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SEO: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
I seem to have created quite a stir, on a particular SEO forum recently. In fact, rumor has it, at one point, my article, "Google's Trap, DMOZ's Nap, And Yahoo!'s Crap" was the hottest topic discussed on this particular forum.
The aforementioned article was also bestowed the title of, "Worst SEO Article Ever" by someone on the forum.
Why all the animus? I have no idea. Perhaps they view me as a threat to their livelihood. Whatever the reason, certain SEO's seem to be taking my articles personally. That's their problem!
My articles are not aimed directly at SEO's or search engines per se. My articles are aimed at the people who utilize their services.
I'm trying to get these people to realize, they can't depend solely on search engines and search engine optimization. You have to have a multi-pronged attack.
I don't depend on the search engines! I never have. I refuse to play that game. My traffic comes from the dozens of articles I've written that have been picked up and published on popular web sites all over the Internet. I also get traffic via word of mouth, newsletters and ezines that my articles are published in, and a few other secret methods that I use.
And you can do the same thing. You just have to get out of that search engine mindset.
There are many other proven and effective ways to market your web site. Here are just a few: e-zines, newsletters, forums, online magazines, sponsor listings on other web sites, exchanging links.
Here are a few offline options: magazines, direct mail, shopper newspapers, cable television, radio, flyers, hospital newsletters, card decks, trade journals and directories, bulletin boards, tabloid newspapers.
Yes, I know Google and Yahoo! are the biggest, most powerful search engine and directory on the planet! Forget about them! Why? Because despite what certain corrupt SEO's may claim, they CANNOT guarantee you a top ten listing in either Google or Yahoo!
No legitimate SEO would ever make that kind of guarantee in the first place. They couldn't, because they know they wouldn't be able to deliver on that promise. Now they may be able to get you to the top of the search engines with certain less popular keywords. However, what good does it do you to rank number one for keywords that nobody searches for?
I want to make one thing perfectly clear, right now. I am not suggesting that all SEO's are corrupt. I don't believe that for a second. There are many fine, honest and hardworking SEO's out there, who are doing a wonderful job for their clients.
I have the utmost respect for people like Jill Whalen, Bruce Clay, Robert Woodhead and many, many other fine and reputable SEO experts. These individuals don't over-hype their services or your expectations.
They also have excellent rankings on the search engines. So, they definitely know what they're doing.
Then, there's the other end of the spectrum--the companies that give good SEO's like the aforementioned a bad name. I'm sure you've all seen some of these headlines:
"Top 10 and Top 20 Rankings Guaranteed!"
"Guaranteed Number 1 Ranking!"
"Guaranteed Top Ranking!"
"Top 10 Placement Guaranteed!"
Well, the next time you see this kind of advertisement, make a mental note to check out that company's ranking. You'll be shocked at what you find out. Some of these companies making these outrageous claims are ranked at number 3 million. That's not an exaggeration!
Now let me point out something very important to you. A company's search engine ranking doesn't always tell the whole story. I know of many companies making a nice living on the Internet that aren't ranked that highly in the search engines. You probably know a few yourself. You may even be one of those companies.
However, if you're considering hiring an SEO, I think where they rank is very important. Why? Because if they aren't capable of getting their own web site a high ranking, how can they possibly achieve a high ranking for someone else? They can't!
You should bear that in mind, when checking out SEO's.
About The Author
Dean Phillips is an Internet marketing expert, writer, publisher and entrepreneur. Questions? Comments? Dean can be reached at mailto: dean@lets-make-money.net.
Visit his website at: http://www.lets-make-money.net
Your Search Engine Optimization Strategy: Make Love, Not War
When it comes to search engine optimization strategy, there are basically two camps ? those who view search engines as adversaries to be conquered at any cost and those who regard search engines as partners in their online marketing efforts. Long-time readers of my articles probably already have a good idea of which camp I fall into; however, I believe both approaches can be effective optimization methods.
Get Better Search Engine Rankings with RSS
RSS is the latest craze in online publishing. But what exactly is RSS?RSS or Rich Site Syndication is a file format similar to XML, and is used by publishers to make their content available to others in a format that can be universally understood.RSS allows publishers to "syndicate" their content through the distribution of lists of hyperlinks.It has actually been around for a while, but with the advent of spam filters and online blogging, it is fast becoming the choice of ezine publishers who want to get their message across to their subscribers.However, not much attention has been given to the advantages RSS provides for search engine optimization.Why Search Engines Love RSSMany SEO experts believe that sites optimized around themes,or niches, where all pages correspond to a particular subject or set of keywords, rank better in the search engines.For example, if your website is designed to sell tennis rackets, your entire site content would be focused around tennis and tennis rackets.Search engines like Google seem to prefer tightly-themed pages.But where does RSS figure in all this?RSS feeds, usually sourced from newsfeeds or blogs, often correspond to a particular theme or niche.By using highly targeted RSS feeds, you can enhance your site's content without having to write a single line on your own.It's like having your own content writer - writing theme-based articles for you - for free!How can RSS improve my Search Engine Rankings?There are three powerful reasons why content from RSS Feeds is irresistible bait for search engine spiders.1. RSS Feeds Provide Instant Themed ContentThere are several publishers of RSS feeds that are specific to a particular theme.Since the feed is highly targeted, it could contain several keywords that you want to rank highly for.Adding these keywords to your pages helps Google tag your site as one with relevant content.2. RSS Feeds Provide Fresh, Updated ContentRSS feeds from large publishers are updated at specific intervals. When the publisher adds a new article to the feed, the oldest article is dropped.These changes are immediately effected on your pages with the RSS feed as well. So you have fresh relevant content for your visitors every hour or day.3. RSS Feeds Result in More Frequent SpideringOne thing I never anticipated would happen as a result of adding an RSS feed to my site was that the Googlebot visited my site almost daily. To the Googlebot, my page that had the RSS feed incorporated into it was as good as a page that was being updated daily, and in its judgement, was a page that was worth visiting daily.What this means to you, is that you will have your site being indexed more frequently by the Googlebot and so any new pages that you add to your site will be picked up much faster than your competitors. How does this benefit you as a marketer?Well, for example, let's says a top Internet Marketer comes out with a new product that you review and write up a little article on, and that your competitors do the same.Google generally tends to index pages at the start of the month and if you miss that update, you will probably need to wait till the next month to even see your entry in.But, since your site has RSS feeds, it now gets indexed more frequently. So the chances of getting your page indexed quickly are much higher.This gives you an advantage over the competition, as your review will show up sooner in the search results than theirs.Imagine what an entire month's advantage could do to your affiliate sales!Why Javascript Feeds Are Not EffectiveSome sites offer javascript code that generates content sourced from RSS feeds for your site.These are of absolutely no value in terms of search engine rankings, as the googlebot cannot read javascript and the content is not interpreted as part of your page.What you need is code that parses the RSS feed and renders the feed as html content that's part of your page.This is achieved using server side scripting languages like PHP or ASP.A good free ASP script is available from Kattanwebhttp://www.kattanweb.com/webdev/projects/index.asp?ID=7 An equally good PHP script is CARPhttp://www.geckotribe.com/rss/carp/ So in conclusion, besides optimizing on page and off page factors, adding RSS feeds to your pages should be an important part of your strategy to boost your search engine rankings.
How To Measure Search Engine Marketing ROI
According to the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO), advertisers spent $4 billion in 2004 on search marketing programs and are expected to spend 39% more than that this year.
The Modern Day Search Engine
The first task most netizens do when they log on to the internet is to visit their favorite search engine to find information on various topics. Over the past few years the search engine has evolved to do more than list available websites on an entered subject. The modern day search engine has tools to help the user accomplish a vast array of everyday task.
Goofy Mistakes that Hurt Your Search Engine Rankings
One thing is for sure, you don't want to spend hours, perhaps days, months, or years on a website to have some stupid little mistake get your site dropped or never even listed in the search engines. There are a lot of rules that search engines have created to block out what they call spammers, so don't kid yourself by telling yourself you are not an evil spammer. As the courts might say, ignorance of the law is no excuse. So what kind of horrific mistake could sneak upon you and possibly ruin all your hard work?
If You Could Submit Just One Page To The Search Engines Which Should It Be?
Listen. Some make submitting pages to search engines sound like the fast track to search engine ranking nirvana. Not to mention you'll see offers to submit your site to a scadzillion sites for some low nominal fee.
How To Boost Your Keyword Density On Your Web Site To Gain Top Positions At The Search Engines
Let's talk about what keyword density is and how to improve your keyword density on your web site. To improve your keyword density ratio there are three parts that we will need address.
Search Warrant
So, you've just paid £300 - £10,000 for a new web site to be designed 'registered your URL' and now it's sitting on the World Wide Web. All your new stationery and Business Cards give the Web Site address quite clearly. The designer assures you that it has been 'submitted' to all the 'Search Engines' and, when you type in the address, there it is.
Search Engine Algorithm Quandaries
Before you make drastic changes to your website after a rocky search engine update, take time to study your web server logs, changes in traffic to your site, and your ranking in the search engines.
STOP Writing for Search Engines
Back when I was starting out with my first internet venture, I did a crazy thing. I subscribed to a Search Engine Optimization newsletter. These guys send a weekly email with their bundle of latest tips. For the first few months, I actually followed what they said. Now, I just keep my subscription to get a few laughs.
Optimize Your Site Pt1
Listed here you will find the five of the most important points to remember when optimising your site and individual pages for the search engines.
How To Get Your Web Site Banned ? or Search Engine Promotion, How Not to do it!
Search engines constantly strive to advance their technology and algorithms in order to provide the most relevant search results for their users. Achieving effective results require the identification, and ultimately the complete eradication of, manipulative search engine optimisation tactics. As Internet marketers, it is up to us to achieve high listings for our customers and this requires that our search engine marketing tactics change and grow with the new technology.
How to Manage SEO
Whether you launch a search engine optimization program in-house or outsource the program, you should keep the following training opportunities and skill sets in mind:
The Role of the Robots.txt File to Improve Site Ranking!
Not many web master take the time to use a robots.txt file for their website. For search engine spiders that use the robots.txt to see what directories to search through, the robots.txt file can be very helpful in keeping the spiders indexing your actual pages and not other information, such as looking through your stats!
Common Sense Approach to Search Engine Optimization
Most web surfers start their sessions at a search engine or a web directory. There are a number of different methods you can use to capture their traffic and drive it to your site:
Content Management Systems Eyeball SEOs
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The Myth of Search Engine Submission
Contrary to what most people think, it is not necessary to submit your site to the search engines. In the early days of the web, when search engine technology was still primitive and search engines' ability to crawl the web was somehow limited, it made sense to submit your site.
SEOs Relationship With Website Architecture
SEO's Relationship With Website Architecture
SEM - Research Measures Success
SEM - Research Measures Success
Free Search Engine Advertising: 10 Secret Ways To Indirectly Race To The Top Of Search Engines
Do you have a website that has little or no rankings in the major Search Engines: Yahoo. Msn, Aol, Netscape, Alltheweb and Google?