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