Getting Listed & Ranked in Google, Yahoo and Bing
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Getting listed in Google and the other popular search engines is one of the most effective ways of directing free, targeted traffic to your website.
However, a lot has changed over the years and getting ranked is not as easy as it used to be.
So make sure you take time to read this entire article or you could end up spinning your wheels and wasting a lot of time on worthless tactics.
Below you'll discover what the search engines look for when determining your page rank so you can learn how to optimize your pages for best results.
This is often called SEO or search engine optimization.
The Evolution of Search Engine Optimization & What Google Wants
In the video below, I take you through the history of SEO and what you need to know about ranking in Google today!
And here's a video I created in 2014 that reveals what Google is not going to tell you about SEO.
How Search Engines Determine Your Rank
Before you try to add your site to the search engines, you should understand what they look for when they decide how to rank your site.
Just because your site is listed/indexed doesn't mean you'll get traffic. You have to make sure your site is search engine ready.
The general rule of thumb is that most engines use a "formula" to determine keyword relevancy. The technical term is called an "algorithm", and each search engine has its own unique algorithm that it uses to rank pages.
Generally, this magic formula consists of your page title, overall body content and the number and quality of links (backlinks) pointing back to your site, social media influence, etc.
It's important to note that every engine is different. Some may look at inbound links (number of people linking to you), others may place more emphasis on your body content.
Backlinks
Backlinks are really the foundation of ranking well with most engines. The more relevant, quality sites that link to you (one-way, not link exchange), the better you will rank overall.
That does not mean you should go around paying for links because it is against the guidelines of most search engines today. In fact, Google began penalizing services that were charging customers to build up their backlinks.
Google considers that unnatural linking because anyone can do it. It's also not a great way for them to gauge how authentically popular a site is because anyone can buy links or participate in link exchanges.
That's why many people have lost their rankings over the years. Google began devaluing certain link building practices that used to benefit websites in search.
Many websites were ranking on the first page just because they bought links or participated in link building schemes. So the sites that ranked well weren't necessarily the most popular, just the ones that bought or obtained the most links.
As a result, Google adjusted their algorithm to discount many of the linking practices people once used.
I've always been one to build up my backlinks naturally by just focusing on writing content. People link to my content voluntarily and my backlink profile grows naturally. I don't spend time chasing links or looking for ways to increase my backlinks.
Yes, it's a slower process, but I'm playing by the rules and don't have to worry about violating any SE guidelines.
Always remember, not all backlinks are created equal. It's not about quantity, but quality.
Read more about how SEO continues to evolve.
Need More Help on Keywords and Ranking?
If you're just getting started and/or you are struggling with getting traffic from Google, my affiliate marketing course has some VERY in-depth information on making money online, ranking a website, doing keyword research and brainstorming.
If you've struggled to rank your site on Google, the SEO section of this course will be super eye-opening.
Google, Bing and Yahoo
There are a handful of engines out there that bring traffic, but the reality is a very large percentage of search engine traffic comes from Google, Yahoo and Bing.
Yes, there are other engines, but they pull their results from the big 3.
Getting Indexed
As far as getting listed goes, all search engines have spiders that roam the web and add sites to their databases as they find them. So the easiest way for Google to index/list your site is to get linked from a site already in Google's index.
The other way to let Google know about your site is to sign up with Google Webmaster Tools and create an XML sitemap (recommended). If you use Blogger, your sitemap is automatically created for you.
If you use WordPress, install the All in One SEO plugin and it will help you create more search-engine-friendly content.
No matter what blogging platform you use, you should still create an account with Google Webmaster Tools.
Getting Ranked in Google
Getting into Google is not hard. The challenge is getting ranked for your target keywords -- especially if they are competitive. How well you rank largely depends on how many relevant, quality sites link to you.
And as social media matures, now the engines are beginning to use your connections to influence your rank.
For example, if you're logged into Google and do a search for something, the results that show up may be heavily influenced by who is in your social circles in the Google Plus Network. You can connect with my website on the network here.
Also, if you are logged out of Google, the results may be altogether different from when you were logged in.
Google is moving more toward personalized search, which means no two people will see the same results when they perform keyword searches.
WordPress Pages vs. Posts and SEO
Some people believe that the search engines favor posts over pages or vice versa.
I disagree.
I've found that it doesn't really matter. The engines care more about content, social media shares and links pointing to the content than they do the structure of the URL.
Here's my take on pages vs. posts in WordPress.
Getting Listed and Ranked With Bing-Yahoo
Bing and Yahoo are now search alliances. In other words, Yahoo search has a Bing-powered backend. So once you setup a Webmaster Tools account and create a sitemap for Bing, you're covered for Yahoo as well.
Just like Google, Bing-Yahoo takes quality inbound links into account.
Less than 1% of my search engine traffic comes from Bing-Yahoo. I mainly focus my efforts on Google these days.
Keyword Research
One component of ranking well in the search engines is proper keyword research. It's all about finding less competitive phrases so you can optimize your search engine traffic.
See how you can use Long Tail Pro to get more traffic.
Paying for Google Traffic With AdWords
Did you know you can actually pay to be on top of the Google.com search results? It's called Google AdWords and it's based on a pay per click system.
So if you want to rank for "blue widgets" you bid on that keyword with other advertisers and your ad displays in the sponsored listings on Google.com.
This can be a great way to drive business, but make sure you read this overview of AdWords before starting.
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