Straight Talk on SEO: The 15 Factors That Really Affect Your Site’s Search Engine Rankings

If you own or manage a website, then you have undoubtedly been contacted with offers promising to “increase your website’s search engine rankings though search engine optimization.” I receive messages like this daily with promises that range from the surprising to the absurd. If you take these solicitations at their word, they make search engine optimization, or SEO, seem like a magic cure for your website marketing needs – but what are you really getting if you decide to hire a company to provide SEO services for your website? While there are many reputable firms that provide search engine marketing and optimization services, there are just as many scam artists who are looking to capitalize on business owners’ ignorance of what really goes into achieving improved search engine rankings. The truth is that the algorithms that determine search engine rankings are complex – and they are always changing. There is no “silver bullet” for improving rankings, no one thing you can do that will, by itself, get you the results you desire. Unfortunately, many companies present SEO this way – as a quick fix that offers guaranteed results. Like most things in business and in life, it sounds too good to be true because it is. In this article, we will explore 15 factors that affect how search engines rank your website so that the next time a company contacts you with an offer to “optimize your website for the search engines”, you can ask exactly which of these things they will be addressing as part of their plans and make better decisions for your website’s digital marketing initiatives.

1. Content

We will start with the most important factor when it comes to search engine rankings – content. This is what it is really all about. Search engines want to deliver the best results for searchers, results that will link to quality content that is relevant to that searcher’s query. More so than anything on this list, quality content is the key to improved search engine rankings. If you have quality content, your site has the best chance to be found by searchers and rank effectively in search engines. Most SEO companies that are looking to make a quick buck on your website will not address your content strategy, yet any true initiative to address rankings and overall success will begin by looking at your content to make sure that it is unique to your site, relevant to what your audience is looking for, and that you have a plan to produce this quality content on a regular basis.

2. Site structure

The way your website is built plays a role in how search engines will rank that site. Code that is clean and well-structured allows the search engines to crawl the site effectively and find what they are looking for. On the flip side, older sites whose code is convoluted and outdated will make it more difficult for search engines to crawl that site. Any time you make it more difficult for the search engines, you negatively impact your rankings.

3. On-Site optimization

This is what most SEO companies are referring to when they say that they will provide “optimization services” for that site. There are, indeed, a number of best practices that can be applied to the way specific web pages are built, but on their own, these on- site optimization techniques will only have a minimal effect – and if your website was built by a reputable agency that understands search engine best practices, then many of these on-site optimizations should already be in place. These techniques are important and should be part of a bigger overall plan if you hope to get the most out of the website, but you need more than on- site optimization for your site to truly be successful.

4. Inbound links

An incredibly important factor in rankings is links to your website from other sites. These links count as a “vote of confidence” for your site and search engines see those votes of confidence as proof that your site is quality – but not all links are created equal! A link to your site from a popular site that has a similar subject matter is a great link to have. The popularity and standing of that site, coupled with the fact that it shares subject matter to your own, make these links very valuable in the eyes of search engines. On the flip side, spammy links from bogus websites or “link farms” will not help you. In fact, those bogus links may harm your rankings! If a company contacts you promising 10,000 inbound links, run away quickly! What they are doing is “link building” using these link farm websites. While you may get short term results from these initiatives, you risk being penalized in the long term once the search engines discover where those links came from. What you want are quality links from reputable sites that like your content (yes, again it comes down to quality content).

5. Download speed

How quickly your website loads is another factor search engines have begun considering in their rankings algorithms. A fast-loading site is not only good for the user experience, but it really can improve rankings as well.

6. Longevity

This is a factor that is tough to control. The length of time your domain has been registered does play a role in rankings. A website that has been around for a while has been able to build up inbound links (see above), it has grown over time, and the search engines know that it is not a flash-in-the-pan site. Search engines like longevity, so if you registered your domain name years ago and have had a quality site up since that time, this will help you in your rankings now.

7. Frequency of updates

Search engines like sites that are attended to regularly. When those search engines index your site and see that it is constantly changing and being added to, they take that into account in a positive way for their ranking considerations.

8.  Mobile device support

More and more these days, mobile devices are playing a role in our websites’ success and search engine rankings are just another way these devices are making themselves known. Google’s best practices recommend using responsive web design to deliver websites to a variety of devices. Building a website that delivers an experience suited to the wide variety of devices available today ensures that when searchers find your site, whether they are on a desktop computer or a mobile phone, they get a quality experience. Search engines want sites that deliver these experiences and mobile or multi-device support is becoming an important factor in rankings.

9. Social media

We’ve already discussed the value of inbound links, so it is not surprising that links from social media and conversations being had on social media have also begun to impact search engine rankings. A strong presence on social media sites with links back to your website can drive traffic to your business and boost search engine rankings.

10. Advertising

Paid search engine advertising is one way you can get exposure to searchers quickly, while your site’s organic rankings improve over time. While Google has stated that they do not reward sites that advertise with their search engine by increasing their subsequent organic rankings, the reality is that paid ads can get you more exposure, which can lead to additional inbound links or social media mentions, which can then improve overall rankings. So whether or not you believe that Google does not reward companies that spend ad dollars with them, the process of taking out these ads can absolutely bring you traffic now and improve your organic placement over time.

11. Geographic location

Search engines have realized that many searches are local. If you are in Boston and you search for a plumber, you do not want listings for plumbers in Texas. Different searchers in different parts of the world will get different results for the queries they make, so the geographic location of your company will play into your rankings.

12. Browsing history

Similar to the fact that location will influence your site’s rankings, so will previous visits to your site. If a searcher has been to your site before, Google will often give that site preferential treatment for future searches, thinking that they may wish to visit the site again. The reality is that your overall browsing history plays a big part in the results you receive. Eli Pariser talked about these “filter bubbles” in a TED talk he gave in 2011.

13. Language

If your site caters to visitors who speak different languages, having pages presented in those languages can absolutely help if searches are being conducted in that language.

14. Uptime

Search engines cannot index and rank your site if it is down. Server uptime will play a role in overall rankings. If your server environment is unreliable and often down for maintenance, not only will you risk turning customers away if the site is offline for a time, but you also will eventually impact your rankings if search engine bots visit your site and find it unavailable.

15. Content

We end the article where we began, with content. While every item in this list will influence your search engine rankings, the reality is that it starts and ends with content. If you really want to increase search engine rankings, look to the factors and tips covered in this article, but be sure that above all else, your content is the best that it can be.

What about meta tags and keywords?

As mentioned earlier, search engine algorithms are always changing. Factors like Meta tags and “keyword density” no longer play a role in how search engines rank websites, yet there are still professed SEO specialists out there hawking these outdated methods. If the company you are speaking with about SEO services is pitching “keyword density” but is not addressing your content plans, or any of the other factors covered in this article, that is a sure sign that you should look for a different provider.

In summary

Quite a few factors contribute to search engine rankings, and while the ones presented in this article are all important, there are doubtlessly other things that we are not even yet aware of that search engines weigh when they rank websites for their search engine results. To truly improve your site’s rankings, you need to do more than add some keywords or tweak your pages’ code - you need to have a long term strategy that will address the items on this list today, while also being prepared for changes tomorrow.

In It to Pin It: 8 Ways to Win New Customers with Pinterest

A Pinterest-ing development in social media

The results are in and they’re rather stunning: Pinterest is now the third largest social network in the U.S., right behind Facebook and Twitter (Google+ who?). Moreover, a recent study by BlogHer showed that women trust recommendations from Pinterest more than any other platform. Not too shabby for a network that’s barely two years old and still in an invite-only open beta phase.

The basic mechanics of the site are simple. Members (known as “Pinners”) can establish a profile and “pin” all the cool, funny, trendy and inspirational things that they find in their online travels to digital bulletin boards, where images (and their associated links) are bookmarked. Pinners use these boards to visually document anything and everything pertaining to their interests, whether those interests entail fashion, home décor, food, parenting, wedding planning, tech gadgets or cars.

As you’d expect from any social network, pinners can follow each other. They can also “repin” other users’ images as well as like or comment on pins. Naturally, there’s also integration with the other Big Two, with the option to share links to pins on Facebook and Twitter.

More interesting is the question of why the site has caught fire so quickly. The primary reason lies in its anatomy. True to its name, Pinterest creates a highly streamlined experience for its users that is curated according to their interests. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, where users have to sift through every photo and status update from those they follow in a linear fashion, Pinterest users can focus solely on their hobbies without their feeds being cluttered with information that holds no value to them.

The most important question, of course, is how you can harness the power of this explosive new social network to grow your business. To answer that question, here are eight ways you can use Pinterest to win over new customers and fans:

1. Tap into what people love.

Before you dive in, take some time to study the ecosystem and how its members interact. One of the greatest advantages of Pinterest from a marketing perspective is that the community is very open, so it’s easy to see who’s influential in a certain area of interest and what types of content generate the most repins and comments.

By monitoring these trends, you can identify where the best opportunities lie for your brand to create the kind of content that your customers crave.

2. Focus on values, not products.

Think your brand isn’t a good match for an image-driven platform? Don’t be too quick to dismiss your Pinterest potential. Plenty of brands that don’t seem like the most obvious fit for Pinterest – from GE to Kotex – have found creative ways to leverage the platform to engage with customers.

The key is focusing not on your products or services but on the core values that define your brand. Organize your boards around these pillars of your brand and share things there that anyone who shares that common interest or passion would enjoy. Make sure to offer a healthy balance of content that includes your products where relevant but also great stuff from across the Web as well as repins from other users.

Whole Foods Market, for example, has quickly emerged as a Pinterest rock star using this approach. The company’s core values include caring about the community and the environment, promoting healthy eating habits and providing education about good nutrition. Drawing upon these values, they’ve created a diverse collection of boards –ranging from “Who Wants Dinner?” to “Winter Entertaining” to “Super HOT Kitchens” to “We’re Used to Reusing” – where they share content from a wide array of sources that collectively represents the Whole Foods lifestyle.

3. Tell a story in pictures.

Unlike Facebook or Twitter, Pinterest is image-based rather than message-based – which is one of the key reasons for its success. When users scroll through feeds or boards, they’re presented with a simple, uncluttered interface that includes a stream of pictures interrupted just slightly by a brief caption below. As a result, to be successful, it’s important to ensure that the images you pin to your boards tell the story of the content they represent in a visually compelling way.

For example, if you want to share a link to a post from your blog on Pinterest, you need to make sure it includes a powerful image that encapsulates its key theme or message and is also intriguing enough to prompt someone to click through to see the full story.

Keep in mind, too, that when followers re-pin your images, they can change the caption. As a result, it’s important that the images you pin can stand on their own outside the context of your brand’s boards so that they continue to convey your message and values as they are repinned from one board to another.

4. Be a participant, not just a contributor.

Creating boards that offer great curated content organized around your customers’ interests is a good first step. But as with any social network, to get the most out of your presence on Pinterest, you must also listen and engage, not just broadcast.

Repinning other users’ content to your brand’s boards demonstrates that you’re there to do more than push your own agenda by elevating those who have something interesting to offer on your topics of interest. Likewise, following other users’ boards and commenting on others’ pins is an effective relationship-building tactic that can draw new eyes (and potential new customers) to your own boards.

5. Let your customers create content for you.

Pinterest makes it easy to crowdsource content. All you have to do is create group pinboards and invite other users to pin content to those boards – a great way to spark engagement with your brand.

You can also use group pinboards as a springboard for contests where you ask customers to pin pictures of themselves using your products, with prizes for the most creative, innovative or inspiring images. It’s a win-win strategy for both your brand and your customers, as your customers can enjoy a turn in the spotlight while you can promote your products in a tasteful way that’s very palatable to the community.

6. Diversify your boards.

Another element that differentiates Pinterest from Facebook and Twitter is that users have the option to follow specific boards in addition to following users. This means that a user may elect to follow just one or two of your boards rather than everything you post.

While this may initially seem like a disadvantage to you, it’s actually a benefit. Why? Because it means you don’t have to worry about limiting your content to only that which offers the broadest appeal. Instead, you can tailor each board to fit a specialized interest.

Returning to our Whole Foods example, each of their boards is tailored to a fairly narrow area of interest, whether that’s recipes, seasonal entertaining, home décor, DIY projects, gadgets or books. While all of these boards may not appeal to every Whole Foods customer, by providing such a wide array of boards, the brand has greatly increased its chances that every customer can find something that resonates with their interests.

7. Make sure your great content can be found.

If you’re investing the resources required to create and curate interesting content, you want to make sure it can be found by the greatest possible number of customers and potential customers, right? The good news here is that there are tactics you can use to boost your odds.

First, just like Twitter, Pinterest supports hashtags. Tagging each image with the central idea or theme of your board will increase its chances of being found in search. Additionally, the sharing tools built into Pinterest automatically pick up these hashtags and include them when users share your content on Facebook and Twitter.

Also, make sure when possible to form the name of your boards around keywords. For example, West Elm offers home décor boards organized around specific color palettes (“Coral,” “Aquamarine”) and patterns (“Stripes,” “Chevrons”). By naming their boards according to these keywords, West Elm helps lead users who are looking for decorating ideas focused on that color to their boards.

8. Turn pins into traffic.

Don’t overlook the opportunity to use Pinterest to drive traffic to your website. If you pin cool imagery and interesting content from your site to your boards, you’re basically seeding Pinterest with a lot of links back to your site.

You can also add the “Pin It” button to your site right next to your other social sharing buttons in order to make it as easy as possible for visitors to add images from your site directly to their boards.

And if something either you or one of your customers pins happens to become incredibly popular? Think of all the potential clicks back to your site!