Bill Myers wrote on Feb 25
th, 2012 at 11:25pm:
Elfen wrote on Feb 25
th, 2012 at 4:20am:
... unless you type in your exact site on the search text box, you will never be number one on a general search.
In general searches, the top 10 listings are paid listings, with Number 1 costing 6 - 7 digits a month to be there.
...
That's not true at all. One of our most active sites happens to have a No. 2 listing on Google (
out of about 9,790,000 results). The No. 1 listing with our chosen search string that perfectly describes our site is a Wikipedia entry. Since 1997 we've pretty much always been in the top 10 on both Google and Yahoo. Ours is an unpaid listing, and so is the Wikipedia listing.
Our chat forum has a No. 3 listing on Google.
In any case, whatever your site endeavors to be, if you're true to what it's supposed to be, search engines will pick up on your site. It's not rocket science.
Meanwhile, until your site picks up its popularity, but only if it's deserved of course, exchange links with the most popular sites in your category. If an exchange isn't possible, then link those sites anyway, and eventually your traffic will grow exponentially.
By the way, don't be fooled by anyone who promises you a top 10 listing on Google. Think about it. Even if a company can do this for you, this can only happen with 10 sites.
Duh!So don't sweat your place on Google. If you build it, and you're true to what your site's supposed to be, people will come to it eventually. If you make your site a place that people want to return to, then your growth will be exponential.
What is the exact text you are putting in the search box? I highly doubt its a loose or generic term since to get it that that high up it would have to be very exclusive.
I say this - I'll use the example of "Bronx Auto Parts Scrap Yard" as a business title. You search "Auto Parts", Bronx Auto parts will not be anywhere near the top 100, with the top 10 going to companies RS Strauss, AutoZone, Sears and several others. If you detail the search to "Bronx Auto Parts", then you will end up in the top 25 with RS Strauss, AutoZone, Sears and several others will being in the top 10 because they have outlets in the Bronx. Now if you search for "Bronx Auto Parts Scrap Yard", it will be in the top five but not number 1 unless its the only entry in that list and by that you need to put in "Bronx Auto Parts Scrap Yard + (its address)."
Its it loose and generic terms that have paid slots for the top 10. That is a fact with Google, I have worked with them for a while and against them in other search engine companies. There is no way that a search engine will make money unless it charges for its services, and putting you up higher on a loose termed search list is how they make money. Its not and never will be a link popularity contest.
Think about it. Google did not run ads until mid 2007 but was a billion dollar company before it added blogs and google mail. How did they make their money? By charging those who want to be on the top 10 of a loose termed search list.
Because of SEO's can change where one is on a search list (there are hacks to put you in the #1 slot), google is thinking of revamping their SEO rules because they are losing money. You stated that you have a Wiki Article? That answers a few questions. You may not be paying Wiki or Google to be placed so high up, but Wikipedia is. So is YouTube and a couple of image sites, which will always place them in the top 5 listings. This ensures them that they will always get the first clicks and they can then sell the data of who went where from Google back to Google and to other markting agencies for more money.
Give me the exact term you are using on Google or any other search engine and I will place screen shots of them here showing where they are at. If it is a loose termed listing, then you're doing something or paying for it. If its more exact in its search request, then there is no denying that you are so high up because there so little competition for those requests.