September 22, 2014
There is nothing worse than going on a date and having nothing to talk about. The awkward pauses, dead end conversations, and small talk are enough to make anyone rethink their entire relationship status. In the same way that dating can be awkward and terrible, websites can be in a terrible relationship with search engines. The only difference is we can’t break up with Google. It is always there, waiting, regardless of how terrible we are behaving.
If your date takes you to a poorly kept restaurant you’d immediately turn on your heels and get out of there. Google acts the same way when it gets to your site and hits a 404 error. If the URL is messy, or old, or not up to date, you can’t expect Google to sit around and wait for it to start working. If your URL ends in .com/pnHi-10045knGrTs%446.php instead of .com/chinese-food, your relationship is not going to even make it to the fortune cookie.
Simplify URLs to make them friendlier to the viewer and to the search engine. This helps both the viewer and search engine more aware of the valuable keywords on the page. Make sure the site directs someone to content, a missing page is a missed opportunity.
Google also appraises your website on the content found there. Google is an equal opportunity dater and won’t turn away from your terrible URLs if you have a “great personality”. The content you create is just as important, if not more, than the appearance of the site you post on. It’s always imperative that a site creates posts with good content if they want anyone to view it.
When you’re on a date and it becomes a game of twenty questions, all of which are answered with single word answers, the date isn’t working out. The best conversations will be the ones that links and builds off of the words said by the other person. The same goes for your website. A great webpage will have links that further link back to other posts within the same site. When the viewer or search engine reads one post they can follow a link to another post, and then to another post, and on hopefully all over your website. These internal linking structures are viewed favorable by search engines, which will usually make Google ranks higher.
Depending on how well you impress Google and optimize your site will determine if you will have a happy relationship. Google has the power to elevate your social standing and move you to the cool table – the first page of results. Do what you can to maintain your personal integrity, but true success only comes by being agreeable to search engines. Dress your best, put on a smile, and put your best foot forward. You may just get noticed for it.