Do you want to have the first page on Google? If you have a web page or blog, it is likely already the first page for some searches. With a little SEO, you can get the first page in more searches. And it is simple.

The first and most obvious step is to think of the words or phrases in which you want to appear on the first page.

Once you have that list, determine how many people are searching for those terms. To check how popular a search is, you will need a tool. I use Wordtracker (there is a free online version). The higher the number, the more popular the search will be. There is no point trying to optimize for a rarely searched word or phrase.

There is also no point in trying to optimize for a word that is too popular because ranking high will be next to impossible.

Think “long tail”

Think about how people will search. People often search with a question. For example, where do I find X? Or where I find Y in Canada. The longer the rope, the less competition you will have for it, so it will be easier to qualify.

So make a list of phrases you want to “own” and others that are realistic to “own.”

Now it is simple. Just put these words and phrases in your titles, image descriptions, videos, and in your text. Titles are the most important. That’s why a blog called “Shrimp and Fish Soup Recipes” will get some good Google juice on all 4 words. Therefore, searching for “Shrimp Soup” will get you the first page. Or “fish soup recipes” or “shrimp recipes” and so on.

Yes, you want to repeat your words and phrases often in the text. That said, write naturally. Never let SEO be a substitute for good content.

So you do this and you are not the first page yet. That’s because you don’t have enough credibility with Google. You need another free tool to check this. I use a free Firefox add-on called searchstatus. It gives me both the PageRank and the Alexa rating of any web page. Higher PageRank numbers are better. High credibility is your end goal as that’s what ranks you first and Alexa tells you the traffic (lower number is better)

How do you increase your PageRank?

It’s all about quality inbound links. You want people with high credibility (PageRank 4+) to link to you, for example, Wall St Journal would be great. More is better and the link rank is almost logarithmic, so a PageRank of 6 is worth 10 times a 5, etc.

That said, getting a link from an 8-rated site like pornstars.com would not increase your rank in the business genre. The sites are ranked according to their relevance.

The best inbound links are contextual. So someone blogging and saying I heard time management guru John Doe speak and the “time management guru” hot links are great for John Doe. Second best, direct link to “John Doe”. Third, it’s just having a link on a blogroll without any context.

You get a higher ranking if you update your content regularly. That is why having a blog on your site is a good way to increase your ranking.

Moderate cross-linking within your own material will also increase your rank and make it clear to Google what you do.

3 ways to get links to your site:
1 – Ask politely. You may not always get a link, but it never hurts to ask.

2 – Comment on other relevant blogs (and have your PageRank turned on so that it ignores low PageRank and high alexa). Please note that most of the comments themselves are not a link. But being there makes people look at you. You need people to look at your stuff so they are inspired to link it up.

3 – Have good material. People relate to quality. But of course they have to see it, so promote your content:
Have your URL on all your print materials, cards, letterhead, email signature file, etc.
Write guest articles and blogs in the right (high-traffic) places (see Alexa).
PR – write about
Contribute to other sites. EG write reviews on Amazon, join the conversations.

And a warning. Never play games (like buying links).

In the end it is about having good quality material. And be there for people to see your material. People engage with quality without your asking, as long as they know about it.

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