[Alvin]

Came across this piece by young Jill.

Some strange ideas in there.

http://searchengineland.com/080131-071244.php

along with this statement.

"We actually haven't checked search engine rankings for clients in years, besides a few manual spot checks. Search engine rankings are simply not a metric that makes sense anymore."

Which may go some way to prove the old adage "Its how well your known,not what you know"

Or was it "empty vessels make the most noise"

Alvin

[OldWelshGuy]

I have to watch what i say here as jill is a really good friend of mine, I am a moderator on her forum.

So I will say nothing.

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by OldWelshGuy

So I will say nothing.

See if you pray hard enough miracles may happen.

actually Jills OK for a youngster just surprised at her comments.

Alvin

[nass]

Not sure I completely agree with the proposition. Put it this way, all things being equal I'd rather rank #1 than page5. But, on their own, rankings don't determine success.

[An Oasis]

I'll let Jill and all the rest have page 2 and beyond, quite happy having top spots.

[OldWelshGuy]

Hang on gents, I think you are missing the message Jill is saying here

What she is saying is that a business owner will say 'I want to be number 1 for xxx, Jill is saying, you are using the wrong metric (and I agree with her) Jill speaks straight, she calls it bluntly as that is her New England way, she is a real nice lady and does know her stuff.

Everyone is saying 'let Jill have page 2 I will have page 1' etc but you are missing the point. Answer me this, would you rather
a. rank for a single phrase bringing in 20,000 visitors a week
b. rank for 1000 phrases bringing in 1000 visitors each per week (average)

When you chase one phrase, if you lose it, you are dead in the water. If Google changes their algorithm and you lose that phrase, you lose your business. By carrying out holistic SEO across a raft of phrases and means of traffic, changes in the algorithm don't really affect you. So let me put it another way, if you lost your ranking for your single phrase, but business trebled, would you alter your site?

Think about those questions and you will better see where Jill is coming from. I am from the same stable as Jill, Danny Sullivan, Rand, Ammon etc, ask any of them and they will ALL say that focusing on single phrases is unhealthy and that you need to take the wider view.

Final question, WHY do you want to be #1?

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by OldWelshGuy

Everyone is saying 'let Jill have page 2 I will have page 1' etc but you are missing the point. Answer me this, would you rather
a. rank for a single phrase bringing in 20,000 visitors a week
b. rank for 1000 phrases bringing in 1000 visitors each per week (average)

Your logic is correct,but in real life No 1 get 3.5 times the traffic of No 2.

and No 10 gets 14 times less traffic than No1.

One assumes that a company that has the knowledge to get up there for a competative phrase ,will also know a tad about conversion e.t.c.

As for not checking clients rankings for years .

I wonder how often she checks her Tyre pressure.?

And yes wee's does take the widest possible view,hence our rather long tags.

Alvin

[nass]

But, a and b arent the only choices Ie measure about 100 phrases and I want to be as high as possible on all of them. Some convert better than other so I pay more attention to those.

a. rank for a single phrase bringing in 20,000 visitors a week
b. rank for 1000 phrases bringing in 1000 visitors each per week (average)

c. rank for 100 phrases, and focus my energy and rank as high as humanly possible on the phrases which convert best

postscript

And on its own the claim that rankings don't matter is daft. If I have a well converting phrase which is down at number 10, I'd rather have it at number 1, all things being equal, simply for eyeball reasons. I'm not disagreeing in the least that there's a lot more to it all than just ranking, but I'm completely disagreeing with the blanket statement that they don't matter at all.

postscript2

Maybe the best way of putting it is this - I don't see it as either/or, I'm after both . Not only great converting phrases but also at #1.

[OldWelshGuy]

It is people here, that are making it an either or, no one has said it has to be. They are grabbing the headlines and replying to it without REALLY taking on board what is being said. we are micro debating here.

Jill was simply saying that fosusing entirely on rankings is the wrong metric and of course she is right. she NEVER said she didn't want to be #1

Nass with respect to you, you are just points scoring by bringing in extra items into the debate to downcry Jill.

c. rank for 100 phrases, and focus my energy and rank as high as humanly possible on the phrases which convert best

That statement is a given, so why make it? why are you bringing conversions into a ranking argument? It is just muddying the waters, and in fact if anything rather than disagreeing with what i and Jill have said, you are BACKING it. Was that your intention?

I notice neither of you answered my lquestion in the post though, why not? I will aski it again.

Final question, WHY do you want to be #1?

[OldWelshGuy]

Originally Posted by nass

but I'm completely disagreeing with the blanket statement that they don't matter at all.

ANd WHO are you disagreeing with? Who said the above apart from you