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Google has recently filed a patent that details many points that Google uses to rank web pages. The title of the patent is "Information retrieval based on historical data" and it reveals details of algorithms that Google uses in addition to its main ranking algorithms.

In this article, we're trying to find out what this means to your web site and what you have to do to optimize your web pages so that you get high rankings on Google. Click here to read part 1 and part 2.

Part 3: How the links to your site can influence your rankings on Google

As you know, Google heavily relies on links when it comes to specify the ranking of a web site. In addition to the sheer number of links and their anchor texts, the patent specification shows possible ways how Google might use historical information to further specify the value of links.

For example, Google might record the discovery date of a link and the link changes over time. Google might also record the life span of a link and the speed at which a new web site gets links.

The patent specification indicates that Google might track the following information:

• The anchor text and the discovery date of links are recorded.
• Google might monitor the appearance and disappearance of a link over time.
• Google might monitor the growth rates of links as well as the link growth of independent peer documents.
• Google might monitor the changes in the anchor texts over a given period of time.
• Google might monitor the rate at which new links to a web page appear and disappear.
• Google might record a distribution rating for the age of all links.
• Links with a long life span might get a higher rating than links with a short life span.
• Links from fresh pages might be considered more important.
• If a stale document continues to get incoming links, it will be considered fresh.
• Google doesn't expect that new web sites have a large number of links.
• If a new web site gets many new links, this will be tolerated if some of the links are from authorative sites.
• Google indicates that it is better if link growth remains constant and slow.
• Google indicates that anchor texts should be varied as much as possible.
• Google indicates that burst link growth may be a strong indicator of search engine spam.

What does this mean to your web site?

When it comes to linking, you shouldn't go for one-shot quick solutions. If you participate in quick link exchange schemes or buy links to your web site so that you get many links at once, changes are that Google will see this as a spamming attempt.

When you exchange links with other web sites, do it slowly and constantly. ARELIS is the perfect tool that can help you to do this. Invest some time every week to build the links to your site and vary the texts that point to your site. Of course, the links to your site should contain keywords that are related to your site.

Make sure that your web page content is optimized for Google. If your web page content is not optimized, all other ranking factors won't help you much.

In upcoming newsletter issues, we'll discuss other important factors that can influence your ranking on Google and that are mentioned in the patent specification.

Yahoo sheds Overture brand

"The portal giant on Monday shed its Overture Services brand and renamed the unit Yahoo Search Marketing. The replacement of the Overture brand will take place in the U.S. market initially, the company said. Other international markets will be re-branded later, but the Overture brand will be maintained in Japan and Korea."

"Microsoft said [...] it has hired Yahoo's head of research and development, Dr. Gary Flake, to join its MSN portal team. Flake will be charged with helping MSN bulk up its search offerings to better compete with market leaders Google and Yahoo. Flake's background includes NEC Research Institute and Overture."

"InfoSpace Inc. [...] signed a two-year agreement with Microsoft Corp. to add search results from MSN Search to its product offerings. InfoSpace [...] operates such metasearch engines as Dogpile.com and WebCrawler.com."

Google's challenge of 'Froogles' rejected

"Google's right to use the name 'Froogle' for its online shopping service came into question Friday when an arbitration panel rejected the company's challenge of a Web site named Froogles.com."

IBP tutorial

The popular German computer magazine c't has published a comprehensive 6-page tutorial on search engine optimization using the software program IBP.

• Search giants court TiVo.
• MSN wants to know where you get your information from.
• Google is testing three ads at top of the search results. It's not a permanent change and only a few visitors will see three ads at the top.
• Overture renews, expands Lycos Europe deal.

Clicking to steal

"Inflated amounts charged to advertisers by the search engines have prompted litigation. At least one disgruntled advertiser recently sued Google and Yahoo and is seeking class-action status for a group of advertisers who claim they have been overcharged by the search engines. [...] Google is notorious for just flat out ignoring advertisers."

Hackers take Google Malta 'down the can'

"Google.com.mt, was hacked late on Tuesday evening earlier this week, presumably by Maltese hackers. The search button [...] encountered a momentary metamorphosis on Tuesday evening when the word on the button was changed to a derogatory Maltese insult."

"ARELIS saved our business."

"A couple of months ago we were forced to change our domain name. We were given a couple of weeks to change our name and shut down the old site. We needed a way to contact those who linked to us in the quickest manner possible.

ARELIS made it possible by allowing us to find sites that linked to us and create a template notifying them of our domain change. ARELIS saved our business by reducing the loss of traffic caused by a change in domain name. Thanks for a great program."
Jeff Love, www.intelligentedu.com

Lower your advertising costs and make more profit

If your AdWords pay per click campaigns don't return a positive return on investment (ROI) or if you're paying too much for your PPC ads, take a look at our new Google AdWords eBook.

Find out how to lower your advertising costs while increasing your profit.

Want to be mentioned in this newsletter?

Just send us some words about your successes with IBP or ARELIS and you might get featured in this newsletter along with your web site address.

We invite you to participate in a public beta test of IBP 8. The new IBP version is twice as powerful as the old IBP 4 version, that's why we called it IBP 8.

This is new:

• Link Popularity Improver
• Web Site Optimization Editor
• Scheduler to automate ranking checks and submissions
• Keyword Editor with special Google AdWords support
• Pay Per Click Search Engine Manager
• enhanced project management: one project for all tools
• you can work on multiple projects at once
• better report customization
• complete new user interface to support the new features
• click here to see a complete list of all improvements

IBP 4 users: The new IBP 8 uses a new project concept, but it will try to import your IBP 4 projects automatically. Your IBP 4 installation will not be touched.

This is probably the last beta version before the final release. Test it now!

Get the new version for free!

Of course, the new IBP version will also offer improvements in the Search Engine Submitter, the Ranking Checker and much more.

The next IBP version will be a free update to all current IBP users. It will be released this quarter. If you buy IBP now, you'll get the new version with many more features for free.

• Google ranking secrets revealed - part 2
• Google ranking secrets revealed - part 1
• Google changes its algorithm again
• How long does it take to get listed in Google?
• Cloaking: Does your web host change your pages?
• Study confirms importance of other search engines
• How to succeed with pay per click ads
• View all past issues...