12 Jul 2013

Getting to the top of Google – it’s a matter of survival

Every day, millions of us use Google to search the web. But how does this giant of search determine what results appear? And how can websites manipulate their way to the top?

The answers to those questions have become an obsession for many, and are opening up a new front in the world of public relations.

Vince Packard’s 1957 book The Hidden Persuaders lifted the lid on the psychological tactics used to sell products. But now a combination of technocrats and marketeers have become the new “hidden persuaders”, harnessing software to make sure their clients are firmly in the online limelight.

Survival or annihilation

Why the fuss? Well, the difference between appearing on page one of a Google search and page two can for some companies be the difference between survival and annihilation.

So it’s no surprise a thriving industry of search engine optimisation (SEO) has sprung up, pursuing the Holy Grail of a top rank in Google search.

April’s BrightonSEO conference brought together those seeking exposure on the internet with those offering to provide it. Thousands attended, and as a speaker it was a fascinating glimpse for me into a febrile and emerging industry.

Lessons to learn

Lesson one (with apologies to those already well versed in SEO): Google does not rank websites based on clicks. Instead, it’s largely about links. Google’s software will scan the links on a website and gauge how authentic they seem. If it’s a UK site, for example, is it linking to other .co.uk sites, or is there a fishy mix of .ru, .net and .tv links?

Google will also examine the language used on the site. If it contains page upon page of text aimed solely at bumping it up the rankings by mentioning key terms (eg. “Do you like windsurfing holidays? If you like windsurfing holidays, this site will find holidays for you involving windsurfing”), it’ll get a lower Google rank and therefore appear lower on the search results.

Google also looks at the sites to which the target site is linking. Are they full of links to known porn sites, for example? Do they contain nothing but SEO text like the above?

In this way, the software assesses the “web of trust” surrounding a site. A legitimate operator, full of well-written text, linking to relevant sites that also seem authentic, will be lifted up the rankings.

The idea is to make it harder to game the system. But it’s no surprise to find scores of companies trying to do just that. A former journalist colleague of mine worked for an SEO firm; her job was to write about anything. Literally any subject she fancied covering. Her copy would be used on one of the firm’s network of websites, and because it was well-written, journalistic text, Google would assess the site as more authentic and give it a higher rank.

The fact that my former colleague was paid hundreds of pounds a day gives an insight into how much value companies place on having a good Google rank.

‘Black hat SEO’

Of course, if a positive web of trust can lift your website up the rankings, it follows that negative links can pull you down. Welcome to the dark art of “black hat SEO”.

If I wanted to drown a competitor, for example, I could set up a series of dodgy websites, full of viruses, porn and suspicious links, and then add my competitor’s link to the network. Google would see the negative associations, and might drop my competitor down the rankings as a result.

Websites can take action if this happens, by “disavowing” links (ie. telling Google they have nothing to do with a dodgy site linking to them, and asking for it to be removed from their web of trust).

But it takes time, and if what’s at stake is time-sensitive (like sales of Ashes tickets, for example), a few days can mean huge financial losses.

No wonder, then, that leading marketing companies are pushing into SEO. It’s a field at the cutting edge of how companies connect with the public. Something to think about next time you hit “search”.

Follow @GeoffWhite247 on Twitter

Read more:

How to protect your digital footprint

What snoopers see from your clicks and searches

Internet snooping: Google says there is no back door

Prism: the spying software reading your email and Facebook