Contact Point: Search Engines
14 Dec 2005, 2:41:53 am
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As covered earlier, searches are the number one way websites are found on the web. So if you have a website, a column, a shop at one of the selling marketplaces, or even a blog that you want more than mom to see, you need to get it listed in the search engines.
I don't think any sane person is going to argue that when it comes to search engines, Google is number one. And with little signs of ending its reign any time soon, I think it's safe for us to begin with our look at website ranking as it's done, or needs to be done, at Google.
I am not going to scare you with the angry confusing mathematical mess that is the Google algorithm. First of all, no one besides the inner-Google-sanctum members know that. Second of all, if I had access to that, I doubt I could understand it - at least not enough to explain it. Thirdly, the almighty algorithm is changed often, with the main purpose of throwing off manipulators. (It's the dream of SEOs everywhere to know that algorithm!)
But right from Google itself, we get a great big hint on where a person with a modest understanding of the internet can begin to get that high ranking on Google:
PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page's value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages "important."
Important, high-quality sites receive a higher PageRank, which Google remembers each time it conducts a search. Of course, important pages mean nothing to you if they don't match your query. So, Google combines PageRank with sophisticated text-matching techniques to find pages that are both important and relevant to your search. Google goes far beyond the number of times a term appears on a page and examines all aspects of the page's content (and the content of the pages linking to it) to determine if it's a good match for your query.
What you really need to know from this is that Google likes sites with links, in & out. The more you have in common with those sites that you swap links with, the higher your rank.
For example, you & your link partner both have sites about roses. A person searching for roses will be likely to find both of your sites higher in the listings than a rose site with no relevant links.
Now, if your site is about the care of roses, with lots of content on gardening, pruning, etc, while the other is say a catalog listing of varieties with photos, your rank in a Google search would depend upon the other words used in the search. If the person searched for 'rose mulch' you would likely do better. If they searched for 'varieties of white roses' then your link buddy would.
This is where keywords are vital to your rank - the more you have in common with the searcher's words, the better you place. And your site content works wonders here - you have naturally built in key words in such a fashion as to both charm Google, and interest a surfer.
However, it is likely you are not the only rose website hoping to garner attention, to sell your books or supplies etc. Obviously you and your competitors don't wish to exchange links - no one wants to hand their customers over to another company doing the same thing.
So what can you do - aside from spending big bucks in Google Ads or other campaigns?
Ahh, that is for next time - we will discuss the fine art of linking to your benefit. Everything from defining the ideal list of sites you should link with, how to ask for & get those links, and how to politely decline links you don't wish for.
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