How To Optimize For Major Search Engines?
In general, search engine optimization basics are all the same. Each search engine differs in what it’s looking for, however. So what makes you rank well with Google might not make you rank well with Yahoo! or MSN.
This is the conundrum with search engines. Each is based on its own pro- prietary algorithm, and even if all of the major search engines had the same requirements for ranking (and they don’t), those requirements could still be ranked differently.
What you must do then is, first, include all the basics of SEO-keyword opti- mization, meta-tag optimization, link optimization, and content optimization. Then, after the basics are complete, you can begin to worry about individual search engines and what it takes to be ranked in each one.
NOTE
Remember, a search engine is not your customer. It will lead to potential customers, so you do need search engine rankings, but you should think first of your own customers and then about your SEO. Be sure your site is what potential or existing customers need, and then you can begin to think about how you can tweak the inner workings of the site to improve your search engine ranking.
Optimization for Google
By this point in the book, you should have a pretty good idea of how Google works, including how your sites are indexed and what you should avoid doing. But there are a few more things to understand about Google and how your site is ranked. These additional tips will help you to improve your rankings.
The first thing you need to understand about Google is that, given time, if your site is on the Web and has at least one link to it, you will eventually be crawled. As an example, I have never done anything with my personal web site by way of SEO. I haven’t checked the code to ensure that it’s written with search engines in mind. I haven’t used or invested in keywords, and I haven’t submitted my site to a search engine.
Yet, if you type my name into the Google search engine, my personal web site will be the first result returned. I’m ranked number one for my name, because (presumably) there is only one of me. If someone searches for my name, I’m at the top of the list. And that’s good.
But your site is probably going to be much more diverse than mine, so how do you get Google to take notice? Again, be patient. Google will crawl your site in a short period of time (sometimes it takes less than a week). And once your site has been crawled, you can begin the slow climb through the search results.
On my personal site, it took nearly a year to reach the top ranking slot for my site. But I never did anything to boost that rank. It’s my personal web site, so I don’t put a lot of effort into it. In short, it is what it is, without any type of SEO strategy at all.
If your site is topically related to other sites, however, you probably won’t be able to throw your site on the Web and wait for it to be indexed at number one. And although you will be indexed automatically, you’ll have to compete for top placement.
Google doesn’t sell placement, either. There are ads above and to the right side of the search results, but ads are the only placement that’s available for purchase. That means that where your site places is based on your SEO and search marketing efforts.
IN THIS CHAPTER
Optimization for Google
Optimization for MSN
Optimization for Yahoo!