Election-Trends: The Google Search Pollster

I’ve written previously about Rick Santorum’s Google problem and the need for politicians to have at least a basic understanding of SEO.

I still get questions about how this situation came to be, so here’s a primer:

• Google’s ranking algorithm is based on many factors, including the number and quality of external links pointing to a site, the words used as linking text pointing to a site, as well as the text on the site itself.
• The Santorum Google situation is not a classic case of Googlebombing.  Googlebombing is a technique that could make Santorum’s own site rank well for an undesirable search query by linking to Santorum’s site using that undesirable phrase as the linking text. For example, linking to Santorum’s site using the phrase “umbilicalheadlice” as the linking text might result in Santorum’s site ranking well for that term.  (but I won’t bother. We already know he is umbilical head lice).
• The Santorum Google problem is caused not by Googlebombing, but by standard SEO.  The problem for Santorum is that an undesirable website has a very high rank (#1 in fact) for Rick Santorum’s name.  The solution would be for  Santorum’s official website to naturally outrank this undesirable site.
• This is the same situation often experienced by professionals and celebrities who wish to control the top ranks for their name, but find it challenging to outrank a pre-existing site with many advantages.  The branch of SEO that specializes in handling these situations is sometimes called Reputation Management.
• The undesirable website for Santorum has a more external links pointing to it than Santorum’s official site, as seen in this comparison:
• However, Rick Santorum’s official site has more different domains linking to it and in most measures of SEO strength, it is a strong contender to the undesirable site.
• There is a good chance that with Santorum’s newsworthy performance in the recent Iowa caucus, his website will soon gain enough unique links that it will naturally outrank the undesirable site.

I normally try to maintain some neutrality on this website, but some politicians don’t deserve it.  Rick Santorum is one of those politicians.  May he froth his tiny self away from the public sphere soon.