We are constantly being told by SEO experts and the Search Engines that the importance of a link is determined by its page rank and relevance to our own web sites. Consequently when developing a linking strategy we should only be concerned with relevant links. That is other web sites which have some connection to our own. For example I run a web site devoted to providing a variety of cleaning services to commercial clients throughout the UK, so a relevant site would be a cleaning machine supplier or a cleaning chemicals supplier. Not other cleaning companies for the obvious reason they are our direct competitors.
Now this sounds simple and straightforward and if we did this we would end up linking to about twenty sites. This number is not in any way sufficient for us to compete with our competitors who have many hundreds and in some cases thousands of links recognised by the search engines.
How does Google determine relevance? I would suggest that it is a completely random process. If I look at my own back links which Google are registering then many are relevant in terms of the definition above, but many are not. None of our suppliers who provide us with a back link and incidentally have high page ranks form part of this list and yet they are highly relevant? It may be that these form part of Google's count but they choose for one reason or another not to divulge these. It remains a mystery.
How does a mathematical formula work out relevance? If I back link to my customers who are a very divers group to me they are relevant but apparently not to Google. We have many back links from construction and building companies because we carry out builders cleans for them. Yet these are seemingly not deemed to be relevant but a mortgage company is? Builders and construction firms are mentioned several times on the web site and so a relevant connection should be able to be made.
If I look at the back links of my major competitors then the situation becomes even more confusing. Very few would appear on the surface to be of any relevance at all but who am I to judge? I do not have inside knowledge of the workings of these companies and their possible connections.
To me the whole process seems completely arbitrary and I will continue developing links to sites that I consider relevant. If Google paid attention to its own advice in only developing links to relevant sites then presumably it would only link to other search engines?
It is an easy statement to make for Google and SEO experts, 'only develop links to relevant sites' but the reality is that they have no way of knowing what is truly relevant and what is not. Consequently my advice is to continue developing your links to websites that you consider of some relevance either to you or surfers who come across your site and continue to be astonished at what Google considers to be relevant!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
How to Submit Your Blog to the Top Search Engines
Although submitting your blog to the search engines is very similar to submitting your website, there are several differences that you should be aware of. Knowing these differences can help you get your blog indexed more quickly because you have submitted your blog correctly.
Regardless of whether you are submitting a blog or a website, if you are submitting to Google, you should create a sitemap. Although you should check your sitemap periodically to make sure Google isn't encountering any errors with your sitemap, once you submit it, you don't have to submit to Google again. All you have to do is keep your sitemap up to date.
If you use a blog like Wordpress, you can install the sitemap plugin. This plugin updates your sitemap automatically and notifies Google that your site has changed.
If you don't use a blogging software that generates sitemaps, you can create your own. Google offers plenty of free tools for creating sitemaps.
Even if you don't have a sitemap, you can still add your site to Google. You just won't get detailed statistics.
You can submit to Google here: https://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/login
Since Google doesn't allow direct submission to its blog search, you will need to make sure that you submit your site to blog directories Google pulls results from for its blog search, and then make sure you ping these sites when you update your blog.
You can use sites like Feed Shot, http://www.feedshot.com, to submit your site to some of the major blog directories. Then you only need to ping your blog to update it at these directories.
When submitting to Yahoo, you need to submit your site feed instead of a sitemap. You can submit your blog to Yahoo here: http://submit.search.yahoo.com/free/request. Instead of submitting your site, you will use the first block and submit your feed.
You should also add your blog feed to your My Yahoo page. This can get your blog added faster and will get your blog included in Yahoo's version of blog search.
You will need an account to submit to both Yahoo and Google. It's free.
MSN, the third of the big three search engines is completely different in the way that you need to submit to get your blog included.
You can submit directly to MSN to be included. You don't need an account, but you will need to submit manually because you will need to enter the characters on the page to make sure your submission request goes through.
You can submit here: http://beta.search.msn.com/docs/submit.aspx
MSN also offers an alternative that will help you get your entire blog included in its site results. Submit your blog to Moreover, http://www.moreover.com. If your site is included in Moreover, it should be included in MSN as MSN draws a lot of results from this news site.
Once you've submitted your blog to the top three search engines, forget about it. Your next step should be to ping your blog each time that you post to it.
Before you ping your blog for the first time though, make sure that you glance through the list of blog directories. You want to make sure you have submitted your blog to each of the directories listed. Also, some of the ping sites listed may not relate to your blog. Make sure you uncheck these before you ping.
Ping Services
http://www.pingomatic.com
http://www.pingtheempire.com
http://www.pingoat.com
Ping your blog each time you update.
These techniques will help you get about 80 percent coverage in the search engines. Once you've taken this step in your promotion, move on. Write press releases and articles and submit them to press release and article directories. Build links.
Successfully promoting your blog or website depends on consistent promotion. Promote regularly, and you will see results.
Regardless of whether you are submitting a blog or a website, if you are submitting to Google, you should create a sitemap. Although you should check your sitemap periodically to make sure Google isn't encountering any errors with your sitemap, once you submit it, you don't have to submit to Google again. All you have to do is keep your sitemap up to date.
If you use a blog like Wordpress, you can install the sitemap plugin. This plugin updates your sitemap automatically and notifies Google that your site has changed.
If you don't use a blogging software that generates sitemaps, you can create your own. Google offers plenty of free tools for creating sitemaps.
Even if you don't have a sitemap, you can still add your site to Google. You just won't get detailed statistics.
You can submit to Google here: https://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/login
Since Google doesn't allow direct submission to its blog search, you will need to make sure that you submit your site to blog directories Google pulls results from for its blog search, and then make sure you ping these sites when you update your blog.
You can use sites like Feed Shot, http://www.feedshot.com, to submit your site to some of the major blog directories. Then you only need to ping your blog to update it at these directories.
When submitting to Yahoo, you need to submit your site feed instead of a sitemap. You can submit your blog to Yahoo here: http://submit.search.yahoo.com/free/request. Instead of submitting your site, you will use the first block and submit your feed.
You should also add your blog feed to your My Yahoo page. This can get your blog added faster and will get your blog included in Yahoo's version of blog search.
You will need an account to submit to both Yahoo and Google. It's free.
MSN, the third of the big three search engines is completely different in the way that you need to submit to get your blog included.
You can submit directly to MSN to be included. You don't need an account, but you will need to submit manually because you will need to enter the characters on the page to make sure your submission request goes through.
You can submit here: http://beta.search.msn.com/docs/submit.aspx
MSN also offers an alternative that will help you get your entire blog included in its site results. Submit your blog to Moreover, http://www.moreover.com. If your site is included in Moreover, it should be included in MSN as MSN draws a lot of results from this news site.
Once you've submitted your blog to the top three search engines, forget about it. Your next step should be to ping your blog each time that you post to it.
Before you ping your blog for the first time though, make sure that you glance through the list of blog directories. You want to make sure you have submitted your blog to each of the directories listed. Also, some of the ping sites listed may not relate to your blog. Make sure you uncheck these before you ping.
Ping Services
http://www.pingomatic.com
http://www.pingtheempire.com
http://www.pingoat.com
Ping your blog each time you update.
These techniques will help you get about 80 percent coverage in the search engines. Once you've taken this step in your promotion, move on. Write press releases and articles and submit them to press release and article directories. Build links.
Successfully promoting your blog or website depends on consistent promotion. Promote regularly, and you will see results.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Affordable SEO Rankings
Traffic is a must if any online business is to succeed. Your business can either pay for that traffic through advertising, ezines and other means... Or you can decide to go the SEO route and get all your traffic for free.
However in doing so there is first an outlay in costs to get your website highly ranked on all the major search engines. The more ranking you would like to obtain, on multiple pages, using multiple keywords/phrases, the more costly it will be to your business.
But the real question, is just how costly?.... And, if you go the D.I.Y SEO route, just how effective will it be and how much money will you save?
What is a reasonable cost or the average cost for employing an SEO company?
The problem with most SEO companies is the fact that they are literally charging a small fortune for a basic SEO campaigns which may include optimization of only a few web pages and ranking of just two to three keywords or phrases. How much for such a package.... anywhere from 2 to $4,000.
The current going rate for in house (internal) SEO work is anywhere between 40 to $60 per hour, with external rate, business to business sitting at roughly $100 per hour.
If you are a large company, these rates may be affordable but for most small businesses and solopreneurs, they are simply out of the question.
Even a large company may be better off handing their SEO tasks over to a capable employee who can learn the required skills and techniques and apply these when required. One or two people with such capabilities would not only save the company profits but would allow their business to adapt to new SEO products a lot faster than having to outsource.
What you are not being told be the SEO companies is that search engine ranking is really not that difficult to master... And the second point that maybe matters the most is that once you have high ranking for many selected keywords, just a little maintenance and tweaking can keep you there for a very long time. Even to the point that much SEO work can be outsourced at very low rates to experts in other countries which makes it even more affordable.
Without doubt, obtaining high rankings by doing it your self or handing it over to a major SEO is quite doable. With so many affordable SEO guides, memberships and software packages online today, it is really a wonder as to why many companies are yet to implement their own in-house SEO specialists using their current staff.
So, is this to say that learning all SEO techniques is simply a walk in the park, of course not. But any person with a reasonable ability in technical matters could have a large website on it's way to excellent ranking positions within as little as two weeks.
Unfortunately what most lack in SEO, is a clear and concise plan of action. Yes, many will learn the techniques and methods required but then fail to act or fail to implement the complete plan thus resulting in minimal outcomes. As with any marketing campaign, it must be implemented right through to the very last step, SEO is not different.
With the continuing improvement of search engines to supply more accurate results, search engine marketing will continue to grow and be in high demand.
The decision you have to make for your own business is....
Exactly how much income do you wish to take out of your own business pocket in using such services, or is there a better alternative by taking your SEO in house and increasing business profits continually, year after year
However in doing so there is first an outlay in costs to get your website highly ranked on all the major search engines. The more ranking you would like to obtain, on multiple pages, using multiple keywords/phrases, the more costly it will be to your business.
But the real question, is just how costly?.... And, if you go the D.I.Y SEO route, just how effective will it be and how much money will you save?
What is a reasonable cost or the average cost for employing an SEO company?
The problem with most SEO companies is the fact that they are literally charging a small fortune for a basic SEO campaigns which may include optimization of only a few web pages and ranking of just two to three keywords or phrases. How much for such a package.... anywhere from 2 to $4,000.
The current going rate for in house (internal) SEO work is anywhere between 40 to $60 per hour, with external rate, business to business sitting at roughly $100 per hour.
If you are a large company, these rates may be affordable but for most small businesses and solopreneurs, they are simply out of the question.
Even a large company may be better off handing their SEO tasks over to a capable employee who can learn the required skills and techniques and apply these when required. One or two people with such capabilities would not only save the company profits but would allow their business to adapt to new SEO products a lot faster than having to outsource.
What you are not being told be the SEO companies is that search engine ranking is really not that difficult to master... And the second point that maybe matters the most is that once you have high ranking for many selected keywords, just a little maintenance and tweaking can keep you there for a very long time. Even to the point that much SEO work can be outsourced at very low rates to experts in other countries which makes it even more affordable.
Without doubt, obtaining high rankings by doing it your self or handing it over to a major SEO is quite doable. With so many affordable SEO guides, memberships and software packages online today, it is really a wonder as to why many companies are yet to implement their own in-house SEO specialists using their current staff.
So, is this to say that learning all SEO techniques is simply a walk in the park, of course not. But any person with a reasonable ability in technical matters could have a large website on it's way to excellent ranking positions within as little as two weeks.
Unfortunately what most lack in SEO, is a clear and concise plan of action. Yes, many will learn the techniques and methods required but then fail to act or fail to implement the complete plan thus resulting in minimal outcomes. As with any marketing campaign, it must be implemented right through to the very last step, SEO is not different.
With the continuing improvement of search engines to supply more accurate results, search engine marketing will continue to grow and be in high demand.
The decision you have to make for your own business is....
Exactly how much income do you wish to take out of your own business pocket in using such services, or is there a better alternative by taking your SEO in house and increasing business profits continually, year after year
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