Strategic Internet Marketing for Small Businesses
Think again.
Google founders Larry and Sergey (we’re not really on a first-name basis with these guys, but we’d like to be) are always a step ahead. At least that’s what Dharmesh Shah argues in an article on search engine optimization at MarketingProfs.com.
Continue reading ‘Think You Can Pull a Fast One on Google?’
Before the close of this month, we at Visible Shops would like to impart another great guideline for link building. As you may remember, PageRank is Google’s ultra-important algorithm for determining a website’s placement in search engine results. High-quality inbound links have the largest influence on PageRank.
One type of website that you should definitely have link to you is the directory. Online directories do not get a lot of web traffic, but Google’s PageRank loves them. Why? Because they are monitored and controlled by human users, and they are exceptionally organized by systematic categories. For these reasons, directories are regarded as relatively trustworthy and dependable for determining a website’s relevance for certain categories.
Make sure to submit your website to popular directories, like Yahoo’s. You may not necessarily receive numerous visits from these sites, but receiving inbound links from them will help you out in the SEO department.
Google’s search engine, as you may know, is the most popular search engine on the web, and it dominates in relative market share by 46.47%. If you want to direct a high volume of web traffic to your site, you will need to get on Google’s good side.
You may not believe it, but there are only two features you need to factor in when working on a high Google rating: 1. PageRank and 2. Incoming Text Link Keywords.
PageRank is an algorithm that is mostly determined by the number and quality of inbound links to the website in question. The reasoning behind this is if a lot of websites are linking to you, then you must be important. Try to get as many quality pages to link to your website (hopefully, these pages will have a PageRank of at least 4 or better). Also, it’s best to get these links to the same page on your website–usually the homepage.
Secondly, Google indexes incoming text link keywords to determine the relevance of your site. As stated in our previous blog post about inbound links, get the other site to link to you by using a keyword phrase in the text link. Avoid image links as much as you can. And make sure that the page they’re linking to has the keywords present in the text of the page. Otherwise, Google will not index it. Finally, make the wording precise as much as possible.
There are other elements that contribute to Google’s algorithm, but these two are by far the most important. Keep these two factors in mind whenever you optimize your website for search engines.
Before, we discussed the importance of inbound links and how they improve your ranking with Google. Next, let’s go over how to get those inbound links to your website.
You will want to conduct a Link Exchange arrangement. Of course, the first step is to create a Links page. You should have the URL ready to give to your link partners.
Then, download the Google Toolbar, which is an add-on that will reveal the page rank of the websites you visit.
When browsing for potential partners, determine whether the website is right for you. It should be a non-competitor, possess a decent page ranking, and have a Links page of its own. If the site fits these criteria, add it to your own list of links.
After you link to them, contact the webmaster and request that they link to you. You should explain what your website does, and how a link exchange would be of good use to both of you. Of course, include the URL of your Links page so that they can verify your goodwill and see the site for themselves.
When they agree to linking, supply them with the HTML code that they need to link to you. Also, give them keywords that you would like to be used in their anchor text. For example, if you want to snag web browsers searching with “buy a kite,” suggest to the webmaster to write a sentence such as, “Here is a great place to buy a kite.” Then the link will lead straight to your site, which sells kites, of course!
Lastly, nothing is worth the effort if you do not follow up. Keep a record of all the websites you have wooed in your inbound links endeavors. After a couple of weeks, go and check whether they have linked to you yet, and send polite reminders if they have yet to deliver.
While developing or optimizing a business website, you may have run across the advice to engage in link building. But what is the deal? Why should other destinations link to you?
The answer is that link popularity is one of the top factors for page ranking. Every major search engine analyzes link popularity to determine a website’s relevance and usefulness. There was a time in bygone, idyllic days when website developers did not bother so much with linkage because link popularity was an algorithm used by one or two search engines. Then Google came along with PageRank, which uses link popularity as a core factor in determining search worth. Now everyone furiously builds links like beavers build dams.
Link popularity is defined by how often other sites link to you (these are known as inbound links). The more people link to you, the better. However, Google does not just look at the number of inbound links. The pages that link to you must be deemed important themselves, and their importance will boost your own. So, having a mile-long list of throwaway websites will not help your site.
It is best to devote a scheduled amount of time each week just for link building. While the effects of gaining inbound links do not come overnight, they are definitely essential to the long-term success of a website.
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