Search Engine Optimization

How can you trick Google into higher ranking?

Many of my clients are asking about how they can improve their rankings in Google. Search engine optimization can be tricky. Avoid pitfalls by keeping SEO simple. The key is good quality, unique and relevant content. If you have something relevant to say, Google wants to list you. The same is true for Bing, Yahoo, and all the rest.

What you want to avoid is paying someone to list you in 1000 directories for $75 a month. If you end up listed on poor quality sites it’s going to bring your site down. Check out this post at Boost Blog Traffic to find out why.

Good quality directory services like YNext will cost more but they will provide links from quality sites.

Here is what I recommend

Create good content – unique content that is relevant, interesting and readable. This means WORDS. Search engines can’t read pretty graphics and videos. You need actual words on your site.
Make sure you add appropriate titles and alt text in your images. Change these up as well, don’t write the same thing the same way every time. Repeated titles and alt text read like spam to a search engine.
Get backlinks from companies that make sense – quality high ranking sites first
Don’t try to scam the system or buy your way to high rankings. Dishonesty will come back to bite you.
Don’t spam your own site by overusing a keyword or phrase.
Keep your site tidy. Fix broken links.
Manage your metadata. Keeping your meta data up to date so that it matches the content of your page is important. The Metadata tells search engines what your page should be about. If the search engine doesn’t find matching words in your site that’s a red flag. If you have WordPress I like to use SEO by Yoast as a took for managing my metadata. I install it on many of my client’s websites.
Get others talking about it – bloggers with high domain authority and social media preferable. Get sites with decent domain authority to link back to your site. Invite readers to comment on your blog.
Wait for search engines to notice. Be patient. Trying to over optimize your site will hurt you in the long run.