{"id":16172,"date":"2025-02-10T07:44:36","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T15:44:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/?p=16172"},"modified":"2026-05-23T12:53:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T19:53:45","slug":"how-to-rank-higher-on-google","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/how-to-rank-higher-on-google\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Rank Higher on Google in 2026: 15+ Tips (Including AI Search Optimization)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This guide is a breakdown of my ten most practical tips to learn how to rank higher on Google<\/strong>. You can jump straight down to the first tip right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, let’s talk about an exciting day we’ve all had: you\u2019ve just started your blog<\/a>! You head straight to Google and type in the name of your blog… only to find it doesn\u2019t show up in Google results at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even after you\u2019ve waited a few hours\u2014or a few days\u2014your blog still isn\u2019t showing up on Google. So what\u2019s going on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t worry, you most likely haven\u2019t done anything wrong. The reality is that it just takes the Google search algorithm a little while to recognize a new blog and decide how it wants to rank the new blog’s content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The great news is that you can do something right now to massively speed this process along\u2014and rank higher on Google sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, I’m going to teach you exactly what to do when it comes to learning how to rank higher on Google (quickly).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Rank Higher on Google in 2026: 15+ Practical Tips (Including AI Search)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Make Sure Your Blog is Live (Not “Coming Soon”)<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Check Your Search Engine Visibility Settings<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Create Google Search Console and Google Analytics Accounts<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Generate a Sitemap and Submit it to Google Search Console<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Link to Your Blog from Social Media Profiles<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Write Useful, Long-Form Blog Content Readers Will Enjoy<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. List Your Website in Trusted Online Directories to Rank Higher on Google<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Optimize Your Blog Posts for Google Search Ranking (On-Page SEO)<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Publish Guest Posts on Other Blogs to Boost Your Authority (Off-Page SEO)<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Use Clear, Descriptive Titles for Your Blog Posts<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    How to Rank Higher on Google in 2026: 15+ Tips (Including AI Search Optimization)<\/a><\/div>Click To Post on <\/i><\/a>
    <\/div><\/div><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Disclosure:<\/strong> Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, I\u2019ll earn a commission. Know that I only recommend products and services I\u2019ve personally used and stand behind. When you use one of my affiliate links, the company compensates me, which helps me run this blog and keep my in-depth content free of charge for readers (like you).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Use My 50+ Powerful Free Blogging Tools<\/a> Today<\/h4>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"Free<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    When I first started blogging, I couldn’t afford fancy tools. That sucked. And that’s why I’ve built a stable of powerful free blogging tools ranging from keyword research<\/a> to an AI article writer<\/a>, blog idea generator<\/a> and more. Forever free for all to use\u2014no strings attached.<\/p>\n\n\n

    Use My Free Blogging Tools Now<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Why it\u2019s Important to Rank Higher on Google (and What That Means)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Google still dominates global search in 2026 with 85-88% of the global search market<\/a> \u2014 but it’s no longer the only game in town. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s own AI Overviews now answer a meaningful chunk of queries before users ever see a traditional search result. The good news: optimizing for Google in 2026 also optimizes you for AI search engines (the signals overlap heavily), which is why this guide covers both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That means your blog still really needs to show up on Google \u2014 and ideally get cited by AI search engines too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even if you expect your traffic to come from sources other than search engines \u2013 like an email list, social media pages, or word of mouth \u2013 Google\u2019s still important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s say someone comes across your blog\u2019s name in an email or on social media. They might not have time to check it out there and then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If they later Google your blog\u2019s name and you don\u2019t appear, they\u2019re likely to forget all about you. What you want is for your blog to show up right at the top of the search results for even your own name, like this:<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"How<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Of course, most blogs find that they get a lot of their traffic from search engines. Therefore, you want your blog to show up when someone searches for the type of information or content you offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For instance, if someone types \u201cblog marketing strategies\u201d into google, my blog post 10 Blog Marketing Strategies to Get 584,863+ Readers<\/a> is the first result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It even gets a \u201cfeatured snippet\u201d where Google shows a little preview of the post \u2013 making it more likely that my post will be the one that gets clicked on and read.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Pasted<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Here, \u201cblog marketing strategies\u201d is a keyword<\/em>. (Yes, it\u2019s more than one word, but that\u2019s normal for keywords.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019ll cover a bit more about keywords and how to use them later in this guide. For now, what you need to know is that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n