Re: Is this how you get a number 1 rating in Google?

Well, it might depend on what terms you chose for the search too, but this domain was created in 2003 so they have many years under their belt so to speak, so that would be one reason. I like you, dislike visually, a long website pages. So while they might be ranking well, perhaps they are not making many sales, that we don't know. I think Bethers will come along and offer a bit of what is happening here as well. I much prefer the way you have your website laid out, much easier to see what you offer.

Re: Is this how you get a number 1 rating in Google?

I used 'soy candles' as my search term and there were thousands of sites returned with this generic term.

BTW, thanks for the positive feedback on my site. I'm trying but it does seem futile at times.

Brenda

Re: Is this how you get a number 1 rating in Google?

I agree with the look of the site, that has to be the longest home page I have ever seen, but on checking the site does have a hell of a lot of links pointing to it, so this would be a big factor.

Re: Is this how you get a number 1 rating in Google?

It's the first effort after the law was laid down for stuffing pages (after 9-11 was the first effort by the SE's at the time MSN/Yahoo/Ask/Jeeves and Baby Google to force KW's to be anchored, and to stop "webmasters" from loading code), and the time it has been up has a lot to do with it, since the KW/Links are "anchored" and it's not seen clearly as Black Hat.....

.....and like Paul notes, having seeded links hasn't hurt either.

Remember the proliferance of Portals, especially by business? That was the professional way to do the same thing (load anchored KW and Search values on a single page), until they lost favor and went straight to a face-up foundation that could be easily updated, like PHP instead of ColdFusion......that's when common people dabbled in DreamWeaver, until they found it too complicated.....

Re: Is this how you get a number 1 rating in Google?

Why not try and build a link building program. These sort of sites have a lot of similar subjects or sites that you could link with. Use this tool here and put in the website you named above and see where all her links come from, then think about getting in touch about trading links with some of these sites, one way links would be better, but recipricol links will do you some good.

Just make sure you are happy to link with the site you chose, but I am sure there will be a lot of free directorys on the subject that will include your site.

Paul

Re: Is this how you get a number 1 rating in Google?

Without repeating everyone else - the site isn't technically black hat - just mainly bad taste. So, they might get #1 ranking on a term, but I doubt that they get many sales - as I think all of us would click right off that site.

Everything on the net is a dance. And, yes, some of the ones we don't like, will sometimes rank better than us, but rank alone isn't important. If the site isn't user friendly (and that one sure isn't) then I'd certainly rather be 2nd or 3rd.

The average person clicks on a minimum of 3 sites when searching. So, it's not always important to be first - you just want to be in the game. If you're in the US - you might remember the Avis commericials about "trying harder" - that's definitely the case here - and the person with the better site that is trying harder, will win in the long run.

Yep, it's good to have top ranking, but it's not everything. In their case, I'd love to be #2 - as that site is so much better looking - and probably is getting sales because of how #1 looks.

So - keep on doing what you're doing - and get in that top page with them (but it's going to take time!). However, I don't see you getting there with your current copy - unless you get thousands of relevant one-way links back to your site - for the term Soy candles.

Even your soy candle page - only has the term a time or two. I don't like seeing people repeating themselves for no reason - but you need to also make sure people read what they are looking for. EVERY one of the products on that page should have the term soy candle in it. And this is not just for the se's. People want to look at something and know it's what they are looking for. So, for example, you have a Busy Channels candle - that should be Busy Channels Soy Candle, etc etc.

I'd also like to see a picture that is more vibrant of one of your candles. The one you're using of the 4 candles, is too dark - how about some colorful candles. The soy melts is good - vibrant, eye catching, but, to be honest, the pictures you're using for your soy candles would have me shop elsewhere - so you really need that visual. After using your product, it wouldn't matter so much - but remember, you are online and people really ARE visual.

Re: Is this how you get a number 1 rating in Google?

I wonder if the maker of this site, after building the home page over 3 years then realised that his hosting account allowed him more than one page???

Re: Is this how you get a number 1 rating in Google?

Thanks again for all the great feedback. I will work on my site content as Bethers suggested as well as work on the candle photographs. I will also continue to gather relevant or a least interesting link exchanges.

Brenda