It’s a big old Internet. By August 2008 in excess of 175 million sites were responsible for more than 21 billion individual pages with the figures growing rapidly daily. There are approximately 1.5 billion Internet users worldwide of whom 50% use search engines every day. Google, Yahoo and MSN currently account for over 90% of all these searches.
Developing a successful web presence through search engine positioning is clearly a formidable challenge as the competition is not only vast in quantity but often high in quality too. As the Internet evolves so does the sophistication of search engine optimization techniques. These days, in their pursuit of relevance and in their efforts to counteract spam-dexing and search manipulation the search engines are placing an increasing emphasis on off-page factors.
Whereas simple ‘on page’ SEO was once sufficient to place websites high on search engine returns - SEO experts weaving their magic with perfect keyword selection, placement and density to achieve wondrous top page rankings - it now takes a far more sophisticated blend of SEO techniques to develop and reveal relevance to the search engines in order to achieve sustainable success. Overtaking on-page factors with what increasingly seems to be of greatest importance to a successful Internet presence is time, relevance and trust. With time taking care of itself, the challenge for SEO professionals is to develop sufficient relevance and trust quickly and cost effectively.
Though on-page optimization is now acknowledged as contributing only 20% towards achieving rankings it shouldn’t be neglected. Keywords, especially in URLs and page titles, are still the cornerstone of SEO. Copy and content also offer very important optimization benefits and can act as the source of off page SEO efforts. For example, skilled copy-writing creates a particular tone; it develops themes and interrelates them over time into a rich, cohesive resource. Great copy and content is easy to take off page and share in the form of articles, press releases and related blogs.
With search engine algorithms moving further and further away from old school on-page relevance measurements, off page factors such as social media tagging and blog-driven links, articles, RSS feeds and press releases play an increasingly important role in developing site importance and authority.
Almost completely determined by impartial web users and webmasters of other sites, off page SEO (unlike ‘on page’ SEO) is less vulnerable to abuse. Inbound links generated off page are considered far more reflective of the true value of a site and the subsequent relevance of search returns against that site. Rich, aging, on and off page content and the links it inspires, over time matures search engine trust and authority.
Go off page, communicate, converse and share. Take your content, your value and your contribution to the Internet, work to show that your site deserves to be rewarded with trust and authority. The benefits will follow.
It’s not simply a case of how you see yourself. It’s very much a case now of how others see you and what esteem they hold you in (represented though the links you enjoy) that signifies relevance and will make the biggest difference to your search engine positioning and Internet presence.
contributed by, ABHISHEK SEO
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