David Beck’s Blog

In trying to prepare to write this blog, I have spent time trying to figure out how exactly one could create a website that would very quickly climb up towards the top on any Google search. Ignoring all the algorithms that are used, the process of exactly how Google ranks pages is confusing to say the least. I understand the concept of various sites being linked to each other and essentially casting a vote for other sites. I can even wrap my head around the fact that some sites votes count more than others. For example, if my website were linked to Wikipeida entry on the fall of Western Roman Empire, then that would really help my page rank. More so than if my site were linked with a smaller less popular site. If I am correct, then simply getting my website linked with thousands of other websites may do nothing for my overall page rank. Keywords are also important in getting page rank, but from what I have read they may not be as important as having a good domain name and having dynamic links within your website.

I have decided that my domain name will either be www.fallofrome.com or www.delineofrome.com. Of course, if I do host my site through my school server, then it will probably have to incorporate the k12.va.us that our school site has within the address. In any event, my competition for getting my page ranked high on Google is not very fierce. When typing decline of Rome into the search, the top five responses are two from the about.com pages, wikipedia, one that is based on the History Alive curriculum and an entry from Historyforkids.org. So as I have said before in my previous blogs, there is really nothing out there that will does what I envision for my site. I do think that there is a market for a page devoted exclusively to the end of Rome. Especially since there are many parallels today with the current state of affairs in the United States.

In reading John and Jerry’s blog, it would seem keywords do play some role in getting my page ranked. Of course on the homepage I will have Emperors, Economy, Moral Decay, Roman Army has my main headings. I think getting my paged linked with the Wikipedia entry and even on www.Roman-empire.net would be very beneficial.

Aside from that, I have to admit that I don’t really understand all of the things one can do to ensure a high ranking from Google. I don’t quite get how we are suppose to link to other websites or even how linking within our own website can increase our page rank. Do I have to ask other sites to link with my site? Does it matter which sites link with mine?

These are important questions to consider when designing a website. By not factoring Google Page Rank into the equation, a web creator is surely dooming his site to the hinterlands of cyberspace.

The question was posed in class how we would rank emails during the Clinton Administration dealing with Al Quaida. Obviously, anything containing words like airplane, World Trade Center, Osama bin Laden should be pushed towards the top. That is what most people would be interested in, how concerned was the U.S. government about people using planes to fly into buildings.

I apologize for the brevity of this post, but I just have a tough time understanding all the in and outs of page rank and no one has really cleared it up for me on any of the blogs that have been posted on the subject thus far.