Thread: Web ranking...how to improve...

How do you improve where your website shows up in google/yahoo listings for your area? Some days I can type in a combination of search words & I show up at the top...other days I don't show up at all...does it have something to do with how many hits you're getting??.w.:

there are lots of factors they take into account and I think they swtich it up. they include:

use of the desirable key words on your site, particular notice is taken of links and headers

other links to your site and the ranking of the sites linking to you, also the wording of the links to you

if content is updated regularly

if there isn't too much or too little content

do they look at meta tags anymore? I'm not sure.

and other things, but this will give you an idea

Originally Posted by shems

do they look at meta tags anymore? I'm not sure.

the keyword tag is ignored.

Also, make sure your page titles include frequently searched words for your local, specialty and of course, belly dance. For example:

Anytown, US belly dance | Jane Doe bellydancer| turkish, egyptian, middle-eastern dance

Hope this helps. I see so many sites with the file names (like "index") as the page title and Google will ignore them.

It's important to remember that individual *pages* are ranked for certain keywords, not the entire site. According to Google executive, Tom Leung, the number one criteria is relevance to the search terms. (not sure about the other search engines, but I imagine they are much the same)

So, if you want to pop up first for "belly dance classes New York"...you need to have the keywords "belly dance" "classes" and "new york" on your "class info" page. Also, you need to have content that would appear relevant to a robot (spiders). That means words that would naturally appear near the word "classes" and "new york" and "belly dance" should also appear on the page. (like "beginner level" "manhattan" "cabaret" or "tribal")

If the google spiders see those words on your page along with the key search terms, they will index you as "very relevant" to those search terms. How do they know what terms are relevant? Google spent years and years scanning every single book, magazine article, and journal entry they could get their hands on (legally or not--copyrightwise) to build up their database of what words naturally appear together on the same page.

So, basically, it comes down to just writing good content that makes sense, paying attention to title tags, updating regularly (adding a blog makes that really easy) and it doesn't hurt to submit an article or two from your site to the social bookmarking sites like digg & propeller.

Just remember, "pages" not "sites" are getting ranked.

Good luck!
Mira

Thanks, Mira...that is really helpful. I think I'll be doing some updating this evening.... :-)

You're very welcome. I just remembered something someone on here told us about this summer Andalee? Lauren? I can't remember who it was.,f::

Anyway, you can sign your business up for Google Maps. That way, when someone types in your business name (which can be your dance name) you automatically pop up at the very top along with a nice map to your location.

All the info is here How do I add my business to Google Maps?

It's free and very useful!
Mira

It also depends on the search engine you use. If you put Belly dancer Los Angeles into yahoo! I'm usually on the 1st page (after LARaqs - twice!) If you put me into Google, I don't come up until page 9, maybe.

Another way to get your ranking up is to make sure that every time you write something your link is avail. because the search engines are looking for the number of occurances. Plus, I advertise on Craigslist. Although I don't get a lot of business from them, I do get a lot of hits. This raises my rankings as well.

{{HUGS}}}

Thanks! This is all such great information! I'm putting it to use!!

Originally Posted by mira

Anyway, you can sign your business up for Google Maps. That way, when someone types in your business name (which can be your dance name) you automatically pop up at the very top along with a nice map to your location.

All the info is here How do I add my business to Google Maps?

Any suggestions on how to use this if you don't have a brick and mortar studio or office location? I really do not want to put a map to my house up on Google!! But I would love to take advantage of this if possible.

Where do you teach? If it's a dance studio or Ymca or something, you could use their physical address. Just use your dance biz name and their address.

Or, if you're a performer, you could use any place you have a regular gig.

Originally Posted by mira

Where do you teach? If it's a dance studio or Ymca or something, you could use their physical address. Just use your dance biz name and their address.

Or, if you're a performer, you could use any place you have a regular gig.

Be a little careful about doing that if you don't have their approval to do so/haven't worked it out with them--they do send verification postcards etc.

Oh yes, definitely ask permission first. But you can always make it a win/win where you list your name first and the biz name second before the address. (At least I think you can do that...it's been a while since I used it) That way you both get publicity, but your name gets the link.

I never got a verification postcard, but I did get a verif. phone call. Perhaps they randomly check different parts of the listings.