What You Need to Do on Your Website to Rank an Article

9/26/20252 min read

a man riding a skateboard down the side of a ramp
a man riding a skateboard down the side of a ramp

What You Need to Do on Your Website to Rank an Article

Publishing an article on your website is just the first step. If you want people to actually find it through Google or other search engines, you need to make sure your content is optimized. Ranking an article takes a mix of good writing, smart SEO practices, and technical care. Here are the most important things to focus on:

1. Write for People First

Search engines want to serve readers the best answers. That means your article should be clear, engaging, and genuinely useful. Avoid stuffing keywords or writing just for robots. Instead, think about what questions your audience has and answer them in a natural way.

2. Choose the Right Keywords

Before you write, do a little keyword research. Find out what words and phrases people type when searching for your topic. Use those keywords naturally in your title, introduction, subheadings, and a few times in the body. Don’t overdo it—balance is key.

3. Craft an SEO-Friendly Title & Meta Description

Your article’s title and meta description are the first things people see in search results. A strong, catchy title with your main keyword helps search engines understand the topic. A well-written meta description encourages readers to click on your link.

4. Use Proper Headings (H1, H2, H3)

Headings make your article easier to read and also signal to Google what’s important. Use H1 for your main title, H2 for key sections, and H3 for smaller points. This structure improves both readability and SEO.

5. Optimize Your Images

Images add value, but they should be optimized. Use descriptive file names, add alt text, and compress them so your site loads fast. Search engines notice these details.

6. Add Internal and External Links

Linking to other helpful pages on your website keeps visitors engaged and shows search engines your content is well-connected. Adding links to trustworthy external sites also builds credibility.

7. Improve Website Speed & Mobile Friendliness

No matter how good your article is, it won’t rank if your website is slow or hard to use on mobile. Test your site speed and make sure your design works well on all devices.

8. Use a Clear URL Structure

Keep your URLs short, clean, and keyword-friendly. For example, use:
www.yoursite.com/seo-tips instead of www.yoursite.com/article?id=12345.

9. Encourage Engagement

Search engines measure how people interact with your content. If readers stay longer, share your article, or leave comments, it sends a signal that your content is valuable.

10. Keep Updating Your Content

An article written once should not be forgotten. Update it regularly with new information, examples, or stats to keep it fresh. Google prefers up-to-date content.

Final Thoughts

Ranking an article is not about tricks—it’s about creating value and making sure your website gives both readers and search engines what they need. If you focus on quality, clarity, and usability, your chances of ranking higher improve naturally over time.