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I am so weary of non-SEO types who have some measure of influence spouting off their opinion of what SEO is, what it isn't, whether it is growing or declining and the like. It is no different then when celebrities use their clout and status to speak out of some subject like they are some kind of authority on the matter when in all actuality they are not. Following is my response to recent posts that have claimed that SEO has no future and is on a downward spiral.
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The Dallas Business Journal recently ran a story on one of our clients, Wasp Barcode Technologies, describing how they went from spending enormous amounts of money on PPC (AdWords) to focusing more on traditional SEO and link building. The strategy paid off -- Wasp spent less and got better results. Their web traffic grew by 60%, topping 600,000 visits while they were able to cut external spending by 13% in the process.
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I came across a post at Search Engine Roundtable where a member at at High Rankings Forum inquired as to what the best tools are in performing SEO. Therefore I thought I'd list some of the tools we use here at SearchRank. While I firmly believe that you cannot automate the SEO process, there are some great tools available that make the job a lot easier. Read on to discover what you might find in our tool box.
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While I did not expect much in the way of news here in the U.S. due to the Thanksgiving holiday, it appears that Google took the opportunity to update their web master guidelines regarding paid links. The changes essentially reveal that buying or selling links that pass PageRank can penalize a site not only in its Google Toolbar PageRank status, but also in Google search results. What does this mean for those that consider themselves "white hat SEOs?" Better go shopping for a new hat - a nice black one.
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Automating the SEO process has been a hot topic of late. Loren Baker stirred up the conversation with his post "Can SEO Be Automated?" where he talks about the fact that search marketing agency, Commerce360 is developing proprietary software to automate SEO. As of today, his post has received 41 comments, mostly from people defending the fact that SEO cannot be completely automated. I agree! Then Lisa Barone published an excellent post defending the fact that SEO still needs the human element. This leads one to wonder if search engine optimization can actually be accomplished with software or in other words, can monkeys do the jobs of humans?
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Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of enhancing your web site with the goal of increasing your visibility in the top search engines when specific keywords or phrases are searched for. Every web site that wants to be found in the organic search results of engines like Google, Yahoo!, MSN, Ask and the like need to incorporate some type of SEO strategy. Some take it to far though as in an example I recently found with a national computer services chain.
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The fine folks over at SEOmoz have put together a 75 question quiz that will allow you to test your SEO knowledge. It will probably take you anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to complete the test but is a worthwhile endeavor. By scoring wrong on some of the questions, I was able to add to my knowledge. They provide a nice badge you can display on your site will allow you to share your triumph (or despair). Enjoy!
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I started my Monday off with a strange phone conversation. I had put together a proposal for a potential client for both SEO and paid search management. The SEO portion of the proposal involved an initial cost which would allow us to develop and implement a strategy to optimize their site so that they could improve their visibility for organic search. Following up today with a phone meeting, my point of contact said they had just spoken to someone at Google who said that "Google" themselves would optimize their site for nothing - no initial investment, no set up costs, free. The potential client's next question - "Why would we pay you to do something that Google will do for free?"
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There is an interesting debate going on over at Small Business Ideas Forum where forum member, Dale King, starts a thread entitled "The Truth About Flash Websites" where Dale lays out his arguments as to why Flash and SEO together are not a good idea. He summarizes by stating that while Flash may look fantastic and can admittedly add a lot to any presentation from an accessibility and SEO standpoint, it should be used very sparingly and only for non-crucial content.
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I've always had a problem with the hard fast rule of "don't use hidden text." Even though it is technically against search engines guidelines, there are valid reasons to hide text. Sites that are developed completely in Flash, pages that are graphic heavy and web designers who want complete control over font styles are just a few examples. Whether for one of these reasons or possibly something not quite so ethical, webmasters have always been warned by both search engines and white hat search marketers that is is risqué. "Go ahead and do it but do so at your own risk." Is Google now saying it is okay to hide text so long as the intent is good?
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My thinking for the last few years now is that static search engine ranking reports hold little value in and of themselves. These are reports typically run by a software program in which a list of keywords is added along with the main URL of the site(s) you wish to check and the software then queries pre-selected search engines, creating a report showing where your site ranked for each term. This may have been a suitable way of measuring the success of an SEO effort (although traffic should always be measured as well) a few years ago but nowadays with the personalization of the search engines, not to mention all the other sources of traffic that can be derived including social media sites, press releases, blogs, etc., static ranking reports no longer paint an accurate picture.
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During the recent Search Engine Strategies conference in New York, I had the opportunity to attend the "In House: Big SEO" session and listen in on how in house SEOs handle their search engine optimization strategies for large corporate sites. While the actual SEO techniques between small sites and large sites do not differentiate that much, the hurdles one has to clear are worlds apart. Read on for a link to full article which was published at SearchDay.
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How do you get the search engines to recognize the content of a site when it is all Flash? I have written before on the problems that Flash sites impose as far as a site's search visibility. Because flash is composed of highly compressed graphics and/or video, the text that is often contained within the Flash elements are invisible. Furthermore if a site is completely Flash, meaning everything is contained with the Flash object - the graphics, the navigation, the content, even the interface, then engines have a difficult time understanding the topic of the site and is some case experience difficulty in crawling pages (if they exist in the first place). So what to do? Read on to find out.
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Having worked with companies both large and small for almost a decade now, I have learned that there are fundamental principles that both parties must follow if they are going to have a successful SEO relationship. And that is what SEO truly is - a relationship or better yet, a partnership between the two parties. Like any partnership, there are do's and don'ts that each party must practice if the relationship is to be a success. While not a complete list, I have put together ten important things to practice in order to have a successful SEO relationship.
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I came upon such a question today on Search Engine Watch Forums. It is not the first time it has been asked - "Can I include my competitor's names in my SEO strategy? Will I find myself in any kind of legal trouble?" Or even, "Is it ethical?" Sure you can do it. It is your site - you can do what you want with it. Yes, you may find yourself receiving one of those nice little cease and desist letters. As for ethics, that would depend on what your ethics are.
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It has been a worry of many SEOs for the last couple of years. Will the fact that search engines are adding more "personalization" to the search results eventually kill the business of performing search engine optimization for web sites? SEO has become a very lucrative business and has seen many new companies as well as individuals come into the space for the last several years. SEOs fear that their livelihood may be in jeopardy as engines like Google, Yahoo and others cater to the personal searching habits of their users. Gord Hotchkiss of Enquiro recently sat down with one of Google's most prominent software engineers, Matt Cutts, to discuss the topic of personalization and the future of SEO. Read on for link to full transcript of interview as well as a few excerpts and my own evaluation.
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The places to obtain free SEO advice are plentiful. There are forums, blogs, articles, ebooks, webinars, and even live internet radio shows such as WebmasterRadio.fm. However most often the advice given is more of a general nature involving specific techniques or strategies that can be applied to a multitude of sites. If advice is given about a specific site, such as in a forum, it is most often generalized so it can help all who visit the forum as opposed to just the site owner themselves. Now, what if you were able to receive free SEO advice from a handful of industry experts related to your specific site that is not generic in nature but specifically designed to help improve your search engine visibility? Read on to find out how.
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At least that is what Dave Pasternack of Did-it.com is saying. Yes he has stuck his foot in his mouth once again. Are you tired yet of hearing from this guy? I know I am. In this latest DM News article, he answers a series of questions, one of which he compares SEO to baking a cake. Sound foolish? Wait, there's more.
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We very frequently receive RFPs (requests for proposal) from e-commerce sites. The application behind the e-commerce store, often referred to as a shopping cart application or product database, can be an off the shelf product such as osCommerce, MonsterCommerce or X-Cart to name a few. Or it can even be proprietary, custom developed by a web programmer. No matter how the e-commerce site is powered, there are specific features that we look for in order to know if we will have full liberty to optimize the site so that it has the best opportunity to position well in the organic search results. Some applications already have SEO friendly features built in but many do not. Therefore if you own or are getting ready to set up an e-shop, make sure your product database has the following SEO friendly features.
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Greg Boser (aka WebGuerrilla) doesn't post often on his blog but when he does, boy does he have something to say. This latest post which refutes the half truths being spread first by Did-it.com's president, David Pasternack and followed by executive chairman, Kevin Lee, is no exception. Both David and Kevin's articles attempt to paint a picture that SEO is a dying art while the future is all PPC. Greg exposes their hypocrisy in a most excellent post. I'll provide a few excerpts below but definitely take some time to read it in its entirety.
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During the recent Search Engine Strategies conference held in Chicago, I had the privilege of attending a session entitled "CSS, Ajax, Web2.0 and Search Engines." On hand was Shari Thurow of Grantastic Designs, Jim McFadyen of Critical Mass, Scott Orth of Selytics, and from the search engines themselves, Amit Kumar from Yahoo and Dan Crow from Google. Shari, Jim and Scott each took turns discussing these three buzz words of 2006 while the search engine reps were able to offer some additional thoughts.
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While there are many fine SEO firms spread out across the globe, there is equally a share of bad firms as well or as Jill Whalen calls them, "Quacks." In her most recent newsletter, Jill provides 10 signs that your SEO may be a quack. Some of them are obvious but others might not be quite so obvious to those shopping for SEO services. That is why when searching for an SEO vendor, it is so important to perform due diligence so you can have confidence in who is finally selected. Jill's tips will help identify firms to stay clear of. Read on for a quick list as well as link to entire article.
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SEO, short for search engine optimization is the act of optimizing web pages so that they position well in the organic search results for related keyword phrases. Hopefully the effort drives traffic and increases conversions in the process. Part art, part science, part common sense, SEO has become a necessary ingredient for web sites if they are going to capitalize on the 70 - 80 percent of searchers who click on organic search listings. Is SEO a one time fix - something that can applied to web pages once and then leave them be or is it more of an ongoing practice?
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Aaron Wall (aka SEO Book) has authored a new article that takes a unique look at the difference between what he calls "Tactical SEO vs Strategic SEO." He explores the idea that many SEO tactics work well at achieving a certain goal, but to be wildly profitable one needs to go beyond tactics and approach things from a strategic front. "Many people who are great tactical SEOs do not build much equity because tactics without strategy have little value," Aaron proclaims. One example of tactical SEO is "Get quality links" whereas a more strategic approach would be to "create content, tools, or other packaged value systems which allow you to gain high quality viral links for a low aggregate cost. Create things that will make competitors want to talk about you." Read on for more excerpts as well as link to entire article.
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Bill Slawski who is an expert at tearing into all the patents search engines file and explaining them in layman's terms has put together a list of twenty possible ways search engines rerank pages before they deliver them to a searcher. Read on to see the first three as well as link to article containing entire list.
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In performing search engine optimization, should SEOs keep their procedures and strategies secret from clients? Should their clients sit patiently by, waiting for the end results and not be concerned about the process that gets them there? I would answer no on both questions. In fact, I firmly believe that the client should know everything that is being done to optimize their sites for organic search. Not only do I believe in full disclosure, I believe in documenting it in writing. Read on to find out why.
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I live and breath SEO and SEM. It is certainly a passion of mine and has been for some nine years now. However even passions can get weary and sometimes I just need a break. With that thought, my friend Matt McGee has come up with a list of 21 signs that may indicate you need a break from SEO. How about that the S, E, and O keys on your keyboard are broken? Or your son tells you he wants to go play in the sandbox, you tell him it doesn’t exist? Read on for more excerpts and a link to the full list.
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This question is asked on almost a weekly basis in various forums related to search engine optimization and marketing. Answers typically vary from "yes" to an astounding "no". So are keyword meta tags useless? Should even bother with them anymore? Read on to find out.
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Is Google now getting into the beverage business? Not really. However in a new article at the Washington Post, Leslie Walker coins the phrase "Google Juice" which she associates with how high a Web site ranks in Google's search results.
"Google juice, for the uninitiated, refers to how high a Web site ranks in Google's search results -- the higher the ranking, the more juice. Google juice is all about links.
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This is a "back to the basics" type of entry as I wanted to deal with the fundamental elements that are involved in optimizing individual web pages, giving them a better chance to position well in the
organic search results of engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask. While each page of one's site should be a candidate in targeting various phrases relevant to your business model, the fundamental elements
of those pages that can be optimized always remain the same.
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Just came upon and interesting thread at High Rankings started by Leann Pass of IncreaseRanking regarding another "rotten apple" in our industry. This company combines blackmail with SEO - in other words, "let us SEO your site or we will resort to blackmail." It sure is amusing how companies who obviously suck at what they do will resort to scare tactics to try to earn new business.
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"Can duplicate content hurt me?" This is a question that comes up in forums on almost a weekly basis. The answer in short is yes. So what are some scenarios where duplicate can exist and what can web site owners do to make sure duplicate content doesn't come back to haunt them? Three search engine marketers and two search engine reps help us gain a better understanding of this at a recent session at Search Engine Strategies New York, I will then add my own analysis as well.
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I was visiting Small Business Ideas Forum today as part of my daily routine and came across the following article written by Stoney deGeyter - SEO is Dead. My first thought was, "Is he serious?" Now Stoney is an SEO himself and fellow moderator with me on this forum so I had to take a look at the article.
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Yahoo's free submission form has been down for about a month now as originally reported by Barry Swartz at Search Engine Roundtable. Danny Sullivan posted today that it is still down. There is even ongoing threads about this at both Search Engine Watch Forums and Webmaster World.
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I came across an interesting thread over at Search Engine Watch Forums today entitled "Do Designers Hate SEO?" Forum member glengara questioned whether all-Flash sites should be used in the commercial web. An "all-Flash" site typically does not have any html text associated with it and many times is all contained within one file so that the site does not even contain sub pages. The problem with this type of site is that they are not very search engine friendly. Search engines cannot read the contents of the Flash file or files so they have difficulty understanding what the site is all about.
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