How to Get Great Organic Search Engine Listings
How to Get Great Organic Search Engine Listings
By Judith Kallos (c) 2005
All too often I find site owners are confused (or in denial)
about how to achieve the search engine rankings they desire on
the SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages). So, I am pleased to
offer you my version of "Organic Listings 101."
Several times each day I get approached by site owners wanting
to be in the top 5, 10, top page for organic (free) listings.
The organic results are those that display to the left and below
"Sponsored Sites" or "Sponsored Results" at Google, MSN and
Yahoo!. These "Sponsored" advertisement boxes are part of
Pay-Per-Click programs where site owners bid for positioning.
What we're going to discuss today are the free listings that
are gained by how your site is ranked based on a combination of
unique variables (algorithm) of each search site. Which, to
muddy things up further, evolve without notice.
"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad."
~Aldous Huxley
Let's first set the stage so that we have realistic expectations
here. When I started my consulting practice back in the early
90s, it was relatively easy to get found. The volume of sites
and the level of competition were not one iota of what they are
today. Fast forward to 2005 and you have close to 12,000,000,000
(yes, that's billion) pages with a good 10,000,000 being added
daily.
So how do you get visibility in the SERPs? Shuffling or adding
keywords in your Meta tags won't do it. Search Engine
Optimization (SEO) isn't the end-all-be-all either. You have
to have a well rounded, smart, long term marketing plan for your
site that includes certain basics for you to rise in the organic
rankings.
Issues for consideration to gain improved organic listings:
� Look at your Web marketing plan as a long term effort. New
sites are in Google's sandbox for 6 months or more, and it will
take time and effort to be viewed as more relevant than the
sites that are already online in the free positions you seek.
� Part of putting your plan together is to do a search with
your top keyword phrases on the various search engines so that
you are aware of the competition and the volume of sites already
successfully ranking for the terms you are targeting. This gives
you a real-world understanding of the level of competition you
will be up against.
� Understand that how your Web site ranks has nothing to do
with how good you are at what you do. It has to do with how good
your site is and how good others including the search engines
think your site is. That requires a long term realistic marketing
plan to grow your site to be the best most comprehensive resource
on your product or service for your site visitors. It doesn't
happen overnight or just because you say you want it to.
� Forget about trying to rank for one-word keywords - much too
difficult and in some cases downright impossible. Concentrate
and target 2-3 word phrases instead of one-word keywords and
you'll get more targeted visitors as well. There are several
tools to assist you in investigating what keyword phrases your
target market is actually using. Use these tools to your
advantage!
� Make sure each page within your site targets and is optimized
for only one or two, 2-3 word keyword phrases each. Niche is
what works for organic listings! The more you are about; the
less you are about any one thing. Search results are based on
numerous factors; one being relevancy for the terms the searcher
is using. If you are targeting 10, 20, 30 terms per page, that
page is not strongly about any given topic vs. another site that
has a page or pages concentrating on just one or two phrases
each. Keep in mind that less is more when it comes to targeting
keyword phrases on a page by page basis.
� To "top" the sites already out there, you have to do just
that! Top them! What makes your site better and more valuable
to your site visitors? If you don't have anything unique and
of quality or value to offer, you'll never push those who
already hold these positions out of your way.
� Plan on adding new information to your site on an aggressive
basis. Daily, weekly, minimally monthly! Resources, white papers,
"how tos" not only add value but will naturally work wonders as
keyword targeted pages. Offer the type of information those
seeking your product or service will find useful and search for
and that other sites will want to link to. Don't even think of
cheating and using content generating software...You'll get
nowhere with that approach. You need to have well written
content of value; not keyword stuffed ramblings.
� Plan on having lots of patience. Rome wasn't built in a
day and attaining great organic listings no longer happens in
a day, a month, or even a year. Any business that hopes to
succeed needs to take a consistent and informed long-term
approach. This applies to organic listings ten-fold.
Yes, without a doubt, all of the above recommendations require
your time, effort and a realistic understanding of how organic
listings are accomplished. But this is the reality of how great
listings, over time, are attained. It is really quite simple -
strive to make your site the best it can be; THE site for your
product or service and your rankings will improve!
There are no short cuts or trickery for fast top 5, 10, top page
organic results. If someone tells you otherwise, they are trying
to use what you don't know to get into your pocket book. Make
a commitment to continually build your site to be the best it can
be to your site visitors and your organic rankings will happen.
Web sites and rankings are a work in progress after all!
Without implementing the above, you are left with only one choice
in order to get visibility to those searching for your product or
service. You will need to invest in a well planned Pay-Per-Click
program and the corresponding budget necessary to reach your
goals.
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Judith Kallos is an authoritative and good-humored Technology
Muse who has played at http://www.TheIStudio.com for over a
decade. Check out her popular Software, Programming and Web
Design Cheat Sheets at http://www.LearnAndThrive.com
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posted by Victor Lloyd Smith @ 11:34 PM
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