The Glories of Google

As those on the CWG FB page know, I started working full-time for a product review site called TopTenREVIEWS.  It’s a really fun place to work, and I learn a lot of stuff that I can apply to writing. One of those things is the intricacies of Google.

As a website that is making its money off ads, TTR depends heavily on pleasing the Google beast, so often, my writing is tempered by “What will Google think?”  As such I’ve learned a few things that might help you as writers as well.  Here are a few tips:

1. Length of Blog. This apparently is going away, but for some time, Google paid less attention to super short entries.  Articles over 350 words got more favor.  So if you habitually write short, you might be hurting your Google standings.

2. SEO Keywords. If you are going to use keywords, USE them.  Google adwords (http://www.google.com/adwords/)  will let you know what words are popular searched for. Find ones with high numbers and low to medium request rates. Then, don’t just put them in your tags section, use them in the article.  My rule of thumb at work is at least twice, although I’ve been told once is enough.  Google is smart about words, so it will look in context.  If you want “Catholic devotional” as a keyword, you can also say “devotional book for Catholics” and it will understand.

3. Google Plus.  Google is the 800 pound gorilla and it wants Google Plus to grow.  Thus, if you have a website, articles, blogs, whatever, under your name, you are more likely to have them show up higher in a Google search if you are also active on Google Plus.  This is getting more important, as Google is starting to favor products over informational articles in the searches.

Google also puts you higher in searches by your Google Plus followers…and their followers.  So being in circles increases the chance your stuff gets seen in the first page of a search.

4. Business and Pleasure on Google Plus. Unlike Facebook, Google Plus has a more serious, professional feel to it.  You can certainly post pictures and memes, but take time to write.  Also, if you want to score points with Google, use links and words rather than images.  Google does not count images toward your Google cred. Pictures draw readers, so you need a balance, however.

5. Cut the Copy and Paste. I learned this one in February. Google is now smart enough to tell if you have posted the same stuff in more than one place, and it will downgrade both sites in its searches.  So if you’re into “recycling” old posts, remember there’s a balance.  It might be worth the 20 minutes to refresh that content to make Google happy.

And that’s the final thing: refresh.  Google is now looking at how current your site is. If you are not putting in new content, then you will lose points in Google searches.  You don’t have to add something every day, but depending on the site, monthly or quarterly is a good rule of thumb.

Google is a constantly changing beast, so what rings true today may be the big no-no next month.  However, you can never go wrong with good content and interesting posts.  Keep writing!