Although search engine optimisation (SEO) is constantly changing, there are a number of techniques which are constantly viewed as against the rules, it has been claimed.
Barry Hurd, president of Social Media Systems, reports that "unscrupulous" SEO methods will result in punishment from the big search engines.
"Making sure that your company is aware of certain basic standards and not accidentally infringing on discouraged techniques is essential to making sure your online brand is a flourishing asset that is building value," he said.
Dishonest- or "black hat"- techniques include hiding a wealth of irrelevant keywords on webpages or page cloaking - showing search engines visually unappealing but maximised keyword pages that it would not intend for consumers.
Submitting identical content on different pages and providing multiple pages with a particular phrase for SEO is also frowned upon, alongside misspelling common words, brands or websites in order to appear when a web user submits a typo to a search engine.
Leading search engine Google has also publicly penalised websites which pay for reciprocal links, branding them unethical.
Source:http://www.epiphanysolutions.co.uk/searchmarketing/18445052/Unethical-SEO-techniques-are-punishable
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Get to grips" with SEO
Firms who have been living on a different planet and have yet to optimise their website need to get up to speed, it has been claimed.
In an article for BizReport.com, freelance marketing consultant Helen Leggatt commented that 2008 is the year to use search engine optimisation (SEO) as a marketing tool.
Ms Leggatt said that pay-per-click adverts can be effective, but that 80 per cent of searchers use natural search results as a way of finding a product or a service.
She recommended that it should be a company's main aim to appear in the top five listed websites, or at least on the first page of search results.
"One thing remains certain - internet marketing is still the fastest, most measurable and direct means of marketing and it is here to stay," she commented.
Florida newspaper the Herald Tribune recently recommended that firms use natural search over paid as pay-per-clicks often attract spammers and competitors rather than potential customers.
source:http://www.epiphanysolutions.co.uk/searchmarketing/18439599/
In an article for BizReport.com, freelance marketing consultant Helen Leggatt commented that 2008 is the year to use search engine optimisation (SEO) as a marketing tool.
Ms Leggatt said that pay-per-click adverts can be effective, but that 80 per cent of searchers use natural search results as a way of finding a product or a service.
She recommended that it should be a company's main aim to appear in the top five listed websites, or at least on the first page of search results.
"One thing remains certain - internet marketing is still the fastest, most measurable and direct means of marketing and it is here to stay," she commented.
Florida newspaper the Herald Tribune recently recommended that firms use natural search over paid as pay-per-clicks often attract spammers and competitors rather than potential customers.
source:http://www.epiphanysolutions.co.uk/searchmarketing/18439599/
Top 11 Money-Wasting AdWords Mistakes
In my daily interaction with search engine marketing clients, I come across bad habits that businesses and individuals continually repeat.
I see a very high percentage of website owners with little to no understanding of how to build a search engine-friendly site. That's typically my first encounter. The cash drain isn't as apparent then as during my second encounter: pay per click, specifically Google AdWords.
This column assumes that you're fairly new to Google AdWords. If you want to educate yourself further, the 10 to 20 hours you can spend at the Google AdWords Learning Center is well worth it. You also can take the certification exam if you meet their requirements. You need to manage at least one AdWords account and keep at least $1,000 "spend" for 90 days to be allowed to take the exam.
For more information, review the following websites:
adwords.google.com/support
adwords.blogspot.com
groups.google.com/group/adwords-help
They contain additional tips, as well as real-world comments from professionals and others in the field.
Once you've familiarized yourself with AdWords and are ready to set up a campaign, be sure to avoid these top 11 money-wasting mistakes.
1. Not turning off the content network.
When first setting up a campaign, turn off the content network. This option is "on" by default, and you're lucky if it works for you in the first run. It's a form of contextual advertising and tries to position your ads on sites like About.com, The New York Times, Food Network and others.
You typically will see high impressions in your system, but often low CTR--click-through-rates, as determined by impressions to clicks--and low-quality clicks. These aren't serious buyers; they're wasting your dollars and time.
2. Using too many keywords.
When creating new campaigns and ad groups, many people begin by entering every keyword under the sun. Don't. Targeting is key; think about your niche and the categories within it. You can use tools like the Wordtracker Free Suggestion Tool to determine which keywords to begin with. Then, when you have a list together, refer to tip No. 6 below.
3. Ignoring the competition.
Analyze your competitors. One way is to use the Google Keyword Tool. Select "site-related keywords" and enter the competitor's website to pull keyword groups from their pages. Also, check their sites for an overall impression and for content. Do some more digging at SpyFu.com to find more on rankings and competitive PPC spending. Look at the search results pages after entering their top keywords in Google, review their ads, think about text and prepare for tip No. 4.
4. Not including keywords in the ad text.
Use keywords in the title of the ad, but also in the ad copy. So many ad copywriters forget to include the keyword phrase in the actual body of the ad text. Write clearly and provide relevant content for both users and the Google AdBot. Create a matching, relevant landing page to satisfy users and obtain a higher Google Quality Score.
5. Sending visitors to your homepage.
Most PPC accounts I come across send traffic and visitors to their homepage. But there's simply too much information there, and visitors may leave your site. Read my blog entry on money-making landing page tips and test the pages for content. Realize that narrow-casting is better than broad-casting in almost every case.
6. Using too many broad keywords.
Creating ad campaigns and ad groups with tightly matched keywords is necessary, but most folks don't do it. You should place only a few keywords into each ad group and add more groups to accommodate new "themed" keywords. Google maxes out at 100 ad groups per account; I believe they'll raise this at some point.
7. Using broad match.
When you set up Google AdWords for the first time and input a keyword, the default type is broad match. While broad match can work for you, I always recommend using phrase and exact match types to start and track the performance from there.
AdWords also has a negative match type, which is overlooked most of the time. Examples of match types are:
Broad: leather jacket (any order, any word, not as targeted, more clicks)
Phrase: "leather jacket" (this order, words before and after, more targeted, OK clicks)
Exact: [leather jacket] (this order, no other words, highly targeted, least clicks)
Negative: - pink (this would not show ads for "pink leather jacket")
Yahoo! Search Marketing includes match types as well. Make sure you understand them and where they're different. Begin with the standard match type, which is not the default.
8. Using the default "optimize" option.
The default setup for AdWords is to let Google "optimize" your ads for you. It's better to select the "rotate" option, so you can test your ad performance in a much cleaner manner.
9. Not tracking ads and keywords.
If keywords and ads aren't performing, you're wasting money. You can use the free Google Analytics tool to help you track activity. Keywords should also be tested and tracked with misspellings, plurals and stemming(-ing) options.
10. Not properly testing ads.
A/B testing has been around in the advertising world for decades, and the concept is the same online. Write at least two ads within an ad group, and AdWords will rotate them automatically for you. This will reveal the winning ads based on performance. As you continue, pause the loser and write a new and better one; try to outperform the winner again. Don't change it immediately, though; let it run for a while to get some trending data.
11. Not applying the "conversion code."
Be sure to apply the "conversion code," which is a simple JavaScript set that goes into your landing page or thank you page. This information will show up in a column on your AdWords dashboard when you log in, and is a quick way to check for lead counts and important for tracking return on spend.
The Perfect Google AdWords Model
Now that you've read the tips above, here's how to set up a high-quality campaign.
Set up campaigns using keywords + geo (geographic) targets; content network turned off.
Set up campaigns using keywords + geo targets using Google's own internal selections (regions, territories); content network turned off.
Set up a separate, content network only (Google Search/Network is not checked). Only do this after you have tested the first two items for performance.
Create a new "placement targeted campaign" and use "section targeting" to avoid exposing your ads to "run of site" matching. When you research your keywords, find the top searched phrases and type them into Google. Click on each of the top resulting five to eight listings, and check to see if they have Google ads. If they do, use placement and section targeting to drive traffic with a highly targeted, cost-savings approach.
Create "exact" and "phrase" campaigns to start, and create ad groups with one to four keywords, tightly matched.
Create two ads within each group.
Show ads more evenly (campaign settings) and select "rotate" option.
Google is the most advanced, most used search engine, and the AdWords advertising platform, can generate business for you. The company also has expanded into audio, print, mobile and pay-per-action models. However, make sure to test for performance before scaling out to these additional services. If you're into advanced landing page testing, you can try the new Website Optimizer (video) options, which use advanced page and elements optimization.
These tips have helped me a lot, and although I spent a fair share of my own money to discover them, you can apply these tactics immediately and start saving money. You'll also receive more quality clicks and better tracking for yourself and clients.
Source:http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/141728/top_11_moneywasting_adwords_mistakes.html
I see a very high percentage of website owners with little to no understanding of how to build a search engine-friendly site. That's typically my first encounter. The cash drain isn't as apparent then as during my second encounter: pay per click, specifically Google AdWords.
This column assumes that you're fairly new to Google AdWords. If you want to educate yourself further, the 10 to 20 hours you can spend at the Google AdWords Learning Center is well worth it. You also can take the certification exam if you meet their requirements. You need to manage at least one AdWords account and keep at least $1,000 "spend" for 90 days to be allowed to take the exam.
For more information, review the following websites:
adwords.google.com/support
adwords.blogspot.com
groups.google.com/group/adwords-help
They contain additional tips, as well as real-world comments from professionals and others in the field.
Once you've familiarized yourself with AdWords and are ready to set up a campaign, be sure to avoid these top 11 money-wasting mistakes.
1. Not turning off the content network.
When first setting up a campaign, turn off the content network. This option is "on" by default, and you're lucky if it works for you in the first run. It's a form of contextual advertising and tries to position your ads on sites like About.com, The New York Times, Food Network and others.
You typically will see high impressions in your system, but often low CTR--click-through-rates, as determined by impressions to clicks--and low-quality clicks. These aren't serious buyers; they're wasting your dollars and time.
2. Using too many keywords.
When creating new campaigns and ad groups, many people begin by entering every keyword under the sun. Don't. Targeting is key; think about your niche and the categories within it. You can use tools like the Wordtracker Free Suggestion Tool to determine which keywords to begin with. Then, when you have a list together, refer to tip No. 6 below.
3. Ignoring the competition.
Analyze your competitors. One way is to use the Google Keyword Tool. Select "site-related keywords" and enter the competitor's website to pull keyword groups from their pages. Also, check their sites for an overall impression and for content. Do some more digging at SpyFu.com to find more on rankings and competitive PPC spending. Look at the search results pages after entering their top keywords in Google, review their ads, think about text and prepare for tip No. 4.
4. Not including keywords in the ad text.
Use keywords in the title of the ad, but also in the ad copy. So many ad copywriters forget to include the keyword phrase in the actual body of the ad text. Write clearly and provide relevant content for both users and the Google AdBot. Create a matching, relevant landing page to satisfy users and obtain a higher Google Quality Score.
5. Sending visitors to your homepage.
Most PPC accounts I come across send traffic and visitors to their homepage. But there's simply too much information there, and visitors may leave your site. Read my blog entry on money-making landing page tips and test the pages for content. Realize that narrow-casting is better than broad-casting in almost every case.
6. Using too many broad keywords.
Creating ad campaigns and ad groups with tightly matched keywords is necessary, but most folks don't do it. You should place only a few keywords into each ad group and add more groups to accommodate new "themed" keywords. Google maxes out at 100 ad groups per account; I believe they'll raise this at some point.
7. Using broad match.
When you set up Google AdWords for the first time and input a keyword, the default type is broad match. While broad match can work for you, I always recommend using phrase and exact match types to start and track the performance from there.
AdWords also has a negative match type, which is overlooked most of the time. Examples of match types are:
Broad: leather jacket (any order, any word, not as targeted, more clicks)
Phrase: "leather jacket" (this order, words before and after, more targeted, OK clicks)
Exact: [leather jacket] (this order, no other words, highly targeted, least clicks)
Negative: - pink (this would not show ads for "pink leather jacket")
Yahoo! Search Marketing includes match types as well. Make sure you understand them and where they're different. Begin with the standard match type, which is not the default.
8. Using the default "optimize" option.
The default setup for AdWords is to let Google "optimize" your ads for you. It's better to select the "rotate" option, so you can test your ad performance in a much cleaner manner.
9. Not tracking ads and keywords.
If keywords and ads aren't performing, you're wasting money. You can use the free Google Analytics tool to help you track activity. Keywords should also be tested and tracked with misspellings, plurals and stemming(-ing) options.
10. Not properly testing ads.
A/B testing has been around in the advertising world for decades, and the concept is the same online. Write at least two ads within an ad group, and AdWords will rotate them automatically for you. This will reveal the winning ads based on performance. As you continue, pause the loser and write a new and better one; try to outperform the winner again. Don't change it immediately, though; let it run for a while to get some trending data.
11. Not applying the "conversion code."
Be sure to apply the "conversion code," which is a simple JavaScript set that goes into your landing page or thank you page. This information will show up in a column on your AdWords dashboard when you log in, and is a quick way to check for lead counts and important for tracking return on spend.
The Perfect Google AdWords Model
Now that you've read the tips above, here's how to set up a high-quality campaign.
Set up campaigns using keywords + geo (geographic) targets; content network turned off.
Set up campaigns using keywords + geo targets using Google's own internal selections (regions, territories); content network turned off.
Set up a separate, content network only (Google Search/Network is not checked). Only do this after you have tested the first two items for performance.
Create a new "placement targeted campaign" and use "section targeting" to avoid exposing your ads to "run of site" matching. When you research your keywords, find the top searched phrases and type them into Google. Click on each of the top resulting five to eight listings, and check to see if they have Google ads. If they do, use placement and section targeting to drive traffic with a highly targeted, cost-savings approach.
Create "exact" and "phrase" campaigns to start, and create ad groups with one to four keywords, tightly matched.
Create two ads within each group.
Show ads more evenly (campaign settings) and select "rotate" option.
Google is the most advanced, most used search engine, and the AdWords advertising platform, can generate business for you. The company also has expanded into audio, print, mobile and pay-per-action models. However, make sure to test for performance before scaling out to these additional services. If you're into advanced landing page testing, you can try the new Website Optimizer (video) options, which use advanced page and elements optimization.
These tips have helped me a lot, and although I spent a fair share of my own money to discover them, you can apply these tactics immediately and start saving money. You'll also receive more quality clicks and better tracking for yourself and clients.
Source:http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/141728/top_11_moneywasting_adwords_mistakes.html
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Affiliate marketing experiences dramatic growth
Affiliate marketing is experiencing dramatic growth in the UK, according to figures out today from E-consultancy1. The findings are echoed by the UK’s largest independent affiliate network, buy.at, which has seen turnover increase by seventy per cent.
Kevin Cornils, CEO of buy.at explains, ‘Performance marketing has grown as marketers increase their knowledge of new marketing channels and demand greater efficiencies from their online activity. Search engine marketing has arguably reached its peak but affiliate marketing is still in a high-growth phase with 78 per cent of merchants planning to increase their spend. Merchants and their agencies are gaining expertise and becoming increasingly strategic in their use of the affiliate channel. We have seen investment increase by approximately 70 per cent on our network over the past year with brands such as John Lewis, M&S, Egg, Virgin Media and British Telecom adopting our innovative technology, such as dynamic product feeds to affiliates, combining different affiliate segments to maximise CPA and improving their tracking and analysis of the results. This represents a huge opportunity for both affiliates and marketers that understand the channel and appreciate the benefits of true pay-for-performance advertising.’
Today’s report from E-consultancy follows research sponsored by buy.at2 which discovered that 78 per cent of merchants had increased their spend on affiliate marketing between September 2005 and September 2007 and the same percentage planned to increase it further in the next two years. 75 per cent of gaming companies said they had increased spend since 2005 followed by 71 per cent of travel companies, 68 per cent of financial services companies, 64 per cent of telcoes and 62 per cent of retailers.
85 per cent of the UK agencies surveyed by E-consultancy3 confirmed that they now manage more affiliate marketing for clients than they did two years ago with the channel representing 20 per cent of turnover. 92 per cent of agencies expected to be managing more affiliate marketing in two years’ time, and 90 per cent of them see affiliate marketing is a way of growing their agency or differentiating it.
One reason for growth is because the channel is the most cost-effective channel for driving customer acquisition. The research2 found that 95% of UK advertisers (merchants) said that it is ‘very cost-effective’ or ‘quite cost-effective’ for acquiring customers. Paid search was seen as the second most cost-effective followed by email marketing with these marketing channels viewed as ‘very cost-effective’ or ‘quite cost-effective’ by 90% and 82% of merchants respectively.
Affiliate marketing was also revealed as a highly effective channel for driving volume with three quarters of respondents (73%) saying that it drove either ‘high volume’ or ‘medium volume’. The travel industry was found to be making the most successful use of affiliate marketing.
A total of 239 UK merchants completed the survey in September 2007. Half of the respondents who were aware of their company’s turnover said it was in excess of £50 million per year. 100 agencies completed the Affiliate Marketing Agency Survey.
Kevin Cornils, CEO of buy.at concludes, ‘Affiliate marketing has proved itself as a particularly cost-effective way to drive a volume of customer acquisition which has resulted in increased investment in the channel. We have had a particularly successful year at buy.at with new customer wins including Match.com, dial-a-phone, Seatwave, O2 and BT. We have also developed new partnerships with Atlas and Doubleclick, launched new technology, acquired a lead generation company, recruited industry experts such as Louise Green from OMG and expanded our network into the US. We expect this growth to continue even faster in 2008 as technology and account management become more sophisticated and affiliate marketing becomes an increasingly strategic marketing channel for UK businesses.’
sourcehttp://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=36443&hilite=
Kevin Cornils, CEO of buy.at explains, ‘Performance marketing has grown as marketers increase their knowledge of new marketing channels and demand greater efficiencies from their online activity. Search engine marketing has arguably reached its peak but affiliate marketing is still in a high-growth phase with 78 per cent of merchants planning to increase their spend. Merchants and their agencies are gaining expertise and becoming increasingly strategic in their use of the affiliate channel. We have seen investment increase by approximately 70 per cent on our network over the past year with brands such as John Lewis, M&S, Egg, Virgin Media and British Telecom adopting our innovative technology, such as dynamic product feeds to affiliates, combining different affiliate segments to maximise CPA and improving their tracking and analysis of the results. This represents a huge opportunity for both affiliates and marketers that understand the channel and appreciate the benefits of true pay-for-performance advertising.’
Today’s report from E-consultancy follows research sponsored by buy.at2 which discovered that 78 per cent of merchants had increased their spend on affiliate marketing between September 2005 and September 2007 and the same percentage planned to increase it further in the next two years. 75 per cent of gaming companies said they had increased spend since 2005 followed by 71 per cent of travel companies, 68 per cent of financial services companies, 64 per cent of telcoes and 62 per cent of retailers.
85 per cent of the UK agencies surveyed by E-consultancy3 confirmed that they now manage more affiliate marketing for clients than they did two years ago with the channel representing 20 per cent of turnover. 92 per cent of agencies expected to be managing more affiliate marketing in two years’ time, and 90 per cent of them see affiliate marketing is a way of growing their agency or differentiating it.
One reason for growth is because the channel is the most cost-effective channel for driving customer acquisition. The research2 found that 95% of UK advertisers (merchants) said that it is ‘very cost-effective’ or ‘quite cost-effective’ for acquiring customers. Paid search was seen as the second most cost-effective followed by email marketing with these marketing channels viewed as ‘very cost-effective’ or ‘quite cost-effective’ by 90% and 82% of merchants respectively.
Affiliate marketing was also revealed as a highly effective channel for driving volume with three quarters of respondents (73%) saying that it drove either ‘high volume’ or ‘medium volume’. The travel industry was found to be making the most successful use of affiliate marketing.
A total of 239 UK merchants completed the survey in September 2007. Half of the respondents who were aware of their company’s turnover said it was in excess of £50 million per year. 100 agencies completed the Affiliate Marketing Agency Survey.
Kevin Cornils, CEO of buy.at concludes, ‘Affiliate marketing has proved itself as a particularly cost-effective way to drive a volume of customer acquisition which has resulted in increased investment in the channel. We have had a particularly successful year at buy.at with new customer wins including Match.com, dial-a-phone, Seatwave, O2 and BT. We have also developed new partnerships with Atlas and Doubleclick, launched new technology, acquired a lead generation company, recruited industry experts such as Louise Green from OMG and expanded our network into the US. We expect this growth to continue even faster in 2008 as technology and account management become more sophisticated and affiliate marketing becomes an increasingly strategic marketing channel for UK businesses.’
sourcehttp://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=36443&hilite=
Monday, January 21, 2008
Affiliate marketing in UK drives more than £3bn in sales in 2007
The UK market for affiliate marketing grew by an estimated 45% in 2007, taking the total value of online sales generated by this channel in 2007 to more than £3 billion.
According to a research published in E-consultancy's Affiliate Marketing Networks Buyer's Guide, the £3.13 billion total for 2007, compared to £2.16 billion in 2006, illustrates the healthy state of this digital sector which will continue to grow strongly during 2008. The company added that sectors such as retail, travel and financial services continue to be the bedrock of affiliate marketing, with both Blue Chips and SMEs ramping up their investment.
E-consultancy's Head of Research Linus Gregoriadis said: "Affiliate marketing continues to gain momentum because the performance-based model is so popular with advertisers. When the biggest consumer-facing brands in these industries do not have a well-defined affiliate strategy, it now tends to be an exception rather than the rule."
He added: "The whole industry is getting more professional and 2007 was definitely a big year for affiliate marketing. The channel has become much more strategic and boardrooms are starting to take notice. Media agencies are becoming increasingly involved in this sector as a consequence of its increased profile."
According to the research, commissions and fees paid out to affiliate networks (covering payments for both networks and affiliates) amounted to £186 million in 2007, up 40% from £133 million in 2006 (and compared to £83 million in 2005).
The growth of affiliate marketing reflects the buoyant nature of online retail in the UK. According to the IMRG, the UK's online retailers generated around £46.6 billion in sales last year.
Source:http://www.m-travel.com/news/2008/01/affiliate-marke.html
According to a research published in E-consultancy's Affiliate Marketing Networks Buyer's Guide, the £3.13 billion total for 2007, compared to £2.16 billion in 2006, illustrates the healthy state of this digital sector which will continue to grow strongly during 2008. The company added that sectors such as retail, travel and financial services continue to be the bedrock of affiliate marketing, with both Blue Chips and SMEs ramping up their investment.
E-consultancy's Head of Research Linus Gregoriadis said: "Affiliate marketing continues to gain momentum because the performance-based model is so popular with advertisers. When the biggest consumer-facing brands in these industries do not have a well-defined affiliate strategy, it now tends to be an exception rather than the rule."
He added: "The whole industry is getting more professional and 2007 was definitely a big year for affiliate marketing. The channel has become much more strategic and boardrooms are starting to take notice. Media agencies are becoming increasingly involved in this sector as a consequence of its increased profile."
According to the research, commissions and fees paid out to affiliate networks (covering payments for both networks and affiliates) amounted to £186 million in 2007, up 40% from £133 million in 2006 (and compared to £83 million in 2005).
The growth of affiliate marketing reflects the buoyant nature of online retail in the UK. According to the IMRG, the UK's online retailers generated around £46.6 billion in sales last year.
Source:http://www.m-travel.com/news/2008/01/affiliate-marke.html
Thursday, January 17, 2008
What is a Feed and RSS?
Recently I was wondering how many of the website users are familiar with subscribing to "Feeds" and understand what "RSS" really is all about. I don't often bring you technical advice because it is not the nature of the site, but I believe that this is a useful and time-saving technology that people should understand the basics.
So I've decided to do a short and informative little post about this technology and how it can make your life a little bit simpler.
Quick Introduction to RSS
RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" and is a technology that allows a website to announce and share it's updates to a large audience. The "Feed" is a document containing the update information which is shared out. So when you are subscribing to a website's "feed" you are asking it to inform you of updates.
This is not quite the same as an e-mail subscription which sends you a message directly. RSS is a passive technology which you must ask the website for this update file. It sounds a bit complicated but once you get in to the swing of things it becomes a real time saver.
How do I use a Feed
There are several ways to use feeds to your advantage. You can integrate them in to your homepage, such as Yahoo or Google. You can subscribe to "Live Bookmarks" if you are using Firefox web browser, and you can also use a web-based news reader application.
Adding a Feed to my Homepage
Most websites have a little orange icon which is the internationally known image for RSS. The large image on this article is one example, and there is another example on the right side of the page which is much smaller.
By clicking on that icon you can add the feed to your homepage or news reader application.
Adding Feeds with Chicklets
Chicklets are simple graphics that help the user add the feed to their homepage or reader. They must be created and provided by the website owner.
Live Bookmarks in Firefox
Firefox is a very popular web browser that gives you a lot more functionality than Internet Explorer. One of it's many popular features is the Live bookmarks. A "Live Bookmark" a kind of website subscription that automatically downloads links to the latest articles from your favourite websites.
To add a live bookmark simply click on the "Bookmarks" menu at the top of your screen and then select "Subscribe to this Page"
Now when you open your bookmarks you will have a folder containing links to all the latest articles from that website, which is dynamically updated.
News Reader Programs
Probably one of the most common programs for reader the news is Google's News Reader. It is quite an easy application to use and it allows you to keep track of many websites all in one place. It automatically scans all the websites you add for updates and then presents only the latest articles for your review. It's my personal favourite option and the one I use daily.
There are many other options such as BlogLines, NetVibes and NewsGator available, but I find Google makes the process incredibly simple and easy to use.
Source:http://www.masonictravels.com/2008/01/what-is-feed-and-rss.html
So I've decided to do a short and informative little post about this technology and how it can make your life a little bit simpler.
Quick Introduction to RSS
RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication" and is a technology that allows a website to announce and share it's updates to a large audience. The "Feed" is a document containing the update information which is shared out. So when you are subscribing to a website's "feed" you are asking it to inform you of updates.
This is not quite the same as an e-mail subscription which sends you a message directly. RSS is a passive technology which you must ask the website for this update file. It sounds a bit complicated but once you get in to the swing of things it becomes a real time saver.
How do I use a Feed
There are several ways to use feeds to your advantage. You can integrate them in to your homepage, such as Yahoo or Google. You can subscribe to "Live Bookmarks" if you are using Firefox web browser, and you can also use a web-based news reader application.
Adding a Feed to my Homepage
Most websites have a little orange icon which is the internationally known image for RSS. The large image on this article is one example, and there is another example on the right side of the page which is much smaller.
By clicking on that icon you can add the feed to your homepage or news reader application.
Adding Feeds with Chicklets
Chicklets are simple graphics that help the user add the feed to their homepage or reader. They must be created and provided by the website owner.
Live Bookmarks in Firefox
Firefox is a very popular web browser that gives you a lot more functionality than Internet Explorer. One of it's many popular features is the Live bookmarks. A "Live Bookmark" a kind of website subscription that automatically downloads links to the latest articles from your favourite websites.
To add a live bookmark simply click on the "Bookmarks" menu at the top of your screen and then select "Subscribe to this Page"
Now when you open your bookmarks you will have a folder containing links to all the latest articles from that website, which is dynamically updated.
News Reader Programs
Probably one of the most common programs for reader the news is Google's News Reader. It is quite an easy application to use and it allows you to keep track of many websites all in one place. It automatically scans all the websites you add for updates and then presents only the latest articles for your review. It's my personal favourite option and the one I use daily.
There are many other options such as BlogLines, NetVibes and NewsGator available, but I find Google makes the process incredibly simple and easy to use.
Source:http://www.masonictravels.com/2008/01/what-is-feed-and-rss.html
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Search Engine Optimization is a Continuous Process
Many of us must have heard the saying 'Plan your work and work your plan', and that the one who actually believes and works on it succeeds in the rat race of proving his or her worth. This certainly stands true for the corporate world which is continuously upgrading itself with the latest technology and where every organization faces new competition in every aspect of the business world. Marketing is an integral part of all these aspects. No business enterprise can survive without marketing and promotion of its products and services. The main reason for this promotion is the fact that 'out of sight is out of mind'. This is why, it is essential to maintain the visibility of the business enterprise in the eyes of the potential customers.
With the Internet coming up with new conveniences and benefits, both for customers and for business enterprises, it has become a perfect marketplace in the present-day scenario. Along with many benefits such as the potential to find customers worldwide, it also has many drawbacks to it. The challenge involved in online marketing is to combat the competitors from all over the world. The internet has meant that restrictions of geographical boundaries do not hold true anymore. This is where the visibility of the website comes into question. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process that rates the website based on various factors and delineates their rankings. Business organizations therefore have to recognize these factors that affect their rankings with search engines and make the required amendments in their websites accordingly. Once a website has achieved a higher ranking, one can say that the business organization is almost halfway through on the path of success. We can say that diverting traffic to a website by way of higher SEO ranking via search engine optimization is a key to reaching the zenith of success.
The better your research, the more improved your website's ranking. The main aim of search engines is to satisfy Internet users by providing them the exact information that they were looking for. They want content that is not only relevant, but also upgraded according to the latest developments. This is the reason why search engine optimization is also known to be an ongoing process. That is to say, providing the relevant information and achieving a higher ranking once is not enough. The website has to be continuously updated to maintain that high position with the search engines.
The content of the website holds the most important position when it comes to improving search engine rankings. 'Content is king' is a phrase that each one of us, who is acquainted with the workings of SEO, must have heard. This is primarily because this is the basic requirement of the user. The content should always be relevant and easily comprehensible. Plagiarized content is not required at all. Ensure that you do not stray from the topic or repeat points. The keywords that will be used should fit in well with the flow of the text. Enlighten Internet users with your knowledge and impress them with your interesting writing style and do not bother about the consequences after that. It is necessary to make the content rich in keywords. Though one should also be cautious not to exceed the ideal keyword density, otherwise it may draw the suspicion of spam towards the site and may lead to the site being banned.
There is a need to conduct constant and extensive research to find the keywords that potential users are expected to submit in the search engines. The keywords chosen should be such that it best describes the crux of the entire website. Also, the keywords selected should draw fewer competitive website results, but it should not be so unique that a general user would not even think of that keyword while searching. Technically speaking, it is advisable to go for keywords that draw less than 5000 competitive websites, but is searched at an average of 1000 times per month. Do not forget to incorporate the selected keyword in the header tag, keyword tag, title and in the description tag, including a few times in the actual content of the website.
Apart from the content and keywords, there are some other factors that greatly influence the rankings of a website on the search engines. Interlinking is a method of promotion that mentions the link of your website to the visitors of another site that has the same theme, and vice versa. This could be a reference link for the users of that website. Uploading numerous articles related to the theme of the website is another standard component included in SEO strategies to enhance the rankings with search engines. These articles can also be submitted with famous article directories that will drive more traffic to the site as the hyperlink of the website can be mentioned in the resource box at the end of the article. At times, the site map of a website can also be of great help in achieving a higher ranking. As the site map lists all the content mentioned on the website, when the SEOs trace the required keyword on the sitemap, they simply index it with the search engines. This enhances the ranking of the website.
However, there are many SEO consultants who claim to provide top rankings with search engines within a few days and they undoubtedly, prove themselves right in claiming that. But, one should remain alert not to be carried away by such claims as there are two techniques of SEO that gives higher rankings - white hat and the black hat SEO technique. While white hat makes use of ethical techniques, black hat employs unfair strategies to achieve the top position with the search engines in a matter of a few days. The latter technique is the one that is also employed by SEO consultants who claim a quick higher SEO ranking. For long term benefit, one should always look forward to white hat techniques to avoid any inconveniences such as spamming and other related things. Hence, we can say that SEO serves a two way purpose by providing the user with the required information, and business organizations their soaring profits.
Source:http://www.promotionworld.com/se/articles/article/080116searchengineoptimization.html
With the Internet coming up with new conveniences and benefits, both for customers and for business enterprises, it has become a perfect marketplace in the present-day scenario. Along with many benefits such as the potential to find customers worldwide, it also has many drawbacks to it. The challenge involved in online marketing is to combat the competitors from all over the world. The internet has meant that restrictions of geographical boundaries do not hold true anymore. This is where the visibility of the website comes into question. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process that rates the website based on various factors and delineates their rankings. Business organizations therefore have to recognize these factors that affect their rankings with search engines and make the required amendments in their websites accordingly. Once a website has achieved a higher ranking, one can say that the business organization is almost halfway through on the path of success. We can say that diverting traffic to a website by way of higher SEO ranking via search engine optimization is a key to reaching the zenith of success.
The better your research, the more improved your website's ranking. The main aim of search engines is to satisfy Internet users by providing them the exact information that they were looking for. They want content that is not only relevant, but also upgraded according to the latest developments. This is the reason why search engine optimization is also known to be an ongoing process. That is to say, providing the relevant information and achieving a higher ranking once is not enough. The website has to be continuously updated to maintain that high position with the search engines.
The content of the website holds the most important position when it comes to improving search engine rankings. 'Content is king' is a phrase that each one of us, who is acquainted with the workings of SEO, must have heard. This is primarily because this is the basic requirement of the user. The content should always be relevant and easily comprehensible. Plagiarized content is not required at all. Ensure that you do not stray from the topic or repeat points. The keywords that will be used should fit in well with the flow of the text. Enlighten Internet users with your knowledge and impress them with your interesting writing style and do not bother about the consequences after that. It is necessary to make the content rich in keywords. Though one should also be cautious not to exceed the ideal keyword density, otherwise it may draw the suspicion of spam towards the site and may lead to the site being banned.
There is a need to conduct constant and extensive research to find the keywords that potential users are expected to submit in the search engines. The keywords chosen should be such that it best describes the crux of the entire website. Also, the keywords selected should draw fewer competitive website results, but it should not be so unique that a general user would not even think of that keyword while searching. Technically speaking, it is advisable to go for keywords that draw less than 5000 competitive websites, but is searched at an average of 1000 times per month. Do not forget to incorporate the selected keyword in the header tag, keyword tag, title and in the description tag, including a few times in the actual content of the website.
Apart from the content and keywords, there are some other factors that greatly influence the rankings of a website on the search engines. Interlinking is a method of promotion that mentions the link of your website to the visitors of another site that has the same theme, and vice versa. This could be a reference link for the users of that website. Uploading numerous articles related to the theme of the website is another standard component included in SEO strategies to enhance the rankings with search engines. These articles can also be submitted with famous article directories that will drive more traffic to the site as the hyperlink of the website can be mentioned in the resource box at the end of the article. At times, the site map of a website can also be of great help in achieving a higher ranking. As the site map lists all the content mentioned on the website, when the SEOs trace the required keyword on the sitemap, they simply index it with the search engines. This enhances the ranking of the website.
However, there are many SEO consultants who claim to provide top rankings with search engines within a few days and they undoubtedly, prove themselves right in claiming that. But, one should remain alert not to be carried away by such claims as there are two techniques of SEO that gives higher rankings - white hat and the black hat SEO technique. While white hat makes use of ethical techniques, black hat employs unfair strategies to achieve the top position with the search engines in a matter of a few days. The latter technique is the one that is also employed by SEO consultants who claim a quick higher SEO ranking. For long term benefit, one should always look forward to white hat techniques to avoid any inconveniences such as spamming and other related things. Hence, we can say that SEO serves a two way purpose by providing the user with the required information, and business organizations their soaring profits.
Source:http://www.promotionworld.com/se/articles/article/080116searchengineoptimization.html
Why You Should Reveal SEO Secrets To Clients
When you buy search services, some agencies merely provide a general overview of their SEO methodology without revealing any details. They claim this relieves the client from being bogged down in the minutiae of implementation. In reality though, these firms are simply trying to keep their intellectual property under wraps and create a dependence for their implementation services. With a little help though, well trained in-house teams are fully capable of implementing search strategies on their own. So why should a search marketing firm, which has spent considerable time and money developing proven methods, risk losing a client by empowering them with proprietary knowledge and skills?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is mission critical in today's business environment, and many organizations conduct SEO in-house because of the immediacy and convenience of having all hands on deck from the various departments involved in SEO planning and implementation. However, seasoned SEO technicians are hard to come by and many firms (with or without experienced people) find it beneficial to leverage expert consultants that provide on-site search training for in-house personnel.
This creates a need for search agencies that are willing to engage their clients in the details of SEO. Transparent firms educate clients on proven SEO strategies, customize a tactical-level roadmap and provide detailed documentation and training on their processes. Furthermore, they encourage the client to rely on objective analytics as proof of success. In the end, knowledge transfer and accountability empower the client and make the agency a strategic business partner.
The reciprocal benefits of knowledge transfer
First, search engine marketing tactics evolve on a daily basis, so companies will always need experts to help them create and implement successful programs. By engaging in knowledge-transfer, an interactive agency specializing in search articulates the need for its clients to embrace SEO as an ongoing discipline within their marketing department. Clients who adopt a knowledge-transfer mindset will profit from the insights afforded, enjoying the benefits of a long-term search marketing partnership. What’s more, savvy agencies will continue to supplement their SEO knowledge as the knowledge-transfer process becomes reciprocal and they start learning from their clients. Active clients can provide additional eyes and ears to industry changes and trends, as well as practical insights into the effectiveness of advanced SEO tactics.
SEO success begins with documented methodology
An experienced agency develops the client partnership by explaining how to conduct and analyze an SEO Diagnostic Audit. While most firms don't document or disclose SEO tactics in a document, a forward-thinking agency does this to build the foundation for a strategic plan to improve the client's search rankings. But knowledge transfer shouldn’t stop with an Audit. The client should also learn the philosophies and processes behind keyword research, page selection, content development and optimization, link building, and social media marketing.
By acting on the Diagnostic Audit findings, the client can identify obstacles that are hindering their efforts to achieve top search rankings. With this framework, the agency can credibly exhibit to the client how its recommended solutions will lead to improved search visibility. The client, in turn, can more quickly accept the recommended changes without doubt or hesitation. Moreover, with continued training, the client can start to optimize technical and editorial elements on their own and begin to outperform their competitors in search engine result pages.
Measurement is critical
Without a benchmark or continued analysis, it is virtually impossible to determine the effectiveness of an SEO campaign. As such, it is more important than ever for your in-house team to understand and use Web analytics to get the most from your search investment. As the need to master SEO search metrics becomes critical to success, Web analytics tools are becoming more sophisticated and accurate. At the same time, they are also becoming more difficult to understand and use. Again, search training services can hone your in-house team's skills, while providing documented methodology.
Looking ahead in 2008
Clients that are search savvy tend to recognize additional opportunities to accomplish business objectives through search. Because search strategies are so broad and deep in scope, an increase in general SEO knowledge leads to a greater need for niche expertise and consulting. As such, interactive agencies that have a knowledge-transfer philosophy, as well as capabilities beyond search, have a distinct opportunity to help their clients benefit nicely from search trends in 2008. For example, agencies that take the time to educate their clients about blended search, and the strategies used to optimize for it, can extend their usefulness beyond search to include: content development (i.e. text, videos, images), content optimization (i.e. landing page testing and targeting), content promotion (i.e. Internet PR and advertising), and technical development (i.e. widgets, USG platforms, custom applications). This creates a strategic partnership in which both the client and the agency can continue to create value for each other over the long term.
Paul J. Bruemmer has provided search engine marketing expertise and in-house consulting services to prominent American businesses since 1995. As Director of Search Marketing at Red Door Interactive, he is responsible for the strategic implementation of search engine marketing activities within Red Door's Internet Presence Management (IPM) services. John Faris, who co-authored this article, is Senior Search Analyst at Red Door Interactive. He helps plan, implement, test, measure, and optimize traffic acquisition strategies for Red Door’s clients. Faris is also tasked with training in-house SEO teams. The In House column appears periodically at Search Engine Land.
Source:http://searchengineland.com/080116-122346.php
Search engine optimization (SEO) is mission critical in today's business environment, and many organizations conduct SEO in-house because of the immediacy and convenience of having all hands on deck from the various departments involved in SEO planning and implementation. However, seasoned SEO technicians are hard to come by and many firms (with or without experienced people) find it beneficial to leverage expert consultants that provide on-site search training for in-house personnel.
This creates a need for search agencies that are willing to engage their clients in the details of SEO. Transparent firms educate clients on proven SEO strategies, customize a tactical-level roadmap and provide detailed documentation and training on their processes. Furthermore, they encourage the client to rely on objective analytics as proof of success. In the end, knowledge transfer and accountability empower the client and make the agency a strategic business partner.
The reciprocal benefits of knowledge transfer
First, search engine marketing tactics evolve on a daily basis, so companies will always need experts to help them create and implement successful programs. By engaging in knowledge-transfer, an interactive agency specializing in search articulates the need for its clients to embrace SEO as an ongoing discipline within their marketing department. Clients who adopt a knowledge-transfer mindset will profit from the insights afforded, enjoying the benefits of a long-term search marketing partnership. What’s more, savvy agencies will continue to supplement their SEO knowledge as the knowledge-transfer process becomes reciprocal and they start learning from their clients. Active clients can provide additional eyes and ears to industry changes and trends, as well as practical insights into the effectiveness of advanced SEO tactics.
SEO success begins with documented methodology
An experienced agency develops the client partnership by explaining how to conduct and analyze an SEO Diagnostic Audit. While most firms don't document or disclose SEO tactics in a document, a forward-thinking agency does this to build the foundation for a strategic plan to improve the client's search rankings. But knowledge transfer shouldn’t stop with an Audit. The client should also learn the philosophies and processes behind keyword research, page selection, content development and optimization, link building, and social media marketing.
By acting on the Diagnostic Audit findings, the client can identify obstacles that are hindering their efforts to achieve top search rankings. With this framework, the agency can credibly exhibit to the client how its recommended solutions will lead to improved search visibility. The client, in turn, can more quickly accept the recommended changes without doubt or hesitation. Moreover, with continued training, the client can start to optimize technical and editorial elements on their own and begin to outperform their competitors in search engine result pages.
Measurement is critical
Without a benchmark or continued analysis, it is virtually impossible to determine the effectiveness of an SEO campaign. As such, it is more important than ever for your in-house team to understand and use Web analytics to get the most from your search investment. As the need to master SEO search metrics becomes critical to success, Web analytics tools are becoming more sophisticated and accurate. At the same time, they are also becoming more difficult to understand and use. Again, search training services can hone your in-house team's skills, while providing documented methodology.
Looking ahead in 2008
Clients that are search savvy tend to recognize additional opportunities to accomplish business objectives through search. Because search strategies are so broad and deep in scope, an increase in general SEO knowledge leads to a greater need for niche expertise and consulting. As such, interactive agencies that have a knowledge-transfer philosophy, as well as capabilities beyond search, have a distinct opportunity to help their clients benefit nicely from search trends in 2008. For example, agencies that take the time to educate their clients about blended search, and the strategies used to optimize for it, can extend their usefulness beyond search to include: content development (i.e. text, videos, images), content optimization (i.e. landing page testing and targeting), content promotion (i.e. Internet PR and advertising), and technical development (i.e. widgets, USG platforms, custom applications). This creates a strategic partnership in which both the client and the agency can continue to create value for each other over the long term.
Paul J. Bruemmer has provided search engine marketing expertise and in-house consulting services to prominent American businesses since 1995. As Director of Search Marketing at Red Door Interactive, he is responsible for the strategic implementation of search engine marketing activities within Red Door's Internet Presence Management (IPM) services. John Faris, who co-authored this article, is Senior Search Analyst at Red Door Interactive. He helps plan, implement, test, measure, and optimize traffic acquisition strategies for Red Door’s clients. Faris is also tasked with training in-house SEO teams. The In House column appears periodically at Search Engine Land.
Source:http://searchengineland.com/080116-122346.php
Monday, January 14, 2008
Update on Organic SEO and PPC
Organic SEO and Pay Per Click Advertising
In the search industry we’ve all heard and read each of those terms quite frequently. We’ve each ran across those who believe their way is the only way, and then there are others who don’t express their opinions as strongly, but still prefer one way over the other. And lastly, there are those who use both methods.
This video/article does not contain any breaking information about either organic or pay per click, but you should still read/watch it because it will give you a couple of up-to-date perspectives from some very respectable people in the industry.
WebProNews spoke with David Szetela about why his company, Clix Marketing, only uses pay per click advertising.
I also had an interesting conversation with Matt Bailey about his exclusive use of organic SEO for SiteLogic clients. Matt describes organic SEO as being similar to art, and goes on to explain pay per click as a science.
David and Matt also point out the large role that social networking plays in both organic and PPC.
Organically, social networks are a great way to build your online reputation and get your name known. David mentioned that Google now has site-targeted advertising and Facebook also launched their own pay-per-click advertising service within their site.
Still have questions about organic SEO and Pay Per Click? Catch the full story in the WebProNews video that includes sound clips from David Szetela and Matt Bailey as well as a host of other information.
Source:http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/01/14/update-on-organic-seo-and-ppc
In the search industry we’ve all heard and read each of those terms quite frequently. We’ve each ran across those who believe their way is the only way, and then there are others who don’t express their opinions as strongly, but still prefer one way over the other. And lastly, there are those who use both methods.
This video/article does not contain any breaking information about either organic or pay per click, but you should still read/watch it because it will give you a couple of up-to-date perspectives from some very respectable people in the industry.
WebProNews spoke with David Szetela about why his company, Clix Marketing, only uses pay per click advertising.
I also had an interesting conversation with Matt Bailey about his exclusive use of organic SEO for SiteLogic clients. Matt describes organic SEO as being similar to art, and goes on to explain pay per click as a science.
David and Matt also point out the large role that social networking plays in both organic and PPC.
Organically, social networks are a great way to build your online reputation and get your name known. David mentioned that Google now has site-targeted advertising and Facebook also launched their own pay-per-click advertising service within their site.
Still have questions about organic SEO and Pay Per Click? Catch the full story in the WebProNews video that includes sound clips from David Szetela and Matt Bailey as well as a host of other information.
Source:http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/01/14/update-on-organic-seo-and-ppc
5 Ways to Keep Your SEO Resolution for 2008
Leveraging social media in 2008 will be a transformative process in the real estate industry. It is not rocket science. It does not hurt. It begins just like your decision to quit eating fast food or your promise to visit the gym twice a week.
As you try to grow healthy, realize that pay-per-click ads and costly lead generation systems are the French fries of the fast-food real estate world. You pay a premium for them, the quality is all over the board, and a lot of times you get the fries that have been sitting under a warmer for hours.
To help your business “get fit,” you have to take control of the problem.
Here are a few simple steps:
1. Join the conversation: At least once a week, visit your online community and interact.
2. Educate yourself: Pick up a book or visit a blog at least once a month and read about the subject.
3. Be realistic: Social media is not a “get fit quick” program. It takes effort and commitment. Write down realistic business goals and consult with a professional who can help you reach them.
4. Stand out from the crowd: Look at problems from an out-of-the-box viewpoint.
5. Budget appropriately: A lot of the best stuff on the Web is free. Yet $5 will not rain success down onto your business. Budget your time and money appropriately. Committing to a serious long-term plan for the year is a way to connect all of your business goals together and prevent yourself from falling into wasting money on fast-food options. Being healthy starts today.
Source:http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-01-14/5-ways-to-keep-your-seo-resolution-for-2008/
As you try to grow healthy, realize that pay-per-click ads and costly lead generation systems are the French fries of the fast-food real estate world. You pay a premium for them, the quality is all over the board, and a lot of times you get the fries that have been sitting under a warmer for hours.
To help your business “get fit,” you have to take control of the problem.
Here are a few simple steps:
1. Join the conversation: At least once a week, visit your online community and interact.
2. Educate yourself: Pick up a book or visit a blog at least once a month and read about the subject.
3. Be realistic: Social media is not a “get fit quick” program. It takes effort and commitment. Write down realistic business goals and consult with a professional who can help you reach them.
4. Stand out from the crowd: Look at problems from an out-of-the-box viewpoint.
5. Budget appropriately: A lot of the best stuff on the Web is free. Yet $5 will not rain success down onto your business. Budget your time and money appropriately. Committing to a serious long-term plan for the year is a way to connect all of your business goals together and prevent yourself from falling into wasting money on fast-food options. Being healthy starts today.
Source:http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-01-14/5-ways-to-keep-your-seo-resolution-for-2008/
Search Engine Optimization 2008: Silence of the Lambs
Search engine optimizers, or SEOs: experts in the art and science of SEO or search engine optimization.
So are we hearing the Silence of the Lambs in response to SES London chair Mike Grehan's ClickZ Experts column "The Diminishing Value of the SEO Shop ." Claims SEO is stuck in a time warp and not keeping up with the search engines themselves. Does that make Mike the Hannibal Lecter of Search?
Whether universal search is a rocky horror picture show for SEOs remains to be seen. Do you think Mike means simply "Meta Tag" SEO?
My take: SEO isn't dead. It's growing faster than any analyst firm is reporting. I'll tell you why soon.
But is SEO as a service really losing value?
If so, what does that mean for in-house SEOs?
Source:http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/080114-153536
So are we hearing the Silence of the Lambs in response to SES London chair Mike Grehan's ClickZ Experts column "The Diminishing Value of the SEO Shop ." Claims SEO is stuck in a time warp and not keeping up with the search engines themselves. Does that make Mike the Hannibal Lecter of Search?
Whether universal search is a rocky horror picture show for SEOs remains to be seen. Do you think Mike means simply "Meta Tag" SEO?
My take: SEO isn't dead. It's growing faster than any analyst firm is reporting. I'll tell you why soon.
But is SEO as a service really losing value?
If so, what does that mean for in-house SEOs?
Source:http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/080114-153536
Sunday, January 13, 2008
What Is All of This SEO? Search Engine Fundamentals
Do you need a basic introduction about search engine optimization (SEO)? This article is an introduction to being able to understand conversations about SEO, Spyders, Black Hat, and a variety of buzz words used by online marketers.
Why is everyone so eager to be on search engines?
In 2007, advertisers spent billions of dollars on search engine marketing. Projections for search engine marketing efforts are slated at over $12 billion dollars by 2010, with some statistics going as high as $25 billion. The online market place is constantly shifting and evolving, producing large amounts of targeted traffic for various types of businesses that know how to convert visitors into clients.
In 2006- Forrester Research released these basic statistics about search traffic:
- 93% of all Internet traffic is generated from Internet search engines
- 89% of them are first-time visitors
- 99% of Internet searchers do not search beyond the top 30 results
- 97% of them never look beyond the top three results
- Top 10 positions receive 78% more traffic than those in positions 11-30
- 65% of online revenue is generated from Web sites in the top three positions on search engine results pages (SERPs)
- 93% of global consumers use search engines to find Web sites
- 76.7% of Google users use the natural search links (organic unpaid listings)
What is search engine optimization (SEO) and why is it important?
SEO is the process of analyzing elements on a site so that the code maximizes the combinations of keywords contained on the site when a search engine looks at it. While text elements are visible to a human eye, dozens of pieces of code within a site are also important to showing up for specific keywords: this includes structure, HTML code, directories, images and content on the site. The selection of the keywords a site shows up for is radically important to a business, as the competitiveness and importance of those keywords could potentially send thousands of viewers a day to a site.
What is search engine marketing (SEM) and why is it important?
SEM is the understanding of how a target site relates to other sites on the Web. Some SEO techniques allow a site to show up for relatively low competition keywords, but as the number of sites on a given keyword becomes more competitive, SEM allows a business to coordinate dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of sites to increase the relevancy of how a search engine views it. SEM can also include pay per click (PPC) or unpaid organic results.
What is the primary difference between SEO and SEM?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is primarily done with code work on a target site. It includes images, text, and information on the site.
Search engine marketing (SEM) is primarily done with work not on the site. It includes link-building, business partnerships, and other online marketing efforts.
What is the difference between Pay Per Click (PPC) and Organic search results?
Most search engines have some form of PPC advertising that a business may purchase. You choose the word or phrase you wish to show up for, and when someone searches for that phrase your advertising and link shows up in the results. These systems are usually on a bid based system and typically show three to ten advertisers. When someone clicks on your link, you pay a per visitor price typically ranging from ten cents to ten dollars (some keywords near the $100 price point.) In Google, PPC results are typically the top 2 results labeled as “sponsored” and also include the right hand column.
Organic results are generated by the search engine attempting to provide the most relevant information based upon the search criteria of the user. Most SEO and SEM is focused on getting top placement in the organic section, as once the result is achieved no further cost is incurred on a per visitor basis.
What is a spider or a robot, and how is my site found?
When a site is originally created, most designers will do a simple submission to the main search engines. This causes the search engine to send an automated robot (also known as a spider) to examine the Web site. Depending on the search engine, that spider is looking for various clues to help categorize and rank the relevance of your site. (history note: the term spider was adopted as a nickname when the Internet became commonly known as the “Web”) These robots are looking for relevant and fresh information. When they find it, search engine spiders are instructed to analyze how often the information is refreshed and how relevant it is (often identified by how many times it is mentioned on other sites.)
What factors determine where a search engine will rank a Web site?
Most search engines use a process of automated mathematical analysis to determine what site has the most relevant content. There are a number of accepted best practices for reaching higher value on specific terms, ranging from keyword research, selection and relevance of link partners, meta-tags, element and heading tags, submission techniques, freshness of data, and overall online competitiveness of the keywords and industries. Social search engines vary in this regard- in that community members or staff act as the filter of relevant data, either voting or submitting data manually to the search and browsing areas of different social search networks.
How long does search engine optimization and marketing take?
Basic optimization work can be done immediately for most sites, which is a labor intensive chore of making sure the site is coded and labeled using best practice techniques. SEO work will not rank a site for competitive terms, but will provide a platform for long-term results over time depending on the material of the site.
Organic SEM usually takes 15 to 30 days to implement, and results are typically 30 to 90 days behind those efforts based on the competitiveness of the terms. That timeframe can be reduced by spending more effort, but as the time frame of the project is shortened, the pricing typically sky-rockets.
With a strategic team and specific goals, some terms can gain results within weeks by leveraging industry partnerships or using PPC campaigns for immediate impact. For most businesses, realistic search benefits should be seen at 90, 180, and 365 days.
How do you target traffic using search engine marketing?
Search engine traffic can be extremely targeted using specific keyword combinations. The more detailed the term, the more targeted the traffic. Many companies make the mistake of trying to reach extremely broad and competitive keyword results when they should be focusing on lower traffic but more highly defined keywords. Understanding the marketing 101 behind your product and services may also allow you to target like-minded terms that are not directly competitive with your business, but that attract the same demographic and target audience you are looking at reaching.
What is ethical search engine marketing? (a.k.a. what is black and white hat?)
There are many “best practice” strategies and techniques that search engines both appreciate and endorse, and ones that they actively discourage and ban. In the search engine world, White Hat describes only positive and encouraged efforts, while Black Hat describes manipulative and questionable techniques. Ethical search engine marketing utilizes only practices that are beneficial to the target site (white hat) and do not risk negative reactions (black hat) from the search engines. As a general rule, search engines appreciate using good code and relevant information to index, while they dislike techniques designed to manipulate, SPAM, or corrupt the search results.
Here are some known items that are either black hat, or discouraged by the search engines:
• Page cloaking
• Spamming of the submission process
• Automatically generated doorway pages
• False redirects to another page
• Keyword stuffing (too many keywords on a page)
• Irrelevant keywords
• Duplicate content on different pages or sites
• Misspelling of common words, or well-known brands/sites
• Unrelated link farms
• Data blogs with no unique content (also known as splogs)
• Malicious code design to trick the search engine
Can I do SEO for myself or can my Web developer do this for me?
Yes and no. There are many basic steps of SEO that a business owner can do for themselves. Many of these involve making sure the site is correctly coded under current standards and that it is submitted to the most popular search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Lycos, etc.) Beyond the basic steps of making sure the site has good foundation, experienced Web designers and developers can commonly take on the task of basic to intermediate search engine optimization. Expert level and competitive search marketing falls into a more general umbrella of online marketing that may involve SEO, SEM, online partnerships, business development, public relations, and online advertising expertise. Depending on the time frame, importance, and budget, choosing to learn certain SEO items or utilize an expert is a case by case basis. As with all projects, using a specialist may or may not make sense.
Source:http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-01-08/what-is-all-of-this-seo-search-engine-fundamentals/
Why is everyone so eager to be on search engines?
In 2007, advertisers spent billions of dollars on search engine marketing. Projections for search engine marketing efforts are slated at over $12 billion dollars by 2010, with some statistics going as high as $25 billion. The online market place is constantly shifting and evolving, producing large amounts of targeted traffic for various types of businesses that know how to convert visitors into clients.
In 2006- Forrester Research released these basic statistics about search traffic:
- 93% of all Internet traffic is generated from Internet search engines
- 89% of them are first-time visitors
- 99% of Internet searchers do not search beyond the top 30 results
- 97% of them never look beyond the top three results
- Top 10 positions receive 78% more traffic than those in positions 11-30
- 65% of online revenue is generated from Web sites in the top three positions on search engine results pages (SERPs)
- 93% of global consumers use search engines to find Web sites
- 76.7% of Google users use the natural search links (organic unpaid listings)
What is search engine optimization (SEO) and why is it important?
SEO is the process of analyzing elements on a site so that the code maximizes the combinations of keywords contained on the site when a search engine looks at it. While text elements are visible to a human eye, dozens of pieces of code within a site are also important to showing up for specific keywords: this includes structure, HTML code, directories, images and content on the site. The selection of the keywords a site shows up for is radically important to a business, as the competitiveness and importance of those keywords could potentially send thousands of viewers a day to a site.
What is search engine marketing (SEM) and why is it important?
SEM is the understanding of how a target site relates to other sites on the Web. Some SEO techniques allow a site to show up for relatively low competition keywords, but as the number of sites on a given keyword becomes more competitive, SEM allows a business to coordinate dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of sites to increase the relevancy of how a search engine views it. SEM can also include pay per click (PPC) or unpaid organic results.
What is the primary difference between SEO and SEM?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is primarily done with code work on a target site. It includes images, text, and information on the site.
Search engine marketing (SEM) is primarily done with work not on the site. It includes link-building, business partnerships, and other online marketing efforts.
What is the difference between Pay Per Click (PPC) and Organic search results?
Most search engines have some form of PPC advertising that a business may purchase. You choose the word or phrase you wish to show up for, and when someone searches for that phrase your advertising and link shows up in the results. These systems are usually on a bid based system and typically show three to ten advertisers. When someone clicks on your link, you pay a per visitor price typically ranging from ten cents to ten dollars (some keywords near the $100 price point.) In Google, PPC results are typically the top 2 results labeled as “sponsored” and also include the right hand column.
Organic results are generated by the search engine attempting to provide the most relevant information based upon the search criteria of the user. Most SEO and SEM is focused on getting top placement in the organic section, as once the result is achieved no further cost is incurred on a per visitor basis.
What is a spider or a robot, and how is my site found?
When a site is originally created, most designers will do a simple submission to the main search engines. This causes the search engine to send an automated robot (also known as a spider) to examine the Web site. Depending on the search engine, that spider is looking for various clues to help categorize and rank the relevance of your site. (history note: the term spider was adopted as a nickname when the Internet became commonly known as the “Web”) These robots are looking for relevant and fresh information. When they find it, search engine spiders are instructed to analyze how often the information is refreshed and how relevant it is (often identified by how many times it is mentioned on other sites.)
What factors determine where a search engine will rank a Web site?
Most search engines use a process of automated mathematical analysis to determine what site has the most relevant content. There are a number of accepted best practices for reaching higher value on specific terms, ranging from keyword research, selection and relevance of link partners, meta-tags, element and heading tags, submission techniques, freshness of data, and overall online competitiveness of the keywords and industries. Social search engines vary in this regard- in that community members or staff act as the filter of relevant data, either voting or submitting data manually to the search and browsing areas of different social search networks.
How long does search engine optimization and marketing take?
Basic optimization work can be done immediately for most sites, which is a labor intensive chore of making sure the site is coded and labeled using best practice techniques. SEO work will not rank a site for competitive terms, but will provide a platform for long-term results over time depending on the material of the site.
Organic SEM usually takes 15 to 30 days to implement, and results are typically 30 to 90 days behind those efforts based on the competitiveness of the terms. That timeframe can be reduced by spending more effort, but as the time frame of the project is shortened, the pricing typically sky-rockets.
With a strategic team and specific goals, some terms can gain results within weeks by leveraging industry partnerships or using PPC campaigns for immediate impact. For most businesses, realistic search benefits should be seen at 90, 180, and 365 days.
How do you target traffic using search engine marketing?
Search engine traffic can be extremely targeted using specific keyword combinations. The more detailed the term, the more targeted the traffic. Many companies make the mistake of trying to reach extremely broad and competitive keyword results when they should be focusing on lower traffic but more highly defined keywords. Understanding the marketing 101 behind your product and services may also allow you to target like-minded terms that are not directly competitive with your business, but that attract the same demographic and target audience you are looking at reaching.
What is ethical search engine marketing? (a.k.a. what is black and white hat?)
There are many “best practice” strategies and techniques that search engines both appreciate and endorse, and ones that they actively discourage and ban. In the search engine world, White Hat describes only positive and encouraged efforts, while Black Hat describes manipulative and questionable techniques. Ethical search engine marketing utilizes only practices that are beneficial to the target site (white hat) and do not risk negative reactions (black hat) from the search engines. As a general rule, search engines appreciate using good code and relevant information to index, while they dislike techniques designed to manipulate, SPAM, or corrupt the search results.
Here are some known items that are either black hat, or discouraged by the search engines:
• Page cloaking
• Spamming of the submission process
• Automatically generated doorway pages
• False redirects to another page
• Keyword stuffing (too many keywords on a page)
• Irrelevant keywords
• Duplicate content on different pages or sites
• Misspelling of common words, or well-known brands/sites
• Unrelated link farms
• Data blogs with no unique content (also known as splogs)
• Malicious code design to trick the search engine
Can I do SEO for myself or can my Web developer do this for me?
Yes and no. There are many basic steps of SEO that a business owner can do for themselves. Many of these involve making sure the site is correctly coded under current standards and that it is submitted to the most popular search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Lycos, etc.) Beyond the basic steps of making sure the site has good foundation, experienced Web designers and developers can commonly take on the task of basic to intermediate search engine optimization. Expert level and competitive search marketing falls into a more general umbrella of online marketing that may involve SEO, SEM, online partnerships, business development, public relations, and online advertising expertise. Depending on the time frame, importance, and budget, choosing to learn certain SEO items or utilize an expert is a case by case basis. As with all projects, using a specialist may or may not make sense.
Source:http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-01-08/what-is-all-of-this-seo-search-engine-fundamentals/
Friday, January 11, 2008
How To Remove URLs From Google?
Matt Cutts has a unique way to educate the "masses" through the videos. Last last year in December we got introduced to Amy Cutts, Matts' Cat through a video, see:
Matt Cutts, Video: How To Use ALT Attributes For Images. For all you videophiles out there, Matt has come up with another one.
If you've been confused about the best uses of robots.txt, nofollow, URL removal tool or want to know how to keep some of your pages off the web? Then this one from Matt, talks about the best ways to stop Google from crawling your content, and how to remove content from the Google index once it has been crawled.
Source:http://www.searchnewz.com/blog/talk/sn-6-20080111HowtoRemoveURLsfromGoogle.html
Matt Cutts, Video: How To Use ALT Attributes For Images. For all you videophiles out there, Matt has come up with another one.
If you've been confused about the best uses of robots.txt, nofollow, URL removal tool or want to know how to keep some of your pages off the web? Then this one from Matt, talks about the best ways to stop Google from crawling your content, and how to remove content from the Google index once it has been crawled.
Source:http://www.searchnewz.com/blog/talk/sn-6-20080111HowtoRemoveURLsfromGoogle.html
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
What Is All of This SEO? Search Engine Fundamentals
Do you need a basic introduction about search engine optimization (SEO)? This article is an introduction to being able to understand conversations about SEO, Spyders, Black Hat, and a variety of buzz words used by online marketers.
Why is everyone so eager to be on search engines?
In 2007, advertisers spent billions of dollars on search engine marketing. Projections for search engine marketing efforts are slated at over $12 billion dollars by 2010, with some statistics going as high as $25 billion. The online market place is constantly shifting and evolving, producing large amounts of targeted traffic for various types of businesses that know how to convert visitors into clients.
In 2006- Forrester Research released these basic statistics about search traffic:
- 93% of all Internet traffic is generated from Internet search engines
- 89% of them are first-time visitors
- 99% of Internet searchers do not search beyond the top 30 results
- 97% of them never look beyond the top three results
- Top 10 positions receive 78% more traffic than those in positions 11-30
- 65% of online revenue is generated from Web sites in the top three positions on search engine results pages (SERPs)
- 93% of global consumers use search engines to find Web sites
- 76.7% of Google users use the natural search links (organic unpaid listings)
What is search engine optimization (SEO) and why is it important?
SEO is the process of analyzing elements on a site so that the code maximizes the combinations of keywords contained on the site when a search engine looks at it. While text elements are visible to a human eye, dozens of pieces of code within a site are also important to showing up for specific keywords: this includes structure, HTML code, directories, images and content on the site. The selection of the keywords a site shows up for is radically important to a business, as the competitiveness and importance of those keywords could potentially send thousands of viewers a day to a site.
What is search engine marketing (SEM) and why is it important?
SEM is the understanding of how a target site relates to other sites on the Web. Some SEO techniques allow a site to show up for relatively low competition keywords, but as the number of sites on a given keyword becomes more competitive, SEM allows a business to coordinate dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of sites to increase the relevancy of how a search engine views it. SEM can also include pay per click (PPC) or unpaid organic results.
What is the primary difference between SEO and SEM?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is primarily done with code work on a target site. It includes images, text, and information on the site.
Search engine marketing (SEM) is primarily done with work not on the site. It includes link-building, business partnerships, and other online marketing efforts.
What is the difference between Pay Per Click (PPC) and Organic search results?
Most search engines have some form of PPC advertising that a business may purchase. You choose the word or phrase you wish to show up for, and when someone searches for that phrase your advertising and link shows up in the results. These systems are usually on a bid based system and typically show three to ten advertisers. When someone clicks on your link, you pay a per visitor price typically ranging from ten cents to ten dollars (some keywords near the $100 price point.) In Google, PPC results are typically the top 2 results labeled as “sponsored” and also include the right hand column.
Organic results are generated by the search engine attempting to provide the most relevant information based upon the search criteria of the user. Most SEO and SEM is focused on getting top placement in the organic section, as once the result is achieved no further cost is incurred on a per visitor basis.
What is a spider or a robot, and how is my site found?
When a site is originally created, most designers will do a simple submission to the main search engines. This causes the search engine to send an automated robot (also known as a spider) to examine the Web site. Depending on the search engine, that spider is looking for various clues to help categorize and rank the relevance of your site. (history note: the term spider was adopted as a nickname when the Internet became commonly known as the “Web”) These robots are looking for relevant and fresh information. When they find it, search engine spiders are instructed to analyze how often the information is refreshed and how relevant it is (often identified by how many times it is mentioned on other sites.)
What factors determine where a search engine will rank a Web site?
Most search engines use a process of automated mathematical analysis to determine what site has the most relevant content. There are a number of accepted best practices for reaching higher value on specific terms, ranging from keyword research, selection and relevance of link partners, meta-tags, element and heading tags, submission techniques, freshness of data, and overall online competitiveness of the keywords and industries. Social search engines vary in this regard- in that community members or staff act as the filter of relevant data, either voting or submitting data manually to the search and browsing areas of different social search networks.
How long does search engine optimization and marketing take?
Basic optimization work can be done immediately for most sites, which is a labor intensive chore of making sure the site is coded and labeled using best practice techniques. SEO work will not rank a site for competitive terms, but will provide a platform for long-term results over time depending on the material of the site.
Organic SEM usually takes 15 to 30 days to implement, and results are typically 30 to 90 days behind those efforts based on the competitiveness of the terms. That timeframe can be reduced by spending more effort, but as the time frame of the project is shortened, the pricing typically sky-rockets.
With a strategic team and specific goals, some terms can gain results within weeks by leveraging industry partnerships or using PPC campaigns for immediate impact. For most businesses, realistic search benefits should be seen at 90, 180, and 365 days.
How do you target traffic using search engine marketing?
Search engine traffic can be extremely targeted using specific keyword combinations. The more detailed the term, the more targeted the traffic. Many companies make the mistake of trying to reach extremely broad and competitive keyword results when they should be focusing on lower traffic but more highly defined keywords. Understanding the marketing 101 behind your product and services may also allow you to target like-minded terms that are not directly competitive with your business, but that attract the same demographic and target audience you are looking at reaching.
What is ethical search engine marketing?
There are many “best practice” strategies and techniques that search engines both appreciate and endorse, and ones that they actively discourage and ban. In the search engine world, White Hat describes only positive and encouraged efforts, while Black Hat describes manipulative and questionable techniques. Ethical search engine marketing utilizes only practices that are beneficial to the target site (white hat) and do not risk negative reactions (black hat) from the search engines. As a general rule, search engines appreciate using good code and relevant information to index, while they dislike techniques designed to manipulate, SPAM, or corrupt the search results.
Here are some known items that are either black hat, or discouraged by the search engines:
• Page cloaking
• Spamming of the submission process
• Automatically generated doorway pages
• False redirects to another page
• Keyword stuffing (too many keywords on a page)
• Irrelevant keywords
• Duplicate content on different pages or sites
• Misspelling of common words, or well-known brands/sites
• Unrelated link farms
• Data blogs with no unique content (also known as splogs)
• Malicious code design to trick the search engine
Can I do SEO for myself or can my Web developer do this for me?
Yes and no. There are many basic steps of SEO that a business owner can do for themselves. Many of these involve making sure the site is correctly coded under current standards and that it is submitted to the most popular search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Lycos, etc.) Beyond the basic steps of making sure the site has good foundation, experienced Web designers and developers can commonly take on the task of basic to intermediate search engine optimization. Expert level and competitive search marketing falls into a more general umbrella of online marketing that may involve SEO, SEM, online partnerships, business development, public relations, and online advertising expertise. Depending on the time frame, importance, and budget, choosing to learn certain SEO items or utilize an expert is a case by case basis. As with all projects, using a specialist may or may not make sense.
To learn more about search engines and online marketing, see 3net Search Engine Marketing Blog.
About the author:
Barry Hurd is president of Social Media Systems, an online marketing and advertising consultant group working with search engine marketing and leveraging social media communities. He has over 15 years of entrepreneurial Internet and online marketing experience. As an author and prolific blogger, he has reached online audiences around the world. Since the mid-1990s, Barry has been involved in numerous efforts to bring forth technical innovation through online business models. Past projects have included NIKE, REI, TMP Worldwide, Monster.com, Verizon Superpages, Intuit, and RISMedia.
source:http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-01-08/what-is-all-of-this-seo-search-engine-fundamentals/
Why is everyone so eager to be on search engines?
In 2007, advertisers spent billions of dollars on search engine marketing. Projections for search engine marketing efforts are slated at over $12 billion dollars by 2010, with some statistics going as high as $25 billion. The online market place is constantly shifting and evolving, producing large amounts of targeted traffic for various types of businesses that know how to convert visitors into clients.
In 2006- Forrester Research released these basic statistics about search traffic:
- 93% of all Internet traffic is generated from Internet search engines
- 89% of them are first-time visitors
- 99% of Internet searchers do not search beyond the top 30 results
- 97% of them never look beyond the top three results
- Top 10 positions receive 78% more traffic than those in positions 11-30
- 65% of online revenue is generated from Web sites in the top three positions on search engine results pages (SERPs)
- 93% of global consumers use search engines to find Web sites
- 76.7% of Google users use the natural search links (organic unpaid listings)
What is search engine optimization (SEO) and why is it important?
SEO is the process of analyzing elements on a site so that the code maximizes the combinations of keywords contained on the site when a search engine looks at it. While text elements are visible to a human eye, dozens of pieces of code within a site are also important to showing up for specific keywords: this includes structure, HTML code, directories, images and content on the site. The selection of the keywords a site shows up for is radically important to a business, as the competitiveness and importance of those keywords could potentially send thousands of viewers a day to a site.
What is search engine marketing (SEM) and why is it important?
SEM is the understanding of how a target site relates to other sites on the Web. Some SEO techniques allow a site to show up for relatively low competition keywords, but as the number of sites on a given keyword becomes more competitive, SEM allows a business to coordinate dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of sites to increase the relevancy of how a search engine views it. SEM can also include pay per click (PPC) or unpaid organic results.
What is the primary difference between SEO and SEM?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is primarily done with code work on a target site. It includes images, text, and information on the site.
Search engine marketing (SEM) is primarily done with work not on the site. It includes link-building, business partnerships, and other online marketing efforts.
What is the difference between Pay Per Click (PPC) and Organic search results?
Most search engines have some form of PPC advertising that a business may purchase. You choose the word or phrase you wish to show up for, and when someone searches for that phrase your advertising and link shows up in the results. These systems are usually on a bid based system and typically show three to ten advertisers. When someone clicks on your link, you pay a per visitor price typically ranging from ten cents to ten dollars (some keywords near the $100 price point.) In Google, PPC results are typically the top 2 results labeled as “sponsored” and also include the right hand column.
Organic results are generated by the search engine attempting to provide the most relevant information based upon the search criteria of the user. Most SEO and SEM is focused on getting top placement in the organic section, as once the result is achieved no further cost is incurred on a per visitor basis.
What is a spider or a robot, and how is my site found?
When a site is originally created, most designers will do a simple submission to the main search engines. This causes the search engine to send an automated robot (also known as a spider) to examine the Web site. Depending on the search engine, that spider is looking for various clues to help categorize and rank the relevance of your site. (history note: the term spider was adopted as a nickname when the Internet became commonly known as the “Web”) These robots are looking for relevant and fresh information. When they find it, search engine spiders are instructed to analyze how often the information is refreshed and how relevant it is (often identified by how many times it is mentioned on other sites.)
What factors determine where a search engine will rank a Web site?
Most search engines use a process of automated mathematical analysis to determine what site has the most relevant content. There are a number of accepted best practices for reaching higher value on specific terms, ranging from keyword research, selection and relevance of link partners, meta-tags, element and heading tags, submission techniques, freshness of data, and overall online competitiveness of the keywords and industries. Social search engines vary in this regard- in that community members or staff act as the filter of relevant data, either voting or submitting data manually to the search and browsing areas of different social search networks.
How long does search engine optimization and marketing take?
Basic optimization work can be done immediately for most sites, which is a labor intensive chore of making sure the site is coded and labeled using best practice techniques. SEO work will not rank a site for competitive terms, but will provide a platform for long-term results over time depending on the material of the site.
Organic SEM usually takes 15 to 30 days to implement, and results are typically 30 to 90 days behind those efforts based on the competitiveness of the terms. That timeframe can be reduced by spending more effort, but as the time frame of the project is shortened, the pricing typically sky-rockets.
With a strategic team and specific goals, some terms can gain results within weeks by leveraging industry partnerships or using PPC campaigns for immediate impact. For most businesses, realistic search benefits should be seen at 90, 180, and 365 days.
How do you target traffic using search engine marketing?
Search engine traffic can be extremely targeted using specific keyword combinations. The more detailed the term, the more targeted the traffic. Many companies make the mistake of trying to reach extremely broad and competitive keyword results when they should be focusing on lower traffic but more highly defined keywords. Understanding the marketing 101 behind your product and services may also allow you to target like-minded terms that are not directly competitive with your business, but that attract the same demographic and target audience you are looking at reaching.
What is ethical search engine marketing?
There are many “best practice” strategies and techniques that search engines both appreciate and endorse, and ones that they actively discourage and ban. In the search engine world, White Hat describes only positive and encouraged efforts, while Black Hat describes manipulative and questionable techniques. Ethical search engine marketing utilizes only practices that are beneficial to the target site (white hat) and do not risk negative reactions (black hat) from the search engines. As a general rule, search engines appreciate using good code and relevant information to index, while they dislike techniques designed to manipulate, SPAM, or corrupt the search results.
Here are some known items that are either black hat, or discouraged by the search engines:
• Page cloaking
• Spamming of the submission process
• Automatically generated doorway pages
• False redirects to another page
• Keyword stuffing (too many keywords on a page)
• Irrelevant keywords
• Duplicate content on different pages or sites
• Misspelling of common words, or well-known brands/sites
• Unrelated link farms
• Data blogs with no unique content (also known as splogs)
• Malicious code design to trick the search engine
Can I do SEO for myself or can my Web developer do this for me?
Yes and no. There are many basic steps of SEO that a business owner can do for themselves. Many of these involve making sure the site is correctly coded under current standards and that it is submitted to the most popular search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Lycos, etc.) Beyond the basic steps of making sure the site has good foundation, experienced Web designers and developers can commonly take on the task of basic to intermediate search engine optimization. Expert level and competitive search marketing falls into a more general umbrella of online marketing that may involve SEO, SEM, online partnerships, business development, public relations, and online advertising expertise. Depending on the time frame, importance, and budget, choosing to learn certain SEO items or utilize an expert is a case by case basis. As with all projects, using a specialist may or may not make sense.
To learn more about search engines and online marketing, see 3net Search Engine Marketing Blog.
About the author:
Barry Hurd is president of Social Media Systems, an online marketing and advertising consultant group working with search engine marketing and leveraging social media communities. He has over 15 years of entrepreneurial Internet and online marketing experience. As an author and prolific blogger, he has reached online audiences around the world. Since the mid-1990s, Barry has been involved in numerous efforts to bring forth technical innovation through online business models. Past projects have included NIKE, REI, TMP Worldwide, Monster.com, Verizon Superpages, Intuit, and RISMedia.
source:http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-01-08/what-is-all-of-this-seo-search-engine-fundamentals/
Search Engine Marketing Firm launches “Small Business Accelerator Packages" as affordable advertising options for small business owners
Keniston Company, a Search Engine Marketing firm specializing in helping local businesses achieve exposure on the internet,is launching three Small Small Business Accelerator Packages , tailored to small and medium sized businesses that want to gain search engine exposure. “Any small business, from the local plumber to the insurance agent, or beauty salon stands to benefit from Local search engine marketing, but cost can be a barrier to entry,” says Keniston & Company CEO Denise Keniston, “that’s why we tailored these packages to the needs of small business people and subsequently priced them affordably.”
People are searching for every kind of business, right in your hometown, using the major search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Savvy local business owners know the importance of being on first page of a search engine query and they’re looking for ways to improve their Local search engine marketing.
The Keniston & Company Small Business Accelerator Packages combine three primary Search Engine Marketing Tactics, search engine friendly web design, search engine optimization, and pay per click advertising. “We’ve bundled these three services because one facet won’t be effective without the other,” says Keniston.
Stephen LaRoche, VP of the Biosolve Group/Westford Chemical Corporation sees a huge increase in website traffic and online conversions after signing up for the Accelerator Package. ”Keniston & Company is redesigned our website making it more search engine friendly, they already optimized it for our industry keywords, and created and manage a Pay Per Click Campaign that is second to none. I would recommend this program to any small business who wants to gain visibility on the internet.”
Denise Keniston, CEO Keniston & Company, if one of only a handful of individually nationally awarded the Google AdWords Certified Professional status by Google. She has successfully completed several courses from University 2020 including back linking course by expert Jerry West. Keniston is a member of Biltmore Who’s Who and currently works with dozens of clients across the globe.
source:http://www.prleap.com/pr/111188/
People are searching for every kind of business, right in your hometown, using the major search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Savvy local business owners know the importance of being on first page of a search engine query and they’re looking for ways to improve their Local search engine marketing.
The Keniston & Company Small Business Accelerator Packages combine three primary Search Engine Marketing Tactics, search engine friendly web design, search engine optimization, and pay per click advertising. “We’ve bundled these three services because one facet won’t be effective without the other,” says Keniston.
Stephen LaRoche, VP of the Biosolve Group/Westford Chemical Corporation sees a huge increase in website traffic and online conversions after signing up for the Accelerator Package. ”Keniston & Company is redesigned our website making it more search engine friendly, they already optimized it for our industry keywords, and created and manage a Pay Per Click Campaign that is second to none. I would recommend this program to any small business who wants to gain visibility on the internet.”
Denise Keniston, CEO Keniston & Company, if one of only a handful of individually nationally awarded the Google AdWords Certified Professional status by Google. She has successfully completed several courses from University 2020 including back linking course by expert Jerry West. Keniston is a member of Biltmore Who’s Who and currently works with dozens of clients across the globe.
source:http://www.prleap.com/pr/111188/
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Recent SEO Tips and Services to Optimize your website
These days the basic requirements to promote and optimize your website starts with the keyword basics. Keywords are still considered as the base. Finding good keywords that match with the domain name still matters. A search engine in the recent trend has started giving preference to the title tag. So it has become necessary to use your target keyword in
the title. Content must also consider the keywords and it should be relevant.
The basic requirement for ranking in search engine starts with all the pages having keyword rich good content and proper Meta tags like title. Keywords and description tags. This has created a great possibility for good ranking of the web page in search engine like Google, yahoo and msn.
While using images it has become necessary to write out the names and possibly a keyword description with the title. Developing the right keyword strategy related with the url of the images and pictures used has also been the point of consideration.
At NDDW we follow the certain SEO tips to promote your websites in the search engines. This begins from the booking of a relevant domain name for your website. In the next step we define a suitable navigation structure. Keyword analyses is done to search the best keywords that matches with the theme of your website. Then we optimize the site on right keywords. In the next step we define a content strategy for your website. We develop the content by writing articles as it is rightly said that content is the king. In the next phase we submit the website into search engines and get directory submissions done. In linking strategy we give emphasis to one way linking and three ways linking campaigns.
source:http://www.pr-inside.com/recent-seo-tips-and-services-to-r367512.htm
the title. Content must also consider the keywords and it should be relevant.
The basic requirement for ranking in search engine starts with all the pages having keyword rich good content and proper Meta tags like title. Keywords and description tags. This has created a great possibility for good ranking of the web page in search engine like Google, yahoo and msn.
While using images it has become necessary to write out the names and possibly a keyword description with the title. Developing the right keyword strategy related with the url of the images and pictures used has also been the point of consideration.
At NDDW we follow the certain SEO tips to promote your websites in the search engines. This begins from the booking of a relevant domain name for your website. In the next step we define a suitable navigation structure. Keyword analyses is done to search the best keywords that matches with the theme of your website. Then we optimize the site on right keywords. In the next step we define a content strategy for your website. We develop the content by writing articles as it is rightly said that content is the king. In the next phase we submit the website into search engines and get directory submissions done. In linking strategy we give emphasis to one way linking and three ways linking campaigns.
source:http://www.pr-inside.com/recent-seo-tips-and-services-to-r367512.htm
Five Tips for Building Better Segments
One key lesson we've learned about e-mail marketing over years is this: One size does not fit all. The more relevant your messages are to your subscribers' needs, wants, and expectations, the better the response and deliverability.
In order to create relevant messages you must be able to create good segments from your house list. Further, good segments require good information collected from subscribers when they sign up.
If you don't collect much information from subscribers beyond e-mail address, how can you create highly targeted segments?
You probably have a little more information than you realize. You should be able to sort your list by opt-in date, e-mail address domain, or partner vs. direct opt-in, for example. These may not create the most personable segments, but they can still be useful to observe how each one is different in respect to engagement.
You'll still need to gather additional data points from subscribers. The following list of ways to collect more information can be used to create segments and relevant messages.
1. Invite readers to fill out or update their profiles.
This is one of the best ways I know of to get your readers to share valuable information with you, but you have to proceed carefully. After all, online consumers are growing wary of sharing too much personal information until they get to know you better.
You can't request too much information at sign-up, and the link at the bottom of your message probably gets very little activity. You must, therefore, be able to answer the unspoken question: "Why should I tell you anything about me?"
The answer, of course, is you need to know more so you can send only the most useful kinds of messages. Frame the invitation that way and send it in a welcome message or an additional communication within a week or so after opt-in. Add a small incentive, such as a discount coupon or extra download, to sweeten the deal.
Alternately, ask readers to fill out a survey. Keep it very short and simple. No more than 3-5 questions. Offer a checklist rather than require essays. Even a simple request such as "help us improve this newsletter" can yield a motherlode of fresh data from your most active or engaged readers.
2. Use the search engine optimization terms that drive the most traffic to your site.
I picked up this tip at the recent Email Insiders Summit. What search words do people use to find your site? Web analytics can reveal what visitors are most interested in. Which pages get the most visits, or the longest page views? Where do people come from, and where do they go when they leave? Incorporate the terms they used to find you in the first place into message content, subject lines, calls-to-action and other communications, such as the preference page invitation.
Then, review the data manually. Tally key words and phrases used to find your brand. You'll quickly see a pattern you can use.
3. Target messages based on subscribers' past behavior.
Use behavior data to segment out inactive users (those who haven't opened or clicked in a set time period) to capture those who clicked on product links in earlier e-mails but didn't buy, or who bought from you once but never again.
I'm receiving this type of e-mail from an online florist whose subject line "Come Back and Save an Extra 10%!" reminds me I've purchased before. Because I had a previous good experience, I read their messages.
4. Interview the people who talk directly with your customers.
These include your customer-service or call-center people who should be familiar enough with your Web site to offer feedback or pass along comments about the site's usability or what customers are looking for when they call. Again, you can turn this information around to create useful segments that speak to customers' needs or interests.
5. See where people click in your e-mail messages.
If I'm promoting men's shoes but a large portion of my audience clicks the links for women's shoes, I can use that data to promote woman's shoes in the next offer.
Don't forget to include a link to a mobile-friendly version. If you see a lot of action on that link, that's the clue you have a large mobile readership. At the bottom of the text-only versions, offer a link and invite mobile readers to update their profiles and switch to that e-mail format.
source:http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3627972
Friday, January 4, 2008
Everything Search Engine Marketing
Lets start with the most obvious one firsteverything related to the search engine marketing industry is going to continue to grow, if not thrive, in 2008. Everything in this case includes search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC), online reputation management (ORM), SEM PR and my favorite, social media optimization (SMO) which merits its own category (see below). ORM will rise to the top of the media buzz-o-meter with big brands and celebrities hiring firms like Anvil to make negative search results disappear. Online ad spending will continue to increase significantly (up $6 billion over 2007) as traditional ad spending levels off due to the fear of an economic downturn. If youre not in the SEM industry now, you may not be able to ignore the pending recession.
Online Advertising Options Evolve
Display advertising may see a re-emergence as brand budgets move online in search of better measurability. While rich media ads will continue to have a seat at the table, in-text advertising will be the big winner in 2008. Key players like Kontera and Vibrant Media will cash checks when consumers test and accept the relatively new contextual advertising model. Googles $700 stock price is proof that contextual advertising can work.
Google Cross-Platform Bid Management Tool
Google will launch (we hope) a cross-platform bid management tool (API based; to work across engine platforms including Yahoo Search Marketing & MSN AdCenter). This prediction is based on the move Google made this year to allow AdWords advertisers to opt-in to the new Conversion Optimizer and the technology/interface they have continued to develop with AdWords Editor. Watch out third party vendors like Atlas, SendTec, and SearchForce! Google could end up disrupting the bid management industry like it did with Web analytics when it purchased Urchin and gave away the platform as Google Analytics. It looks like Omniture could get stung twice as badly, offering products and services in both markets.
Mobile " No, Seriously This Time
Apples iPhone stole the show at CES in early 2007and Steve Jobs and his phone werent even there. Since then, the buzz has set new standards and consumer expectations. Phone manufacturers and carriers are now forced to step up with more advanced technology that will get the US out of the Stone Age (in comparison to the rest of the world). That means SMS text messaging will gain in popularity and usage (especially by smart restaurants, hotels and retailers). Additionally, mobile advertising will reach $5 billion in 2008 (up from $3 billion in 2007), fueled in part by search-based ads.
Social Media
US ad spending on Web 2.0 social networks will climb to nearly $1.6 billion in 2008which is a significant increase over 2007. That said, the long-term success of social media sites will rely on the ability to manage one profile (yours) across a multitude of sites. Lacking that key ingredient, only a handful of existing social media sites will survive. Assuming portable profiles dont come to fruition in 2008, we predict MySpace, Hi5 and other spam-friendly sites will die on the vine (at least increase user growth at a decreasing rate), while other startups social media sites like Spoke, Doostang, Spock and Biznik will fail to find enough traffic or revenue to survive the year (certainly not beyond 2009). Facebook will struggle to find a viable business model (certainly the initial foray into advertising is generating a negative response from users), but the open API will continue to fuel growth. LinkedIn will gain ground and become the de-facto Web 2.0 social network site for business professionals (followed in a distant second by Plaxo). In a massive consolidation move, Google, MSN and Yahoo will continue to buy up social media properties, if for no other reason than to kill them off. Lastly, social media optimization (SMO) will experience significant adoption by B2B marketers, which is important because the Webs significant growth has been fueled by businesses and not consumers.
Google/YouTube Television
With fanfare that will put MTVs launch to shame, Googles YouTube will launch their first foray into broadcast television. While initial efforts may be through a broadcast partner (RE: ABC or Bravo) but will eventually move to a dedicated cable station, where they will show the best and worst videos YouTubers have to offer. Even if the station doesnt take off for a few years, it will likely fare better than Revvers Fame TV in the UK.
Consumers Controlling Conversation
As companies look for additional ways to attract and retain site visitors, a new technology will emerge: Attention Profiling Markup Language (APML). APML will change the way advertisers target end users. As more companies adopt AMPL, users will be given the opportunity to control their own attention and share it with service they wish - giving advertisers the ability to target based on what the user wishes to see. Social media sites like BizRate and ePinions have demonstrated consumers own and influence brands with which they interact and identify, so the next logical step is for consumers to control the entire conversation. Only the biggest brands and most aggressive B2B companies will pursue this technology initially, but it will generate meaningful buzz in 2008 (although dont expect much in the way of meaningful adoption or revenues until 2009 and beyond).
Googling Oneself Even More Popular
In 2007 we saw even more Americans flocking to Google themselves, friends, partners, and even co-workers. Pew Internet released a study earlier this month that said 47 percent of U.S. adult Internet users have looked for information about themselves through Google or another search engine. This is more than twice the 22 percent of users who did so in 2002. But with all this searching, 60 percent said they arent worried about the extent of information about themselves online. We think this statistic will change in 2008 when searchers realize that as Google and other engines get better at indexing and ranking all types of content in one screen (think Universal Search), then they had better clean up their act and make some information private. If its too late for some, please contact us at Anvil Media and we can do an Online Reputation Audit and develop a strategy to combat the negative results.
source:http://www.searchnewz.com/blog/talk/sn-6-20080102SEMPredictionsfor2008.html
Online Advertising Options Evolve
Display advertising may see a re-emergence as brand budgets move online in search of better measurability. While rich media ads will continue to have a seat at the table, in-text advertising will be the big winner in 2008. Key players like Kontera and Vibrant Media will cash checks when consumers test and accept the relatively new contextual advertising model. Googles $700 stock price is proof that contextual advertising can work.
Google Cross-Platform Bid Management Tool
Google will launch (we hope) a cross-platform bid management tool (API based; to work across engine platforms including Yahoo Search Marketing & MSN AdCenter). This prediction is based on the move Google made this year to allow AdWords advertisers to opt-in to the new Conversion Optimizer and the technology/interface they have continued to develop with AdWords Editor. Watch out third party vendors like Atlas, SendTec, and SearchForce! Google could end up disrupting the bid management industry like it did with Web analytics when it purchased Urchin and gave away the platform as Google Analytics. It looks like Omniture could get stung twice as badly, offering products and services in both markets.
Mobile " No, Seriously This Time
Apples iPhone stole the show at CES in early 2007and Steve Jobs and his phone werent even there. Since then, the buzz has set new standards and consumer expectations. Phone manufacturers and carriers are now forced to step up with more advanced technology that will get the US out of the Stone Age (in comparison to the rest of the world). That means SMS text messaging will gain in popularity and usage (especially by smart restaurants, hotels and retailers). Additionally, mobile advertising will reach $5 billion in 2008 (up from $3 billion in 2007), fueled in part by search-based ads.
Social Media
US ad spending on Web 2.0 social networks will climb to nearly $1.6 billion in 2008which is a significant increase over 2007. That said, the long-term success of social media sites will rely on the ability to manage one profile (yours) across a multitude of sites. Lacking that key ingredient, only a handful of existing social media sites will survive. Assuming portable profiles dont come to fruition in 2008, we predict MySpace, Hi5 and other spam-friendly sites will die on the vine (at least increase user growth at a decreasing rate), while other startups social media sites like Spoke, Doostang, Spock and Biznik will fail to find enough traffic or revenue to survive the year (certainly not beyond 2009). Facebook will struggle to find a viable business model (certainly the initial foray into advertising is generating a negative response from users), but the open API will continue to fuel growth. LinkedIn will gain ground and become the de-facto Web 2.0 social network site for business professionals (followed in a distant second by Plaxo). In a massive consolidation move, Google, MSN and Yahoo will continue to buy up social media properties, if for no other reason than to kill them off. Lastly, social media optimization (SMO) will experience significant adoption by B2B marketers, which is important because the Webs significant growth has been fueled by businesses and not consumers.
Google/YouTube Television
With fanfare that will put MTVs launch to shame, Googles YouTube will launch their first foray into broadcast television. While initial efforts may be through a broadcast partner (RE: ABC or Bravo) but will eventually move to a dedicated cable station, where they will show the best and worst videos YouTubers have to offer. Even if the station doesnt take off for a few years, it will likely fare better than Revvers Fame TV in the UK.
Consumers Controlling Conversation
As companies look for additional ways to attract and retain site visitors, a new technology will emerge: Attention Profiling Markup Language (APML). APML will change the way advertisers target end users. As more companies adopt AMPL, users will be given the opportunity to control their own attention and share it with service they wish - giving advertisers the ability to target based on what the user wishes to see. Social media sites like BizRate and ePinions have demonstrated consumers own and influence brands with which they interact and identify, so the next logical step is for consumers to control the entire conversation. Only the biggest brands and most aggressive B2B companies will pursue this technology initially, but it will generate meaningful buzz in 2008 (although dont expect much in the way of meaningful adoption or revenues until 2009 and beyond).
Googling Oneself Even More Popular
In 2007 we saw even more Americans flocking to Google themselves, friends, partners, and even co-workers. Pew Internet released a study earlier this month that said 47 percent of U.S. adult Internet users have looked for information about themselves through Google or another search engine. This is more than twice the 22 percent of users who did so in 2002. But with all this searching, 60 percent said they arent worried about the extent of information about themselves online. We think this statistic will change in 2008 when searchers realize that as Google and other engines get better at indexing and ranking all types of content in one screen (think Universal Search), then they had better clean up their act and make some information private. If its too late for some, please contact us at Anvil Media and we can do an Online Reputation Audit and develop a strategy to combat the negative results.
source:http://www.searchnewz.com/blog/talk/sn-6-20080102SEMPredictionsfor2008.html
SEO for President
According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 75 million voting-age Americans have already used the Internet this year to find information about political candidates. Earlier this year, a Des Moines Register Iowa Poll showed that 80 percent of likely caucus-goers between 18 and 34 years old have or are likely to search online for information candidates' stands on the issues.
With the Iowa caucuses scant days away, it's become clear that search is poised to play a major role in the 2008 Presidential campaigns.
Yet a stroll through the sites of major candidates and minor players on both sides of the aisle is not a showcase of shrewd SEO tactics that are built to attract these searchers in droves, to say the least. Neither are these sites that are just one or two advanced tactics away from pushing their traffic into overdrive.
Not in the slightest. Holes this big would sink normal sites and create e-commerce job openings by the dozens. Right and left (literally), these are sites that are not taking advantage of simple on-site SEO practices. They are not search-friendly and in some cases are barely indexable, but are saved only by large numbers of inbound links.
The Range Online Media SEO team completed an audit of the political candidates' sites, and I've done my best to detail the improvements needed for each major campaign throughout the article. I feel compelled to say that any omission is not an endorsement of a candidate's campaign or tactics. For the record, I'm an undecided voter and if I've missed someone, you can safely assume their SEO is desperately in need of help, too. Now, my disclaimer aside, each of the candidates' sites is struggling to overcome issues like these:
1.Duplicate, non-descriptive and overly long title tags. The title tag is widely regarded as the most important aspect of a page to ranking, but it seems most campaigns view it as a throwaway job. Rudy Giuliani, despite keeping issue sections to simple and search-friendly terms, made every single Issues page's header the generic "Rudy Giuliani : Issues."
Likewise, "Hillary Clinton.com : Issues : Strengthening Our Democracy" gives readers and engines alike no idea what content will actually be discovered on the page and is therefore a fairly worthless title tag.
2. Lack of, or poor use of, header tags. This is the most egregious and widespread issue. Frequently, H1 and H2 tags aren't used and, when they are, it's often on the same terms on every page. John Edwards' campaign takes this a step further by placing an H1 tag around its logo, a practice that is helpful (according to some circles) to the visually impaired by making the alt text more prominent in site readers as the page's main topic. However, the fact that this H1 tag is the same on every page renders even this extra step meaningless in practice.
3. Splash pages, JavaScript navigation and other search stoppers. All campaigns have gone with java script navigation, often with no straight HTML links to the pages underneath. Fred Thompson's campaign has gone as far as to place his issues content completely behind JavaScript expanders. Splash pages asking for donations when one first arrives can destroy a site by diffusing its front page's influence, especially when the site vacillates between using them and not using them.
4. And, of course, nary a sitemap to be found. While this could be mitigated with XML sitemaps, what's the likelihood that these sites blew off so many other aspects of site ownership and management – except for this particularly tedious exercise?
...and the list goes on. Even if these sites' weaknesses in coding were corrected, they would still have a major and ironic flaw: the lack of keyword research and understanding of searchers' behavior.
In this age of framing an issue with the right words (pro-choice vs. pro-life), campaigns have forgotten to do their keyword research. 'Keeping Americans Safe' (Mitt Romney) and 'Strengthening America Overseas' (Barack Obama) may make for majestic lines in a campaign speech, but when Americans are literally searching for candidates' views on 'defense' and 'terrorism', they make for pretty useless page titles and header tags. What does it matter that you have a PageRank like a Gold-medal gymnastics score if the word 'immigration' isn't to be found on your immigration issues page?
For followers of the campaign thus far, it should come as no surprise which campaign is closest to the mark. Dr. Ron Paul, an otherwise obscure Republican, is supported by a swath of passionate, Internet-savvy followers who, fittingly, can often be found with signs urging readers to "Google Ron Paul". Despite polling somewhere in the low single-digits in MSM polls, he has had the two most successful days of fundraising in GOP history which were centered around – you guessed it – donations through the Internet.
His supporters have clearly had an effect on his site's SEO work as his site is the closest to being ready for prime time. It uses unique title tags throughout the site, search-friendly URLs that utilize keywords (unlike Mike Huckabee) and are based on directories rather than pages (John McCain cannot claim this). It uses header tags that cascade smoothly through the topics of each page in ways no other campaign has taken the time to do. The site uses straight-talk names for page topics and strikes a good balance between plain text and internal links.
Of course, the site also falls into the same traps as the rest of the lot in many cases, including placing H tags around every menu item on every page (killing a chunk of the other H tag efforts) and fails to link even once to its own campaign blog. Tsk, tsk.
So, why should campaigns care? Not only are the candidates not taking advantage of an opportunity to own an issue, they're leaving themselves dangerously vulnerable to other candidates and opposing groups. With the right content, good SEO practices and a healthy dose of inbound links, a candidate's opponents could tell searchers their own version of what the candidate believes and fill results pages that should normally be friendly with unflattering spin.
Think that sounds far fetched? Hillary Clinton's campaign is reported to be working on two sites that target Barack Obama on a specific issue. Whether it will work remains to be seen, but whoever survives the primary season would be wise to watch, emulate and improve upon this approach, as well as guard against it with well-formulated SEO practices.
Search is capable of delivering the right message to the right audience in the way they want to find it: It is the ultimate direct marketing tool for campaigns. When they will choose to take advantage of it, however, is yet to be seen.
source:http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=3628000
With the Iowa caucuses scant days away, it's become clear that search is poised to play a major role in the 2008 Presidential campaigns.
Yet a stroll through the sites of major candidates and minor players on both sides of the aisle is not a showcase of shrewd SEO tactics that are built to attract these searchers in droves, to say the least. Neither are these sites that are just one or two advanced tactics away from pushing their traffic into overdrive.
Not in the slightest. Holes this big would sink normal sites and create e-commerce job openings by the dozens. Right and left (literally), these are sites that are not taking advantage of simple on-site SEO practices. They are not search-friendly and in some cases are barely indexable, but are saved only by large numbers of inbound links.
The Range Online Media SEO team completed an audit of the political candidates' sites, and I've done my best to detail the improvements needed for each major campaign throughout the article. I feel compelled to say that any omission is not an endorsement of a candidate's campaign or tactics. For the record, I'm an undecided voter and if I've missed someone, you can safely assume their SEO is desperately in need of help, too. Now, my disclaimer aside, each of the candidates' sites is struggling to overcome issues like these:
1.Duplicate, non-descriptive and overly long title tags. The title tag is widely regarded as the most important aspect of a page to ranking, but it seems most campaigns view it as a throwaway job. Rudy Giuliani, despite keeping issue sections to simple and search-friendly terms, made every single Issues page's header the generic "Rudy Giuliani : Issues."
Likewise, "Hillary Clinton.com : Issues : Strengthening Our Democracy" gives readers and engines alike no idea what content will actually be discovered on the page and is therefore a fairly worthless title tag.
2. Lack of, or poor use of, header tags. This is the most egregious and widespread issue. Frequently, H1 and H2 tags aren't used and, when they are, it's often on the same terms on every page. John Edwards' campaign takes this a step further by placing an H1 tag around its logo, a practice that is helpful (according to some circles) to the visually impaired by making the alt text more prominent in site readers as the page's main topic. However, the fact that this H1 tag is the same on every page renders even this extra step meaningless in practice.
3. Splash pages, JavaScript navigation and other search stoppers. All campaigns have gone with java script navigation, often with no straight HTML links to the pages underneath. Fred Thompson's campaign has gone as far as to place his issues content completely behind JavaScript expanders. Splash pages asking for donations when one first arrives can destroy a site by diffusing its front page's influence, especially when the site vacillates between using them and not using them.
4. And, of course, nary a sitemap to be found. While this could be mitigated with XML sitemaps, what's the likelihood that these sites blew off so many other aspects of site ownership and management – except for this particularly tedious exercise?
...and the list goes on. Even if these sites' weaknesses in coding were corrected, they would still have a major and ironic flaw: the lack of keyword research and understanding of searchers' behavior.
In this age of framing an issue with the right words (pro-choice vs. pro-life), campaigns have forgotten to do their keyword research. 'Keeping Americans Safe' (Mitt Romney) and 'Strengthening America Overseas' (Barack Obama) may make for majestic lines in a campaign speech, but when Americans are literally searching for candidates' views on 'defense' and 'terrorism', they make for pretty useless page titles and header tags. What does it matter that you have a PageRank like a Gold-medal gymnastics score if the word 'immigration' isn't to be found on your immigration issues page?
For followers of the campaign thus far, it should come as no surprise which campaign is closest to the mark. Dr. Ron Paul, an otherwise obscure Republican, is supported by a swath of passionate, Internet-savvy followers who, fittingly, can often be found with signs urging readers to "Google Ron Paul". Despite polling somewhere in the low single-digits in MSM polls, he has had the two most successful days of fundraising in GOP history which were centered around – you guessed it – donations through the Internet.
His supporters have clearly had an effect on his site's SEO work as his site is the closest to being ready for prime time. It uses unique title tags throughout the site, search-friendly URLs that utilize keywords (unlike Mike Huckabee) and are based on directories rather than pages (John McCain cannot claim this). It uses header tags that cascade smoothly through the topics of each page in ways no other campaign has taken the time to do. The site uses straight-talk names for page topics and strikes a good balance between plain text and internal links.
Of course, the site also falls into the same traps as the rest of the lot in many cases, including placing H tags around every menu item on every page (killing a chunk of the other H tag efforts) and fails to link even once to its own campaign blog. Tsk, tsk.
So, why should campaigns care? Not only are the candidates not taking advantage of an opportunity to own an issue, they're leaving themselves dangerously vulnerable to other candidates and opposing groups. With the right content, good SEO practices and a healthy dose of inbound links, a candidate's opponents could tell searchers their own version of what the candidate believes and fill results pages that should normally be friendly with unflattering spin.
Think that sounds far fetched? Hillary Clinton's campaign is reported to be working on two sites that target Barack Obama on a specific issue. Whether it will work remains to be seen, but whoever survives the primary season would be wise to watch, emulate and improve upon this approach, as well as guard against it with well-formulated SEO practices.
Search is capable of delivering the right message to the right audience in the way they want to find it: It is the ultimate direct marketing tool for campaigns. When they will choose to take advantage of it, however, is yet to be seen.
source:http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=3628000
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