Google Really Doesn't Work This Way

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

At DigitalPoint Forums, a blog owner wrote he received an e-mail from a Web site owner requesting he lower his ranking for a keyword phrase. Obviously, the Web site owner said, his online store was more important than the lowly blog.

Well, anybody who knows anything about search engine rankings knows it does not work that way. Simply asking Google or Yahoo to change your rank - up or down - won't get you anywhere.

Subsequent recommendations are a hoot. Read all about it at Search Engine Roundtable.

Copyright 2006 IdeaStar Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

See Your Web Site the Way Google Sees It

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

Want to see what your Web site looks like to the search engines? It may or may not be a pretty picture. The Smart Consulting IT Web site has a free Googlebot-Spoofer which allows a glimpse into what a search engine reads.

Type in the URL for any Web page, select a search engine, and it will show what that search engine "sees." Don’t be alarmed if there are a lot of red 404 messages. They just indicate image URIs. They're OK.

I often mention the importance of text on a Web page, and the importance of keeping the content fresh. It gives the search engines something to index, and written properly, can increase your rank. So use the Googlebot-Spoofer to see if there is enough text to feed the search engines.

Copyright 2006 IdeaStar Inc.

All Rights Reserved.