Your Web Site Just Became More Valuable

As a result of the recent Google "Jagger" update, you existing web site(s) has just become more valuable. It appears that Google is giving more weight to the age of a web site, and even to the age of individual pages within a web site, when determining how high it will rank in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

How can this help you?

Make sure your older web sites and pages are effective. Often when I click on a link in a search results page I'm taken to a web site, and I have no idea what that web site is about. Are they selling something? Are they just providing information? Where are they located? The text I'm seeing may be relevant to my search, but why am I here?

With Google's emphasis on older web sites and pages, it is important you use them effectively. Always tell your visitors the purpose of the page, and tell them what you want them to do. Are you selling product? Tell your visitors what the product is and how they can buy it, and put this information above the fold so it can be readily seen when the page loads. Be sure your phone numbers are on every page, above the fold, and easy to find.

Don't leave your visitors wondering about what you are offering and how they can get it.

What pages should you focus on? Start by looking at your log files. Identify the pages that are most frequently used to enter your web site, and make sure they are effectively communicating your message. Check your logs on a regular basis, because the top entry pages will change over time.

Also look for ways to improve your established pages to take advantage of the age bonus Google gives them. You may have some older pages that have never done well in the SERPs, but with a little SEO and SEM they can become very effective marketing tools.