Ten Things You Need to Know About Google...
By Joe Chapius
The way I rant about Google, you would think they've got me on the payroll. Fact is, though, that Google simply represents the best of what an online service can be: fast, free, easy to use, and monstrously profitable.
I use Google as a dictionary (it corrects your search if you're wrong), quote finder, people finder, image finder -- and I've got their news page set as my browser's home page. Personally, I contribute my fair share to Google's 150,000,000 searches per day, mostly via the Google Toolbar (a.k.a. webmaster's best friend).
As a web site owner, I worship Google. I've carefully studied what works, and what doesn't. And more importantly, I make sure not to do anything that would jeopardize the traffic it sends my way. Over the last few years, I've put together a list of nearly three dozen things that can affect your ranking in Google. Based on my research and experience, here are some of the more important ones worth remembering...
1. Plural searches are not the same as singular searches.
For example: “car” does not = “cars”
(So be sure to create pages using plural variations of your
keywords, too.)
2. Likes to find pages on its own. Do not submit all your pages. Simply submit your home page and/or sitemap and let Googlebot find the other pages by itself.
3. Looks at image "alt tags" and file names. If
possible, make sure they contain either your keywords or synonyms
related to your keywords.
For example: [img src=“/images/keyword.gif” alt=“Where
can I find keywords online?”]
4. Gives added weight to bold face or larger font keywords (especially heading tags).
5. Gives added weight to text within a URL
link.
For example: [href="http://www.site.com/keyword.html]link[/a]
6. Gives added weight to keyword in link descriptions –
for example:
[a href="www.site.com"]keyword[/a]
7. Sites tend to rank higher with keywords in the domain name,
page URL, and file name.
For example:
Domain: http://www.keyword.com
URL: http://www.site.com/keyword/index.html
File: http://www.site.com/keyword.html
8. Search results are affected by keyword
order– for example:
"download software" does not equal "software
download"
9. Keyword in the "title" tags is crucial. –
for example:
[title]This site is about keyword [/title]
10. Does not support the "description" or "keywords" META tags in your page header. Of course, some engines still look for information there, so don't eliminate them. It's just that the meta tags aren't as important as they used to be.
Something else to keep in mind...
You've probably heard a lot of hype about "page rank" (PR) and how important it is to a good ranking. I've visited different online forums where people discuss and debate the topic at length, and freak out every time their PR drops. One word for you: nonsense. I have several sites with a PR of zero, yet they often receive several thousand visitors per day. It's a nifty tool, but not a reliable indicator of a site's traffic -- so don't worry too much about it.
And, one other note of interest...
If you're selling something online (which I assume you are), then you should take a close look at Google's new shopping search engine, Froogle. According to Google, Froogle is...
"...an extension of the Google search
engine that millions of people around the globe use daily
to research products before they purchase. Listing your product
in Froogle is a free way to extend the reach of your marketing
efforts to millions of new customers."
For additional info, here's a good article on Froogle.
Take the time to make Google your friend, and you will be generously rewarded.
About the Author
Joe Chapius writes a regular e-newsletter on search engine optimization. New subscribers can sign-up @ RequiredReading.com or by sending a blank email to subscribe-net-tips@requiredreading.com.