How to Improve Your Ranking in Google by Barry Orlando, Orlando Web Services August 2008
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There are no secrets in how to improve your position in Google, but there are certain best practices which take effort and discipline. I have outlined a few of these practices below:

The Do's

• Update your content. If you haven't touched copy on a page in 6-months or more, you should probably start. Google will notice that it has been modified and will probably revisit it again. Google hates old content.
• Make a site with a clear hierarchy and text links. Every page should be reachable from at least one static text link.
• Offer a site map to your users with links that point to the important parts of your site. If the site map is larger than 100 or so links, you may want to break the site map into separate pages.
• Create a useful, information-rich site, and write pages that clearly and accurately describe your content.
• Think about the words users would type to find your pages, and make sure that your site actually includes those words within it.
• Try to use text instead of images to display important names, content, or links. The Google crawler doesn't recognize text contained in images.
• Make sure that your TITLE tags and ALT attributes are descriptive and accurate.
• Check for broken links and correct HTML.
• Provide unique and relevant content that gives users a reason to visit refer your site to others.

The Don'ts

• Avoid hidden text or hidden links.
• Don't use cloaking or sneaky redirects in pages.
• Don't send automated queries to Google.
• Don't load pages with irrelevant keywords.
• Don't create multiple pages, subdomains, or domains with substantially duplicate content.
• Don't create pages with malicious behavior, such as phishing or installing viruses, trojans, or other badware.
• Avoid "doorway" pages created just for search engines, or other "cookie cutter" approaches such as affiliate programs with little or no original content.

Picking Your Search Terms

There are two kinds of keywords - the kind that people search for and the kind that people do not search for. A keyword is a word or phrase that someone would enter in to a search box at Google or Yahoo. It is the search term or query used to find you. I would love to get lots of traffic from "Web Developers Naples, NY" but the numbers are not there, so I will not invest too much time on that term. But I will try for "webmail email hosting" since this does get traffic and is specific to what I provide as well. This term is competitive so I have dedicated a page to the service.

If you have some search term ideas, you can test your terms now by using the Google "sandbox" - Enter one keyword or phrase to see how that term compares with others. You will see dozens of other viable terms to consider that may be a closer match to what you sell or do. If your terms does not yield results in this tool...drop it!

The other kinds of keywords - the kind that you think you should be found under and the kind that you are being found under. It would be nice to be #1 under "web hosting" but there are 123 million other people who feel the same way. I did discover that I was #1 under "hosting with digishop cart" and for me that still works since I do get more traffic off of that even though I never intended that to happen.

There are many things to consider when picking search terms. Each site has unique needs and because of this we generally recommend getting help when deciding how your site will be optimized. We have outlined a few ideas that have worked for our clients and recommend optimizing for the following:

• Your Company Name
• Your Geographic Area
• Brand Names that you carry if you sell online. e.g. "Wilson K Four 105 Midplus Tennis Racquet" - not just Tennis Racquets.
• Services that you offer. e.g. "Custom Wine Labels for Weddings" - not just Custom Labels.
• Your own brand named products. e.g. "Arbor Hill Rhine Street Wine"
• Sponsored Events your participate in.
• Specific Industry Terms
• Related Industry Terms

Finally, you may be in an industry that is completely saturated...like I am. And it seems that no matter what term we optimize for, we have a million competitors doing the same thing, even locally. When this happens you need to expand your horizons and work harder. You can write articles with links to your site that get posted on other sites, write your own blogs that may go into syndication, or participate as a speaker at area Chambers of Commerce or business groups.

They say knowledge is power, and your specific knowledge or experience could very well be your only unique value proposition in today's world.

Barry J Orlando is the owner of Orlando Web Services, a full-service Internet marketing firm founded in 1997. With an Internet career that began at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1994, Barry has been working as a professional Internet consultant for the past fourteen years. His diverse skill-set has put him in high demand in areas such as Web Development, Internet Marketing, Client Relations, and System Administration.

As an Internet consultant, he has helped hundreds of small to mid-sized businesses increase their online revenue through active participation in his proven process. This process has empowered many of his clients to succeed through their own efforts.

Barry has a degree in Business Administration and is actively involved in the local community where he volunteers as the AOPA Support Network Volunteer for Canandaigua Airport. He is also a member of the Penn Yan Flying Club and earned his pilot certificate on October 15, 2007. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his wife Sherry and sons Devin and Nathan.

Email: bjorlando@ows.net
Company Profile: Orlando Web Services
Company URL: http://www.ows.net

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