More and more, the search engines are looking for sentiment in your content. Even while most SEOs are still preaching the virtues of keywords and links (and, I admit, those are still effective nuts and bolts of search engine optimization), the search engines are getting more sophisticated in using technology that can determine whether a link from one site to another is a positive endorsement or a negative one.
Just as in the real world, if I tell my friends that I ate at your restaurant and I liked the food, I’m improving your reputation among my circle of influences. If I tell them, on the other hand, that your service is lousy and your food isn’t much better, then that negative review could mean you’ll have fewer customers in the future. Positive and negative reviews matter. Even online.
While inbound links and great keyword-based content is still effective when it comes to SEO, the search engine of the future will be able to rank web pages on the basis of third party reviews. That includes what people are saying about your business on Google Places, Yelp, and even their own blogs.
Get enough negative reviews and you could see your website fall in the rankings. Get enough positive reviews and you could rise to the top. That’s especially true at the local level.
SEO ain’t what it used to be. It’s getting more challenging. But it’s also reflecting the way the real world works more and more every day.
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