One of the best ways to drive traffic and
attract customers to your Web site is to improve your Google
page rank. While a search engine optimization strategy won't
ensure top billing for your site, it will increase the likelihood
of higher exposure.
Google uses automated programs known as "spiders"
or "webcrawlers" that scan the Web regularly and
rank Web sites according to a number of factors. Although
much of the process is veiled in secrecy, here are some of
the things that factor into your site's page rank.
Links from other sites. Google spiders move
from site to site across the Internet by following hyperlinks.
The company's proprietary PageRank algorithm tallies "votes"
for sites by counting the number of links a site has pointing
to it from unrelated sites. Therefore, increasing the number
of links to your site should elevate your ranking. All votes
are not equal, however. Google gives heavier weight to votes
from sites it deems as more important, so make sure to register
your site with directories such as Yahoo
and the Open Directory
Project .
Internal links. Make sure your site is well-organized
and easy to navigate. A site map will help visitors — and
Google spiders — navigate your site. Google recommends that
if any of your pages, including the site map, have more than
100 links, you should break your pages into more digestible
portions. Also, make sure you don't have any broken links.
Spiders don't like dead ends.
Meta tags. Meta tags are
hidden HTML directions for Web browsers or search engines.
They include such important items as the title of each page,
relevant keywords describing site content, and the description
of the site that shows up when a search engine returns a search.
Make sure your meta tags accurately describe your content.
Keywords. Consider likely words or phrases
that users might type into search engines to find your site.
Make sure your content contains those words or phrases and
include them in your meta tag information. Simply blanketing
a page with one key phrase, however, will not work. Google
robots are smart. They can determine whether or not you're
using a key phrase in context or in an attempt to sneak your
way up the Google ranking charts
Search engine optimizers (SEOs): Businesses
often enlist the help of SEOs, companies that specialize in
improving the visibility of their clients' sites. Among other
things, they'll register your site with major search engines,
list it in the appropriate directory, write optimized content
for the site, and recommend changes to your site architecture.
Do your homework when choosing a company, however, and avoid
those who promise the world.
Optimizing your site according to these guidelines should
help your page ranks. Google claims, however, that its uses
more than 100 factors to determine page ranking. Its Web site
has a lot of important tips that will give you insight into
their process. It also includes some essential advice on tactics
to avoid popular SEO scams.
In your eagerness to improve your Google page ranking, it's
easy to lose sight of your customer. Don't sacrifice the user
experience by focusing on luring spiders. Remember, the goal
is to draw users to your site and keep them coming back.
Be patient once you have optimized your site. It may take
up to two weeks for you to see any meaningful progress.
