I once read an article that compared Google to a woman! Although a bit chocking at first, I came to realize that the author was actually quite right. I personally believe Google is (well act as...) a princess, but it's a matter of opinion, isn't it...
So what does it have to do with ranking on Page 1 of Google? More than you think! Have you ever heard the expression "If she ain't happy, nobody ain't happy"? That is precisely what it is.
Google knows what it likes and dislikes. Do what Google likes and you will be rewarded, Do something Google dislikes, and be ready to endure the famous "Google wrath" ...
So what does Google want, what does Google like?
Above anything else, Google wants its clients to experience a pleasant and positive search. It does make sense actually. Think about it. If you are looking for something, enter your search in Google and find it right away, you will be satisfied, you will most likely come back again, and possibly click on a Pay-Per-Click ad. And THAT, Google likes a lot...
Now what would happen if you were returned irrelevant content? You might be unhappy, maybe even frustrated, and you could even decide to do the unimaginable ... check if Yah-- could give you the right answer. And that is not what Google wants!
- 1 - Be congruent. Double check and verify that your keywords and meta tags are related with the content of your web pages. In other words, tricking people to visit your website by using keywords unrelated to the page they visit is not a good way to get noticed.
- 2 - Provide valuable content. Using a website as an online business card is over. You need to provide content, valid content to be exact, and you need to change it, modify it and improve it on a regular basis. New content makes Google happy. Better yet. Create a short video, put it on youtube, and embed it in your web page.
- 3 - Use long-tail keywords. Ok, listen. It may seem logical at first that you want to be found with a simple one word keyword, but it is not.
I have in the past worked with people in the mortgage industry. I could give names after names of brokers who would give their right arm to rank on page 1 for the word "mortgage". Well, no doubts it would bring a lot of traffic, but not the one they actually want, the targeted, ready-to-buy traffic. Short-tail keywords that are 1 or 2 words are usually "browser" keywords. Long-tail keywords, 3-5 words are buying keywords.
Here is an example. If you type "Digital Camera" you are in research mode. You want to find out about digital cameras, see what they can do, and what you can expect. Now if you type " Canon Powershot A540" you switch to a buying mode. You are done with your research, you know which camera you want, and now you are looking for the best place to buy. Do you see the difference? Long-tail keywords is what you should look for. they are buying keywords.
- 4 - Increase your backlinks. One crucial way for Google to see how valuable your content is, is by the traffic generated, But Google also heavily relies on backlinks. Google works on the assumption that the more websites link to yours, the more valuable your website is. This is a challenging part of the process to ranking high and it is the subject of an article by itself. If you want to learn more about it, feel free to contact me.
- 5 - Take your time and be consistent. Take some time everyday or every week, and do something to improve your ranking. Update your content regularly, add a few backlinks every week or two. The more consistency the better. Resist the idea of doing everything all at once. It might get you a faster ranking, but do not forget, the faster the climb, the faster the fall. A steady and consistent work on your site will bring you and keep you where you want for months, maybe even years to come.
So what does it have to do with ranking on Page 1 of Google? More than you think! Have you ever heard the expression "If she ain't happy, nobody ain't happy"? That is precisely what it is.
Google knows what it likes and dislikes. Do what Google likes and you will be rewarded, Do something Google dislikes, and be ready to endure the famous "Google wrath" ...
So what does Google want, what does Google like?
Above anything else, Google wants its clients to experience a pleasant and positive search. It does make sense actually. Think about it. If you are looking for something, enter your search in Google and find it right away, you will be satisfied, you will most likely come back again, and possibly click on a Pay-Per-Click ad. And THAT, Google likes a lot...
Now what would happen if you were returned irrelevant content? You might be unhappy, maybe even frustrated, and you could even decide to do the unimaginable ... check if Yah-- could give you the right answer. And that is not what Google wants!
- 1 - Be congruent. Double check and verify that your keywords and meta tags are related with the content of your web pages. In other words, tricking people to visit your website by using keywords unrelated to the page they visit is not a good way to get noticed.
- 2 - Provide valuable content. Using a website as an online business card is over. You need to provide content, valid content to be exact, and you need to change it, modify it and improve it on a regular basis. New content makes Google happy. Better yet. Create a short video, put it on youtube, and embed it in your web page.
- 3 - Use long-tail keywords. Ok, listen. It may seem logical at first that you want to be found with a simple one word keyword, but it is not.
I have in the past worked with people in the mortgage industry. I could give names after names of brokers who would give their right arm to rank on page 1 for the word "mortgage". Well, no doubts it would bring a lot of traffic, but not the one they actually want, the targeted, ready-to-buy traffic. Short-tail keywords that are 1 or 2 words are usually "browser" keywords. Long-tail keywords, 3-5 words are buying keywords.
Here is an example. If you type "Digital Camera" you are in research mode. You want to find out about digital cameras, see what they can do, and what you can expect. Now if you type " Canon Powershot A540" you switch to a buying mode. You are done with your research, you know which camera you want, and now you are looking for the best place to buy. Do you see the difference? Long-tail keywords is what you should look for. they are buying keywords.
- 4 - Increase your backlinks. One crucial way for Google to see how valuable your content is, is by the traffic generated, But Google also heavily relies on backlinks. Google works on the assumption that the more websites link to yours, the more valuable your website is. This is a challenging part of the process to ranking high and it is the subject of an article by itself. If you want to learn more about it, feel free to contact me.
- 5 - Take your time and be consistent. Take some time everyday or every week, and do something to improve your ranking. Update your content regularly, add a few backlinks every week or two. The more consistency the better. Resist the idea of doing everything all at once. It might get you a faster ranking, but do not forget, the faster the climb, the faster the fall. A steady and consistent work on your site will bring you and keep you where you want for months, maybe even years to come.
About the Author:
Jean-Marc "John" Bouch, is the owner of JMB Consulting and does SEO for a living specializing in Local Search Engine Optimization. Feel free to ask for his free report #1 Secret To Ranking On Page 1 of Search Engines. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.
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