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ON-Page SEO Factors

No ACTUAL body text on the page

Also, don’t forget to check the Google status of EVERYONE you link to periodically. A site may go “bad”, and you can end up being penalized, even though you did nothing. For instance, some failed real estate sites have been switched to p0rn by unscrupulous webmasters, for the traffic. This is not good for you, if you are linking to the originally legitimate URL.

if you are reported. ref egol

File Google DMCA

Google is now switching between a “newer” cache, and several “older” caches, frequently drawing from BOTH at the same time.

This was possibly implemented to frustrate SERP manipulators. Did your last edit substantially alter your keywords, or theme? Expect noticeable SERP bouncing.

Provide an HTML alternative, or experience lower SERP positioning.

(The text is the same color as the background, and hence cannot be seen by the viewer, but can be visible to the search engine spiders.) I believe Google does penalize for hidden text, since it is an attempt to manipulate rank. Although they don’t catch everyone.

(I see changes here – not only does the doorway page disappear, but the main page gets pushed down, as well – this is a welcome fix.)

Google used to reward these pages.

Google picks one (usually the oldest), and shoves it to the top, and pushes the second choice down. This has been a big issue with stolen content – the thief usurps your former position with YOUR OWN content.

(The big G does not even use DOCTYPE declarations, required for W3C validation.)

Unless of course, the page is totally FUBAR.

Simple HTML verification is NOT required (but advised, since it could contribute to your page quality factor – PQF).

There are many things that Google would LIKE to have webmasters do, but that they simply cannot control, due to logistical considerations. Their only alternative is to foment fear and doubt by implying that any violation of their “suggestions” will result in swift and fierce demotion.

(This is somewhat dated – G is fixing these things.)

There are many anecdotes about Goggle “taking care” of a problem. Google states that they do not provide hand-tweaked “boosts”, but are silent about hand-tweaked demotions. They occur, for sure. To believe otherwise is naive. Wouldn’t YOU swat the most obnoxious flies? I would.

It is becoming easier to determine the best thing to do. Try to avoid any Google penalties or demotions.

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OFF-Page SEO Factors

(added)

Have you read about Traffic Power?

This is intended to thwart rapid incoming link accumulation, accomplished through the tactic of link buying.

Just one of the sandbox factors.

1. Does your page have links it really doesn’t merit?

2. Did you get tons of links in a short time period?

3. Do you have links from high-PR, unrelated sites?

However, some speculate otherwise, esp., when other associated factors are thrown into the mix, such as web rings.

Domain Hijacking

(work with Google to fix)

Grand Theft, mandatory minimum sentence.

The criminal COPIES your entire website, and HOSTS it elsewhere, with . . . a few changes.

Pages being dropped from large sites

Thousands of pages are disappearing from various huge websites, but I think that it is G just cleaning house, by dumping computer-generated pages.

Competitor Attack (1. Content theft causing you to get a duplicate content penalty, even though your content is the original. People are still stealing my content, but nobody trumps me (in Google) with my own content – hats off to Google.) Examples -

Site-Wide Link Attack

and

302 Redirect Attack

and

Hijacker Attack

Ideally, there SHOULD be nothing that your competition can do to directly hurt your rankings. However, an astute observer noticed that Google changed their website to read :

Old verbiage = “There is nothing a competitor can do to harm your ranking …”

New verbiage = “There is ALMOST nothing a competitor can do …”

An obvious concession that Google thinks that at least some dirty tricks work!

Of course, there will always be new ones!

IN ADDITION, some the above factors are being “tweaked” daily. Not only are the “weights” of the factors changed, but the formula itself changes. Change is the only constant.

An algo change can boost or demote your site. I put this in the negative factors section, because your position is never secure, unless of course, you are huge (PR=7 or greater). If you simply cannot achieve top position, your only alternative to first page SERP exposure may be Google Ad Words (you pay for exposure).

Today, I searched for an extremely competitive “2-word term”, and I found that NOT ONE of the top ten Google SERPs had even one of the words on the page.

YOWSA!

Today’s theory – when it doesn’t matter, anybody can get #1 in a second, if they know the on-page rules. BUT, after a certain “commercial competitive level”, the “semantic analysis” algo kicks in, and less becomes more. The keyword density rules are flipped upon their noggins. I think that we are witnessing the evolution of search engine anti-seo sophistication, right before our very eyes. Fun stuff.