Blogertize HOW-TO: Understanding SEO and Page Ranks

The brass ring: Blogertize client Tridel is number two out of 120 million search results on the keyword "CONDO." A robust balance of activity, links, and content—boosted in this case with the full eight-tactic Blogertize platform—drives incredible results such as this on YOUR keyword. Tridel is Canada's largest condominium developer.Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization is a moving target—always has been. Search engines such as Google try to stay ahead of "marketers" such as Blogertize because they want content searches to be as relevant as possible. Now, instead of "content only" rankings (the original model), activity plays a very large role. Activity is defined as "buzz" or "mentions" or discussions of the "destination" or target site. Links have always played a big role since Google launched it's revolutionary engine. 

L.A.C.K. Formula

Blogertize broke the current Google Algorithm — okay broke is way too strong a word (we analyzed it)— and averaged the ratio of links to activity to content Google uses to broadly determine page ranks. While it's not as simple as we suggest here, it's a good guide (and will get you 90% of the way along the road to the destination of higher page ranks.)

What's changed is that activity plays a vastly more important role in 2010 and 2011 than in previous years. To help clients remember this ratio, we call it L.A.C.K. The entire Blogertize platform, a mix of eight key macro tactics and a wide spectrum of micro tactics, is built around this balanced approach to driving your page ranks through a nice balance of inbound links, strong activity and buzz, and valuable, credible (non-spammy) content:

• LINKS (inbound) at 37.4% of value of a Google Page Rank in our averaged data analysis

• ACTIVITY (social mentions, blogging, keyword mentions on other sites, Alexa ranks, etc) at 39.5%

• Content (page content, keywords, metatags, pictures, forums, etc) 23.1%.

Links

To a large extent these are all related. If you have strong, credible content — the goal of our well-known and popular e-Zines for our clients — you'll earn both activity and "votes" form loyal readers in the form of inbound links. But you can also reach out with strategies to build links that go beyond passively waiting for people to find you. Meaningfully posting comments on popular blogs, ezines, newsites and social media sites with your "link" is one way. Guesting on blogs is another. Publicity via press releases, participation in forums, social media activity, all drive links. And, if you're truly committed, try deploying the entire Blogertize platform. It drives pages ranks faster than any other method — albeit at a cost of substantial time.

Activity

Google’s emphasis on Activity comes on the heels of its new agreement with Alexa, and it’s purchase of various social marketing platforms. Google’s own “search toolbars” ubiquitous on all browsers, also feeds activity data. 

There's no shortcut to activity. To earn buzz and activity — YOU must be active. This is why many people outsource this activity to companies such as Blogertize, where teams of professional writers can put together meaningful, interesting and informative articles, features, blogs, content and social media posts.

Since this is a very time-consuming task, it is important not to just use the shotgun approach to social marketing. It's not enough to simply have thousands of followers on Twitter or friends on various social media sites. You must engage with them, on a mission, with a goal. Yet, you cannot spam, since social media is, by definition, empowered by the people. It's the ultimate democracy. If you put out a lot of nonsense or spam, your activities are wasted, since no one will return or follow you. Spam is spam, and everyone knows what it looks like. Instead, focus on useful activity that helps, informs and engages your fans and friends.

Content

The main guidelines for a site that is "sticky" and earns return visits and loyalty, is quality content. This is why we take the "journalistic" approach to content. News, entertainment, features and white papers are much more popular than brochure information, hype and ad headlines. No one makes an ad a destination. 

Good content should be professional. Using professional writers, journalists, editors is preferred to "best efforts" in social marketing. The two keys are:

• Credibility: sell your ideas by giving your readers facts, the benefit of other views, balanced reporting, and useful information. This generates loyalty and appreciation
• Impact: make it interesting. Entertainment, comedy, music, catchy graphics and art all play a role (depending on the proposition) because we all like to be entertained. And it's important to remember how very wide, vast and deep the Internet now is. Even the largest of presences on the internet appears small next to the absolute vastness of the whole.

Comments

[Bogdan Alesandru]

Great post!