Continued from page 1
Do you see my point: if there had been a site with that exact phrase, search engine software *had* to pick it. That's way search software works, basically.
To make sure your site appears on page one though, you have a bit more work to do.
A quick check with Betterwhois.com for 'BaseballRulesAndTerminology.com' showed that it is available for purchase. Guess what? So are .net and .org names available, and I'll bet .TV and .biz are also!
Now, for ranking purposes, most - if not all - SEs place more emphasis on domain name, domain title, domain description and themed content of site. The last is perhaps most important. The keyword meta-tag is all but dead (I'd make sure I followed rules, but I wouldn't worry about keyword meta-tags much). Links are important, but they're last in priority.
Now, if I were that baseball expert, I'd boogie on down to my favorite domain registrar, buy name(s), build site and get on page one...
Well, now...how can I be *so* sure, you ask?
Let me answer that with examples from my own domain, online-wealth.com. The two words - 'online' and 'wealth' - are pretty common on web, right? And, when used as a phrase 'online wealth', you'd be inclined to think same, right? Well...right again!
Here are results (i.e. number of web pages) for search phrase 'online wealth', using same search engines, without quotes and with quotes:
First up, without quotes: online wealth Altavista: 105,722,390 Google: 946,000 Excite: 15,634,290 Lycos: 525,516 Northern Light: 490,409
Yes, those figures from Altavista and Excite *are* numbers returned to me, I assure you!
Now, with quotes: "online wealth" Altavista: 1556 Google: 1750 Excite: 490 Lycos: 1662 Northern Light: 871
The only results page that does NOT include our domain of online-wealth.com on page one, is that from Lycos. All of others have us on page one, and usually number 1! (I'll have to find out why Lycos is ignoring us!)
What does all that mean? Simply this: anybody who punches in "online wealth" or 'online wealth' (no quotes), into a search box, will find our site on page one of majors and probably in number one position. And that includes Yahoo, Ixquick, and a few others!
So, you expert on baseball...with more information about topic than anybody else...get that domain name, organize that information into a coherent whole - be it a catalog, a dictionary, a database, an e-book or whatever - develop a killer title and description that precisely encapsulate what your new site is all about, promote it to all SEs and directories and...
Hey, don't expect *me* to click through...I prefer deep-sea shark fishing...even if you are on page one of majors, for your theme! ;-(
Huh!?
Well...that's web! Even if you are on page one, 30% of searchers will ignore you, anyway!
But, at least you'll *be* on page one, and ahead of rest, whenever your target prospects find you.
P.S. When I last made enquiries, there were maybe only 48 links pointing to online-wealth.com. I get different results from different SEs...so I don't worry about links at all.
Roger Burke has been involved with computers since 1967, and has managed to break quite a few, over the years. He, and his wife Sherry, are now actively engaged in online self-publishing and promoting specific affiliate programs at http://online-wealth.com . If you have any comments or questions about this article, please send emails to mailto:webmaster@online-wealth.com . Copyright 2001, Online-Wealth. All rights reserved.