As most of us know, Google.com is one of the highest rated and most used search engines on the Internet. Lately the marketing community has been stumbling over the changes to Google's Algorithm. This Algorithm is a formula that Google uses to rank web sites for their search results. When this change was made, some Webmaster where surprised to see that their sites had fallen in rank.
Webmasters and SEOs (Search Engine Optimizers) spend a lot of time using techniques to fine-tune their sites so that they achieve high rankings with search engines. Google has always been considered the benchmark to which sites are tested. Some of these webmasters feel as if they own or deserve to keep their ranking, partly because of the work that they have invested, but mainly because of the traffic that it generates.
So what can you do to improve your site's ranking? Optimizing experts say that the basics still hold true. Quality content and quality of incoming and outgoing links are of the most important. Marissa Mayer, Director of Consumer Web Products at Google, says, "Have unique useful content. Have sitemaps. Make your site easy to reach with a text-based browser. Give your site a hierarchal structure. Have a single domain with mini-sites within, rather than having lots of sites." according to Garrett Finch, editor for WebProNews.com. She goes on to say that if you have recently dropped in rankings, "Go back and look at whom you linked to and who’s linking to you. If any of these people are using spam techniques, they're the reason your site no longer appears on Google.”
One other incentive for ranking high with Google.com is that you will also rank high with Yahoo! About 70% of all Internet traffic goes through either Google.com or Yahoo.com. Yahoo! actually uses Google's services to display search result on their sites, so if you are listed with Google, there is no need to pay $299 per year for Yahoo! to consider you for inclusion. That’s right, I said CONSIDER! Paying this yearly fee in no way guarantees that your site will show up on their search engine. The only way to guarantee inclusion in Yahoo! searches, oddly enough, is to make sure your site is listed in Google.
Luckily getting your site listed with Google is easy. Its being ranked in the top few pages of results that is the tough part. Obviously, your ranking with Yahoo! searches will be close to the ranking with google searches. So how do you list your site with Google? Well, you can easily submit your site here: www.google.com/addurl.html . Seems too easy though. While this works, experts say that it is better to make sure quality sites link to yours, and then let Google find you. This has not been proven, but it clearly does say on Google's submit page that they cannot guarantee your site will be listed. We suggest doing both. Set up the links first, and then submit.
Well, hopefully this article saved you at least $299. It is hard to justify paying their yearly fee for the same service that you can get free. There seems to be no advantage with submitting your site with Yahoo! As opposed to going through Google. Good luck with your Search Engine Optimization.
Eric Griffiths
Designer/Project Manager
Netevo Web Design
www.Netevo.net
$0 Set-Up Fee
