One of my clients mentioned to me recently that some of the articles he published online over a decade ago are getting better ranking in Google than his more recent stuff. This is despite the fact that the old articles are on an old Web site that he isn’t using much anymore, whereas the newer articles are on a newer, more dynamic, Web site.

He put this down to my skills as a search engine optimisation (SEO) expert. While I appreciated the compliment, in this case I think the reality is different.

The real reason his older articles rank better is that – most other things being equal – Google values longevity. In other words, old Web pages do often rank better than new Web pages, because Google knows they are from established businesses and also haven’t been created just for the sake of boosting rankings.

Longevity matters!

This is an important principle in general. It’s not just about Google and SEO. Google is simply reflecting the importance of something that applies in other areas of life as well. You might call it longevity, wisdom, age or experience, but it comes to the same thing: time is important.

As the Spanish saying goes: “Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo”: The devil knows more because he’s old than because he is the devil.

We see this in the world of wealth creation, where advisers and consultants talk about the power of compound growth. The best “get rich slow” strategies all say you should start investing now, so you give compound growth (which Albert Einstein called the eighth wonder of the world) time to do its magic. In fact, a common saying in wealth creation circles is: “Time in the market is more important than timing the market”. I’m not a financial adviser (and certainly no Einstein!), so don’t take this as advice! But it does make sense to me, and it’s the basis of my own financial strategy.

Longevity and experience matter in business as well. If you’re looking to build a long-term relationship with an accountant, lawyer, consultant, landlord, caterer, or other supplier, wouldn’t you rather work with somebody who has a proven track record? Of course, there are exceptions, but in general, that experience and track record count for a lot.

That also means, of course, that people are making the same sort of judgements about you.

So how do you use this to your advantage?

First, get in the game. If you’ve been dragging your feet to get started with something – whether it’s building a Web site, starting an investment plan, or creating a new relationship – start now, so you can take advantage of experience, wisdom, age and longevity.

Second: Highlight your experience. If you have impressive numbers that demonstrate your experience – especially if they set you apart from others – emphasise them in your marketing and positioning. This includes things like number of years in business, number of clients and customers, your age (where relevant and appropriate), and number of years applying your skills and expertise.

Some people can take advantage of their youth (for example, “the youngest Australian to …”), and that’s appropriate. But don’t ignore the other possible meaning of “having age on your side”!