| I was recently struck by the fact that
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| | appear more than three times, meaning a
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| the top-ranking web pages on Google are
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| | very low density. Many of the pages did
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| consistently much better written than the
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| | not contain the keyword at all.
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| vast majority of what one reads on the
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| | Sub-headings. On most pages,
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| web. Yet traditional SEO wisdom has
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| | sub-headings were either absent or in the
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| little to say about good writing. Does
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| | form of images rather than text.
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| Google, the world's wealthiest media
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| | Links: Most of the web pages contained
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| company, really rank web pages based
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| | ten or more links; many contain over 30,
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| primarily on arcane technical criteria
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| | in defiance of the SEO bugbears about
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| such as keyword density, link text, or
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| | "link popularity bleeding." Moreover,
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| even PageRank?Apparently not.
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| | nearly all the pages contained a
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| Most Common Website Content Success
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| | significant number of non-relevant links.
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| FactorsI took a close look at the top
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| | On many pages, non-relevant links
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| five pages for the five most searched-on
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| | outnumbered relevant ones.
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| keywords, as identified by WordTracker on
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| | Text content: a significant number of
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| June 27, 2005. Here's what I found.The
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| | pages contained little or no text. These
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| web pages that contained written content
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| | pages were almost all image galleries
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| (a small but significant portion were
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| | (there was one Flash movie), with the
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| image galleries) all shared the following
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| | images being photographs of the subject
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| features:
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| | covered by the keyword.
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|
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| | Originality: a significant number of
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| Updating: frequent updating of content,
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| | pages contained content copied from other
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| at least once every few weeks, and more
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| | websites. In all cases, the content was
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| often, once a week or more.
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| | professionally written content apparently
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| Spelling and grammar: few or no errors.
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| | distributed on a free-reprint basis.
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| No page had more than three misspelled
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| | Note: the reprint content did not consist
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| words or four grammatical errors. Note:
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| | of content feeds. However, no website
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| spelling and grammar errors were
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| | consisted solely of free-reprint content.
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| identified by using Microsoft Word's
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| | There was always at least a significant
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| check feature, and then ruling out words
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| | portion of original content, usually the
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| marked as misspellings that are either
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| | majority of the page.Recommendations
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| proper names or new words that are simply
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| | Make sure a professional writer, or at
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| not in the dictionary. Google almost
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| | least someone who can tell good writing
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| certainly has better access to new words
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| | from bad, is creating your site's
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| than the dictionary, with its database of
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| | content, particularly in the case of a
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| billions of web pages. Supposed
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| | search-engine optimization campaign. If
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| grammatical errors that did not in fact
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| | you are an SEO, make sure you get a pro
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| violate style rules were also ignored.
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| | to do the content. A shocking number of
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| Google would certainly be less
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| | SEOs write incredibly badly. I've even
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| conservative than a grammar checker in
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| | had clients whose websites got fewer
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| evaluating popular stylistic devices such
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| | conversions or page views after their
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| as sentence fragments.
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| | SEOs got through with them, even when
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| Paragraphs: primarily brief (1-4
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| | they got a sharp uptick in unique
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| sentences). Few or no long blocks of
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| | visitors. Most visitors simply hit the
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| text.
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| | "back" button when confronted with the
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| Lists: both bulleted and numbered, form
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| | unpalatable text, so the increased
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| a large part of the text.
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| | traffic is just wasted bandwidth.
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| Sentence length: mostly brief (10 words
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| | If you write your own content, make sure
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| or fewer). Medium-length and long
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| | that it passes through the hands of a
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| sentences are sprinkled throughout the
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| | skilled copyeditor or writer before going
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| text rather than clumped together.
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| | online.
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| Contextual relevance: text contains
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| | Update your content often. It's
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| numerous terms related to the keyword, as
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| | important both to add new pages and
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| well as stem variations of the keyword.
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| | update existing pages. If you can't
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| The page may contain the keyword itself
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| | afford original content, use free-reprint
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| few times or not at all.
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| | content.
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| SEO "Do's" and "Don'ts" that Don't
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| | Distribute your content to other
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| Really MatterA hard look at the results
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| | websites on a free-reprint basis. This
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| slaughters a number of SEO bugbears and
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| | will help your website get links in
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| sacred cows.PageRank. The median PageRank
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| | exchange for the right to publish the
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| was 4. One page had a PageRank of 0.
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| | content. It will also help spread your
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| (Note that the low PageRank would seem to
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| | message and enhance your visibility.
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| discount the idea that these pages owe
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| | Fears of a "duplicate content penalty"
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| their ranking completely to numerous
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| | for free-reprint content (as opposed to
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| incoming links.)
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| | duplication of content within a single
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| Frames. The top two web pages listed
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| | website) are unjustified.
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| for the most searched-on keyword employ
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| | In short, make sure the bulk of your
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| frames.
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| | investment in your website is devoted to
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| JavaScript-formatted internal links.
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| | its content, rather than graphic design,
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| Most of the websites use JavaScript for
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| | old-school search-engine optimization, or
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| their internal page links.
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| | linking campaigns. Joel Walsh is the
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| Keyword optimization. Except for two
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| | owner, founder and head-writer of
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| pages, keyword optimization was
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| | UpMarket Content. To read more about
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| conspicuous by its absence. In more than
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| | website content best practices, get a
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| half the web pages, the keyword did not
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| | consultation with Mr.
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