Writing in Search Engine Watch Aaron Shear explains that Google has shifted - and will continue to shift - its search engine algorithm to be based more on user behavior and less on other factors.

In other words, Google is increasingly seeking to align its organic rankings with how search engine users interact with such websites, and less with the traditional factors of site structure, webpage optimization and even authoritative back-links.

As you can imagine, this has MAJOR implications for Internet marketers. In particular, according to Mr Shear, Google is focusing more and more on the following indicators of user behavior:

• Website performance - the degree to which it loads and functions correctly;
• Bounce rate - the percentage of web visitors who bounce back to the search results. If 80 percent or more of visitors return to Google after landing on your site, your site will probably be demoted or delisted. Having a bounce rate of 50 to 60 percent is apparently enough to keep your site ranked, but if you can get your bounce rate to below than 20 percent, your site will be performing in the top percentile and apt to rank well. It’s also arguable that, all else being equal, if you have a lower bounce rate than your competitors, your site will rank more highly.
• Links - authoritative back links are still of the utmost importance. It’s just that with the growing significance of user behavior, they’re no longer ‘all-important’. Aaron Shear says you should continue using blogs, social bookmarking sites such as StumbleUpon, social chat engines, such as Twitter, and social networks, such as Facebook, for links.
• RSS - how many RSS feed subscribers you have. All else being equal, the more RSS feed subscribers you have, the higher you will rank. Mr Shear says that having at least 25 subscribers for an article (or page) is desirable, but if you can get 50 or more, it will be relatively easy to get highly competitive article themes highly ranked in the search engine rankings.
• Content - this is still highly important, but not enough. Aaron Shear says authoritative back-links trump great content and our experience bears this out too.

Okay, so what does all this mean for Internet marketers and what should you do? Well, the first thing to note is that junk sites (i.e. sites with worthless or redundant content) are less and less likely to rank well in Google. This is simply due to having high bounce rates and few authoritative back-links. Both of which derive from poor content.

On the other hand, having a perfectly functioning site with great content won’t be enough. You need to encourage people to sign up to your RSS feeds and/or actively attract back-links.

So, in a sense, nothing has changed. The formula for a high-ranking website is still great content and quality back-links. But what IS clearer than ever, is that Google is watching what PEOPLE are doing in relation to your site, and, as such, it will become less and less possible to use ‘black-hat’ and even ‘grey-hat’ technological tricks to fool Google into giving your site a high ranking. Of course, that’s not to say people won’t try…

Source: Aaron Shear, “Google’s Algorithm is Shifting”, Search Engine Watch, October 7, 2008

I spend part of my week consulting with a large company on its Internet marketing strategy. This particular company is currently in the process of merging with another company in the same industry…

As you might imagine, for all the exciting possibilities promised by the merger, a lot of people are uncertain about their future in the merged entity. Will they keep their current jobs after the merger? Will they even have a job after the merger?

These questions are being asked at all levels. In fact, there is every likelihood that those at the very top will be shuffled around and may not retain their current positions.

Yet, while the staff and management may speculate about their future, they still need to get on with their jobs. In particular, the same senior leaders and managers who may not have the same roles (if any roles) in a few months’ time must continue to lead and manage right now.

I attended a recent management briefing where the question was raised as to what someone should do to best demonstrate that they should keep their jobs after the merger. The CEO said that, for those in leadership positions, now is the time to demonstrate their ability to lead. He acknowledged that this would be difficult, given the personal uncertainty faced by these very same people, but added the following:

“True leaders are those who lead when their own future is uncertain.”

The CEO went on to explain that the essence of a leader is someone who can rally people behind them, give them hope, and empower them to continue moving forward… when the leader is, in fact, the person who is most vulnerable in an uncertain future.

I agree. It’s all very well to lead people when you have nothing to lose… it’s all very well to lead people when the only “lives” at stake are theirs… it’s all very well to lead people when you equally face uncertain times… but what if you have the most to lose?

Can you still lead in that situation? That is the real test.

Being able to lead when you have the most to lose - that is true leadership.