The news of Google’s huge fine for giving search ranking preference to its own services is a reminder that all sites are at the search engine giant’s mercy, but does it mean to spend time on SEO is to fight a losing battle?
The news has helped a myth resurface that’s never quite gone away – that it’s possible to ‘pay’ Google to rank higher for a search term. In reality though, there’s still no better a route to strong rankings than quality content and smart web design.
Google’s fine is certainly a blot on its reputation, but it’s never been true that you can simply buy a ranking. You can buy an ad that comes up at the top of the page for a given search term, and many internet users do not recognise the difference between these and the organic results, but they are clearly labelled as ads, and doing this alone doesn’t really help your site become an authority in its sector.
The best way to achieve a high search engine ranking is to have an excellent website – one that’s easy to navigate, mobile optimised and regularly updated with content relevant to users.
Google will hopefully tread more carefully and avoid such self-promotion in future. After all, it became the biggest search engine by gaining its users’ trust and providing them with what they were looking for. You should make sure your site does the same, and at Engage Web, we’re here to help you at every step.
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I couldn’t agree more John! Strong quality links and excellent content are the best foundation for ranking. By the way, I was wondering how does Google determine when a link is bought?