Glide Design » Search Engine Optimization

The 7 Basics of a Google Ranking

Travis McAshan — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:56:10 +0000

A Quick Disclaimer

There is a never-ending discussion over the actual factors used in ranking a website in most search engines. The SEO (search engine optimization) industry is rife with so-called experts claiming they KNOW the secrets. Last time I checked, there are no degrees or canonized literature for the actual ingredients in cooking up a Google ranking. However, based on our experience, expertise and viewed results we wanted to share our take on things.

The Cheat Sheet

If you’re in a hurry and simply want a bullet list rundown of the factors we’ll be discussing, just catch the list below and go about your way. If you’re interested in a few more details, stick around to get the full low-down.

HTML Page Title
Visible HTML Text (on the page)
Inbound Links (quality and quantity)
Inbound Link Anchor Text
Age of Domain
Site Authority
Other Lessor Factors

#1. HTML Page Title

The HTML page title is the single greatest factor in optimizing a web page in Google. It’s important to realize that each page of your site is analyzed individually. This gives you the chance to specifically target multiple keyword combinations throughout your website. As a bonus, you might not know that by changing your page title, you can change the title that is displaying in your search result listings in Google.

#2. Visible HTML Text (on the page)

You would think this is obvious, but there are quite a few site owners that miss this important point. In order to rank well for a particular set of terms, your site should have those terms on the page in regular HTML text. The rule of thumb is to NOT stuff the keywords but to use as many keywords as you need to state your message clearly. Lastly, if you can’t highlight and copy the text it’s probably not HTML text.

#3. Inbound links (quality and quantity)

While some people may have heard this, others have no clue how important inbound links are for your website. Back at MIT when Larry Page and Sergey Brin came up with the idea that eventually spawned Google, the algorithm was used for ranking medical documents. The idea was that the more people that referenced your medical paper, the more you could trust it, and the larger number of references meant a greater authority or ranking. They took this algorithm to the web, and the rest is history. The idea behind inbound links is that they establish quality, popularity and relevance, while not necessarily being under the control of a site owner. This makes inbound links an important part of most search engine ranking algorithms. The best links you can get from other sites are (a) from a home page, (b) links that don’t require a link back to them, (c) links from authorities in your industry.

#4. Inbound Link Anchor Text

How another site links to your site is important. In fact, it can be the difference between a rank boosting increase or just another link to your site. “Anchor Text” refers to the actual text in the link or the text that is “clickable” on a webpage. If the anchor text (or clickable link text) contains your desired keywords in it as opposed to just your website domain, you can significantly improve the value of the link in Google’s algorithm. Also note that combining this keyword-rich anchor text with relevant text surrounding the link can amplify this already good effect. Don’t worry if this one goes over your head just take a mental note and ask your SEO guy about it next time you chat.

#5. Age of Domain

On average, newer domains have a much tougher time making their way up the ranks than older ones. There is quite a bit of discussion as to why this happens. Many believe it’s related not only to the age of the domain, but also the age of the pages on the site. Others think that the longer a site is live the more chance it has to build quality inbound links. Whatever the case, don’t be discouraged if you have a newer domain, we have seen plenty of newer sites move up the ranks within a few months time. One word of caution is to carefully think about changing your website’s domain, as it could hold quite a bit of value in Google’s eyes.

#6. Site Authority

This is a little bit of a cheat, to be honest, and encapsulates quite a few ranking factors. You could think of “site authority” as a term meaning “how important the search engines think your site is”. The really interesting thing about site authority is that individual pages belonging to websites with higher site authority will gain even higher ranks, even if the individual pages don’t have the other higher ranking factors. I’ve seen this in my own blog when I wrote an article called “primary aim in life“, that is #1 in Google for that term. (This is pretty good considering my site isn’t about that particular topic). Authority can be viewed as a site that is big and well known, like wikipedia.com. However, in most cases it refers to the site’s authority in a specific theme, subject or industry. There are quite a few factors that figure into a site’s authority including inbound links, age of the domain and even website traffic.

#7. Other Lessor Factors

If “site authority” was a cheat, then I suppose “other lessor factors” is a complete cop-out. However, getting into the hundreds of other factors that go into a Google ranking would become an exercise in diminishing return of investment. Aside from the factors mentioned above, there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of other smaller, less important factors involved in ranking, such as keywords in your page URL, image ALT tags, meta tags, how often your site is updated and many more. Another interesting factor outside of your control may be the ”click-through” ratio on your search results in Google. If you’re intersted in learning more about ALL of the factors that go into a search engine algorithms, check out this page, www.seomoz.org/articles/search-ranking-factors.php.

SEO is Dead… Long Live SEO!

Travis McAshan — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:24:30 +0000

SEO is Dead

Some really smart folks in the SEO (search engine optimization) industry have recently been thinking about the future of SEO. It seems there has been an increase in the frequency and volume of the feedback relating to the future SEO plays in how people find things online. While this might seem like an apocalyptic sentiment, there are quite a few people chiming in with compelling evidence.

One Foot In The Grave…

Online search is a HUGE multi-billion dollar industry and it all revolves around the magic word RELEVANCE. Relevance simply relates to how accurate or meaningful a result is to a potential searcher. Search engines are constantly evolving in their effort to bring relevant results to their users. This means less junk results and more quality results. It’s spells bad news for old school SEO scammers who are link building their way to #1 in Google.

Nails in the Proverbial Coffin

Search engines are smart. Search engine algorithms are improving, and ranks are becoming harder to manipulate, so the job of the SEO experts is becoming less and less
Site crawlers are better. Barriers to robot crawling by are falling away, and once search engines can read flash and javascript, there is even less for a SEO folks to do
Blended results lessen rank importance. Typical search results are blending many medias. With so many different types of search results, it’s getting increasingly difficult to rank well for even moderately competitive keywords
The playing field is more fair. Search engines are handing out site map submittal tools and even offering insider information that negates the need for some expert SEO experts
Black-hat methods don’t pay. Many of the “old-school” techniques used by SEO experts are slowly but surely becoming devalued by Google to eliminate “gaming or scheming” by the cheaters.
SEO is easier to accomplish. Most websites have built-in tools for search engine optimization. Sometimes there are plugins that do a full site’s optimization automatically. This eliminates many of the on-page optimization recommendations made by experts right off the bat.
Who really needs a website anyway? It’s seems like the world is evolving away from static web pages to becoming a mix match of facebook profiles, twitter sites, embedded videos and widgets installed from other sites.

Long Live SEO!

The difference in the death of SEO, as some people see it, and how we approach SEO is quite different. The ideas presented above are indications of the slow death of the “old-school” SEO techniques. However, what we’re talking about is more than just jockeying for a rank in Google. It’s NOT just about scheming some programmatic algorithm. It’s more about a holistic approach that starts with understanding your goals for your target audience, then matching your website’s content to those goals. The approach continues with site monitoring, constant improvements and content updates that last the lifetime of the website. This type of site optimization, whether you call it SEO or not, will never die.

Looking to the Future

It’s our belief that search engines like Google are going to be investing billions of dollars on their technology to provide the best possible results to their customers. Someday, search engine robots might be fully sentient beings capable of sifting through endless mountains of content to give you just what you’re looking for in milliseconds. But not yet. Right now, the most important thing you can do is present the best possible content to your target audience. That content should also be well formatted and reachable by search engines. And as of now, a well-executed SEO campaign will bring significant and substantial benefits for your website and business. All in all, until there is a perfect search engine, there will always be a need for SEO.

10 Common SEO Misconceptions

Travis McAshan — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:38:59 +0000

I’ve been focusing my latest posts debunking stumbling blocks to launching a successful SEO (search engine optimization… and marketing) campaign. I thought I would conclude the trifecta of “Three EXCUSES not to do SEO” and “5 Situations SEO is NOT Necessary” with this post about common SEO misconceptions. If you’re brand NEW to SEO, we thought it would be wise to add to your schoolin’.

#1. “We’re the industry leader… we’re guaranteed for #1 in Google”

Just because you’re the big dog in your industry means absolutely NOTHING to Google. Now, before you get your feathers rustled, having industry clout, leadership, and domination WILL typically set you up to be successful in online search. This is because there is simple more potential chances for people to link to your site, talk about you and increase your online exposure. But rest assured, don’t rely simply on your industry position to determine your online ranking position.

#2. “Our site gets TONS of traffic… we have to be ranking well”

You might be surprised to know one thing almighty Google doesn’t know, that is how many visitors are going to your website. Perhaps somewhere along the lines you had the idea that the more site visitors you get the better your search rankings. It’s OK, we debunk this myth all the time to our customers. It is patently false. (just a note that typically the better your rank, the more site visitors you will typically have)

#3. “We can hire a guy from overseas to build links to our site”

Don’t laugh. We have had quite a few requests about this. To be perfectly honest, we even thought about doing it ourselves just to say we tried. However, great link building is more than just submitting your website to random directories and other websites. A guy from India (racial profiling aside) does NOT know your industry, your client’s needs, and your business better than you. You should start every SEO campaign with sound SEO best practice principles.

#4. “Our site is already #1 in Google… we’re doing great!”

Hmmm, my first question would be #1 for WHAT? If you’re ranking #1 for “purple bumblebee jackets” and you sell clothes online you might want to see (1) how many visitors that term is bringing and (2) has it made you any money? Need a real world example? We hired an SEO company to do some work for us (yes, it’s a dark secret from a few years back), and they got us to #1 for “logo design austin”. They were thrilled, the ONLY problem was that term didn’t generate a SINGLE visit to our site in three months. Lesson learned… make sure you know you’re best possible target keyword terms.

#5. “We ONLY need to promote our homepage”

This is another unfortunate lesson we learned early in our SEO efforts. If you focus all of your link building and optimization efforts on your homepage you’re going to create an unbalanced and overall unhealthy search presence. The goal is to “diversify, diversify, diversify”. To use a gym work out as an analogy, don’t be the guy doing bench press five days a week. Make sure to build links and optimize the deeper and more information rich pages as well.

#6. “We added page titles and meta keywords… we’re good to go”

If I had a dollar for every time a client told me this I’d have… at least $37. The important consideration here is that while page titles are absolutely critical to SEO optimization, meta keywords do just about “NOTHING”. On top of this you’re just breaking the tip of the iceberg into the major points of on-page optimization you need to accomplish. Lesson learned, if your “SEO Guy” says he’s added the “meta keywords” and “you’re good to go”… please GO, go to someone else for your SEO needs!

#7. “We hired a fancy SEO firm… let’s relax and have a cocktail!!”

It’s an unfortunate byproduct of the nature of the SEO industry that some people are going to be taken for a “ride”. Just because you just signed a check for $2500 to get started with some fancy pants SEO firm doesn’t mean diddly squat. I have personally worked with quite a few “high-end” search engine optimization companies and to be honest I think it’s all hit or miss. Most of the time you’ll see a positive ROI but I have to admit it’s definitely NOT 100% of the time.

#8. “We’re in a referral-based industry… we don’t need random leads!”

I hear this daily from my clients and I simply have to shake my head and admit that they are missing the bigger picture. Just about all industries live and breath referrals daily. However, LISTEN when I tell you this, “if you’re business is 90% referral you still NEED to be highly ranked online”. The simplest reason is because every one of these referrals is probably going to look for you online, are they finding you? When you search your brand do you dominate the terms? Also, in addition to referred leads, all “buzz” or talk about you online is good. The types of things that generate great search optimization are simply REALLY great marketing ideas. Why not take advantage of them!

#9. “We just launched our website… we’ll be #1 in Google real soon!”

We try and try to explain the process to most people. However, depending on your state of economic dependence on new and fresh leads you might be “over-relying” on getting a great search ranking. If that’s the case you might want to re-evaluate your online goals. Great SEO is like exercise, doing it just one day gives you nothing, doing it for a week helps, doing for a month makes a difference, and doing it for a year will change your business. I think my favorite part about great SEO is the difficulty in ranking highly decreases the number of your competitors that are simply unwilling to work as hard as you to get there. So what are you waiting for again?

#10. “Our industry is too competitive to rank well… what’s the point?”

We have a couple of clients in industries like “real estate” and “residential construction” that are downright mortified by the uphill battle they face to compete with the “already established” Google ranking kings. Does this pose a challenge, by all means yes, does it mean that you will have to change your strategies, yes, does it mean you should crawl under a rock and give up? Absolutely not! A true entrepreneur and business owner never sees problems, they are simply challenges that have yet to be accomplished. Don’t be afraid, your persistence and effort will be repaid in due time.

A Last Word…

I need comments! I simple want to know I’m writing this stuff to people out there that find it interesting, inspiring, though-provoking, feather ruffling, clever or downright incorrect. I just want to know the web has a pulse and that requires a TWO-WAY communication. If you’re feeling charitable, slightly extroverted, or even this weird feeling, one that you have never had, to actually write your first comment EVER on a website… JUST DO IT!

Three EXCUSES not to do SEO…

Travis McAshan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:19:51 +0000

Everyone has excuses and we all know the famous saying, “everyone has one and they all stink…”. So, if your site doesn’t fall into one of the five reasons for NOT optimizing your website for search engines, then why not start now?

Excuse #1: “I don’t have enough money”

Yes, hiring a great search firm can be a significant undertaking in time and money. However, if you don’t have the budget there are actually quite a few things you can do yourself, or with the help of someone with even average technical abilities. There are books such as “SEO, An Hour a Day” and online sources such as www.seobook.com that have great plans you can implement yourself. Although it might not seem possible, you can actually make a HUGE difference while spending pennies on the dollar.

Excuse #2: “I don’t have enough time”

SEO is a long-term process that is flexible depending on your time. It’s also cumulative and all of your efforts will expound upon previous work. If you can focus 30-60 minutes a day on your website SEO you could potentially see dramatic changes in less than 2-3 months. If 60 minutes a day sounds scary then give what you have, perhaps it’s 15 minutes every other day. The goal is to create a plan and implement on whatever schedule you decide and simple STICK TO IT no matter what.

Excuse #3 “My website is terrible”

You may think your website would drive away even your most loyal customers. Perhaps, the hideous purple and green background with the silver 3D rotating logo makes you cringe. Whatever the case, this is a usual occurrence for our clients that decide to traverse the path of revamping their online marketing goals. While in a perfect world you would wait for a perfect website, if your budget is simply not available for the new site don’t let this stop you. Depending on your company goals there are some valuable goals for working around your site problems and still getting quality results in search engines.

The Final Recap

All in all, there are really no reasons you should not be optimizing your website for success online when it comes to being found in search engines. Search engine optimization is NOT as hard as you think. You simply need to accept the fact that lead generation and brand credibility are created through your company being found in Google. The next step is to get STARTED!!

Quotable Quote…

“I love the man who can smile in trouble, gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection.” – Thomas Paine, Statesman

5 Situations SEO is NOT Necessary

Travis McAshan — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:22:16 +0000

In most situations, optimizing your website to be found online seems like an obvious company goal, but in reality, this is not always the case. In my experience, I’ve found there are a couple of situations where an SEO campaign is simply unnecessary.

1. You DON’T want your website to be found

There are some unique cases where having strangers visit your website will do no good for your business model. For example, if you have an online training tool for your specific employees or an online classroom tool for your students. Overall, this is a specific situation where it’s best to spend your resources in other areas.

2. Your site is already ranking extremely well

It could be that your in a relatively non-competitive market and you have a large advantage on your competition. You’re site is already ranking rather well, you’re more than happy with your lead volume, and you simply don’t want to fix what isn’t broken. While I salute you, the rest of the web might snub it’s nose at your rather fortunate situation.

3. You’re in a HUGE rush (or are desperate for new leads)

Perhaps you’re in a hurry to close new sales and if you don’t get a certain number of leads and closed sales in the next 30-60 days you’ll have to shut the doors. In this regard you’d be far better off with a quality PPC campaign. The problem with placing expectation and pressure on your SEO is because of the nature of a great SEO campaign. Great SEO is an organic slow-growing beast that becomes more and more powerful as you feed it. However, don’t expect your lion cub to turn into the king of the jungle over night… like all things in life, patience is rewarded.

4. You are going to completely rebuild your website

Over the past couple of years we have had a number of website rebuilds where the company came to us through the referral of an SEO consultancy. In almost every situation, the best approach is to build the new site with great SEO principles, but wait on the actual campaign until the new site is live. As soon as you launch the site a full blown SEO campaign is just what the doctor ordered to take your prize to the next level.

5. You’re developing a new web presence on a test server

This is another one of those unique situations but I had to include it on the list because of how often it’s popped up for us. In the last few years, it seems as if Google has become a voracious beast when it comes to new content. It’s scouring the web constantly looking for links to new pages. If you’re developing a site that you don’t want anyone to see make sure to password protect the server. We have found that “norobots” exclusions, drafted pages in CMS, and many in other situations, Google will FIND a way to your website pages whether you want people there or not. When in doubt about if your page is visible to Google, ask an expert!

Quotable Quote…

“Succeeding is not really a life experience that does much good. Failing is a much more sobering and enlightening experience.”– Michael Eisner, executive

10 Common SEO Misconceptions

SEO Optimization… Glide Style

Chris Canada — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:41:36 +0000

Our General Approach To SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of designing or redesigning a website to achieve a higher search engine ranking. Google – as well as Bing!, and every other search engine – seeks to provide to its searchers the most relevant information for a given keyword. Website owners are in turn trying to establish the relevance of their sites, and broadly speaking, they take one of two approaches to accomplish this: the ‘crash diet’ approach and the ‘personal trainer’ approach. The ‘crash diet’ can provide a quick relevance boost by cramming popular keywords and posting links from semi-related websites, but search engines quickly catch phony relevance and penalize it with lower rankings. Ultimately, like the business it supports, a website can only achieve lasting search success by consistently serving its customers well. We at Glide have therefore opted in favor of the ‘personal trainer’ method – harder work in the beginning which then paves the way for greater gains in the long run. How do we do it? Simple!

Step One: Who Are You?

To formulate our strategy for optimizing your site, it’s important for us to define who exactly you are and why you have a website. We’ll gather as much pertinent information as possible from you regarding your business and your website. This will enable us to clearly establish the direction of the project, and it will ensure that the end result is consistent with the overall goals of your company.

Step Two: What’s The Plan?

Once we have the info, we’ll begin the work of analyzing all of the factors that will influence your site’s position in search results. We will determine the keywords that your potential customers are most likely to use when searching for a business like yours. Your site’s structure will get a thorough inspection, and anything that is hindering its ‘searchability’ will be noted. We’ll also scan the virtual landscape for opportunities to get the word out online about your new and improved home on the web.

Step Three: Do It!

With all of the opportunities pinpointed, we will put the plan in motion. This may entail both minor and major changes to the site. Old text may need to be updated, and new text may need to be created. Graphics and media may need to be added – or removed. Only the combination of improvements that will create the best solution for you, your customers, and the search engines they use, will be implemented.

After The Initial Project

The internet is continually evolving, and both customers and search engines are evolving with it. Successful SEO is therefore an ongoing process. Your site may only need to be overhauled once, but it will always need to be checked and occasionally tuned up. We will stay on top of any developments that affect your site, and as adjustments become needful, we will recommend them accordingly. You will stay in shape!