We’ve compiled a list of things which we’ve found can help a site achieve or re-discover top ranking on Google.

1) Viral marketing – in order to obtain legitimate links, a viral marketing campaign is in order which can help your web site build a substantial link portfolio. However, don’t be hasty in your viral marketing efforts. Make sure the links are built properly, have a wide variety of keywords, and link back to multiple pages on your web site, rather than just the home page.

2) New Link Building Efforts – in addition to viral marketing, look into new, untouched, lists of sites. At Hot, we’ve compiled a list of over 100,000 web properties that Google still highly values, so they are out there, you just have to look for them.

3) Keep An Eye Out for “Negative SEO” – check the links you have, and disavow any bad or spammy links using Google’s tool.

4) Put Great Content On Your Web Site – this may sound like a truism, but it doesn’t make it any less true or valid. This is the golden rule of SEO: “Make Sure Your Site Does Not Suck!” Put things on your site that make it easy for people to know what you’re doing, what you’re offering and why they should go with you rather than the dozens of others out there competing with you. Be funny. Be Smart. And most of all: BE ORIGINAL, BE BOLD (NOT OLD) and BE THE BEST.

1) Links that work for Google may not work for Bing.  And, vice-versa.
2) Bing places a greater emphasis of certain elements of the HTML that is different than Google.  Search results are different based on a page’s content whereas for Google, its link popularity gives it greater weight.
3) Both are constantly being tweaked.  Bing more so than Google as they are trying to be on the cutting edge and offer competitive search results that would give a person an incentive to use Bing over Google.  Therefore, what may work one month may not work another.

We recommend optimizing your site across the board.  Place great content on each page and make it is unique.  Structure all the HTML or code correctly.  Do good keyword research.  Get great optimized links.

If you do that, you’ll be ready for search engine success.

1) Do they guarantee results?  If they don’t then they are probably not doing SEO.
2) Do they engage in ethical link building practices?  If they don’t, your site could get banned by Google.
3) Do they have a phone number?  If not, there’s probably a reason they don’t want you to call.
4) Do they make wild claims about thousands of links for next to nothing?  If so, then the links are probably fake or automated and can get your site penalized by a Google optimization filter.
5) Do they promise quality?  If not, why bother since you are right now reading this on the web site of a company that doesn’t just promise quality, but consistently delivers it, guarantees results, has 24/7 customer service and doesn’t make wild claims about what we can do, but we will do our jobs and we can get you to the top of Google, so try us today.  We guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

1) Google Instant recommends searches as people type; this will result in certain keywords becoming ultra competitive.  The business that owns top ranking on these keywords will experience significant gains in traffic and business.  SEO will still be alive and well for these recommended searches simply because people are still searching.
2) Google Instant does not alter the search results for keywords, therefore, it will have no effect on SEO itself, only with keyword strategy.
3) Google Instant will only change search behavior; it will not actually change the fact that people search.
4) Google Instant will have no impact for searches in the toolbar, which is used quite often.

Therefore, we think the claim that Google Instant will kill SEO is more journalistic and emotional based rather than fact based.  Yes, it caused damage with certain businesses that had invested heavily in keywords Google Instant does not recommend, but it in no way interferes with the ability of businesses to optimize their sites for the keywords Google does now recommend, therefore, SEO is alive, well and thriving.

So, the question we’re asking is, what are you doing to build trust?  Are you focusing your SEO efforts on a small range of keywords or are you willing to increase your visibility across a broader spectrum of longtail keywords to increase both your brand’s image and its online success?