Ask any person in Google Rankings territory, and you’ll find questions including:
“Why did my site drop in rankings?”
“How can I make my site more search (engine) friendly?”
“What are the best ways to gain top rankings and hopefully more traffic?”
and of course, this one:
“What are the real secrets to Google search results domination?”
The questions about rankings are always a hot topic. Read on to learn more.
In my mind, while there’s a lot of hype on the internet, good copy-writing techniques with relevant, useful text that draws you in are very important for both users and engines.
But in the end, there are a few basics that always seem to work for top Google exposure. This was recently discussed by top Google spam cop Matt Cutts.
In other words, there really are no secrets.
In his recent USA Today interview, Cutts talks about five great ways to create visibility via content, links and trust–built over time.
1. Keywords/phrases on your pages
Make sure to include content on your page (text) that references the keywords you’re targeting. In other words, if you’re a dentist in Los Angeles, ensure that those keywords are on your page. Unbelievable as it may seem, many sites don’t have their related keyword listed on the website’s pages. Once you include them, stick to one to three phrases on the page–and include them early and often, using synonyms to help.
2. Tag fillings
While we’re on the topic of a dentist (pun intended), each html page is constructed via tags. Top tags to remember are the title, description and H1-H2 tags. The description tag is a great oppotunity to showcase or upsell your product or service. It’s the text that shows up in the search results and, if including keywords there, it will be boldfaced/highlighted automatically. Make it informational, not pitchy. Place keywords in the title and H1 tags to start, but don’t overdo it–no keyword stuffing (spam).
3. Links
Make sure to get sites to link back to you. If you provide quality content that educates and entertains, it will happen automatically. Links are strong factors for ranking in Google. Some 100 factors (“signals”) are analyzed to determine your site’s rankings, and they can shift–so keep that link program running. Look for quality, not quantity. Number of links and quality (trust) of those links are key.
4. Blogs
“Get a blog and post often,” Cutts says. You can read more on blogs elsewhere in my blog, and I will be posting a tutorial on how to set up a WordPress blog soon. You can also use the date and time factors for search to see how frequently your competition is adding content. (every 24 hours, every week or every month)
5. Get free search engine tools
Sign up for Google Webmaster Tools, xml-sitemaps.com, xenu.com (link sleuth) and Google Local Business Center (you could end up seeing your listings at the top of the page, next to a local map).
One final tip on content. If you are not a savvy writer but can type (smile), you can get ideas by looking at article directories such as ezinearticles.com and rewrite existing content, adding your own spin. (Make sure to reference the original author, if you are not completely making it your own). Use blogsearch.google.com and technorati.com to study who is writing in your niche and what they are writing about. Review also the pay-per-click ads and your competitors. Study their landing pages, structure and messaging. Don’t copy, but get more creative.
How can you create a purple cow?
Related articles for Google Web Traffic
- How to SEO if You’re Not a Guru (searchenginepeople.com)
- Google Changes Algorithm to Punish Content Farms (hubspot.com)
- The Domino Effect: Liberation from Link Dependency (seodesignsolutions.com)
About jon rognerud
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Entrepreneur Magazine says Jon Rognerud is one of the most sought-after Digital Marketing Experts. His clients extend from high-end brands and middle-tier businesses in both B2B and B2C. His SEO website optimization book, "The Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Website" from Entrepreneur Press is in bookstores now.