As Google continues to be our "doorway to the web", more and more business owners are recognizing the importance of understanding some basics about how Internet and search marketing work. This desire to get a peak behind the "Google curtain" has set businesses owners, search marketers, and webmasters on a quest to figure out what signals Google uses in its ranking algorithm, and more importantly, the relative strengths of each of these signals.  Here are just a few examples:

Google Algorithm - What are the 200 Variables?

Let’s Try to Find All 200 Parameters in Google Algorithm

SMX London: Ranking Factors in 2010

SearchEngineLand LinkedIn Discussion On Google Factors

Now before you head out and obsess over integrating all the possible factors, you need to know that some factors are more important than others.

Here are 5 that on which I suggest you spend the majority of your time:

1. Optimized anchor text back links from authoritative sites topically similar to yours.
2. Optimized and non-duplicated page titles.
3. Optimized on-page copy
4. Optimized on-page headings
5. Quality of content on pages which in turn influences user behavior.

And if you forced me to distill web marketing into 2 sentences:

1. Write great search-mindful content on a quality content management system.
2. Get your great content in front of people who are ready, willing, and able to link to it.

Getting Your Law Firm Found On Google Learn About Getting Your Law Firm Found In Google Including: Common myths held by lawyers about their websites Keyword Research & Competition On-Page Optimization Off-Page Optimization & Link Building Hiring A Professional