Why is Google so Important for your Website?
People often question why SEO professionals are so besotted with Google. The honest truth is that it is a relationship borne out of convenience and necessity more than anything.
Google is the benchmark for all website optimisation. It has the biggest audience of any website in the world and therefore has the greatest potential for getting your website noticed. As the most used website in the world, it is hardly surprising that it is also the most popular search engine too – well it goes without saying really. As people are still compelled to use search engines to find products and services, this is where you need to be seen.
You can’t assume that you’ll get found. Google won’t just rank you automatically, it needs to be told what you do and assign you a ranking accordingly. It doesn’t matter how flash your site looks, if the content doesn’t instruct the search engine or the visitor as to what it does, then it won’t get ranked and it won’t get viewed.
The reason people don’t say that they are optimising for Yahoo, Microsoft or Ask is that they simply aren’t going to get you the same traffic. Besides which, if you optimise for Google, algorithms are such that you will invariably also be optimising for them anyway – by default.
Whilst it is good to explore other forms of marketing, your search engine rankings should always be a top priority. Social media, for example, is a great way to create a buzz, find people who are interested in your industry and share information. However, it is very much a short-term solution, or a good venture to have at the side of the more prolonged and proven results of SEO.
You need to make Google your friend. Trying to fight against it, ignoring their rules and advice will only result in major penalties against your site. There’s no special secret to search engine optimisation. It’s not sorcery, it’s just good common sense mixed with knowledge of how the algorithms and search engine spiders function.
Of course if you don’t have the first clue about how to optimise, you may be left feeling a little concerned. However, there is information aplenty available when it comes to SEO, the best of which is just to get your content right first; everything else should follow on from that.
Google are becoming far more quality orientated. Whilst they aren’t able to visibly see your site, their algorithms are developing in such a way that the content can be better analysed, as can your linking profile. Even seasoned professionals have to change their methods to comply with changes in the search ranking procedures, so don’t always expect an easy ride. However, despite any difficulties, the efforts of getting your site optimised by Google, ought to be rewarded by high rankings and equally impressive traffic figures.
So whether you like it or not, Google has a keep part to play in the success of your website.
