#1 on Google

I am happy to report that this week, after hard work and some fairly inventive programming, we were able to take South Wind from #8 on Google to #1. I will not give away too much, but this was a great accomplishment for Ceiling-Fans.biz and myself. We had been bouncing around from #3 to #8, but the index placed us at #1 this week for ceiling fans.

So how did we accomplish this? I cannot tell you, but there are no black-hat approaches. So this is proof that if ou use ethical and fair methods, you can get the #1 on Google, #1 on MSN, and top 3 on Yahoo.

I cannot take all the credit for this myself: there has been a lot of work and effort taken to ensure that we are #1. But if you are new to Search Engine Optimization be sure to use these tips:

1) Create legitimate content - don't try to fool the engines.
Even if you can figure out how to fool the engines, this won't last long. Eventually this will catch up with you. Algorithms are updated often and if you are using a 'black hat' approach, your relevance will drop.

If you have good articles and content, you will bring users back and create a resource that will benefit users and the search engines when they link to you.

2) Use legitimate linking strategies.
A link on the internet is a vote on a search engine. These votes have different weight though. If you have a vote (a link) from an Authority site, this will benefit you much more than a random link from a link farm. For instance, if WebMd.com links to your Independent Doctor's Office Web Page, this link will have more weight than one coming from abcdwebspacelinks.tripod.com.

The more inbound and relevant links, the better.

You might know all this already... but did you know this?
3) Make your Url's friendly for users and search engines. Always try to put relevant information in your Url's.

For instance, for our new site, we were sure to include the function of what the page does such as SaveOnAtoZ.com/ComparePrices.php?keywords=Apple Iphone. For A Contact Us page, use ContactUs.html or Contact-Us.html. By the way, you can always use a dash, this is usually represented or treated as a space by the search engines.

for Nitroprint, we made the flyers page named Flyers.php. Although this might come as no surprise, you would be surprised how many times I have seen pages that are just called form, product, something generic, or an abbreviation (avoid abbreviations in your filenames such as CPrices for Compare Prices, etc). The url is another opportunity to tell the search engine (and the user) what is on that page. Be sure to use this to its best effect.

4) Use More Text / less Javascript/Flex/Flash
Although Ajax, Flex, and new web 2.0 technologies are the rage, don't forget about the basics. If a search engine cannot read your page, then it will not be indexed properly. These technologies are rarely handled properly by search engine spiders, so use them for advanced or secondary functionality.

In summary, you can use these basic principles to get you to your top 10 search engine placement. Start exchanging links with relevant sites and creating a good site people will want to visit. Keep track of your results with a tool such as statcounter.com. With some patience and tenacity, you will be able to rise in page rank and get that top 10 placing.


Mauricio
If you would like to hire me for your web project, you may find me here: www.CustomInternetSoftwareDevelopment.com