It is a myth. Search engines are amazing devices, capable of running extensive searches using complicated algorithms that are highly guarded secrets in the industry. Hundreds of factors may be used while ranking the listings where factors themselves and the weight each carries may change continually. Google is one of the leading search engines along with Yahoo, MSN Search, AOL and Ask Jeeves and it is protective of its image and site management. It’s impossible to limit your links and why would a search engine want to when they provide its raison d’etre and the Internet is continuing to grow.
Archive for August, 2009
The 100-link Myth
Friday, August 28th, 2009Ranking in local search engines
Friday, August 21st, 2009Ranking well in your area is an upcoming popular form of SEO. It seems to work best for companies and retailers that have multiple locations that they can target. The conversion rates are higher on local based searches than global ones. Some best practices for local SEO would include: listing your full address, use your area code, include some directions to your shop, use google maps or similar, include photos with your street adress in the name, list in local directories and pay to be in your local yellow pages.
Different Engines Different Mentality
Friday, August 14th, 2009Trying to do SEO for all search engines at once is cluster-bomb and largely a waste of time. Each search engine has a different idea of what should and should be ranked high.
Google is seen as the holy grail and tries to feed you information and wikipedia. Does not like products.
Yahoo is more of a social engine and often displays results from their own sites like Yahoo Answers.
MSN loves products on the other hand and the results reflect that. Now becoming a fan of Wikipedia.
There are others in the game but these are the big ones.
One Word Keywords
Friday, August 7th, 2009As SEO proffesionals we often tell everyone not to bother trying to rank for single words. It is the most broad of markets and the ones with the most competition. Or is it really? With every SEO guru saying not to bother it could mean that there is actually some room to get in on single word searches. That is not to say it will be easy but it could be possible. The traffic you gain from single word searches is large but it still stands that the traffic doesn’t convert as well as more defined key phrases.
Your Google Penalty Plan
Saturday, August 1st, 2009So your site ranks right up there at the top of Google. Then one day google decides that you have done something Black Hat and starts to move you down the rankings. All websites should have a Google Penalty Plan in motion. That means alternative forms of traffic to make sure that if the Google tap gets turned off your business is not left in the dark. This plan should include: being active in forums, writing solid articles, asking for help from other webmasters, comment on blogs and ask your clients for help.