If you’re the average small business owner, you know enough about organic search engine optimization to make you dangerous. You know a little about SEO (search engine optimization) and you periodically check your keyword rankings to make sure you are still sitting on page one. Did you know these results are not necessarily the real results Google shares with the average visitor?

Google is now using what is called Personalized Search. Their new algorithms change search results based on what websites you have previously visited. While this is great in some cases, it proves very misleading in other cases.

I was on the phone with a prospect the other day and he mentioned he was sitting on page one for his top three keywords. Well, not so much. He was sitting on page two or three, but he thought he was on page one, because he visits his website more than other websites within the results. Thus his view of his website and his search rankings are a bit skewed and not nearly as accurate as some may believe.

As an SEO consultant it drives me crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I love Google and I all the new functionality and gadgets they offer. That being said, their little feature called Personalized Search distorts reality for many who have no idea Google is morphing results based on a user’s search history.

So how do you really know where you stand? Google’s Webmaster Tools gives you a list of your top search results and where you stand for a particular period of time. I also pay close attention to actual visitor traffic through you guessed it, Google Analytics. Did I mention I like Google? Between the two you will have a much clearer image of your current rank than what your own search can provide. There are also a variety of tools you can purchase to help keep you informed, although since I work with a lot of smaller companies with limited marketing budget, I tend to steer towards free open source packages.

The take away here is to not jump to conclusions on your keyword ranking before you’ve done a little research beyond that of Google’s search box. I start each day with a review of client keyword rank and traffic in Google’s Webmaster Tools and Analytics. Between the two I have a good idea of where we stand or what we need to work on for improving traffic and conversions. It is part of my morning coffee and a ritual I do even on the weekends.

Still confused about Google’s Personalized Search? You can learn more at http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/personalized-search-for-everyone.html.

As I read through the pages I’m awestruck by the explanation given for the qualities associated with the searcher’s experience. The authors boil this down to a simple illustration called the User Experience Honeycomb.

The User Experience Honeycomb Includes

• Useful
• Usable
• Desirable
• Findable
• Accessible
• Credible
• Valuable

While many readers might not deem this concept worthy of much pondering, I do. If you understand search and website design, you know the user experience is paramount in any Internet marketing effort. Explaining this to prospects and client’s is sometimes difficult for me, because not everyone grasps the subject. Some individuals are so burdened by their daily work requirements, they have a difficult time digging into the theories behind a quality search experience. Search is a science and an art that goes much deeper than just the front page of Google.

Many times one of the first things a prospect asks about is reaching page one of Google. Unfortunately, most think this is a short-term event that is triggered by voodoo and magic. They think there is a quick fix to reaching page one and converting each visitor to a lead or a sale. It isn’t that simple. Search has come a long way, but it still requires work. And more importantly, solid content that embodies the honeycomb concept mentioned above. If you provide useful content that visitors will find usable and they can easily locate, you will be rewarded.

Reaching page one or increasing your Internet sale volume requires work and real effort. If you are afraid of either, stick with your pay-per-click campaign or physical storefront and just call it a day.

I have a client who recently told me he doubled his sales funnel since his new website went live a few months ago. Why some may not believe that claim, it is true. I watch his Google Analytics account closely and I can tell many people are finding what they are seeking on his website. They are staying and they are converting.

Together we built a new website and launched an Internet marketing campaign that was built around the honeycomb theory. He produced solid content that people in his industry would find useful, usable, and valuable. In doing so, he increased his already high credibility factor. I took his strong content and made it findable and accessible. Together we became a powerful force and his company is reaping the rewards.

The client believed in the long haul of Internet marketing. He received benefits quickly and I’m sure has obtained a great deal of his project ROI. He did so because he is smart and he believes in the value of hard work. He also believed in the honeycomb theory. When I would talk about usability, he would listen. When I would say we should have “x”, he would deliver it quicker than I expected. He would also think about the project on his own and make valuable requests that would benefit the overall process and his ultimate success. He was an invested party and an active participant that believed in the honeycomb theory.

As I continue to read through my new book, I already applaud the authors for simplifying what many of us website designers and SEO consultants find so difficult. After so many years of working with organic SEO and website design, I find it fairly common sense. Well, I’m a geek and I am not normal. For others, they need an understandable concept and thus far, that authors of Search Patterns are providing just that to their readers.

If you would like more on the subject, I encourage you to purchase the book. Search Patterns is available through O’Reilly Media.

What does Social Search mean to you?

If you use Twitter for business, it means you’ve just had your world expand exponentially.  If you have few Twitter followers and struggle finding new Twitters to follow you, don’t despair.  Your tweets will soon be broadcasted to the world.

If you use Twitter for personal communication and you tweet about anything and everything, tweets beware.  Be a bit more careful about what you tweet, because like it or not, your tweets will reach more people than you may want.

As with anything in this Web 2.0 age, think before you type.

According to Google’s Webmaster Central Blog the new search technology is supposed to improve the search engine’s ability to process large chunks of data, increase indexing speed, heighten the accuracy of search results, and provide a greater level of overall comprehensiveness.

After reviewing the web developer’s preview version, this Internet marketer is impressed. The results seem to be similar to those before, but incredibility faster. And while Google has asked for feedback on any dissatisfaction, this Internet addict could not find anything to report.

The new search is available for preview at http://www2.sandbox.google.com/.