Sunday, March 06, 2005
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Online Market Segmentation
The fact is that people like to do business in different ways. There will always be a segment of the population that prefers to walk into a store and make a purchase rather than shop online. However, buying products and services online is taking off. No longer is it just a curiosity, but shopping online is becoming mainstream. As consumers spend more time online, wise marketers are spending more of their advertising budget online. They understand and know who their audience is. Three distinct market groups are emerging: buyers, consumers and surfers. Here's an overview of these groups:
Buyers
Buyers are business professionals who may be executives, engineers, managers, researchers, in fact anyone who spends most of their working day online. This lucrative market segment does not get the attention it deserves. Often these people are responsible for making purchasing decisions that require sourcing supplies, materials and services all under very tight time pressures. What a perfect target for online advertising! Make sure you don't discount these very influential buyers.
Consumers
This category includes the home computer user who routinely checks out commercial online services. This group is a gold mine. They're already receptive to making purchases over the Internet. Marketers only have to make the online shopping experience easier and this market is hooked. No longer will consumers be heading out to the mall for goods and services, they'll be shopping online in droves and loving it.
Surfers
Surfers are the online fun seekers. They use online technology as a form of recreation, to play games, get music and expand their knowledge. They are typically younger and fickle. And these people have short attention spans. They move all over in cyberspace. If something catches their attention, they stick around. If a little bit of boredom sets in, they're off again and surfing elsewhere. This is the most challenging group to market to, but one with a huge potential. Surfers are an impulsive bunch. If a product catches their eye, they'll buy online with no second thoughts. It's a bit like positioning the candy at the check out counter in the supermarket...you have a captive audience who finds it hard to resist temptation.
When planning your advertising strategy consider the three market segments. They are all different, but each one deserves attention. Your bottom line depends on it!
Scott F. Geld is the Director of Marketing for MarketingBlaster.com, a company providing targeted traffic and direct links starting at just $5. For more information visit http://www.MarketingBlaster.com
Buyers
Buyers are business professionals who may be executives, engineers, managers, researchers, in fact anyone who spends most of their working day online. This lucrative market segment does not get the attention it deserves. Often these people are responsible for making purchasing decisions that require sourcing supplies, materials and services all under very tight time pressures. What a perfect target for online advertising! Make sure you don't discount these very influential buyers.
Consumers
This category includes the home computer user who routinely checks out commercial online services. This group is a gold mine. They're already receptive to making purchases over the Internet. Marketers only have to make the online shopping experience easier and this market is hooked. No longer will consumers be heading out to the mall for goods and services, they'll be shopping online in droves and loving it.
Surfers
Surfers are the online fun seekers. They use online technology as a form of recreation, to play games, get music and expand their knowledge. They are typically younger and fickle. And these people have short attention spans. They move all over in cyberspace. If something catches their attention, they stick around. If a little bit of boredom sets in, they're off again and surfing elsewhere. This is the most challenging group to market to, but one with a huge potential. Surfers are an impulsive bunch. If a product catches their eye, they'll buy online with no second thoughts. It's a bit like positioning the candy at the check out counter in the supermarket...you have a captive audience who finds it hard to resist temptation.
When planning your advertising strategy consider the three market segments. They are all different, but each one deserves attention. Your bottom line depends on it!
Scott F. Geld is the Director of Marketing for MarketingBlaster.com, a company providing targeted traffic and direct links starting at just $5. For more information visit http://www.MarketingBlaster.com
Reasons To Archive Those Articles
by James D. Brausch
When you send out your newsletter, you need to archive the article on your site. Each article should be on it's own page with an index to the articles on another page. A link to your index of archived articles needs to be on your navigation bar. You can see an example on this site:
http://www.AtHomeBusinessPortal.com/newsletters
Here are some of the reasons you need to do this:
It adds content to your site. The search engines love content. They will send visitors directly to your article pages. Your navigation bar will give those visitors a chance to visit the parts of your site that make you money.
It gives people a reason to bookmark you site and return often.
It gives people an idea of what they will receive if they sign up for your newsletter. A higher percentage of people will sign up if you have an article archive.
At the end of each article, you should have a courtesy notice like the one you see at the end of the articles on the above site. Some people will reuse these articles and include a link to both the author's site... AND your site.
You should also solicit articles from other authors. More authors will submit articles if they know you will be archiving them on your site.
There is a chance that some search engines will eventually ban any site that is low on content. An article archive makes your site a content site is everyone's eyes. It's insurance against such an event.
The author, James D. Brausch, is the coach and webmaster of QuitThatJob.com, a site dedicated to providing step-by- step instructions to start your own profitable Internet business and Quit That Job! For more info, please visit : http://www.QuitThatJob.com
When you send out your newsletter, you need to archive the article on your site. Each article should be on it's own page with an index to the articles on another page. A link to your index of archived articles needs to be on your navigation bar. You can see an example on this site:
http://www.AtHomeBusinessPortal.com/newsletters
Here are some of the reasons you need to do this:
It adds content to your site. The search engines love content. They will send visitors directly to your article pages. Your navigation bar will give those visitors a chance to visit the parts of your site that make you money.
It gives people a reason to bookmark you site and return often.
It gives people an idea of what they will receive if they sign up for your newsletter. A higher percentage of people will sign up if you have an article archive.
At the end of each article, you should have a courtesy notice like the one you see at the end of the articles on the above site. Some people will reuse these articles and include a link to both the author's site... AND your site.
You should also solicit articles from other authors. More authors will submit articles if they know you will be archiving them on your site.
There is a chance that some search engines will eventually ban any site that is low on content. An article archive makes your site a content site is everyone's eyes. It's insurance against such an event.
The author, James D. Brausch, is the coach and webmaster of QuitThatJob.com, a site dedicated to providing step-by- step instructions to start your own profitable Internet business and Quit That Job! For more info, please visit : http://www.QuitThatJob.com
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Google blazes trail to Oregon
Google has bought 30 acres of land from the Port Authority of The Dalles, Oregon, for a new technology infrastructure facility, the Web search giant said Thursday
Read the entire story here
Read the entire story here
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Google founders in hunt for Asian talent
Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page on Wednesday offered their most detailed glimpse inside the company’s operations since selling shares to the public in August, including the firm’s inability to swiftly hire enough computer engineers abroad to foster innovation.
Among the major challenges, said Eric Schmidt, chief executive of the Silicon Valley-based firm, is managing the transition from being a US company with an international presence to becoming a globally run company headquartered in the United States.
Most of the company’s foreign offices, to date, handle ad sales rather than focusing on research and product development.
Brin said the company’s inability to recruit more top-tier computer scientists and engineers abroad is slowing its plans to make Google available to users of cell phones and other portable devices. Google — which faces stiff competition from search engine competitor Yahoo in Japan — plans to hire more computer engineers in Asia, where wireless technology is ahead of that in the US. ‘‘We are unquestionably not getting the quantity we would like,’’ Brin said, in response to a question about hiring during a multi-hour session with Wall Street analysts. ‘‘The culture and utilisation of mobile in the US is so low compared to other parts of the world that this is not the best place to develop the best products in the mobile space.’’
Most innovation at Google flows from the company’s main campus in Mountain View, California, where more than 1,000 computer scientists work on an array of projects that interest them.
But the company’s young founders remain so hands-on that no new product is released without their input and review.
Brin, Page and Schmidt run Google as a triumvirate. They do agree on one thing: a 70/20/10 management model, in which 70 per cent of resources are devoted to improving the core search engine, 20 per cent are designated for products related to search, and 10 per cent are earmarked for pure research
Among the major challenges, said Eric Schmidt, chief executive of the Silicon Valley-based firm, is managing the transition from being a US company with an international presence to becoming a globally run company headquartered in the United States.
Most of the company’s foreign offices, to date, handle ad sales rather than focusing on research and product development.
Brin said the company’s inability to recruit more top-tier computer scientists and engineers abroad is slowing its plans to make Google available to users of cell phones and other portable devices. Google — which faces stiff competition from search engine competitor Yahoo in Japan — plans to hire more computer engineers in Asia, where wireless technology is ahead of that in the US. ‘‘We are unquestionably not getting the quantity we would like,’’ Brin said, in response to a question about hiring during a multi-hour session with Wall Street analysts. ‘‘The culture and utilisation of mobile in the US is so low compared to other parts of the world that this is not the best place to develop the best products in the mobile space.’’
Most innovation at Google flows from the company’s main campus in Mountain View, California, where more than 1,000 computer scientists work on an array of projects that interest them.
But the company’s young founders remain so hands-on that no new product is released without their input and review.
Brin, Page and Schmidt run Google as a triumvirate. They do agree on one thing: a 70/20/10 management model, in which 70 per cent of resources are devoted to improving the core search engine, 20 per cent are designated for products related to search, and 10 per cent are earmarked for pure research
Yahoo releases a Firefox toolbar
Beta than before
SEARCH OUTFIT Yahoo has released a beta tool bar for the Open Source browser Firefox.
The move indicates the increasing popularity for Fireferret, which has been gobbling up small amounts of Internet Explorer’s market share.
It might also mean that Yahoo is following the lead of Google, which has had a search bar installed into the browser for yonks now.
The Yahoo browser does not do much other than look for information on the web, Yahoo or on a particular website. There's also a search history to check previous searches.
It does provides mail notification and alerts for subscribers of Yahoo's email service.
SEARCH OUTFIT Yahoo has released a beta tool bar for the Open Source browser Firefox.
The move indicates the increasing popularity for Fireferret, which has been gobbling up small amounts of Internet Explorer’s market share.
It might also mean that Yahoo is following the lead of Google, which has had a search bar installed into the browser for yonks now.
The Yahoo browser does not do much other than look for information on the web, Yahoo or on a particular website. There's also a search history to check previous searches.
It does provides mail notification and alerts for subscribers of Yahoo's email service.
New SEO Software Plan beats Microsoft bCentral's Submit It
ARNHEM, NETHERLANDS, February 10, 2005 – According to WhoIs Source, there are over 48 million active domains on the Internet. With each webmaster jockeying for first position in major search engine indexes, page optimization and web site submission are crucial to keeping Internet businesses online. Recently released by parent company InternetEffect, OptimizeKit is an innovative web based ( www.optimizekit.com ) seo software tool kit that gives webmasters the horsepower to make a strong showing in search engine page ranks. Compared to Microsoft bCentral's SubmitIt, it beats this and other tools on all features.
InternetEffect has been a leading consultant for Internet business since 1996 in the Netherlands. Keesjan Deelstra, owner of InternetEffect and founding father of OptimizeKit says, “Our goal is to provide the business owner with the most sophisticated online software tool for Search Engine Optimization available world wide at the lowest price. To make our consultancy available to small business we made OptimizeKit. It acts both as a database tool to monitor website improvements and as an online consultancy tool.”
OptimizeKit was released in mid January. The program trial is free and the Basic version of the program, with a one-year renewable membership, is available for a return link to the OptimizeKit home page. Geared to work for every business from single proprietorships to corporate marketing professionals and other independent consultancy firms, Pro and Premium versions are affordably priced and complete with a 30-day money back guarantee. Deelstra says, “Search engine marketing gives the best return on investment and conversion rates over advertising and banner advertisements. We’re so sure our customers will love OptimizeKit that we’ve made upgrades easy at all program levels.”
With OptimizeKit, the webmaster can set up a site submission in just 15 minutes. An intuitive control panel takes the user through the search engine optimization process in just a few easy steps. All necessary tools like keyword research, Meta Tag Control, Meta Tag Generator, Keyword Density, and Search Spider Tool make web promotion easy. An SEO Page Analyzer checks the page on 60+ points, then OptimizeKit automatically submits and can resubmit the site to up to 300 search engines. However, the program doesn’t stop there! An extensive knowledge base teaches even the novice how to effectively set up and maintain an optimized web site. In addition, daily updated search engine news feeds keep users at the cutting edge of search engine optimization. After submission, OptimizeKit generates flash charts reports about keyword ranking, link popularity, and site submission that users can export to their desktops in several formats.
OptimizeKit compares itself to the competition (see http://www.optimizekit.com/about_us/why_choose_us.php )
and beats them on almost all features. With a eager staff always looking for improvements and adding new features every month Keesjan Deelstra thinks he can offer the small business owner the best for less.
All that’s left for the user to do is to watch their quality traffic explode. Deelstra says, “OptimizeKit will deliver an average minimum of 50 new targeted customers a day. Even at a 1% conversion rate, OptimizeKit will generate over 182 new sales a year, 15 new sales a month.” To prove the value of OptimizeKit to his customers, Deelstra has infused the OptimizeKit website with a wealth of SEO information that is free to all visitors and made OptimizeKit one of the most affordable programs on the Internet today.
About InternetEffect
InternetEffect, (http://interneteffect.com) based in Arnhem, the Netherlands, is a company fully dedicated to providing its customers with top-notch service to get quality traffic to grow their online businesses. Search engine marketing, ppc management, content and link building campaigns are among the services they provide. Owner Keesjan Deelstra is a Dutch SEO professional and writer of the first Dutch SEO book Search Engine Marketing.
InternetEffect has been a leading consultant for Internet business since 1996 in the Netherlands. Keesjan Deelstra, owner of InternetEffect and founding father of OptimizeKit says, “Our goal is to provide the business owner with the most sophisticated online software tool for Search Engine Optimization available world wide at the lowest price. To make our consultancy available to small business we made OptimizeKit. It acts both as a database tool to monitor website improvements and as an online consultancy tool.”
OptimizeKit was released in mid January. The program trial is free and the Basic version of the program, with a one-year renewable membership, is available for a return link to the OptimizeKit home page. Geared to work for every business from single proprietorships to corporate marketing professionals and other independent consultancy firms, Pro and Premium versions are affordably priced and complete with a 30-day money back guarantee. Deelstra says, “Search engine marketing gives the best return on investment and conversion rates over advertising and banner advertisements. We’re so sure our customers will love OptimizeKit that we’ve made upgrades easy at all program levels.”
With OptimizeKit, the webmaster can set up a site submission in just 15 minutes. An intuitive control panel takes the user through the search engine optimization process in just a few easy steps. All necessary tools like keyword research, Meta Tag Control, Meta Tag Generator, Keyword Density, and Search Spider Tool make web promotion easy. An SEO Page Analyzer checks the page on 60+ points, then OptimizeKit automatically submits and can resubmit the site to up to 300 search engines. However, the program doesn’t stop there! An extensive knowledge base teaches even the novice how to effectively set up and maintain an optimized web site. In addition, daily updated search engine news feeds keep users at the cutting edge of search engine optimization. After submission, OptimizeKit generates flash charts reports about keyword ranking, link popularity, and site submission that users can export to their desktops in several formats.
OptimizeKit compares itself to the competition (see http://www.optimizekit.com/about_us/why_choose_us.php )
and beats them on almost all features. With a eager staff always looking for improvements and adding new features every month Keesjan Deelstra thinks he can offer the small business owner the best for less.
All that’s left for the user to do is to watch their quality traffic explode. Deelstra says, “OptimizeKit will deliver an average minimum of 50 new targeted customers a day. Even at a 1% conversion rate, OptimizeKit will generate over 182 new sales a year, 15 new sales a month.” To prove the value of OptimizeKit to his customers, Deelstra has infused the OptimizeKit website with a wealth of SEO information that is free to all visitors and made OptimizeKit one of the most affordable programs on the Internet today.
About InternetEffect
InternetEffect, (http://interneteffect.com) based in Arnhem, the Netherlands, is a company fully dedicated to providing its customers with top-notch service to get quality traffic to grow their online businesses. Search engine marketing, ppc management, content and link building campaigns are among the services they provide. Owner Keesjan Deelstra is a Dutch SEO professional and writer of the first Dutch SEO book Search Engine Marketing.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Booted Google blogger writes again
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Mark Jen is trying to turn lemons into lemonade. The former product manager for Google Inc. has restarted his Weblog and, to take advantage of the publicity surrounding his firing, has added advertising to it.
Suggesting there are apparently no hard feelings, or that he just wants to keep getting checks from Google's account, Jen's become an affiliate of the Google-owned AdSense network. It serves advertisements keyed to a Web page's subject. All of the ads on Jen's blog are, not surprisingly, for Weblog software and related products. "Don't worry, all proceeds will be going to charity (," Jen wrote. Read his Web log.
In the first post to the blog since his firing almost two weeks ago, Jen said, "I want to thank those in the community that have been so supportive." The Web log also drew critics who faulted him for criticizing internal company matters. "I have been trying to get hired at Google for two years," wrote JWFBean. "I can't believe the opportunity you wasted by being a little too verbose."
Suggesting there are apparently no hard feelings, or that he just wants to keep getting checks from Google's account, Jen's become an affiliate of the Google-owned AdSense network. It serves advertisements keyed to a Web page's subject. All of the ads on Jen's blog are, not surprisingly, for Weblog software and related products. "Don't worry, all proceeds will be going to charity (," Jen wrote. Read his Web log.
In the first post to the blog since his firing almost two weeks ago, Jen said, "I want to thank those in the community that have been so supportive." The Web log also drew critics who faulted him for criticizing internal company matters. "I have been trying to get hired at Google for two years," wrote JWFBean. "I can't believe the opportunity you wasted by being a little too verbose."
Why Optimize Your Site For Search Engines?
Sometimes a search engine optimization company will miss that glaring question posed by potential clients and assume the benefits of search engine optimization are obvious to everyone. While shelling out a couple thousand on an SEO campaign is common sense to some, others may find it hard to part with the cash unless they know it is an investment in their business that is sure to bring a good return.
Search engines account for a huge portion of traffic to web sites. Data varies depending on what sources you read, but the bottom line is that search engines are used millions of times each day by consumers searching for goods and services. And having your business displayed at the top of search results is essential if you want to do any business from the major search engines. Nine in every ten users will find what they're looking for in the top 10 results and won't go to page 2.
It's obvious that people can make a lot of money from online sales, but how you advertise your products has a large bearing on what kind of profit you make. If you buy advertising space on Google AdWords or other services that charge per click, you may only shell out 10 cents for every visitor to your site - But what if it takes 100 clicks to make one sale? If your products only sell for $10 a piece, then there is no profit being made. Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns will also never stop costing you money. Search Engine Optimization, on the other hand, can be very affordable over months and years.
Many SEO and Internet Marketing companies will say that ongoing maintenance is needed to reach and keep top search engine rankings. While this is true, be careful how the company says they do it. There is an affordable way and then there's a way to pad the pockets of the "experts." For more on this issue, read my other article entitled "What Constitutes a Complete and Effective SEO Campaign?" In short, the affordable way will involve an intense content optimization followed by work to raise link popularity. This link popularity development should be the bulk of any ongoing maintenance. A couple times a year keyword research should be done again and the content should be looked at. Search trends can sometimes fluctuate so you want to make sure your content is still aimed at the right audience.
What is affordable and what isn't varies greatly from company to company, industry to industry. In the bed and breakfast industry, $30 per month may be enough to keep a top 5 ranking on Google if the market is not very competitive. A web site competing for a top spot in a database administration field may be looking at several hundred a week if not more. The bottom line is, if you pick the right Search Engine Optimization company, your return on investment from an SEO campaign can be over 1000%.
While there are other ways to advertise a web site (No, search engine optimization is not the be-all and end-all of online advertising) very few can match the wide targeted audience and affordability that search engines provide.
Search engines account for a huge portion of traffic to web sites. Data varies depending on what sources you read, but the bottom line is that search engines are used millions of times each day by consumers searching for goods and services. And having your business displayed at the top of search results is essential if you want to do any business from the major search engines. Nine in every ten users will find what they're looking for in the top 10 results and won't go to page 2.
It's obvious that people can make a lot of money from online sales, but how you advertise your products has a large bearing on what kind of profit you make. If you buy advertising space on Google AdWords or other services that charge per click, you may only shell out 10 cents for every visitor to your site - But what if it takes 100 clicks to make one sale? If your products only sell for $10 a piece, then there is no profit being made. Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns will also never stop costing you money. Search Engine Optimization, on the other hand, can be very affordable over months and years.
Many SEO and Internet Marketing companies will say that ongoing maintenance is needed to reach and keep top search engine rankings. While this is true, be careful how the company says they do it. There is an affordable way and then there's a way to pad the pockets of the "experts." For more on this issue, read my other article entitled "What Constitutes a Complete and Effective SEO Campaign?" In short, the affordable way will involve an intense content optimization followed by work to raise link popularity. This link popularity development should be the bulk of any ongoing maintenance. A couple times a year keyword research should be done again and the content should be looked at. Search trends can sometimes fluctuate so you want to make sure your content is still aimed at the right audience.
What is affordable and what isn't varies greatly from company to company, industry to industry. In the bed and breakfast industry, $30 per month may be enough to keep a top 5 ranking on Google if the market is not very competitive. A web site competing for a top spot in a database administration field may be looking at several hundred a week if not more. The bottom line is, if you pick the right Search Engine Optimization company, your return on investment from an SEO campaign can be over 1000%.
While there are other ways to advertise a web site (No, search engine optimization is not the be-all and end-all of online advertising) very few can match the wide targeted audience and affordability that search engines provide.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Add your link to this page
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Leave a comment by clicking on the link below, and mention the location of the URL with the link to this site and I will place a link to your page from this page and add it to my the section on the right hand column, under the appropriate heading.
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Leave a comment by clicking on the link below, and mention the location of the URL with the link to this site and I will place a link to your page from this page and add it to my the section on the right hand column, under the appropriate heading.
Muse : The Blog
Google Extends More Gmail Invites
Google Extends More Gmail Invites
By Nate Mook, BetaNews
February 7, 2005, 10:49 AM
Google's Gmail service may be preparing to leave its beta auspices for the first time since launching in April 2004. Some account holders of the search giant's Web mail have been granted the ability to invite 50 friends to the free service, indicating Google is preparing for an expansion.
Previously, each Gmail beta user was given only a handful of invitations to pass along. Google has been slowly ramping up its Gmail efforts as competition heats up from rivals MSN and Yahoo, which followed Google's strategy to attract customers by removing storage limitations. In November, Gmail was opened so users could retrieve mail using an external client such as Outlook.
By Nate Mook, BetaNews
February 7, 2005, 10:49 AM
Google's Gmail service may be preparing to leave its beta auspices for the first time since launching in April 2004. Some account holders of the search giant's Web mail have been granted the ability to invite 50 friends to the free service, indicating Google is preparing for an expansion.
Previously, each Gmail beta user was given only a handful of invitations to pass along. Google has been slowly ramping up its Gmail efforts as competition heats up from rivals MSN and Yahoo, which followed Google's strategy to attract customers by removing storage limitations. In November, Gmail was opened so users could retrieve mail using an external client such as Outlook.
Something has happened to Google!
Tab writes "Sometime in mid to late November, many web sites no longer appeared in the search engine rankings when their owners used the search terms that they considered most important, or had most commonly found them under. There were some cries that the sites targeted were almost exclusively English language, or e-commerce, because Google wanted to drive the e-commerce sites to buy Adwords, boosting their revenues, and making their IPO more attractive. Quite honestly, if reports of Google's existing revenues are even close to accurate, they are not too worried. That doesn't mean I would buy the stock, just that there is no way Google would sacrifice integrity of results for a short term financial windfall. Search engines whose results decline in quality quickly fade from popularity. Altavista went through 3 bad months, and they never recovered..... Read more"
It's estimated that there are over 100 million searches per day run through Google, directly or through its partners. Thus, Google has become the main source of referrers for most businesses online. Naturally, many people have seen this as an opportunity, and have become professionals at finding ways to abuse Google's algorithms, and thereby generating undeserved high search engine rankings for web sites that are largely irrelevant to a query.
Webmasters and SEO experts have been making statements for a long time that Google was packed with irrelevant results as a result of 'Google Bombing' and assorted techniques designed to drive the link popularity of a web site through the roof, and thus get sites to the top of the search engines; regardless of the quality of the site. The people at Google actually listened to all the complaints, and did something about it: They made some algorithmic updates to the search engine. A new filter was put in place to try and target the most heavily spammed areas of the Internet. The filter was not without flaws. People quickly set out to test the new filters, and found that it could be defeated by entering what is called an exclusionary term. Exclusionary terms are when you search for something that is more specific. For example, if you wanted to search for only vegetables that were not green, you would type "vegetables -green" into the search box. To defeat the algorithm, you had to use a term like -abczxy2wyfjs in other words, something nobody would ever include on a web page. When you used a garbage term, you received search results, unfiltered; in other words, search results that may contain your missing web site, but also all the spam sites. From a practical point of view, this discovery was meaningless. How many members of the general public will actually search this way? It doesn't really matter anyhow, Google fixed the glitch in December.
The reality is the new filter may have hurt a lot of web site's search engine position, and in attempting to improve overall search results, the filter eliminated a lot of good, decent quality web sites at the worst possible time of year; the Christmas shopping season.
It may have been bad timing, and that may have been a mistake, but the rationalization behind the update is logical. Resulting search results have been mixed. On topic web sites that feature particular terms, like "software", "drugs", and other similar terms which are often spammed have been hurt, but only for a search query that includes that key term; overall they continue to perform well. Obviously the filter on these commonly spammed words is deliberate: the people at Google are trying to improve the quality of its results. Unfortunately, the a byproduct of this is that Google is making itself less relevant as a resource on the Internet. This at a time when not only is a contemplated IPO arriving quickly, but their competition is heating up considerably; On one side, Yahoo! is soon to replace Google with the results of combining and improving on the collective resources of Inktomi, FAST (Alltheweb.com), and Altavista. If you take the best elements of all three engines, there's no question which will have more accurate results. On the other side, Microsoft will unleash its new monster search engine (MSE) on MSN later this year. The people in Redmond have been hard at it for a while now; It should be interesting.
Therefore, the question for Google becomes what to do about it? It's a real mess. Google's integrity is on the line. Google doesn't want to become another footnote in Internet History. They want to help power the web.
What about you? What should you be doing to your web site to help compensate for these changes. There's strength in good solid content, and proper optimization. The proper use of your key terms within your entire web site will get noticed, just like it always has. However, overuse (spam), or misuse, (inadvertent or not), will also be picked up. Word density and the text on internal links may also play a role. Only on images that link will the alt tags be analyzed; don't stuff these with repetitive terms.
One search trick that is of interest relates to geographical terms. If you enter a place name, and then a keyword; ie. Sonoma Winery you get web sites discussing about a subject, However, if you search for a keyword, followed by a place name; i.e. Florist Victoria, you get florists in Victoria. This change may herald the start of Google's experiments with geo-locational search abilities.
Naturally, people are very suspicious of the latest Google update. This is the way it is in life with any major change. This is just Google's way of policing the web, and trying to ensure relevant search results. But like many new policing schemes, things often go too far at first.
The best thing we can recommend is: honesty. Don't try and spam the search engines, because they are constantly searching for spammers. Focus on good content, and the proper optimization of your site. Occasionally, an algorithm update will have adverse side effects. The search engines don't want that any more than you do. If you were not spamming, and you were affected, you can bet that lots of other people were too. The search engines know this and are constantly working to fix it.
It's estimated that there are over 100 million searches per day run through Google, directly or through its partners. Thus, Google has become the main source of referrers for most businesses online. Naturally, many people have seen this as an opportunity, and have become professionals at finding ways to abuse Google's algorithms, and thereby generating undeserved high search engine rankings for web sites that are largely irrelevant to a query.
Webmasters and SEO experts have been making statements for a long time that Google was packed with irrelevant results as a result of 'Google Bombing' and assorted techniques designed to drive the link popularity of a web site through the roof, and thus get sites to the top of the search engines; regardless of the quality of the site. The people at Google actually listened to all the complaints, and did something about it: They made some algorithmic updates to the search engine. A new filter was put in place to try and target the most heavily spammed areas of the Internet. The filter was not without flaws. People quickly set out to test the new filters, and found that it could be defeated by entering what is called an exclusionary term. Exclusionary terms are when you search for something that is more specific. For example, if you wanted to search for only vegetables that were not green, you would type "vegetables -green" into the search box. To defeat the algorithm, you had to use a term like -abczxy2wyfjs in other words, something nobody would ever include on a web page. When you used a garbage term, you received search results, unfiltered; in other words, search results that may contain your missing web site, but also all the spam sites. From a practical point of view, this discovery was meaningless. How many members of the general public will actually search this way? It doesn't really matter anyhow, Google fixed the glitch in December.
The reality is the new filter may have hurt a lot of web site's search engine position, and in attempting to improve overall search results, the filter eliminated a lot of good, decent quality web sites at the worst possible time of year; the Christmas shopping season.
It may have been bad timing, and that may have been a mistake, but the rationalization behind the update is logical. Resulting search results have been mixed. On topic web sites that feature particular terms, like "software", "drugs", and other similar terms which are often spammed have been hurt, but only for a search query that includes that key term; overall they continue to perform well. Obviously the filter on these commonly spammed words is deliberate: the people at Google are trying to improve the quality of its results. Unfortunately, the a byproduct of this is that Google is making itself less relevant as a resource on the Internet. This at a time when not only is a contemplated IPO arriving quickly, but their competition is heating up considerably; On one side, Yahoo! is soon to replace Google with the results of combining and improving on the collective resources of Inktomi, FAST (Alltheweb.com), and Altavista. If you take the best elements of all three engines, there's no question which will have more accurate results. On the other side, Microsoft will unleash its new monster search engine (MSE) on MSN later this year. The people in Redmond have been hard at it for a while now; It should be interesting.
Therefore, the question for Google becomes what to do about it? It's a real mess. Google's integrity is on the line. Google doesn't want to become another footnote in Internet History. They want to help power the web.
What about you? What should you be doing to your web site to help compensate for these changes. There's strength in good solid content, and proper optimization. The proper use of your key terms within your entire web site will get noticed, just like it always has. However, overuse (spam), or misuse, (inadvertent or not), will also be picked up. Word density and the text on internal links may also play a role. Only on images that link will the alt tags be analyzed; don't stuff these with repetitive terms.
One search trick that is of interest relates to geographical terms. If you enter a place name, and then a keyword; ie. Sonoma Winery you get web sites discussing about a subject, However, if you search for a keyword, followed by a place name; i.e. Florist Victoria, you get florists in Victoria. This change may herald the start of Google's experiments with geo-locational search abilities.
Naturally, people are very suspicious of the latest Google update. This is the way it is in life with any major change. This is just Google's way of policing the web, and trying to ensure relevant search results. But like many new policing schemes, things often go too far at first.
The best thing we can recommend is: honesty. Don't try and spam the search engines, because they are constantly searching for spammers. Focus on good content, and the proper optimization of your site. Occasionally, an algorithm update will have adverse side effects. The search engines don't want that any more than you do. If you were not spamming, and you were affected, you can bet that lots of other people were too. The search engines know this and are constantly working to fix it.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Attack Of The Killer Google Zombies!
Read the entire article here : Attack Of The Killer Google Zombies!
Amazon Unit Challenges Google, Other Search Sites
A9.com is walking a fine line between working with Google and competing against it. By Thomas Claburn Following an April test, A9.com Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon.com, today officially launched A9.com, a search site that finds itself in competition withGoogle, Microsoft, and Yahoo, to name a few of the most prominent search engines. That's not how computer scientist and A9.com CEO Udi Manber characterizes his company's place in the market. "We don't concentrate on competition," he says. "We look at user
Source: InformationWeek
Click here to read the entire article : Amazon Unit Challenges Google, Other Search Sites
Source: InformationWeek
Click here to read the entire article : Amazon Unit Challenges Google, Other Search Sites
Five Reasons To Submit to Shopping Search Engines - By Corey Creed
The shopping season starts soon. Christmas is only three months away.Can you believe it?Are you ready? Do you (or does someone you know) sell products on theInternet? If so, part of being ready should include shopping searchengines. What are they? The most popular ones are BizRate,Shopping.com, Froogle, and Yahoo Shopping. You have probably seen orused them already to research a product you were interested in, tofind the best price, or to read opinions.But are you using them effectively for your products? If not, whyshould you now?Here are five top reasons:
1. Their Popularity Is Growing Fast Ask anyone you know about Yahoo Shopping, BizRate, Shopping.com, NexTag or other similar sites. They will probably say the samething... "Oh yeah! I just recently used a site like that to buy my___." I have heard that from almost everyone I know.To support this, Hitwise (a leading online measurement company)recently reported that these sites are seeing an increasing number ofvisits. Interestingly, they are also seeing a corresponding decreasein clickthroughs from search engines. Why? It seems as if oncepeople use these sites, they come directly to them the next time.If people are using these sites more and more, shouldn't you want yourproducts there?
2. They Advertise For YouLet me put this another way. Are you tired of handing your wallet toOverture and Google AdWords? Let the shopping search engines do itfor you.Try this. Go to Google or Yahoo today and type in camera, digitalcamera, fabrics, or any other product name. Many times, BizRate,Shopping.com, or some other shopping search site will show up in thetop paid-listing spots. And you know those terms aren't cheap!
3. Lower PPC Costs This is basically a continuation of the previous point. PPC costs on Overture and Google AdWords are increasing constantly. How much doesa click cost from Froogle? Nothing! What about Shopping.com,BizRate, NexTag, and others? Although it varies, it is frequently less than 15 cents and seldom over 50 cents.
4. More Qualified LeadsWhen someone is looking at Google and they click your ad, do theyreally want to buy what you are offering? Perhaps.On the other hand, if someone is on Shopping.com and they click onyour ad, what do you think they are doing? Shopping maybe? The sameholds true for Yahoo Shopping, and the many other similarly namedshopping sites.
5. Start Now To Beat the Competition
Remember the "good ole days" when you could list on Overture for 5cents for most of your terms? You probably didn't even check yourReturn On Investment. You got plenty of clicks for a great price.
What happened? Your competition, that's what.
Now you have to pay more and work harder. Shopping Search Engines isthis year what Pay Per Click was a few years ago. The opportunity isripe to get started now and the price is right.
So now you want to list your products. Where do you start?
Begin by doing some searches in the major shopping search engines. Isanyone else listing the products you offer? If so, how does yourpricing compare? After all, these sites are not calledcomparison-shopping sites for nothing. Many people are looking forthe best price.
But price is not everything. In fact, shoppers are more frequentlylooking for reputable sites. So, does your site look reputable? Doesit have good navigation? Also, be sure to sign up for BizRate'sCustomer Certified Ratings Program. If you start now, you can getsome positive comments on your site within the next couple of months.Many will choose to pay a little more if the merchant is more reputable.
To get listed, you will need to sign up with each site. Then followthe instructions. The process usually includes creating a spreadsheetin a certain format and then submitting it via FTP to the appropriateserver.
Corey CreedShopping Search Info http://www.ShoppingSearchInfo.com
1. Their Popularity Is Growing Fast Ask anyone you know about Yahoo Shopping, BizRate, Shopping.com, NexTag or other similar sites. They will probably say the samething... "Oh yeah! I just recently used a site like that to buy my___." I have heard that from almost everyone I know.To support this, Hitwise (a leading online measurement company)recently reported that these sites are seeing an increasing number ofvisits. Interestingly, they are also seeing a corresponding decreasein clickthroughs from search engines. Why? It seems as if oncepeople use these sites, they come directly to them the next time.If people are using these sites more and more, shouldn't you want yourproducts there?
2. They Advertise For YouLet me put this another way. Are you tired of handing your wallet toOverture and Google AdWords? Let the shopping search engines do itfor you.Try this. Go to Google or Yahoo today and type in camera, digitalcamera, fabrics, or any other product name. Many times, BizRate,Shopping.com, or some other shopping search site will show up in thetop paid-listing spots. And you know those terms aren't cheap!
3. Lower PPC Costs This is basically a continuation of the previous point. PPC costs on Overture and Google AdWords are increasing constantly. How much doesa click cost from Froogle? Nothing! What about Shopping.com,BizRate, NexTag, and others? Although it varies, it is frequently less than 15 cents and seldom over 50 cents.
4. More Qualified LeadsWhen someone is looking at Google and they click your ad, do theyreally want to buy what you are offering? Perhaps.On the other hand, if someone is on Shopping.com and they click onyour ad, what do you think they are doing? Shopping maybe? The sameholds true for Yahoo Shopping, and the many other similarly namedshopping sites.
5. Start Now To Beat the Competition
Remember the "good ole days" when you could list on Overture for 5cents for most of your terms? You probably didn't even check yourReturn On Investment. You got plenty of clicks for a great price.
What happened? Your competition, that's what.
Now you have to pay more and work harder. Shopping Search Engines isthis year what Pay Per Click was a few years ago. The opportunity isripe to get started now and the price is right.
So now you want to list your products. Where do you start?
Begin by doing some searches in the major shopping search engines. Isanyone else listing the products you offer? If so, how does yourpricing compare? After all, these sites are not calledcomparison-shopping sites for nothing. Many people are looking forthe best price.
But price is not everything. In fact, shoppers are more frequentlylooking for reputable sites. So, does your site look reputable? Doesit have good navigation? Also, be sure to sign up for BizRate'sCustomer Certified Ratings Program. If you start now, you can getsome positive comments on your site within the next couple of months.Many will choose to pay a little more if the merchant is more reputable.
To get listed, you will need to sign up with each site. Then followthe instructions. The process usually includes creating a spreadsheetin a certain format and then submitting it via FTP to the appropriateserver.
Corey CreedShopping Search Info http://www.ShoppingSearchInfo.com
Monday, September 13, 2004
Surefire Google Adwords Formula
Success with Google Adwords isn't quite as easy as some would have you believe.
Still just about anyone who is persistent can succeed if they'll but implement a consistent testing program. Since testing can produce a nearly constant improvement in your click through rate (CTR).
Here’s the surefire three-step formula that’s as easy as one...two...three.
Surefire Step #1: Develop Your Initial Test Ads
Notice I said ads not ad.
You want to present two competing ideas to your market right away. Letting your prospects tell you which they prefer.
Tip: Test headlines first while keeping the body copy the same. Headlines can have a huge impact.
Tip: Set it up so Google serves up both ads equally. Otherwise Google will present the ad that's producing the most click throughs more often which will skew your test.
Tip: Set it up so Google serves up both ads equally. Otherwise Google will present the ad that's producing the most click throughs more often which will skew your test.
Surefire Step #2: Monitor Results
After 40 clicks review your results. Google displays the ads under your listings. Showing the number of clicks each ad got.
After 40 clicks review your results. Google displays the ads under your listings. Showing the number of clicks each ad got.
Here’s early results from a campaign I tested:
High PR Reciprocal Links Easily Get More Traffic Fast! Access Directory of High PR Sites. HighPRLinkClub.com 39 Clicks 1.4% CTR Served - 49.5%
High PR Reciprocal LinksBoost Search Engine Ranking Fast. High PR Links Equals More Traffic. HighPRLinkClub.com26 Clicks 0.9% CTR Served - 50.5%
Each ad was served up half the time. Yet one outperformed the other by more than 50%. As one had a 1.4% CTR. While the other only .9% CTR. So by doing nothing more than setting up two ads I found one was clearly a winner.
In case you're wondering I have no idea why one ad worked better. And really don't care. Marketing is about "what works" not so much "why it works".
CRITICAL STEP: You've got an ad that produces clicks. Now you want to improve on that without wasting half your impressions on an idea that may or may not work. So here's the trick.
Surefire Step #3: Duplicate the winner. Add another contender.
In case you're wondering I have no idea why one ad worked better. And really don't care. Marketing is about "what works" not so much "why it works".
CRITICAL STEP: You've got an ad that produces clicks. Now you want to improve on that without wasting half your impressions on an idea that may or may not work. So here's the trick.
Surefire Step #3: Duplicate the winner. Add another contender.
With three ads being served up equally the winner will be presented two-thirds of the time. While the test ad will only be shown one third of the time.
From here on wait until the challenger accumulates 40 clicks before deciding if it's better or not. (Unless it’s dramatically out performing the reigning winner.) If so it's the new champ. If it is, or isn't, repeat Step 3 trying another idea.
CTR Boosting Ideas to Test
Here are five known CTR boosting tactics you can test:
• Put the target keyword in the headline. Google will bold it to draw attention to your ad.
• List the big benefit on the first line of text followed by the features. Does this generate more response than an ad that simply lists various features?
• Capitalize the first letter of each word verses using all lowercase.
• Do action inducing words like...sign up, new, right now, today, buy now, save now, apply here ...impact response?
• Qualify by including the price.
Here are five known CTR boosting tactics you can test:
• Put the target keyword in the headline. Google will bold it to draw attention to your ad.
• List the big benefit on the first line of text followed by the features. Does this generate more response than an ad that simply lists various features?
• Capitalize the first letter of each word verses using all lowercase.
• Do action inducing words like...sign up, new, right now, today, buy now, save now, apply here ...impact response?
• Qualify by including the price.
Result? Over time you'll improve your CTR driving more traffic to your site. Making you a winner in the Adwords game.
This is why I say you don't have to be a marketing Einstein to develop Adwords ads that work. Just know a little bit about your market’s hot buttons and the market will tell you the rest.
This is why I say you don't have to be a marketing Einstein to develop Adwords ads that work. Just know a little bit about your market’s hot buttons and the market will tell you the rest.
See? a surefire formula that's as easy as one...two...three.
So what you waiting for? Start testing today for more traffic tomorrow.
John Gergye shares more ideas like this in his just updated eBook "Traffic From Google in 35 Days". Find out more here: http://www.traffic-test-tube.com/j/tfg35cl.shtml Or test your search engine IQ by taking his seo quiz http://www.traffic-test-tube.com/search-engine-quiz.shtml and get the free special report "Coming Out On Top".
How Popular Are You,... Online That Is?
With the web today you "sorta haveta" have a rank in the major search engines if you want to be seen. I mean with 250,000,000, yes 250 million searches a day on Google™ alone, how are your visitors and potential customers going to find you?
Now, there are numerous ways in which a Search Engine ranks a website; by keyword density, relevancy, content, etc. etc.. But Link Popularity is an ever growing statistic in how the Search Engines continue to rank websites.
Link popularity, is how "popular" your website is. That is how popular your site is compared to other websites. To put it another way; it is the number of "other websites" that have a link on their website to your website. Did you get that? :)
Now, although Link Popularity "building" is a large science and art in itself, I'll briefly touch on a couple ways in which you can see how popular you are and how to go about improving your link popularity.
A small side note though, is link popularity is a BIG way in which Google™ ranks their search results. They refer to this as "PageRank". With the Search Engine, FAST, they call it "link score".
Now there are quite a few software programs and sites that can help build your link popularity as well as check your popularity.
Now, there are many ways to check your link popularity. But if you simply want to get a small idea, a little way for you to do this is go to any search engine and type in, "link popularity", without the quotes, and there will be lots of results for you to choose from. And then simply pick a site and check your site popularity.
Now, a small way to build your popularity is by going to the altavista.com engine and type in "link:yourcompetitor.com", and the results that show up will tell you what sites have posted links to your competitor's websites.
Then simply visit a site and look for a contact method, be it an email address, phone number, etc. and express an interest to them in trading links. It is a win-win method for both sites so, you have nothing to lose. Some might happily oblige, and some might not. It’s certainly worth a try.
In summary, link popularity can be a never ending chore if you have a website. This is because having links on related websites to your website is a very good form of Targeted Traffic which never really quits, because most related links stay up for a long period of time, thus providing a continuous stream of targeted traffic, which, by the way is totally cost free.
And Search Engine traffic and reciprocal link traffic are the best forms of Targeted Traffic there is online. And both are free.
Burke Ferguson holds both a BSc. degree in Computer Science as well Certification in Search Engine Optimization and Marketing Strategies. He regularly publishes The ACE! newsletter, in which he shares his experience, methods, and knowledge about what works and about what is 'BS'. He can be contacted by http://www.the-ace-ezine.com or http://www.altacanweb.com
Now, there are numerous ways in which a Search Engine ranks a website; by keyword density, relevancy, content, etc. etc.. But Link Popularity is an ever growing statistic in how the Search Engines continue to rank websites.
Link popularity, is how "popular" your website is. That is how popular your site is compared to other websites. To put it another way; it is the number of "other websites" that have a link on their website to your website. Did you get that? :)
Now, although Link Popularity "building" is a large science and art in itself, I'll briefly touch on a couple ways in which you can see how popular you are and how to go about improving your link popularity.
A small side note though, is link popularity is a BIG way in which Google™ ranks their search results. They refer to this as "PageRank". With the Search Engine, FAST, they call it "link score".
Now there are quite a few software programs and sites that can help build your link popularity as well as check your popularity.
Now, there are many ways to check your link popularity. But if you simply want to get a small idea, a little way for you to do this is go to any search engine and type in, "link popularity", without the quotes, and there will be lots of results for you to choose from. And then simply pick a site and check your site popularity.
Now, a small way to build your popularity is by going to the altavista.com engine and type in "link:yourcompetitor.com", and the results that show up will tell you what sites have posted links to your competitor's websites.
Then simply visit a site and look for a contact method, be it an email address, phone number, etc. and express an interest to them in trading links. It is a win-win method for both sites so, you have nothing to lose. Some might happily oblige, and some might not. It’s certainly worth a try.
In summary, link popularity can be a never ending chore if you have a website. This is because having links on related websites to your website is a very good form of Targeted Traffic which never really quits, because most related links stay up for a long period of time, thus providing a continuous stream of targeted traffic, which, by the way is totally cost free.
And Search Engine traffic and reciprocal link traffic are the best forms of Targeted Traffic there is online. And both are free.
Burke Ferguson holds both a BSc. degree in Computer Science as well Certification in Search Engine Optimization and Marketing Strategies. He regularly publishes The ACE! newsletter, in which he shares his experience, methods, and knowledge about what works and about what is 'BS'. He can be contacted by http://www.the-ace-ezine.com or http://www.altacanweb.com
Thursday, September 09, 2004
If Content is King, then surely Relevance is Queen!
There has been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing in the searchengine world of late and there are lots of conspiracytheories as to why these things happen.
It is easy as a webmaster to get caught up in these webs ofintrigue.
You get email notes about them, you view so-called experts'thoughts on bulletin Boards - hey you probably even readthings in newsletter articles!
Well I hope so anyway....
The big driver for webmasters currently appears to becontent and link building.
While link building is important I don't believe it makesQueen. Maybe a Prince. Content and links DO go hand inhand but, without relevance, the Kingdom is doomed. Sorry Iwill stop the analogy now! :-)
While link building is important I don't believe it makesQueen. Maybe a Prince. Content and links DO go hand inhand but, without relevance, the Kingdom is doomed. Sorry Iwill stop the analogy now! :-)
If your site is about finance, then finance content is bestsupported by finance link exchanges.
Relevance!
If your site is about finance, then finance contentsupported by casino link exchanges from a PR8 site while inthe short term may help,…but all the signs are saying thisis not a long term strategy.
Okay,so what is the best strategy?
Keep EVERYTHING relevant. It is that simple.
Make sure that you only swap or link to sites that arerelevant to the content on your pages. Yes I am suggestinglink exchanging on pages of your site not a links page.
Links pages seem to be being abused. There are rumours thatpages called links, resources or partners are not passingpage rank. You could be wasting your time building linksthat are not giving you any benefits!
Links pages seem to be being abused. There are rumours thatpages called links, resources or partners are not passingpage rank. You could be wasting your time building linksthat are not giving you any benefits!
Delivering relevant links from relevant content is thefuture.
Look at sites such as www.bbc.co.uk orwww.independent.co.uk. News sites have the right idea.They have 2 or 3 relevant internal links to otherarticles on the same topic or links to internal tools thatare related. These usually can be found at the right handside of the article.
They also then have weblinks or external links to sites ofinterest that are related to the topic. These are relevant!
Another benefit of this is that with a content rich site youcan add hundreds of links quite legitimately and really addsome value both to your Rankings and your users.
With a content-poor site it is difficult, you have to addlink pages or create a links directory. A five page sitewill need to add 10 or 12 good link pages to compete andeven then with algorithm changes, this may not be prudent.
Having a site with 400 pages means you can easily add 3links per page, so you have 1200 link options straight away. Hopefully this explains that relevance runs a close secondto content.
Always bear in mind when writing content that relevant links will not only boost your search engine rankings, but you will also add a service to your visitors.
Jason Hulott is Director of J2 Squared, leading specialists in Internet Consultancy whose specific aim is to drive more revenue to websites. Their main area of focus are the insurance, finance, and automotive industries.
What is The Google Sandbox Effect?
In the age of fair competition you may find it hard to believe that a search engine may hinder the appearance of a new website. This is what is currently believed to be happening on more web servers today. Some programmers have viewed Google as uncomfortable to rank newer websites until they have proven their viability to exist for more than a period of “x” months. Thus the term “Sandbox Effect” applies to the idea that all new websites have their ratings placed in a holding tank until such time is deemed appropriate before a ranking can commence.
However the website is not hindered as much as the links that are reciprocated from other users. Newer links that are created are put on a “probationary” status until again they pickup in rank from other matured sites or placed directly by an ad campaign. The idea behind the hindrance is to prevent a fast ranking to occur on a new website. The usual holding period seems to be between 90 and 120 days before a site would start obtaining rank from reciprocal or back linking.
Some advice has been given to have companies you are going to reciprocate back add your link
first to the website. This may help grandfather your site in, thus reducing the waiting time associated with “new” websites. People have noticed a 0 page rank when first signing up and receiving a bolstering 7 page ranking after 4 months. Why the delay? The fact is, that if people realized how easy it would be to get a high ranking, would that take away the credibility of the engine. It depends on whom you ask, but it does seem to be happening frequently to newer subscribers. Do not discontinue back linking, your rank will eventually appear.
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.com. Visit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
One Way Link Building Strategies
One-way link building is a great way to improve your link popularity and ranking in the search engines. One-way links are more difficult to obtain than traditional reciprocal links, but pay off in securing solid long-term search engine ranking results.
Why Are One-Way Links Helpful?
Link building in general is an important part of making sure your site ranks well in the search engines. Google and many of the other search engines include link popularity as part of the way they evaluate the web pages they include in the search engine databases. Links are seen as a positive "vote" towards the quality of the web page. Each individual page acquires link popularity based on the pages that link to it. Google and Yahoo both have toolbars showing the page rank of pages you visit, so you can use these tools to get a good estimate of your pages' link popularity. It is not necessary to get totally caught up in the minutia of which types of links from which types of pages are the most important. The bottom line is this: acquiring links pointing back to your website, particularly links from sites covering the same or related topics as your
site, is helpful in the overall scheme of search engine ranking.
The big "plus" of one-way links is that you don't have to worry about linking back to a "bad neighborhood". If your site has links pointing back to sites that serve as "link farms" or "free-for-all" sites, you may not gain, and could actually lose page rank. These sites are rarely focused, and tend to have links to and from all different sorts of sites. Since there is no particular topical emphasis here, it is clear to Google and the other search engines that the sole purpose of these sites is to artificially increase the number of links pointing to your site. Since there is no value added for the search engine's users, they in turn give no value to these links.
Another advantage to these focused, one-way links is that they will tend to stay in place. A website that features a link to your site probably does so because that site's owner thinks that their visitors will benefit from the content your site has to offer. Rather than simply trying to manipulate search results, they want to add to the experience of their visitors; you benefit from having a long term link in place. Sites featuring reciprocal links may simply drop your link when it no longer suits their linking strategy.
How Do I Obtain Natural Links?
Building good content helps interest your visitors and keeps them on your website. By becoming an authority on your topic, you will attract more visitors. When another website in essence "votes" for the quality of your website by placing a link pointing back to it, you are obtaining natural linking. The more you can build upon helpful articles, FAQs and white papers, etc., the better reason for visitors to link back to your website because of the quality content.
One-Way Linking Sources
There are a number of ways to get links from other sites back to yours. The most important principle to keep in mind is that you will get the most links when you offer something significant to link to. Think of what you can provide that people will want to link to:
Natural links given from topic-related websites that like your website
Providing free content, such as access to articles, e-books, FAQ's and white papers
Directory links, listed under the category related to your topic
Business directory links, listed under the category related to your topic
Blogs, submitted to a blog directory and archived online
Business associations, listed under the category related to your topic
Newsletter text ads promoting your business, archived online at topic-related websites
Original articles, submitted to and archived online at topic-related websites
Original press releases, submitted to and archived online at topic-related websites
Original newsletters, submitted to and archived online at topic-related websites
White papers, submitted to and archived online at topic-related websites
E-books, submitted to and archived online at topic-related websites
Free software tools provided with required link back to website
For each of these types of content, you will want to have an active link pointing back to your site. Of course, when creating your own original content, always archive your own work on your website to build your content and increase your own link popularity by growing the number of pages on your website.
The extra value of one-way links is the fact that you are also promoting your website from the listing as well as the active link. Articles, newsletters, white papers, directory and business association links may bring in traffic from visitors who are interested in the description of your website listing.
How Do I Know The Links Are Valid?
To gain the most benefit from your links, the link back to your web page should be one that can be followed by the search engine robots. Plain old text links and image links usually can be followed by the search engine robots. More exotic types of links, like JavaScript links, cannot typically be followed by the search engine robots. When you provide suggested linking code, the simpler the better. Don't be afraid to suggest linking formats to owners of sites that link to you. The types of links that serve your purposes best will generally provide their visitors with the best experience as well.
Check to see if the page where the link will be located can be found in the search engine results. You can search via the entire website or by individual page. Different search engines use different syntax in looking for individual pages and links; refer to the advanced search function for each search engine for details.
Google Search Example:
Shows indexing of all pages listed in website site:www.websitedomainname.com
Shows indexing of a specific web page in website info:www.websitedomainname.com/pagename.html
Shows indexing of a specific web page in website info:www.websitedomainname.com/pagename.html
If the page is listed in the search engine results, this means the page has been indexed by the search engine robots. This means the web page is valid for indexing and that your link will be picked up as well.
Research And Quality Content Equal Success
One-way link building means hard work and long term determination to achieve good link popularity. By improving the quality of your website, you improve the chance to obtain good quality natural links. Spend a set amount of time each week to seek out quality one-way links to achieve your goal. By using this long-term game plan you will be able to safely build links for optimum link popularity success.
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Daria Goetsch is the founder and Search Engine Marketing Consultant for Search Innovation, a Search Engine Promotion company serving small businesses. Besides running her own company, Daria is an associate of WebMama.com, an Internet web marketing strategies company. She has specialized in search engine optimization since 1998, including three years as the Search Engine Specialist for O'Reilly & Associates, a technical book publishing company. You can read more of her articles at the Search Innovation Articles page.
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