If you are interested in having your website "be found" by users of search engines like Google, you must do a certain amount of work to promote your site. When I say "promote" your site, I do not mean you have to stand on a street corner waving a banner "check out my site". You must do the steps necessary so that the search engines see your site and consider it as "relevant".
Google as a company is very much focused on doing whatever they can so that a search user finds what they are looking for. Basically, Google is trying to display search results that are "relevant" to the search term used. The day that a Google search stops providing relevant search results is the day that Google itself becomes irrelevant and goes out of business. So, Google's entire existence is based on "relevancy". In order for Google to include your website in search results, 3 things must be true:
1. Your site must be in Google's index.
Go to Google and search:
"site:www.yourdomainname.com" to ensure Google has your site listed. It may take three or more months from the time the site goes live and is submitted before Google comes to your site and performs does a thorough "deep scan" of the site and all its pages.
2. Your site must contain content that matches the target search terms.
Consider the point of view of a potential visitor to your site. If that Google user is looking for information that your site should be in the top 10 entries, what terms might they be using? What are the synonyms or alternate terms they might use? Your site must contain those terms to be considered revelant by Google. For example, if your site markets engine gaskets for classic Chevrolet cars and no where in your site do you actually use the terms Chevrolet, Chevy, gasket, engine parts, supplies, repairs, etc. then Google will never consider your site relevant to those search terms. If your service or offering is of interest in only your local area you should include your town name, nearby towns, state, county, area nicknames as well.
So, include text something like "...serving the tri-county area including Denver, Boulder, Littleton, Aspen and all along the Front Range..."
3. Besides editing your site to include all the terminology that might be used by your target visitors, there is another major factor for Google to consider your site to be "relevant" and that is to build up your "Link Network". Also known as "backlinks". A link network is having other sites on the internet contain references to your site. Backlinks are like letters of recommendation for your website.
If you have a beautiful site full of detailed content and yet not a single other reference to your site exists on the internet (no backlinks), then Google simply does not consider your site relevant. Google figures since no other site refers to you, then you are an irrelevant island. The more places you can get a reference to your site placed somewhere else, the higher your page rank.
You can search Google to list all the links that refer to your site by searching:
"link:www.yourdomainname.com" in Google.
Building your sites link network, of course, takes time but more importantly, constant effort. There are several ways to build up your link network:
1. You simply ask anyone and everyone you encounter to place a link on their site. Offer to place a reciprocal link to their site on your site. You can even give them a little education on why it is so important to build their link network.
You may have to add a "resources" or "links" page to hold all the links you end up with.
2. Use Link Exchanges. These are websites/directories that are intentionally developed to power link exchanges. It is better to use high quality sources that have some relevancy to your topic. Google generally ignores low quality link exchange "farms" that are clearly just trying to pump up the volume of links without providing any useful value. Use Google to find such places by searching "link exchange <mytopic>"
3. Write articles or participate in discussion forums. By writing, responding, replying, etc. in these other web sites and using your name with a "signature line" that contains a link back to your site, you spread your website URL around, thereby helping your sites page rank.
There is an excellent book that covers in detail all of the above and more.
It is specific to Google, but basically all search engines work on the same basic principles. So, by working on your Google Page Rank, you improve your visibility on all search engines. The book is "Building Yor Business with Google for Dummies"
JSZA Enterprises
