MAIN Business SEO

Google Updates Shake Online Business Sites...
Surviving Algo Updates & Other Google Optimization Tips

Don't try to out think about Googlebot ... just give it a good site.

Have you heard the news? Google is changing their algorithm... again. The change is not unusual. Search engines are constantly updating, or "tweaking" the way they select which sites should come out first in search results.

While this disaster may not be an earthquake, tsunami or major hurricane, it is causing havoc in the online business community.

The clamor in the forums and boardrooms is always loud and unhappy around the holidays, in particular. It seems that Google, the busiest search engine, usually changes the status quo at the busiest time of year for online shopping.

Many sites receive more than half of their traffic from this one source. A change in the formula Google uses can cause a web based e-commerce site to drop from the top spots in search results and lose customers. In some cases dropping out of the top Google ranking is so economically disastrous that an online company can be forced to go out of business.

What makes a site rank well in Google search?

No one really knows except Google...and they keep their recipe a closely guarded secret. Webmasters and search engine optimization experts spend long hours experimenting to find the keys and get top rankings for their sites. Just when everyone is about to get the secret recipe unlocked, it seems that Google changes the ingredients.

There are some basics to good sites that never change. Links leading into to a site are important, good design with "clean" code and optimized graphics that allow the site to load quickly give the site a boost, content that is unique and relevant helps, using key phrases in the content is vital, providing links to relevant resources seems to raise Google search engine positioning. If you stop to think about it, Google seems to be looking for the same information that you want to find in a site when you go online to do a search.

The Google algo is designed to keep the best and most relevant results on the front page. Remember that Google is in the business of providing users with the best search results. If a search engine doesn't do a good job, it will lose market share. Web surfers don't use Google for search because they love the flavor or the color. Google is the search engine of choice for many because it delivers good results. SEO tactics that ignore this are dangerous.

What do user's think of your site?

Many on the business end of the Web forget that customers run the show. It's not about advertisers, although they do provide the revenue. It's not about publishers, although they do provide the content. The key is the user. Without users coming to a site and clicking, the system falls apart.

If you stop providing customers with what they want, they will quickly find someone else who has a better product. Google's product is providing good sites to users. It is just a good tool that makes finding what you want online easy. Sites that reach the top of the search pile but don't provide what a user wants are poison to Google.

The timing of Google's updates have everything to do with the busy shopping season, but the motivation is, again, user satisfaction. With the busiest time of year for entertaining and shopping coming up online business owners are, or should be, tweaking their sites to make sure that people will find what they want when they arrive at the site.

Seeing the big picture

Google is tweaking its algo to make sure anyone searching finds exactly what it is that they are looking for. That's the key for Google to remain the search engine of choice through the busy season. While it may seem that the search engine is picking the lead up time to the holiday season for their algo update to undermine SEO optimization efforts, the reality is that Google doesn't care which Web sites are at the top.

As long as the stats keep showing that people are using Google, it wouldn't matter if a string of blank pages filled the top ten spots. The problem for search engines is that a string of blank pages - or less than premium quality, SEO engineered sites - in the top ten results alienates users.

If Google delivers cleverly optimized mediocre sites and not the best results...people will abandon Google and use MSN, Yahoo!, Dogpile and others. You know the list...and so does Google. They will continue to adjust the algo to keep that from happening.

How to ensure Google likes you

What can you do to make sure that your site survives this Google algo change and all the future tweaks that are sure to follow? The answer is simple. Provide a site that welcomes your visitor and has everything they need to conduct their business in comfort. A Web site is your online store. When a customer walks in the door, they should find a pleasant, well lit area that shows what you have available, how to locate exactly what they want and how to buy it. If they can't find what they came for, they will leave muttering curses at you and the search engine that lead them to your door.

Don't target your site for keywords that may attract visitors who aren't really looking for what you have on your site. It gets your visitors angry and angry visitors don't become revenue producers.

Do target keywords that will bring visitors who will want what you have to offer. Do you provide solid background information and advice for the customer or just push a product at them? What makes your site a better place to shop or research than the million other sites they can use? Some sites offer articles and links to information and others make ordering easy... the best places provide it all. Offering good prices and excellent customer reviews to build trust are more signs of a top site.

After years of doing business do you have expert knowledge about your field or the product you sell? Write an article or two...or ten... and post them on your site. Online stores don't have salespeople to greet the customers, but your articles can be a good substitute! Finding out that they are at a site where the people in charge really know their stuff makes your visitors happy!

You can also offer other sites -- related to your topic -- the chance to post your articles along with a link back to your site. Don't overdue this. Your visitors and Google like to see original and unique content. Posting your article at hundreds of sites lessens the benefit to you even though it does give you plenty of links. Really good sites don't want to publish an article that can be found on hundreds of other sites around the Web. Bulk submissions may be easy and appealing...but they are setting you up for a fall in the next Google shakeup.

The bottom line in Google rankings

The secret to maintaining a top ranking on the Google search engine results pages is not finding out the latest tricks and scurrying to change your site with each algorithm update. Doing anything to increase your rankings that doesn't make sense for your site should set off warning bells.

The bottom line is...if you have a site that you'd be happy to find as a customer - you've got a winner. If you don't, your visitors won't be grateful to the search engine that lead them to your door and the search engine will drop you as soon as it can. Look at your site through your customer's critical eyes and if you find problems, don't make excuses...fix them! The Googlebot will notice and so will your visitors.

Other Search Engine Optimization Articles:

The Best Traffic Generation Tool Is Free
Buying Links: A Good Business Investment?
The Buzz About Links
Internet Marketing Requires Persistence
Quick & Easy Search Engine Formula
SEO Tips for Ecommerce
Search Engine Optimization and Ecommerce
Search Engines: How Did They Get Here?
Search Engine Positioning
Search Engine Optimization Basics
Writing Search Engine Optimized Articles

also see -> Happy 10th Anniversary, Google