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Back to this Google SEO Thing

This Google SEO thing

Okay… so I’m back on this Google SEO thing. All search engines have their own algorithms they use to determine what is the most relevant answer to the search a user requested. It’s interesting to me that Yahoo and Bing are almost always 2 steps behind Google. For instance… I’m working with one of my clients on SEO for his website; www.AdirondackMountainRentals.com and I’m using strategies that worked with Google just 1 month ago. We chose the domain name based on a highly searched (for its category) keyword phrase knowing that gives you an automatic advantage. It generally only takes a few days to get to the top of an exact match keyword if your domain name is an exact match. Not anymore with Google. We’re page #1, Organic spot #1 with Yahoo and Bing , but not with Google. We’re still languishing on page 3 with Google. They changed the algorithm once again!

If you want to gain the number one position for a keyword or key phrase with Google, you have to think like Google. So what is their logic? Really, it’s not that difficult. Their goal is to provide the end user with the most relevant answer to the search. So what would someone be searching for that typed in “adirondack mountain rentals” in the search bar? A cabin to rent in the Adirondack Mountains! So we gear our content to make sure it carefully explains that we are promoting cabins and cottages for rent in the Adirondack Mountains. We say it with every page and every blog post. We make sure Google knows by searching our content that we are all about cabins for rent in the Adirondack Mountains! That’s how you do search engine optimization!

I know I’m making sound quite simple and it is. The difficult part to good SEO is making sure you speak like a robot (the tools Google uses to search your site). Your content has to appeal to both man and machine. That’s the hard part. Tags, focus keywords, titles, meta descriptions, etc. Those are the things that you need us for.

If you have a great website already but just can’t seem to get found, call us or email us. We are SEO experts… we can get you there!

What should good SEO cost?

Frequently I’m asked the question… “How much does it cost for you to perform quality SEO on my website?” My answer… Good SEO should never “cost” you anything! It should make you money.

Trying to think like a customer is the biggest obstacle that most business people have to overcome and get it right. You have to know the value of a customer in terms of revenue and long term profit. It doesn’t make sense to spend $10,000 to drive your site to the top for a certain keyword if the number of customers times net profit does not equal at least double that amount.

For instance… If your company sells hand made wooden Adirondack Chairs, and your net profit on each chair sold is $30. Your market is the United States. The “exact” search volume for the term “Adirondack Chairs” is 22,200 per month. The competition for this search term is “High” so it would take a minimum of 24 months of continuous blogging, linking, and analytics to drive your site to the 1st of 2nd organic position for that search term. Say the cost for such an endeavor would be $24,000. Now let’s say that your site achieves PR1 ranking and holds the 2nd position. According to statistics, you will receive roughly 25% of those searching so approximately 5000 potential customers would click on your site each month. Also, let’s assume that your Adirondack chairs are high quality at a value price so your sales “closing” ratio from the site is roughly 3%. That means that you could expect to sell approximately 150 chairs per month from your site. If my math is correct, total net profit would be $4,500. How long would it take to recoup the 24k invested in SEO? Less than 6 months! By anyone’s standards, that’s a good investment!

Do the math. Determine the value of traffic and customers. Then make your decisions as to whether SEO for those keywords are worth the effort.

Google Page Ranking

How can I get to page 1 on Google? What is Google page ranking? If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been asked that question, I wouldn’t have to work anymore!

The question proves that the general public’s understanding of the various search engines and their processes is still in the dark ages. My answer is always the same: For what keyword or key phrase? A site doesn’t just rise to the number 1 position for every Google search term.

Think about it… If you were searching for a used car and entered the term “used cars” in the Google search bar, would you keep using Google if all that came up were websites selling life insurance? You have to be specific! What search term or phrase do your customers use when they are searching for your product or service? Those terms and phrases are where you want your site to “rank” for.

That’s what good SEO does. It provides your site with quality content that will be recognized by the search engines as a “great” answer to the search request. Remember, Google, Bing, and Yahoo are in the business of providing you with the best possible answers to your questions. That’s what keeps you coming back. It’s their job to determine if your site commands top position for any certain search term or phrase.

There are not shortcuts! Provide quality content and customers will find you. It’s the business model of capitalism and it works every time!

Where am I on Google Search?

There are 2 options here… go to the Google search bar and type in your search term or phrase and then go from one page to the next and try and find your site. If your site is in the top 10 pages, no big deal. Understand though that if your site is not on the 1st page, the chances of your site being found for that search term is slim to none and slim done left town! If your site isn’t on page 1 and one of the 1st 3 choices, your site probably won’t get many visits either.

The second option is to try this tool:

whatpageofsearchamion.com/‎

I have found this tool to be very helpful. Don’t use it too much however, Google is watching you!

What is SEO?

Everybody’s selling it… but what the heck is it? If only folks would read this, a my fingers would probably begin to heal from the aches I get from explaining this simple acronym! Search Engine Optimization. In simple terms, it is the science of making the major search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.) recognize your site for what it is.

Computer algorithms, not people, determine the content of your site. Google has “Bot’s” that crawl through your site (provided you have allowed it) looking for relevant content to search requests from users. Let’s assume you are an authority on kayaks. In your site, you are constantly writing and referring to canoe’s, however, instead of kayaks. How is Google supposed to know that your site is not about canoe’s? Not only that, but when Google sends someone to your site looking for information on canoe’s, they don’t stay long because your site has nothing to do with canoe’s. See the delimma? Do you think Google will freely promote your site as an authority on kayaks or canoe’s? Probably not!

Good SEO simply is aware that these “bots” are not people and constantly monitors the content of a site to make sure the “bots” know what your site is all about. Quality SEO also provides excellent content that keeps folks coming back. That is a direct clue to Google that it made the right choice by choosing your site as the correct answer to a customers search.