Understanding Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization

From many years, Google has learned many lessons from their experience having to negate the techniques used by unscrupulous keyword spammers seeking to achieve unfair high rankings. For example, if you’ve worked with the Internet for a few years, you’ve probably seen how some marketers will replicate keywords in hidden text, duplicate keywords in meta-tags over and over again (e.g., “weight loss, weight loss, weight loss, loose weight, loose weight, loose weight”), and other tactics to get their website to the top of a search engine. To combat these unfair practices, Google has committed resources to develop search algorithms to penalize keyword cheaters and ensure that search customers are able to locate consistent, high quality content.

So, what can the new internet marketer expect when registering their domain with the major search engines, like Google? Google ranks each page’s content using a numerical point system assessing keywords, key phrases, and other relational items. For purposes of this discussion, I will assume that keyword are used appropriately in the “metatag” areas of HTML. Outside of proper “metatag” documentation, here are a few lesser known Google algorithms that are used to negate bad webmaster practices using the point system:

Keyword and phrase convention: To penalize spammers, Google will seek out text, in hidden and visible narrative, to identify subject / verb imbalance. What the algorithm is looking for is a “one to one” relationship between the subject and verb. In other words, it looks for whole sentences and thoughts; not just keywords isolated from real thought. Where there are excessive topics (i.e. keywords) orphaned from a related verb, it is rated with negative points. This reduces the domains relative ranking. Typically, to properly document your content keywords and phrases, they should appear in whole sentences and repeated no more than 2-3 times in both the beginning and ending paragraphs of the content. Additionally, 1-2 times in the body is acceptable.

Backlinks: If you use good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) software, it reports the number of backlinks (i.e., independent link references to your URL) that are found associated with your URL. These backlinks can be found in places such as blogs, articles, video links, and other related posts. Google perceives these links as an indicator to permanence and stability of a specific domain/URL presence. In other words, the more backlinks that Google will find is reported as an indicator that others are finding valuable content at that address. The more backlinks that Google finds pointing to a URL will add points to the overall ranking and relative positioning in a users search.

Age of the website: This will likely be the biggest disappointment for a new website owner. Google will also assess the length of time a website or URL has been in existence and will increase points for longer tenure. This algorithm is used to eliminate the Internet “tire kickers” that are “here today and gone tomorrow”. This is a factor that cannot be directly controlled by the domain / URL owner as Google will fetch the original posting date and assess that age with other competing websites. The best advice is pick your internet “real estate” position (i.e., blog, article, website) and stick with it. If you are persistent with your Internet business and stay the course, you should see some appreciable increase in your rankings within a few months.

To summarize, use keywords wisely, create links to your advertising offer from outside sources, and be persistent. If you follow the rules and be aware of certain restrictions of Google’s ranking system and you’ll do well. After all, when you think about how Google goes about ranking URLs, it does only seem fair. Hope this post can help you to understanding Search Engine Optimization.

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