If you run an on-line business or operate a website in support of your traditional small business, you have probably desired at some time to improve your ranking in search engine results. Wouldn’t we all like to be ranked #1 in Google for a term related to our business?
Of course we would. The traffic could be staggering, and your business would gain considerable exposure.
Of course it is not that easy to do, since everyone else in the world who has a website wants the same thing. You’ve probably read articles that tell you all about the tips and tricks of climbing the Google ladder, and you’ve also read articles that tell you to forget about it. They say its simply too hard and will require too much effort to build your website up to that point.
In this writer’s opinion, they are both wrong. You should pursue a high ranking in Google with all of your available resources, but not necessarily with the goal of hitting the top of the search engine mountain. You’ll see why after a quick review of the two most commonly mentioned tips to increasing your ranking in Google.
Building Relevant Inbound Links:
When somebody else’s website links to yours, they are essentially “voting” for your website. They are telling visitors to their website that in their opinion, it would be worthwhile for them to visit your site as well, as it may be of interest to them. Google counts relevant inbound links in your favor, as they believe that the more people willing to give your site a “vote of confidence” through a link must be an indication that your site is worthwhile. Building relevant inbound links can be accomplished through direct communication with other website owners, or through the practice of article writing.
Articles (like this one) carry a resource box at the end that contains a link back to the author’s website. If your article seems worthwhile to another business website owner, they may post it for their readers. In doing so they generate an automatic link to your site as their way of saying “thanks for the information”.
You’ll notice that I keep using the word “relevant”. Links from non-relevant sites or from pages that contain only links and no valuable content may actually downgrade your site ranking in Google, as it may be perceived as “SPAM”.
Establishing Free, Relevant Content:
Your site won’t rank very well if it only contains one page filled with sales pitches for your product or service. The Internet is about information, and to improve your ranking you need to offer free information on your chosen topic to your visitors. Some people do this in the form of articles from themselves or other authors. The more content that you have, the more likely people are to find something valuable on your site, hence the more likely you are to rank well in search engine results.
Which brings us back to why you should pursue a high Google ranking. The reason lies in the tactics mentioned above. Simply put, the process of establishing links to your website from other quality sites related to your topic, and the fact that your site has quality content on it, will greatly improve your chances of making sales to your customers through your website, regardless of whether or not you rank well on Google. Your efforts will be well placed if you focus on links and content. A number of quality inbound links can generate significant, highly targeted traffic to your website even without a high ranking search engine listing.
The effects of pursuing inbound links and relevant content on your website’s traffic will be positive, regardless of your ranking on Google or any other search engine. So go ahead and try to drive your site as high as possible in the Google ranking. You will certainly build a solid foundation for your website along the way.
Will Dylan is the Author of “Small Business Big Marketing” a powerful e-book for small businesses available through his website www.marketingyoursmallbusiness.com . Will also offers article and news release writing services. You can contact Will at askwill@marketingyoursmallbusiness.com
