Understanding search engine optimization

Reposting this article after a (very) long time just so that people get to know my style and variety in writing.

Ever been frustrated that in spite of your best efforts, your site simply does not rank well in Google results? You have tried every trick in the trade but have failed to catch on to that one thing you need to come up in Google results. What is that one thing which your competitor has but you don't? Is it technology, money or something else?

Not at all. It is nothing but Google's trust.

You need to understand clearly that Google tries to replicate human behavior in ranking a website.

It will rank a website well for quite the same reasons as a human being would who thinks a particular product or topic is of importance or of high quality. Whatever reasoning makes a human being think that a site or topic is of importance is the same reasoning that will be used by Google to judge you.

So think about why you would buy a certain shoe or car in day to day life and you will come to know Google's point of view.

Would you buy a car just because a majority of people in one block or locality said it was good? (Local presence)

Would you not like to get a recommendation from people in other areas also?

What would you think about a car dealer if he sets up shop in a grocery store? (Wrong category)

Would you think that a particular car is top of the line if it is located somewhere at the back of 50 cars and not on the front line of display? (50th page)

Would you think that a particular car is good without smashing looks? (Bold and right at the top)

What would you do if you found out that your car dealer told you that Tom Hanks bought the latest model from him but you find out that it wasn’t Tom Hanks but some milk vendor who bought it? (Not true facts)

Would you buy a car from a dealer who has a display sign that he is selling imported cars but in actuality he is just selling pre-owned local cars? (Title)

Would you buy it if somebody recommended it to you through somebody else without having first hand info? (Redirects)

Would you say a salesman has knowledge about top of the line cars if he recommends you buy them from local garages? (Outbound links)

Would you buy a car if it is recommended by a bunch of cobblers? (Inbound links)

Or a street side mechanic who has just started out? (Page Rank)

Can an actor get an Oscar without their jury considering nominations from every country? (No follow)

Would you buy a car just because it has been given a greater shine than a new car with a good engine? (Graphics without content)

Would you buy it if the dealer refused to give his phone number and address? (Authenticity)

Would you buy it if the dealer has been in the business for only a few days? (Domain age)

Would you not like to wait for some time before you get recommendation from some people that the dealer is indeed good and can be trusted? (Sandbox and aging delay)

And finally would you buy the car if you walk into a complex and you find the cobbler recommends the grocery store and the car dealer, the grocery store recommends the cobbler and the car dealer and the car dealer recommends the cobbler and the grocery stores ? (Link farms)

Successful search engine optimization depends a lot not on trying every trick in the trade but understanding why a product sells well in real life.  It has more to do with looking at things from the people's point of view than useless code.

If your site has great content, it will automatically draw people. On the other hand, even if its a 5 star hotel but the food is really awful, not even the greatest businessman will visit it.

It is not for nothing that people say "Content is King"!

Cheers and all the best.