How does Google rank pages? (Or SEO for dummies, like me!)

Author’s note…I’m no SEO guru (at all)…I can barely spell it! BUT…

…that said, I just reviewed a slide presentation made at Wordcamp in San Francisco recently by one of the Google honchos.

Some of it was pretty complicated (there was even a math’s algorithm!) but within the complication was some gold…real gold.

It explained in simple terms how Google ranks pages. The answer:

1. Be relevant.
2. Be reputable.

To be RELEVANT you need to ask yourself:

1. What do I love?
2. What am I really good at doing?
3. What do I have to say?

Think about the key words users are searching and include them naturally in your copy and posts…and this includes image and video search as well…we must tag those slippery suckers!

To be REPUTABLE, you need to:

1. Be interesting.
2. Update often.
3. Be useful…do original research or reporting.
4. Find a niche.
5. Give great information.
6. Make lists…”The top 20 ways…”
7. Create controversy.
8. Make a video.

I’ve taken the gold out of a much longer slide presentation that you can view here.

What do you do to build your Google ranking?

2 Responses to “How does Google rank pages? (Or SEO for dummies, like me!)”

1. Kirsty Wilson Says:
   June 7th, 2009 at 8:14 pm

   Thanks for sharing those great tips Tim. The next thing I have on the agenda is to upload a short video on my home page about my services and then it’s time to start Blogging!
   Cheers
   Kirsty

2. Lane Burdett Says:
   June 14th, 2009 at 8:40 pm

   Excellent post Tim!!!! ‘be REPUTABLE’ is spot on, not everyone keeps that in mind.

   Great work,

   Lane.

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