/x.com\/ahrefs","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ahrefs\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/ahrefscom"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e6a89cbde8e750d22996aa26e213e712","name":"Joshua Hardwick","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/meme.jpg109e89523fcea81015d3cc08c79f9036","url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/meme.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/meme.jpg","caption":"Joshua Hardwick"},"description":"Head of Content @ Ahrefs (or, in plain English, I'm the guy responsible for ensuring that every blog post we publish is EPIC).","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/JoshuaCHardwick"],"url":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/author\/joshua-hardwick\/"}]}},"as_json":null,"json_reviewers":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157996"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157996\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=157996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=157996"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=157996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}