I know I haven't written about SEO in a while, so I wanted to give this important tip to my readers. Trust me, this works!

If you have ever signed up for pay-per-click ads, like with Yahoo! or Google, you will find that they do not allow superlatives when you describe your site and set up your ad. For those of you that need a refresher, a Superlative \Su`per*la"tive\ is:

1. Lifted up to the highest degree; most eminent; surpassing all other; supreme; as, superlative wisdom or prudence.

2. (Gram.) Expressing the highest or lowest degree of the quality denoted by an adjective or an adverb. The superlative degree is formed from the positive by the use of -est, most, or least; as, highest, most pleasant, least bright.

In other words, Google won't allow you to write, "For the lowest mortgage rates and best customer service, visit Arizona Mortgage."

I have always maintained that getting your website to do well in the search engines is common sense and not much more. People are always trying to "figure out" Google. As if there is some magic formula... Well, there is a formula of sorts: Provide Google with quality information and Google will reward you.

I have about seven websites that I am maintaining right now. With one of them, I had decided to pay-per-click. (It's not mortgage or real estate related.)

When I saw Google's rules about superlatives, it only made sense: If Google doesn't like superlatives in their ads, why would they like them in their search results?

Bottom line-- If you have a website description that states that you are the greatest, smartest and prettiest Realtor in Orange County, I can almost guarantee that your site will move up in Google and Yahoo if you offer a description that makes more sense. You can still brag about yourself. For example, being a "professional" or an "expert in Colorado Real Estate" isn't superlative.

So take a look at your page description and make sure you are doing it right.

Also, if you are somebody who uses superlatives in your site description, please post your description here, and I will rewrite it for you. First come, first serve. I don't want to spend all day writing website descriptions, but I would be happy to use one or two examples. (And then watch your Google rank increase.)

Eliminating superlatives just makes sense. We already know that Google doesn't like them and I always suggest doing what Google likes...of course.