Google and Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization is dominated by the Google formula for evaluating websites. Because Google has over 65% of all search traffic it’s results are the yardstick that most marketing people use to judge a website. And they have since early years kept the exact formula for judging websites a very closely guarded secret. Over the years internet marketers and SEO experts have searched for ways to “cheat the system” and get their site on top of the search engine results page through tricks or manipulation of the system. However as Google detects that their formula is being used against them, they create new releases that level the playing field once more.
Search Engine Optimization- White Hat, Black Hat or Fuzzy Grey.
If you are in a competition, there are two well known ways of winning. You can compete and win because you are best, or you can cheat. In the world of search engine optimization, there are achievers and cheaters – and quite a few who hedge their bets by competing fairly and trying to cut corners at the same time. My SEO philosophy is simple. Eventually cheaters get caught. If you want to be number 1 and stay number one, well don’t cheat, compete and win. My website contains more on Search Engine Optimization strategy.
In that regards, Google is very helpful. They don’t not say exactly the formula they uses to rank websites-but they do publish some pretty good signposts for the world to see. In fact the major google programmers often blog and try to make clear what google wants from your website to rank it well. They spell it out in great detail. They know that good ranking for a website can mean financial success and bad ranking through poor SEO can lead to financial disaster. So they have gone to great pains to tell people what do to.
Ask Yourself the SEO Questions.
One of the most educational articles in this regard is a set of 23 questions posed by Amit Singhal, a Google software engineer.
You can see the exact original 23 questions here- 23 Questions to Ask About Your Website, from the Google Blog
In summary, rather than use the latest SEO tip or trick, you are being asked to consider some very core aspects of your website’s content.
I was very interested to see the degree to which the questions posed by Mr Singhal concerned TRUST.
If you can look over your website and have 100% confidence that it would inspire TRUST then you are most of the way there. This expresses itself in many ways- the qualifications of the person writing the article, the quality and size of the article itself, the source material being referenced (if any).
Another huge factor is QUALITY. Hastily prepared pages, with spelling errors and lots of repeating keywords will not help your cause.
Experience also tells me that well written, authoritative articles that bring valuable information or insights to the viewer are a sure fire way to bump up the ranking of a website. If you are interested in search optimization then you should take a look at the article referenced above.
That’s the real secret of great Search Engine Optimization.
