I'm a man on a mission. My mission is simple, which I have chosen to accept. This quest isn't to be famous or beautiful. Nope, even worse.
I want to be popular.
Not with the local rad guys that drive overpriced cars past my house or the girls in the local roller derby team. No. I want to be popular with the search engines.
I want top rankings in Google.
And I'm sure you do too.
Now I'm aware that I'm not alone in this pursuit, I'm pretty sure most people with a website and an idea could do with the traffic Google drive to your site. Your business is exposed to entire countries by something as simple as typing a few key words into a search engine. Imagine that, you're famous, and you don't even need to leave your house. People come to you for your business. With high rankings also comes trust - you're number one so people assume you that your business must be the best. We humans can be pretty lazy creatures, we want everything here and now, served up on a plate. That's why we don't bother scrolling through hundreds of search results when we search for something on the Internet. We click on what is offered to us and what pleases our eye. We think to ourselves "Hey, it comes up first in Google, then it must be sweet."
Now I know it sounds pretty selfish, this whole quest for popularity thing. But I have several motives behind this being popular in Google.
I am a Search Engine Optimiser (SEO). Optimisation is my bread and butter. Only having butter in my fridge I thought to myself "If I'm going to get myself into this search engine marketing business, I would like to make a sandwich if I feel hungry. Maybe even put something on it. So if I want to eat, I have to be good at SEO."
Another motive for these top rankings is: I want to change the world. I don't just mean the world as in the SEO industry in New Zealand, but I have a bigger plans to change the world. Stay tuned if you want to watch it all unfold. Anyway, onto the secret to search engine optimisation, the reason you're reading this article.
Firstly, I decided if I was ever going to achieve top rankings in New Zealand's search results, I need to understand how Google ranks sites. With it's algorithm right? So to understand how google ranks websites I needed to know... what the heck is an algorithm? I'm not sure about you, but I wasn't born with the knowledge of these algorithms, I have to learn these things.
Well according to Wikipedia, it is:
"In mathematics, computing, linguistics, and related disciplines, an algorithm is a procedure (a finite set of well-defined instructions) for accomplishing some task which, given an initial state, will terminate in a defined end-state. The computational complexity and efficient implementation of the algorithm are important in computing, and this depends on suitable data structures.
Informally, the concept of an algorithm is often illustrated by the example of a recipe, although many algorithms are much more complex; algorithms often have steps that repeat (iterate) or require decisions (such as logic or comparison). Algorithms can be composed to create more complex algorithms."
Woah.
Who would of thought that search engine optimisation would require understanding so much complicated...stuffs? Ok I'll put it in my own simple words.
Google's algorithm explained by Aidan Rogers (i.e. in layman's terms)
"A (complex) program that is designed to follow out a set of instructions."
Ok so we got that. So this program (Google) is on a mission too. To accomplish a task, which is relevant search results. Wikipedia used the example of recipe. Now I'm not the worlds best cook, just ask my flatmate. But I do know how to follow a recipe. It says add eggs, you add eggs. The recipe book says add salt, you add salt. Pretty simple. The recipe says cook at 230 degrees fan bake for 45 minutes. You do just that. And considering you follow the recipe correctly and pay attention to what you're doing, you normally turn out with something...edible.
Ok yes, Google's algorithm was whipped up by some pretty good chefs (well, extremely intelligent humans with extra letters at the end of their names) Some people put it on a pedestal making it out to be a mystical being shrouded in mystery, whose ways are so high our feeble and finite minds could not even begin to comprehend its wonders. Well yeah they are pretty clever those people at Google. I'm just trying to get to grips with this whole search engine optimisation business! I doubt that I could ever even begin to comprehend the complexities of this search engine. But as I mentioned earlier and I'm sure you're the same; I know how to follow a recipe.
While Google's search engine is complex, and Google Optimisation may seem like a gruelling task, you just need to keep it simple and follow the recipe. This search engine isn't the god that some people make it out to be (well I've seen spiders, but yet to see the locust) Nope; it's a computer program. Although it may not be a deity, one thing is for sure. It definitely deserves our respect. You must respect its authority, because what Google says, goes. It's the big G's playground. So if we want to play Google's game, we have to play by its rules. It is a program carrying out a set of instructions. It doesn't care about you, how many kid's mouths you have to feed or that your car payments are due next week. It just wants to play the game, by its rules. And if you cheat, you lose. (Most of the time).
Ok so we have established we need to follow Google's recipe or play the search engine game by its rules. What are those rules?
Here is the big secret:
There is no secret. Sorry. No secret search engine optimisation technique or loophole. Just this advice: Go to the source. Google's Webmaster blog and Webmaster help central. What is the recurring theme throughout these pages? Create quality useful information that is unique and original. Don't try to optimise for search engines, optimise for humans, and the search engines will notice and reward for your hard work. Once again, content remains supreme.
Then get links. Lots of good ones.
General rule of thumb - if it's a hard link to get, it's probably worth getting :)
So then - let's unleash our creative potential and create informative content for users, not for search engines. If you do this, the links will come in naturally, organically; just the way the boss (Google) likes em. And some day your search engine marketing efforts will pay off and your business will grow from a acorn and flourish into a mighty oak for all to rest under your branches.
I wish you well on your quest - young grasshopper.
