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Important Google Links For Your Reference
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I have taken the liberty of including important links from Google's
site. This information will help you understand Google's goals and
responsibility to the web searcher (and not the webmaster or site
owner).
Webmasters who follow the guidelines and avoid Google's "Thou shalt
nots" usually have no problem getting listed and showing up under the
search terms they desire.
* Google Today (absolutely the best information you
can read about the "how and why" of Google's results
- ://www.google.com/corporate/today.html
* How Do I Get My Site Listed on Google?
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/1.html
* My Web Pages Are Not Currently Listed (a good 'primer'
on how and why Google works so well)
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/2.html
* PageRank Information (covers both Google's PageRank and
SERPS)
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/4.html
* Webmaster Guidelines (contains both the dos and don'ts)
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html
* Google Facts & Fiction (can you buy your way to a
high ranking in Google?)
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/facts.html
* Search Engine Optimizers (some good advice on what to look
for if you're going to hire a Search Engine Optimizer)
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/seo.html
* Frequently Asked Questions (pretty much what it says, but
definitely worth wading through)
- ://www.google.com/webmasters/faq.html
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Other Sources of Information
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There is also good information from many of the top search engine
optimization experts, such as
* Detlev Johnson, Search Engine Guide
- http://www.searchengineguide.com/detlev/
* Danny Sullivan, Search Engine Watch
- http://www.searchenginewatch.com/
* Jill Whalen, High Rankings
- http://www.highrankings.com/
* Shari Thurow, Web Pro News (and quoted all over the Internet)
- www.webpronews.com/
who all have columns or newsletters to which you can subscribe and
keep abreast of the best way to use good content for better
positioning in search engine results.
In addition, Webmaster World - http://www.webmasterworld.com/ - has
discussion boards on most of the search engines. While some of the
discussions are anecdotal and/or questions for information, there is
usually enough discussion to keep abreast of what seems to be
happening.
There is an entire section devoted to Google at:
- http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/
It never hurts to keep track among these discussions, but remember,
trying to optimize for search engines only is like trying to hit a
moving target. You'll notice among the more experienced contributors
to the discussions - plus the SEO experts listed above - that there
really is no substitute for content, relevant links and good HTML.
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About those search terms
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If you use the terms in your keywords, you are competing for attention
along side millions of others.
No matter how you look at it, that is a powerful lot of competition
for those terms under which you want your site to be found! I suspect
you aren't even sure what the terms your potential customers are
looking for - most people don't, unless they spend a great deal of
time researching that subject.
If you want to inrease your rank, you might want to check into what
people really are looking for when they are searching for photo
prints.
I heartily suggest spending some time at Wordtracker
-http://www.wordtracker.com - to seek out all the related phrases you
can, then write copy based around the best, most relevant terms.
Include those words in your Title tags and especially within the
CONTENT of your website accordingly. That will certainly help in
search engine results, because Google and most of the major search
engines ignore the key word metatags.
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Recent changes to Google's Algorithms
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While it isn't so evident to the every-day searcher, it has become
painfully obvious to site owners and webmasters that Google has
recently changed its algorithm, and sites that were 'overly
optimised', which is mostly a fancy description of sites that were
gaming the system, have disappeared from Google altogether or have
been relegated so far down in the search results they might never be
seen.
Don't try to stack the deck in your favor by doing any one thing in
the hopes you'll get better a placement rank. Instead follow Google's
advice about "designing for the user" with relevant content, good
basic HTML so you don't prevent your site from being crawled and your
site is available to visitors.
The webmasters who designed sites as suggested by Google really didn't
see a great deal of fluctuation in this most recent Google dance.
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Summary
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Reciprocal links are not the answer if you want your site to rise in
search engine results pages. You can help it move up that list by
paying attention to, and employing, the specific recommendations and
suggestions Google offers. Links to that information are above.
Search terms used ~
Besides searching for your site, links to your site and a couple of
your keywords, I utilized resources I am familiar with and use
regularly in the course of my business.
I realize I have given you more than you asked for or probably moret
han you really wanted to know. I offer this information to help you
reach your stated goal, "to gain popularity on the search engine under
certain keywords."
Best of luck to you,
Serenata
Google Answers Researcher |
