(see POST-PANDA SEO BEST PRACTICES NOV 1ST, 2011)
The following four (4) attributes are signals that the site in question is a useful, even vital site for the search queries for which it tries to rank. The more one maximizes these attributes, the safer they will be long term.
These are the signals that indicate your site is a “quality” site in Google’s perception:
1) Manually reviewed as “Useful” or even “Vital” for any particular query*
*The Search Query Any given search query has the following attributes:
[query], Language (Type)
So for example:
[herbal shampoo review] English (CA)
Each page should try to exact match the intent of each search query. If they search for “herbal shampoo review” in Canadian English, Google will try to serve the most recent and authoritative page that exemplifies that query in that language type and location as much as possible.The surest way to guarantee that your site is seen as useful by Google is to pass one of their manual reviews and be deemed as either “useful”, or even “vital” to any particular query. In order to ensure this, one needs to maximize the appearance of the following:
Overall Site Impression:
Super-Helpful, Upfront, Clear, Authoritative, Completely Trustworthy, Grandma-Safe, Official, etc.
The more you can brand yourself using the above adjectives to be a household name or the defacto standard for a particular subject matter, the better your site will convert, retain, and rank over time. Remember to use the following:
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- Add as many “officiality” signals as appropriate (TM and ®, etc.); |
*SEO Hint: Target a Locale
Even sites with a global reach can target a locale. The Google Rating document indicates that sites intended for a particular locale can also rank for a global audience if the subject matter is globally applicable, and that site could also gain a location boost in rankings for that locale, or locales.
User Interface / Widgets:
Cool, Slick, Impressive
You are not making a web page, you are making a web production. Use an appropriate amount of witty text, video, games, interactives, pics, infographics Flash and HTML5/CSS3 dynamic elements to make your site cool and within current high-end / agency design trends.
Design:
Pretty, Well-Designed (even breathtaking)
People are swayed by good design, and having unique design is key to both algorithmic and brand success.
Copy:
Witty, Well-Written, Relatable, Interesting, Professional
People are also swayed by good writing. Exceed user expectations with witty writing in the target language type of your site using funny, witty, writing if at all appropriate, and otherwise professional and authoritative writing at all times.
This is admittedly a tall order to be describable as such. Nevertheless, this is what Google is aiming for. Their algorithms are getting better at detecting these kinds of features, and manual review rates are increasing. It is not a question as to whether your site will be quality reviewed, but a question of when. (see THE FOUR (4) USEFUL / ANTI-SPAM SIGNALS PART II)
Information provided by SellHealth