The web we see today is shaped by Google. The way this page is constructed – the way this site and most others are constructed – maximises the chance of it being found on a Google search.[tweetmeme]
The holy grail of search engine marketing is page 1 of a Google search. Even better it’s page 1 position 1. To be found on page 2 or beyond is to be virtually invisible.
Marketers and SEO specialists spend their time figuring out how Google’s search algorithm works. Once they do they then produce an almost endless supply of content that gets picked up by Google. That leads to traffic and traffic produces sales.
This content is not always good quality. Sometimes it’s downright rubbish. But marketers often care little. Their only interest is to sell stuff or, in many cases, to sell advertising space on high traffic sites. And for that they need lots and lots of Google traffic.
But Google’s interests are quite different. They want people to do more searches, not less. With each search they get to display more advertising. Each ad is potential revenue. If they don’t deliver quality search results their users head off to another search engine and Google’s revenue stream falls. That doesn’t make for happy campers around the Google boardroom table.
And so Google spends lots and lots of time tweaking its search algorithms to eliminate low quality content from their search results.
With every tweak there are winners and losers. Sites that produce quality content may rocket up the rankings. Others disappear into obscurity.
But one thing remains constant: Google favours fresh, original content. So do customers.
The message is simple. Deliver what your customers want and the Google juice will flow your way.
