Winning the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) game is not easily done. “It is like creating a sand painting in the wind,” acknowledged Jon Burgess, author of Google: How does it Work? Burgess is Internet Manager at RedFusion™ Media, the leading web development and maintenance firm in the Inland Empire. In his recent article Google: How does it Work? Burgess discusses the dynamics of how to get highly ranked by Google’s search engine. He believes that there is no substitute for good writing.
“More important than trying to guess which keywords are most sought out, the best way to receive high Google ratings online is obtained by writing relevant and word-rich content, with the intent to specifically target search engines,” he theorizes. To prove his point, the keyword phrase, “How does Google work?” shows his article currently holding the #5 Google ranking, out of 10,600,000 pages.
“When you omit the fact that Google.com holds the top two positions (which is not surprising, since they are obviously the experts on Google’s search engines) my page actually holds the #3 position.” he stated. Although, RedFusion™ Media gets many hits from that page alone, what this really proves is that Google doesn’t place as much value on the common “keyword and meta-keyword” techniques that most self-proclaimed search engine professionals teach their clients about at their expensively priced SEO seminars.
Jon explained his theory, “For years I have felt like SEO – as you see it being sold by other professionals – is a scam. I didn’t write one word or do any research to get it ranked in the top 10. After my paper received a #9 ranking, I spent only ten minutes adding meta-tags, which resulted in a jump from number nine to fifth place in only three days.”
A company’s website is central to utilizing the Internet to its maximum potential as an effective marketing tool. Websites are now considered to be comprehensive and strategic management devices, able to wield multiple functions in new and dynamic ways. But, without the ability to garner top SEO rankings, websites can slip into oblivion and fail to achieve their potential.
When looking for a Search Engine Optimization (SE0) company to work on your website, you see them selling keyword research, stressing the re-writing of a site’s content, and promising success. The simple truth is that writing relevant content about one subject is the key; there is no trickery involved. What is necessary, in order to achieve recognition by search engines, is plentiful and well-written content. Period.
Very good writers are probably the pivotal factor in determining SEO rating success. Well written content, using rich and varied language, probably will steer a website safely into the highest rankings available. Good writing will take keywords into account, but the concentrated effort should be on creating rich and informative copy; not on producing copy solely from a set of words chosen as magic SEO magnets.
Traffic generates traffic. When someone finds your site, they will generally stay, only if your site has something to say. Information-rich content is the highway to Internet marketing success. There is just no substitute for good writing.
Burgess is a MBA candidate at the University of Redlands who often writes on Internet Marketing topics. He is recognized for his understanding of the constantly changing marketing landscape of the Internet, as evidenced by his high rate of success with SEO. Simply put, his websites receive consistently high Google rankings. He writes and consults about a variety of Internet and marketing issues, and is currently compiling his research into a book, to help others learn about effective Internet marketing strategies.