Improving Your Website Rankings
Every search engine marketer knows that when it comes to getting rankings, Google is the most
important search engine. Since Google has the most market share and drives the most traffic to sites,
every webmaster wants to rank high in Google's search results. But with billions of pages spidered,
getting to the top of Google's search results is not that simple.
What can your site do to rise above the competition in Google's search results? To improve your
chances, follow some of these techniques for increasing your Google positioning:
Inbound Links
Everyone knows that Google's Page Rank gives preference to sites that have more inbound links. You
site will be more competitive on Google if you can get like-minded web sites to link to you. It also
makes sense to buy directory links and launch a link popularity campaign. To learn more, read our Real
Link Popularity section.
Anchor Text
When establishing link relationships, try to have other sites link to you with descriptive text. The
keywords placed inside "anchor text" - link text - get extra scoring points with Google. To help other
sites accurately describe you, identify your business consistently throughout the pages. For example,
try saying "Dog's Heaven - premium pet supply store" on different pages of your site. If you know that
someone will be linking to you, you can email them your requested anchor text.
Text Navigation
In the name of aesthetics, many web sites hide their links inside images, JavaScripts and Flash files.
This practice is fine; after all, it's the users you want to appeal to first. However, Google and other
search engines will have an easier time indexing and better ranking your site if you include a textual
navigation on your pages as well. You can repeat your navigation at the top or on the bottom of the
page. We also recommend creating a sitemap to score better.
When creating your text navigation, link your pages with descriptive copy (remember the extra points
for anchor text). A sound internal linking structure can also provide benefits when it comes to ranking
on Google.
Header tags
Identify which terms are most important for your web site and use them in your header tags. Instead of
simply making your text larger or bolder, use different header tags for emphasis. Google scores text
found inside header tags higher, so make sure that you include your most important keywords. Some
also believe that a proper structure - starting out with larger header tags and moving downward - will
also help search engines emphasize the right copy.
HTML Title
Creating a descriptive and well-optimized HTML title will benefit you with all search engines,
especially Google. Click here to learn more about HTML titles.
Outgoing links
If you want to do well with Google, avoid link farms and most reciprocal link programs. All of your
outgoing links should point to relevant, high-quality web sites. Google has measures to discount links
coming from comments or forums, so a web site doesn't get unnecessarily penalized. However, if you
can help it, link only to sites that you consider worthy of a link, not to sites who just promise you link a
back.
Optimized content
Last, but definitely not least, optimize your page content with keywords! The first rule of content
optimization is to create pages that appeal to users, not just Google. Then, work on incorporating your
main keywords into the headers and page text. Google's spider prefers content-rich sites, so make
yours informative and useful.