Chrome Tools for Marketers

Posted on Sep 2, 2011 by Joey to SEO, Web Marketing

Google designed Chrome specifically to run web apps, or interactive websites, and to be snappy enough to load these sites quickly and seamlessly. The appeal is an incredibly rich array of apps and features that are ideal for creating a user-friendly, dynamic website. Google has a host of tools that are custom-made for marketers trying to leverage the potential of Chrome. Here are a few of our favorites:

Google Global. Global is a great tool for SEOs and marketers because it allows you to see search results as they appear in other countries, and even other regions and cities. It works well for those at opposite ends of the spectrum, from multi-language, multi-national corporations as well as small businesses trying to target local traffic. Google Global has features such as automatic updates, some performance enhancements, Google Chrome support, enabling of AdTest parameters, and more, that make it a useful tool.

MozBar. This works well particularly for those with SEOmoz software. With it, you can analyze page overlay, access SERP overlay with detailed link metrics, view Linkscape Metrics on the toolbar, use the Page Elements tab to display on-page SEO factors, use Page Attributes to get a view of broad data, and access tools like Open Site Explorer, Keyword Difficulty, and Rank Tracker. This is useful for accessing essential search data.

BuiltWith. It is always useful to analyze and audit your own site, as well as take a close look at what the competition is doing. BuiltWith helps you do that. It profiles any website you choose and gives you information on their analytics, content delivery network, and ad server, as well as other details, including frameworks, widgets, CNDs, standards, and hosting software. It can be useful to see what technologies other sites are using to see if they would work for you.

Google has built a powerful browser that is fast, sleek, and tailored for business. The Chrome Web Store has a host of tools, many of them free, that can help you leverage it to its fullest.

Tags: Chrome, google, Mozbar

4 Reasons Why SEO is like Your High School Child

Posted on Aug 29, 2011 by Rick to SEO

The world of SEO is mysterious to many who aren’t in-the-know so I thought it’d be appropriate to provide a simplified comparison to explain the fundamentals. Here’s why search engines and SEO are just like high school kids and what you can learn from it.

Popularity is everything

The Breakfast Club

Regardless of how nice, smart, or talented your kid is, his/her social success in school depends only on one thing, friends. The same goes for search engines. Regardless of content quality (and don’t give me any, “but Panda” garbage), the link and social media popularity of a website or piece of content is (almost) everything in determining it’s search visibility. No links/likes/pluses/etc. = no love from the Big Goog(le). To attain SEO success, get back to doing whichever questionable tactics earned you the title of prom queen in high school and make sure that your website earns the popularity which it deserves. After all, it was worth it back then…

Search engines are temperamental

Teen Wolf

Move a page, whhaaak. Server goes down, whhhaaaak. Forget to implement optimized title tags on your fancy new website, whaaaak. One minute you think you’re getting Google love, the next, Google has lost visibility of your content because your unsuspecting developer decided he wanted dashes in your URLs instead of underscores (because he thought it ‘looked better’!). Treat search engines like children and avoid simultaneous, large-scale changes. Follow the technical rules, implement large changes slowly and measure results before going ‘all-in’ (if possible). Just like dealing with children, change is ok, just not all at one time.

SE’s have one thing on their mind, food

High school kids live for their next meal and so do search engines. That’s why you always hear the popular slogan, Content is King. In theory, search engines will eat just about anything you feed them, as long as (they think) it has value and is unique. Take advantage of this childish characteristic by creating a proverbial ice cream truck full of (unique) content and cranking that loud speaker next time the Google Monster comes around. Reward the Google Monster with a sweet treat and she may reward you with more traffic and hopefully, more business.

While we love them, we know that (most) are still slightly, well, dumb

Fast Times at Ridgemount High

Sure, we love our kids and think they smart, talented and will grow up to be president (is that even a desirable job anymore?). But we all know that, left to their own accord, most would never make it past their PlayStation in the morning. Same goes for search engines. After all, that’s why we’re still fiddling with title tags, heading tags, alt text and optimizing keyword anchor text to help them ‘understand’ our content.

In short, there is still a need for ‘spelling out’ our content for the SE’s as they’ve yet to mature to have a reliable level of artificial intelligence.  Need proof? Consider that most SEO’s wouldn’t have jobs if Google could figure it out all by itself. Like high school kids, search engines are getting smarter, but they still have a long way to go. Following programming best practices is the best way to deal with this childish characteristic.

That’s it. The key to good SEO- treat the search engines like children and hopefully they won’t bite, scream, cry, or worse yet, ignore you when you get old.

Putting +1 On Your WordPress Site

Posted on Aug 17, 2011 by Joey to SEO

Forget Liking a post; reddit? Done it. There is a new button on the scene: the +1. Google’s new button allows users to endorse content, and when they search, they will see how many, if any, results were also endorsed by other users. Google has said that they will give this weight when calculating search page rankings, so it is a good idea to get going on +1. How do you put it on your WordPress site?

First, go to the Google +1 homepage. You can customize the button by choosing the size (15, 20, 24, 60 px) and the language. Google will generate a code for you to insert into your site and give you a preview of the button on a side window.

In another window, open your WordPress theme file under “Editor” and then “Appearance.” The menu on the far right will have an option for “Footer” under the Templates section. Click on this. Next, go back and copy the JavaScript from the +1 homepage and paste it before the last body tag. Hit Update.

You are almost a proud owner of a +1. Just add a text widget and paste the +1 shortcode there. This will be in your widgets panel. Save this, and there you go.
More and more of these buttons are popping up; help your ranking and encourage your readers to +1 you.

Tags: -1, google, wordpress

Panda’s Aftermath

Posted on Aug 15, 2011 by Joey to SEO

Google continually works to combat spam, and in their latest algorithm tweak, the Panda update, they have targeted sites that rely heavily on content farms and other “low quality” content. Months after it was enacted and the dust has settled, the effects of the update are clearer, and we can look at what they mean for websites and SEOs.

While sites that were egregiously spammy were rightly affected, so were other, more legitimate sites. We saw decreased rankings for Associated Content and other similar sites that tend to use duplicated or low quality content from content farms, as expected. But there were also unintended “victims” of the update. Many retailers, for instance, saw dramatic decreases, not because they stole content from other sites or bought low quality content from farms. Why then? Because they provide customers with manufacturers’ descriptions, which can be essential in purchasing decisions. They are also, of necessity, present on countless sites that sell the same products.

Adam Audette of Search Engine Watch writes, “There is too much bloodshed out there. I don’t remember a Google algorithm that has done so much damage – so much collateral damage – as the February 2011 Panda update.” But he also notes that most sites, if they look closely, will find shortcomings that have contributed to the drop in content. What should you look for? Do you have:

• Original content (although this can be copied by other sites and Google penalizes you for duplicate content).
• In-depth reports and analysis relating to your topic, industry news, and other relevant information.
• High quality back links.

A well-designed SEO campaign, however, can help boost your rankings and avoid Google penalties. High quality content is key; make it relevant and current. High quality links are important, but Google knows that you cannot suddenly generate hundreds, so concentrate on quality, not quantity.

Tags: google, Panda Update

How to Create a Google Analytics Account

Posted on Jul 21, 2011 by Michelle to General, SEO

For all of our new and existing clients, we recommend that the Google Analytics account be created and managed under the client’s name and credentials.  In light of this, I have outlined the following step-by-step instructions in order to create a NEW Google Analytics account under your name:

For those of you who are more visual, here is a step-by-step video.

Otherwise, written instructions are as follows:

Step 1:
Go to http://www.google.com/analytics/ and select “New to Google Analytics? Sign Up Now”.

Step 2:
If you already have a Google Account, you can sign in with those credentials (and then skip to Step 3).  If you do not currently have a Google Account, select “Create an account now” and enter all necessary information.

Step 3:
Enter your Website’s URL, Account Name, Time Zone Country and Time Zone, and then select “Continue”.

Step 4:
Enter your Contact Information: Last Name, First Name and Country, and then select “Continue”.

Step 5:
Read and accept Google Analytics User Agreement, and then select “Create New Account”.

Step 6:
At this point, if you are not the person in charge of editing and making updates to your website, you should copy (shortcut = Ctrl + c) and paste (shortcut = Ctrl + v) the tracking code into a Notepad or Wordpad file, send to the person in charge of editing your website, then select “Save and Finish”.

Developing Search Engine-Friendly Drop Down Menus

Posted on Jul 14, 2011 by Joey to SEO, Web Design, Web Development

The goal of any site, whether it is commercial or not, is to provide a user friendly experience. Navigation is crucial, and visitors need to be able to locate the information they need quickly and easily. Or they will leave. It’s just that simple. Drop down menus, while not typically a favorite of developers, can help organize content and present it to visitors in an easily navigable way. The menu needs to be not only user-friendly, but also search engine-friendly.

Drop down menus have never been very search engine friendly. Search engine algorithms are designed to troll for plain text, and the complexity of code is off-putting to spiders. In the past, developers were warned away from using Javascript, but today, there is a variety of ways that you can make your menu more attractive to search engines. The jQuery Drop Down Menu tool, for instance, allows you to develop clear, unordered list structures and features search engine optimization and full cross-browser compatibility. With the jQuery-powered tool, you can add custom styling with CSS to make your drop down menu look and act the way you want.

Pure CSS Menu is another free online tool with which you can develop drop downs. You don’t need to know HTML or CSS coding in order to create your menu, which is helpful for non-developers. Your menu will feature cross platform compatibility, small size, immediate loading, and disabled Javascript, and the content of the menu is readable by search engines.

Other useful menu tools, depending on your needs, include:

• SoThink DHTML Builder 9.6
• HTML Menu Buttons
• Dreamweaver Menu Extension 5.5
• Deluxe Menu 3.17.3
• EchoEcho.com
Sites typically get most of their traffic via search engines. You can satisfy both the engines and your traffic by providing optimized drop down menus.

Panda’s Effect on Local Business

Posted on Jun 30, 2011 by Taylor to SEO

Several weeks after it rolled out, the Panda Update’s effects have become known. Whenever such a change occurs, it is easy to focus on negative aspects, such as eHow’s tumble in the rankings or declines for retailers who depend on manufacturers’ product descriptions. But Panda isn’t all sharp claws and teeth: it appears that local businesses are seeing the cuter, cuddlier side of the algorithm change.

Boosting local search wasn’t a goal, at least directly stated, of the Panda Update, which was designed to target low-quality or spam-heavy websites. But unintended benefits are just as good as those that were planned. According to CNET, large and small local businesses have seen a boost in their SERP positions. Yelp, a location-based service, for instance, saw itself on the first page 45 more times for search terms including “chocolate,” “cleaning,” “food,” and “weddings.”

Moms and pops have also experienced an increase in visibility. Declan McCullagh, CNET’s chief political correspondent, says, “For our US tests, we used an Internet address near Palo Alto, Calif., which promoted Google to rank nearby businesses and municipal Web sites near the top of search results. The City of Palo Alto’s Web site appears in the first page of search results for terms including ‘adventures,’ ‘art,’ ‘business,’ ‘gas,’ and ‘jobs.’” Other sites, like PaloAltoOnline.com, Stanford, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and Mike’s Bikes have seen similar hikes.

This is good news for professionals in industries ranging from real estate and service contracting to mortgage brokers and marketers. Local search has been an emphasis, especially with the development of mobile search. Businesses can make the most of it by using tools like Google Places, HotPot, Yahoo Local, and even sites like Facebook to gain maximum visibility for their sites.

Tags: google, Panda Update

Google Challenges Facebook’s “Like” with +1

Posted on Jun 27, 2011 by Taylor to SEO

Every time Google makes a change, SEO experts and webmasters all over the world sit up and take notice. In an effort to edge into the social domain more effectively, the world’s leading search engine has instituted +1. In many ways, it is similar to Facebook’s ubiquitous “Like” button; users can essentially endorse content with +1. What effect could this have on SEO efforts?

The “Like” button recently celebrated its first birthday, and their gift: 10,000 websites integrate with the social networking site each day. More than 2.5 million sites have the “Like” feature, and media sites that use the “Like” button see 300 percent more referral traffic from Facebook. Google hopes that +1 will catch on as quickly and effectively. If it does, it could have a tremendous impact on SEO. How?

First, it won’t kill SEO. Naysayers have been saying everything from Instant to Caffeine are “SEO killers.” No; but it will change SEO, as does every algorithm and change Google makes. This is to be expected, and part of being an effective SEO is to adapt to the changes and take SEO to the next level. The +1 may aid marketers in many ways. Here’s an example: you are looking for new running sneakers. You enter in your query; the top two sites are optimized for “running sneakers,” but the second one has a +1, indicating that a contact likes this vendor or product. This, rather than the position, encourages you to click through.
Google software engineer Evan Gilbert says, “The next time your connections search, they could see your +1’s directly in their search results, helping them find your recommendations when they’re most useful.”

Some question, though, whether Google will give more weight to sites that are heavily +1’d or if they will offer users the option to search exclusively for sites that have been +1’d by their connections. If this is the case, Google may be trying to build search by word of mouth type search criteria rather than heavily keyworded content. If this is the case, it poses both great challenges and great opportunities for websites.

Tags: facebook, google

Blackhat SEOs Target Macs

Posted on Jun 18, 2011 by Taylor to General, SEO

Earned or not, Windows OS usually has a reputation for being less secure than Mac OS X. Mac users have a reputation for being younger, professional, more liberal, more tech-savvy, and even better dressed. But Macs are no more immune to viruses than the human body is during cold and flu season. A new round of blackhat SEO attacks is targeting Mac OS X users, as well as Safari. What do these attacks look like, and how can Mac users avoid them?

The new attacks take the form of fake antivirus program, MAC Defender. This malicious program is delivered through infected websites, thanks to the efforts of blackhat SEOs. These hackers target current events and trending topics, using keyword optimization and other techniques to get their websites on the first page of SERPs. Whenever major world events occur, such as the royal wedding or the death of Osama bin Laden most recently, you can expect blackhat SEOs to infect search results.

This is not usual; however, the targeting of the Mac operating system and Safari is unique because blackhat SEOs have typically left these targets alone, opting to infect Windows with malicious sites. Kaspersky researcher Fabio Assolini says, “Not only Windows users are a target of bad guys that want to distribute rogueware. Now they are also attacking Mac users using the same and old blackhat SEO techniques, poisoning search results in popular search engines.”

That’s the bad news. The good news is that because these are the “same and old” techniques, you can better recognize – and avoid – them. Always use caution when running searches for trending topics and stick to reputable sites for your news. Another way to spot the MAC Defender scam is that a fake Windows screen actually pops up in the Safari browser when a visitor accesses an infected website. Wisniewski says that you “are first prompted with a JavaScript-based fake scanner that appears to show an infected Windows XP computer, even when surfing from a Mac.”

A good tipoff. If you aren’t paying attention and miss that, you will be prompted to enter your admin password, which is another red flag to watch for.

Regardless of your OS or browser, maintaining good security and being cautious about websites and links is crucial.

Blackhat SEO War Rages On

Posted on Jun 14, 2011 by Joey to General, SEO

Milanoo’s “passion for fashion” is being overshadowed by their desire to be at the top of Google’s SERPs. The China-based online retailer, founded in 2008, has been accused of “gaming” search results with the same type of blackhat SEO tactics that caused JC Penney to see a dramatic rise in popularity – and an equally dramatic drop in the rankings after Google discovered the scam.

It has hard to mention the effects of gaming Google without mentioning JC Penney. While the US retailer claims no knowledge of what its SEO company was doing, the damage to its once top ranked site has been done. While Google hasn’t yet determined whether Milanoo, which serves customers in 180 countries, has indeed been spamming the search engine, many experts believe that to be the case. What is the company doing?

Every inbound link to the site is paid for, and many are thinly disguised spam. Searches for “evening gown,” “cheap dresses,” “summer dresses” return with Milanoo at the top of the list, this despite it being a relatively unknown startup. It ranks higher than Macy’s, Saks, Gap, and other well-known retailers, which is a red flag according to Digital Due Diligence’s Doug Pierce, who played a role in the New York Times piece that exposed JC Penny.

Milanoo appears to be buying links to its homepage and individual product pages, which boosts its visibility. Pierce said he couldn’t find an inbound link that wasn’t paid for, such as those from NFL New Jerseys and Auto News.

Getting called on this will no doubt impact the online merchant’s bottom line. Overstock.com was penalized by Google for a similar offense and saw a drop in sales of 5 percent. Search engine traffic is crucial to online retailers, and gaming Google often ends in a loss.

Tags: google