By now you know that search engine optimization is the key to a successful website. But how can you measure your website's SEO performance? The easiest way is to go straight to the source: the search engine.
Google has its own system of rating websites for search engine results. Its Webmaster Tools is an important resource for anyone with a website. Through Webmaster Tools, Google can identify strengths and weaknesses in your website so that the site can appear on the most relevant search engine results. Keywords are a big part of this process, but it isn't just about including a keyword a couple of hundred times throughout your site (in fact, that's considered “spamming,” and Google doesn't look upon it favorably). Webmaster Tools also identifies when and how your website is being linked to from other sources, and which pages appear in search results.
One of the Webmaster Tools features includes Google's algorithm for ranking websites. Google “crawls” the web (or follows link from page to page) and sorts pages by several factors. This is the information Google uses to form its index. Then, it applies its algorithm to sift through the index based on keywords. There are more than 200 factors that go into Google's ranking system, so being overwhelmed can be quite the understatement. And Google's algorithms are constantly evolving and updating. In the first nine months of 2014, there were 10 updates, and the latest, Panda 4.1, began its release on Sept. 23, 2014.
It's imperative that your company's website remains credible and trustworthy in order for Google to rank it well, so Webmaster Tools will regularly check your site for malware or other problems and notify you if anything suspect is found. If Google suspects your company's website of spamming, it will notify you that changes need to be made. Online Potential's developers, programmers, designers and writers can meet any challenge that Google Webmaster Tools identify so that your customers can find your website with ease. After all, if you aren't showing up on the first page of results, you aren't being found.
Let Online Potential Manage Google Webmaster Tools
Google Webmaster Tools provides Online Potential with vital information so we can learn who is using your company website, how they are visiting, which pages and products are most successful, and how to increase site traffic. It tells us if your website is being properly indexed. And it lets us know if your site has security or credibility issues, and our writers and programmers can fix the issues for you.
It's best to think of Google as an online partnership rather than an industry giant crushing the little guys. We aren't helping your company build a website simply to appease a giant, instead, we're creating a quality product for Google to recommend. When we create a credible site, Google is willing to put its reputation behind the recommendation, and that can lead to increased brand awareness and brand loyalty with your consumers.
Google Webmaster Tools is another valuable resource to add to your company's online marketing arsenal, along with Google Analytics, A/B Testing & Optimization, and Content Experiments. Signing up for Google Webmaster Tools is pretty simple if you have a Gmail or Google+ account. We can help you every step of the way in the sign up and verification processes, and we can manage your Webmaster Tools account so you have less to worry about.
