How to get Your Website First on Google

Use This 8-Step SEO Checklist

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I get my website to show up first on Google?” — you’re not alone. Millions of businesses struggle to get noticed online, even after building beautiful websites. The truth is, without optimizing your site for visibility, Google can’t rank what it can’t find or understand.

To get your website seen and to increase your chances of ranking first, follow this practical 8-step SEO process. These methods are not only beginner-friendly but also align with how Google crawls, indexes, and ranks websites.

1. Check if Google Sees Your Page Like a User Does

Before anything else, use Google Search Console’s “URL Inspection Tool” to check if Google can crawl and index your content. It will show you how the page appears to Google’s bots — if resources are blocked or scripts fail to load, Google may not see your content properly. This is a critical first step in answering “how do I get my website to show up first on Google?”

🧩 Resource: Learn how to inspect URLs with this guide from Siteefy (DA 29): https://siteefy.com/url-inspection-tool/

2. Don’t Want a Page in Google’s Search Results?

Sometimes you have pages like thank-you screens, admin panels, or staging environments that you don’t want in search results. Use the “noindex” tag for those. This helps avoid dilution of your site’s authority and ensures Google focuses only on the pages you want to rank.

3. Use Descriptive URLs

Instead of using www.yoursite.com/page?id=1234, aim for URLs like www.yoursite.com/seo-checklist. Descriptive URLs tell both users and Google what your page is about. This improves click-through rates and helps with indexing.

Example: If you run a digital agency in Kenya, “/nairobi-seo-services” is better than “/services001.”

4. Group Topically Similar Pages in Directories

Organizing your content into clear folders like /services/seo/ or /blog/social-media/ helps Google understand the structure of your site. It also improves the user experience — visitors can find related content quickly. Remember, topical relevance and clean architecture are big wins for SEO.

5. Reduce Duplicate Content

Duplicate content confuses Google and splits your SEO power. Make sure each page has unique content. Use canonical tags for similar pages to point Google to the “main” version.

🧩 Resource: Read more on canonicalization at SEOClarity (DA 26): https://www.seoclarity.net/blog/what-are-canonical-tags

6. Expect Your Readers’ Search Terms

Think like your audience. Are they searching for “affordable digital marketing in Nairobi” or “how to grow my website traffic”? Use keyword research tools like Ubersuggest or Google’s Keyword Planner to align your content with real search behavior.

Remember, if you’re still wondering “how do I get my website to show up first on Google?”, then understanding what people are searching for is essential.

7. Avoid Distracting Advertisements

Heavy pop-ups and intrusive ads reduce user experience. Google prioritizes sites that offer value with minimal distractions, especially on mobile. Use tools like Google’s Page Experience Report to monitor your Core Web Vitals and ad behavior.

8. Link to Relevant Resources

Internal links help search engines understand the relationship between your pages. But don’t stop there — link to credible external sources. Outbound links to authoritative websites signal quality and improve trustworthiness.

🧩 Resource: Discover why outbound links matter from SEO Scout (DA 28): https://seoscout.com/blog/outbound-links

Bonus: Keep Asking Yourself the Key Question

By now, you’ve encountered the phrase “how do I get my website to show up first on Google?” multiple times — and that’s intentional. Repeating your target keyword naturally helps with on-page optimization. That said, keyword stuffing is out. Google is smarter now. Make it natural, helpful, and valuable to your audience.

Recap

• Ensure Google can crawl your pages properly.
• Eliminate unnecessary pages from search.
• Use human-friendly URLs.
• Organize your content topically.
• Avoid duplicate content.
• Match your content with search intent.
• Improve user experience by reducing distractions.
• Link internally and externally for trust.

Implement these eight steps consistently, and you’ll be closer to ranking on the first page — if not the very first result.

Bonus: What Is Domain Authority and Why Does It Matter?

Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). It’s calculated based on multiple factors including backlinks, content quality, site structure, and more.

Websites with higher DA tend to rank better and faster. For instance, a blog post on a DA 70 site will likely outperform a similar post on a DA 10 site — even if both have similar content. That’s why improving your domain authority is essential if you want to rank first.

Want to know “how do I get my website to show up first on Google?” Improving DA is part of the answer.

Ready to improve your domain authority?

We offer a FREE 30-minute strategy consultation to help you boost your domain authority, increase visibility, and attract more qualified leads. But here’s the catch — we only work with 10 companies per quarter. Right now, 4 slots are still open.