Paul started www.ozdoggy.com.au in 2004 and has now received over 2.5 million unique visitors. Oz Doggy receives 25 000 - 30 000 visits per month and www.warburtoninfo.com 20 000+ per month. But Google has changed alot since 2004 - and it presents a challenge to all websites.
Google ideally wants you to pay for all your clicks - but do you need to? and can you afford to?
Please review these four summary points below. If you can understand more about Google, you will understand more about your results.
There used to basically be one Google Search result for a keyword on a computer - now there are 1000s - why?
- Results will be different on different computers.
Every computer - or workplace - has a different IP address. When you search for something on a desktop in Sydney, you will get a different result from someone in Melbourne or Brisbane. Google matches search results based on where they know your computer is based. You would understand why when searching 'pizza delivery' Google does not provide someone in Melbourne with a London or Moscow based pizza shop as the top result. It further follows when you search 'pizza delivery' when you are in Perth - you will get more Perth results - vs Sydney results. It is hard for you to sit in Brisbane and see what people are seeing in Melbourne.
- Results will be different in different locations.
Similar to above, mobile technology means every iPad and mobile device has a different location at any one time. As above, if you search for Pizza delivery in Penrith in Sydney in the morning - then later that day you're in Sydney CBD - you will get a different set of results. Google knows your iPad/ iPhone is in a different location - Google will give you a different result.
- Your Google search result might be different to someone else - in the same location
Your search history on your computer can affect the results you see - vs someone else with different search results. A combination of Google double click cookies from sites you have already visited and also cached results (meaning sites or searches recently visited on your computer or on your local network) can often give you different results for someone who hasn't searched for those keywords on their computer. EG. I often see Google adverts for solar panels on my computer - and when I search for solar panels - can see different results from my wife on the same wifi network. She sees more adverts about musical instruments and art - because she has searched and visited those types of sites on her computer when I haven't. Google is watching your search and website history - it will skew search / advertising based on your search behaviour.
- The long tail search vs the short tail search - don't stress on the short tail - but definitely optimise for the long
I often have enquiries about someone searching for 'pizza delivery' and worried they are not number 1 or 2 or 3 or even on the first page. 'Pizza delivery' would be called a short tail search, a simple generic term that is very difficult to be on the first page of results. A keyword you would pay Adwords for. But a search for 'Pizza delivery Penrith' or 'Pizza in Penrith' or 'Penrith pizza delivery' will show a different set of results.
The above is a very short summary of a huge online industry at work - so what can YOU do?
- Get good links from good, relevant Google page ranked (PR) pages - they will help your own website search better.
- Get listed on good quality directories - they provide traffic to your site + an inward link - and will help your own website search better.
- Don't try and target just a simple keyword like Pizza delivery - you need to optimise and tell Google what you do - and where you do it - and that will help your website search better.
- You must, must, must set up and have access to web stats for your business website like AW Stats or Google Analytics - you need to see how many people are visiting your website, where they are coming from, and what people searched to find you.
In my business I know that smart businesses, large businesses, international websites - offer to pay US$99 - US$500 or more per year - just for a link on a relevant Google PR page. Why? They know when they have relevant words from good pages pointing to their website - it will help their site search better. It is simply business at work. But this also has issues and you can not expect simply to 'buy your way' to the top.
Google wants you to pay for every click using Adwords - but your business needs to understand how for a relatively small outlay - you can access traffic to your site + support your own website to search better - simply by having good links and/ or links on sites with traffic. Google want Google users to have a good user experience. If your website has good quality information, then you need to tell Google about it - in a way that Google can find it. Optimise your website so Google can find you - and then deliver your website to people and customers that want to connect with you.
If you need help - call Paul on 0409 004 770 or see www.jacko.com.au