What do search engines want already?

Search engine optimization used to be fairly simple. The algorithms the engines used were based on strategically placed keywords, and the strategy in the early days was to “beat the engines”. The search engines have become a lot smarter since the old days, and figuring out their complex formulas has become a loser’s game. Yet the goals of both sides need not be mutually exclusive.

The search engine optimizers just want to rank their pages higher.

The search engines are only trying to reflect the most accurate and quality results for their customers. Algorithms are kept secret only because internet pirates will do anything to rank higher, regardless of the value of their content.

Here are some of the things the search engine tracks:

–What sites you click on—based on their title and description. This is why key words are still important. They’re the front gate to a site.

–How long before you come back to that results page. If you come back immediately, that’s an indication the site wasn’t relevant for you, and the engine failed.

–Incoming links to that site, and their relevancy. This is a tough thing for a computer to gauge, and it’s why investing in artificial intelligence now might be a good idea. Computers get smarter all the time.

Bottom Line: Spend more time making your reader happy, and less energy worrying about Google.