Key words, search and site ranking

Trying to understand how key words affect rank

[aptmt83]

I've read all I can (without going nuts! <g>) about the importance of key words, the correct use of titles etc for page design and impact on google ranking, but I must admit I'm confused.

I'm part of a group running a website in support of the actor firstname lastname (from scifi show Stargate), the site being at [firstnamelastname-online.com...]

The site is called firstnamelastname-Online, and when I do a search on 'firstnamelastname' we come up first in google, and on 'firstname lastname online' regularly around 28th. We don't, however, appear anywhere in the first 30 pages if the search is on 'firstname lastname'.

Can anybody please advise what it is I may be doing wrong which prevents us being found on the actual name of the actor, rather than a variation of the site name itself? (Most of the pages have 'firstname lastname' as part of the title, and all pages are linked from a common banner.)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Apt83

[edited by: Brett_Tabke at 2:57 pm (utc) on Jan. 18, 2005]
[edit reason] examplified [/edit]

[Brett_Tabke]

First, welcome to the site. We generally don't do specific examples here out of concern for spam.

> prevents us being found on the actual name of the actor

You are in a highly competitive keyword market. The cure for your site is more and more links.

[aptmt83]

Thank you for the welcome. :-)

And thank you for editing. Oops... didn't realise I shouldn't have done that. (I read the faq, honest! Guess I missed that bit! <g>)

and and... thank you for the reply. While the lack of ranking is somewhat frustrating, I'm relieved to know that, ultimately, it comes down to a links problem. We are a relatively new site (since August last year) so our 'presence' in the fandom associated with the site is new.

It is curious to me, though, that other sites that don't seem to be well linked have a higher ranking etc... I'll put that down to being like algebra - something I just have to accept makes sense. <g>

Thanks again!

[webhound]

try getting another domain thats firstname-lastname-online.com.

i don't know what effect the sandbox will have in that sort of category though with new sites. you should get Y and MSN listings pretty quick though.

and links, links and more links.

[Collieman]

I have also struggled with a domain
KW1-KW2-KW3.com

It was fine on MSN and Yahoo, but it has taken 12 months to really rank in that order on page 1

If i changed the KWs round
KW3-KW2-KW1 the Serps were really bad for the 1st 10 months, now they are more equal whatever the combination.

Links, Links, Time and varied anchor text....that is basically it.

[aptmt83]

Thank you all for the advice.

I will go in search of people who will link link link to us. :-)

One final question on this subject if I may. If having a www.firstname-lastname-online.com (or .org or whatever) is a better combination, how does Google usually feel about more than one domain name pointing to a site?

The group managing the site are somewhat sentimental about the current www.firstnamelastname-online.com name, but if having a second domain name under a better structure will place a better, it might make sense to have two domain names to the same site.

Is that within acceptable Google protocol?

Thank you again. :-)

apt83