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Friday, November 30, 2007

Google GDrive

Written by Scott Van Achte and published at 9:10 AM

If you have been looking for online storage to either back up your computer, or simply need some supplemental space for your large collection of photos or digital music, Google's new GDrive service may be of use to you.

Google GDrive... for Real?!?

The talk of Google GDrive has been around for a while now, but could it actually be on its way finally? Tuesday morning the Wall Street Journal published an article on the future Google service.

Users will be able to access the stored data using any internet connection through multiple PC's or mobile devices, and will also have the ability to share files with friends. Access is secure and a login and password will be required.

The new GDrive service is not available just yet, but is expected to be offered sometime in 2008.

There are many online storage options already available online include Omnidrive, Box, Xdrive, and Windows Live SkyDrive (beta). Most offer a base amount of storage for free, then charge for larger requirements. Costs range from $9.95/month for 50 gigs with Xdrive, to $199 per year for 50 Gigs with Omnidrive.

Labels: Google, Scott Van Achte

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This SEO News was posted by Scott Van Achte @ 9:10 AM.

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Google Results Malware Free?

Written by Scott Van Achte and published at 9:06 AM

Google has taken steps to remove malware websites from its search results, according to a ComputerWorld article released Wednesday.

Alex Eckelberry, CEO of Sunbelt Software Distribution Inc released the news Monday that Google had removed more than 40,000 malware sites from its search results. While Google refused to either confirm or deny this, spot checks by Sunbelt researcher Adam Thomas did not turn up any malware sites.

Malware Frustration Syndrome - picture of woman screaming through computer screen

While Google would not confirm the purge, or even if the sites existed in the index in the first place, a Google spokeswoman said in an email: "In our search results, we try to warn users of potentially dangerous sites when we know of them. Sites that clearly exploit browser security holes to install software, such as malware, spyware, viruses, adware and Trojan horses, are in violation of the Google quality guidelines and may be removed from Google's index."

A combination of "malicious" and "software", malware is used to install unwanted software the may cause damage or unwanted behavior on the infected computer. Even if these malware sites have been removed from the search index, hackers tend to find ways to get their malware back in the path of internet users one way or another.

Keeping your operating system and virus protection software up to date can help reduce the risk of becoming infected, but following a few simple tips is also recommended:

- Avoid file sharing applications.

- Never open an email attachment unless you are certain you know what it is.

- Avoid free software downloads unless they are from a trusted source.

Labels: Google, Scott Van Achte

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This SEO News was posted by Scott Van Achte @ 9:06 AM.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2007

An Introduction to Citizendium by Editor Russ McGinn

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 4:27 PM

Back in August I wrote an article called "Is Wikipedia Corrupt?" which looked at the concerns caused by controversial editing in the popular Wikipedia online encyclopedia. In the closing section of that article I stressed that Google needed to move away from highlighting Wikipedia in favor of increasing the diversity of its encyclopedic references. In that regard I would like to introduce a great introduction to Citizendium written by Russ McGinn, a Citizendium Editor and former participant at Wikipedia.

Dear Ross,

Responding to your invitation at SiteProNews, I am an author at Citizendium (http://en.citizendium.org.)

We believe the world needs a more reliable free encyclopedia. We are creating a trusted general reference work by giving people a place to work under the direction of experts, and by expecting personal accountability, professionalism and by requiring the use of real names. Our goal is to capture humanity's multivariate understanding of reality, and thereby to paint a maximally broad and detailed portrait of our universe as accurately as we understand it. An indispensable means to this end is the involvement of many experts who will help guide and, ultimately, approve many of our articles. We expect our approved articles to be, in the long run, as authoritative, error-free, and well-written as encyclopedia articles can be expected to be.

As to quantity, we hope to grow to hundreds of thousands of articles within a few years, and millions a few years after that. This is not the traditional goal of encyclopedias, which has been to offer up only mainstream views of the most important aspects of the most important topics. Cheap disk space and bandwidth, and the potential of participation by ultimately millions of people, means that we can capture humanity's understanding of reality with far more nuance and detail.

We are also creating a new sort of online community. We welcome experts as well as the general public; we will be built not by top-down orders but as and where contributors wish to work; and we will be organized as a republic governed by a rule of law. This means that there will be no "dictators," but a regularly changing group of people tasked to manage a public trust in conformity with a relatively stable code of rules. It also means that we will have very little tolerance for the sort of immature disruption, abuse and gaming that plagues so many other Internet communities.

On a personal note, I left Wikipedia, because whilst there are a number of competent editors there, the combination of anonymity, people gaming the system, an overemphasis of 'style' over 'reliable content', and a lack of interest in the management to manage, leads to endless unproductive arguments. In part, it's success is due to exactly those factors - contributors start writing a few articles and are then seduced by the politics - see <this Wikipedia link> as just the latest appalling example - people either burn out become 'wikidrama' addicts.

Not for me I'm afraid.

Kind regards,
Russ McGinn

Thank you Russ for your detailed description of the Citizendium and your thoughts on Wikipedia. The establishment of a comprehensive community-written encyclopedia is no doubt an incredibly difficult task; one that I cannot even pretend to grasp. That said, the values that Citizendium is trying to uphold are extremely worthwhile and I wish you and your fellow editors all of the luck and assistance in the world.

I would also like to turn some attention to Wikipedia; the current forerunner in the online encyclopedia landscape. I understand Wikipedia continues to sort out some complaints and dissent but that kind of controversy is bound to come with the enormous success it has gained over the past few years. The editors at Wikipedia deserve a lot of respect for their hard work and for keeping their heads above water and their spirits high.

Ultimately the best option for everyone would be to have a wide array of resources to consult in order to prevent a single entity from controlling public opinion and knowledge within the Internet.

A Call for More Introductions
Again I request that any online encyclopedia contact me with a description of their site. Tell me why your site should stand out from the rest and I will be proud to post it for all to see. Mail me at ceo at stepforth dot com and I will review your submission for publishing ASAP.

Ross Dunn, CEO, StepForth Web Marketing Inc.
Celebrating 10 Years of Web Marketing Excellence

Labels: Interviews, Other Engines, Reputation Management, Ross Dunn, SEO News, Social Marketing

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 4:27 PM.

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Obvious Email Spam is Still Successful

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 11:59 AM

This is an off-topic post that I felt could not be missed. The Register wrote today about a type of email spam that is extremely common and rather obvious BUT surprisingly it appears some Internet users are still falling for it. The article is worth the read if you have any concerns about what emails to read or not to read.

In Short
Emails that promise free games, windows security patches or updates, nude celebrity pictures, or anything that seems out of the ordinary should be deleted immediately.

A source in the Register article "recommends PC users do not open executable files attached to email messages from addresses they do not recognise or trust and to 'refrain from opening any message that purports to feature nude celebrities'."

So what is the big deal? After all it is just spam!? NO, when anyone opens this spam and clicks a link within it a malware program may be installed into the user's computer at which time the computer is added to a network of machines used to quietly send out even more SPAM. This type of attack is estimated to be responsible for up to 20% of the email SPAM we all receive today.

Please do your part and screen the email you open! In fact, I strongly recommend using a community-supported SPAM filtering program like Cloudmark Desktop (formerly Cloudmark SpamNet). Cloudmark costs only $3.40/mo. ($39.95/yr) and it does a great job of protecting my email from 95%+ of the 500-1000 SPAM I receive in a single day. My entire company has used Cloudmark to eliminate email SPAM for over 2 years and it has little or no error rate.

Sincerely, Ross Dunn, CEO
StepForth Web Marketing Inc.

Labels: EMail, Other News, Ross Dunn

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 11:59 AM.

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Google's GDrive in the News Again

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 11:31 AM

The Wall Street Journal is once again fueling the fires of a potential GDrive initiative from Google.

The GDrive would be a free or for fee online service where the average Internet user could store a lot (or all) of their data remotely on Google's servers. Google is thought to be considering this because it would further move file management to the online realm which would, in-turn, broaden Google's advertising reach while reinforcing their user-loyalty. -- More from the WSJ here but it still seems to be mostly speculative.

by Ross Dunn, CEO, StepForth Web Marketing Inc.

Labels: Google, New Tech, Ross Dunn

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 11:31 AM.

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Thursday, November 22, 2007

Part 2 - The Genesis for a Successful Online Marketing Campaign

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 2:58 PM

The canvas I have outlined for successful web marketing is taking shape. The first article looked at the necessary stages we need to develop. We started with market research and analysis of our competitors and now armed with this information we can proceed to perhaps the most critical component of all, developing our keyword targets and creating supporting text for them.

What’s In a Word?

It has been often said that content is king. The choice and expression of these words is what makes the connection to the visitors and helps determine user behaviour. If the message is clear the visitor will know if they are at the website they want (or need) to be at and start the exploring process. Visitor attraction is influenced by a myriad of aspects such as site design, choice of colour, and ease of navigation. Visitor confidence is bolstered in large part through your use of words. Similarly much the same can be said for the search engine spiders; the higher their confidence rating of your website the higher your visibility in their index. And this rating of confidence all begins with how you choose your keyword targets.

According to Keyword Discovery over 80% of all online transactions begin with a keyword search. In a spreadsheet write down all choices of words you think your prospects will type into the search bar. It is important to consider not what you would type in but rather what your prospect will. Next you need to determine which search terms will be the most effective for your site and which you need to be found under. Two variables must be considered: the search frequency of a keyword phrase and its competitiveness on the net. This is to say, how many times is a particular keyword phrase being typed into a search bar and how many web pages are competing for that particular phrase.

The number of searches will indicate the amount of traffic you will get from top placement. Generally speaking, any phrase with more than 100 – 150 searches per day is considered relatively highly searched. That said, one must also consider how targeted a phrase is. An untargeted or general phrase with 200 searches per day may be less valuable than a targeted phrase with only 30 searches per day. Armed with this information we must then look at the competition. If a phrase with 150 searches per day has a very high competition level but a phrase with only 10 searches per day has a low competition it will be less costly to target the less competitive phrase and MAY produce a better return on investment.

To determine keyword search frequency select one of the following Keyword Research Tools listed on the StepForth site and put in your keywords. Enter the resultant search values on the spreadsheet. Take this opportunity to look for other keyword targets that the software will present in addition to your search term. Can these other keyword targets be of benefit to you? Next enter each term in the Google search bar and enter the number of pages competing for that term. The number of competing pages shows in the upper right corner of the screen.

From this data one can determine a universe of potential keyword phrases. Discard phrases that have a low search frequency; why bother spending time and effort for terms that people are not typing in or searching for.

Determine your list of words that offer a reasonable number of searches and have lower number of web pages competing for that term. Establish your primary and secondary phrases and it is this list from which you can create or modify your web pages and write textual support for these keywords. The primary phrase is the one that gets threaded throughout the whole site and the secondary ones are those that are category or page specific. Keeping a focus on the primary and secondary targets is critical. Tile tag and unique page descriptions, as well as keyword enriched internal links can be developed from this list. Consider using keywords with descriptive or geographic modifiers.

The importance of relevant text cannot be overestimated. Oftentimes additional body text content is necessary for the search engine spiders to obtain a qualitative snapshot of the topical content of the individual documents within your site and in order to make an overall assessment of what the site is about.

One simple way to keep spiders happy is to provide them with great ‘food’. Relevant, keyword enriched content will substantially increase the prospect of the site achieving better placements. For example, text used in the Home or Index page should be very descriptive of the business and its products or services. A paragraph or two (100 – 250 words) using keyword enhanced wording would be sufficient. On each page the message must be relevant to the overall theme of the site. Refine what message each and every page is to project, and write your content in the same manner you would speak it. Remember to keep the language simple. As Einstein wisely stated,

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”

As search engine spiders can only read text with 100% efficiency and tend to miss important information phrased in images, java scripts and Flash, the body text of the website is by far the most important element examined by a search engine. Further, keep in mind that search engine spiders cannot read the text within images or frames. This would include text in graphic menus, company logos, Flash animations, as well as what is in most header and footer sections.

Web Design and SEO

Now that you have looked at your competition, chosen your keyword targets and written your content it is time to give thought to the best way to present it visually. Key considerations for a search friendly web design include: an easy to read menu structure that remains consistent throughout the site and a nicely weighted balance of text to images. The navigation format should be textual and no more than a few levels deep. Spiders value the content more highly if it is placed in the higher directory levels. If you have an image based menu ensure you make a footer section on each page that is textual so search engines can read it. Avoid full pages composed of graphics or flash. Your web design should offer the ability to create unique title and description tags. Check for possible broken links and repair or delete them, and add a sitemap as well as an XML sitemap. For information on creating an XML sitemap see our XML Sitemap Creation Tools article.

Avoid having a Splash page at the beginning of the site as search engine spiders can not read the information. The Home (or Index page) is the most important page in the site for spiders to read, record, and index. As well the use of pop-ups in place of internal pages should be avoided as search spiders will not read information contained in pop-ups.

Some worthwhile reading suggestions follow. To decide if you are in need of a website redesign read our SEO Friendly Redesign article. If you are still unsure if your web design is SEO friendly consider investing in a few hours of consulting time. Also, I highly recommend looking over Correcting Common Usability Mistakes . These observations and suggestions can save you time and money.

The stage is now set. Market research and competitor analysis have given way to keyword identification, textual creation and a search friendly web design. The next phase to be discussed in our online marketing campaign is search engine optimization techniques.

This article series by Bill Stroll, Sales and Marketing Manager
StepForth Web Marketing Inc.

Labels: Bill Stroll, SEO, SEO Tips, StepForth, Tutorials

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 2:58 PM.

Copyright ©2006-2012, The SEO News Blog, StepForth SEO Services
View this Article Only: Part 2 - The Genesis for a Successful Online Marketing Campaign

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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

40 Languages for Google Custom Search

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 11:50 AM

StepForth has used Google's custom search for nearly a year now to allow a powerful but free search option for our website. Well it turns out Google's custom search is now available in 40 languages according to the a posting today at Google's Official Blog:

"Today, we're pleased to tell you that the Google Custom Search platform is available in 40 languages, in close to 80 countries worldwide. And now you can search your Custom Search engine (CSE) in the language of your choice. We hope to see more people creating useful CSEs -- we want to see more colo(u)red beams on the globe!"

Read on...

Labels: Google, Other News, Ross Dunn

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 11:50 AM.

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Monday, November 19, 2007

On the Surface Microsoft's Future Looks Bright

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 3:00 PM

Wallstrip published a great newscast heralding, with some disbelief, that Microsoft's stocks had just reached a 5 year high. The video is worth the watch and I followed it up with my less than glowing opinion on the mega-corporation's current path.

So according to stocks Microsoft is doing quite well and it is apparent that part of that success is a result of their high sales of Vista. Unfortunately for Microsoft, I can say with relative certainty that a significant percentage of Vista sales were forced upon new PC buyers and many would switch back to XP if they had a chance. In fact Dell even switched back to offering XP products after they received a myriad of complaints that Vista-only PCs were becoming the norm.

Additionally, Computer World UK posted an interesting article that cited "most IT professionals are worried about Vista and that 44% have considered non-Windows operating systems, such as Linux and Macintosh, to avoid the Microsoft migration."

In short, it seems that a considerable portion of Microsoft's gains are from a product that sold well due to hype and forced use with new PCs. I don't know about you but that has reinforced my skepticisim over Microsoft's continued gains in the OS marketplace. In fact, I think the demand for a newbie-friendly Linux OS is getting stronger as many small business owners like myself tire of the costly upgrades from Microsoft; costly not just financially but from a stability standpoint.

Is Microsoft Doomed to Complacency?
Now I understand that comparing Microsoft's grip on the OS industry to the search industry is a long shot; Microsoft is the Google of the OS industry after all. However, stretch your imagination and compare where MSN was when it was arguably a significant player in search and where Microsoft's OS division is now. Why Microsoft lost search market share can be put quite simply... a lack of innovation. MSN lost its edge and fell into obscurity while relying on Windows to maintain its user base; nowadays Microsoft's share of search has faded to appalling levels. In fact, as the MarketingPilgrim blog noted brand is becoming more important and Microsoft's pride that Live Search's results are highly relevant is, frankly, outdated. Proudly announcing relevant search results is akin to a company saying they offer "professional services"... umm, yes I would hope so. Comparatively Microsoft is wildly insistent that its OS is the present and future of the PC, however, the simplicity and innovativeness of Apple and the out-of-the-box stability and low cost of Linux is eroding Microsoft's market share and in-turn its brand.

All-in-all, I have a hard time remembering any significant advance that Microsoft released before any other company. Doubtless there are many but the fact that I, an ardent computer geek, cannot think of something right away... well I think that speaks volumes. Microsoft needs to learn a few things from its competitors (like Google); empower your massive research and development department by allowing them to launch betas and innovate in the public forum! Without some innovation and some sense that Microsoft is something more than a follower the mega company will always seem to be one step behind the competition and that is going to do nothing good for its brand. In fact I think their brand will slowly rot away unless they show they deserve the continued respect they so often expect.

by Ross Dunn, CEO, StepForth Web Marketing Inc.
Celebrating Over 10 Years of Web Marketing Excellence

Labels: Microsoft, MSN, Ross Dunn

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 3:00 PM.

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Friday, November 16, 2007

Google and GoDaddy Strike a Deal

Written by Scott Van Achte and published at 11:30 AM

Internet domain registration and hosting giant GoDaddy is teaming up with Google to help clients enrich their web hosting accounts, according to a GoDaddy press release issued Tuesday.

Working as a pilot partner, GoDaddy has integrated Google Webmaster Tools into the hosting accounts of their customers.

This integration will make it easier for the average site owner to identify potential problems with their sites and to help improve their site's visibility.

"When Google approached us about incorporating their product into our hosting accounts, it was an easy decision," said GoDaddy.com CEO and Founder Bob Parsons. "Our customers are always looking for simple ways to make their sites easier to find and attract new visitors. Thanks to these easy-to-use tools, customers can quickly tap this valuable Webmaster resource without having to be technical wizards."

Google Webmaster Tools allows site owners to get current indexing, link, and other information on how Google is evaluating their site. While this free service is available to everyone with a simple Google account, the integration right into hosting interface will certainly make it easier for some to access this information.

Enabling Google Webmaster Tools from within GoDaddy

If you have an existing GoDaddy hosting account log into your hosting control center. On the top bar you will see "Google Webmaster Tools", click here to continue and then click enable.

The domain will automatically be verified with Google and you will find a large blue button to launch Google Webmaster Tools. This will bring you to a screen where you must accept Google's terms of service to continue. Next you will find the standard Webmaster Tools Dashboard that we all know and love.

You can also use GoDaddy's built in XML sitemap tool to spider your site, create, and upload the XML sitemap to your server. Once created, launch Google Webmaster Tools to submit the XML sitemap directly to Google.

Labels: Google, Scott Van Achte

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This SEO News was posted by Scott Van Achte @ 11:30 AM.

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Thursday, November 15, 2007

The Genesis for a Successful Online Marketing Campaign

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 2:45 PM

I am often reminded how important it is to develop a well thought out business plan. I speak with numerous clients each day, each having a passion to promote their service, information or product and yet although they may be experts in their field, they do not have the expertise or foresight on how to market the site. Often times the website is destined to stay in the closet and never get the online exposure they need and are hoping for. And often times the client lacks an objective perspective, sort of being amongst trees in a forest and not being able to see to whole picture.

The internet audience has matured and become more sophisticated in its expectations and delivery of information. No longer can one just throw up a site and expect to immediately generate business. Website readiness for online marketing can take many forms. In this and the articles that follow in the next few weeks, we will examine the building blocks to successful web marketing. We will look at:

How to work your marketing budget and timelines
How to work a realistic marketing business
Pitfalls of optimization
Most common mistakes
Optimization complete, now what?
Tiers for small -med -large business, how we customize them

Making informed decisions now will set the stage for easier transitions on future initiatives and this can help minimize your costly investments of time, labour and money. Your website should be viewed as a dynamic entity and it requires your consistent attention and nurturing. This is a cardinal rule.

The Building Blocks….

The following checklist is an excellent strategy for achieving superb organic visibility and stable placement in the search engines. It will also help increase visitor retention and conversion. This information is portable; it does not matter whether you are in the planning phases of starting an online business, already have an existing website or are in need to redesign your presence. Although many of these stages (phases) can run concurrently the list below is presented as what should be implemented first, prior to moving into the next phase.

Marketing budget and timeline development
Market research
Website design
Competitor analysis
Keyword research
Content creation
Content management system and or shopping cart creation
Search engine optimization (SEO)
Link building
Blogs, newsletters, articles
Social media
Website analytics
Pay-per-click marketing (PPC)

Of course, your marketing strategy will be determined on whether you will be intimately involved or delegating stuff in-house or out of house. Do you have the time, energy, expertise for any, some or all of these important tasks? Will you go the consulting route and implement their recommendations? Is your service or product time sensitive? Does it need to be sold by a certain date? Your strategy, timetable and budget will vacillate accordingly.

Perhaps the best actionable word I can offer is to “Focus”. Focus on what it is you are all about and what sets you apart from your competitors. This may sound simple enough, however, try writing down in one sentence what one message you want visitors to receive when they come to your website. Surprisingly, many site owners I speak with have not or cannot do this. Determining such clarity before starting anything else can pay dividends. For example, organic visibility and placement in the search engines largely has been considered a game of inches; will you take advantage of this opportunity and create a keyword enriched domain name?

Market research offers data rich and timely information on what your competitors are doing. This can be approached from two angles and really, it is about how you define your “competition”. Perhaps you are aware of competitor sites from within your industry and want to learn more about how they got to where they are in the search engine result pages. Odd as this may seem, this method for selecting which competitor sites to analyze may not be the most effective route to analyze your competition. These competitors may not be well placed in the search engines and may not be targeting the same keyword phrases that you are. Should this be true, why bother analyzing them. On the other hand, if you have already determined one of your site’s primary keyword phrases you can type it into a search engine and review the resulting index page and choose from the list. The difference here is an important one to consider. Here you select your keyword phrase target and see who is competing for that term. It is not necessarily important who that company is or even what industry they are in. The important consideration is who is on top of the list for the keyword phrase you are shooting for and you are looking for any ammunition you can get to leap frog over their position in the search engine results page.

Market research will produce a blueprint for your web marketing direction.

Competitor analysis reveals information about their keyword targets and how they are positioned in Google, Yahoo and MSN. In looking at several competitor sites one can construct a universe of keyword phrases that have proven successful in the search engines. Understanding this helps determine your keyword phrases and aid in the creation of textual content for your site.
Links can be analyzed for their reputation and their popularity. Where are they coming from and are they paid links or from a link farm? Knowing who is linking to your competitor can make your task an easier one when developing your own link building campaign.
An index saturation analysis will show how many pages a website has indexed in a search engine in comparison to the number of pages actually existing within the website. The purpose of the saturation analysis is to evaluate the various design elements that may be affecting indexing efficiency and to ultimately determine whether saturation is playing a noteworthy role in the website’s (your competitor’s) ranking.
Optimization analysis will determine what (if any) particular optimization techniques are overwhelmingly influencing rankings for internal review pages of each site.

Click the link for more information on Competitive Research Tools.

Not everyone has the budget or expertise for this in depth type of data mining. A more economical approach may be to conduct keyword analysis. Quite possibly developing a realistic set of achievable primary and secondary keyword targets is the most overlooked aspect to any successful web marketing presence. This component will be looked at in the next article.

This article series by Bill Stroll, Sales and Marketing Manager
StepForth Web Marketing Inc.

Labels: Bill Stroll, SEO, SEO Tips, StepForth, Tutorials

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 2:45 PM.

Copyright ©2006-2012, The SEO News Blog, StepForth SEO Services
View this Article Only: The Genesis for a Successful Online Marketing Campaign

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Friday, November 09, 2007

Facebook Unleashes Facebook Ads

Written by Scott Van Achte and published at 2:54 PM

Tuesday, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerbook announced the launch of Facebook Ads. This new ad platform will allow advertisers to focus their precise target markets.

Facebook's Ads consists of three major parts: "a way for businesses to build pages on Facebook to connect with their audiences; an ad system that facilitates the spread of brand messages virally through Facebook Social Ads™; and an interface to gather insights into people’s activity on Facebook that marketers care about."

With the announcement of Facebook ads, a number of brand specific pages were released Tuesday to the tune of 100,000 pages covering the world’s biggest brands. Users can share information about businesses they like acting as a trusted referral, sending qualified and highly targeted individuals to the main businesses page.

Users can also write on the wall of the business, add reviews, and interact with the business based on the features the business chooses to install.

Labels: Scott Van Achte

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This SEO News was posted by Scott Van Achte @ 2:54 PM.

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AOL Acquires Quigo

Written by Scott Van Achte and published at 2:52 PM

According to Business Week, AOL has acquired pay per click search engine Quigo for a reported $300 million. The acquisition includes the AdSonar and Feedpoint platforms.

Quigo has been serving up ads for a number of Time.com properties, and with the success they have been having, saw the potential and went forward with the purchase.

The deal which is expected to close later this year, will allow for expansion of their contextual advertising on AOL as well as their partner sites. For the time being, Google will continue to provide AdWords ads alongside AOL search results.

Labels: Other Engines, PPC, Scott Van Achte

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This SEO News was posted by Scott Van Achte @ 2:52 PM.

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Thursday, November 08, 2007

How Glossaries and FAQs Can Improve Search Engine Rankings

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 11:23 AM

Picture of a dictionary A large part of my time at StepForth as a search engine optimization consultant is spent conducting competitor research on behalf of our clientele. This service is focused on deconstructing the marketing campaigns of each competitor while identifying the tactics that appear to have fundamentally contributed to their search engine success. As you might imagine I come across many intriguing techniques that work and many that don’t. In this article I will account for a couple of techniques that appear to be overlooked by many but have proven time and time again to work; the creation of an on-site glossary and frequently asked questions (FAQ) section.

Create a Glossary
I imagine we have both shared one frustration with the Internet at one time or another and that is jargon… and too much of it. Acronyms, and bafflegab seem to be unintentionally utilized on websites all over the web (I am guilty too, I admit it) and I often wish there was a simple way to find a definition within a website rather than visiting an online dictionary. In some cases I find a website where the owners have smartly linked a potentially confusing term to an off-site definition which is kind to the user but a waste of a great optimization opportunity. Whenever an occasion arises where a link to a definition would be worthwhile it makes far more sense to link to that content within your own website so that you can gain credibility in the eyes of a major search engine like Google.

You see, Google’s algorithm is essentially a credibility calculator; it considers a whole host of elements on your website and pointing to your website to determine where it should be ranked. The algorithm considers countless elements including the uniqueness and relevance of each page’s content to the number of links pointing to your site from other credible and relevant websites. In this case, a small boost in credibility can be gained by first having the added relevant content inherent to a glossary and second by linking a word/phrase from a page to its definition within your glossary.

For example, if your website (i.e. www.xyzname.com) sold a wide variety of wood working tools and furniture building plans online it would be to your benefit to provide a fairly comprehensive glossary of woodworking terms on your website. Once the glossary is complete you can then occasionally link to the associated terms from within the written content on your website.

Okay, I see that the content within a glossary is relevant but I am not clear on why these links help? A search engine algorithm tries to ascertain credibility in much the same manner humans do; we just take our innate calculations for granted. So consider how you would feel if you were on the woodworking site reading a tutorial on building a rocking chair and whenever a confusing term appeared you were provided with a link to a glossary on the site kindly defining the term. This small convenience would probably inflate your opinion of the usefulness of the website and in-turn the credibility of the website would be less in doubt. Search engine algorithms assimilate these helpful links in much the same manner so by helping your visitors you are also helping your website.

Wait! There is another bonus to having a glossary:
As an added benefit glossary pages also have a great chance at obtaining rankings for their associated definitions precisely because they have links from relevant text pointing to them. As a result, a woodworking glossary might become an entry page for curious surfers or even a page where other woodworking sites link to for a definition.

In short, glossaries are simply a win-win tactic for nearly any website. In fact, as I write this I can’t think of a single website that would not benefit from a glossary.

Create a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Page
Now that you have read why an on-site glossary is important perhaps the concept of adding a Frequently Asked Questions section to your website is a no-brainer or perhaps not. Either way if you don’t have a FAQ page then get your hide in gear and create one ASAP.

Like a glossary a Frequently Asked Questions page is a perfect place to build the credibility of your website and put to rest the fearful/concerning questions that often arise in relation to your products/services. If you need some ideas of what questions a prospective customer might ask try calling a few clients and ask them what they looked for before ultimately choosing your company. In addition, try placing a submission form on your contact page where prospects can ask you a question directly – just be sure to respond with haste. Then place the question and your response on the appropriate FAQ page.

Yet another bonus from having an FAQ
It is very common for the average surfer to search the web using questions. If your FAQ uses the wording that you think your prospects will use when searching you will have a good chance at acquiring some extra high quality traffic. Do some research using a keyword analysis tool and try to find the best wording for each FAQ.

Tips for Building an Optimized Glossary or FAQ
Now I imagine that every expert in the SEO field has a different preference for designing the ‘ultimate’ glossary or FAQ but there are definitely some important tips to keep in mind for both:

Keep the pages relatively short. For example, I do not recommend having the entire glossary or FAQ on a single page unless they are relatively small. Ideally I would limit the number of questions or definitions to 10 or 15 on each page.

When building a FAQ try to devote each FAQ page to a singular topic. For example, on a woodworking site the FAQ for one page might be on the installation of a wood floor and another page would be devoted to questions on laminate floor installation.

When formatting the content for both the glossary and the FAQ try to link to related content within your website. This way if any visitors or search engines enter the site via one of these pages they can find great related reading material in a single click.

Make sure that a “back” button or a button that takes the user to the glossary or FAQ main navigation is available after each definition/answer. This will make it easier for visitors to navigate each resource or find their way back to their original reading material.

Add content to both resources whenever possible. It is often very simple to add a new definition or question and over time each resource will become more and more valuable to your users and ultimately contribute more to your website’s success.

Ensure that the FAQ and Glossary pages are included in your XML sitemap so that search engines can regularly index them for fresh content (see Google XML Sitemaps – The Basics). That said, I advise setting the suggested re-index rate monthly unless the resources will be updated more often than that. After all, these pages are supposed to help but not take away from the core content of your website.

Your Competitors Are Doing It or They Will
If your website lacks a glossary or a FAQ I can only hope that this article convinced you to make it a priority. These tools are noted as contributing factors to the success of competitors throughout many of my analysis contracts and simply put they are too simple to add for anyone to be without them. Even if you have to hire your search engine friendly web designer to add these resources the ends will justify the means.

by Ross Dunn, CEO, StepForth Web Marketing Inc.
Celebrating Over 10 Years of Web Marketing Excellence

Labels: Ross Dunn, SEO, SEO Tips, Tutorials

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 11:23 AM.

Copyright ©2006-2012, The SEO News Blog, StepForth SEO Services
View this Article Only: How Glossaries and FAQs Can Improve Search Engine Rankings

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Wednesday, November 07, 2007

StepForth Wants to Answer Your SEO Question FREE

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 2:50 PM

Have you got a burning question about your current search engine optimization campaign?
Do you want to ask about the particular nuances of different leading search engines?
Are you wondering why after all of your work your website is not getting better rankings?

If so, send your SEO questions to StepForth and if they are not already answered in our "SEO Answers Resource" we will do our best to answer them and possibly feature them in future SEO blog postings or articles.

>> Submit your SEO Question here <<

The Weekly StepForth SEO Newsletter
Also if you are looking for great free SEO tips and advice we highly recommend signing up for our free weekly SEO newsletter - the StepForth Weekly. The StepForth SEO newsletter provides valuable SEO tips and important search engine news on a regular basis to ensure that you are always kept up to date.

>> Our next edition will be sent out on November 8th <<

Labels: SEO Answers, SEO Tips, StepForth

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 2:50 PM.

Copyright ©2006-2012, The SEO News Blog, StepForth SEO Services
View this Article Only: StepForth Wants to Answer Your SEO Question FREE

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A Peek at Microsoft's Webmaster Tools

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 12:38 PM

Barry Schwartz over at Search Engine Round Table posted screenshots of Microsoft's Live Search Webmaster Portal in Beta. Head on over and check it out. So far nothing appears to be all that dissimilar to the other portals out there but it is still an interesting peek

Labels: Microsoft, MSN, Ross Dunn

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 12:38 PM.

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Monday, November 05, 2007

ANDROID is Google's Answer to the GPhone

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 12:45 PM

Around 8 am PST today Google finally put the tiresome rumors to rest... there is NO GPHONE. Thank the gods! All the speculation over the GPhone was silly and getting sillier. It never made sense for Google to create its own phone so it was a real relief when they finally announced Google's development of Android with the cooperation of the Open Handset Alliance.

Why No GPhone?
Google's press release: "... the Open Handset Alliance and Android -- is more significant and ambitious than a single phone... we hope Android will be the foundation for many new phones and will create an entirely new mobile experience for users, with new applications and new capabilities we can’t imagine today."

What is Android?
Google's press release: "Android is the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. It includes an operating system, user-interface and applications -- all of the software to run a mobile phone, but without the proprietary obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation. We have developed Android in cooperation with the Open Handset Alliance, which consists of more than 30 technology and mobile leaders including Motorola, Qualcomm, HTC and T-Mobile."

From the Open Handset Alliance: "Android was built from the ground-up to enable developers to create compelling mobile applications that take full advantage of all a handset has to offer. It is built to be truly open. For example, an application could call upon any of the phone's core functionality such as making calls, sending text messages, or using the camera, allowing developers to create richer and more cohesive experiences for users. Android is built on the open Linux Kernel."

Will Google Mobile Fall to the Wayside?
Within the press release Google makes it very clear that Android is only one part of their mobile initiative. As a result, they will continue to ensure that they build and diversify their other mobile concepts to allow for other mobile users that may never touch an Android-based phone.

When will Android be Available?
They are 'expecting' Android to be released in the last half of 2008 on select phones.

Want to Know More about Android? Watch the Video Below:

Labels: Google, Mobile, New Tech, Ross Dunn

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 12:45 PM.

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Thursday, November 01, 2007

Want PageRank? New Link Building Service Launched

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 4:15 PM

The Fantomaster blogged about a rather interesting new service called SubmitLinks.com that has launched despite the war Google formally started on paid links.

The service uniquely provides users with the ability to buy one way text links for a one time fee (guaranteed for 6 months). Here is a quote from the home page:

SubmitLinks.com offers permanent one way text links for a one time fee. The text links we provide have a Google PageRank between 1 and 5 and are placed on a wide variety of different web sites. In addition, links are placed on web pages relevant to your web site subject.

There is a minimum purchase of $300. Text Link pricing: (one time fee)

Page Rank 1 Links: $8.50
Page Rank 2 Links: $13.50
Page Rank 3 Links: $20.00
Page Rank 4 Links: $25.00
Page Rank 5 Links: $36.00

It should be interesting to see how this pans out. In my opinion this company has a good chance of doing well but this is certainly not a market segment I would be interested in jumping into right now.

All-in-all it merits mentioning that buying text links is playing with fire these days. That said, if you do it carefully your rankings are very likely to improve.

Labels: Link Building, Ross Dunn, SEO Tips

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 4:15 PM.

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Twitter Poster Shows Top Twitter Personalities

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 1:35 PM

Since finally getting in touch with the coolness of Twitter (thanks to Jennifer Laycock and Caroline Middlebrook)I have become rather addicted. I find it extremely powerful because I can see into the activities of many of my peers and catch fresh beta products that might have taken me a while to notice.

To that end, Jeremiah Owyang tweeted about TwitterPoster.com (exactly 13 minutes ago) and I have to say it is a pretty cool little app. It shows the top Twitter personalities and in a very cool format that makes it easy to learn more about each person. More and more I am really seeing the vast marketing possibilities of Twitter... here is my Twitter profile :-P

by Ross Dunn, CEO, StepForth Web Marketing Inc.

Labels: Ross Dunn, Social Marketing

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 1:35 PM.

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Ask Launches Improved UK Maps

Written by Ross Dunn and published at 10:16 AM

Yesterday Ask launched an improved version of UK Maps in a bid to get more users of the utility in the UK.

I am not too familiar with the pitfalls of version 1.0 but according to Ask's press release the new system accounts for the US-english vs UK-english language barrier (i.e. an 'exit' on a motorway is considered a 'junction' in the UK). The other improvements included:

Receive driving directions for up to ten different destinations at one time. In other words, plan your driving route for an entire day of errands - pretty cool.
It now includes walking directions.
"Landmark Assistance" is included which, I presume, allows you to find your way to particularly popular points of interest; this would be quite handy on a holiday!
Subway stations are marked for those who wish to get around a little quicker.
Curious about how everything might look in a particular location? Try the satellite view which will give you a decent photo view of the surroundings.
Satellite shots are available for purchase on the fly... odd but okay.
If you search for any UK city within Ask Search you will be presented with a myriad of city details including hot spots, links to maps, tips, etc.

All-in-all I feel I should reiterate that Ask really has the right approach... be the best you can be at your particular niches and you will get noticed. I think Ask is playing the sure and steady approach and I believe that will steadily grab marketshare as long as they don't play any more ridiculous commercials :-P

Here is a great comment that Ask received from what is definitely a winning response to this new version:

Oh yes, I'd like to congratulate you on your maps.

I've never used Ask.com before seriously, aside from just testing out one or two things; but that was until I found your maps had walking directions.

For me, someone who doesn't own a car and travels mostly by foot or public transport, this was a really nice feature - and one that works well.

So congratulations; you've done good with this maps malarky and I'll be using your map service from hereonin.

One thing I would like to see, but this would be a harrowingly long and tedious job, is to see a mapping system that recognises subways and narrow paths. This route suggested by Ask, for example, would be much quicker if you nipped under the subway.

"Ask Launches Improved UK Maps" by Ross Dunn, CEO, StepForth Web Marketing Inc.

Labels: Ask, Local Search, Mobile, Ross Dunn

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This SEO News was posted by Ross Dunn @ 10:16 AM.