SEO Resources
All rights reserved by Phoenix, SEO Chat MemberWe have compiled a comprehensive frequently asked question forum for common questions relating to search engine optimization. This blog will provide a very good resource for you to read up on the facts about SEO. Enjoyed the FAQ? Been a help to your promotion? Would like to submit questions to be added?
Specific SEO Site Resources
SEO Glossary
http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Search-Engine-Optimization/A-Glossary-For-Search-Engine-Optimization
DazzinDonna's - 1000th post
http://forums.seochat.com/t8704/s.html
Fundamental Differences Between Search Engines And Web Directories
http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Search-Engine-Directories/Fundamental-Differences-Between-Search-Engines-And-Web-Directories/
Google PageRank Primer
http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Google/Google-PageRank-Primer/
eMarketing - What Is Link Popularity?
http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Link-Development/What-Is-Link-Popularity/
Search Engine Myths Debunked
http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Search-Engine-Optimization/Search-Engine-Myths-Debunked/
The DMOZ Directory: Get Your Site Listed
http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Search-Engine-Submission/The-DMOZ-Directory-Get-Your-Site-Listed/
Keyword Selection Strategy
http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Choosing-Keywords-Help/Keyword-Selection-Strategy/
How to Optimize Images to Increase Rankings
http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Search-Engine-Optimization-Help/How-To-Optimize-Images-To-Increase-Rankings/
SEO Chat Tools - 14's Tools including the Original Google Dance Tool
http://www.seochat.com/seo-tools/
Link Popularity
1.) Why don't all my links show up when I use the link: command?
A. At this moment Google is only showing a sampling of the total links to you.
A few months ago it seemed as though they were only showing those backlinks which were PR4 or higher. This has, however, changed and which links Google chooses to show is now a topic of debate. As far as numbers, it is only important to remember it is a sampling and to just continue your link building strategy.
2.)How come I get a different amount of links when I use www.example.com
and example.com?
A. In the search engines eyes, these are two different domains and therefore have different amounts of sites linking to them. It is best to be sure your link partners are only linking to one of these as it would be considered extremely rare for both "domains" to rank high at the same time.
3.) What's a Link Farm?
A. A set of web pages that have been built for the sole purpose of increasing
the number of incoming links to a web site. This is done in order to increase
link popularity and search engine rankings. Link farms usually require a reciprocal
link from sites seeking listings. Link farms are a known spam tactic and sites
that participate in them are likely to be penalized or banned from the major search engines.
4.) What is "Anchor Text"?
A: Anchor text is the text that you use within a html link.
For example (This is Anchor Text)
The anchor text that you use, should reflect the keywords of which you are trying
to get a higher listing for. It should also accurately describe what information
will be found on the next page if you click on the link.
5.) What is an "IBL"?
A: An "IBL" is an 'In Bound Link'. When a site links to yours, that
link is an IBL. The same thing as a BL (Backlink).
6.) What is cross linking?
A: When multiple sites link to each other for the purpose of increasing link popularity.
7.) How long after I am listed in DMOZ should I start to gain the benefit of the "4000" new links?
A: It usually takes close to a month for your listing to show up in Googles Directory which is the most common asked about one. Then to gain the full benefit it many times takes 1 - 2 years to fully propagate. This is a good way to make sure all links realize their full potential as that slow growth is something that Google seems to like.
8.) Would I be penalized if a "Link Farm" or a "Bad Neighborhood" linked to my site?
A: No, you have no control over which links to you and this would be an easy way for a competitor to sink your site. What you SHOULD be careful of is if you are linking to them. This CAN hurt your site and should be avoided.
Search Engine Optimization
1.) How do I use a Robots file or do you have an example of one?
A. You mean robots.txt. It's a file in the main directory of a website which tells
the search engine spiders where they are allowed to go.
A basic, spider can go anywhere file is:
User-agent: *
Disallow:
You can disallow folders or files by putting this into the file:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /foldername/
2.) Should I use a Site Map? and does anyone have an example of one?
A: Every site should have a sitemap of some sort. It provides a way for visitors
to navigate your site, as well as a shortcut for bots to crawl all your pages.
Google for "sitemap" and you'll find nice examples, although it would
be advisable to follow Google's official guidelines and keep the number of links
per page under 100.
3.) How do I tell how many people are searching for my keywords?
A: The Search Term Suggestion Tool here will show you number of searches per month on Overture's network. You can also use Digital Points Keyword Suggestion Tool
4.) What are SERPs?
A: Search Engine Result Pages
5.). I am number 5 in Yahoo, but not in the top 1,000 in Google. Why?
A. Yahoo and Google use two different algos to come up with their SERPs - Yahoo favors on- page optimization such as H1 tags, keyword density, etc while Google favors off page like in bound links. If you have done more on page then Yahoo will rank higher and vice versa. As part of this if you are now addressing your off page then you need more backlinks with anchor text and time for these links to age (Google lag).
6.) Is there a way I can find out where I rank?
A: There are two sites you can use if you are just checking a few keywords -
www.googlerankings.com for Google and www.yahoosearchrankings.com/ for Yahoo. If you are looking to track multiple keywords over time then the best (and free) tool is Digital Points Keyword Monitor at http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/keywords (Google Only)
7.) What is an "ALGO" ?
A: An 'Algo' is an abbreviation of 'Algorithm'. (In short, the mathematical
formula or calculation that Google use in order to rank websites.)
8.) What is Hidden Text?
A: Text that is visible to the search engine spiders but not to site visitors.
Hidden text is primarily used to add extra keywords in the page without actually
adding content to a site which may mostly consist of images. Most search engines will penalize Web sites which use hidden text.
9.) What is cloaking?
A: Determining which search engine spider is visiting a web page and then giving each spider a page optimized for it's particular algorithm. This method of search
engine optimization can result in a website being removed from the major search engines.
10.) What is a doorway page?
A: A method of search engine optimization considered to be SPAM. These are pages created for nothing but the purpose of ranking first for a particular keyword phrase. These pages usually lack any significant content and do not reflect
the tone of the rest of the website. If a search engine determines a website
has used this tactic then the website will be removed from the search engine
permanently.
11.) What is Geo Targeting?
A: The distribution of ads to a particular geographical area. For example, you
can use a place name in your keyword, such as "Texas Web Design".
Some search engines allow you to target specific countries – and languages
– without using keyword relevance.
12.) Do XHTML pages rank better than HTML-pages?
A: No. They have the same value. Google however puts more weight to well structured content, and thus XHMTL is in most cases more suitable option.
13.) Does using CSS affect my rankings?
A: Not directly. Googlebot does not (at the moment) read CSS-files. Using CSS
makes pages lighter, and page structure more organized. Thus using CSS could
lead to better rankings. When adding CSS styles to page, it is recommend to
put them to external file (using link-tag).
14.)Should I use submission software to make sure all the search engines have
me included?
A: Most submission programs that promise to "Submit Your Site to 1000's
of Search Engines" are used to harvest your email address for spammers.
The truth is there are only a handful of Search Engines used by enough people
to justify a submission and these can all be submitted by hand. Even better
yet is to get other sites to link to you. Search Engine spiders follow these
links and you will be indexed naturally. Submission programs are unnecessary
and may actually hurt you.
15.) I submitted to DMOZ but didn't hear anything. Should I resubmit?
A: You should only submit once as resubmitting only deletes your original request and lengthens your wait. Resubmitting too many times can have you classified as SPAM and blocked. You can also submit to a "normal" category and
a "regional" one if it fits. You must be physically located somewhere to be able to also submit to regional and read their guidelines as certain sites like real estate are the exception. They have set up a forum as a way of letting you know your status and this is a much under posted and under used area of DMOZ - The address is http://www.resource-zone.com/forum/ . Just remember to take the time to follow the posted directions.
Google General
1.) What is the "Sandbox Theory"?
The sandbox theory proposes that Google has a unique ranking element in their algorithm that has been affecting sites whose major SEO efforts began after March of 2004 (this would include all sites registered after this date). The criteria, elements and solution of the 'sandbox' have not yet been identified or publicized by the SEO community, but ongoing discussion and testing have determined that the two of the most likely issues creating the sandbox could be:
Age of backlinks - older backlinks now carry greater weight at Google
SEO specific filters - Google is actively attempting to filter sites out of their index that are actively optimizing (link-building, etc) or appear to have un-natural attributes (optimized pages, links, anchor text, etc.)
If your site is ranking well for specific keyword phrases at engines like Yahoo!, Teoma, MSN & for the allin sets of searches at Google (allinanchor:, allintitle:, allintext:, etc.) but not listed in the top 50-100 results at Google, the sandbox effect may be at work. However, it is important to keep in mind that this phenomenon is an 'unknown' algorithm piece at Google and standard optimization tactics, even by some of the best and most experienced SEOs have yet to consistently beat this effect.
2.) When does Google update their SERPs (When is the "dance")?
A. There is no longer a Google "dance" per se as SERPs tend to be
updated constantly.
3.) I now use the link: command all the time, is there a list of the
other commands I can use in Google?
link:www.domain.com (returns a list of backlinks that google has indexed. Only
a small selection is listed however.)
related:www.domain.com (returns a list of sites that google sees as related
to the topic on your page. At present, not very accurate.)
allinurl:keyword (returns a list of pages and sites that contain the 'keyword'
in their url.)
site:www.domain.com (returns all pages of the domain that google has crawled
and indexed.)
allinanchor:keyword (returns a list of pages and sites that contain the keyword
as anchor text in their backlinks.)
cache:www.domain.com (will show the current cache that google has for the page)
info:www.domain.com (will return information that google has for the page)
allintitle:keyword (returns WebPages that have the specified keywords in the
title)
intitle:keyword (returns listings of WebPages that have only the specific keyword
as the title.)
You can find all the Operators at Google
Advanced Operators
4.) Am I banned in Google?
A: You can tell if you are banned or not indexed in google, by using the 'site:'
command in Google's search.
(ie. site:www.domain.com)
5.) What is the first thing you would check for if you saw your site
slip down the listings at Google? ( i.e. I'm not on top anymore, what happened?)
A: A drop in backlinks. Obviously when not aggressively acquiring new backlinks
to your site from day to day, existing backlinks may even deteriorate in value.
The referring site may disappear, be changed, lose relevance or lose PR itself,
reducing the PR that is passed onto you.
6.) When I look up my site in Google, I am #23, but when my friend in
California looks it up I am #31. Which one is right?
A: They both are! Actually, a more accurate explanation is that Google using
multiple data centers that deliver the results you see. The data center that is
used depends on your geographical location. It is very common to see a small
difference in results depending where you are. Sometimes, results can differ
when you move just a few miles away!
7.) Why does Google hate me/pick on me?
A: "Google" does not pick on individual sites but instead allows complex
mathematical equations to decide the value of your site in any particular search.
Although it may sometimes feel like they are picking on you, most times a ban
or bad results can be traced to a small piece of bad or misguided SEO.
8.) Should I submit my website to Google every month?
A: No, you only need to do it once. In most cases you will not even need to
submit your website to Google. If you are active in building links to your website
then Googlebot will frequent your site soon, and thus include it in the index.
9.) My site is not cached in Google, I've submitted it to google numerous
times but I'm not seeing the googlebot crawl my entire site. I'm also seeing
an incomplete listing.
A: Sometimes the googlebot will visit, and leave, only to come back at a later
time in order to crawl all of your pages. If a site has no cache, or an incomplete
listing, it has not been crawled and indexed properly yet. The best thing you
can do is get more in bound links to your site, so that the googlebot arrives
to your site from more than 1 source.
Google Page Rank
1.) I am changing my domain but want to keep my PR, how do I do it?
A 301 redirect is the most efficient and spider/visitor friendly strategy around
for web sites that are hosted on servers running Apache (check with your hosting
service if you aren't sure). It's not that hard to implement and it should preserve
your search engine rankings for that particular page. If you *have* to change
file names or move pages around, it's the safest option. If you are unfamiliar
with editing your .htaccess file, you should ask your hosting company for help.
2.) I have a new site but it has no PR .I have backlinks, etc When does
it update?
A. It updates internally every day or so, (every time google's spider follows
a link through to your site) you may see a difference in the SERPs very soon,
however you will not see the backlink appear in a link:www.domain.com command
search in google, until google do an official backlink update.
3.) I noticed my PR in the Google directory is different from my PR
on the toolbar, Why?
A:This is because the google directory gets its listings from DMOZ. As with
google's PR and backlink updates, it only updates its directory every so often,
so your site may be showing an old PR.
There are also a host of "theories" such as "Googles Directory
is on a scale of 0 to 8" and "The Directory PR is actually a comparison
between you and other sites in the Directory". No matter what you may believe,
it is most important to state that they rarely match and this is VERY common.
4.) When does Google update backlinks and PR?
A: There isn't a set schedule as many times an update is skipped or late. Backlinks on average are updated around once a month while PR has seemed to move to quarterly. The best way to "guess" when the next update will be is to utilize the SEOChat Calendar.(forums.seochat.com)
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Press Release Tips
http://pratheeba.blogspot.com/2006/09/press-release-tips.html
PPC Conversion Ratio in Major Search Engines
http://pratheeba.blogspot.com/2006/09/ppc-conversion-ratio-in-major-search.html
posted by Senthil Murugappan @ 12:27 AM
4 Comments:
Bots are robots that visit your site to extract data from its pages. "Good" bots include search engine crawlers like Googlebot and Yahoo! Slurp. You definitely want good bots to visit your site so your pages will show up in search engine results. website marketing
nice article!!!
Aarti
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