At SeaWaves, we specialize in search engine placement. We manage over 50 websites and this gives us a fine-grained and diversified picture of how the search engines organize search listings.

One thing we’ve noticed over the last year is that static websites are at a disadvantage. Over the past few years, search engines have added elements to their algorithms that often prefer fresh data. Or, at the very least, the search algorithms of today tend to prefer domains that provide a steady stream of new content.

At SeaWaves, we tried an experiment by setting up a series of static, informative websites called Guru Guides. For example, we created a guide to online colleges. When we first put this content up, it did quite well in the search engines. And it continued to do well for about 9 months. But then, search referrals started to fade significantly.

There’s a rule on the web that most search professionals now recognize: the websites you work on and develop are the ones that will succeed.

If you are a website owner, keep this in mind. Don’t just let your website sit and go stale. Add to it on a monthly basis, at minimum.