If Content is the Bank, Links is its Currency

There are two types of links on your site. Internal and external. Both are very important on how they are structured and what they tell Google. The rub is that internal links are easy to manipulate and generate, but are finite, while external links can be endless, but are much harder to gain. Hence their importance.


External links gives your site Authority and pass link juice. The more page authority the linking site has, the more authority it passes. The fewer the links on that page, more of the link juice is passed per link.

Anchor text or link text is the clickable text that takes you to another page, such as HotvsNot has the anchor text of HotvsNot and links to the Hot vs. Not website. This anchor text could as easily be Web Directory or SEO Friendly Web Directory. As you see, the anchor text can be very descriptive to what you would expect to find on the linked page. Google agrees, and uses this anchor text in the same manor. Normally links outside your control get poor anchor text like website, read more, view page, or the domain’s URL, with the URL option being the only one that comes close to relaying what they site is about, *if* the URL has keywords in it that describe the content.

TIP: when creating a TLD (top level domain), try to get one or two keywords in that domain name without making it too long or having more than two hyphens.Good example would be www.Mikes-Furniture-California.com where you would get two good keywords, Furniture and California.

What you do want to do when link building, is try and get as many quality links with different anchor texts that you can control. What you do not want to do is use the same anchor text over and over. With the example above you would use Mike’s Furniture, Mike’s Furniture California, California Furniture, Furniture in California, and so on. Do some link research and pick 5-7 that would work well and use those.

Links on your page are also very important. linking with the anchor text of Home does nothing for describing the page, nor does contact us, or about us. In place of the Home, I would use an image to represent the home and use that image’s alt attribute to describe the page. Mike’s logo would link to the home page with the alt text of Mike’s Furniture in San Diego California.

TIP: The image alt (alternate) tag is the text that is shown for an image if the image does not load, we’ve all seen this. This is used by screen readers for the visually impaired, so it is important to use. Alt attributes are also considered anchor text by search engines. Don’t stuff the alt with keywords, and always use it to describe the image while creatively using your keywords.

Instead of contact us and about us, why not Contact Mike’s Furniture and about Mike’s Furniture which gets the furniture keyword used again. When linking internally from within the page copy, you can either use click here, or view our adult bedroom furniture collection. The second option being much more descriptive.

Get some of your more important links within your page copy as that has more value than menus.

The first link to a page is the only one that counts for Google. You can link 10 times to /adult-furniture.html, but only the first link will be used by Google.


TIP: the way to work around the one link limit is to use the link anchor method which has two variables.

1) <a href="http://www.mikes-furniture-california.com/Paula-Deen-Furniture.php#paula-furniture">Paula Deen Furniture Line</a>

2) <a name="paula-furniture">Furniture from Paula Deen</a>

It is the #link-name that is picked up later by the name=””

The hyperlink carries a link name that is then referenced on the linked page. You can essentially have each header of a page using the name reference. This method has been used since the beginning of the web to land people directly to content on a page, such as FAQs. Just don’t overuse this as each page should only try to rank for one keyword phrase.

Always use short descriptive anchor text to represent the page that link is going to. Using keywords in your domain name help when other sites link to yours. Don’t use the same anchor text to build 1,000 inbound links, but mix it up.

Lastly, I want to add the importance to obtaining internal or deep links. Having 10,000 links to www.Mikes-Furniture-California.com is good, but you also want to build links to www.Mikes-Furniture-California.com/adult-bedroom.html and www.Mikes-Furniture-California.com/leather-sofas.html so that you build up those pages outside of what the your home page will do.

This does two things.
1) flows link juice directly into an internal page and
2) allows for page targeted anchor text. You might have Leather Sofas and Adult Bedrooms linking from some blogs to those internal pages.

Next time we will talk about keywords on your site, and how to find and use the best ones.

Server Side SEO : TLDs ccTLDs & C-blocks (I)

Today we are going to look at SEO from the server side and what considerations you can make when purchasing a domain and how you link build.

We are going to look at C-Blocks first. Next week, we'll look at TLDs.

The IP c-block is simply the third set of numbers in an IP. Such as 173.194.35.163 takes you to Google.com, and the c-block is 35. Why does this matter?

When you are out with some friends and two of the couples recommend a restaurant, you consider it a good recommendation, but really only coming from one source. The husband and wife almost vote in a block. You would think their taste will be similar , or one would influence over the other. But if you heard the recommendation from that couple, and some people at work, and some people at the coffee shop, you would consider this to be an excellent recommendation as none of the parties would have influence over the other.

Restaurant recommendations or inbound links into your website, either way, you want a wide variety, and Google wants the same also. If you have 100 out of 150 inbound links coming from the same c-class, they are coming from the same hosting service and from the same web server box. (Just like the network you have at home or work. Each computer gets its own IP address) This may very well be innocent, but it could also could be manipulation. People don’t have 150 different hosting accounts, so the likelihood of all 150 inbound links being generated manually for the sake of manipulation is very hard.

With that said, hosting companies will have several c-blocks, so Google will also consider from what hosting company do these links come from (each hosting company is assigned a set of IPs) and from what State these hosting companies are in. The concept here is that it is much harder to manipulate links if they come from different c-blocks, and different hosting companies, from different States.

Why does this matter to you? When you build links organically, it does not matter at all. That is to say when you are not buying them, or you are not placing blog comments. When this does come into play is when you are buying links from directories and that directory has 20 other directories you can buy from. If each of these directories is on the same c-block, or even next to each other, I would consider other directories first.

If you are a web designer and you link all your clients back to your website and all these clients are on the same c-block or nearby, that could penalize you a bit. How much? Hard to say. In these cases, have several hosting companies that you trust at the ready, or choose bigger hosting companies that would naturally have several c-blocks.

To test your IP try http://web-sniffer.net/ Remeber, next week, we'll look at TLDs.

Image Reference: woorank.com

Top Most SEO Predictions for 2014

2013 was been something of a "positioning" year. We know where we're going (queries not keywords, adwords make more influence, structured data & HTML5, user friendly content) – yet we're not there yet. We know SEOs should be advertisers, however extremely a lot of people are most certainly not. Furthermore never will be.

2014 will be a combination year, as I would like to think. We'll get closer to the greater part of the above – we'll see the effect of on-page keyword focusing on lessen, and Google will better understand quality.

We'll see our natural postings psychologist significantly further, and we'll see structured data to show the better signs of improvement. We may even get compensated for our "extraordinary" content, without needing to depend on SEO strategies.

My look ahead to 2014 joins together my two psyches – the pessimist and idealist person. In place for the idealist person to get a say, we should permit the pessimist its voice first, shall we?

1. Penguin 3.0 rolls out in April or May

As expectations go, this is one of the less demanding ones. It's similar to saying "there'll be a FA Cup Final in May". You know its going to happen – you're simply not 100% beyond any doubt who's included.

My estimation is that Google is now near to completely finished with Penguin – it may even be that they're just 20% in the future. You can explain that one of two ways:

1. There's a great deal of spam around
2. Google aren't quite great at distinguishing spam

Their recently launch of Anglo Rank, a black hat link network, was unrefined PR under the most favorable conditions. Assuming that Google were any great at "busting" link networks, they'd visit Black Hat World and sign up for everything being promoted. I could do that. Thusly, I incline towards the second explanation, while tolerating the first.

There is a ton of spam, and we should not imagine that its all casino or payday advance members purchasing links. The top travel and protection firms, tricked by the many month to month natural hits, are deep rooted spammers themselves. They've spammed more than a gambling joint or payday credit subsidiary could long for, and the vast majority of them have not been penalize. They've utilized article marketing and link networks, they've slipped keywords rich content and anchor-text-rich links everywhere throughout the web – but they get by on the quality of their brands.

Penguin 3.0 will simply be an alternate emphasis, and it will hit individuals hard. It may even hit individuals who thought they had recovered. I have one customer who we helped recover from an algorithmic penalty, just for Google to turn around and say "ahh yes, however you didn't discard these three links, did you" and apply a manual punishment for links we couldn't have discard. What's more yes, they had been denied.

You think you've recovered? Watch your back.

2.Press releases and guest blogs will be targeted

The issue with SEOs is that assuming that you provide for them (us) an inch, they (we) will take a mile. We were talented visitor blogging – an eminent method for building power, making companions, going for new composition styles, picking up new groups of viewers – and we transformed it into a link cultivate the extent of India.

It's moderately simple to recognize great visitor blogging from terrible visitor blogging. There will be blow-back, however – anybody got up to speed in that indistinct zone of doubtful visitor blogging (you know, those sites that let you post robotically) could discover their exactly ethical articles got in the cross-fire.

Nonetheless, in the event that you've been writing regular columns for contextually relevant, industry-heading sites, you'll be fine. Won't you.

In the event that you've been pumping out press release, however, its high time you were hung by your algorithms. The best PR experts have since a long time ago quit pumping out press release with the expectation that it'll get them more presentation – and the best SEO experts have never even touched press release.

Occasionally, I meet a SEO who accepts that press release submissions work, and I yield that yes, they do. They work on the grounds that Google – again – isn't quite great at its occupation. 2014, definitely, will be the year that the strategy of pumping out press release passes on its passing.

The following may additionally be focused on:

• Individuals who are attempting to diversion Authorship with fake personas 
• Fake social personas & like-purchasing 
• Responsive sites that load adverts which "move" the content around the screen while loading 
• Extreme inbound linking with exact anchor text (if it hasn’t already been targeted) 

3. An e-commerce update will hit people hard

Ecommerce has as of recently been hit hard – that upgrade was called Panda, and hammered sites who had been duplicate manufacturer product descriptions. In this manner, Google has chosen to consume more of the first page for its promoting – so ecommerce destinations have needed to

a. pay, and 

b. be more innovative 

At last, however, Google seems, by all accounts, to be chipping away at a Merchant Quality upgrade, and that must be stressing to any traders who are, erm, not quite great.

Matt Cutts spoke about it a while back, and even made a guarantee to it. Consequent articles in the SEO blogosphere have frightened visiters with talk of "Google Zebra", however the reality of the situation is that ecommerce possessors will progressively need to take a look at the two alternatives above.

A redesign will most likely center in on surveys, additionally different signs of a low quality trader, whatever they could be. Rumours that they may utilize information from Google trader focus are most likely off the imprint.

Panda may be a definitive determiner thus, matching up inquiries to drop-off rates and penalising websites that visitors don't engage with. It appears to me the fairest method for managing 'low quality' ecommerce sites.

4. Google’s coming after your industry

Moneysupermarket complained earlier this year that their income was down because of a drop in keyword positions. Also this was most likely halfway correct.

On the other hand, they neglected to say that they had another competitor. One that was able to achieve number 1 positions for every keyword it needed. A competitor so great at SEO, you'd need to ask if they were unethical.

Yes, it was Google. Once more.

In the event that Google can catch Car Insurance activity for itself, then you can bet your every last penny that they'll catch any possible type of protection, as well.

Hotels, check. Flights, check. Car hire – clearly. What's next – Payday advances? Actually, it might be restricted to clean up the SERPs.

Google will never rest, and it will never continue through to the end – keeping in mind it is making learning charts and examination widgets, it is truth be told turning into an one-stop shop. You need to know the climate in Blackpool? Google will let you know its raining. Consistently. You need to change over £10 into euros? Google can do that for you.

Whatever you do, you need to keep two steps in front of Google. Certainly, they can give helpful correlation widgets, however would they be able to send you a cuddly meerkat? They can change over monetary standards, however would they be able to provide for you consultation on the best places to trade coin in Paris? (tip – I used to live close Pigalle, the bureaux de change may look dodgy however the conversion standard is dependably better and commission free). 

Google's nearing after you, whatever you do. Begin running.

That is it for the Google-fear. We truly shouldn't be approaching 2014 in a state of alarm, however. Updates will happen – they generally do. Let’s be all is well.

5.Structured data grows along with Hummingbird

I love Google's structured data highlighter – and schema.org is an extraordinary method for getting tiny details easily into result pages that have a pleasant incremental effect.

At the same time its still technical. Regularly excessively technical for some individuals. The breaking point frequently comes when its made handy.

Also, as Yahoo have indicated, structured data can give numerous other more interactive profits. For example, you could utilize structured data to force through a booking structure to the list items. Assuming that somebody actually needs to book an appointment at the dentist, why make them go through the hoops? 

2014 could be the year when structured data truly begins to have any kind of effect to the results pages – and that could be as an enhanced Knowledge Sidebar, or something totally new that surprises every one of us.
Also Hummingbird pops its loud head up here. Understanding information – and questions – is the huge test Google has set itself. There is a huge movement far from keywords towards points, headed principally by the ascent in voice seek which is more irregular than the catchphrase based wrote queries. Assuming that Google is to present the best search results for voice search (i.e. mobile), then it need to "get" complex queries and give the best results.

Information and Intent will be two huge considerations in 2014.

6. The rise of other Search Engines

The news that Yahoo is going to prohibit links from its algorithm surprised a ton of people. It delighted a lot of people, encouraging some to ask to why Google doesn't simply remove interfaces through and through. This is most likely not going to happen, in light of the fact that:

Yahaoo has to a greater degree a machine-based algorithm, and understands visitor experience better than Google can 

 
Yahoo are prohibiting links on the grounds that Indian spam is more awful than all others.
Yahoo have a bit more spryness in the commercial center, and this additionally makes extraordinary PR for them. 

They are increasing into various nations – with "additional to come" – it may not be much sooner than we see them encroaching further westwards, and we might welcome them with open arms.

7. Apple will try again

Why on earth did Apple purchase Topsy? That being said, no one knows. Also Apple are continuously all humble about it, saying "great, we do this sort of thing once in a while". 

It's an inconceivably overcome key move from Apple. Topsy doesn't fit into anything they as of recently manage without some kind of lateral thinking – it may fit into Siri, it may fit into Apple Maps, yet recall – Topsy is a search engine. It searches tweets and gives social analytics. As a search engine, it can provide for you the most topical search engine results you could request.

Does this imply that Apple are making a move into query? Real-time, social search? For an hardware & software organization, that is very much a gap to bridge, however its not a completely impractical one. To mix Topsy into social applications on Apple gadgets wouldn't be fiercely improbable, and this may be Apple's first fitting attack into search and social. It might, as some have prescribed, end up as part of the fabled Apple TV project. The 'second screen' is much looked for after.

Obviously, it may not work out. Nobody beyond any doubt. At the same time given the quality of search result (promoting, that is), and the expanding development of Apple's business,it’s a good way to go.

8. Authorship, at last

I've been truly vocal about authorship for some time now, and I haven't seen much affect other than photographs in the results pages. Some of the time. In the event that it lives up to expectations. Wow, and more articles from a writer.

What we do know is that Google can track who you write for, what you topic on, how much famous your written work is, and how great your writing is.

It would just be logical, consequently, to compensate those writers who meet some or those criteria. It would just be legitimate, obviously, to downgrade those writers who meet none of those criteria.

Once more, this is technical – rather excessively technical at the minute. You can test the rich snippet tools to the extent that you as, it doesn't generally work. Also there's a convoluted process behind it that we, as SEOs, may understand – however does each advertiser or each writer? It's doubtful. The extent of writers who have guaranteed their origin is going to be low.

That is either a chance or an issue.

Google will need to discover a method for crediting authorship without requesting that us go through technical hoops. I have probably it will, and I have undoubtedly creation will have a terrifying effect on search engine results.

Is Link Building Good for Site Health?

It is safe to say that you are as of now building spamming connections by means of outdated Link- building strategies? Oh my goodness, the strategies which are gotten accompanied since a decade.  So, it has ended up extremely challenging for SEOs to perform 'Link-Building' as the control over the connections are not presently not in their grasp any longer! It is a correct actuality because -

• The Links produced from numerous "Directories" are very little successful. 
• Paid Link and Reciprocal Link Building are dangerous and intense to conceal. 
• Site systems are not difficult to get, and so forth. 
• What's more the vast majority of Press Release connections are no-followed and won't affect on Google Ranking.

So now, what could be carried out to get rich and true power connects? As we are left with not whatever available alternative, we need to again come back to the true open over the web. We really got proposals and suggestions from the true individuals just, so now we should figures out how we can get sanctioned connection.

Choose Natural Link Building instead of Unnatural or Spamming Links

It is really a spot challenging for spammers. As things and even hunt is presently customized, it is extremely paramount that the substance which is streamlined and comes in the indexed lists ought to be handy to individuals.  Hence, if your substance is handy to the individual who made the pursuit about the subjective your item or administration is, then there begins client's and brand connection. Notwithstanding, as he /she will like the stuff you have there, he will spare or bookmark or recollect your connection. Next time when he will make the inquiry, before all else he will look at the data on your site. So , he will be beginning associating with brand and this can turn to astounding client or the brand association with building regular (genuine) links too.

Social Media is the Best Practice for Link Building 

The vast majority of us have all our social or online journal or neighborhood records interfaced with one another. What's more it is truly prescribed to connection all your social record. Be that as it may it is not proposed to impart all the immediately content. You should include your manual substance with the connection which you needed to impart. Mechanized reactions are extremely less magnetic contrast with the substance you physically include.  That one or two liner content which physically include must be in the arrangement of your recommendation, perspectives or observation or remark with the subjective title and #hashtag. This will expedite by and large characteristic and quality interface. This can again help you to rapidly get looked morally inside the query items. When you need to make great Orm and advertising, contribute your 20% of opportunity to offer answers for your clients or customer. Interface as numerous neighborhoods, and channels you can. Furthermore keep yourself upgraded.

It is exceptionally significant if individuals speaking or audit about you or brand on open gatherings, writes, or open dialogue or the best on social media stages. Again here a regular and quality connection will be shaped with incredible testimonial. It is significant to utilize right and such instruments which are really convenient to raise incredible online notoriety and obviously a capable relationship third party referencing. Here are few suggested

Linkedin – you can get good second-tier business related relationship in communities or group related to your product or company. 

Topsy – you can get numerous impacts, who will uncover your substance functional and will associate with it. 

Commun.it – Here you will find individual, who are seeking and status you building good interactions.

Twiangulate - You can prescribe media influential contacts as per your niche propensity (with specific demographics and location).

Tweekdeck – Great resources to keep your eye on all latest updates.

Thus, surely, the amazingly delightful thought of Natural Link building is extremely clear, to all. This technique is inbound link establishment, as well as it is exceptionally like gaining quality and characteristic connection. Still, if anybody has any inferences or address about it, compassionate remark and do ask.