Search Engine Optimisation and Google+

Google+ can help boost your SEO by adding credibility to your links and posts, optimising your images and videos, improving the relevance of searches made by your connections, and increasing your ranking via the +1 button.
When you set up your Google+ page, you should follow the SEO basics you'd use for setting up a webpage or social media profile: use keywords, meta descriptions, page titles and links to optimise your G+ page and link it to your website, landing pages and other content you own, such as blog posts.
Certain G+ pages are signed up to the Direct Connect service which allows users to search for them using Google by adding a plus sign in front of a brand name, for example +Pepsi or +YouTube. So far this is only available to a small selection of brand names, but Google has announced plans to roll the service out to a wider group of companies in the future. By making sure your Google+ page is well connected and regularly used, you can give your company the best chance of eligibility for the Direct Connect service in the future.
Making connections by adding other pages and users into your circles, starting hangouts, commenting on other relevant posts and +1ing content can all help you to grow your audience and following. Remember that Google+ is a social media platform after all - by engaging with targeted followers, you are not only boosting your search engine optimisation but also increasing your social influence.
The +1 button can be added to blog posts, and website landing pages - it also appears in search pages next to results. The link between the number of +1s a page has received and its ranking in search results is not entirely straightforward, and much work has been done to avoid spammers and unethical SEO users abusing this feature.
The more +1s a page or link has, the more likely it is to be shared, and in turn, will receive higher rankings. The +1 algorithm is both social and search-related, which is why becoming active on Google+ is more important than just flooding it with spammy links.
The +1 button works to promote word-of-mouth interaction too, by flagging up links that your friends have 'validated' by +1ing in your own results using Search Plus Your World. If you're not signed in to your Google account, users will still be shown the number of +1s a page has, which can influence click-through-rate also.
Google+ can be really beneficial to your social media marketing and search engine optimisation efforts by increasing search rankings as well as boosting your social reach.

Ikroh SEO UK is an award winning ethical internet marketing company, providing all aspects of search engine optimisation, social media marketing, pay per click advertising and more. Visit Ikroh.com for more details.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jo_M_Gatford

Six Great SEO Tips For 2012 and Beyond

Search engine optimisation is constantly changing with each new technology, and it is important to keep your techniques updated. This article will give you some new methods of keeping your site known to search engines and relevant to customers.
1. Use the optimal keywords. Keywords have always been an important part of SEO but now there are databases you can use to help you find the best words and phrases to use. Google AdWords Keyword Tool, for example, is a tool you can use to find out what people are searching for. Simply plugin a keyword you are considering using and the service will respond by displaying a list similar keywords and the number of searches for each. You might use the keyword "automotive parts" at first, but using AdWords or a similar service can show you a better choice. If you find out that it is better to separate the two words, or that for every search for "automotive parts" there are ten searches for "car parts." Now that these types of tools are available, you can see what people are searching for and, by tweaking our keywords, become more relevant to those searches.
2. Concentrate on "On Page" SEO. "On Page" SEO simply means adjusting your website to be easily searchable. One part of this is using content that a search engine can see and understand. If some of your content is in a format such as .PDF, the search engine cannot see the text that is written there and, since it doesn't know what your page is about, it will not send related traffic your way. If you are planning or are already using a format that is seldom used then it would be wise to check into whether or not it is SEO comparable. Put some research into On Page SEO so that you can learn all the different tactics; meta tags, title tags, keyword use, and linking are all things you can adjust easily on your website to make it more searchable.
3. Use mobile SEO. Presenting your website to mobile devices has been tough in the past, but with the advancements in tablet and cell phone technology is making it easier. By making your website compatible with these devices, you can invite even more traffic your way. Use small file sizes, avoid using Adobe Flash, and use the .jpg format for any pictures you use. A little time spent researching and implementing techniques for mobile SEO can pay off.
4. Try video SEO. You may have noticed that when you search for certain things on Google, videos or pictures are among listings at the top of the page. By using video SEO correctly, you can sneak to the top of the page among the video thumbnails. Video SEO simply refers to the techniques used to make sure Google finds, indexes, and returns keyword searches with your video. Once you have a video on your page, create a "video site map" and submit it to Google so they know where your videos are and what they contain. Also use a Google-friendly format, which includes .wmv, .mpg, and others. Using titles and tags in your video's coding helps as well; the key to naming and describing your video is to, unlike website keywords, use longer specific phrases. For example, instead of using the simple title "back flip", use something with more description, such as "guy does back flip off of boat into water".
5. Make sure your site loads quickly. Although this is a factor in ranking for most search engines, a higher load time won't affect your rank much, unless the wait is extreme or the search engine can't load and index your website. Find a happy medium between a short load time and great content.
6. Update your site often. This is particularly important if you are just starting an online business. Continually posting new content to your site can help strengthen your chances of keeping your spot in search results. The more fresh and relevant your content is, the higher your rank. Trying new SEO techniques can make sure your website keeps a high-ranking instead of sliding down with each change the search engines make to their algorithms. While it's impossible to be updated all the time, the tips listed in this article should get you closer to that goal.

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Enhance Your Web Visibility With Deep Link Directory Submission Service

With the improvement in technology, the business world has been established on the internet. People are no more restricted to boundaries. The world is moving online for shopping, trade, studies, competitions, etc. and thus online businesses are booming. Business persons are diverting their focus mainly to online marketing rather than offline. Offline marketing was traditional but at the same time risky. It lacked global visibility and one had to shell out a huge amount of money. This gave birth to online marketing strategies like SEO. The search engine optimization - SEO gained incredible popularity due to its quality of instant ranking and visibility on top search engines. SEO firms provide deep link directory submission service to get your website into limelight.
Standard SEO services usually cater to popularize businesses and bring audiences only to the first page of the website whereas the other interesting and essential topics hidden between the middle pages are missed. Deep link directory submission service as the name suggests will help you to improve the visibility of not only the first page but the overall link popularity of your website as opposed to home page link popularity alone. With the help of deep link directory submission service, you will be able to improve your website's overall ranking. Today more and more website owners are realizing the importance of having balanced link popularity. If you have been concentrating on building links only for the home page of your website all along, it is high time that you start building links for the inner pages of your website too.
Improving on the visibility of inner pages will increase the chances of getting your complete website listed in the search results. Getting the inner pages of your website listed directly in the search results will improve your website's performance extensively. This will help the users find what they want faster because most of the service related or product related information will be found in the inner pages of your website. Deep link directory submission is one of the best ways of getting good quality one way links for your website's inner pages. This service has been designed specifically to help webmasters who are keen on bringing users to their websites through inner pages and not just the home page ranking.
These services are provided by professional SEO firms who have mastery over search engine optimization techniques. They will submit your website to popular directories that will help you boost your link popularity in the popular search engines. Submitting to directories is one of the most effective ways of building one way links and the deep link directory submission service tries to get the best out of this strategy by using the industry's best link building practices.
You will find firms providing deep link submission service at affordable prices. With these efficient professionals, you need not have to worry about the quality of the service or about the effectiveness of the service. You will be provided with the best customer service available in the industry addressing all your queries 24/7. So browse the net and find a reliable and reputed firm that can provide you with optimum deep link directory submission service.

Cailsey Darena is the author of this article on Deep Link Directory Submission.
Find more information, about Deep Link Directory Submission Service here

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How to Recover From Over Optimization

Currently throughout the world, a huge argument is being conducted that pertains to search engine optimization. It refers to negative SEO which brings about a horrifying change globally. This latest and famous occurrence is created by Google's Penguin update. They found that several well-known websites face a horrific dilemma. They set themselves on top of Google search list just 3 months ago but however they discovered themselves moved out to the 6-10 pages seven days ago. It's a horrible jolt for those sites.
Now the question rises what is the reason behind this incident? If we deeply observe those sites we will find that they are involved with link building which is an illegal business. They spread spammed links with some other sites. They make an effort to produce awful back linking within their sites and that's why they are in the first page of Google.
Matt Cutts, a spam engineer of Google mentioned that they have tried to clear out those nasty links and supply appropriate ranking. Because there are many established websites those are really worthy of their high quality information. But irony of fate is that those are not available on the front page. So they are making an effort to improve their system for those helpful sites.
Let's discuss about over optimization. Maximum sites try to get more visitors. If they receive higher rate of visitors although their content quality and SEO ranking is poor, when Google compare them with stability sheet and they become over optimized. But a lot of sites are infected by SEO hackers and become displaced. For this reason, web engineers identify the problem and published how to prevent over optimization in their blogs. The procedure is easy but needs time and tactical steps.
The recovery systems for the sites those are facing over optimization problem are...
· Webmaster tools by Google
· Social sharing
· Search engines vs humans
· Site accessibility and structure
· Quality content
· Links
Short descriptions of those are stated below:
The quality of the content depends on the style, distribution and arrangement of the idea. It prefers the perfect idea, proper expression of it and also the better form. Like, the site must be arranged in such a way that will be not only easily understandable by the visitor but also informative. Appropriate answers must be provided for enhancing the content quality.
Link building should have legitimate function. Obtaining links from spamming sites can be hazardous. Anchor and key terms must be maintained to prevent spamming. Ensure availability of those links.
For sharing, you must use well known social media sites such as Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, Inbound.org, and Stumble Upon etc. In Facebook, only tag those people who are related to the subject, for tweet or retweet only owner circle should be used and Google+ update methods can also be helpful.
Site map is essential to get an overview idea of the site and it's also important to prevent it from being hacked. It must be built in such a way that only human beings are allowed to access it, not the robots.
Webmaster tools by Google should be used for searching necessary items for the topics.
It should be arranged in a way that would be suitable for human to find out their desired content easily. It must contain appropriate keywords for easy searching.
So as a website owner, you should be honest, must not make any spam and should give the priority for human so that they can get useful information.

Adel Shalaby has over 15 years of experience as a Graphic / Web Designer. Mr. Shalaby currently is proficient in working with Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Flash, Illustrator, and Acrobat. Additionally, Mr. Shalaby has the knowledge and experience with HTML coding, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) formatting, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Flash Animation, and Content Management System such has Word Press and Joomla.
You could view his portfolio of work at this website http://www.creo-webdesign.com/portfolio.html
For your free website evaluation today visit http://www.creo-webdesign.com/website-evaluation.html

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How to Increase Alexa Rank

A few weeks ago I covered 5 affiliate marketing tools which no affiliate marketer or marketer online in general should be without.
One of the free tools was the SEO Quake toolbar which I like to use for getting immediate analytical information when it comes to the pages I'm surfing and one of the most interesting stats it will give you is a domain's Alexa rank. There are other ways to find this stat, but the Alexa rank is generally considered to be one of the most reputable metrics of a site's quality.
You can learn all kinds of information about any website you're browsing for free without needing access to their Google Analytics to see it using Alexa.
Likely the most important information/stat is a site's Alexa rank itself which is seen as a testament to that site's worth/reputation. In case you needed more proof of this, Google itself and Facebook occupy the numbers 1 and 2 positions on Alexa, respectively.
But how is this number calculated and how can you increase your Alexa rank?
How to Increase Alexa Rank
This number is the product of two significant statistics when it comes to your site: traffic and page views. Traffic is how many unique visitors your site receives per day and page views refers to how many pages on average a person views on your site.
Alexa looks at both of these stats over the past 3 month period of your site. So not only do you need consistent high levels of traffic, but you need people to spend a lot of time exploring your site, getting your bounce rate (the percent of visitors to your site whom leave your site on the same page them came in on without visiting any other pages) as low as possible.
Getting your Alexa rank as close to #1 as possible should be a major priority of yours as a webmaster because it happens by virtue of doing things which you should already be doing in optimizing your site. Getting your bounce rate as low as possible by serving up as much unique and informative content as possible as well as getting your traffic levels higher and higher.
Additionally this rank is (potentially) a mark of achievement and authority for your site; and it can (potentially) be a great way to attract advertisers and get them to pay to have their advertisements shown on your site.

For more information on how to increase Alexa rank, check out these posts on 70+ ways to increase website traffic and how to lower bounce rate.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_M_Ventura

Five Steps You Can Take to Build Powerful Inbound Links

Not long ago, getting links to your site, and lots of them, was an important step in optimizing your site for search engine traffic. Not so true anymore. While it is true that as Dharmesh Shah stated "links make the internet world go around", not all links have the same value. Since links are so important it makes sense that Google would provide incentives for links that help it deliver the most meaningful results. There are basically three kinds of links: outbound links, inbound links, and internal links. Let's discuss outbound and inbound links.
Outbound links send visitors away from your web site. Outbound linking helps you build good will with other site owners, who may eventually return the favor and provide an inbound link to your site. Attitudes towards outbound links differ significantly among site owners. Some site owners link freely. Others don't link at all, and some provide links that open in a new browser window. Owners that don't link state that outbound linking takes visitors away from the site. This can cost the site owner time and money from site visitors. Others argue that providing high quality links enhances the value of a site and increases the chance of return visitors.
Inbound links are important because they indicate to Google's site crawlers that your site is an authority on a given subject. It goes without saying that the more quality inbound links you have to your site, the higher the place in a Google search your site will have.
There are several strategies that you can pursue to build inbound links. Here are 5 of them.
1. Submit Your Site to Online Directories - This is SEO 101. Inbound links from website directories don't have a great deal of authority, but they're easy to establish. Simply submit your website to the directories, particularly the free ones, and you will quick start your link building efforts. It is one of the few link building activities you control.
2. Build Relationships - Relationship building takes time, but it's a useful way to keep your business and your site on the minds of people who might be interested in linking to you. Make a list of businesses and sites in your industry that are authoritative and relevant. Then start building relationships with them. Follow and tweet with them on Twitter. Show them some respect by linking to their site. They may be inclined to link back to you. Reciprocal relationships are a wonderful thing in link building.
3. Submit News Releases - News releases are a terrific way to get the word out about your company, but did you know they have great SEO benefits as well? Every time your release gets distributed by a wire service and syndicated on a website an inbound link is created. Better still is when a website picks up the news you're promoting on their site, generating an even more valuable inbound link. Most news release distribution services charge for their services so you may want to look for a free one that you can leverage.
4. Content Creation - This is another method you have control over. Use your ability to create outstanding content that others will want to link to. Sometimes this exercise is referred to as "link bait". Link bait is defined as content expressly created with the goal of encouraging others to link to the website. If your content has value to your reader, then eventually a site will want to link to it. Content that typically generates great links are the types that get shared a lot. An example may be an essay outlining original data and research, or content about controversial topics. A blog is the ideal platform for this content.
5. Leveraging Partnerships - Partnerships are a great way to generate inbound links. Generally, partner with someone who sells products or services that aren't competing with your own, but are complementary to your business. Leverage those associations in your link building efforts. You link to them. They to you. Everybody's happy, happy, happy!

J.A. Moffitt is the President of Elvin Web Marketing. Whether it's getting high Google page results, improving your site content, or blog writing, we can help drive traffic to your web site, and increase your profits. Call us at 203-882-0171. Visit our webpage at http://elvinwebmarketing.com.

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Why Your Business Needs a Content Marketing Strategy

Content marketing is more than just a popular buzzword in the Internet marketing industry. The concept of content marketing underscores a powerful technique to promote a business on the Internet. By creating great content (such as a video, article, or infographic) and marketing that content (via Facebook, Google+, or StumbleUpon,) your business can take advantage of many opportunities to connect with potential customers.
The methods behind content marketing offer limitless channels to exploit your ideas. In short, you can create content in various forms and distribute it many different ways. And just a limitless as the channels to market your content are the potential benefits for your business.
All types of companies can improve their marketing efforts by producing and sharing awesome content. In fact, marketing software provider Kapost has found through its research that per dollar, content marketing contributes to three times more leads that tradition online advertising, such as paid search. For this reason, creating a content marketing strategy can be a momentous game-changer for your business.
Although content marketing offers a ton of advantages (some of which are nearly impossible to track,) there are three major benefits that your business can realize:

• Build Brand Awareness
• Inbound Traffic to Your Site
• Generate Natural Link Popularity for SEO

Building Brand Awareness
As the foundation to marketing your content on the web, building brand awareness is further enhanced when the audience is engaged. This audience engagement is what fuels respect for your brand and bolsters a potential relationship. As a result, the quality and relevancy of your content is paramount. Any content you publish is a reflection of your business and its brand, so you'll want to be creative and use the right context that relates to your target audience.
Some of the highest levels of audience engagement derive from visually-based content. Videos are a powerful medium to communicate to a potentially massive audience. And by optimizing videos for better search engine exposure (also known as search engine optimization or "SEO"), the overall marketing potential skyrockets. Also effective in the visual content category are images, infographics, cartoons and comics. Exercise your creativity and produce a compelling form of content that can help build awareness in your brand.
Inbounding Traffic to Your Site
The cornerstone of content marketing is to inbound traffic to your site. Marketing your content is a very powerful way to promote your niche or unique selling proposition. As long as you present the right calls to action, the individuals that interact with your content will be more apt to visit your website.
This form of traffic is unique because of the prior interaction that users experience with your content. The best ways to inbound quality traffic to your site is use your content to inform and educate your target audience. Addressing relevant issues, questions, and concerns is a good way to achieve this. For example, a criminal defense attorney may benefit from publishing an article about 'what to do when faced with DUI charges.' Any traffic coming from that article could very well be a highly qualified lead for the attorney's legal services.
Generating Natural Link Popularity for SEO
When content goes viral, it tends to attract a lot of social attention. People usually link to popular content (link popularity,) and as a result, the content can earn a high level of authority. From a SEO standpoint, if a webpage has a high level of authority, then the outbound links coming from that page will be more powerful. This concept of SEO (commonly referred to as "link bait") is one of the many effective approaches of content marketing.
Think of your wonderful piece of content as a link bait for your SEO efforts. In almost any form of content, whether a video, article, or graphic, you can typically include a link that directs back to your site. For instance, graphics and videos will usually always have supportive text or an author attribution. Here you can include a bit about who you are, as well as a link back to your website. If your content generates a lot of buzz and people start linking to it, the SEO value of your content will only become more powerful.
Developing Your Strategy
Putting together a successful content marketing strategy will depend on the resources you have on hand. You'll want to determine which types of content are going to be the most relevant and effective to connect to your target audience. Additionally, you'll also want to pinpoint the ideal publishing platforms and social media sites to market and promote your content. All strategies for marketing content are unique, so you'll need to get creative as to how you approach the strategy for your business.

Tyler Tafelsky is a SEO and Internet marketing specialist for the Web Presence Group. He has a high degree of experience in content marketing, social media, web design, and website optimization.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tyler_Tafelsky

Traffic Generation - Article Marketing And Forum Marketing

What do you know about getting website traffic? Is it something that is hard to do for you, or are you proficient with it? Most people online struggle to get a lot of traffic to their website, when getting traffic is as easy as pie. In today's lesson, I want to share with you some tips that you can use to get traffic to your website simply and easily.
Now some of the strategies that I will mention are things that you have probably heard of before. But maybe they didn't work fast enough for you, or maybe you got a lot of traffic but no sales from your advertising. No matter what the situation is, you should know that you can make things work and get lots of targeted traffic to your website simply and easily.
Here's the first tip that I would like to show you when it comes to getting more traffic to your website simply and easily:
1) Article marketing
I love article marketing. It's a great way to build brand recognition in your niche, and is a great way to get traffic also. There are a lot of article directories on the internet, but you will stand to benefit from the top 3 article directories on the internet. They will bring you the majority of your traffic.
When doing article marketing, you will want to write high quality articles. Keep your articles over 500+ words, and be sure to submit your articles on a daily basis. You have to look at it as your job. You have to put in the work to see the results that you are looking for.
There are some people online who have written over 10,000 articles. And guess what? This STILL isn't enough. I read online that the University of Phoenix Online had over 250,000 articles on their website. Now compare this number to a measly 500 articles. Can you see the chasm here?
Here's another way to get traffic to your website:
2) Forum marketing
I'm very active in the forums online. I make my forum posts, answer questions people have, respond to my email messages, and build relationships with people. It's a great way to meet people, to help people, and to get traffic in return for your marketing efforts. I think you should do the same thing also.
Do a simple Google search and look for forums in your niche. You will more than likely find a ton of them. Join a few of these forums and participate. Leave your website information to the signature section of your forum posts. If a forum doesn't allow for links in the signature area of your posts... don't join it.
These 2 traffic strategies work incredibly well. I still use both till this day and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. Both can allow you to be perceived as an expert in your niche, and it's something that you can earn a lot of money from. Trust me, I would know.
Good luck with using these 2 traffic tips to earn more money online.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Randall Magwood is one of the most respected and highly-regarded online marketing experts on the internet. He has a website about internet marketing that helps small business owners learn how to market their business online simply and easily. To learn more, simply visit his website here: http://www.internetmarketing-rules.com

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How Can A Free Link Directory Help Your Business

When a business is trying to communicate with their current customers and potential customers online, you want the link to your website to be visible in as many appropriate locations as possible. A free link directory provides a great platform for users to see your link before your competitors who do not use this tool of advertising.
Free business directory provides one location for internet users to search for business listings in specific categories. There are free listings of any business on this directory who wants their link displayed. A business who wants special placement can request a featured link on the site.
Since you can place your link on the free link directory without paying for the general listings of links make sure you do not miss out on the opportunity. You do not want your competitors taking the time to place their links on free link directories and you not be listed. The competitors would be getting some of your potential customers possibly due to their visibility on the platform.
After all the user of the directory will be typing in topics they want to search for experts on or service providers so they will be more apt to take action than someone just seeing an ad somewhere out of context. When these searchers want to spend money on a product or service, you want to be in front of their face on the screen listed on the free link directory.
Just think how many potential customers are slipping through your fingers every day that you are not listed in free advertising on the internet. The problem with social media free marketing is that the viewers are there to socialize and not necessarily do business or think about buying items. By displaying your link on a free business directory you are targeting the decision making/purchase seeking potential customer.
Time is a valuable commodity that web users try to save. By searching for a specific type of business on a site like a free link directory, the user gets multiple companies links in one location who perform the same service or sell the same products. This saves the user time and the advertiser time and money to connect with the future customer.
Word of mouth will also occur when the user sees a link, takes action, and gets good customer service. The customer will tell their friends about the business they found on the free link directory. This will bring more business to the advertiser and more users to the directory. This cycle will continue for years as long as quality customer service is provided by the directory and the advertisers.
Save your advertising budget, save the time of placing links in low impacting locations on the web. Come to your future business customers instead of waiting for them to come to you. Post your business link for free on a free link directory. You will be surprised how much of an increase you will find in the traffic to your site and purchases for your service.

Build a solid foundation for your business through free link directory. Xeetec is a reliable and free business directory portal that helps your website to increase your SERP.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hamza_Cason

Does the Penguin Update Change Your Optimization Strategy?

Google has been very busy with its algorithm development, releasing many new changes since the start of the year. Most updates have been geared towards reducing spam websites that rank high in search results due to unethical SEO practices. While this is good in the long run, the unfortunate downside is that many honest websites that simply follow standard SEO practices and been popular in the past have now been affected. This was initially seen with the ongoing Panda algorithm releases; however, it is even more evident with Google's Penguin update which has created problems for some; however, proper SEO should remain unaffected.
Content Responsibility
With all of these changes; and Penguin coming right on the heels of Panda, it basically points to only one thing - website owners must take responsibility that content is high quality and useful to visitors - period. This is a point that has been emphasized by a few SEO specialists over the past year or so that was largely ignored because the more unethical SEO such as the keyword stuffing and buying backlinks was working so well.
Cheating was working just fine - but no longer as Google has started to put on the brakes. All such websites that were doing so well in optimization through manipulative SEO practices are sliding further and further down in the search results. Websites employing more honest methods are going up without having to do anything. If there is any proof that honest, organic SEO can indeed work, this is it.
Plan Review
This means that SEO plans must be carefully reviewed and adjustments made in order to better comply with the even more aggressive filtering algorithms being seen with Penguin. Google wants websites to return to how they were before all of the uproar about using extreme SEO tactics to defeat the competition through an increased ability to attract browsers. Such bad SEO tactics will still definitely attract browsers with Penguin - the results just may not be what was wanted if a website winds up being banned.
Content
To remedy such issues, the emphasis seems to be on having a normal, easy-to-read website. Imagine that! Content that is relevant and holds value is more essential than ever as opposed to pages and pages of content that say nothing. Keyword stuffing is becoming taboo, as Penguin and Panda have been targeting sites obviously overfilled. Even domain names with keywords and unnatural sounding titles and text have been triggering Penguin's alarms - and all of this is significant. It truly does mean that SEO specialists need to go back to the beginning and re-evaluate what websites contain to weed out keyword overuse and useless links.
Until more is known about Penguin effect on websites in the long run since Google has not issued any kind of statement on exactly what the update means, those seeing the results firsthand already agree that it is time to clean things up. Content, headers and captions need to read naturally as does everything else relating to a website. Excessive optimization needs to be removed. Concentration should be more on information rather than keywords. After all, information is what the internet is all about.
Before Penguin can negatively affect any more sites, it is time to go back and review SEO strategies and opt for more simple tactics. Let the information speak for itself while SEO simply supports it. Just make sure that what is being said is worth a reader's unswerving attention. So pay attention to the Penguin update - it may be affecting an existing optimization strategy right now!

Chris Hunter is an expert in Web Design and Search Engine Marketing and runs a blog about Internet Marketing techniques. He has been designing websites since 1994 both as a hobby and now professionally. To find out more about Houston SEO, visit his website at http://www.webunlimited.com/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_M_Hunter

How Google's Panda And Penguin Updates Are Changing SEO

Google's Panda and Penguin algorithm updates have really upset many small business and blog owners. Many websites that once ranked highly for specific keywords are no longer listed in the top pages on Google's search engine. In some cases sites were knocked back several hundred pages. What most people do not realize is, the updates are not a penalty and are strictly algorithmic. What this means is, you are wasting your time trying to clean up some things on your site and then submitting a reconsideration request to Google. A manual penalty is much more severe and would warrant a reconsideration request. The algorithm updates are devaluing sites based on over-optimization, blackhat SEO techniques and spam.
Some sites actually benefited from the updates because they moved up in rankings when the other sites plummeted in ranking. Imagine being a blog owner with a site that gets ten to twenty visitors a month and out of the blue you are now getting hundreds if not thousands of visitors daily. That is simply the power of Google, but it also underscores the importance of not having all your eggs in one basket. A carefully designed traffic strategy should always rely on receiving traffic from multiple sources. Organic traffic is great, but when you are at risk of the latest Google algorithm update damaging your rankings, it just does not make good sense to focus solely on search traffic.
What are Panda and Penguin?
The Penguin and Panda updates were created by Google to target low quality websites that were violating Google's guidelines. To be more specific the list below will give you an idea of the types of things the updates were attempting to filter from Google's search engine.
1. Site's that containing low quality content - This can consist of duplicate content or poorly spun articles., product pages that have no unique information, articles on the same subject as those already written and short articles that add no real value to the website.
2. Spammy sites - Site's that are full of web spam that consist of link schemes, cloaking, keyword stuffing and any tactics that suggest site content can't stand alone.
3. Over-Optimization - An example of this is a site littered with the same keyword all over the place. There's no relevant content to the keyword and in most cases the page is filled with affiliate links, contextual advertising and any other monetization efforts.
Useful Tips
If you have been affected by the updates or you hope to avoid losing rankings from future updates the following guidelines below should be followed:
1. Do not over-optimize your pages - Avoid keyword stuffing in hopes of ranking well for that keyword. Google's search algorithm is smart enough to know what the content of your page is about, so there is no need to over do it. In fact, I would strive to have no more than two to three keywords in a 700 word article.
2. Create a unique backlink profile - Ensure that your backlinks come from a variety of sources. Natural backlinks is the best route to go, but many site owners are trying to compete for higher rankings. If you decide to generate backlinks make sure your backlink profile consists of blog posts, guest posting, bookmarks, article directories and links from social networks.
3. Quality content is a must - This is a no brainer. If you create quality content, Google will reward you for it. Also, quality content brings visitors. There's no better way to generate natural backlinks then creating content that people want to link to and share on social websites.
Ranking highly on search engines takes work, but it's not rocket science. The days of cutting corners are over and Google is serious about creating a more quality search experience for its search engine users. Many private blog networks have been put out of business for using blackhat SEO tricks that went against Google's guidelines. Going forward, it just does not make sense to try and game the system. High quality content will bring you natural links over time that will rarely be at risk of hurting your site. Also, keep in mind that quality content is important, but what's more important is ensuring that you focus your traffic generating efforts from multiple sources so all your eggs are not in one basket.

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Google Penguin Update: How to Know Whether Your Website Is Affected

How can you know whether your website is affected by the Google Penguin update? The news of the Google Penguin update was followed by widespread reports of many sites being wrongly targeted and suffering slumps in rankings. But can all of that be attributed to the Penguin update, particularly when there were two Panda updates that were released not in the same month as well as more than 50 other algorithmic changes by Google?
It has therefore become tricky to understand whether one's site has been affected by Penguin specifically or any of the other factors. If you have suddenly experienced a slump in rankings from late April, it could probably be a result of the Penguin update. If you've experienced the slump on account of a Penguin update, Google says that it means your site needs to weed out the spam and clean itself up.
Penguin and Panda Updates in April 2012
Note that Google Penguin was launched only on April 24, 2012. If, on examining the analytics of your website, you have noticed a drop in rankings and traffic even before this it could be a result of Google's Panda 3.5 update which was launched on April 19 and targets low-quality websites and not specifically spam. An SEO company can help you identify whether your website was affected by the Penguin, Panda 3.5 update or other algorithmic updates of Google.
How to Recover from a Google Penguin Penalty
There is a difference between being penalized as a result of Google Penguin and receiving a manual penalty from Google. For a manual penalty to be revoked it requires filing a reconsideration request. But Google's Matt Cutts has indicated that with a Penguin action this step cannot be followed. It requires cleaning up of the site, and its effects would be felt when Google's spiders crawl your modified website or when the next Penguin update is launched.
The key to stay clear of the shocking effects of such algorithmic changes such as these is to ensure website designers place the ultimate emphasis on user-friendliness and not search rankings alone. Some of the things you need to avoid are keyword stuffing, artificial link building, doorway pages and irrelevant content.
Google Proves It Is Serious about Spam
With the Penguin update Google has proven that it is beginning to not let spam slip through its radar. Since the reconsideration request cannot be filed when a site is penalized by Penguin, Google is making website owners work hard and go the long way to repair the damage, be serious about the Google guidelines in future and make their site visible prominently again in the search rankings.
It is therefore important not to get it wrong this time, which is why you should seek professional SEO services from a reliable SEO company. Professional SEO services contain countless effective but accepted white hat techniques to make your website attract more traffic and attain higher rankings. They can help you know whether your website is affected by the Google Penguin update.

SEO covers all aspects of optimizing your website in the top searches of search engines. Quality SEO services help improve organic rankings and natural website traffic.

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Organic SEO Services: Top 5 Landing Page Mistakes to Avoid

Creating a landing page is different from setting up a regular web page. These pages need special consideration. A landing page is the page on your site where visitors and potential customers arrive as determined by the link they clicked from an article, advert, or directory listing. Its purpose is to inspire the visitor to complete your conversion action. Unfortunately, many webmasters and online marketers create pages that turn away visitors instead of engaging them.
Here are the most common five landing page mistakes to avoid:
Not Offering Value
If a potential customer finds your page and asks "How does this benefit me?" would the answer be clear? Make sure that your page clearly states your goal. Can the visitor understand your offer and what you're asking him to do to get it in less than five seconds? If you want people to do something, you have to ask them explicitly.
Having a Weak Headline
As soon as someone lands on your page, the first thing he should see is a strong, eye catching headline. You only have three seconds to catch people's attention before they leave your site. Make sure the link they clicked on to lead them to your page is consistent with the content and the headline. Your headline should contain a clear description of your offer, a clear action, and an explanation of the value of your offer.
Not Clearly Defining Your Goal
Before you set up a landing page, determine your goal. Do you want to make a sale? Do you want to build your list? Not having a clear call to action will affect your landing page conversion negatively.
Not Focusing on Customers
Many website owners and copywriters tend to write about their business instead of focusing on customers. Change the focus of your content to your prospects. A successful landing page should never be generic. Instead of writing: "Our products come with a one year guarantee," say "You will receive a one year guarantee on all products." Write in second person and address directly to your customers.
Adding Worthless Links
Adding links with no value is one of the biggest mistakes that immediately kill the conversion rate of your page. It is essential to use links that take people closer to the conversion goals. Keep your copy to a minimum and don't overload your audience with extraneous information that isn't needed to help the conversion.

If you need help creating your landing page, hiring a virtual assistant is a great choice. Many independent contractors who are offering organic SEO services can set up your landing page and promote your products to the target audience.

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