What Does Google Consider Content for Search Engine Ranking?

Not all blogs and websites are created equal in Google’s opinion. The same is true of Yahoo! and Bing. Google, in particular, makes a very big issue repeatedly about improving the user experience. Do your posts and your actions serve to enhance the user’s experience on the web or merely seek to improve search engine ranking? So what does Google consider content for search engine ranking?

This collage combines the four types of content on one background with a title for John Aberle’s blog post, “What Does Google Consider Content for Search Engine Ranking?”

Before you get to that answer, consider why the search engines put so much emphasis on content. Google, Yahoo! and Bing makes their income largely from selling advertising. The beauty of this is that you get access to an incredible service free. For this reason, their goal is to appeal to users better than their competitors. Like TV networks, their advertising rates are dependent upon “traffic”; TV advertisers call traffic “viewers.”

In order to excel at appealing to searchers, each search engine must do a superb job of enabling people to find what they want.  Thus, while the search engines index billions of pages, they must decide which of those pages show up on the first pages of search results. They do this based on how well those pages serve the needs of their searchers. People come to the Internet looking for information, i.e. content, that answers their questions.

Another term for information is content
Because ads are generally not content in the context of why people go to the Internet in the first place, be sure that your websites, blogs, and marketing brochures really speak to what your prospects and customers want to read.

In Google Webmaster Tools Help, the section for Webmaster Guidelines even spells out deceptive practices to avoid if you want to continue to show up in their search engine ranking.

Deceptive practices basically are those which present a different experience for the visitor from what the search engines bots find, such as using white text on a white background to hide a link. Again, the whole issue comes down to delivering the best user experience possible.

Although, thanks to YouTube and other video sites, searchers are looking for entertainment as well as information, the main reason most people go to the Internet is to learn something that will help them solve a problem or achieve some desire, like a new look or a vacation or something else they want to improve their lives. They find their answers in content.

The Four Types of Content on a Website
For the search engines, content is more than just text. In particular, Google has made it clear that they want the Internet to be accessible to all people, even those who cannot see or who have a problem hearing. Thus, Google looks for the following four types of content:

• Written articles
• Audio*
• Video*
• Slideshows*

*The interesting thing about audio, video, and slideshows is that so far, the search engines can’t “read” them for the content that is in them so be sure that you put a title to each, an alt title (alternate title for when either your visitor’s browser can’t load the picture or video file or the person has a problem seeing or hearing), and a caption. If the program you are using to create or to upload this non-written content accepts tags, be sure to use them. For our purposes here, tags are equivalent to keywords.

What’s in It for You to Use More than Just Written Content?
The reason it’s important to understand the four types of content Google looks for is that the amount of content and the variety of types of content in your blog posts and on your website affect how well your site will show up on a generic search. Ranking high on generic searches means that you can get the benefit of showing up on the first few pages free, while other companies pay thousands of dollars to get those positions using Google AdWords.

The answer then to, “what does Google consider content for search engine ranking?” is that they have four categories. To rank well in the search engines provide a good user experience with your content. And to make the images, videos and slideshows more helpful, include alternate titles. Avoid deceptive practices to just boost your search engine ranking. These forms of content then will make you popular in search engine ranking.

Building profits through strong relationships,

John

John R. Aberle, Aberle Enterprises

P.S. If you really want to improve your blogging results, check out this incredible 18 lesson course – FREE . It covers blogging and Internet marketing in fantastic detail. But best of all, there is one complete system to it.

P.P.S. You can also sign up for lifetime Gold Challenge Calls for only $14.95 if you take the opportunity when you sign up the 30 Day IM Challenge course. Attend weekly or download the recordings for as long as you want. These calls are also great for keeping up on what Google looks for when doing its search engine ranking

Building profits through strong relationships,

                    John

John R. Aberle

Aberle Enterprises

P.S. If you really want to improve your blogging results, check out this incredible 18 lesson course – FREE http://askjra.com/30day. It covers blogging and Internet marketing in fantastic detail. But best of all, there is one complete system to it.

You can also sign up for lifetime Gold Challenge Calls for only $14.95 if you take advantage of the opportunity when you sign up free the 30 Day IM Challenge course. These calls are invaluable. You can attend weekly or download the recording for as long as you want.