Supporting Your Site

Beyond Google

Search engines are fine creations and Google probably the best but don't let that stop you promoting your website in other ways.

Your website address should be on every piece of stationery, publicity material, items to give away, your vans, your packaging. Part of your business conversation.

This should also be prominent in press releases, articles and training material. Ensure staff understand the value in your URL, your trading name in the online world.

Inbound Links

On this page, we mention the need for other sites to link with yours. Try to avoid the temptation to achieve this too quickly, or easily.

There is evidence search engines, not least Google, respond better to a gradual increase in the number of external links.

The relevance of a link is equally important but the number is not. A single, freely given, in context link on the right page can be more use than dozens of also rans.

Be Watchful

Your website is a valuable item to be cared for. Institute a system to see this is regularly checked for any errors, availability, broken links and in case of outside interference.

The same level of care applies to online reputation. Search as your customers would search and see what they see. Spurious entries on the web may need attention.

Make sure all those who add to the site know how public the words they use are. A business website is not a social network site. Language which may be acceptable there can cost custom.

The Google Age

The Google server complex is impressive and one of many, few companies have seen such a meteoric rise. They currently account for 88% of search in the UK and a similar stranglehold in other Western countries. Every business wants to be found there, to be part of the modern world.

If website owners make an effort to communicate with Google and stick to basic rules, being listed is rarely an issue. Many however look for a flow of business from Google and need to work closely with them.

Talking To Google

Millions of web pages offer arcane rituals needed for search success, or how to game the system. A few might work for a while but generally not and in any event, the real recipe is straightforward. Google are a business and as with any business you wish to work with, think about mutual benefit.

There are secondary areas but Google largely make their money through users clicking sponsored ads. Conversely, their user level will only be maintained if Google remain the best search engine, with the most accurate and helpful free results.

Your reason for keeping Google informed is to see your site gain the best possible place in organic (the main section) search returns, their reason is to have the best sites in the top places. Rarely has such a simple formula for mutual success existed.

Subtleties can be applied to maximise success but essentially, clean, sustained growth and attractiveness to consumers are what search engines look for. They measure these factors through many elements, not least the value of content, regularity of new information and popularity on the web.

Connecting The Web

Google's original system for measuring relative value of web pages came from the practice in academic documents of citing information from other useful sources. In website terms, these citations appear as a link to other websites and are viewed as votes for those sites.

The more authorative and relevant the site that casts the vote, the more weight this carries. Link analysis has also progressed to counter abuse and improve search results, along with more factors being woven into search algorithms:

  • We never tire of restating how important the content of a website is. Please do not become infatuated with technicalities, Google need good pages.
  • As far as technicalities go, the most important is an efficient website, which is equally friendly towards search robots and people.
  • The nature of search engines gives them a requirement to be popularity engines, you can't make it on the web by yourself.
  • Trust becomes a more important factor as every day passes. Establishing this from day one is important and breaking trust painful if found out.

There are other small factors which added together make a difference but if your website focuses on the core needs, you have a head start. If we can help with those factors, you are welcome to contact us at any time.