Off-Page’ Search Engine Optimisation Described
Posted by Jason Kendall in Uncategorized, tags: advice, b, business, c, computer, e, ecommerce, education, h, hobbies, home, m, marketing, money, n, o, s, sale, self improvement, SEO, shop, software, t, technology, u, Uncategorized, w, web, workWe’ve already looked at Search Engine Optimisation basics, and referred to On-Page SEO. But what really matters is off-page SEO. Think of it as appointing votes. If another site places a link to your site then that site has given you a vote of confidence. As if they’ve said ‘we think this site is good’.
Two main features make up the link to your website. The full web address of the actual page being pointed to. And secondly the keyword phrase (anchor text) that’s high-lighted on the page to be clicked on. A ‘vote’ is then generated for an individual website page based on that keyword phrase. So, a tick to move the site higher up the listings for that phrase.
It is always so. The keyword phrase and targeted page are completely tied to each other. Or the process can’t happen. The SE’s know what search term to use for that page based on the anchor text. To re-iterate: Your website’s search terms are totally controlled by its anchor texts.
Hence, a link saying “click here for…” isn’t a good idea. In this example, we created a vote for the phrase ‘Click HERE’. Who would choose to search for Click Here? Not a soul!
Hence why the anchor text must be used correctly. It denotes which terms you’ll be ranked for. And by the way, if you DO Google “Click Here” you will always find the Adobe Reader download site at the top. Do Adobe think ‘CLICK HERE’ is an important term? No way! It’s just that millions of web sites have a link using those words to download Adobe Reader.
In short, anchor text phrases are always used by the SE’s to place a vote. It is the logical thing to do. The process attempts to use human logic for looking and searching. The content of your page isn’t necessarily relevant. As long as the anchor texts that are directed at you say ‘red cars’ - that is what you will rank for. That is the vote that’s cast.
Of course, it’s not quite as simple as that… The wording on a page being pointed at and its title are taken into account by the Search Engines. And many more factors too. For example; how spread-out and relevant the sites are that are linking to you.
In essence though, a wealth of back links is the most significant element of Search Engine Optimisation. And back links with the right anchor texts that come from lots of different websites. The quality of a site counts too… A back-link from Microsoft.com or Adobe.com would be worth a lot more than a back-link from a local hardware store!
It takes knowledge and skill to identify the best keyword groupings for your site. (Research your competitors well before you plump for yours.) But this is the crux of the thing… What would a customer of yours type in the search box in order to find your product or service? The answers to this question supply your anchor text and keyword phrases.
Interesting answers often come up when you do your researches and tests. It’s so often the case that the phrase people expect is NOT what produces the most results. We all have different ways of expressing ourselves. Imagine you’re intent on sleeping better. You might think to search for ‘comfortable bed’. Whilst the line GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP could be used by someone else.
You just can’t trust your ‘gut feel’! The importance of the investigation, testing and measuring of these phrases cannot be underestimated. They are absolutely key to the volume of enquiries and sales you can make via the web. Compare it to an entry in a physical Business Directory. If you’ve been entered as a Florist, but you’re actually an electrician, you’re not going to get anywhere. Careful keyword research and analysis is the key to effective SEO.
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