Defeat Google Like a Horror Movie Hero
Video Transcript
Hi and welcome to another Tuesday Tip Video Clip. Search engines can be scary and although there are over 200 ranking factors going into each search, some factors carry a heavier weight than others. It’s important to know that Google wants to deliver the best experience out there as well as the best site available for each query. In the spirit of Halloween, I’m going to explain these as if you are trying to survive a classic horror movie. The scene is set, the moon is rising, queue the creepy music.
Our first key to surviving the Google Horror movie is location, location, location. Frankly, it’s near impossible to fool Google these days, and like the classic horror villain, Google always knows you where you are. Because of this there’s no point hiding, it’s better that you be out in the open and let them come to you. Make sure you tell Google your exact location on every page of your website. This not only helps the customers you’re trying to reach but it helps Google put you in the places you need to be. If you aren’t where you say you are, Google isn’t going to like this and you aren’t going to rank at all. Trying to rank for a city that your physical address isn’t in is like telling a masked murderer that you’re not under the bed when you actually are. As a rule it’s important that you have your City and State in places like the H1, Title tag and body content.
Our second key is links. Imagine that links are the people stranded in a deserted cabin with you. If you can’t trust these links, then they aren’t going to watch your back when the haunted furniture comes alive. Like your crew in a horror movie, your links need to be strong and you need as many good ones as you can get. After a while, if your links go bad or you have too many weak ones, Google is going to take that out on you big time. Look for other businesses, publications or organizations to strengthen your network and don’t be afraid to put their websites on yours. A strong network of links is like having an army protecting you from anything that might come your way.
The third key is Likability. almost never in horror movies does the nerdy introvert or the obnoxious jock survive until the end. It’s usually the wholesome yet savvy guy or the down-to-earth lovable girl that outsmarts the bad guy at the end. This is no different when you’re trying to rank with Google. It’s important that your website is easy to use and doesn’t come with a lot of baggage. If your website has a ton of broken images, bad internal links, or is just hard to manage, you’re going to end up like the needy homecoming queen who gets the ax first. Simply put, your main focus for your website should always be on making the user happy first and Google happy second.
The fourth key is Language. Very rarely does the foul mouthed rebel make his way to the end of a horror movie. Playing by your own rules usually means that you’re going to hacked up like the rest of the poor souls in the movie. By language, I obviously don’t mean curse words but I do mean content. Make sure your content is conversational and organic when you’re using the keywords to rank. If you’re too labored in your language, or stuffing your keywords in body text, Google and users are going to be turned off and likely find someone else to keep alive.
The last key is Listen and Learn. If the town crazy person told you not to go into an abandoned mine shaft or to stay away from the abandoned summer camp, would you listen? What if a customer had a bad experience at your business, wouldn’t you want to know. This is why reviews are so important. Not only do users seek out peer reviews in almost every purchase, they use this information to judge your business without stepping foot on the property. Google does the same thing. They want as many reviews as they can process about your business, either good or bad. It’s important not only to listen to your customers but to adjust your service accordingly. Seek out feedback on Google and third party review sites in order to find out how you’re doing. It could be what keeps your business alive or what may make your business one of the walking dead.
Now you’re well equipped to handle the Google horror movie and in the future you’ll know how to defeat the beast. As usual if you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comment section below. Be safe out there!
Horror music from: http://www.purple-planet.com/
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