How to be first in search engines - become an authoritative source

There are many things you need to do to be listed first in Google and Yahoo.    One of the most helpful and natural methods to good placement is to become an authoritative source in your industry, geographic region or online community.

Becoming an authortitative source means that the internet views your website as the go to place for information that pertains to the topic of your business, industry or website.     Without relevance, your Search Engine Optimization strategy will result in many people finding your website, but never coming back.   Without content, your website will be what I refer to as a one hit wonder.    A website where visitors will see your landing page, hit the back button and never return again.

There are a few things you need to to do to become an authoritative source.

1. Maintain a steady flow of helpful information: People are in need of the service or products you are selling.  If they weren’t, they would never search for you in the first place.    Incorporate a blog into your company’s website or use a blogging or content management system into your website.    Create well written, helpful and informative articles at least once per week pertaining to your industry.
2. Be relevant: If you sell high powered widgets, there’s no reason for you to create a blog entry about the social injustices associated with water boarding prisoners of war.     First, it will turn off 50% of your visitors and second, it does nothing to help you sell high powered widgets or improve you search engine rankings for high powered widgets.
3. Act like your the leader: You might not be the leader in your industry, but your new visitors do not know that.   If you write like you’re the leader and incorporate confidence into every post on your website, your new potential customers will view you as somebody who is obviously a leader.   Make sure your service or product live up to the online reputation you have created or your time at #1 will be short lived.
4. Always be positive: Nobody likes a Debbie downer.  Don’t trash talk your competitors, don’t write in a condescending manner and never act like a know it all.   Those are things that will quickly turn your SEO project into a one hit wonder that does not generate sales.
5. Don’t over keyword your information: Many SEO firms will tell you to use keyword research as a guideline to writing your articles.   Do not get caught in this trap of trying to keyword every sentence on your website, because in the end it will drive traffic, but once people arrive on your website, they will become bored with sentences like “High Speed Widgets Inc, the #1 Northeast Supplier or High Speed Widgets to people who use High Speed Widgets”.    You see where I’m going.  Let the words flow naturally.   It’s more pleasing when reading.
6. Engage your readers: Offer comments sections and be involved with your reader’s responses and comments.   Cater to their needs whenever a situation arises.  If you write an article about High Speed Widgets and a user comments “I like this article, but how are high speed widgets affected by extreme cold temperatures?”.   Write an article on that topic and reply to the user’s comment, linking your new article about the effects cold weather can have on high speed widgets.   If one person is wondering enough about the topic to write about it, you can be sure there are thousands more who may have the same question.

These are just some of the ideas I give my SEO clients, but there are many ways you can make content work for you to be come number one in your industry.   

If you would like to learn more about this topic, please use the comment section below and ask your questions.