A search engine’s job is to return the most relevant results for a user’s keywords. The keywords a user enters represent a question they are trying to answer and a search engine’s job is to determine the user’s intent and deliver the most relevant results based on the keywords they entered.
Times are Changing, but Keywords Are Still Important
To a search engine relevance is determined by how well different websites match the search terms, or keywords.
However, keywords alone are not a reliable way to deliver relevant results. If they were, then websites that found ways to use a certain keyword the most would always win. In the early days, this was how many websites were able to achieve high rankings. So in addition to keywords, a search engine also has to make sure the source is credible. In fact, keywords are becoming less important as time goes on, but how you present keywords within your amazing content is very important!
Authority Websites
Because keywords alone are not a reliable way to deliver relevant results, search engines need to determine which of the sites using a keyword are the most credible. If the results aren’t credible, then they aren’t relevant. And by returning them, a search engine wouldn’t be doing it’s job and users would go elsewhere.
To determine credibility, most search engines rely on some measure of Authority. The Authority of a Web page or website, in conjunction with the use of relevant keywords, are what ultimately determine your placement in Search Engine Results Pages, or SERPs.
For most search engines today, Authority is determined by how many other website reference your website as a source of good information about those same keywords. Or in other words, the number websites that ‘vouch’ for you as a credible resource.
Establishing Authority
Authority is earned. It is implied through relationships with other websites. When another website links to a page on your website, it is effectively giving that page a vote of Authority and gives a search engine confidence that your content is credible.
Since links are key to establishing authority. The more links you have to a page, the more valuable it becomes to a search engine. But not all links are created equal. Links from Authority websites that are deemed more credible than you are more valuable to search engines than links from websites with less Authority than you.
Becoming an Authority
The best way to become an Authority is to do two things:
- Create and publish relevant content on a regular basis
- Participating in conversations with your customers and other industry Authorities
Quality attracts quality (and quantity). You will have to give a lot at first just to get a little, but persistence does pays off. Once others start to recognize you, they’ll pay more attention to you. And if you do a good job, they’ll reward your efforts by linking to the content on your website. So as long as you continue produce quality content over time and let people know that it’s there, you’re efforts will be rewarded.
Don’t Trick Search Engines!
Because website are always competing for top rankings, many have turned to ‘black hat’ tactics. Black gat tactics are essentially ‘tricks’ that attempt to fool search engines into thinking they’re credible. However, if a search engine figures out that you’re trying to trick it, you could be penalized or even blacklisted – banned from results entirely. And if that happens, nothing you ever do will ever matter again. You’re done. Game over.
Black hat tactics include things like keyword stuffing, hidden content, and the use of link farms. Unfortunately, even the steepest penalties don’t stop people from trying – especially if it means a quick buck. And as search engines get smarter, so do the tricksters. And if you’ve got deep pockets, maybe you can afford to roll the dice; but that’s not how we roll.
Rather than spending all that time, money, and energy trying to trick a search engine, why not use ‘white hat’ tactics and just give the user what they want? Your customers and potential customers are looking for good, quality content that answers their questions. That’s what a search engine wants too. So if you create relevant content that user’s want, search engines will reward you for it.
