Search Engine Indexing, Rank and Content Relevance – how do you get it?

By frerecks • August 25th, 2008

So, what is it that gets you favored search engine indexing, rank and content relevance? What we do know [per the below Google quote] is that your web presence is being scrutinized competitively in over 200 different ways. So, does a search engine care about your site, or just about its’ pages? Is it the back links that do the trick? Is it the relevance to your subject matter of back links that really matters? Is it the rank of those back links? Can a search engine detect paid or recruited back links and ignore or penalize for them? How about date of creation stamp- have you been there longer? Is it how fast your pages load or, at least, the content on your pages? Is the amount of search activity going to your site a competitive signal? Has an ability to track your RSS subscription numbers become an important metric? Is it how focused and consistent your content creation is? Or better yet, how strong is the competition for each of the topics you target on each of these signal points and the 200 other we may or may not know about? bryan bomba ranks high for hinsdale il real estate

The truth is [per the below Google quote], no one really knows… and it changes all the time. As a firm, we believe it’s probably all of the above and then some *but mostly we believe it’s about your content.* Versus technology or link optimization strategies, which may get you somewhere temporarily, content is the sustainable logic in a world where search engines need loyal search in order to succeed. Specifically, *search engines are either the best conduit to answers OR searching consumers will move on, leaving pay per click models short of the click revenue needed to succeed.* And by the way, approximately 9- 11% of all searchers will click on the pay per click advertisements… leaving 90% for the organic content creator.

Regardless of what we believe, one can draw their own conclusions from what Google itself says, as follows:

  • VP of Search Quality Udi Manber, "The goal is always the same: improve the user experience. This is not the main goal, it is the only goal.”
  • Udi Manber, “…surprisingly little is known about ranking at Google. This is entirely our fault, and it is by design. We are, to be honest, quite secretive about what we do. There are two reasons for it: competition and abuse…"
  • "We’re constantly experimenting with our algorithm, tuning and tweaking on a weekly basis to come up with more relevant and useful results for our users."
  • Mr. Singhal [current master of Google’s ranking algorithm] has developed a far more elaborate system for ranking pages, which involves more than 200 types of information, or what Google calls “signals.” Page Rank is but one signal
    • "Page Rank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page’s value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at considerably more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; for example, it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages "important." Using these and other factors, Google provides its views on pages’ relative importance."
    • "Some signals are on Web pages like words, links, images and so on. Some are drawn from the history of how pages have changed over time. Some signals are data patterns uncovered in the trillions of searches that Google has handled over the years.”

Amidst all the above there have been two Google algorithm changes fairly recently, where top websites and bloggers saw dramatic changes [some up, some way down] in their indexing and their page rank. It’s common and it isn’t ever going to be a static environment, so suggesting there are sure- fire technologies and linking strategies runs counter to Google’s need for the best and most timely answers [or content] possible. Careful, it’s unlikely anyone is outsmarting Google’s army of engineers.

Our focus remains on bringing people the most user friendly optimized blogging software possible and on teaching leading content creation technique that stimulates both search engines and humans

Contributed by
chris@kineticknowledge.com


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