What do great explorers like Vasco da Gama, Christopher Columbus, and Ferdinand Magellan have in common with search engine ranking and defending one’s interests online? Quite a bit, I think. For those who may not be familiar with the names I mentioned at the top of this article, these three individuals are among the greatest explorers in history, often putting aside cares for their own safety in order to further the interests of their nation and reputation.
Each one endured a great deal of hardships in the process of discovering new lands and voyage routes, but as a result of their perseverance in vision, not to mention their extraordinarily high tolerance for risk, they are all celebrated as great discoverers whose names will forever grace history books. They left everything they knew, family, friends, and personal comfort, in order to gain territory and riches. I know a great number of business owners and professionals who share these characteristics.
However the way to gain riches and renown is no longer to make lengthy sea voyages in search of gold and spices; now it is learning how to navigate the tumultuous currents of search engine algorithms. Like the famous seafarers, when setting sail on a new internet venture, one will face difficulties and hardships, attacks from pirates, shortages in supplies, and a tremendously difficult-to-navigate ocean ahead that seems bent on slamming your ship into the rocks and smashing it to pieces.
Google is not to blame for the tumult one experiences in the SERPS, because anybody on the first or second page of search engine rankings is most likely actively gaming the system somehow. You are competing with others, not with Google. It used to be in days past that competing was as easy as amassing the most links, and while gaining inbound signals is still an effective way to boost one’s rank, it is not the only thing.
Many clients who need reputation management find this out the hard way. The sites that are slamming you or your company’s reputation are not necessarily on the first page because they are the best sites, or even because they have the most links. There are a number of other factors having to do with the age of the site, the platform is built on, the competitive environment, how skilled the site owner is in putting together on-page factors, and so on.
Just as the great explorers discovered that there exist many paths to riches and fortune, the same is true for online businesses today. We find that those who are willing to take risks, throw caution to the wind, and raise their sails in pursuit of ambitious goal, whether to rise to the first page of search results or to push down their enemies who attempt to sabotage their voyage, the true winners online are those who do not give up and have the same steely backbone as those great men who made history and found fortune on the high seas.
Our approach to this search engine ranking journey is unique, and whether you are looking for some protection from your competitors or for some real wind in your sails, we’re always available so just get in touch and let us craft an amazing new route for your ship.