How to Get Your Website to #1 on Google

Written by Kerry O'Malley Monday, 12 April 2010 12:33

Improve your search engine ranking with industrial news releases and articles

One of the questions I get asked most often about industrial websites is, "how do we get our site to the top of the search engine results?"  There's not just one answer to the question, but something that can make a huge difference is creating high quality backlinks.  A backlink is an inbound link to your website from any other website.  Search engines often use the number of backlinks that a website has as one of the most important factors for determining that website's search engine ranking. Google's description of their PageRank system, for instance, notes that Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B.  More votes - higher ranking!

There are a number of ways to create a large number of backlinks to your website, but today I'm focusing on the use of news releases and articles. Regularly submitting releases and articles to article directories or free news release distribution sites is one of the most effective  methods of not only creating backlinks but also generating more traffic to your website.

If you blog, your blog postings can be tweaked a bit to create an article.  (I love repurposing marketing materials!)  If your company's engineers write articles for trade journals, they can be submitted.  New product announcements, joint ventures, and successful case histories, even key new hires can all be crafted into a simple news release.  Articles don't have to be long, just informative and un-biased information that has value to a certain type of reader. Most industrial companies place articles and releases on their website, but that's where it ends.  Start thinking of these written pieces as Internet currency that will buy you higher search engine rankings if you are consistent about investing them.

Here are some of my favorite article directory sites:

www.Ezinearticles.com

www.Articlesbase.com

www.digg.com

www.articlecity.com

www.articlesnatch.com

www.goarticles.com

Here are some press release / news submission sites:

www.free-pressrelease.com

www.theopenpress.com

www.i-newswire.com

www.newsvine.com

www.prlog.org

A few cautions about submitting your written articles or press releases to article directories or P/R distribution sites:

1. First and foremost, make sure the article or press release appears on your OWN website first.  This will ensure you receive credit for the article first, and Google won't pick it up as duplicate content if someone else posts the article to their website.
2. Be sure to include keywords that your potential customers would search for when looking for your products or services.  If possible, use in the title and wherever it makes sense in the body of the article or release.
3. Having said that - remember that you're writing for PEOPLE, not search engines.  Don't make the article so peppered with keywords that the writing feels awkward or artificially manufactured.
4. Many of the sites will also allow you to write a bio about the author.  Take the time to write a strong bio; one that positions the author as a true expert in their field, and credible to write on the subject matter. Although we're discussing article marketing as a means to rank higher with search engines, you should also aim to have the article picked up by other publishers and sites, which creates MORE backlinks. That won't happen unless they read the article!  Make the summary statement and the bio compelling.
5. Be sure to include a link back to your website anywhere the site allows.  You will usually be able to place one or more links in the reference section for the article, and also in the bio. (That is the point after all - to create BACKlinks.)
6. This is really important.  If you're submitting the same article to multiple sites, you need to "spin" (rewrite) it a bit differently on each one.  If not, Google will read the content as duplicate and the article will only be indexed once.  The most important thing to rewrite is the title. Just move the words around and leave your main keyword. For example: “Composite bearing material reduces down time for pumps” and “Reduce pump down time with composite bearing material.”  The second most important thing to tweak is your summary of the article. Again, just switch the wording around a bit. You don’t have to do a major rewrite of the article – pay close attention to spinning the sentences with your most important keywords. And finally, don’t forget to rewrite your bio!

Of course this all takes time and effort, but I’ve seen the effort pay off. Since I’ve been blogging and submitting articles for my own business, my company has consistently appeared #1 in the natural Google search results for “industrial marketing communications.” Isn't that where every company wants to be?

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Karen Wilhelm  - Great post     |68.40.73.xxx |2010-04-17 11:00:21 Good post, Kerry. I have not tried that angle but I see I could easily get my content distributed more widely. I could use some more clients for my writing and editorial services so your advice is really well-timed! I also have the background in manufacturing to do the same thing for industrial companies or consultants and they seem to be dazzled by any sort of SEO or social networking experience that I can possibly work up some business in that area. Thanks for the tips! Karen Reply 0   0

Karen Wilhelm  - Tagging?     |68.40.73.xxx |2010-04-17 11:02:53 Kerry, how important is tagging? Some years ago I read that meta tags were a waste of time because the search engines were too smart to fall for all the tricks people were trying to use. Has the landscape changed with all the aggregators out there, or should I be tagging my blog posts and articles? Reply 0   0

Kerry O'Malley  - Tagging?     |75.108.247.xxx |2010-04-17 15:37:32 Glad the post was helpful, Karen! As far as tagging goes - I do NOT consider myself an SEO expert. I've picked up a lot of knowledge and tricks of the trade from working with people who ARE! I believe what you said about meta tags is true. The search engines are constantly evolving and finding new ways to rank content based on true merit. When you say "tagging my blog posts and articles" are you referring to the use of keywords? I've been told not to OVER use your primary keywords in an article or post. Using the same words too many times in block of content is a red flag to the search engines. I do think it's important to use your primary keyword in the title; in your summary (if required) and 2-3 times in the actual article, depending on how long it is. Also, if the article directory I'm posting to has a separate entry for "tags" I do add some. I vary them from directory to directory for the same art... Reply 0   0

Matt  - Meta Tags     |76.4.33.xxx |2010-05-04 10:12:17 Meta tags no longer give you a search engine advantage. These tags were heavily abused in the past, so the large search engines don't really look at them when determining your rank. It's a good habit to use the "meta description" though. Some search engines use this as your website description in their listings, so write it for real humans to read, don't just stuff it with keywords. Reply 0   0

Kerry O'Malley   |75.108.247.xxx |2010-05-04 10:27:49 Thanks Matt! That's what we needed - a response from an SEO expert! Reply 0   0

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