For those people who have spent a long time creating their website, it can all seem wasted when Google and other search engines don’t naturally find you. Many people feel that getting their site into the search engines organic search results is like trying to make sushi from bread. It’s just impossible.

By organic or natural listings we simply mean getting picked up in the search engines without paying for it. So when someone searches on Google for a site, yours will show without you paying for the advertising (pay per click etc). Web masters the world over are building sites and then having to pay to get traffic to their sites. Most of them have decided that this is the best way to get people to their sites. They simply dream of having the free traffic that Google and the other search engines could put their way if they could only master SEO. There are three things that could dramatically increase your chances of getting listed with Google and the other big search engines.

1. Content is THE most important factor that Google considers when they rank sites and send traffic your way for free. If you have original, quality content then Google will see that you are serious about your site and reward you for it. This works for other search engine algorithms too. If Google can see that you have great content then your visitors with see you have good content too, thus they are more likely to link to your site. Google loves inbound links and will reward you even more.
2. Getting links, as above, is the next step to take. Inbound links to your site are a great way of getting Google to send free traffic your way. It’s worth spending the time building up backlinks to your site as this tells Google that other people rate your site, if others like it then the content must be good. Getting sites with a high PR to link to you is a certain way to get Google interested in your site. The best ways to do this is to write articles with links to your site, press releases and website directories. This way they are all one way links (meaning that you don’t have to link back to them) coming in to your site. This should be built up over a period of time so that it looks natural to Google and not like a quick fix. If you spend the weekend submitting your site to a thousand directories, Google will soon notice this and could end up pushing you back down for it.
3. Google also wants to know that you are looking after your site. They are cracking down on people that are simply throwing sites up and then forgetting them. The net is littered with millions of sites that are outdated and forgotten about. Google will check to see that you are updating your site on a regular basis, adding a blog to your site is a great way to get new quality content added. It also lets other people post on your site which Google loves right now. Ideas come and go as to what is hot with Google right now. Think long term and act like you are in it for the long haul and Google will soon pick up on this and send you free traffic. Always check to see if things have changed as Google does change it’s algorithms often. These tactics above have stayed true at ever major change that Google have made in the last few years and it’s a safe bet that they are here to stay.