How I Got To The Top of Google

June 13, 2013

Getting the top of Google is the goal of every blogger, and if it isn’t, it should be. There is a lot that goes into getting to the top of google which is also known as SEO or search engine optimization. At the conference where SociallyGold was born, I came across Evan Bailyn and he spoke about his upcoming (at the time) book, Outsmarting Google. I read the book and became very knowledgeable in SEO. By all means, pick up a copy of the book, but this post will explain how I was able to get the top of Google. I’ll highlight a few of the techniques I used from Evan’s book and how I got to the Top of Google.

Three days ago, I wrote an article called “What is Vine?” This article will use generic examples that I use for my blog and specific examples I used for my “What is Vine?” post. Using this and other tactics in this article will help you get to the top of Google.

Google Authorship

As you can see , there is my face next to the article. Google allows you to set up what is known as Google Authorship. Google will recognize when your name is used in the Author portion of your blog and will post your image next to the search engine listing. If you are interested in setting up Google Authorship, which you should be, check out this Google Authorship Tutorial. It’s super easy to do. According to SEOMoz, Google Authorship put you on the fast track to better rankings.

Keyword Search Tool

Google provides numerous tools to perform well in its search engine rankings. I am no expert in SEO, but the tools that Google provides and the knowledge on how to use them will propel your efforts in getting to the top of Google. The Google Keyword Search Tool has become my best friend. It allows you to survey global and monthly searches and their search frequency. In the case of my What is Vine post. “What is Vine” is searched 1,830,00 times locally and 4,090,000 globally.

This tool also provides you with what the competition of the particular keyword is. Since Vine is so new, the competition for the “What is Vine” Keyword is low, which has a lot to do with why mt article appears at the top of Google. The 1st line is because I queried “What is Vine” using quotes. You can search more than one keyword at a time by hitting enter and inputting a new keyword on each line.

Keywords

In the Vine article example, the word Vine appears 36 times. If you want your article or post to be found on Google, make sure you utilize that keyword throughout your post. I have seen many suggestions on keyword usage, but its recommended to use it in the first and last sentence.

Permalinks

WordPress allows you to set what your permalinks are in the settings. A permalink is the URL of the article that comes after the domain of your website. In using https://sociallygold.com/what-is-vine/ “What is Vine” is the permalink you want. It is also the keyword I want to use for my post.

Anchor Links

Google scans your article for links, both internal and external. Instead of using a sentence like “click here to see an article about Vine.” It is suggested to link the actual keyword. “Vine is a 6 second video sharing app acquired by Twitter in 2012.

Pictures

Visuals help not only drive what you are talking about home, but they help you get to the top of Google as well. Instead of saving your images as “image1.jpg” or screen shot, you should save them as the keyword you want to show up for in Google. If you are using a blogging site like WordPress (It’s what I use) you can also add a description and caption, which I recommend using both. Also, if someone is doing a Google image search, it will index your images because they are tagged with the keyword you are trying to rank for.

Link Building

There are ethical and unethical ways to build links to your website. The unethical way is also known as black hat SEO. Black hat SEO is frowned upon by Google. They will punish your website if they suspect you of using black hat SEO. In my case, I perform what is known as casual link building. The more websites that link to your website the better. Google will analyze this and think that your website should be higher than others because everyone else is talking about you. If you have a cat website, it is better to have incoming links to your website from other cat websites. If links are coming in from an airplane website, Google doesn’t weigh it as heavily as it would if those links came from another cat website,

Guest Blogging

A great way to build links to your website is for you to guest blog on others websites. Most blog owners will welcome guest bloggers as they will assume that their guest appearance will bring added traffic. It not only brings added traffic, but it also tells Google that you are worth ranking. You should also accept guest bloggers as the writer will promote their piece among their current fans too.

Website Age

SociallyGold now is over 1 year old. Google gives higher weight to older websites and the older your website, the better it will rank. Also, if you can get your URL on older websites, (using link building) that will help your ranking as well. In the first 6 months of your website, don’t expect your site to rank well as Google is implementing its sandbox. Google’s sandbox makes sure that your site is not spam.