Google

[Twolftg]

Let me start by saying I don't know much about how the Google search engine works, but when I searched "deer hunter forum.com" we didn't show up in the first 5 pages. Wonder how long it will take to get hits to move up. You would think searching the exact words with spaces google should match that, but I guess they have been found to rig search results for their benifit.

 

[cutman]

We need people to start linking this forum on other forums/blogs. That will help tremendously.

But, we've only been around for a week or so. Rome wasn't built in a day!

 

[Stickbow Felty]

I searched using Yahoo it was the third one.

 

[alnipper49]

It varies even within google. Long story short no matter how big the forum is, there is something called the "google sandbox effect".

Basically google puts you into purgatory for XX days to make sure that spammers don't make sites and screw with the first few pages of results.

Like Cutman said, the best thing that you can do is 1. talk about this site elsewhere and 2. hyperlink it anywhere and everywhere that you can (ESPECIALLY blogs / web store fronts / etc)

 

[Twolftg]

Thanks for the tips.

 

[X-farmerdan]

Funny thing happened to me. I Googled Deer Hunter Forum, and, as you say, its far down the page. I Googled my user name and the name of the forum and it went right to the top. x-farmerdan the deer hunter forum. Only reason I say this is - does that help get the forum closer to the top - when it gets direct hits?

 

[Chainsaw]

Google is an interesting animal. To enjoy its benefits one needs to understand its mission. Google is trying to find for searchers what they are looking for. Google figures this out from the text on each page. By using key words in your text you can encourage google to find you. Actually you would be helping Google hook searchers up with what they are looking for. Oops to further explain a key word is a word that people might type into the search box to describe what they are looking for.

For example in my QDMA thread "Improving the daytime deer population on my property", I routinely typed that into the subject page title; the result is a couple of hits on page one when typing in "increasing the daytime deer population". Of course it sends the searcher to QDMA since that is where it is posted so far. (That will change to deerhunterforum soon).

We can each do the same with our threads--just continually use the key words that describe your thread and Google will send people to it that are looking for that subject. Say your thread is about building tower blinds--just be sure to use those words building tower blinds in each post--that is the thread owner as well as those commenting.

We rent out our cottages on Lake Ontario so besides our name being Lake Ontario-cottages.com we also use the phrase in our text as well as lake Ontario Cottage Rentals; the result as expected puts us on page one when anyone types in "Lake Ontario Cottages", "Lake Ontario Cottage Rentals" and Lake Ontario Rentals.

Google sends people to what they are looking for;its' just that simple. We can't fool them with false use of keywords but we can help them and our forum by regularly using keywords in our posts that truly represent our content.

 

[Chainsaw]

Funny thing happened to me. I Googled Deer Hunter Forum, and, as you say, its far down the page. I Googled my user name and the name of the forum and it went right to the top. x-farmerdan the deer hunter forum. Only reason I say this is - does that help get the forum closer to the top - when it gets direct hits?

From what I have seen yes. The number of hits matters a lot. However it also matters on how long a person stays on the page. ie; a hit and an immediate bounce out of the page is not a good thing whereas a hit and time spent on the page tells Google that the searcher found what they were looking for. And that is what Google is trying to accomplish.

The important thing to keep in mind is that you can't fool Google. Millions try everyday. However by using specific keyword rich writing in your titles and text help Google to line us up with searches.

 

[Twolftg]

We are on the move, Page 2, 17th website!

 

[cutman]

Look what is right below us