How do you know if you’ve been Panda-slapped?
On February 24th of this year, Google rolled out it’s now infamous Panda update. Throughout the year, Google updates it’s method of ranking and displaying search engine results for all queries. The goal of these updates is always to increase the relevancy of the search results as they relate to the search query. The latest update, dubbed Panda, has adversely affected an estimated 12% of US-based websites. 1. Login to Google Analytics. Need help? Contact us 2. On your Dashboard...
Google Maps Adds Hotel Comparison Shopping
Noticing that Google Maps has added some additional functionality for hotel searches. I noticed at the top of the Google Maps search results a "Check In" and "Check Out" search feature. Also, beside each hotel listing there is a lowest price drop down. Clicking on the lowest price displays a list of Sponsored results with pricing information on the specific hotel. The drop down list looks to have four paid listings and the last one is the official hotel link. Here is a screen shot. This was...
IP Address Influencing Search Engine Rankings
Google has been using the user's IP address to serve up local results for the Google Local 7-pack for awhile now. Then back in February they added a search "Nearby" feature that would allow you to refine your organic search results as well as the Google Local 7-pack for a city. On top of this Google is now using your IP address to influence search engine rankings for broad terms. What does this mean? It means that a user in one location will be served up one set of results while a user in...
Click Through Rate Can Affect Your Bing Rankings
From the recent SMX East conference Barry Schwartz, contributor at Search Engine Land, confirmed with Steve Tullis, Sr Program Manager Lead at Bing/Microsoft, that Bing does indeed use click through rate CTR as one of the many factors in their Bing ranking algorithm. Steve Tullis made the comment that if a search result does not get clicked on Bing will likely lower the site's ranking. What can influence a user to click on your listing within the search engine result pages SERPs ? One of the...
How To Handle Secure Files Being Indexed
At SMT we typically do a website audit for new clients. During these website audits we see a lot of the same mistakes from web developers and web designers that do not fully understand search engine optimization best practices. One of the issues we come across is the client's site starts to get indexed under the HTTPS version of their site. HTTPS is typically used to protect sensitive information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, or personal information that is submitted...
The Forgotten Power of Internal Linking
Did you know that Google says there are hundreds of factors that go into getting your site to rank for targeted keywords? It can be overwhelming to think about. That’s why many of our clients come to us in the first place. It can be intimidating to figure out everything you site needs in order to be successful online. There have been many instances where a client would search "SEO" or "Rank #1 on Google" and come back to us saying, Build me links so I can rank for keyword ! We hear that...
Optimizing Search Engine PageRanking by Using Dynamic 301 Redirects
How to Optimize your Page Rank Those SEO-savvy web programmers and search engine optimization specialists are familiar with the problem caused by changing a previously ranked URL to a new URL. For example, an old page that a search engine has ranked on page 1 may be www.domainname.com/about/default.aspx. For a variety of reasons, it may be necessary to change the URL to www.domainname.com/about-us/. The new URL will be identified by search engines as a new page, even though it is the same...
Search Engine Optimization in 2010
Search engines are always changing their algorithms, sometimes as often as twice per day, but lately there have been some major changes that will affect the way search engines produce results.
Recently, major engines like Google and Yahoo introduced a real-time search feature that scrolls recent Tweets from Twitter containing the searched keyword. With Twitter's explosive growth this year, this change now exposes the millions of conversations happening on Twitter, especially when it comes to...
Google Implements Personalized Search Based on Browser Cookie
Google announced an extension to personalized search on Friday. Google noted that they will now provide customized search results based on past search activity for users not logged into their Google account. Google will set an anonymous cookie in your browser that will store up to 180 days of "signed-out" search activity, including search queries and results you click. How will you notice the change? Google has been nice enough to place a "View Customization" link on the search results page...
Google Webmaster Tools Keyword Significance
Google has now started showing what it believes are the most significant for you website. Here's what Google believes are the most important keywords for SMTUSA.com In a Webmaster Central Help Page updated 11/12/09 Google explains: "The Keywords page lists the most significant keywords Google found when crawling your site. The significance of each keyword reflects how often it's found on your site's pages. Click each keyword to see a sampling of pages on which it appears." Google goes on to...
Google Sidewiki - Steps To Claim Your Site
Google recently launched a new product called SideWiki. Google's Sidewiki is a browser sidebar that allows users to add comments and information about a particular site. There has been some controversy about this new service already. Some of the issues brought up: The Sidewiki content is hosted on Google Taking comments /content from site owners and centralizing it Lack of comment filtering, open up for spam Some equate it to bathroom wall graffiti With that we want to talk about getting a...
New Google Keyword Tool
If you haven't seen or heard about it, Google has a BETA version of the new Keyword Tool out. It still contains its fundamental functionality, but added some new features, made some tweaks, and changed the layout a bit. Here is a brief list of the new features and changes I noticed right away. If you know of any other neat features with the new Keyword Tool, we'd love to hear about them. My personal favorite, the Google Keyword Tool now lets you download a selected keyword list. Before you...
What ICANN's New gTLDs Mean for Search Engine Rankings
For the past several months there has been a lot of talk and speculation as to whether or not ICANN will be opening up their gTLD-global top-level domain extension -registration in late 2010. ICANN stands for 'Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' and is essentially the Internet's governing body, focusing specifically on domain registration. If ICANN's new gTLD program launches as planned, in late 2010 corporations, interest groups, cities and anyone else who has the financial...
Google Penalty – How to Properly Request Reconsideration
Today Google released a video from two leaders of the Google Search Quality Web Spam Group, Racheal Searles and Brian White, giving their recommendations for creating a good reconsideration request. Their Tips Include: Admit any mistakes you’ve made and let Google know what you have done to fix them. They want you to realize there is actual people who read the re-inclusion request. If you don’t know what your site did to get the penalty the suggest going back and rereading the...
Dual Authority – Dual Inline Site Links
UPDATE: Sitelinks have evolved since this post was published. To learn more about what sitelinks are, how they can help your site, and how to implement changes to your website's code to help Google recognize these links, watch this informative video from Matt Cutts. Sales & Marketing Technologies strives to keep you updated on the changes online that could affect your Digital marketing efforts. As Central Florida's most established Digital marketing and web development company, we take it...
Implementing 301 Redirects on Legacy URLs
The implementation of 301 redirects for legacy URLs is a crucial step in website redevelopment and URL optimization projects. It seems that web development companies that are not strong in Digital Marketing often make the mistake, out of ignorance more than anything, of not properly taking care of legacy URLs, that is of URLs that used to rank on the previous website version but whose content has been assigned a new URL. For example if the details page of a product is now on...
Three reasons why Long Tail Keyword searches are so important?
Long tail keyword searches are the secret to tremendous website traffic. Why are they so important and how do they work? Here are three reasons why long tail keyword searches are so important. After studying the traffic to a popular website whose domain name is the same as its primary keyword, we found that during a thirty day period the website received 500k visitors but only 12k of them were for the primary keyword. The other 488k visitors found the site using long tail keyword searches...
Google Leading Mobile Web
Surprised? Yeah, me neither. According to Nielsen Mobile, surprisingly sarcasm Google is the leading force in mobile search in the US. With iPhones, Google Androids, Blackberry Storms, and other internet capable phones, the mobile web is on the fast track for either booming success or failure due to overload. What I mean by failure to overload is this… We all know that mobile browsing is going to be huge! But when it does, will the mobile web have the capabilities, functionality, speed...
Google Releases Guidelines for Bloggers
Earlier this week Google released a new set of Blogging Best Practices in their Creating a Google-friendly site section of Webmaster help.
The document starts out with Google reiterating their pro-blog feelings:
If you have a website but don’t have a blog, consider creating one: A blog is a great way to connect with people who share your interests, or to publicize your site or product. Blogs are easy to create and update, and rich, useful, and original blog content will encourage...
When Great Google Rankings Hurt Your Business
Never would we have ever thought that great Google rankings could hurt your business, but its true. So many businesses are focused on Google rankings that the most important thing is usually over looked. Conversions, whether your conversion is a sale or just supplying important information about your company, that should be the focus of your Digital marketing. So how do great rankings hurt your business? Its when you rank great for irrelevant terms, terms with little or no search demand, or...