Press Release Stop

Next, you must realize Google is not really a search engine but a business. The main goal of this business is to supply quality content to web users so that these users will use Google over and over again, allowing Google to attach ads and make a profit. The key to getting and keeping Google’s attention is fulfilling your part of this “quality equation” with superior content which surfers want and find helpful. Make this your religion and the SEO gods, including Google, will smile kindly upon your site.

Now like any religion there are some strict rules you have to follow. In a recent WebProNews video interview, Matt Cutts said Google has (200) signals it uses to rank content on the web. Most webmasters refer to these as ranking factors, but in truth, they are really signals that your site gives off… provide the wrong signals and it could spell lower rankings. So if you want to keep your site in Google’s good graces, you have to follow some simple SEO on-page rules, such as placing your main keyword in the Title, in the Heading, in the Body and in the URL. Make sure your site is easily navigated by your visitors and especially by the search engine spiders. Keep your linking structure simple, with no links more than three clicks away from your index or homepage. In my opinion, getting quality related one-way backlinks is the most important way to get top rankings in Google.

In recent years, Google has gone out of its way to help webmasters understand all these simple SEO basics. And as far as I am concerned, one resource every webmaster should be using is Google Webmaster Tools. This is a whole suite of tools and information webmasters can use in correlation with Google. Recently, in Webmaster Tools Google has made available Click-Thru data on its search engine results so that you can find out how many impressions you’re getting for a certain keyword and your click-thru or conversion rate. Some webmasters are questioning the accuracy of these numbers, but it will give you some indication of how well your site and content is doing in Google.

Perhaps, another just as valuable program is Google Analytics, where you’re really giving Google access to all your site’s information. You can use Analytics to measure different links/content on your site to see how well it performs. More importantly you can use it to fine-tune your conversion rates in order to make more sales. I also use it to test-out different graphics, different salescopy, different site layouts… and so on. But a word of caution, don’t just use Analytics. As an online marketer you want many sources of information, so regularly study your traffic logs and raw site data. Even with Google and probably especially with Google, you should always cross-reference any data with other sources on your site and on the web. Lets not get too carried away with this Google worship thing.

I use both Google Adsense and Google Adwords with most of my sites. As an online marketer, I know I can get 10 times more from an affiliate link than from Adsense… but over the years I have found having both types of links on sites doesn’t significantly reduce sales. To explain further, I have tested my pages with and without Adsense, and it doesn’t affect my affiliate sales even though I know I am losing some sales to Adsense. Overall, using Adsense adds to the competitiveness of my pages. If someone is looking for the lowest príce and finds it in a Google ad, they come away happy and will probably visit my site again or sign-up to my newsletter. Besides, Adsense is a very quick way to monetize pages which I don’t have ready affiliate programs for on my sites. In addition, Adsense and Adwords give you valuable feedback on your content’s performance.

There are several other Google programs which I use to further connect with Google such as Google Docs, Google Knol and iGoogle. One must-have program is Google Accounts, which basically connects me with all my different programs within Google. I have found managing all your Google programs is much easier from this one location. I also like using Google Profiles and Google Buzz to get my content quickly into Google and onto the web. As you have probably guessed already, Google does have a lot of programs which webmasters can use to improve their content’s performance. In the process, by using and intertwining your content with all of the Google programs highlighted here, you’re really connecting with Google en masse.

While many marketing experts will say it is foolhardy to marry all your content to just one search engine, I have found over the years that hard-wiring your site to Google really makes your content readily accessible in the most dominant presence on the web. Doing so not only gives your content the attention it deserves, but it can also help further your goals. Actively positioning your site and content firmly within Google’s many different facets can prove beneficial for any webmaster or online marketer. Just get that pre-nup agreement in writing first!

About The Author
The author is a full time online affiliate marketer who operates numerous niche sites, as well as two sites on Internet Marketing: Internet Marketing Tools or try here Free Marketing Courses Titus Hoskins Copyright 2010. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Step 8 to SEO Heaven – Link Building

The internet works through links, it would not be a “net” without links. A collection of independent pages that are not connected to each other cannot be found and, for the most part, that defeats their purpose. People seeing and clicking on links to your site make effective inbound links that search engines like to reward with a higher ranking for your website. They are also vital for SEO.

Inbound links play an important role in virtually every search engine when it comes to ranking pages in their search results. In the normal course of business links are added, and sometimes removed, all the time. This neverending organic process is monitored and measured by the search engines as an indicator of importance and relevance – so it is advisable to be pro-active in acquiring good inbound links. There are plenty of sites out there that should link to you, but don’t know you and your content. Help them to find your content and encourage linking to it.

Step 9 to SEO Heaven – Engagement, Trust and Community Building

Like it or not social media is a reality whole sections of society participate in for hours daily and is a fundamental indicator of relevance and popularity. Don’t allow your website to exist in an isolated bubble. Talk to people and allow them to respond and to interact with you.

People will talk about you with or without your permission. Much better to seize the initiative and become part of the discussion. Use it to build trust and deeper relationships with your customers or potential customers. Use it like research. Listen to what they say and learn about their wants and their needs. Listen and take note of comments, especially criticisms, and use them to improve. You can save the money you might have spent on focus groups and get feedback free of charge on the internet.

In relation to SEO, social media provides a huge opportuníty to expand your link building. For your business it increases your brand exposure for a fraction of the cost of tradwebsional, more intrusive advertising campaigns that are usually less effective.

Step 10 to SEO Heaven – Ranking and Traffic Analysis

When you begin, or if you have already started, check where you are today to be able to track and compare with data in the future. Look for trends and evaluate the progress towards your goals. You know those goals which we set in the first paragraph before we began the campaign. The ones you should specify before you engage in any type of marketing campaign. Those goals were measurable I hope? If you view improving your SEO ranking as a measure of your business success rather than an essential step to achieving business success, you will maintain a high SEO ranking for the long term. Why, because the high traffic that comes with it will drive your business.

Does the change in ranking yield the traffic you expected? Does this traffic actually convert? Which leads us neatly to step 11 of SEO heaven.

Step 11 to SEO Heaven – Conversion Analysis

All of this effort matters not one jot unless you make your profit number (or the equivalent in not for profit organizations). It all comes down to one critical factor – what is your bottom line? Did you make profit or did you lose money. Web Analytics is part of the process of making this determination. Focus on the things that work and help your bottom line and stop doing the things that don’t. Work on the details to improve visitor conversion to sales. This requires testing. Don’t try anything upfront without testing it first. The things that work for others might not work for you and the same is true the other way around.

Many with experience in the SEO game will tell you that there is another, more important step that would make this article 12 steps to SEO heaven. That step is to be sure only to work with people who can really explain SEO in plain English. To be blunt, small, independent and one-man-band web designers rarely get SEO fully and their usually well meaning efforts end up costing you more than they deliver. They do get part of the story, but they fail you by wasting both your money and your time.

About The Author
Tim Meadows-Smith is an experienced non-executive chairman, director and business advisor from a classical sales and marketing background gained with famous global FMCG brand owners. He has worked with businesses globally in the FMCG, logistics, service and technology sectors. He may be reached by email at Tim@Meadows-Smith.com. Find further articles at: www.timmeadows-smith.co.uk/blogarticles.php.