Tag Archives: google
What Not to Do: Pittsburgh SEO Part 1
Pittsburgh SEO tactics can be very powerful for growing businesses, but their misuse can produce disastrous results. Though not necessarily illegal, certain Pittsburgh SEO strategies do violate the rules of Google and other top search engines. Fearing this legal and ethical no-man’s land, many search providers will simply sandbox businesses that use these tactics, taking their websites off the first few pages of search results, or even out of their index altogether. It is therefore imperative that entrepreneurs learn to recognize unprincipled search engine optimizers who will put their businesses at risk with these cheap tactics. Here are five practices you’ll never see from a truly professional Pittsburgh SEO company.
1.) High-Volume, Low-Quality Link Purchases
One of the most important aspects of good search engine optimization is quality backlinking from relevant web pages. However, it is possible to purchase hundreds of thousands of nearly-useless backlinks for pennies on the dollar. Unscrupulous SEO companies will make such purchases under the assumption that an artificially boosted link count will actually make your site better in the eyes of the search engines. They are gravely mistaken.
In truth, such a large, fast link buildup will place your website under the careful scrutiny of Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other popular search engines. This practice may not warrant an immediate penalty, but the engines will consider you a spammer once they realize most of your backlinks come from unpopular, unrelated web pages.
Certain SEO gurus claim that link-building penalties don’t actually exist, but that’s not the point. Hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of irrelevant links have nowhere near the sway of a few, authoritative, closely related links in the eyes of the search engines. You get what you pay for, and if you’re going to invest in professional SEO, you want it to be done right. Quality Pittsburgh SEO providers will know how to build plenty of high-PR, Google-friendly backlinks, and they won’t be lured by temptations of quick and easy link purchases.
2.) Random Content Submission
One of the most common misconceptions in online business is that creating and submitting as much content as possible is a great way to establish an internet presence. Site owners and SEO companies will send large volumes of press releases, blurbs, and articles to thousands of publishers. To the search engines, such indiscriminate syndication is nothing but spam. In fact, even attempting so many submissions is a waste of time, since the editors who see your irrelevant content will delete it without a second look.
Even if some of your content makes it into unrelated publications, it’s useless for SEO purposes. One of the main reasons to submit content anywhere is to build backlinks. For instance, Google might like to see that your online supplement shop has links on popular weight lifting blogs. It wouldn’t do you any good, however, to have your shop’s backlinks on sites about cars or video games. In order to make web browsing user-friendly, the search engines have made context king.
In the next installment of What Not to Do: Pittsburgh SEO, we’ll talk about the ways high keyword densities, spam, and convoluted content will turn off web surfers, tarnish your reputation, and kill your chances of high search engine rankings. If you’re ready for professional Pittsburgh SEO assistance now, however, use the links below for a private, free consultation.
What is The Google Freshness Update
Just recently Google introduced the Google Freshness update. At the moment I believe you’re wondering; that is just about all need to have, a new modification in the Google algorithm. But you won’t have to get worried; the alterations which are impending with this particular change turned out to be subtle. Despite the fact that the specialists seem to be saying that this revise will probably influence almost 30% of all search queries, it isn’t currently being felt as bad because the Google farmer had a couple of months back. If you’re wondering what precisely the Google Freshness update is, allow me to try my greatest to explain. About a year previously The major search engine Google introduced an update referred to as the Caffeine update. This was to assist with ensuring web pages which needed to be updated on a regular basis obtained the standing they deserved. Websites supplying Sports rankings are a superb example. Well the Google Freshness update is an compliment of that update.Now together with the Google Freshness update more web sites are going to be given preference with fresh content, not just the sites that want it. Now you’re going to be a lot more pressed to keep your blog or web site updated often. Now please don’t get me wrong, some internet sites may not require to be kept up to date as frequently as others. Should your web site is about a niche market that remains appropriate over the years you don’t need to fear, but if you’ve a web site about mobile phones or tv programs you’ll want to keep track of what is taking place within your area of knowledge to stay on top of your search rankings.Let me to provide you with one more excellent instance of how the Google Freshness update functions. Let’s say you will be trying to find out exactly who won the World Series. Any time you enter “World Series” Google is going to understand you want the result of this seasons playoffs as opposed to the ’39 World Series. So now unless of course people identify by using a time stamp precisely what year, month or date you desire your data from, Google is going to make sure you receive the most current, freshest, up to date subject material.So there you have several instances of how the Google freshness update operates and who it is going to affect. Most don’t need to worry in regards to this update although many people say it’s going to affect around 35% of the search queries. As long as we continue to keep up on our Search engine optimization efforts and creating high quality content and weblog posts, we will have nothing to fear.Now allow me to conclude by stating that those of you who assume you’ll be able to squeak by using a straightforward three or four page website, think again. With the Google Freshness update, you are going to have to work a little harder for those search rankings you like and need.
5 Key Reasons why SEO Should Be a Part of Your Marketing Toolkit
Wonder if first page search engine ranking is vital for your business?
Here are 5 reasons why you should ensure SEO is part of your company’s marketing toolkit:
Google-it
Everybody Googles It
Search engines in general, and Google in particular, are now the main route for researching any purchase. A proportion of your potential customers will use Google just like you to look for the services or products on offer. Being on the first page of the search engine results will drive more customers to your site.
91% of people surveyed said they prefer using natural search results when looking to buy a product or service online.
Even new customers that come to you through referrals will still search on Google for the services they are looking for and to see whats on offer. You need to make sure that they see your company name when they are searching.
Shopping-around – Your Customers Are Looking Elsewhere
Even if you have a loyal customer base, or you are on a preferred supplier list, your customers are likely to be searching on your key phrases in Google. If your customers are researching the market, or even looking for a service that they dont realize you are able to provide, do you want the competition to win the business just because theyve invested in SEO and you havent?
If you are in a fairly competitive sector, youll need the help of an agency specializing in SEO, as there are a large number of both on-site and off-site factors to consider when you want to achieve first page rankings on Google.
Number-one = Authority.
Many people using the internet consider companies who appear on the first page of Google as leaders in their sector. 36% of search engine users believe that companies whose websites appear top of the search results are the leading companies in that field. Only 25% believe that top search engine rankings do not automatically signify an industry leader (iProspect / Jupiter Research 2006).
Further research also indicates that 62% of users click on results on the first page and 92% within the first 3 pages, with only 8% going further than the first 3 pages.
Cost Effective
Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) overall is far less expensive than traditional marketing methods, which allows you to increases your bottom line whilst reducing your customer acquisition costs.
Conversion rates from organic search tend to be lower than the conversion rates from paid search. Achieving high results for valuable key phrases in the natural search results is a very cost effective method of driving important traffic you your site. In a recent study conducted by Hubspot, 43% of businesses reported the cost per lead for organic search marketing (SEO) as below the average cost per lead for their business.
Trust
Organic search is more popular and trusted than sponsored links. You should use SEO to get more traffic at a lower cost. Sponsored links are a cost effective way to get your business onto the first page of search engines, but normally natural listings drive more traffic to your site at a lower cost per sale. When looking to buy a product or service online, 91% of people said they preferred using natural search engine results (Tamar 2008 Search Attitude Report). The same survey also found that 31% of people actively choose natural search over paid search results as they trust search engines to give them the most relevant results.
If you want to be a leader in your chosen market, ensuring that your position in the search engines reflects your market position is an essential part of your future customers perception of your brand.