New Year Checklist - to keep google happy

[goodroi]

With the start of each new year I go through my sites and do a few simple maintenance steps. It helps make sure old issues get fixed and helps direct the growth of my sites.

-Update copyright notice (one day i'll switch it to php)
-Review 404 error log & fix repeat offenders
-Review keyword referrals & choose which keywords get more content
-Check the competition backlinks & identify ones to replicate
-Make new years resolution to work hard & stop being a lazy affiliate :)

What is on your list?

[Yellow_Sun]

- Read more daily on SEO topics
- Research new topics and key keywords to rank for in new content pages
- Review current keywords for each page and the traffic it generates, and adjust accordingly
- Post new/more unique quality content pages on a daily basis
- Find new/more ways of getting free quality in-links
- Keep one eye on the top competitors

Next up......

[tedster]

My advice to my clients and to myself boils down to one sentence. Make sure Google sees that you are running a true business, not just "a website".

This means that signs of audience engagement are essential in some form - and the more the better.

This is becoming more and more essential, IMO. In specific, it might mean that there is a natural conversation on social sites, or that you have a blog where you respond to comments, or that you have video content that gets comments, shares or embeds. It might mean you have physical world contact information, easily found on your website. It might mean introducing reviews, or enhancing existing features with RDFa - microformats.

But most of all, it means not ignoring any site for extended periods.

[dickbaker]

Tedster, do you think Google would take into account a phone number to the business as a social contact? Interesting, if that's what you surmise.

Do you think forum posts count as social interaction? I can't decide if I'm watering down my links by posting on forums or if doing so helps the site somehow.

[buckworks]

to work hard & stop being a lazy affiliate

One of my goals is to work smarter exactly so I can BE a lazy affiliate!

A specific resolution:

- Use Google Webmaster Tools to identify pages that are ranking on the second or third page for useful search phrases, then find ways to optimize them more effectively.

[MichaelEdits]

I change the copyright date. Also, my website remains a Google-free zone. I was on the Internet before they were, and I'll still be here when they're gone.

[Karma]

Stop wasting so much time on SEO and trying to make Google happy :)

[Vamm]

MichaelEdits,
You mean "Google-free" as in "Disallow: /"? That's cool.

[indyank]

Also, my website remains a Google-free zone. I was on the Internet before they were, and I'll still be here when they're gone.

but you will still follow a google forum, is it? incredible :)

[MichaelEdits]

I'm cool and incredible in the same 15-minute span. That just totally rocks.

[brokenbynubs]

@MichaelEdits

A Google-free zone? In other words... nobody can find your site?

[mrguy]

A Google-free zone? In other words... nobody can find your site?

I have numerous sites that are positioned very well in Google but the traffic from Bing and Yahoo eclipse what Google sends and it converts way better.

Contrary to popular thought, Google is not the internet and the roughly 30+ percent of the searching public equals a whole lot of searches that don't take place on Google.

I want to know what Google is going to do to keep me happy and providing them valuable content as opposed to me keeping them happy.

[zdgn]

- less SEO and more UEO (user engagement optimization)

:-)

[MrFewkes]

Number 1 on Yahoo and Bing - Number 2 on goofle (and below shopping and video results garbage on g)

- Google 108 108
- Yahoo! 8 8
- Bing 4
- Windows Live 2 2
- Dogpile 1 1
- MyWebSearch 1 1

So wheres the other 30% then?

[steerpikegg]

I for one am sick of playing 'Google Says' and will be doing what I want with my site and to hell with their webmaster guidelines.

I've had it just about up to here (points at ceiling) with G in 2010 so they can take a running jump. I will be adding content as and when I want and linking to/from who I want - it's my site and my call.

[Shaddows]

I for one am sick of playing 'Google Says' and will be doing what I want with my site and to hell with their webmaster guidelines... I will be adding content as and when I want and linking to/from who I want - it's my site and my call.

I reckon thats a very healthy attitude and should be a very positive SEO strategy!

I look at so many sites with good content that do not rank well simply because they are trying to manipulate their position, and are doing it badly.

For so, so many people, forgetting about Google is the best thing they could do. Incidentally, it is exactly the same thing Google would prefer, because then they could focus on returning quality content rather than applying countermeasures to de-skew the results.

[mrguy]

So wheres the other 30% then?

Ask Comscore.

It's obvious your sites rely heavily on Google and do better in Google.

Good luck with that.

[MrFewkes]

Mr Guy

My sites are just my sites.

The stats above are for 1 site.

The traffic I get is what I get.

I am at the positions I stated on the three engines.

What I am pointing out - is that my site does WORSE position wise in google - and gets 10 times the traffic for the same words on other engines.

So - might I ask this.
You say my site does better in google.

What do you mean. Its lower in google in ranking terms - yet it gets more traffic - so yes it "does better" in google.

What are you supposed to be saying here?

As far as "good luck with that" goes - I am well aware of how crap life is when relying on google - I have been for 10 years.

But when I dominate the three majors - where else can one go?

Trust me - I am the last person on earth who would become a goofle fanboy.

[MrFewkes]

No Reply from Mr Guy.

Hey that Rhymes.

[MichaelEdits]

No Reply from Mr Guy. My, oh my.

[MrFewkes]

No Reply from Mr Guy - I guess thats just good bye?

LOL