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7 Things NOT to Waste Your Time On When Doing SEO – A SEO-News Exclusive Article

By Alesya Krush in Featured

Time is precious. They say “time is money,” but I think it’s even more than that. In this post, I would like to talk about the SEO practices that are a complete waste of time.

Before writing the post, I simply sat down and penned my SEO experiences. As a beginner, I used to waste a lot of time on different SEO methods that later on turned out quite useless. So, I made a list of those. I’ve also “interviewed” some of my SEO buddies and included their piece of advice in this post, too. So, what I would like to present to you is our distilled wisdom. Enjoy!

It is NO use:

1. Hanging Out at SEO Blogs/Forums

Ironically, this is what you are doing now, aren’t you? Well, it’s not the same, and let me explain why. There is a difference between CHOOSING to read a blog post or a forum thread that looks really helpful (this is what experienced SEO’s do) and simply reading everything in sight to stay informed about everything at all times.

I remember the days when I used to read every reply in a forum thread that I started, even when I already knew the answer to the question I had asked in the thread. I was just curious! So, guess what, I don’t have the time for curiosity anymore.

Google’s New Page Layout Algorithm Penalizes “Above-The-Fold” Advertising – A SPN Exclusive Article

By David Jackson in Featured

On Wednesday, February 23, 2011, a category 5 hurricane named “Panda” swept through the Gulf of Google devastating businesses large and small alike. The hurricane was reportedly named after one of Google’s engineers.

So what was the reason for this catastrophic and “game-changing” update? Well, according to Google:

“This update is designed to reduce rankings for low-quality sites – sites which are low-value, copy content from other websites or sites that are just not very useful. At the same time, it will provide better rankings for high-quality sites – sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on. It is important for high-quality sites to be rewarded, and that’s exactly what this change does.” (Source: Google Blog)

Mission accomplished. Anyway, in the aftermath of the Panda update, there are 11 important SEO facts I’ve learned based on my own personal experiences, the experiences of my clients, and from listening to top SEO professionals across the Internet.

The above passages are from an article I wrote last July titled, Google Panda Update: 11 Important SEO Facts You Should Know.

Write Current Content and Explode Your SEO – A SPN Exclusive Article

By Karl Walinskas in Featured

Content is King

As a small business owner or entrepreneur trying to broaden your internet target and get recognized, I’m sure you are aware of the value of new, fresh, recurring content on your site of all types. When it comes to written content on page copy or blogs and articles, you need to be able to write well, be informative and entertain, that’s obvious. That’s for your viewers. But if you can’t write as well for Google and the other search engines to maximize your subject matter for Search Engine Marketing, you are the proverbial tree in the forest that falls when no one else is around. This article provides a frequently discussed yet misunderstood technique to help you make your material applicable and explode your SEO online.

Google Adwords Keyword Tool

Perhaps you’ve heard of Google Adwords, Google’s primary pay for placement vehicle on their mother of all search engine returns. You might have run a campaign or I bet you’ve at least been petitioned by Google Adwords “experts” to run your campaigns for you to help you pay less per click, otherwise known as PPC.

Well, Google offers a free instrument to help you select keywords and phrases based upon how much they are searched every month and how much competition there is from other marketers. It’s called the Google Adwords Keyword Tool and while it is created for advertisers, it reveals plenty of tips about search engine optimizing your written content (or video tags) for your page copy and blogs. Contrary to what many believe, you do not have to have an Adwords account to make use of this tool, and here is the link, so save this:

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

I could tell you about it, but why don’t I just show you. Check out this instructional Vlog video:

Relevant Content using Google’s Keyword ToolUncomfortable Behaviors

When I write I like to write for the readers. I’ve seen too much content composed for search engine optimization that really stinks to the point of being unreadable, cramming keywords into sentences. It’s awkward to write this way for me, and perhaps for you, because it just feels weird and you can end up with a write-up or website that seems bogus. Here are a few ideas for getting adjusted to it:

1. Use the Adwords Tool first and come up with 3-5 keywords (phrases) for your content, using high-traffic, low-competition keywords where available. Keep them on a list in front of you.

2. Lay out your paragraph or article in light of the phrases you selected for SEO. It may give a different slant than you first had or take you down a different path that you know interests the readers out there.

3. Write your piece sprinkling in the key phrases on your list where they click. Add a check mark each time you use a keyword, and you can use alternatives of a phrase to not sound too repetitive (spot gold, spot gold prices, spot gold pricing, gold prices).

4. Proof-read for sanity and information flow, and revise where needed.

That’s it! Get used to that process and it will get easier and easier.

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Karl Walinskas is the CEO of Smart Company Growth, a business development firm that helps small to mid-size professional service firms build competitive advantage in an online world of sameness. He is author of numerous articles and the Smart Blog on leadership, business communication, sales & service, public speaking and virtual business, and Getting Connected Through Exceptional Leadership, available in the SmartShop. Get your FREE LinkedIn Profile Optimization eBook & Video Course, Video Marketing video and course, or Mastermind Groups e-course & video now.

SEO Short Cheat Sheets

By Max OnFire in Featured

1. Keyword Basics:

The most important thing with keywords for your website is that you have to begin the process with proper research. Take advantage of free tools and services at your disposal such as the Google Adwords tool, and consider paying for more advanced and detailed programs.

Remember that keyword density is a thing of the past, there is no density you should be opting for. Instead, focus on natural inclusion of your targeted keywords, working them in where possible without doing it excessively.

Google Keyword Tool – google for “KeywordToolExternal.”

Note: The fastest results are seen in targeting a larger number of lower level competitive terms.

2. Create Great URLS:

There are many steps that go into creating great URLs. Starting from the beginning, you should pick a domain name that is short, memorable and includes your most important keyword phrase. While hyphens are acceptable, more than two begins to get excessive and spam-like.

Google’s First Page… Guaranteed! – A SPN Exclusive Article

By David Jackson in Featured

A couple of weeks ago, I visited one of the Internet Marketing/Small Business forums that I’m a member of, and noticed a new member had posted a typical newbie question in the SEO forum. The member wanted to know how she could be guaranteed to get her website on the first page of Google. As usual, members came crawling out of the woodwork with advice – including members who didn’t even own a website.

Unfortunately, that’s pretty typical on Internet Marketing/Small Business forums… members who don’t own a website instructing other members how to get on the first page of Google… members who don’t own a business dispensing business advice. So be careful where you get your advice from… but I digress.

Not surprisingly, not a single member responded with the correct answer. And what is the correct answer? The correct answer is there is NO magic bullet that will assure a first page ranking on Google. Never has been, never will be. By the same token, NO reputable SEO company will promise first page rankings.

By the way, this isn’t the first time I’ve written about this topic. In my article How to Choose a Reputable SEO Company ), I wrote the following:

“No SEO company can guarantee you a first page or top 10 ranking. I repeat: NO SEO company can guarantee you a first page or top 10 ranking. Here’s why: There are far too many variables involved in the ranking of a website – not the least of which are the age of the domain, relevancy and quantity of content, number and quality of inbound links, competition, and of course Google’s ever-changing algorithms. That’s why legitimate SEO companies don’t make those kinds of outlandish promises.”

5 Reasons Why You Need to Use Rel=Author on Your Content

By Jill Whalen in Featured

Have you heard of Google’s Authorship program yet? Whether you’ve heard of it or not, you’ve likely seen its fruits in the search results. You know those listings that have a photo of the author next to them? Most likely they get that extra cool stuff because they’re using Rel=Author correctly and Google has accepted them to participate. Unfortunately, it’s been a bit hit-or-miss as to whether your content gets accepted or not. I saw mine accepted for a day or two many months ago, and then *poof!* it was gone. I reviewed their new guidelines recently, however, made a few changes, and sure enough, within a week or so, my content started showing up… yay!

While you may or may not get your content into the program, the only way to know is to try, and persistence is definitely a key.

If you’re thinking it’s just not worth the trouble, here are 5 reasons why it’s super important:

The New Part Played by Social Media in SEO

By Kausik Dutta in Featured

When most people start planning SEO for their website I can bet you a large proportion of them get stuck when it comes to really understanding what part social media has to play in SEO.

Social media often lags further down the priority list behind SEO for a variety of reasons, mainly a lack of clarity as to what benefits it will actually bring and the fact that it’s often difficult to relate a tweet or Facebook message to a return on investment whereas with SEO, for example, website owners can more easily attribute a growth in sales to new rankings for key-phrases.

However, the way that social media has evolved means that it now plays a much more important role in search engine optimization. Searches are now taking into account the reputation of websites as reflected in social media sites to determine rank.

What Content do Users want to Share?

A more common occurrence nowadays is the placing of social networking buttons alongside pages and various pieces of content within the website.

That’s all fair and well, but it’s only an issue if people actually bother to click on them.

How to Become Panda Proof – Safeguard Your SEO

By Alan Altman in Featured

If you’re reading this, you probably appreciate that I’m not talking about the cuddly bear type creatures, but the algorithm updates by Google that are reputedly designed to increase the quality of the sites ranking near the top of the results pages.

There have been 2 major ones this year and they have stricken fear into the hearts of Internet Marketers the world over. People have lost rankings left, right and center and there has been widespread panic.

First of all, a disclaimer. I don’t know precisely how Google works. Only Google does, and they’re not telling. My points of view, opinions and advice are based on what is currently working for me and other people in the field of SEO with whom I am in contact.

The following very simple thing has made most of my websites Panda proof.

I make good sites.

How simple is that?

Google’s mission is to give their user base the best possible experience, and that means positioning the best possible websites high on search results.

So, it makes perfect sense to create the best sites you can. What constitutes ‘best’ in Google’s eyes however might not mirror your beliefs.

The Biggest Video SEO Secret of Them All

By Julie Ann Ross in Featured

There are video SEO tools, techniques, and secrets that all explain how to get videos and their hosting websites to the top of the search engines. These video SEO techniques all focus on winning search on Google, the biggest search engine of them all, as well as Yahoo and Bing.

But the biggest video SEO secret? Forget about winning search on Google, win search on YouTube instead. That is because YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world, behind Google. Furthermore, the fact that YouTube is so popular, also gives YouTube videos high ranking in search results on Google and other search engines online.

Why is YouTube so important? When people have “how to” questions where they need to learn how to do something – how to replace a key on a keyboard, how to defrag a hard drive, how to change a car’s oil – there is a video of it. Or when they want to watch a music video from their favorite band or a scene from their favorite movie, they can find it on YouTube.

Why not take advantage of this?

Think about it. Everyone is focusing all their attention on Google, using onsite search engine optimization techniques, trying to win search for their chosen keywords. But what if it was possible to win search on YouTube instead? Imagine what kind of impact this could have on regular SEO efforts.

Start paying attention to the Google search results page and see what shows up near the top of the search results every time.

Videos!

And not just any videos, but the videos that are most likely to be found during a YouTube search – videos that only have the most basic video SEO done to them will even win search on YouTube, and by default, appear high on the Google search rankings.

Since most people do not even bother to optimize their videos, it is only by luck and happenstance that most videos appear at the top of YouTube’s search in the first place. But by performing some basic video SEO techniques, it is possible to make a video appear high in YouTube’s rankings as well as Google’s.

Video SEO technique #1: Use Keywords in the Video Title. It is not enough to just give the video a clever title. The video needs a descriptive title that people will most likely use during a regular search, like “How to change a keyboard key on a laptop” or “How to change the oil in a car.” This tells Google and YouTube what the most important keywords in the title are.

Video SEO technique #2: Use Keywords in the Description. It is important to use the keywords or key phrase at least once, and possibly twice, in the description of the video. Just like in an optimized blog post, the description tells YouTube (and Google) what the video is about.

Video SEO technique #3: Include Backlinks in the Description. Backlinks are an important part of regular SEO, and should be a part of video SEO as well, being incorporated into the video’s description, which helps boost a website’s ranking. But then, be sure to point several backlinks from other websites to the video.

Video SEO technique #4: Use Transcripts and Subtitles. Another way to include keywords to a video is to include video is one person talking about how to replace keys on a laptop, or is an interview between two people, it is very helpful to include a written transcript as part of the video SEO. When editing a YouTube video, there is a window to upload a transcript or a subtitle file and have it play along with the video. This is additional text that Google and YouTube are able to index and count toward search results, which helps video SEO.

These video SEO techniques allow marketers an advantage. YouTube’s status as the world’s second biggest search engine, will help to ensure your videos show up at the top of the search results in regular Google searches as well as within other search engines, social media and article and press sites online. Follow these steps and begin ranking online!

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Article by Julie Ann Ross. With 20 years in marketing, advertising and 10 years in internet marketing, Rostin Ventures has refined video SEO practices for distribution in social media. Rostin Ventures offers video SEO, social media marketing and online reputation management services that are affordable and drive search engine ranking through Social Media optimization, Online Reputation Management, Social Marketing and Mobile SEO marketing.

On Page SEO Factors to Not Forget

By Paul M Ventura in Featured

One of the most basic things which a webmaster should understand is how to do on page SEO and the on page SEO factors to consider when both creating a new website or when adding new content and pages to an existing website.

On page SEO predominantly pertains to tweaking your site’s code, choosing the right keywords, and optimizing your content overall to make it more attractive and identifiable to Google and other search engines’ web crawling bots so that they will in turn rank your site higher in the SERPs.

Here I’ve expanded on the major techniques which you should implement on your site if you want to rank and rank well at that.

Keep in mind that the weight which search engines place on these techniques is subjective as no one knows for sure the algorithms behind Google’s and other engine’s ranking practices. No one factor is ever been unanimously considered to be more paramount than all others, so don’t overlook any of these techniques. Most of them are quick and simple to implement, so there’s really no reason not to, either.

Editor’s Note: For additional information on the techniques noted below, and in some cases an alternate viewpoint, read Jill Whalen’s article “16 SEO Tactics That Will NOT Bring Targeted Google Visitors”.

© Copyright 2012 All rights reserved. Jayde Online, Inc.

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