When it comes to search engine optimization and search engine marketing, Google is definitely the site most professionals are trying to attract attention from. With the vast majority of the population using Google’s search engine and vast array of other services to find information, research products & services and ultimately make purchases, there is no doubt that Google ultimately has a big say on whether a business or site succeeds on the web. This is why, it is important not only to keep up to date with what Google deems acceptable web behavior, but to look closely at their guidelines to ensure that your site/business doesn’t do anything that can cause the Big G to flag and penalize you.
It’s Easy to Find Google’s Guidelines
Sometimes I hear from web developers and webmasters that it’s so difficult to know what Google wants when it comes to building and running a website. This is actually not true; Google has spelled out in enormous detail exactly what it is looking for. Yes, while Google won’t let you know what their secret sauce is, using Google’s vast amount of resources, just about anyone can figure out what Google is hoping for. For those looking for Google’s repository of information on how to optimize your site and what exactly are Google’s guidelines, simply visit Google’s Webmaster Central and click on webmaster guidelines found at the following link: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/
SEO 101
Obviously, many of us are SEO & SEM professionals that have been in the industry for countless years. However, Google and the web move at the speed of light and while the basics may stay the same, you will be amazed at how many tools and resources Google offers that can be helpful to many SEO & SEM professionals.
Helpful Resources
For instance, with mobile search growing in leaps and bounds, Google offers resources on how to configure mobile sites so that they can be configured accurately. You can also find info about creating a mobile sitemap: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/topic.py?topic=8493
In fact there is a whole series of resources and tools regarding mobile search and there guidelines at the following link: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=72462&from=40348&rd=1
Obviously, there is much more resources than just those that focus on mobile sites. You’ll find resources on topics for sites that are local businesses: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=92319
And more importantly how to promote your business locally using Google: http://www.google.com/support/places/?hl=en&rd=1
As you can see, Google has vast amounts of information that with just a tiny amount of effort can easily help web developers and SEO/M professionals keep on the cutting edge of their craft.
Besides Resources Keep an Eye Out on the Guidelines
Google gives out enormous amounts of information to be used by web developers and SEO/M professionals. However, it should be noted that not only does Google want web users to use their sites/services and tools effectively, it also does this so that it can set up guidelines for proper use. Like it or not, what Google thinks are appropriate SEO, development and marketing techniques does have a lot of say on whether your business/site succeeds so it makes sense to keep track and stay within the guidelines.
Easy to View Guidelines
Google offers a wide range of guidelines for its users. You can find guidelines on designing your site, creating content for your site, guidelines for publishing images, videos, using robot.txt files, and for what Google considers white hat SEO.
Google lays out a wide range of guidelines to ensure that the quality of the site does not use deceptive or manipulative behavior to rank higher or snare traffic from other sites. This includes the way one builds links, cloaking or creating sneaky redirects, having pages with hidden keywords or duplicate content, creating doorway pages just for search engines and creating sites or pages that install malware or Trojans- among a wide range of other things. You can find more information regarding its guidelines at: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35769
Additional Resources
Would you like to contact Google over a problem such as removing a page or site from Google or have an issue with spam? There are a wide range of additional resources offered by Google. In fact, if your site was recently removed by Google, due to a hacking or other incident where your site spewed out spam or Trojans, you can request a review by Google and have your site possibly reinstated. Additionally, you can report copyright infringement and request take down from Google as well. You will find all of these resources organized efficiently at the following link: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=70896
Whether you are new to the SEO/SEM industry or a veteran, understanding Google’s current guidelines and having easy access to the many tools and resources Google offers makes business sense. I invite you to browse Google’s enormous collection of resources; I’ll bet you will find something that you can utilize immediately.