Off-Page Search Engine Optimisation Simplified
We’ve discussed the basic premise of Search Engine Optimisation, (including factors pertinent to ‘on-page’ optimising) in an earlier feature. However, what really matters concerns off-page SEO. It’s rather like a voting scheme. One website volunteers a link or vote to another website. They’re suggesting the site is worth looking at.
There are 2 main bits to the link. First, the actual URL or web address of the page they are pointing to. Then secondly the keyword phrase. This will be highlighted on the web page. That page can then be seen as receiving one ‘vote’. In other words one ‘vote’ to push the website up the natural listings.
It fundamentally works that way. The two things (anchor text and targeted page) are bound together. You can only proffer a vote for a web page that has anchor text highlighted. The SE’s know what search term to use for that page based on the anchor text. It’s very important to grasp this: The search terms you will be listed for are completely determined by your anchor texts.
So it becomes obvious why ‘CLICK HERE to learn more’ has no SEO value. We’ve done no more than give those two words our vote! Who thinks of typing in ‘CLICK HERE’ when they’re doing a search? Not a soul!
That is why the anchor text is SO important. Because that’s what controls the phrases you will rank for. And by the way, if you DO Google “Click Here” you will always find the Adobe Reader download site at the top. Is that an important term to Adobe? Of course not! But they’re up at the top because the phrase “CLICK HERE to Download Adobe reader” features on so many websites.
In short, anchor text phrases are always used by the SE’s to place a vote. It’s quite sensible really. The process attempts to use human logic for looking and searching. In fact, the actual subject matter of your page could be quite different. You’ll rank for the terms in the anchor text phrases that point to you. That is how it is.
Obviously, a few other things come into it – Because the SE’s also use the page title and wording of the page being pointed at to correlate the results. And many more factors too. (To give you an idea, the spread of the sites linking to yours, and their relevancy to your site).
The crux of it all is though that a mass of back links solves all the problems! And these need to be from as many different sites as possible – with the correct phrases used as anchor text. A site’s quality is taken into account as well: Receiving a link from a top site like Microsoft is much more valuable than one from a start-up site.
Picking the keyword phrases that you want to rate for is an art in itself. (And you should perform a lot of keyword and competitor research before putting any strategy into place.) The key really though is – What does an enquirer search for when they’re looking for your products and services? Because that’s it! The answers give you your exact keyword phrases.
However, you can’t just use your ‘best guesses! Quite often, the phrases you’d expect to see don’t rate very highly. We all have different ways of expressing ourselves. You may think to Google “quality mattresses” if you’re hoping to sleep better. A different person though may choose to write the words ‘I need to sleep better’.
It’s simply not worth relying on supposition. It can’t be over-estimated how important it is to investigate, measure and test all the phrases to be used. How much visibility your site gets is absolutely dependent on this. Compare it to an entry in a physical printed Business Directory. You won’t receive any calls if you’re listed under an inappropriate heading. Search Engine Optimisation can only be effective with painstaking and detailed keyword research.
(C) Jason Kendall. Pop over to EvolveSEM.co.uk for quality business advice on SEM Experts.
