Google at 10: What's Your SEO Strategy

[jimbeetle]

Google was a predictable little search engine when it was a toddler. It loved content and it loved links. It really, really loved links. As it grew it introduced other factors over the years. Whether you call them the "yo-yos" or the "wobblies," search positions are impossible to predict. G has introduced (or might have introduced, or we surmise they might have introduced, or it's all just plain FUD) a litany of tweaks to its algo across the entire system, from spidering and indexing through the final user results.

The results are I see on this machine are not the results I see on the machine next to it or the one across the room. Nor are they the results folks on the left coast or the right side of the Atlantic see. They are not the results that I saw yesterday or will see tomorrow. Or even if I repeat the search again within moments if I searched for other topics in between.

What's my strategy these days? Well, I read the papers and the patents just to keep up to date. Most of this stuff I just keep back of mind for when I see an unusual situation. I keep active on a couple of boards noting other folks observations; sometimes there's a hint or two that put together with other stuff might result in something actionable. Rarely though.

How does this affect my SEO strategy for Google? It's simply made me realize that there is now not much I can control and that I can't hit a moving target. So, though I've never really gotten that far away from them, it's back to basics for me, the things that I can control. My basic formula is to tell the SEs what the page is about, offer unique and relevant content, get links, hope for the best.

Clear and concise navigation, semantically correct markup
I want the SEs to see my site and page structures, be able to follow all links and, if there's an HTML element that says, "This is what this is," I use it.

Basic on-page optimization
Just the usual stuff, solid title element and H1, other H elements where appropriate, search-engine friendly copy, a relevant external link or two (to the actual source, not forced - not every page needs a link to Wikipedia), not too cluttered (don't want to confuse anybody).

Content, content and more content
This has always been the key. Spiders are hungry little critters, the more you give them to feed on, the more eager they are to follow links to more content. Relevant and unique content, that is. Well-written, copy that is both user- and SE-friendly (turns out that if content is user-friendly the SEs usually like it also). And most of all, content that makes it easy to...

Get links
And yeah, it turns out that the answer to, "How do I get other sites to link to mine?" is to create content that other sites might want to link to. Simple in concept, a bit harder to execute. I might throw a link to a new site from an existing one, either mine or a friend's; consider Yahoo or BoTW or a submit and forget to DMOZ; a blog directory or two, if appropriate; social stuff, only if I happen to have the time and patience to play the game. Any mix of these usually gives a halfway good site a bit of a bump to get its "quality content" the exposure it needs to start garnering links on its own.

Of course, a lot more goes into it, what I've learned over the years coupled with gut feeling. But more or less, the way I practice SEO for Google these days harks back to "It ain't rocket science."

How do you approach SEO for Google today?

[BasicECommerce]

The only thing I scratch my head over is Page Titles. Everything else is devoted to providing quality content that is user friendly and hope that G finds it friendly as well.

-BEC

[Doug Heil]

Just wanted to tell you Jim; a real good post. You hit on the main points of things nicely. People in this industry don't seem to get it and are constantly chasing some kind of rank. You stated the obvious about why that's not a good strategy, nor is it a good thing to stress when selling a client your services. Creating expectations almost impossible to handle is what we find all the time in this industry. Not teaching/educating a client about what is really important seems to be very lacking. I think a reason for this is the launching of this web 2 stuff with thousands of blogs all saying they have the keys to getting good ranks in G. There is not enough other people in the industry who are willing to set these blogs straight. Most just turn the other cheek or vote the blogs up as that is much easier than constructive criticism.

Good post Jim.

[rapidvectorseo]

Nicely explained information.
As Dough earlier said, you hit the important topics.
BTW, strategy for next 10 years Google might have decided or in process of deciding and based upon SEO strategy will be changed.