Unless you’ve been stuck in a cave for the last 5 years you’ll no doubt be aware of the Media giant that is Google. But are you aware of quite how much power Google and the other Search Engines and Search Directories wield?
Statistically, 86% of people find new websites by using a Search Engine (source = Georgia Institute of Technology), and 75% of UK House Buyers start their search for a property behind a computer screen. Users also tend to stay with a Search Engine for other services as 46 percent of Internet users who regularly use Yahoo! also have a Yahoo email account. Likewise, 38 percent of those who use MSN search have an MSN account, 35 percent of those who use AOL search have an AOL account, and 13 percent of those who use Google’s search engine use Google’s Gmail service.
In all, 14% of Search Engines now power 94% of all searches on the Internet and as a rule of thumb, Google powers about half of all searches (this changes slightly from country to country).
So, how do you get listed on the Search Engines, and more importantly, how do you get listed in the lucrative top page positions? Many people incorrectly assume that because they’ve employed a web design firm to build a fantastic, ‘all singing, all dancing’ website, they’ll automatically appear on all the Search Engines very quickly, and in the top spots. Thankfully, the Internet doesn’t work like that and there’s far greater science at work. In fact, there’s no guarantee or indeed obligation, that a website will be listed at all.
The 2 most common ways to appear on a Search Engine are Organically – this is the natural, normal listings on a search engine and Pay Per Click (often referred to as ‘Sponsored Listings’ or ‘PPC’) whereby a website ‘pays’ a Search Engine to list their advert every time a pre determined keyword or phrase is entered, but at a cost every time a user ‘clicks’ that advert to visit the advertisers website. Obviously, most people strive to appear higher Organically as there is no charge made by the search engine, but Pay Per Click can also be very lucrative if controlled and fully understood.
The organic algorithm’s of Google and most other large rivals (like Yahoo! and MSN) are quite different. Enter the search term ‘Liar’ into Google. Who appears in number 1 or number 2 positions? Tony Blair’s Biography of course! Now type in ‘Miserable Failure’ and guess who tops this search? George Bush! But why did these two gentlemen want their sites found for these embarrassing terms? The truth is, they didn’t. The sites are listed in these positions because of ‘back links’ – that is the number of other websites linking to theirs.
However, what a lot of people don’t realise is that a backlink should actually contain keywords pertaining to their site, and in the case of Tony and George quite a few ‘not so friendly’ people linked to their sites using the terms ‘Liar’ and ‘Miserable Failure’. In other words, if you are able to get sites to link to yours, get them to do so using a hyperlink containing a term you’d like to be found by on the search engines, e.g. ‘Competa Widgets’ and not necessarily the name or web address of your business. Now try typing ‘SEO Management’ into Google and see where Hogtronix appears…
The other Search Engines and Directories tend to use a mixture of Meta Tags (hidden code in your website) and keyword emphasis as part of their ranking algorithm. The ‘copy’ or text on your website is VERY important.
How can Hogtronix help? Hogtronix staff have been optimising websites since 1994 and has been managing Pay Per Click campaigns on behalf of clients since Pay Per Click was first introduced in 2001. Hogtronix also design professional websites with ‘SEO’ built in as standard as well as Link Building for clients, Copy writing and Logo Design.
If you’d like a chat about how Hogtronix can help your business reach the top of search engines, or if you’d like a ready optimised professional website built, please call us for a friendly chat: 952 554 870 or visit our website: www.hogtronix.com.
