Search Engine Optimization

Is Google Fair?

If you are the owner of a new website, trying to get a decent ranking from the mighty google, you will no doubt answer with a resounding, NO! Recent findings indicate that Google's algorithm has an ageing filter, which put in simple terms, makes it harder for a new webmaster to get high ranking in the SERP's, in the short term at least. So does this mean google favours established sites over new ones?

Broad keywords appear nigh on impossible to get top 50 rankings for, and Google's first page seems like an unattainable dream. Even for obscure and untargeted keywords, its like you are banging your head against the proverbial brick wall, being ranked 26th out of 45. Ring any bells?

But before you give Google a verbal bashing, stop and think to yourself, why is Google there? What is its business all about? Who does Google strive to please? If you think it is webmasters, think again! The search engine business is all about the searcher. The engine's whole way of thinking is geared to what searchers want and trying to give it to them, something that Google has been very successful at doing. Chances are, you use Google yourself when searching the net?

Follow it logically and the ageing delay is a good thing for the searcher, which makes it a good thing for the engine. Searchers are usually looking for either up to date information, or a reliable supplier for the product or service they are interested in spending their hard earned money on.

Weather webmasters like it or not, most people trust a company that has been trading for a long period of time, over a company that has just set up in business. It may be true that just because you have been trading for 5 years, does not make you any less likely to go out of business, but most peoples perception follows that way of thinking.

Over the years, webmasters and the seo community have tried to "cheat" the engine's ranking systems. As each technique was tried and tested, and used for the benefit of the select few who could afford the fees, the engines moved the goalposts. Long gone are the days when you could place a few keywords in your meta-tags and know you'll be on the first page for those keywords, which is a good thing. If you have been using search engines for a few years, you will remember the days when no matter what you searched for, some porn site would be presented as a "relevant" search result.

So what can the owners of a new site do? Simply put, nothing! Google says "act as if we are not here." So continue to optimise your site, fill it with quality content, make sure you have a good internal and external linking structure in place, get the keyword density right etc. Chances are, while you wait for Google to decide you have been around long enough to go in the mix with the rest, you will enjoy high rankings on the other major engines. Get things right and once you emerge from "Googles ageing delay pit of obscurity" you should be well placed to rank highly on Google too. Unless they move the goalposts again that is.

About the Author.

Paul Spiers is the owner of http://www.nomorelinks.com, a brand new service designed to help webmasters get 1 way links to thier sites, and avoid the pitfalls of reciprocal linking.