| SEO EXPERTS | | | | GOOGLE'S GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT |
| First, I am not an expert - far from it. I know a | | | | EACH TIME A SEARCH IS PERFORMED THEY |
| lot more that I did last month, last month I made | | | | DELIVER THE BEST CONTENT AVAILABLE |
| some significant gains, as I did the month before | | | | Search Engines lose clients when they deliver sites |
| that. I believe that it will continue this way for | | | | whose content is not what the searcher was |
| many more years. Luckily I have really good | | | | looking for. Five years ago, all of the things the |
| mentors, and I spend lots of time testing, Then | | | | hucksters are still pitching really did work, but as |
| retesting, and testing again. What I can offer is | | | | scammers tried to trick the system and |
| some first hand experience that, if applied, will get | | | | bastardize the search, Google and other search |
| you on the right track. | | | | engines created complicated algorithms detect |
| I find that there an internet full of experts, and a | | | | these scams. Thinking like a search engine is a |
| few of them have parted me and my dollars | | | | little easier than you might think. Just ask yourself |
| under the promise of teaching me how to play | | | | - when I search for this keyword or phrase, what |
| the Google game - I can be number one on the | | | | do I want the SE to show me? Once you thin like |
| search engines. I think everyone has been | | | | that, the rest is just following a few simple rules |
| tempted by them - "$69 or $259 or what-ever | | | | and having patience and tenacity of purpose. |
| will get you to the number one spot on Google", | | | | Please read all before initiating any of them so |
| or some similar pitch. | | | | you have a whole picture: |
| There are two pionts I would like to point out | | | | 1. TEST ALL CHANGES- Test every change, then |
| before I continue. First, I find two kinds of SEO | | | | test again, and then test. Testing and then |
| experts on the Internet; the ones that really are | | | | allowing time for the search engines re-visit your |
| experts and don't need to hype their expertise, | | | | site will show you which changes helped, which |
| and the scam artists. The real experts have a | | | | were detrimental, and which did nothing. Search |
| solid knowledge of what it takes to help you get | | | | Engines usually cawl once every 30 days if you |
| recognized among nine billion other sites, they are | | | | haven't done anything to give it a reason to crawl |
| not the ones emailing you everyday or making | | | | more often. If it doesn't see any changes, it |
| huge claims when you do a search for SEO. The | | | | make wait longer between each search. There |
| ones that I have dubbed scam artists usually | | | | are some easy methods to get the search |
| have never actually practiced what they are | | | | engines to crawl you on a more timely basis. You |
| preaching, or they feed you a good story while | | | | will discover them as you read on. |
| protecting the "Big Secret". Caution: They are | | | | 2. Link Backs - Google doesn't like link farms, sites |
| everywhere. | | | | who advertise they will get you tons of links. |
| My second point, and when you grasp this point | | | | Scrutinize directories before joining. Check their |
| you will understand why so much of the sales | | | | page ranking among other things. There are two |
| pitches are just hype, is that nobody, except the | | | | good methods to get link-backs. First,the tedious |
| few geeks locked away in the basement of | | | | job of finding other websites that have relevance |
| Google and fed Mickey-D's through the bars, really | | | | to yours (a site on how fabric is made to link to |
| knows how Google's (or any other major search | | | | your clothing store), then approaching them on |
| engine's) algorithms work. Suffice it to say that | | | | the possibility of linking to yours. These are hard |
| over the years these algorithms have become | | | | to persuade, but as time goes on, they will come. |
| very sophisticated; complicated enough that the | | | | If you must pay for a back link, make sure they |
| easy fixes that we are teased with won't work. | | | | are worth it in relevance and page rank, and do |
| Couple that with the fact there are lots of sites | | | | not tell anyone you paid for it - that's a no-no |
| who have been doing this for a very long time | | | | with Google. |
| and have either earned or bought the right to be | | | | Second, and the most effective, is to write a 500 |
| at the top of any searches you do, and you can | | | | to 700 word article about your industry and start |
| see that it's not some magic formula for instant | | | | placing it in Ezines (which is exactly why I placed |
| success. However, if you work hard, and follow a | | | | this article here!). Never write it as a sales pitch. |
| few simple rules, you can begin climbing to better | | | | Write some interesting aspect of your industry |
| and better positions with the search engines. | | | | that will be strictly informative. You can do a |
| So, you could reasonably ask the question "if this | | | | search of your industry and pick out lots of good |
| is so, how is it that there are some experts that | | | | stuff from several articles, then write it in your |
| can play the Google game so well?". It is this | | | | own words. Never plagerize. Not only is it |
| question that I hope to shed some light on. First, | | | | unethical, the search engines will punish you for |
| I'm going to dispel some myths mostly created | | | | duplicate content. Notice at the bottom of this |
| by the Hype Artists. | | | | article there is a link to my site. With this link, I |
| MYTHS | | | | get a little business from people who read my |
| 1. You need a thousand link-backs to raise your | | | | article, but I get a lot of link credit, especially |
| Page Rank . I will never discount page ranking, but | | | | when I broadcast the article to 40 or 50 other |
| there is some reliable evidence, including some | | | | sites. There are sites who will, for a small fe, do |
| conversations on the Google blogs that included | | | | the broadcasting for you (more about that in my |
| Google employees that suggests that the Page | | | | next article). Search engines generally crawl the |
| Rank you see listed on your Google bar is not the | | | | good Ezines several times a week, and they crawl |
| one Google uses for determining who gets placed | | | | every link listed on the Ezine site, so they crawl |
| in what position on any search. Second, there | | | | your site again and again. Write well, write often. |
| seems to be a lot more that goes into page | | | | 3. Tons of Traffic - Traffic is good. Google like to |
| ranking then just link-backs. My advice here is to | | | | see traffic, but they can tell the difference |
| gather link-backs when ever a good opportunity | | | | between real traffic and manufactured traffic. |
| presents it's self, but make sure the site is | | | | There are lots of scams out there that advertise |
| relevant to yours and that they are in good | | | | that they will deliver instant traffic, but it is all trick |
| standing with the search engines. Irrelevant or | | | | traffic. This traffic isn't shopping your site, and |
| shady sites are worse that no links-backs at all. | | | | most aren't staying long enough to impress a |
| Just as in the real world, you will get punished if | | | | search engine, like zero seconds! There are a lot |
| you hang around with the wrong crowd. The only | | | | of good ways to build good traffic, too many to |
| link-backs I have at this time are from Ezine | | | | go into here, and first you have to get your site |
| articles, and my Ecommerce site is climbing | | | | SE optimized. |
| steady in the rankings. | | | | 4. Load up on Keywords - We mean Content - |
| 2. You need tons of traffic, traffic of any kind to | | | | The content on your site is the single most |
| get you listed near the top. Well, yes, Google's | | | | important thing to the major search engines. Even |
| crawler does pay attention to how much traffic | | | | if what you need to display is pages and pages of |
| your site gets, but they also pay attention the | | | | items for sale, you have to pay attention to |
| quality of that traffic. It is not hard for a crawler | | | | content. First, make sure your "title" in the header |
| to determine e if the traffic is coming from a few | | | | of your code is different for each page and |
| servers, and if it is being referred because of so | | | | contains key words for that page. Don't try to |
| shady advertising. Paying a shyster to artificially | | | | use your title to load up on keywords. Determine |
| deliver traffic works for the short term, but | | | | the main theme of each page and use your top |
| when the crawlers get all of the facts you, they | | | | teir keword for that theme in 2 or three different |
| drop you like a hot rock - so how was your | | | | ways (clothing | men's slacks | work pants), You |
| moment of glory? My advice - make sure your | | | | will get demerits for having the title the same on |
| traffic is coming to your site for the right reason. | | | | every page or not relevant to your page content. |
| It takes longer, but it is also long lasting and can | | | | Using the clothing example, on the page that |
| become repeat business, which then increases | | | | displays T-shirts, your title should have "T-shirt" |
| you traffic again. My latest Ecommerce site is | | | | separated by a "|" and then "tee shirt" (without |
| getting only about 50 hits a day, but those hits | | | | the quotes), another separation and any other |
| are converting reasonably, and I am up to page 2 | | | | descriptive word for T-shirt. When you go to the |
| on a lot of my keywords and phrases. For me, | | | | sweatshirt page, put two or three keywords in |
| the most important this is the conversion rate in | | | | the title of that page that are something that |
| the beginning, If I can get the conversion rate to | | | | someone would use to search for sweatshirts, |
| be in the double digits, then as I increase my | | | | and make sure those keywords are used in the |
| traffic, it will mean more dollars stick to me. Keep | | | | content of that page (3-7% of total word count). |
| in mind as you judge those figures that I've only | | | | There site available that will do the work count |
| been active for two months at this writing. I | | | | for you and tell you the percent of each word.. |
| know those numbers are far from impressive, | | | | If your site is an Ecommerce site, as much as it |
| but I have done it all without paid help, and I test | | | | doesn't seem like a good idea, put a large |
| every change. That's how I learn what makes the | | | | paragraph somewhere on the page that describes |
| beasts happy. I'll talk about how to do that later. | | | | the products. I usually put it at the bottom so it |
| 3. Load up with key words. Keywords are | | | | does not interfere with visitors finding my product |
| important. The use of keywords and their | | | | upon entry. Your main keyword should appear in |
| placement are a major factor a search engine | | | | the content only 3-7% of the total word count |
| uses to decide your sites worth in regards to | | | | for the entire page - no more, no less. Do a total |
| positioning. However, smart things that they are, | | | | word count on the page before you start, which |
| they are also concerned about two things. Are | | | | will include text-links and item descriptions, and |
| they part of content that is serving a useful | | | | make sure the new paragraph has at leas as |
| purpose to the visitor, and are you stacking them | | | | many words at the rest of the page. This is |
| just for the search engines sake. Much of the | | | | where the search engines judge whether you are |
| hype will have you believe that you need to get | | | | delivering what the visitor wants. Regardless |
| your keyword scattered around the page as | | | | whether it is an Ecommerce site, or a service or |
| much as you can for tha search engines sake. It | | | | information hub, keep the content on subject, no |
| should come as no surprise that the search | | | | duplications and always good information. |
| engines are continually being refined to determine | | | | WARNING: DO NOT COPY content, not from |
| how the keywords tie in with interesting and | | | | other pages on your site, and without fail, never, |
| useful content on each page that it indexes. | | | | ever from another site. You could get punished |
| Keywords need to be used in content in ways | | | | severely for duplicate content, not to mention it is |
| that make sense to the visitor and provides | | | | plagiarism. Google has a Duplicate Content Island |
| information of interest them. | | | | which you could be banned to. Be creative or hire |
| WHAT TO DO | | | | a creative writer. |
| I was driven to experiment by two factors; first, | | | | This is by far not all there is to good SEO work, |
| I could not afford the real experts in SEO. | | | | but it's a real good start. If you do this correctly, |
| Second, I have a desire to not only accomplish | | | | you will see results and can then move on to |
| my goal, but to learn the why and how, and | | | | more sophisticated tools. |
| understand it thoroughly. To succeed, you are | | | | I hope this has been some help. Feel free to email |
| going to have to understand and think like a | | | | me with any input or questions. Stay tuned for |
| search engine - even if we will never know the | | | | my next article where I talk about some specific |
| algorithms. Google has an exact agenda. Forget | | | | tools you will need to help you navigate this jungle. |
| about its algorithms and figure out its goal. | | | | |