 Why Directory-Based Links Still Have Value
Big Oak SEO
Will Paoletto argues that there's a consensus among many in the search community about the value of directories and the links they provide--namely, that they're worthless. "I don't know where the people who seeded this myth (or the parrots who repeat it in lockstep) came from, but I know how to make them flip their opinion straight away," he says. "By using logic."
For example, a dig into the linking structure of a client's site (using Google Webmaster Tools) showed 20 backlinks from a given directory. Paoletto had tagged and submitted a number of the site's pages to the directory, and Google had subsequently indexed and cached each page. "The fact that Google spiders this directory often and felt it was important enough to show as 20 backlinks to a site in Webmaster tools would indicate to a rational person that Google trusts this directory a great deal," he says.
He adds that while Google has been penalizing link-selling or otherwise spammy directories, it can't just devalue all paid directory links in the same way that it could the links on a single site, simply because links are too integral to the way it indexes and ranks sites from across the Web.
"Google likes links surrounded by similar links," Paoletto says. "And that's the essence of what a page in a web directory is-it's just a collection of links surrounded by similarly-themed links." - Read the whole story... Domain And URL Checklist
Search Engine Guide
"The domain name is part of the identity of your business," says Stoney deGeyter. "The URL chosen can have a significant impact on brand identity and in a lesser extent, keyword ranking performance. However, how your site domain name and page URLs function can have significant impact on the crawlability of the site as well as overall visitor and traffic performance."
And with that, deGeyter serves up a list of domain and URL features that search pros should stay on top of. First, try to keep the domain name short and simple--avoiding unneccesary dashes, extra words and underscores--and use targeted keywords whenever possible. Make sure that company emails end in the same domain (as opposed to a free provider like @gmail.com).
Longevity is also a factor, so try to keep your domain registered for five to 10 years instead of renewing annually. And don't forget to 301-redirect alternate or misspelled domains that you may have purchased back to the primary domain, or to redirect "site.com" to www.site.com." - Read the whole story... U.K. Search Spending Nears $3 Billion
DirectNews
Search spending in the U.K. is set to top £2.75 billion (nearly $4.9 billion) in 2008, according to new research from E-consultancy. That's up nearly 25% from 2007, in the midst of an economy that's facing some of the same mortgage- and credit-based headwinds as the U.S.
"Growth in consumer internet usage is flattening out but the sector is certainly more robust than other media channels that have a less measurable return on investment," said Chris Lake, editor-in-chief of E-consultancy. "And [it] should continue to grow for years to come."
SEO spending will increase by nearly a third to hit £330 million, but its still dwarfed by paid search spending, which E-consultancy is pegging to hit £2.24 billion (up almost a quarter). - Read the whole story... Choosing Whether To Develop A Domain Name
Bill Hartzer
Bill Hartzer serves up a roster of questions to ask yourself (or a client) before choosing whether to buy or develop a domain name, to park it with a company like Sedo.com to let it earn its keep, or to just use it as a redirector to another Web site. The disclaimer is that these criteria would likely work best for generic names as opposed to detailed, long tail domains.
First, run a search for the primary domain phrase. You're checking to see if there are ads running against the keywords, and who your competitors in the space would be. Dig into the top 10 organic results and try to gauge if they're actually targeting your desired phrase specifically. Then, use a keyword research tool to assess the search volume.
Hartzer also suggests questioning how difficult it would be to create 25 pages or so of content around the topic, as well as whether it could be easily monetizable via one of the many contextual and display networks available. You should also think about whether the domain would be attractive to some other buyer in the future. - Read the whole story... Search, Personalization And Privacy
Pandia Search News
The Pandia Search team examines some of the ways that the engines are using personalization to deliver a better user experience, but also how those enhancements may affect privacy. For example, "when you're signed in to your Google Account, Google will try to get you more relevant, useful search results, recommendations and other personalized features," the team writes.
And while personalized results may be more useful, the fact that the giant is developing a profile tailored to your interests, your emails, search history and Web feeds has already given rise to concern--especially since Gooogle keeps the data for 18 months.
Yahoo is also exploring ways to combine personalization and search, and is slated to launch tag-based semantic search features this fall. "Yahoo is trying to find the intention of the searcher, based on contextual information like search history and geographical location," the Pandia team says. - Read the whole story... More Market Share For Chrome In One Easy Step
Marketing.FM
- Read the whole story... |
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