How does google determine site theme--links, content, both?

[web-content-king]

Google says my site has no theme, though it's pretty clear to me and everyone who visits. I'm wondering if that is because it does not have many links. I am starting to build up link exchanges and so I need to find a theme fast.

Any ideas?

[cbp]

I don't think anyone realy knows - but assume its a combination of things.

The way I try to work out a sites "theme" is look at what sort of Adsense would be served up - as for that Google use a sophisticated analysis (they purchased Applied Semantics Inc for that purpose)

Try this Digitalpoint tool to see what adsense could be served up:
http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/adsense-sandbox/

BUT - that does not mean that this is the way the search engine algo determines theme (it may or may not)

CBP

[Duncan Pollock]

I'm not sure how you know that Google considers that you don't have a theme, but I'm inclined to agree with their opinion.
What's missing -- and it really applies to all your pages -- is anything in the way of appropriate browser titles or H1 (or some other number) headers that describe the content of each page in search engine terms.
(To make this comment clear, you might find it useful to look at http://www.shire.net/learnwebdesign/theme.htm where the idea of website themes is discussed.)
Perhaps you think that the thrust of your website is obvious to everyone (Google excluded, of course). However, with all due respect, I can't help thinking that you leave people to put it into their own words instead of yours (which, to use an old saying, are "conspicuous by their absence").
If nothing else, how about changing "About UpMarket ..." to "How copywriting can increase your marketing success"
Or "The steps involved in achieving high quality content" instead of "How we work"
Subtle differences I admit, but can you realistically expect someone to punch in your present browser titles as search phrases?
As someone long ago said about selling a film idea to the studios: "Tell me the story in one sentence and I'll decide whether we should do it."

Duncan

[web-content-king]

There is a page on Google you can go to determine how Google classifies your site's theme. I'd be surprised if there weren't automated tools for checking it, too. Pretty basic SEO stuff.

The keywords are incorporated into most of the site's pages' titles. Though for the moment part of the problem is that the pages that would appeal to search engines aren't for the most part directly linked from the homepage. I am working on an updated homepage that will be uploaded soon.

However, there are certain pages of a website like about, faq, fees, portfolio and methodology (for creative services) that are pretty much standard and I think to leave them out or use non-descriptive terms would hurt usability. As it is, "how we work" for methodology and "what we do" for about us might be stretching it. The landing pages of the site has relatively few bounces so I'm assuming that the link titles are descriptive enough for visitors. Really, I don't think anyone expects to be getting an SEO boost on their "about" or "methodology" pages.

[Paul B]

Originally Posted by web-content-king

Google says my site has no theme, though it's pretty clear to me and everyone who visits.

Unclear about google talking to you - did they specifically state this in an email?

Of course your site is clear to you - it's yours, you put it togther. And maybe to people who arrive there (for one reason or another). But you need to take a cold look at what you are presenting.

It could be that you have the classic problem of a product or service (third party content providers for websites are I understand it) that people don't know that it exists. It's fairly specialised. Only people who know this service exists will search for You need to concentrate of the advantages that website owners can achieve with your services, rather than the service itself.

Take your line:
"high-end content enhances your ability to generate revenue by improving your perceived value"

It concentrates on you (ie the high-end content), not your customer's benefits. Reversing this so:
"Generate revenue by improving your perceived value with high-end content"

Now this is really to re-enforce the provious posts on 'what we do'- style of thinking.

Google shows no incoming links and a PR of 2. There is a lot of JS in your code and it isn't until line 346 that <h1> comes. This is also not ideal.

[web-content-king]

hmmm...

OK, let me restate this. I'm *not* asking for an editorial opinion. I'm asking how google determines theme. My guess is they do it primarily by the themes of the sites linking to it. Someone who actually does SEO, i.e., at minimum someone who knows that google lets you google your site's theme, should know about this.

I am going to rework the code so the useless javascript for the old menu etc. is gone and more pages are linked from the homepage. But that's not what I'm asking about.

[cbp]

at minimum someone who knows that google lets you google your site's theme, should know about this.

You are going to have to let us into how to do that. Its news to me that you can do that with Google. How do you do it? (it might explain the answers you got above)

CBP

[jackson992]

Your titles aren't very descriptive at all for one thing. If I found you on a search I wouldn't know what the page was about. Theme is all about similar topics. This is done by titles, headings, content and links.