Oogedy-Boogedy: The Mistery of SEO
It is easier for search engines to index and list a well coded website but if that’s all you’re relying on to get indexed then you’ve already lost.
Think of it this way:
A website is a bricks and mortar storefront, (Really it is the new store front of today but that’s entirely another post). How easy the door swings open is how easy it is for search engines to index. But here’s the kicker, (and a big giant ass kicker to some), if there is nothing inside your store worth going in for, then no one will go in, including search engines. It’s not that simple but close.
More and more people who understand this concept are winning the SEO battle. They treat their websites like a real store on a real street. They make it look good, inviting, social and interesting to the niche they want to attract. They change it up, keep it clean and easy to get around. The more people who visit the website, or should I say: The more crowded the inside of that store becomes the more popular it becomes – to search engines too. Go figure: it’s just . like . real . life.
If you see a crowd of people in a store, you go in, even if the door is a little hard to open. You are going to find your way in.
Not a believer yet?
Why then do I come up 2nd or third on a Google Search typing in the words BC Ferries Assured Boarding? Because it’s more interesting than the boring static government regulated website. People comment here creating more activity. You go there because you have to, you come here because you want to.
I found a great article that lists the importance of SEO techniques and other factors considered when everyone else is trying to shoehorn a site into search engine existence. The highest ranking factor is popularity among other things. but here are some of the things I found listed low on the SEO importance list that you may find interesting.
HTML Validation to W3C Standards is of minimal importance (a good thing for this site – let me tell you)
Server/Hosting Uptime minimal importance
Use of XML Sitemap(s) 29% minimal importance
Social Media/Social Graph Based Ranking Factors minimal importance
Surprisingly
Geographic Location of the Host IP Address of the Domain 57% high importance (wouldn’t have thunk it)
Check it out yourself at http://www.seomoz.org/article/search-ranking-factors/
So, like life, it’s just one big popularity contest. The ugly, the weak, the unconfident never get ahead as far in life as the opposite.
Nope, no.
I was hoping to dispel some of the myths of SEO. One that arises a lot is that simple, basic well coded websites get indexed more.
When applied to business websites, a contest it might be. I think the term is Market Share. Popularity contests are found on Twitter, Facebook and other social media.
I think I was trying to say “Content is King” without actually saying it. There, I said it. Darn!