Google is in the process of preparing a new update to its algorithm that is used for ranking websites. It looks like it will be dubbed with the title of “Google Caffein”.

To rank well, it still comes down to each website having fresh content added on a regular basis and encouraging other sites to link to your website. However, more emphasis will apparently be placed on using social media, online videos and a well built website.

More attention will also be paid to certain ranking factors such as “clean code”, “page load time” (or site speed), “broken links” and the like. Over-all quality will now play a greater roll than in the past.

Search engines folks like Google do not normally go out of their way to share the specifics of their “magic formulas” that rank websites, so we do the best we can to determine what is there and what makes them happiest. What we do know is that the web itself continues to evolve, and so must we all.

The good news is that GraphicalData websites are by default search engine friendly. What should you do? You need to SEO (search engine optimize) your website for your area and real estate niche — or have someone do it for you. The underlying core criteria we use when we optimize a website takes advantage of the new power that Google will place under the hood of its overhauled engine. If you need assistance in optimizing your GraphicalData website feel free to contact us today.

We have posted numerous articles about search engine optimization (SEO) over the years. Many techniques that were relevant 10 years ago are not today. In fact, many search engines that were around in the ’90’s no longer exist for all practical purposes.

Some of the underlying basics do remain the same, and that is what many of our posts have been about, so I would encourage you to dig back into the archives . . . or search for seo and search engine optimization to pull them up.

You can view this article on search engine optimization for some general information as well.

If you do have a GraphicalData website, and are not ranking as well as you might like, give us a call or email . . . we have a great history of understanding what it takes to help real estate websites rise to the top.

Stay tuned . . . next article we will discuss some of the newer criteria that Google has indicated that they implement this year.

Search engines have guidelines in place to prevent the unfair manipulation of search engine rankings. These guidelines, or algorithms, are modified on an ongoing basis by the search engines as new deceptive practices are discovered (and as they find better ways to rank websites for users). If undesirable tactics are used on a website, it can actually result in being dropped from the rankings of a search engine…or certainly lowered in rankings.

If your site is banned or dropped from the search engine rankings, it can certainly have a negative impact on your website traffic, online sales generation and site popularity.

Read this article if you would like tips in avoiding making the search engines unhappy with your website.

[Note: Most of these points are big time baddies...a couple reflect just good practice to avoid...unless there is a good reason to do otherwise.]

I know we all would like to be in the top 10 when it comes to ranking well in the search engines. It takes time, knowledge, tweaking and patience. It can actually be a full time job…and top SEO professionals can make a LOT of money helping you get there.

Tapping the services of a full time, experienced SEO firm would be ideal, but for many of us in small business, this may not be an affordable option. So, if you don’t have a lot of time to learn and devote to the search engine optimization (SEO) of your site…and you don’t want to spend a lot of money…what do you do?

Visit this article that reviews many of the  factors influencing how well you rank on the search engines. A nice simple article on the main things you can do to help your site do better.

You can also contact GraphicalData for affordable assistance in “staging your website” for the search engines. We provide proven optimization and submission for GraphicalData websites to the primary search engines.

In my last post regarding ranking well in the search engines, I provided a link to an article about “Top 10 SEO Factors”. This post is a follow-up article in regards to what can provide barriers to search engine spiders or robots trying to crawl your website.

Visit this article to find a brief look at the top 10 mistakes made by website designers or those endeavoring to optimize a site for the search engines…and how to correct them.

There are many factors to consider in ranking well with the search engines. And, as luck would have it, each search engine has its own recipe (or algorithm) for the criteria that they apply to this end.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) “sets the stage” for the engines. Optimizing a website is sort of like staging a home for buyers, except in this case, you are staging for the search engine ‘bots. If you have good content (which is very important) it still needs to abide by other factors that search engines build into their formulas for ranking websites.

Visit this short article on some of the factors that can help put you in good standing with the search engines.

If you would like GraphicalData to assist you with SEO on your GraphicalData website, please feel free to contact us at seo@graphicaldata.com

This post contains tips for optimizing the content on your pages for the search engines.

The search engines (Google especially) like enough content to sink their teeth into so that when they receive a search query from from a visitor, they feel “confident” in serving up their results. If you have not provided good, quality content, then they will feel less “confident” and you will not be ranked near the top of the results. So, first criteria…good content on your page.

REMEMBER THIS…if you have the right content on your page…telling your visitors what your site is all about and what they are going to find within your website, then most everything will take care of itself. What too many site owners try to do is use popular keywords or keyword phrases lots of times, create content that is redundant and not in proper context and expect their site to show well. Just be honest…provide good content…use keywords wisely throughout your site, and you’ll be surprised at how well your site will rise to the top…albeit slowly. WHY? The search engines want to serve up honest content…good content…relevant content. So, why not give it to them and benefit from it???

I like to make a larger, bold header at the top of the page which should contain the most important keyword phrase (and what the site is really all about), preferably in an H1 tag format.

I then like to follow up with a secondary, slightly less sized sub header emphasizing the rest of your website’s objective. For example “Bremerton Real Estate” in large text, followed up with “Also Focusing on Port Orchard, Silverdale and neighboring communities in Kitsap County”.

The rest of my content, including a photo or the like would then continue down the body of the page.

Now, tweaking that content a bit. Search engines perceive that top of the page “real estate” is more important than the bottom. They perceive “large sizes” of text as more important than small. They give more credit to emphasized text (bold for example) than not emphasized. So, it would benefit a website in rankings if one endeavors to meet these criteria.

My next post will include insight on working with “behind the page” criteria.