Archive for March 2009
7 Tricks to Get a Goooooooooooogle of Links
7 Tricks to Get a Goooooooooooogle of LinksBy Richard Gilmore (c) 2009 SEO is a race. And in any race learning from your competitors makes you a better runner. Even when you’re running first it’s sometimes good to look back and check the runner-ups. And if you’re not the yellow jersey guy, you absolutely should examine the leaders: their gear, their training, their strategy. In SEO the most interesting thing about your competition are their links. Whether you like it or not SEO is still pretty much about links. Good link profile can make up for almost any lack of optimized content and other onpage flaws. Love or hate, the best thing you can do about it is embrace the fact and run with it.So let’s go through some tricks that will enable you to look deeper into your competition’s link profile granting you access to the restricted areas: their locker room, dirty laundry and even the briefing hall where they plan their link building strategies. Let’s Talk Competitive Link ResearchFinding out where your competitors’ links come from is not all that hard. You just go to Yahoo! or Google and type in link:www.your-competitor.com to get a list of inbound links to the site.Yahoo’s much better in that respect as it tends to give more extensive and accurate data. The problem here is that there’s a limit of 1,000 links per website which is often not enough as the fattest link sources get left behind the limit fence. Here’re some tips to break through to the other side.Note: If you’re lazy like me skip to the end of the article where I’ll share a tool that does it all much quicker.Trick 1: Search for Links to Particular Web Pages of a Competing SiteAlongside with link:www.your-competitor.com search forlink:www.your-competitor.com/products.html orlink:www.your-competitor.com/services.htmland so on.Trick 2: Exclude Internal LinksYou may examine the internal linking structure of your competition if you want to gain some insight on their navigation and marketing steps. But as we want to find more external links, let’s exclude the internal ones.You can do this by adding -site:site.com operator to your search query. Type in:link:http://www.your-competitor.com -site:your-competitor.com orlinkdomain:www.your-competitor.com -site:your-competitor.comand you’ll get a list of external backlinks only.There’s a dropdown option in Yahoo! site explorer that does the same.Trick 3: Exclude Links Coming from Certain DomainsThe -site: modifier lets you exclude links coming from specific sites. So, whenever you see a large chunk of links coming from the same domain add -site:thisdomain.com modifier to your query and the links from this site will get replaced with new ones. You can add -site: multiple times in one query so that you have something like this:link:http://www.cnn.com -site:cnn.com -site:en.wikipedia.orgTrick 4: Check Links Coming from Certain TLDsThis is a little known trick. The site: modifier actually lets you get a list of links coming from domains with certain TLDs: .com, .org, .edu, .co.uk and so on. Just type inlink:http://www.your-competitor.com site:.gov orlinkdomain:www.your-competitor.com site:.gov and you’ll get a list of .gov sites linking to your rival.Note: Do this in Yahoo! regular search, not site explorerTrick 5: Exclude Links Coming from Certain TLDsThis is an even lesser known trick. You can exclude certain TLDs from the results with the -site:.tld modifier. Usually the biggest chunk of links comes from .com’s so add a -site.com modifier and you’ll get lots of new link data. Trick 6: Use Different Combinations of the First 5 TricksTry link:http://www.your-competitor.com/page.html -site:your-competitor.com -site:.com Or link:http://www.your-competitor.com site:.org -site:wikipedia.org Give it a thought and I’m sure you’ll come up with lots of ideas. Feel free to share your findings in the comments.Trick 7: Use the Above 6 Tricks in Different Search EnginesDon’t limit your searches to Yahoo! and Google, go to AltaVista, Alexa, (Bing doesn’t give you link data, so forget about it) but then there’re Exalead, Excite and tons of regional search engines. Search them, get rid of the the duplicates and you’ll have a goooooooooooooooogol of competitor’s links to study.Note: Some search engines have a different set of operators so you’ll need to type domain: instead of link:.Getting It All Done FastThis sure seems like a lot of work and it is. Moreover, getting the links list is only the beginning and the easy part of competitive link research. Once you get the list you need to analyze each link, weed out poor quality sites and only leave the ones you can get a link from. Now THAT’s a lot of work.I’m too lazy to do this all by hand, besides I value my time too much to waste it on such kind of work. That’s why I use SEO SpyGlass an advanced link analysis tool that employs all the tricks described in this article (plus some more advanced ones I don’t even know) to get up to 25,000 links per domain, which is much, much more than any other tool can get.SEO SpyGlass also finds all the data I need to analyze the links:• Google PR of the domain and linking page• The URL and title of the linking page• The anchor text and description• Whether the link is still on the page (sometimes the link gets removed but search engines willthink it’s there till they reindex the page).• Whether the link is no-follow or dofollow• How many other links are on the page• How much link value the link passes• And some other data like TLDs, domain age, country, etc.If you want to do competitive link research seriously, I’d strongly recommend trying SEO SpyGlass out. And of course you can always use my tricks whenever you want to run a quick background check on that new guy on your block.Note: This article first appeared on Site-Reference.com About The AuthorGet more link building advice and SEO software to help you implement it. Richard Gilmore is an Internet marketer, freelance SEO, author and addicted guitar player.
Caffeine, Google’s Mild Stimulus
Caffeine, Google’s Mild StimulusBy John Sylvester (c) 2009 Although denying it has anything to do with the recent launch of Bing, Google’s Matt Cutts unveiled their “secret project”, one of the biggest behind-the-scenes updates to Google search in three years and is now testing the next-generation architecture of web search, called Caffeine. In fairness to Matt Cutts, he said changes to Google search have been in progress for a number of months and hence, by implication, that the launch of Bing had nothing to do with the development of Caffeine. Moreover, I would hesitate to guess, it has far more to do with speed in real-time, so as to address its place in step with the social networking giants.Although initially unavailable for testing because of “system maintenance”, Matt Cutts, Google’s enforcer of the Google Webmaster Guidelines and the man who cracked down on link spam, has invited us all to test it. He said Google hasn’t made an update of this magnitude since 2006 and that it will make internet search much faster and more accurate than ever before, although “currently, even power users won’t notice much of a difference at all“. He went on to say: “The new infrastructure sits ‘under the hood’ of Google’s search engine, which means that most users won’t notice a difference in search results. But web developers and power searchers might notice a few differences, so we’re opening up a web developer preview to collect feedback.”The new architecture is said to include size, indexing, speed, accuracy and ranking changes and Google is asking searchers to give it a try it and report their feedback. While the version is still a pre-beta release at http://www2.sandbox.google.com, you can test the old Google against the new for yourselves at http://www.comparecaffeine.com.With the surge in popularity of “real-time search” via social networking sites, Google has recognised that search engines have to deliver content at speed. Granted, but there have already been some negative comments, although I don’t wholeheartedly agree with them. According to marketingpilgrim.com, “…Google’s attempts to include more social media “real time” results, it turned the dial to 11, when 7 would have worked just fine. Another clue that Caffeine is focused on speed – perhaps at the sacrifice of relevancy – is there appears to be more ‘Similar’ only and less ‘Cached’ results.” Personally, I have only seen a shift in relevancy, not sacrifice.So how does all this compare? According to tests at mashable.com, the new search was “lightning fast”; double the speed. Next, they tried accuracy. They commented that: “Both sets are very accurate, but subjectively, the set displayed by the new Google search more accurately reflect what a user would be looking for.” Then followed a test of temporal relevancy, or how breaking news was returned. The answer: “about the same”. Their conclusion was that Caffeine is:
• very fast and it often doubled the speed of the old Google;• it relies more on keywords and;• it places “more reliance on keyword strings to produce better results”.
“Clearly,” they wrote, “a priority for Google and Bing…with both Twitter and Facebook launching real-time search engines, they needed to respond.”So, I tried out my own website and that of my partner’s. Maybe the caffeine hit kicked in somewhere along the line, as he has gone from #4 to #2 and I have gone from #3 to #1, which all sounds perfectly satisfactory to me. The reason I mention this is that both of these sites have been involved in article writing, social media, blogging and RSS for about three years, and I thought it about time a new infrastructure gave us some more weight for following the “rulebook”. But not to be deterred in my research, I looked up many search terms, most of which returned similar results. However, one interesting oddity was to look up “search engine” to compare results of the old against the new. The figures weren’t too different in volume, at 246m against 243m, but with one surprising omission in the new: Bing does not feature on the first page of results. Oops!Most site owners have been happy with Google’s results, with one notable exception: I read a piece by the Guardian in which a British husband and wife team have been waging a three-year battle to get their price comparison website recognised by Google. So I searched on “Search and compare prices”, the first part of their search string. Nothing much on the old Google, but Caffeine has elevated them to eighth position. Good news for their business. And goodbye lawyers?In final conclusion, then, the update to the infrastructure seems to include:
• increased weight on authority domains and social media sites;• slightly more weight on domain names (a practice I don’t favour);• better use of linkage between keywords and phrases;• less weight given to video.
To my mind, if you have followed the rules and what has been said in the SEO forums and articles over the past couple of years, Google’s Caffeine update has retuned forthcoming search results to be more in keeping with what they have for a long time recommended – and for those of us who have been doing so it offers us little more than a mild stimulus, as in Matt Cutt’s own words, “…most users won’t notice a difference“. About The AuthorJohn Sylvester is the media director of V9 Design & Build, a company specialising in web design in Bangkok, and who is an expert in search engine optimization and web marketing strategies.
Free Traffic and the 4 Vital Elements of a Successful Website
Free Traffic and the 4 Vital Elements of a Successful WebsiteBy Brye Bishop (c) 2009 Let’s face it, anyone can build a website. There are countless companies out there offering a vast array of web building solutions, some good, some great, and some quite frankly are a complete waste of time! But throwing together a website is really only part of the story, only part of the process. There are literally, hundreds of thousands of web pages, that won’t ever be viewed and therefore stand no chance of commercial success. Some of those sites are relatively good; unfortunately their owners have misunderstood the process and have the cart before the horse… In the online world no one just happens by your website, credít card in hand! If you’ve yet to build your website, or about to create a new site, stop! consider first exactly what you wish to achieve with that site, before you start. “Creating a website should follow a process proven to deliver a commercial end result… or run the risk of ending up, just another pretty picture in cyberspace!” Fortunately there is a process, and I highly recommend you take a look at it… perhaps you already know it…Content > Traffic > Pre-sell > MonetizeA time tested, 4 step process, proven to produce websites that deliver… commercially! Ok so, let’s now look briefly at each step and why they work in this particular order.1. Numoro Uno, as always. Content. Very, very important. Building information-rich sites is crucial. You must have high quality, unique, relevant content on your site, A; because you want to attract visitors in the first place and B; to generate long term, search engine based free traffic.Online, people are looking for solutions, for information that leads to solutions. They use the search engines to hunt for the most relevant facts to reach this end goal solution. Your job is therefore easy… give it to them… but don’t just plonk down any old garbage and hope for the best… take your time, put in the effort, provide good quality information that will over-deliver and keep your visitor interested, satisfy her need and you will be rewarded. Over time, gradually add new fresh, useful content and you will be creating web pages valued by humans and search engines alike. On the internet, high value content is king!2. Traffic… Ahh! The Holy Grail… Much has been written on the subject, and many are making a good living providing (?) this elusive element.Truth is, (excluding social media) there are but two ways to get it – you either pay for it, or you optimize for it. If you take the time to understand the basics, you can easily do both.Paid search, (PPC) such as Google Adwords has its place, and can provide an immediate stream of targeted visitors to your website; however it is a study of its own and can, if not understood, be very costly very quickly! If you want to go that route learn with small amounts (of money) and don’t be tempted to throw good after bad… owch! been there!Safer and arguably better, is optimization (SEO) for the organic results, as reached via a Google or other search engine search. This is simply intelligent website construction, a process anyone can do. The important point is, the optimization should be built in during the creative process, at the time you’re constructing the site; you are literally building your website to principles that make it search engine friendly, thus leading to high natural positions in organic search results, leading to of course, significant free traffic flow to your site… 3. Don’t sell… Pre-sell. You have created a website with value rich content, and fully optimized its pages for indexing by Google (and other search engines)… Folks are arriving at your site as directed by their search results. You are keen to have them buy your goods or services, ready with your pitch… but wait! There’s another vital step in the process of converting your visitors into customers, and you’ve done half the work already…Pre-selling is a warming up process, whereby you develop trust and confidence in your offering… it’s already well known that people are more willing to buy from those they like, trust or respect. By over-delivering relevant high value information, without appearing to be forcing a sale you will almost by default, create an atmosphere that inevitably leads to sales. Simple!As far as your visitor is concerned, her needs are being met, his wishes are being fulfilled, you are providing the very information that is the solution to that which they are searching for in the first place. Pre-selling creates an open-to-buy mindset that smoothly introduces your visitors to your monetization offer. 4. Monetize. Ok thanks for sticking with me, here’s the home run… This is where you make your offering enticing by introducing and highlighting the many benefits of your product or service, and detailing exactly how it offers the solution to their predicament. You have paved the way with informative, relevant content and can now look to close with persuasive sales copy.Your call to action should be strong and concise. Tell your prospect exactly what they need to do to order. If you have a good product, and you should, let them know exactly how they will benefit by ordering from you… Today!So there it is… in brief… A formula simple, yet highly effective. Generate targeted free traffic via your highly optimized website, provide information packed content that offers solutions, warm up or pre-sell your visitors by over-delivering on the quality of that content, then and only then, monetize by introducing persuasive, benefit focused sales copy to convert pre-sold visitors into enthusiastic customers. For full details on how to implement each of these steps (with no technical knowledge whatsoever!) grab yourself a free 48 page e-copy of The Simple Art of e-Persuasion at the info link below… or visit my site. About The AuthorBrye Bishop is a highly successful internet entrepreneur and marketer, committed to providing quality source information and assisting others in their quest for fínancial freedom. Clickfig.com …Get your free copy of The Simple Art of e-Persuasion now, simply email “eBook offer” to info@clickfig.com
Social Media Optimization -Shifting the Landscape of Search Engine Marketing
Social Media Optimization -Shifting the Landscape of Search Engine MarketingBy Julie Ann Ross (c) 2009 Social media optimization (SMO) is an important ingredient within your SEO and SEM campaigns. In the past, social networking sites were not much more than an oddity. Today, many have received enormous ranking authority from top search engines. If you are not leveraging these sites to improve your exposure and communicate with your niche consumer, your search engine positions are vulnerable to your competitors. In this article, we will describe the influence that SMO currently has on search engine marketing. We will also give you the rules of engagement for executing an effective social media optimization campaign. We’ll explain what SEO social media is, and the advantages of hiring an experienced SEO consultant to spearhead your social media optimization efforts. The Influence Of Social Media Optimization On Search Marketing Search marketing has always relied upon exposure in the search engines to drive targeted traffíc. For years, gaining that exposure was based solely upon the development of your site and generating links pointing to your site. Both are still important today. However, social media optimization has shifted the landscape of search marketing.Google once maintained several disparate search platforms for blogs, videos, news, and similar types of “social” content. Each functioned as a separate search engine with its own set of organic listings.A few years ago, Google blended the listings from each platform into a system called Universal Search. Bing and Yahoo have since incorporated similar systems. Universal Search is now used as the primary index. That means blogs, videos, and news have been incorporated into the natural listings, pushing many sites off the first page. This is one of the reasons social media optimization has become a critical piece of search.Another factor that has influenced search marketing is the increased ranking authority given to Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and similar sites. These too, have quickly gained control of a significant amount of search territory.Social media optimization preserves your current natural listings while helping you to gain even more search exposure. By using blogs, videos, and social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, you can capture a greater number of organic positions.Your Social Media Optimization Campaign: Rules of EngagementThere are several rules of engagement for launching and executing a social media optimisation campaign. If you ignore them, your SMO efforts will be far less effective than otherwise. First, you should do everything possible to encourage your audience to link to your site. Integrating a blog is valuable because your content can be updated over time, attracting loyal readers. Encourage readers to bookmark, tag and “Tweet” your blog posts by installing a button plug-in.Second, link liberally as a resource for your visitors. Social media optimization is dependent on assisting others achieve what they’re trying to do. Once you engage your audience, help them find the resources they need by linking to them. Eventually, your site will become regarded as a resource hub, which will help you attract inbound links. That’s a vital component of SEO.Third, you must be able to identify your market. Social media optimization relies upon the connections you establish with niche communities. You need to properly target them in order to engage them and generate content. This is true whether you’re engaging them through YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, or your blog. Fourth, integrate tracking tools to measure and monitor the success of your social media optimization campaign. Track mentions of your site and company. Watch your site’s progress in the natural listings for your main keywords. Generate linking reports showing inbound links pointing to your domain and specific pages. Tracking your metrics is crucial in order to determine whether your SMO campaign is effective.SEO Social Media Optimization ExplainedEach of the elements of a social media optimization campaign that we have described thus far dovetail seamlessly with SEO. The ongoing content creation, tagging and bookmarking, attracting inbound links by being a resource for your audience – these are essential for pushing your website higher in the search engines’ listings. SEO social media optimization leverages a new set of tools to accomplish the same goal as SEO: more exposure for your site on Google, Yahoo, and Bing. The challenge is knowing how to use those tools effectively.The days of launching a basic SEO campaign within a competitive space and watching your site rise in the search engines’ results are long gone. SEO has become far more complex than it was a few short years ago. This is why many companies have made the decision to hire an SEO consultant. Social media optimization has transformed SEO from a relatively straightforward strategy into a complicated science. Having an experienced hand at the wheel helps to navigate the uncertain terrain.If you want to boost your exposure in the search engines’ listings, consider social media optimization a priority. About The AuthorWith 20 years in marketing, advertising and 10 years in internet marketing, Rostin Reagor Smith is on the cutting edge. Combining Social Media Optimization with more traditional SEO and SEM methods, RRS is a consulting firm specializing in enhancing clients’ online presence and managing their public relations online. SEO, SEM and ORM, Online Reputation Management, are combined in this successful formula. www.RostinReagorSmith.com
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