The Language of Search Engines

Search engines like Google live on words. 

Oh sure, they like other things such as links and social-media but the lifeblood—the meat and potatoes—of search engines are still words. 

So why do search engines care so deeply about words? 

The answer may surprise you. 

Google wants you to find quality, relevant results every time you type in a search term—here’s the secret—because Google is more than a search engine company. 

Say what? 

Oh sure, they have that great search box where you type in your search terms and get the information you want, but in addition, Google is an advertising company. 

If they keep you hooked to their marvelous search engine, they can place ads in front of you while you’re looking for precisely that product or service. 

And every time you click on one of those sites, Google gets paid. 

Two Ways to Make Search Engines Happy

There are two ways to make search engines happy enough to put your website on Page One, above the fold. (This favorable placement should be the goal of every business owner with a website.)  

Method 1: Paid Placement

Google is similar to other forms of advertising in that if you pay money, you can get in front of eyes searching for something. 

Unlike traditional advertising, Google and other search engines have programs that make you pay only if someone actually clicks on the link that takes them to your site (hence the term pay-per-click, or PPC).

This is a tremendous advantage over newspaper and television advertising, which charge you whether or not anyone responds to your ad. 

This little difference is why PPC has become such a popular way to advertise. 

• But it’s still advertising. 

• And most people know it. 

If you want to get listed on Page One quickly, PPC will do that. 

But recognize that many people will ignore the link to your site even if you use the right keywords because they don’t trust the ad links as much as they trust the search results below the ads. 

Method 2: Natural or Organic Search

When Google or other search engines decide your website has the most relevant information for searchers, you rank in what is called a “natural” or “organic” search. The two terms describe the same condition: Google likes your site and is not charging you money to put it on Page One. 

This is the most trusted place to be because people view Google’s ranking to be like a “stamp of approval” that your site is worthy of further investigation. 

It Only Takes Time and Money

So how do you make your website more search-engine friendly? How do you build traffic to your site?

The truth is that building online traffic takes time, money, or some combination of the two. 

Even if you don’t use paid placement, you will invest significant time and money creating enough content to get noticed by the search engines. 

If you make your website more search-engine friendly, you can build traffic to your site over time. 

Sound Too Good to Be True?

“Wait a minute, I get e-mails and calls all the time promising to rocket me to Page One of Google with no effort on my part.”  

Do you ever wonder how they do that? 

Legitimate SEO companies use techniques such as keyword research, keyword-rich content creation, quality inbound links, and strategic placement of specific keywords throughout your website. 

If someone offers to get you on Page One of the search engine results and doesn’t have a conversation about keywords, run the other way. 

Ready to discover the authentic way to speak the language of search engines? 

It all starts with understanding the language of your potential customers. 

Then it takes effort over time.

Ranking naturally on search engines is a long-term commitment to providing quality information on a well-designed site. 

So how can you increase your chances of speaking the language of search engines? Start with “winnable words.”