2012 has had the most significant changes to the SEO industry as we’ve ever had.  Tons of misconceptions have flooded through the Google gates and now being muddied by the ‘heresay‘ of so-called SEOs and link building experts.  Yes, it is true that Google de-indexed a HUGE percentage of web directories.  Just like any marketing strategy (online or offline for that matter), people will use & abuse it to the point of no reconciliation.  In this post I’ll talk about what’s changed (for the better and for the worse) regarding web directories.

Bulk Manual Directory Submission = FAIL!

Whatever you do, DO NOT submit your website to 100 / 1,000 / 5,000 free web directories…heck, don’t even bother with 50 paid directories!  It’s not about the quantity nor the money you spend.  All Google cares about is the ‘quality‘ of the web directories.  How RELEVANT are they to YOUR site’s content?  In today’s search engine algorithms, one misstep can literally destroy your rankings.  Submitting your website to hundreds of directories is a major misstep.  In fact, doing virtually anything in the ‘hundreds’ is pretty spammy.

Quality, Niche Directory Sourcing = WIN!

Sourcing (or discovering) niche directories is actually quite easy.  Using the phrase-match search quote operator (example: “auto directory”, “finance directory”, etc.) will yield dozens of quality niche-specific directories.  In some cases, you can even break it down more specifically by sub-niche: (“car loan directory”, “investment directory”, etc.).  Going through the Top 50 (1st 5 pages) of search engine results for these operator queries will ABSOLUTELY lead you to some quality niche directories – some free, some paid.

Now, just because you found a niche web directory doesn’t mean it’s quality.  You MUST check the outgoing links from each directory before even considering submitting / listing your site (there are tons of tools to help you check outgoing/outbound links, but in my professional experience, doing a manual-check ensures there are no sneaky 302 redirects or hidden JavaScript link cloaking methods going on).  When researching any potential directory, make sure the other sites listed are relevant to your niche.  Also, look up the keywords they are trying to rank for in Google.  Do they rank well?  If so, there’s a decent chance that you will too!

The main reason Google recently de-indexed thousands of ‘general’ web directories is because there was no oversight, no moderation, bad categorizations, and the directories were turning into link farms.  Do your due diligence: there ARE great link resources out there – but you have to thoroughly research each and every potential linking site (which is a solid rule of thumb for any link building — not just website directories).

Google’s search engine algorithm changes hundreds of times a year.  While spam does still exist (and still effectively ranking sites albeit in an extremely high risk / volatile environment), link building should be about acquiring the links your website deserves based on merit, trust, and relevance — not ‘hey, this shady technique seems to be working so I’ll jump aboard the train!’.  Google will always catch-up to the optimization strategies of today – and for websites using spammy on-page and/or off-page optimization, they will all eventually bite the dust.  Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow.  However, Panda & Penguin wiped-out the highest percentage of high-rankings in the history of Google’s algorithm updates. Where are they now?  What are they doing?

Enter Link Disavow Tool.  In mid-October of 2012, Google introduced a new tool enabling webmasters to ‘disavow’ or ‘disregard’ selected unwanted links pointing to their website(s).  A vast majority of webmasters believe this tool was created due to a tactic called ‘negative seo’ – companies intentionally sending spammy links to their competitors in hopes of ranking-drops.  Google states that this tool provides ‘suggestions’ – not ‘directives’.  Meaning, if you (or a SEO company) has built unrelated & unnatural links to your website in the past, there is no guarantee this tool will fix everything…but it’s a start.

Instead of having to spend countless hours merely ‘attempting’ to undo these questionable inbound links, now, more than ever before: you have to start thinking about your links before you build them!

The future is coming.  Actually, it’s tomorrow.  Then, the day after.  The search engine algorithms are a well-oiled machine; they don’t stop and wait for you to play catchup.  Creating compelling content, engaging in content-marketing and exploring authentic & relevant link building opportunities are the only effective ways to succeed long-term.

What is Quality Link Building?  Even on Wikipedia, the closest they come to mentioning link building is the page ‘methods of website linking‘.  Now, if you were to take a quick look at that wiki-page, it’s very broad and basically lists a few different types of link building methods.  But just because there is no defining page on Wikipedia describing link building (or especially quality link building), don’t let that deter you from what Wikipedia has done for itself.  Wikipedia is the gold-standard for on-page optimization.  Their internal linking strategy is mind-boggling: millions of pages all interlinked by topic and sub-sections with tens of thousands of keywords (which is one of the main reasons why when you search for practically ANYTHING on a search engine, you’ll find a Wikipedia page close to the top.  For now, I’ll get back to the topic at hand: Quality link building.

Reciprocal Links…Once Upon a Time (but not anymore)

In the early days of search engines, the first commonly practiced type of link building was reciprocal links: exchanging links with webmasters in hopes of attaining higher search engine rankings.  Just like every SEO strategy, this became massively overused & abused.  Reciprocal link software and services made it easy for any website owner to exchange links with related websites at little-to-no cost.  Google eventually considered any aggressive reciprocal link behavior to be spam.  Why?  Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever know.  Out of all of the types of link building methods, I thought (and still think to this very day) that reciprocal links was one of the most beneficial ways for Google & other search engines to determine a website’s quality based on the reciprocating sites.  Don’t get me wrong about reciprocal links (specifically, the automated programs) – the abuse became horrid and something had to be done.  But individual webmasters connecting with others in their niche seems like a great way to acquire related, editorial links from quality sites.

Regardless of my views of the many benefits of reciprocal linking, this is NOT a strategy that is currently effective.

Directory Submission…It Depends (case-by-case basis)

Submitting to hundreds (or at worst, thousands!) of directories is no longer a quality link building strategy.  Mid-2012, Google massively deindexed a HUGE percentage of all active web directories – why?  The directories were complete junk.  However, there are directories out there that are worth your time.  Niche-relevant directories that are heavily-moderated.  Not every industry has these types of web directories, but for the ones that do, it can be a valuable link-asset for you to add to your backlink portfolio.  The few ‘quality’ ones out there do charge for submission, but don’t confuse that with a paid link.  A link on a niche-relevant, high quality, well-moderated directory is something that should never be discounted.

Press Releases…Yes (but do it right, read below)

Press releases exist for one primary purpose: newsworthy news.  Creating a PR talking about “hey, check out my site – it’s great.  Before you finish reading, let me get this sucker jam-packed with tons of anchored keywords going to my homepage” is just plain stupid. It happens hundreds of times a day, but it’s insanely stupid. Don’t submit / distribute a PR unless you have something to announce!  And when you do create a PR with great content, don’t slam it with multiple links to your site unless absolutely necessary.  If your PR is comparing 3 different products, then yes, you could hypothetically link each of the 3 products to a different page on your site.  But don’t underestimate the power of compelling content.  Newsworthy, or as I like to call it, ‘readworthy’ content is always king; and, will always attract the highest numbers of readership and social sharing (along with love from the search engines).

Guest Blogging…Everyone’s Doing It (but usually overdoing it)

Posting content on someone else’s blog with a link back to your site is currently a very HOT link building strategy.  The problem: it’s already becoming overused and abused.  Contextual links count a great deal in search engine algorithms, but RELEVANCY counts exponentially more.  Here at RankedResults, we only guest post on blogs within our clients’ niche.  We (and I’m going to attempt speak on behalf of Google’s algorithm as I’m feeling overconfident today) believe if your website is about Ohio real estate listings, there’s no reason for you to have content (and links) on blogs about socket-wrenches, toddlers’ pajamas, and organic coffee.  Stick with relevancy, dammit.

What Constitutes Quality?!?

1)  Age of External Website:  how long has the website (you want a link from) been in existence?  Don’t be afraid to use DomainTools.com to lookup the age of the website.  The older & more-established, (typically) the better.

2)  Is The Website Ranking?  If So, How Well?  Is The Site Even Indexed In Google!?  If the sites that link to you don’t rank well themselves, don’t expect them to be the ‘power punch’ your site needs (or wants for that matter) to increase your rankings.

3)  OBLs (Outbound Links):  does the website link to unrelated, or at worst, inappropriate / illegal websites?  If so, say goodbye to that potential link resource.  If there’s only one absolute certainty in SEO & link building, it’s that you don’t want your ‘good’ site associated with ‘bad’ ones.

4)  Paid Links:  Beware of acquiring links from sites that promote / publish ‘paid links’ (links typically in the sidebar or footer; often times labeled as ‘sponsored’).  This is a sure-fire way to catch Google’s attention.  In a situation like this, you don’t want Google’s attention.

5)  R-E-L-E-V-A-N-C-Y:  The more specific relevance to your site’s niche / industry, the better.  Quality, relevant link prospects are hard to find (which is why you should hire us with our risk-free results-driven seo), but Google (along with Yahoo & Bing) heavily value quality & relevancy WAY MORE than the quantity of links.

In conclusion, quality link building is hard work.  If you’re managing SEO in-house, make sure you have a highly-trained team that understands what true ‘quality’ means – or it will burn you in the end.  Here’s what we (speaking on behalf of the entire SEO industry) know for sure about link building: last year’s techniques don’t work today, and today’s techniques probably won’t work tomorrow.  Stay AHEAD OF THE CURVE.  Be creative, stay relevant, and don’t ever use shortcuts.

Over the last few years, everybody who’s built a single successful website considers themselves as ‘seo experts’. The truth of the matter is that if there are thousands of so-called seo gurus out there, why not work by the philosophy of ‘put your money where your mouth is‘.  It costs a substantial amount of time and effort to engineer websites to rank for competitive search terms.  Among the SEO community, many ‘true‘ experts argue over what pricing models are appropriate for clients — and more importantly — how to measure ‘optimization’ or ‘progress’.  In this post I’ll go over several of the most common pricing models in the SEO world (including our very own guaranteed seo pricing model) and evaluate (attempting to be unbiased, though no promises) how each model helps you, the potential client, understand where your online marketing money is going and how it’s being spent.

Monthly Rate with no promises (the scam artist)

I don’t care if you’re paying $200 / month or $20k / month…every client deserves to know what they will get out of a businesses relationship with fixed-monthly prices.  Heck, if you’ve been one of these poor folks to be taken advantage by a service like this (with no results whatsoever), please explain to me: “what incentive does the SEO agency have to vigorously work on your website’s optimization”?  You pay your bills on time and don’t question their ‘effectiveness’ — though, you’ve yet to witness any actual improvements across the board.  While it’s ultimately the responsibility of the client to learn the in’s-and-out’s of a deal like this, I personally couldn’t sleep at night if I was offering false promises and taking clients’ hard-earned money imprinted with the hopes of high expectations, albeit the majority of the time — let’s call it what it is: a pipedream.  If SEOs continue to provide pricing models like this, there HAS to be some type of regulation over non-transparency.  When you pay your monthly car insurance, health insurance, or other personal bills, you know what you’re getting in-return: protection & coverage. Well if you’re paying $3k / month to a company with no guarantees of rankings, traffic, sales, or conversion-rate improvements, what sort of service will they be providing?! If any for that matter…

Quote Based On Individual Projects (short term win, long term fail)

Whether the SEO work your require is on-page optimization or off-page link building, paying a one time price sounds like a great plan – but with one major defect.  When the SEO agency finishes the work agreed upon, say goodbye.  If they’ve helped you achieve page 1 rankings, without constant maintenance, regular PR & other types of ethical link building – your competitors (whom are actively optimizing around-the-clock with other performance-based agencies) will outrank you…forcing your site down the ranks of Google’s search ladder.  But wait, there’s more!  And, this is a nice transition into my next evaluation (and biggest-pet peeve)!

Monthly Retainers & Consulting Fees (a beautiful failure)

Going back to the last paragraph, AFTER you’ve paid a “one-time-fee” for SEO / optimization, here’s the best gimmick of all time.  That same SEO company says “pay us $5,000 a month” and we’ll continue to allow you to contact us for further help and support.  Personally speaking, retainers are great for divorce attorneys. However, there truly are many qualified SEO companies out there – which is why there’s no reason to contractually tie yourself down with an unnecesary and frankly absurd ‘retainer’. If you’re unhappy with your SEO company & no increase in rankings or sales has occurred, you should be able to get out of that relationship at any time without paying a hefty cancellation fee.  Many agencies with this retainer/consulting model won’t even allow you to escape the contract and will have collection agencies go after you.

Performance-Based / Guaranteed SEO (a win-win for everybody)

We pride ourselves as being one of the most reputable guaranteed seo companies in existence today. Although, while other results-driven seo companies offer ‘performance based’ services, they charge you for rankings they achieve on your behalf that land on the 3rd page of search engines!  Who has EVER looked past the first page of Google, Yahoo, or Bing for anything (aside from manually  looking up your website’s current rankings)?!?  A study conducted by Todd Jensen shows that of all search queries, the #10 ranking (typically the last spot on the first page of search results) receives an average click-percentage of 2.71%.  The #11 (top of the second page position) receives an average of 1%.  You can do the math.  That’s a tremendous drop-off.  Here’s a graph from a series of case studies conducted by Optify:

In this particular study (shown above), the average click thru ratio in Google for a #10 position is approximately 3% of all impressions.  Meanwhile, page 2 (#11-#20) is nearly flat-lined close to 0%.

Reaching page 1 of Google, Yahoo, or Bing is crucial to the online visibility & exposure of your website.  Here at RankedResults, that’s exactly what we offer.  No cost to you until we achieve first page rankings on at least one of these three major search engines for your chosen keywords!  Our #1 weapon is confidence.  Confidence that we can do what we say we can do; and if we can’t, we’re the ones who pay for the time & effort – not you, the valued client.

Since Google’s implementation of Panda & Penguin, inbound links (backlinks) are more heavily scrutinized based on 2 primary factors: 1) Linking Text & 2) Relevance.

1) Linking Text

Also known as anchor text, websites that have an overwhelmingly high ratio of high-traffic keywords (‘money’ keywords) will be left behind in the dust.  Google is seeking to reward websites with a ‘natural’ backlink profile.

What is natural?  Well, there’s no exact formula; however, the majority of your ‘anchor texts’ should be raw URLs (so instead of having your backlinks point to your site saying ‘SEO service‘, it should predominately say ‘http://rankedresults.com/‘. Branded keywords (such as ‘RankedResults’, ‘RankedResults SEO’, etc..) should also be a high priority of anchors in your link building strategy.

Of course, to rank for competitive keywords, they have to be included as part of your backlink profile as well.  This is where common sense comes to play:

What type of websites would link to you using keyword-rich anchors?  Unlike the old days, where every link you’d build would contain a high-volume ‘money’ keyword, it’s not that simple anymore.  Social bookmarking is meant to do exactly what it’s called – ‘bookmark’ or add a link (anchor text should be a raw URL or your company name) to your website.  Directories (don’t get me started on a rant about directories, but for the sake of this post & any future reference I make of web directories, please understand I’m talking about high-quality, niche relevant, authority sites) should be treated like phone book directories. Your company name, and brief description about your product and/or services.  Press Releases? Not so much. PRs should promote your company using branded (your company name) keywords.

It’s the bloggers that will (and should) link to you using keyword-rich anchors.  From guest blog posts on related sites to mentions of your site from colleagues, friends, or coworkers’ blogs, this is where your ‘money’ keywords can be linked from to your website.  STOP KEYWORD SPAMMING other (aforementioned) sources!  That’s an order!

2) Relevance

Relevance is one of the most  (if not the most) important factors search engines, specifically Google, take into account when evaluating your website – from your on-page and off-page SEO efforts. Aside from some high quality bookmarks and profile links from social networks like Facebook, Twitter & Google+, EVERY link should be from content relevant to that of your website. But, the ‘buck doesn’t stop there‘. All content (both on-page and off-page) must be unique, and be read-worthy — compelling content that should encourage social sharing.

The days of poorly written, spun, or at worst – duplicate content are long gone.  And you know what I say?  Good riddance!  We’ve all been thrust forward into the era of web 2.0:  where traditional SEO & social media collide with an epic battle of quality over quantity.

As effective as SEO can be, it doesn’t work for everyone. It all depends on the kind of competition that a company faces and its available marketing budget. Some keywords are so competitive that it’s difficult for anyone except the biggest names to climb to the top of the search engine results pages. The good news is that there are other options. When SEO falls flat for whatever reason, it pays to explore SEO alternatives. Some of these alternatives cost more than others, and what works for one company may not work for the next. An overview of some of the most popular SEO alternatives is provided below.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Pay-per-click advertising, which is usually referred to simply as PPC, is the most popular alternative to SEO. In fact, many companies employ both strategies to strengthen their online marketing efforts. As the name implies, the amount that a company ultimately pays for this kind of advertising is based on the number of clicks that is generated. However, the name is a little deceptive. Within the PPC category, there are several options.

The most popular form of PPC advertising involves setting a monthly budget and paying a specific amount of money for every click that is generated. In some models, however, the amount that is paid is based on the number of times that people see an ad. This setup is known as CPM, or cost per mille, and it involves paying a specific amount per 1,000 impressions.

The majority of online advertising options involve PPC of some kind. So far, it’s been the most effective and reliable way to handle online advertising, which is infinitely more complex than advertising on television and other mediums. The effectiveness of PPC varies. Click-through rates have declined through the years, but that’s probably more attributable to the explosive growth of the Internet than anything else; people have more places to go. On average, a company can expect to enjoy a two-percent click-through rate on any given PPC campaign.

Banner Advertising

Banner advertising is actually a subset of PPC advertising. It specifically refers to banner ads, or image ads, whereas PPC can also include text ads and other types of ads. Banner ads have existed since the dawn of the Internet. Some are horizontal while some run vertically down the sides of a web page. As with PPC, the cost of banner advertising depends on the type of budget that is set.

As far as effectiveness goes, banner advertising has fallen somewhat out of favor. A huge part of the problem is that Internet users are savvier than ever. Many people simply learn to ignore these ads. Another issue is that many web browsers have ad-blocking plugins. Upon being installed, these plugins block many types of banner ads. Although some still slip through the cracks, the majority won’t appear at all. Therefore, it’s difficult to get a handle on how often a banner ad is viewed, and it’s even trickier to determine whether it’s producing conversions or not.

Video Ads

Video ads are a more recent development. They are usually offered as an option by pay-per-click advertising companies. Instead of choosing a banner ad or text ad, an online business can opt to post video ads. There are limitations on when and where these ads appear, though, and they tend to cost a lot more than other types of online ads. Some video ads start playing immediately, which is especially expensive, while others only start playing after someone clicks the play button.

An increasingly popular option is to pay to have an online video ad play immediately before a YouTube video. As with most other forms of online advertising, however, the price depends on the type of bidding that’s used.

When it comes to drawing traffic to a site and generating conversions, video ads can be very effective. It’s difficult to gauge or predict, though, so many companies are wary of spending money on them. These types of ads are ideal for companies that have reasonably large budgets and products that they’d like to showcase in a vivid way. This may change over time as online video ads become more sophisticated. The growth in the popularity of mobile devices will have a major impact too.

Viral Videos

It’s not always necessary to spend a lot of money to promote a business or website with online videos. Creating a viral video is the equivalent of hitting the online marketing jackpot. As with any type of gambling, however, there’s no way to predict what will work and what won’t. With that in mind, it’s smart not to pour too much money into creating these videos. After all, some of the most popular viral videos were clearly made by amateurs, so having high-end production isn’t necessary.

What makes a video go viral? That depends on a variety of factors. Unfortunately, it’s extremely difficult to deliberately create a video that goes viral. There’s no formula to follow because there’s no surefire way to make people share a video, which is the key to making one sweep across the Internet. A quick look at some of the most popular viral videos reveals that they are extremely diverse. There’s no way to make a video go viral without posting it on YouTube, and it needs to be shared and posted on social media sites as well. Beyond that, the rest is up to chance.

Press Releases

A great way to get featured on a blog or news site is by regularly issuing press releases online. Press releases closely mimic newspaper stories in terms of tone. They are not meant to be blatant ads for a company, but quotes can be used to include a few plugs. Writing a press release is the relatively easy part; the complicated part is getting it seen by the right people. For that, there are press release distribution services. Some of them are free while some of them aren’t.

Most companies begin by having their press releases distributed for free. This actually works in some instances, so it’s worth it to give it a try. With paid press release distribution services, however, the odds of a press release falling into the right hands are a lot higher. Some paid services have partnerships with news services and blogging services, which dramatically increases the odds that a press release will make a real splash. Before devoting a lot of time and effort to writing press releases, a business should set specific goals for doing so. Press releases have remained highly effective through the years, and they should continue to be an effective way to market a website in the future.

Social Media

When it comes to promoting a website or business on social media sites, there are two main options. The first is to engage in a social media campaign that doesn’t necessarily cost money but involves being highly active on the most popular social networking sites. The second is to use pay-per-click advertising to reach specific people on those sites. Even a few years ago, it was easy to enjoy great results on social media without spending a dime. That’s becoming increasingly difficult, however, and many companies now set aside money for social media marketing.

Maintaining an active presence on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook is time-consuming and tricky. Businesses that don’t know what they’re doing can waste a lot of time. There are Internet marketing companies that will handle such campaigns, but they expect to be paid for their services. Paying someone to run a full-fledged, full-time campaign on Twitter, for example, can cost up to $4,000 per month. Many companies would agree that it’s worth the money, especially given the fact that social media continues to surge in popularity.

Conclusion

There’s no need to rely solely on SEO to boost online exposure. Ranking high on the major search engines is undeniably important, but there are other ways to improve online visibility. The best rule of thumb is to experiment with as many different options as possible. Even after finding a solution that seems to work, it pays to keep trying new things. The truth is that a significant number of successful online businesses use more than SEO to get there. Companies that aren’t sure where to begin can hire online marketing firms to point them in the right direction. Such advice can be absolutely priceless.

These days, setting up a website and expecting it to rise to the top of the search engine rankings automatically isn’t realistic. The truth of the matter is that a lot of hard work goes into achieving a page-one ranking on search engines like Google. The major search engines use complicated algorithms to produce effective rankings. Without keeping these algorithms in mind, it’s virtually impossible to make a website rise to the top. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the preferred method for enhancing a site’s ranking with the major search engines. Some SEO companies go about it the right way while others rely on sketchy tactics. Learn more about white-hat SEO and black-hat SEO below.

What is SEO?

As mentioned above, search engine optimization, or SEO, is a strategy that is used to enhance a site’s ranking with the major search engines. To be effective, SEO techniques have to be based on up-to-the-minute knowledge of the major search engines’ algorithms. Without knowing how the search engines rank websites, there’s no way to optimize them accordingly. Although the primary goal of SEO is clear, the means of getting to the end can vary considerably.

Choosing an SEO Company

While it’s possible for website owners to learn about SEO and put it to use themselves, the majority of people hire SEO companies to do the work for them. After all, there is a lot involved in effective SEO. The major search engines constantly tweak their algorithms, and keeping up with current trends isn’t easy. Furthermore, SEO has to be ongoing in order to be effective. In other words, it’s not a quick fix. After being implemented, it must be monitored and tweaked constantly for optimal results. By hiring an SEO company to do the work, a website owner can focus on more important matters.

White-Hat SEOs versus Black-Hat SEOs

SEO companies can be split into two main categories: black-hat SEOs and white-hat SEOs. Black-hat SEOs rely on underhanded tactics to help websites rise to the top of the rankings. They snub their noses at search engine guidelines and put their customers at risk of being dropped to the bottom of the rankings. White-hat SEOs, on the other hand, keep search engine guidelines in mind at all times. They do what it takes to protect their clients’ rankings. While black-hat techniques often produce faster results, white-hat techniques involve no risk and help websites maintain high rankings over long periods of time.

Black-Hat SEO Techniques and White-Hat SEO Techniques

The easiest way to understand the differences between black-hat SEO and white-hat SEO is by considering the kind of work and effort that are involved with each method and the amount of time that it takes to see results. With black-hat SEO, shortcuts are used to help sites rise to the top quickly. Results often happen quickly, which makes it seems like everything’s okay. In short order, however, search engine spiders get wise to the ruse, and the site’s ranking invariably tanks. With white-hat SEO, laying the groundwork can take time. It may also take time to see appreciable results. However, once the results are there, the risk of losing a high ranking is very low.

A few key ways in which white-hat SEOs differ from black-hat SEOs include:

• Content – With black-hat SEO, the quality of the content isn’t important. What matters is stuffing in as many keywords as possible to trick the search engines into thinking that a site is relevant. This may be done by simply cramming as many keywords into content as possible, which usually renders it unreadable. It can also be done by putting keywords in white text on a white background, so they can be seen by the search engine spiders but not by actual visitors.With white-hat SEO, quality content is paramount. It’s written to appeal to actual human visitors and optimized to make the most of search engine algorithms. In addition to being engaging and well-written, it is fresh and informative. New content is added regularly to help a site maintain its ranking. It involves more work, but the results are a lot better.
• Meta Tags – Meta tags are found within a site’s code. They are there for the benefit of the search engine spiders and are used to highlight a site’s keywords, key phrases and description. With black-hat SEO, excessive numbers of keywords are stuffed into the meta keywords and meta description. Search engine spiders can detect this easily, and sites are penalized for it quickly. With white-hat SEO, time and care are taken to craft informative meta descriptions and meta keywords. In that case, meta tags pass the search engine spider test and don’t cause any problems.
• Backlinks – Backlinks are incoming links to a site. The search engines treat them as votes in favor of a website. More than ever, however, the sources of sites’ backlinks are critical. Link farming, which involves sites that have long lists of random links, is one shady technique that’s used by black-hat SEOs. White-hat SEO puts an emphasis on naturally occurring links. The best way to get natural backlinks is by posting high-quality content that people actually want to share.
• Site Structure – A skilled white-hat SEO can design a site so that is easy for human visitors and search engine spiders to navigate. The goal is to make the site as accessible as possible. With black-hat SEO, underhanded tactics like gateway pages are often used. Basically, people click on a search engine result expecting one thing, but they end up on an entirely different page. This flies in the face of search engine guidelines, and sites that use these sketchy techniques are penalized.

The Consequences of Black-Hat SEO

Black-hat SEOs make big, bold promises. In the short term, they can often deliver on those promises. Over the long haul, though, their techniques usually backfire. Sites that use black-hat SEO techniques are harshly penalized. In some cases, they are temporarily relegated to the bottom of the search engine results pages, or SERPs. In more severe cases, a site may be completely removed from the listings. If that happens, it might as well not exist at all. In other words, black-hat SEO is never worth it.

Choosing the Right White-Hat SEO

Sticking with white-hat SEOs is always the best move. However, they are not all created equal. Before choosing a white-hat SEO, a website owner should ask plenty of questions and find out how the company plans to help improve his site’s ranking. It pays to shop around and consider plenty of options prior to signing up with a specific SEO company. There are plenty of options out there, and the wrong SEO can have an extremely negative impact on a website’s fortunes.

Conclusion

As with so many things in life, achieving a strong ranking on the major search engines involves time, care and effort. There are no legitimate shortcuts or workarounds. Black-hat SEOs will happily take anyone’s money. They don’t care if a site is penalized or banned by the major search engines later. For lasting results, website owners should strictly rely on white-hat SEOs. With the right SEO, a site can achieve an exceptional ranking and hold onto it for the long haul.

Business owners who understand the importance of digital marketing are adding Pinterest to the ever-growing list of social media outlets they should frequent. Using Pinterest to market your business is relatively simple, but it is effective marketing?

Consider results seen by e-retailer Wayfair. The company claims social media sites like Pinterest resulted in a 2.3 increase in sales this year. Although the company has several social media accounts, they claim Pinterest has been the main driver of additional sales this year. “Our Pinterest referrals spend 70 percent more than nonsocial channels,” said Wayfair media representative Jane Carpenter.

With those numbers, it’s easy to see why business owners like yourself are ready to jump on the Pinterest wagon. To help you along, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions.

I already have a Facebook and Twitter account. Why do I need Pinterest?

Facebook and Twitter users are looking to connect with family and friends. Pinterest users are searching for products and information.

Another upside is that Pinterest followers repin what they like. Your followers work for you. Every time a follower repins, your products or services are reaching a new market. Someone who has no knowledge of your company may stumble upon your product months after it was originally pinned.

How do you set up a Pinterest account?

Setting up an account is simple. It is free and only takes a few minutes. You can include company contact information in the biography section. If you currently have a website or Facebook, ask your customers to follow you on Pinterest as well. Add the Pinterest icon to your website, so visitors can be directly connected to your Pinterest wall with a click of a mouse.

How do I use these boards in conjunction with my business?

The boards provided by Pinterest are example boards. You can delete them, create your own or rename the existing boards. For instance, if you have a business that sells handmade accessories, you can create one board for scarves, one for hats, one for sweaters and so on. There is no limit to the number of boards you can create, but keep in mind that potential followers have the option of following all of your boards or just a select few. Do not create so many boards that you lose potential viewers.

What should I include on my Pinterest boards?

Businesses that are successful on Pinterest create original pins but also repin things that may appeal to their customers. For instance, if you sell exotic flowers, many of your pins will be beautiful plants and flowers available for purchase. By nature your customers will also have an interest in gardening equipment, products and growing tips. Even though you may not offer these items for sale, related pins will generate interest in your boards and can eventually lead to sales.

Where do I find images to upload?

Some images you find online may be copyrighted, so it is best to use original images and unique content. Preferably, these photos will be linked to your website or blog. Simply uploading images without links to your website will not yield optimal results.

Product styling is important when photographing products for Pinterest. If you sell jewelry, pin a photo of someone wearing the product. Add your company logo in the corner of the image. This will deter competitors from using your image and puts the company’s name in the minds of potentially millions of followers.

Should I respond to comments on my pins?

Respond to comments or questions in a friendly and professional manner. If comments are inappropriate, you have the option to delete them. Make an effort to get to know your potential customers and allow them to know your staff. Some Zappos.com staff members showcase their personal favorites on the company’s Pinterest account.

Should I synchronize my social media accounts?

Many business owners do synchronize their Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest accounts so that they all post the same information. This may be the easiest way to update your social media accounts daily, but it’s not necessarily the best advice. While you do want to inform all potential customers about upcoming sales and special events, those who frequent multiple social media outlets will not appreciate seeing the same post in multiple places.

Keep each social media account as unique as possible while keeping followers informed. Get followers excited about your products by running an occasional giveaway. AMC Theatres frequently offers Pinterest followers exclusive prizes, such as movie posters, tickets and signed memorabilia.

What is a hashtag, and how do I use it?

A hashtag is the number symbol (#) found on keyboards and phones. Combining a hashtag with a keyword is an easy way to attract attention on Pinterest. Users searching Pinterest for a particular keyword will be directed to all pins with the matching hashtag/keyword. For instance, you may want to push a certain product as an ideal stocking stuffer around the holidays by including #stockingstuffers in the item description. Even if a Pinterest user does not follow your boards, they will see your pin when they do a search for #stockingstuffers.

How often should I update my Pinterest boards?

Pin several items of interest each day but not so many that your followers feel overwhelmed by the volume. Pinterest users like variety. If they get bored with too many similar pins, they may unfollow you.

Conclusion

Remember to be as unique as possible when using Pinterest. Beautiful photos and inspiring words go a long way. Keep in mind that you only have a few seconds to capture the user’s attention. Hiring a social media expert to optimize your Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest accounts may be a smart idea if you don’t have the time or staff available to work on these projects.

People often assume that search engine optimization, or SEO, is a fairly recent development. In the history of the world, it certainly is. In the history of the Internet, however, it’s hardly new to the scene. In fact, people have been engaging in SEO of one form or another since the earliest days of the Internet. After all, sites that can be found easily on the major search engines enjoy the most success. SEO is all about understanding how search engines rank websites and using that knowledge to increase a site’s ranking. It may sound easy, but it’s definitely not.

The Early Days of SEO

Although SEO is most closely associated with Google, it’s been around since before the search engine giant made its debut. Most people agree that Yahoo was the first successful search engine. In those days, Yahoo’s goal was fairly straightforward: organize the steadily growing number of websites to make the Internet more accessible. To make that happen, Yahoo adopted a system that was reminiscent of a business directory. Instead of using bots to crawl the Internet, Yahoo relied on user submissions. The earliest SEO techniques involved spamming Yahoo with site submissions in order to get a site listed near the top of its respective category.

Google Changes the Game

For its time, Yahoo was a revelation. It opened up the Internet and helped people find what they needed. Without it, the Internet may have fizzled out before it really got started. However, it couldn’t last. The sheer volume of new sites quickly rendered Yahoo’s system obsolete. Google’s use of complex algorithms changed the game, but it was the company’s introduction of the PageRank toolbar feature that truly ushered in the modern era of search engine optimization. At a glance, fledgling SEOs could see how their sites ranked, and they could see how various changes affected those rankings.

Google: All About Updates

One thing’s for sure: Google has never been a company that rests on its laurels. After witnessing the spectacular crash and burn of Yahoo as a search engine authority, Google recognized that ongoing updates were essential. Without constantly updating its algorithms, there would be no way for the search engine giant to deliver effective, consistent results to users. The search engine’s first update occurred in September 2002, but Boston, the first named update, was unveiled in February 2003. Initially, Google planned to make monthly updates. That plan quickly became untenable, however, and the company instead opted to roll out updates as needed. This change quickly put SEOs on their toes.

Google SEO Updates Make a Splash in 2003

2003 was the first year in which Google issued named updates. Several of them were rolled out throughout the year, and they had many different effects. Some of the updates dealt with link quality issues while others produced more incremental changes. The first major update to make a huge splash was the Florida update, which launched in November. Seemingly overnight, thousands of sites lost their rankings. SEOs who thought they knew what to do quickly found themselves in unfamiliar territory. The update primarily targeted black-hat SEO tactics like keyword stuffing. It was a sign of things to come.

Search Engine Updates Affect SEO

Between 2004 and 2005, Google made several key updates that didn’t necessarily target SEO practices but still had a major impact on how sites would be optimized in the future. In 2004, the Austin update zeroed in on meta stuffing and invisible text, which were black-hat techniques that continued to draw Google’s ire. In 2005, Google started allowing website owners to submit XML sitemaps, which put more control in their hands. October 2005 saw the debut of Google Maps, which was also known as Google Local.

2006 was a relatively quiet year for Google SEO. The big news in 2007 was the launch of Universal Search, which included categories for video, images, news and much more. SEOs had more to work with than ever, but the game was becoming more complicated by the day. Google Suggest launched in August 2008, and real-time search debuted in December 2009. Both updates had long-reaching ramifications for SEO. In particular, they forced SEOs to take fresh, unique content more seriously. The days of copying and pasting regurgitated content were rapidly fading.

2010: Setting the Stage for Panda

SEOs started to feel that strange things were underfoot for Google SEO in 2010. A series of updates seemed to be leading up to something, but what could it be? No one was certain. The May Day update, which happened in May, had a drastic effect on long-tail searches. Sites that were stuffed with long-tail keywords were seriously impacted. The Caffeine update, which went down in June, rapidly increased the speed at which Google indexed the Internet. The debut of Instant Previews in November made it more important than ever to create attractive, appealing landing pages. In December, Google confirmed that it was now incorporating social signals from social media websites in its algorithms. SEOs quickly shifted gears to start putting more emphasis on social media marketing.

Panda Crushes Weak Content

Without a doubt, one of the most earth-shattering updates that was ever laid down by Google happened on February 23, 2011, which was the day that the Panda update initially debuted. Several subsequent incarnations of the update would continue over the next year, but the first one got the most attention. Panda’s primary goal was to crush the so-called content farms that were inundating the Internet with poorly written, low-quality content. Now more than ever, a site’s content had to be up to date and high in quality in order to have a prominent ranking. SEOs shifted gears yet again and started hiring writers to create compelling, relevant, well-written content.

Penguin Follows Panda

By the end of 2011, several Panda updates had rolled out and wreaked havoc on the Internet. It is believed that up to 12 percent of all sites were impacted. The Freshness Update, which happened on November 3, put an even stronger emphasis on fresh, unique content. Several batches of updates started rolling out in 2012, and they were often released as large packs. On April 24, 2012, however, another massive update upended the world of SEO. The Penguin update sought to penalize sites that were overly optimized. It was also known as the webspam update because it zeroed in on link farming, keyword stuffing and other shady practices. If Panda was all about on-site optimization, Penguin primarily dealt with off-site optimization and levied huge penalties against sites that engaged in sketchy backlinking activities and other practices.

Most Recent Google SEO Updates

The dust hasn’t exactly settled when it comes to Google SEO updates. In fact, it never really will. If Google’s history is any indication, the company will continue to unleash all sorts of mayhem on hard-working SEOs. At the end of September 2012, for instance, the Exact-Match Domain update took a toll on sites that ranked well for having exact-match domain names. As far as predicting what Google’s next move will be, the only way to get a feel for that is by staying on top of emerging SEO news. Google’s official blog is a good place to start, but what will happen next is anyone’s guess.

If one thing’s remained true about marketing, it’s this: Staying on top of emerging trends is crucial. Companies that are willing to embrace new techniques and mediums tend to fare a lot better than those that cling stubbornly to the past. Social media is a prime example. These days, no online business can afford to snub its nose at sites like Facebook and Twitter. Regardless of the industry, some of the top companies are sure to be making effective use of social media. Now more than ever, it’s crucial for businesses to get in on the social media act.

Social Media’s Rise to Prominence

Considering how important social media is today, it’s strange to think that it has only been around for a brief period of time. Ever since the dawn of the Internet, people have looked for ways to connect with one another more easily with technology. When dial-up access first became more readily available, services like Prodigy and CompuServe acted as precursors to today’s Facebook and Twitter. Users communicated with one another through bulletin board systems. Many of those systems, like Usenet, went on to enjoy massive popularity on the Internet.

The first real webpages went live in the mid-1990s. People embraced the new technology, and blogging rose to prominence around 1997. Most agree that the first prominent social networking site was Friends Reunited, a UK site that debuted in 1999. Friendster, another early social networking site, skyrocketed in popularity upon debuting in 2002. The following year, MySpace and LinkedIn were born, and Facebook followed the year after that. When Twitter hit the scene in 2006, the social media revolution was in full swing. Facebook officially surpassed MySpace in 2008, and the world hasn’t looked back since.

Why Social Media is More Important than Ever

In the beginning, it seemed that the most valuable thing about social media was its ability to connect people from far-flung corners of the world. Today, however, successful businesses know better. While sites like Twitter and Facebook continue to be wildly popular with people who want to stay connected, they are increasingly becoming integral parts of today’s most effective marketing strategies. A few examples of the ways in which social media can be used to promote a business include:

• Raise Brand Awareness – In this day and age, a company can’t be successful without cultivating a recognizable brand. Social media makes it easier than ever to do so. By maintaining a consistent message and tone across today’s most popular social media platforms, a company can nurture and grow its brand to make it instantly recognizable to existing customers and prospective customers.
• Enhance Customer Service – By making effective use of social media, a company can dramatically cut back on the number of customer service calls that it has to handle. People are more connected than ever, and companies that are active and engaged on social media sites can address their issues and concerns quickly and easily. When customers know that they will receive fast help by sending a quick tweet, for instance, they come away with a much more favorable impression of a company.
• Make it Personal – Nameless, faceless corporations don’t appeal to everyday people. The strategic use of social media allows businesses to adopt more personalized approaches to marketing. For instance, many companies allow employees to create their own profiles in order to assist customers and respond to questions. Instead of submitting a generic form, people can quickly interact with actual employees.
• Perform Market Research – By reaching out to customers through social media, a company can gain important insight into what they want. This is an affordable and easy way to see how people feel about new products and services. Many companies also run ideas for new products and services past their customers through sites like Twitter and Facebook. Still others use polls and other interactive means to find out how they can improve. In most cases, responses start pouring in instantly, so a company can act quickly to take advantage of changing trends.
• Interact with Customers – The companies that use social media the most successfully are the ones that are the most active. Simply creating a profile and including a link to a main website isn’t enough. Companies that put in the effort to interact regularly with customers through social media tend to enjoy the best results. In the scheme of things, the time and effort that are required to be active on sites like Twitter and Facebook are minimal.

Social Media Done Right

One of the best ways to understand the full potential of social media is by taking a closer look at companies and brands that are using it as effectively as possible. A few of the best examples are highlighted below.

• Caterpillar – After Facebook launched its new timeline format, many companies balked. Some made half-hearted attempts to get on board with the new format. Caterpillar, on the other hand, completely embraced it. As a result, the construction and manufacturing company is approaching 100,000 likes on the popular social media site. Its timeline goes all the way back to the 1800s, and the company routinely posts new photos of its machines and equipment. A quick glance at Caterpillar’s timeline and activity feed reveal that the company is committed to engaging regularly with its customers. These efforts are clearly paying off well.
• Ford – Ford Motor Company is a prime example of the beauty of seamlessly integrating social media into an overarching marketing campaign. Ford maintains social media profiles on popular sites like Twitter and Facebook. It doesn’t stop there, though, because it also features content from those sites right on its main website. Through its blog, which is also featured on social media sites, Ford engages visitors by asking for feedback and actually responding to it. There’s no need to be a huge corporation to pull off this kind of feat.
• Zappos – This popular shoes and clothing retailer is known for its witty, engaging posts on social media. Zappos employees are encouraged to create their own accounts on Twitter, and that’s where the online retailer really shines. Companies that aren’t sure about how to use Twitter should follow Zappos’ lead.
• Cranium – Some would argue that advanced technology is making board games obsolete, but Cranium is bucking the trend. The unique board game maintains a highly active Facebook presence that it uses to share trivia, factoids and other interesting tidbits. Videos and quizzes are also used to keep visitors coming back for more. Cranium’s efforts on Facebook prove that absolutely any type of company can enjoy great benefits by being active on social media.

Conclusion

With hundreds of millions of users, social media is clearly more than a fad. Companies that still haven’t gotten in on the action run the risk of losing out to the competition. If people can’t find a business on sites like Twitter and Facebook, they’re likely to view it as a red flag. Considering the small amount of time and effort that are needed to remain active on social media and the exceptional benefits that arise by doing so, it’s in any company’s best interests to get on board.