So you think you're an SEO expert?

[C0ldf1re]

Would you like to hear how I got another page to rank in the top 5 of Google with nothing on the page but images and the alt tags for those images?

Yes, please! (Please use small words to let the n00bs understand.)

Oh... Am I repeating myself?... Must be getting forgetful in my old age...

[The Old Sarge]

Sorry, I missed this the first time.

A few years ago, I got curious as to how Google and the other SEs treated alt tags, since everyone that seemed to know aobut Web page coding insisted that all images should have them. About the same time I noticed a few hits from Google that traced back to images on my sites rather than page urls. So I began experimenting.

Long story short ... I made a few different pages with nothing but images. All of them were as simple as possible code-wise and one in particualr had only images visible on the page. Another was exactly the same but had alt tags to go with the images. Both pages had titles and keywords to match all the alt tags of the one page. Within a month, the page that had the alt tags was drawing visitors from Google Images as well as MSN (later Bing) and Yahoo!. By the end of the second month it was in the top ten SERPs for several of the keywords and shortly after was at #1 in Google and was bouncing arond the top three in MSN and Yahoo! for one keyword in particular.

At first I wasn't sure what I was seeing, but further checking and more experimentation led me to conclude that the SEs were actually indexing the page by reading keywords and counting the alt tagsas content, since the tags the only "visible" code on the page.

I never bothered to check the value of such a strategy for PR for two reasons. 1. I don't care that much about PR and 2. the page in question was of little use to anyone except me and only then to satisfy my curiosity about some things. The pages were taken down long ago.

[C0ldf1re]

Long story short ...

That's an absolutely brilliant story.

It must have taken quite a long while to draft your post, and I really appreciate the effort you have made to share your expertise!

That's a new idea to me, and I'm updating my website right now to follow your advice.

Many thanks!

[The Old Sarge]

It must have taken quite a long while to draft your post, and I really appreciate the effort you have made to share your expertise!

Actually, it only took about 10 or 15 minutes ... with interruptions.

[RegDCP]

Got it

So then my question is, once you optimize a page for a keyword and you get your ranking, say #23. How do you move up to #20? If your on page optimization is done, it's done. There is nothing more you can do on-page to move that ranking. Then you have to start generating backlinks. More highly relevant backlinks from quality sources, further up the rankings you move. Otherwise you would sit stagnant at #23.

If you are sitting at #23 after doing your SEO work you need to re-evaluate your SEO methodology.

So as I said before, they key to high SERPs is by on-page optimization and high quality link building using relevant anchor text. One without the other is futile, as is a link without proper anchor text.

It is not.
It is not necessary to build more than one link in order to get top listings, even to a #1 position.

It is not necessary to continually build content to get top listings.
I have sites untouched for years achieving #1 rankings.

The reason to build backlinks should not be for SEO but to place another traffic builder.
A link is an opportunity to get traffic outside of the search engines and thus a good thing.

[C0ldf1re]

If you are sitting at #23 after doing your SEO work you need to re-evaluate your SEO methodology.

It is not necessary to build more than one link in order to get top listings, even to a #1 position.

It is not necessary to continually build content to get top listings.

The reason to build backlinks should not be for SEO but to place another traffic builder.

Although I agree with everything you say, sometimes it does not answer practical needs.

If you are in competition with lots of other websites, who are getting positions 1-22, you need to find an "edge".

Some people (like me!) are reading these threads in the hope that somebody knows of an edge, and can pass it on.

[The Old Sarge]

IMO, the best "edges" are the ones you find or create yourself.

And I agree with RegDCP. If you depend on links for your SEO, you're going to be disappointed. SEO is a never-ending process, at least until you hit that pinnacle. Even then you have to stay on your toes as everyone is trying to take that spot away from you.

[C0ldf1re]

IMO, the best "edges" are the ones you find or create yourself...

That's easy for a clever person like you to say! I just want to copy your edges.

[ramirezhenry55]

Expertise in SEO I think lies in optimizing the site both onpage and offpage and then ranking well in Google and having a good converstion rate.

[C0ldf1re]

... having a good converstion rate.

Thanks for the timely reminder! I needed reminding that high serps and high traffic mean nothing... unless your visitors are converting.

[Steve_gts]

I've just read this whole thread (it's not often I do that) and just feel that to justify peoples comments they need to give the keywords/phrases they are optimising for. As it would be easy to optimise a page with just one backlink, or just alt and titles for a term such as "toe tapping house music from egypt" as there would be no competition, but if you tried doing the same for "house music" you would fail. It's all relevant to how competitive the keyword is, and not just from the number of results google returns, I mean how many people have optimised for that term.

[JEccles]

Great points and well put, Steve.

I mean how many people have optimised for that term.

None - I looked

[The Old Sarge]

It's all relevant to how competitive the keyword is, and not just from the number of results google returns, I mean how many people have optimised for that term.

I see your point ... to a point. However, what about breaking new ground with keywords/phrases that have not been used, or at least have not been competitive? Afterall, there was time wheen ANY keyword was new. Hence, there's still hope for creating new ones and MAKING them competitive.

In that light, I, for one, am not willing to post what words and phrases I've developed. They're easy enough to find out if one is interested and imaginative, but I'm not about to advertise (for free anyway) what has taken a great deal of effort to accomplish.

When I started a few years ago, I tried all the so-called competitive keywords and believe me ... they were super competitive ... to the point I felt I stood no chance breaking the top 1000 in SERPs. That's when I started my campaign to create what I felt others had overlooked. It's worked out very well and I'm not giving it away easily.

[C0ldf1re]

...
... They're easy enough to find out if one is interested and imaginative...

Well, I tried to uncover your SEO on the plumedarcher. The most noteworthy thing was 1000+ incoming links, all from PR0 sites, mostly with the same anchor text.

[The Old Sarge]

Did you compare keywords/phrases with other related sites ... especially the ones near the top of the SERPs.

Did you notice how that site (mine) performs for some of those words/phrases? Even though most of the other relevant sites have started using the words/phrases I've been working to popularize?

We have other sites where we've done much the same but I won't list them here.