After some of the finer points of web design for search engine optimization that are often overlooked, it's time to look at the Google effect. Google manages approximately 64% of all searches on the Internet. This is the search engine you need to optimize your web pages for.
Google has some advice that mirrors a lot of what has already been presented in other SEO Success articles, but these important points are offered on their Google AdWords Guidelines pages and bear repeating. Google wants to enter into an advertising relationship with you. To be effective for both Google and your business, Google offers these important guidelines:
- Provide relevant and substantial content. We have already discussed how content is King and keywords are the Queens. Just throwing keywords at a page without thoughtful content may get people to your site as a result of a keyword search; however, if your page visitor doesn't find something of value at that website, they will leave as quickly as they came. And if they clicked on one of your Google AdWords ads, you have just paid for that useless visit with nothing to show for it.
Google also suggests:
- The page should contain information that is useful and accurate about the product or services searched.
- If your landing page is not relevant to the keyword searched, it will be viewed as a waste of time and the viewer will flash away hoping to find what they want on someone else's page.
- Provide information that is relevant and useful before you require them to subscribe or register. If the pre-register content has value, they will be eager to register to get more. Lay those crumbs out there clearly on the path to commitment to your site. After all, asking a viewer to register or subscribe isn't really free. The price is their name and email address.
- Keep your ads, banners and affiliate links to a normal non-overloaded minimum. When a viewer arrives at a page filled with loads of ads and little content, off they scamper. You see, "It's all about me," the viewer says. The viewer isn't arriving at your website with the intention of making you money, but to find answers to their questions or solutions to their problems. Don't saturate them with ads.
- Your content must be unique. If your page mirrors 100 other web pages on the Internet, why would someone choose you over the others or ever consider you an authority? The importance of this non-mirrored content has to be handled delicately if you write and publish articles. [More on this topic in a later lesson.]
- Avoid misleading your visitors by providing exactly what you ad stated. No loss-leaders here. That tactic may work at a grocery store, but it can keep people from every coming back to your website.
- Honor your deals and deliver as promised. In fact, the most successful businesses, either online or offline, make their offer, then over-deliver. Think in terms of delivering over and above what you offer and you will distinguish your business in the eyes of your customers. They will come back again and again. Remember, the first sale is not the business-building sale. It is the second, the third and fourth sales that make your business a success.
- Treat your customers well by protecting their information responsibly. Just as you would want your personal information managed correctly, so should you be able to insure that your privacy policy is clearly stated, and more importantly, clearly followed.
Google's guidelines seem to be reflective of common sense, yet too many web owners forget these details and send up either abusing or neglecting that ever-important component to their business: the customer.
Copyright (c)2007 TAO Consultants, Inc. All rights reserved.
_____________________________
Chesa Keane has been designing and developing web sites with an eye toward search engine optimization and traffic generation since 1995. TAO Consultants offers online web and SEO courses to help you make the most of your web business and investment at the www.computergoddess.com website.
SEO - Paying Attention to Google's Advice - To learn more about this author, visit Chesa Keane's Website.
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