In episode #690, Eric and Neil discuss how you can rank higher on Google without using SEO. Tune in to hear why optimizing user experience is key.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [00:27] Today’s Topic: How to Rank Higher on Google (Without Doing SEO)
• [00:58] Check out Google Rank Brain.
• [01:10] There are backlinks, etc. but there is an ultimate factor that tells Google a result is relevant.
• [01:40] When you’re looking at user experience, bounce rate, etc., that is the ultimate signal that the result is relevant.
• [02:07] User experience is one of the most important aspects of a website. Optimize user experience.
• [02:20] Try UserTesting or UsabilityHub to examine your site.
• [02:45] Nothing beats talking to your users and hearing what they like and don’t like.
• [03:00] Once you have a big enough sample size, you can improve your site and rankings based on the solid amount of feedback.
• [03:25] If you are also trying to optimize for load times, try using GTMetrix to see how your site fares.
• [03:40] Eric’s site takes 10 seconds to load on mobile devices, which is far too long and it needs to be optimized.
• [04:15] When optimizing for usability, you need to test twice: once for desktops and another time for mobile devices.
• [04:30] You shouldn’t have separate mobile and desktop versions, just one killer site that works for everything.
• [05:15] Even if someone has an LTE or 4G phone, does not guarantee fast connections at all times.
• [05:36] When optimizing for user experience, make sure you’re running A/B tests.
• [05:58] Neil tested the pop-ups on his site and how it affected user experience on mobile and desktop.
• [06:27] That’s it for today!
• [06:33] Go to Singlegrain.com/Giveway for a special marketing tool giveaway!

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