I predict in a few weeks I'll be making an annoucement of a major coup in search engine ranking. (OK, maybe it won't be so major, but it will have significance for those who are launching their own websites and wish to place higher in "natural" search engine listings for particular keywords.)

As you may know, WeLoveSaipan.com is a site I launched, with the support of Angelo Villagomez with the specific purpose of placing higher in search engine listings for the keyword "saipan." We launched the site on Dec 6, at which time it placed at position 155 (page 16) and as of this morning, it placed in the natural listings at position 29 (or as high as 23 depending on what browser you use).

As I mentioned a few moments ago in an email to Angelo:


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"Angelo,
I think also that we have evidence of two distinct strategies for
achieving high ranking.

1. I think your (Angelo's) blog is where it is from (a) sheer content (which has always been the #1 key in search engine optimization), (b) keywords (i.e. the amount of times you mention "saipan", (c) links TO your site from other bloggers and (d) the frequency of your posts.

2. WeLoveSaipan is where it is primarily from linkman, which expanded
the diversity of links to us (ala bloggers, non-saipan-related sites)
and, I believe, the link from YOUR blog in particular, being a high ranked site
was critical.

There's also what I call the "grandfather clause" which seems to give higher ranking
to sites which have been around for a while like the Tribune (and yours).
I know this from my own hiphopentrepreneur.com (aka hiphopbiz.com)
site which is pretty much established now after having been around since
1997, and shows up on top on searches for "start a hip hop record label"

Now, I don't know this for sure, but I believe
Google also puts some weight on visits to a site over time which
they can get from tracking how many people click to a site after
doing a search, which means once we get on the first and second
page, we should be able to maintain our position in much the same
way that the Tribune does at a consistent position 6 or 7.

Keep in mind also that there are not that many sites about Saipan,
so this may have been a little more challenging to accomplish
had we been publicizing, say a viagra site.


W

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But, the bottom line is, that we're doing it!
So, as I was saying, I predict that within a few weeks, we'll see welovesaipan.com
on the first page of listings for search queries for "saipan." A full sequential account
of exactly what we did to achieve it will be included in the soon-to-be-released
manual entitledd "Websites That Sell" which will be announced right here!

Labels: Sideline Business Tips

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