The Google Triangle

SEO

I get questions and see posts about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) all the time now. With the downturn in the economy, everyone is cutting back on advertising and trying to improve their organic google search hits (more about this in my Google Analytics Blog to come). There is no doubt, if you get in the Google Triangle as I call it, you will get hits.

Bermuda

So what is this "Google Triangle" that I'm talking about. Well you know about the legend of the Bermuda Triangle. The mysterious triangle off the United States Coast in the Atlantic Ocean, in which aircraft and ships have disappeared and never found again. The Google Triangle is just the opposite. It is where your website gets found. This magical triangle converts to hits on your website. Business hits could mean conversion to sales; Politicians - fund raising; Religious Organizations - Growth and Conversions; and what other objective you may have.

Location

So where is this Google Triangle? I don't think you would be surprised to find out its location. We all know where the Bermuda Triangle is anyway. The Google Triangle is actually on the first page of your search results. The location where an individual will find a relevant topic which interest him, and click on that topic. For example, If I'm interested in vacations to Cancun Mexico, I might query "Cancun Vacations". In which case I would get output today such as the figure to the left. I might be interested in an add or sponsor, if I'm looking at buying something immediately, but more than likely I'm searching to find out more about a trip to Cancun. The triangle represents the probability that I would select an item. The closer to the top I am more likely to be selected. Sponsors and Ads are not an organic search.


Why Grow Organic?

Organic foods? No, I mean organic searches. An organic hit on your website is a hit through a search, not an ad link or referral from another website. These hits are usually made by best matches to an users keyword search. My personal belief is that these are represented with more intrinsic value to the person doing a search. Although I cannot completely discount an ad, since I have selected them on occasion. But organic searches produce more results. Even Google in their analytics program refers to these type of searches as organic. The difficulty however is in getting your web site to the top of these organic searches. Tough competition, vastness of the web and users individual search habits all add to the difficulty of getting to the top. Enter a new career field, the Search Engine Optimization.

The Search Engine Mechanic

When your car or truck has problems, like mine did last night, more than likely you are going to take your vehicle to a mechanic. But how many times did you feel like you got taken to the cleaners? How could you have avoided it? Education. For instance, my battery went out in my Chevy Blazer a couple of months ago. It was a relatively new battery. I had the suspicion the problem was with the alternator. So I google'd it. Sure enough I had confirmed the problem was most likely the alternator. Next I called around to different mechanics to see, what they would charge to replace the alternator. The price range was quite a variant. After I little research on the price of an alternator, I had an idea who to trust.

The same goes for a Search Engine Mechanic. You need to educate yourself so you don't get taken to the cleaners. I'll discuss what you need to be aware of in later blogs. With the right mechanic or if you are good at fixing things yourself, you might be able to get into that Google Triangle.