Small Tweaks Go A Long Way In Google

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To me, optimizing for Google is more of an Art than Science. I’m sure others approach it differently. In fact, I know they do. Many SEOs act like SEOlogists, with an advanced degree in robots.txt. I’m more like a Chef: a pinch of this, a pinch of that, until the page tastes just right to Googleboy.

The ingredients for Google are usually the same

Generally you need good content mixed with potent backlinks in order to make a stew that Google really enjoys. Of course, YMMV, but you usually can’t go wrong with this combination. But what you don’t know is: what EXACTLY the algo looks for. So this leaves studying human nature as a way to see what really works in the search engines

It might surprise you how people search

Over the years I’ve added search boxes to my websites to see what people entered, and the results are amazing. Adding a search form gives you an opportunity to do keyword research in “real time”, and this could be very important if your niche covers fast moving products. People don’t generally search anything like what several of the online keyword tools show you, so don’t rely solely on them to make your keyword decisions. Maybe ask people you know to describe words they might enter into a search engine to find your product.

Make small changes, and then record the results

That’s the easiest way to get a page moving from number 11 to number 1. You can make any intended changes to both the on-page and off-page optimization, and then OBSERVE what happens as a result. Be warned that other factors might be involved, but with careful observation, you should be able to notice what changes are causing what results. Keep your eye on it, because it might change fast.

“The Devil’s in the Details”, goes an old saying. And with Google, that really is the case.

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