I doubt it. Not as long as Google has the market share and is making oodles of money.
We desperately want to throw in the towel and be done with all of this SEO nonsense, right? But, none of that matters. Why? Because our next customers and clients are searching Google and we want our websites to be found, front and center.
Sure, there are multiple strategies to acquiring traffic, but we want the “motherload,” the coveted first-page rankings; the chance to gloat and watch hordes of traffic pour into our site.
OK, so we’ve established that we all still want to rank in Google. Now that we are all on the same page, let’s take a closer look at what Google wants from our websites and some of the recent changes of which you should be aware.
Relevant Links
Page Rank is out…relevancy is in.
Remember when getting that PR6 from an irrelevant site was all the rage? It most likely won’t even count now; or it may hurt your rankings. Google associates natural links with relevant links. What do I mean by relevant?
If your website sells party supplies, relevant links should be on websites like party balloon shops, paper goods, party planning, event planning blogs, wedding sites, etc.
I would even be so bold to say that a PR2 relevant link is more important than a PR6 irrelevant link. That is how much Google is weighting relevancy. Think also in terms of the text and headers around your link. Google most likely looks at this content to determine the relevancy of your link as well.
Remember these tips when seeking out guest posting opportunities. Think about relevancy more than Page Rank and consider only reputable, high-quality sites on which to post.
Natural Links
Now that your links are relevant, how natural do they look? Is your exact match keyword in 75% of the links? If so, you may be in trouble.
Diversify those links and pay attention to keyword spamming. Use your keyword but concentrate on mixing up the phrases and topics. For example, if your keyword is “wedding planning tips”, consider phrases such as “wedding planning tips and tricks”, “plan your wedding in a snap”, “easy wedding planning for the bride and groom.”
As you can see from the examples ,your keyword doesn’t have to be in all of the links, but you can nod to your topic and other words that will still tell Google what your site is about but not look spammy.
Or you can just let your links come naturally and your link profile will be completely natural. (P.S. I think that’s what Google is really after.)
Good User Experience
Are people leaving your site faster than they came? Or are they willing to look around and take a closer look at what you are offering?
We now know that a users’ time on your site plays a role in the rankings of your site. And the way to keep visitors on your site longer is to keep the user happy.
How can you do this?
- Easy navigation
- Targeted content
- Fill an industry need
- Relevant graphics/theme
- Professionalism
One of the ways Google also measures the quality of your content is by the number of social shares. People who value your site and its experience will most likely share your content and interact with it.
Authenticity
If you haven’t already, consider researching Google Authorship. By coming out of the “anonymous” closet and showing Google your content on the web, you are displaying authenticity. Spammers do not want to be found, so this is a way for Google to weed out the real content from the spam.
Consider adding a phone number and address to your site. This also contributes to your authenticity. And at a minimum, add a Privacy policy, terms, about and a contact page so visitors can connect with you.
By Jenna in http://site-reference.com
What Google Wants From Your Website Right Now
