Google's Factors - What to Measure when optimizing a site for Google

As I have menionted in the past, I'm working on a tool/survey that would measure and compare websites and how well they are performing in Google to try to measure the effects of the March Filter (or Sandbox). Below is a compiled list of all the factors I'm currently putting into the survey.

Please respond with your comments and suggestions for additions. The survey will be totally free and the results will be published online as well as here at SEOChat when I get enough information to start making informed analysis.

Site Specifications

• Oldest date in Archive.org
• Relevant Industry/Theme
• W3C Valid
• How often do you update the homepage
• Follows Usability Guidelines
• Download Speed at 56K
• Use of Macromedia Flash

Progress with Google

• # of Pages Indexed
• How Often does GG Bot Visit
• PageRank in Toolbar
• PageRank in GG Directory

Primary Keyword Phrase Details

• Keyword Phrase
• # of Words in Phrase
• GG Position # in SERPs for phrase
• Keyword Phrase Bolded on Homepage
• Keyword Phrase used in H1, H2, H3 tags
• Keyword in Title
• Keyword in URL
• # of Hyphens in URL

Competition for Primary Keyword Phrase

• # of results for keyword phrase at GG
• # of results for phrase in quotes at GG
• Top Overture Cost per Click
• 2nd Position Cost
• 3rd Position Cost
• Keyword Popularity
• SearchGuild Difficulty Score

Link Popularity Progress & Details

• # of links - GG Link Command
• # of links - Yahoo Link Command
• # of results - GG URL Search ("url.com" -site:url.com)
• # of results - GG Title/Keyword Search ("Title of site or company" "keyword phrase" -site:url.com)
• Links from Your own sites (on same C-Block IP Address)
• AllinAnchor Position at GG
• % of Links older than 6 months (estimate)
• % of links older than 3 months
• % of links older than 1 month
• % of links built organically
• % of links manually submitted/built by you:

Link Progress with top Competition

• # of pages in top 100 GG SERPs linking to you
• # of pages in top 20 GG SERPs linking to you
• # of sites in top 50 GG SERPs linking to you

Progress with other Search Engines/Directories

• Position in Yahoo for keyword phrase
• Position with MSN
• DMOZ Listing
• GG Directory
• Yahoo! Directory
• BlueFind Directory
• Microsoft BCentral Directory

Possible Penalties

• Duplicate Content
• # of Pages in Site Showing Grey PR Bar
• Using Cloaking, Re-Directs, etc.
• Using Automated Link Building Services

Thanks much and please let me know if there are other factors I should take into account.

This is a very comprehensive list! I would love to take your survey. I am very curious to see what kind of results could be determined.

Its great to see an SEO whos thinking towards the future, versus 6 years behind like most. Most people still can't grasp the concept of Pagerank -which was merely a project made in 1998, when Brin and Page were in college. Google is lightyears ahead of that now! Google SEO has become like 3d chess.

Do you think you could factor outbound linking into your survey? I'm thinking exclusively of linking to authority pages on your subject -especially if they are non reciprocated. I've heard that this helps increase your "hub score" in the eyes of Google.

I enjoy reading your posts, keep up the forward thinking!

Vetteman - Excellent point, I will atempt to insert a few questions pertaining to outbound linking.

Maybe;

Of the top 50 or 100 results for your keyword phrase at GG, how many does your site link to

and

How many outbound links does your site have total; what is the distribution, etc.

Let me know if you think of some better, more creative ways to ask...

randfish - walkman pointed out in another thread that there may be renewed attention to keyword density. Since the trend is moving back towards on-page seo, this should be one to consider I believe.

P.S. can't wait to beta-test your tool/survey. You're very scientific about this, you must have some sort of degree... (note absence of smiley here)

Wit - good idea. KW Density is in. Are there other on-page factors that I'm not thinking of?

Only thing I can think of is the new ALT "equivalent": the TITLE attribute. Is it really as effective as ALT when it comes to anchor text support and on-page keywords ?

additional question:
I sometimes use both. ie: alt="keyword1" title="keyword1">

is that good or bad?

Luc

Technically that's good, although some browsers make a "mess" of this. The alt-attr is in fact intended as an alternative text for people who can't get the picture, or when the pic link is broken. The title-attr is intended as a pop-up hint. So when you use both the alt text should really never show and the title text should. As I said, some browsers don't agree...

As long as you don't stuff both, you'll be fine. Be as subtle as a SEO can be ;)

I have now added a section:

Outbound Links

• Total # of External Links
• Outbound Link Structure (directory, recip links page(s), ads, in content/sentences, etc)
• Theme of Outbound Links - Sites primarily related/non-related

Thanks for the input, please keep contributing!