You Want Number One In Google? Get Involved.

Good luck with the Google Dance .. I think everyone that targets SEO gets frustrated when they see results like these listed post search.  Google will catch up to them but it takes time which impacts our businesses .  

I think that as long as Google has been out there, this has been going on.  You just need to make sure that you are providing great content that is useful to the consumer and get out there and update it everyday to make it sticky as Katerina says in comment #6.  Good luck to you!

I wish I remember the birth of google, but I don't.  It feels like I have always had it!

I agree that the ones holding the coveted slots should be competitiors not fake companies skimming for leads to sell to us.

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I am so excited that you shared how to file a complaint.

Excellent rant.

Hi Michael,

I like your rant, but I think you could better spend your time targeting your frustrations at overcoming your competition. You say you have known about Google since their existance however, it doesn't seem you are targeting the keywords "AZ Refinance" and "Arizona Refinance" correctly to gain the rankings you desire. I checked out the sites you were talking about and I looked at your site. Here's what I think you can do to overcome them, or at least get in the top 5 again. 

Step 1 - What page do you want to target the keyword? I assume it's this page: http://azwm.com/arizona-refinance/. As I look at this page it has duplicate content from another page on another website you own here: https://arizonawholesale.mortgagexsites.com/arizona-refinance.html.

What I would do:

1. Remove all duplicate content from your page and start over. The page is nowhere to be seen due to the duplicate content and that is why you don't rank.
2. Create a new useful page full of unique content. Make the page more than 1,000 words and make sure to include your desired keywords in both <h> tags and in the body. Do not spam your keywords but put them into your content naturally.

That's a useful link, and good information. Thank you. I do remember reading that Google was updating its algorithms because too many SEO firms had taken advantage of the existing functionality.

It is a good rant! I've seen those pages when conducting searches on various things. It's really frustrating as the "searcher"! I imagine Google will catch up eventually. Battling loopholes is a constant job..

Michael:

Interesting post.  I am going to follow Lisa advice.  Maybe it will help you, too.  Good luck.

It bugs me that companies not in the business whether it be loans or real estate sales are snaking the top spots on Google.  They then sell the leads back to those of us who are actually in the business.

I find it vulgar and refuse to buy leads from them.

Great article - I bookmarked and will study your post and all the comments. SEO is overwhelming to me.  

I need to learn more about SEO and how it works, you should blog about that.

I read a few more of your posts and it looks like you know what you're doing so sorry for the long winded comment. I hope it all works out for you. :) 

@Lisa Udy - great advice for all :)

Help rebuild this ecomomy; make friends with some realtors & get homes sold...better use of time, than chasing refi's in a rising interest rate market.

Great post, Michael! Sounds like you're competing with these "Made For AdSense" sites that my son has told me about before. Keep fighting the good fight!

Michael, Lisa gave some AWESOME advice in comment #11...that comment alone was blog-worthy in itself! :)

Michael,

When I used to teach agents, one of my training modules was on site development.  Many agents said they wanted to be number 1.  Many agents from the same office, said they wanted to be number one.

So, I'd ask them, for what keyword...  Blank stares most often, then we'd start with one and I'd do a search and the "competition" that came up often times were the spammers.

As Lisa pointed out, there are steps that can be taken, but one must be aware of what one is doing.  What I've discovered is that so many agents get caught up in "what so and so is doing" that they don't keep track of, and or know what it is thay they are doing, online, if you will.

It ends up hurting the agent, in terms of online reputation and management, and well intentioned agents often just give up and continue "stressing" about what another agent is doing and it hurts the agents business more than anything.

Very interesting information Michael! In addition to my mtg co, I also have an SEM co, and this is great to know and pass onto my clients!

I hear ya on the coffee & have written some posts after getting my caffiene buzz on- too funny!!

Hope you're having an awesome weekend & I wish you luck in getting your spot back!!! Go get 'em!!!

Gina Lemos

Michael-thanks for the rant, justifiably so, you raised a real good question with some excellent comments. Best.