The mysterious world of Optimization is a strange one indeed. The biggest problem is that the Optimizer’s goal is to get the client’s website to be one of the listing results on Page One using secret criteria known only to major Search Engine Companies.

It gets worse. This unknown secret criterion is apparently constantly changing.
Holly Smokes!

Some criteria are broadly considered to have produced results but how far you can push them before they reverse their effectiveness or get you blacklisted is unknown.

What we are talking about is a subject where the essence is to look like you are not doing it. An example of that would be acquiring one-way incoming links to your site. If people like your site and link to it, that can help in your chances of getting a Page One Ranking.

Unfortunately, people will find it difficult to find your website unless it is already ranked. So you have to artificially jump start the process. But you can’t look like you are adding links in an unnatural manner.

So what the heck is an “unnatural” addition of links? Anything other than spontaneous viral linkage to your invisible site. Let’s compound that with some built in oddities like the phrase “Google Page Rank” which means ranking criteria created by a person named Page.

The senior target of the Optimizer is to get their client’s website to come up on searches for the most searched phrase describing the client’s service or product — the top one or so keywords. These top keywords are the most coveted; most searched term, covering about half of the searches for the client’s product or service.

Ironically, the other half (composed of thousands of various search phrases), which get less searches are done by the people who are the most in the mood to buy.

And please don’t dare try shopping for optimization for your website. One reads things like, “We will continue to work with you for 120 days and will work toward getting your keywords up to page 2.” Few if any optimizers will promise more than tap-dance phrases like you are buying “full optimization”. What about ranking? “Oh, we will do everything in our power....” Optimizers who guarantee tangible results or even display their prices are few and far between.

And for goodness sake never solicit from your optimizer what actions he is doing to up your rank or you are going to get a dissertation on things I guarantee will cause you to question your rationality.

He will tell you he is adding keywords to the code but not so many that he violates the density limits set by Google as then it all works in reverse. Density limits set by Google? “Unfortunately, nobody really knows what they are.”

Ok, it is not all bad. There is a lifeline in this chaotic storm of baloney. And it can be utilized to get results. The one anchor in this sea of optimization turmoil is…… (Drum roll, please)……… what are the websites doing that are on Page One?

That’s all you need to know because what they are doing is obviously successful and working. That is a fact. Cause there they sit, right on Page One. Any other optimization standards are as reliable as visiting your local crystal-gazing fortuneteller.

Some very elite optimizers get client keywords consistently to Page One and even some attain blanket coverage of “the other half” of the search phrases, using software like that made by SEO Elite and SEO Power Suite that analyses what the competition is doing down to a butterflies breath. Knowing what is already producing Page One results they can then attempt to replicate on their client’s site what the already successful Page One sites are doing and increase it even more.

This secret is the drop of water in the ocean you have to find. You are now in the know. You have a chance of listening to an optimizer now and not feel like pulling your hair out.

Listen closely for the one thing with substantive reality on this most mysterious and secret of subjects – “What are the sites that are now on Page One doing?” If you don’t get that simple question answered – it’s just so much lip service.

John Jones is a successful independent contractor marketing specialist for small businesses and can be found at page-one-small-business-websites.com. He can be contacted at john@page-one-small-business-websites.com.