7 SEXY SEO SECRETS

[allenjohn]

Hi,

This is the first of the 7 SEXY SEO Secrets. I would appreciate Warriors thoughts on content, readability and value. All responses received (good or bad) will receive a free upgrade key for Wordpress Plugins | Fruity Plugins, which has an important new release this coming weekend. Thanks, Allen

The First SEXY SEO SECRET

One of the most important facts you can know about SEO or Search Engine Optimisation, is the distribution of clicks on a search engine landing page. After all, it is no use patting yourself on the back for that page 2 listing, when in fact, that listing is going to make no to little difference to your overall business.

Page 1 accounts for over 90% of all traffic!

The other important fact to know is that Google is king. Yes, Google accounts for around 65% of all search traffic, so, in simple terms, unless you are on page 1 of Google, for your chosen search term, then you are going to be losing out on over 50% of your target market.

Let me repeat that for the hard of hearing and those at the back. Google page 1 is worth more than 50% of the total traffic for your niche.

So, that's where you need to be. Full stop. Anything less and you're missing out. Big time!

So, let's assume that you've hired one of the top SEO companies or you've invested a massive amount of time and energy to not only learn the ins and outs of search engine optimization, but to also put into practice the right tricks, methods and secrets necessary to get yourself on page 1. Well done, take a bow. But is that the end of the story? No, I don't think so.

Ok, let's assume that your listing is on page 1, let's have a look at what happens to the clicks on page 1 of Google. There are three main elements to a Google search results page (for a typically commercial result i.e. not left handed basket weaving):

1. The three main sponsored results at the top
2. The sponsored results to the right
3. The 10 organic listings

So, around 21 results in all, less for less competitive terms, but let's stay with the 21 results page. Roughly, it is estimated, that for every 20 visitors 14 will click on one of the top sponsored results, 4 will click on the organic and only 1 will click on the ads on the right hand side. How does that match your typical browsing patterns? Now, some people will only click on ads, some not all but most, will choose the most relevant. The massive difference in all this is for the poor webmaster. The cost of maintaining a keyword in position 1-3 can be prohibitive, take SEO, for example, Google tells me they have around 1.2 million searches per month, in the US alone, and for me to take the number 1 spot, it would cost me around $4 PER CLICK. You do the maths. It's a big number. For most, certainly for me, way too big.

That's why organic SEO is the answer. What's the point? I hear a lot of people asking. Especially when 15 out of 20 click on the ads anyway? Well, this is where you are missing an absolute magical point. Not every keyword has 11 advertisers. Some have NONE at all. It doesn't mean they're worthless, far from it, in fact they could be some of the most valuable keywords of all. The other great thing on those pages, organic results get 100% of the clicks.

THE FIRST SEXY SEO SECRET:

It's called the long tail and it's where the money is.

I know you've had enough of percentages by now, but I want to leave you with one last thought. If the top 3 organic positions in Google attract around 60% of the clicks and the #1 position grabs over 70% of those, wouldn't you want to be number 1 on Google for your chosen search terms? In the organic? Where it's not costing you for every click you received?

I know I would.

That number 1 spot accounts for over 40% of all the clicks received in the organic listings.

[TLTheLiberator]

This is good basic stuff.

Please keep it coming as there isn't much sweeter than month in, month out free visitors from the search engines.

Just opted-in to get your free ebook and from your post it looks like you know what you're talking about.

I may be able to discover a new trick or two.

TL

[ryanman]

Nice tips...SEO is all about doing something everyday.

[Eric Stanley]

You forgot tons of original content :O!

I'd vote for PR and quality links as well.

[allenjohn]

Hi - Thank you for your kind comments, truly appreciated. Please IM me for your free Upgrade key if of interest. Thanks, Allen

[allenjohn]

"You forgot tons of original content :O!

I'd vote for PR and quality links as well."


Hi Eric,

I agree with you about original content but there's quite an active post here:

Check out my automated niche blog business model (it really works)

that suggests original content may not be as important as all that, especially if you're playing the numbers game.

BTW, you can vote for more than one choice...

Thanks again and all the very best, Allen

[williamtan]

Active blogging with original content embedded with keywords.

Social bookmarking for alternative link backs.

Keywords in meta tags.

Works well for me

[Chris Grable]

Originally Posted by allenjohn

That's why organic SEO is the answer. What's the point? I hear a lot of people asking. Especially when 15 out of 20 click on the ads anyway? Well, this is where you are missing an absolute magical point. Not every keyword has 11 advertisers. Some have NONE at all. It doesn't mean they're worthless, far from it, in fact they could be some of the most valuable keywords of all. The other great thing on those pages, organic results get 100% of the clicks.

HI Allen,

First of all... So far this is great. Can't wait to read the rest of the series. I puzzled over this paragraph though. I get the sense that another sentence or two is required to tie it all together.

Best of luck!

[skydivedad]

The two most important factors (IMHO) aren't even on this list. Just mostly "link building is SEO" mythology. Hey I'm all for inbound links that are generated naturally. Everything else link wise If you are ever going to head down this path, you must be aware this IS against Google's Guidelines.

1. OK sure, I'll take a naturally generated inbound link.
2. I'm assuming your talking about "Anchor Text" yes if you can get keyword related links with varied Anchor Text that would be a good thing. If your paying for them not a good thing.
3. See #2
4. Hx tags with keywords are good on-page SEO. All the search engines look at Hx headers and consider them equivalent to Bold and a Large Font Size. It doesn't matter if you use Bold, Italics, Large Fonts, the emphasis tag, underline, score through, with respect to how search engines value them. The greater the emphasis you place on keywords the greater the search engine relevancy score for that query word/phrase becomes. Just remember Divs and Spans are not substitues for Hx or any other method you deploy to emphasis your keywords on-page.
5. Only relevant to Yahoo and Ask. Only use a few per page cramming dozens only reduces your relevancy with those engines.
6. Excellent and writing your description as a subtle call to action also helps. Use the robot text commands. By default the search engines use robot values "index, follow, archive" for all pages but include them anyway. Don't use "noarchive" until the page is included in the Main Index or it will never get included. Yahoo doesn't use your meta description unless you tell them not to use DMOZ or their own snippets. Include "noodp, noydir" in your robot text and Yahoo will use your description. In general search engines will include your description (a subtle call to action right) if you use these values in the robot meta tag.
7. PageRank (Toolbar) is irrevelent in the search engine algorrithms. Internal PageRank is 1 of 200 or so varibles used by the engines when displaying query results. Internal PageRank is not a number between 0-10 it is rather a number between 0-1. It is never published and made available for any site. From a reply I made to another post recently.

"Is this number (Internal PageRank) updated every time your site is spidered? Every 30 Days? 60 Days? Every year? You have no way of knowing what that number is or when it changes, so you have zero data and neither does anyone else. It's a fallacy! Sites pass their "rank" regardless of what they do. You can't set up a "no follow" barrier and tell the Search Engines "Don't pass my PageRank to other sites"! Even if you could it would only serve to reduce your sites ability to present more relevancy to the search engines and why would a marketer want to do that? If you want to do something productive build your internal navigation properly because "Internal PageRank" flows within your site as well so you might as well take advantage of that fact."

8. Link Exchanges are bad for your sites life expectency. If you have a throw away domain be my guest use them. It's a legimate Marketing tactic but it isn't "Good SEO". If you have long term plans for your domain restrain yourself and don't use them.

1st Law of SEO
Link Building isn't SEO it's a destructive addiction! Link efficiently not profusely and in disregard to the search engine Guidlines.
Thanks for letting me share.
Paul

[Jordan Matthews]

You missed what I consider to be the most important: a keyword rich domain name.

[allenjohn]

Originally Posted by Chris Grable

HI Allen,

First of all... So far this is great. Can't wait to read the rest of the series. I puzzled over this paragraph though. I get the sense that another sentence or two is required to tie it all together.

Best of luck!

Thanks, truly appreciated. I will give it a quick rewrite... thanks Allen

[allenjohn]

Originally Posted by Jordan Matthews

You missed what I consider to be the most important: a keyword rich domain name.

Yep, great point. I might have to start this thread again with a new poll. Actually, I've just decided, I will publish the 2nd secret as well and add all suggestions received in this thread to that poll. Thanks again and all the very best, Allen

[allenjohn]

Thanks Paul, you obviously know your stuff. Thanks for sharing. All the best, Allen

[JamesFraze]

Good, useful content naturally builds links.

Building links tries to emulate having "Good, useful content"

I voted for the Varied, High Quality links, but you should add content up there too.

[Mad Dawg]

The stuff here is great, the only thing people might not realize is that SEO takes work and time, especially for competitive keywords.

It can take months in some cases, but as long as you're building your relevancy for those keywords in googl's eyes a bit every day, you will eventually get there.

[Hunter06]

Hey Allen, Thanks for the great info. This looks like it's going to be a great thread. I must agree with James & Allen, if the quality content isn't there then you're missing a big piece of the puzzle.

[CurtisN]

Thanks Allen, for the great SEO tips...I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. I had no idea the 2nd page of Google was so useless!

[kevinw1]

You're missing a keyword rich TITLE from the poll - one of the most important on-page things you can do for SEO.

[allenjohn]

Hi - Thanks all. Great feedback. Will now start another thread, with next SEO secret, along with new poll that includes suggestions as above. Thanks again and all the very best, Allen

[Nicky D]

Sounds sexy to me!

[allenjohn]

It is Thanks Allen