The Dynamic, Spooky Truth of Google

Spotted in this month's Wired (18.05):

Found, Then Lost

In his article about Google ("Inside the Box," issue 18.03), Steven Levy used the phrase "mike siwek lawyer mi" as an example of a search that showed Google's power and effectiveness - how easy it is to find an individual lawyer in Michigan! But since the article was published and blogged about, those links crowd out Mr. Siwek, and his Web site no longer appears in Google's top search results. So very ironic.

And that me blogging about the letter discussing the blogging that changed the dynamic will also have an effect? Downright spooky.

Reminds me of that time I took over Jaguar Grooming in Cincinnati, Ohio...

Results on a Niche: Jaguar Grooming in Cincinnati, Ohio

I recently posted about gaining a niche. That niche was for Jaguar Grooming in Cincinnati, Ohio.



As you can see, a search on Google for "jaguar grooming cincinnati" popped me up at #1 (minus the sponsored links, of course).

Because it's so specialized, "jaguar grooming" itself only tops my post by a single Flickr account with an actual jaguar grooming itself.

But that's the crazy thing about the internet and Google rankings. This post itself will alter the results I am currently reporting upon. Which is another lesson: SEO and internet rankings are always in flux.

So grab onto your niche. Own it. Figure out exactly what your customers or clients are searching for, make it a part of your site and blog and Twitter, et. al.

Make it yours.

Jaguar Grooming in Cincinnati, Ohio

This is not so much a clever and humorous blog post about jaguar grooming in Cincinnati, Ohio, as it is an experiment and an example to all those who have this one specific question about Search Engine Optimization: How do I pin down my niche?

Say, for example, one of your niche specializations was the grooming of jaguars - whether wild jaguars or the (?) domesticated jaguar - and you wanted to focus on gaining clients locally in Cincinnati, Ohio. Does OH have a lot of jaguars? I know not, but I'd start by putting together a slick, kickin' ad with the proper name and alt tag:


Jaguar Grooming in Cincinnati, Ohio is HOT!

Now, with my sweet ad - sans real contact info should one find this image not on this blog but on Google Image Search and want to have their jaguar groomed - and my informational blog post about how to get your jaguar grooming business up and running in Cincinnati, Oh (with requisite keyphrase density, variations, and misspellings), you now have a veritable trampoline with which to bounce your niche business into the lead on a Search Engine Results Page.

Just please be careful when grooming jaguars: they bite.