SEO for Search Engines other than Google? Going After Smaller Fish Makes Sense.

Most discussions of search engine optimization focus on ranking highly for Google searches.  There’s a good reason for that.  Google is the big fish in the search engine pond.  You can add up all of the searches done through all other searches engines and that total wouldn’t even come close to the level of action Google gets.  As of October, Google claimed over 70% of total search activity.

So, should any webmaster really develop an interest or strategy for SEO that’s focused on anything other than improving Google performance?

Surprisingly, the answer is “yes”.  And there are a few good reasons why it makes sense to go after better SERPs at “secondary” search engines like Yahoo.

First, improving SEO for Google isn’t mutually exclusive with efforts designed to improve standings at Yahoo, MSN or other search engines.  The things you do to improve your standing at Yahoo aren’t going to hurt you on Google.  In fact, they’re probably going to help you with the Big G, too.  

Second, Google still isn’t the place for nearly 30% of all searches.  Focusing on a search engine like Yahoo, which gets only around 17% of all searches while being the closest thing to a Google rival might seem like a waste of time until you wrap your brain around just how many searches are still taking place there.  Sure, Google’s numbers dwarf those of Yahoo, but we’re still talking about huge numbers.

Third, so many serious webmasters are focused almost wholly on Google SEO.  That may create opportunities to move up in the ranks at other engines in a less competitive environment.  The return on investment for your SEO efforts can actually be higher when you’re trying to move up the ladder at Yahoo simply because the level of work involved to do so is slight relative to that necessary to “dominate” Google.

The differences between Google SEO and SEO for other engines aren’t that extensive.  What works for one will generally help for all.  However, search engine optimization planning that’s organized particularly for the “lesser” engines can make a big difference in a short period.

There’s nothing wrong with trying to catch a record-breaking fish.  However, it’s sometimes tough to land that trophy catch.  In those circumstances, the happiest fishermen (and fisherwomen) are those who’ve secured enough smaller fish to guarantee a supper.

PPC Beyond Google… Adwords isn’t the Only Option

When someone discusses pay-per-click advertising, they’re usually talking about using Google’s Adwords program. Adwords is the biggest player in the PPC world and it it’s potential power is so great that most people focus their attention upon it.

Google, however, isn’t the only company involved in PPC advertising. It may be the biggest. You can even argue that it’s the best. But it isn’t alone. There is PPC beyond Google and you might want to explore creating a foothold with some other options.

Why? If Google is the biggest and the baddest, why would someone want to mess around with Yahoo or MSN? If Google is the center of attention, why spend time building a campaign for Mirago or Yell? There are actually a few good reasons to consider branching out beyond the confines of Adwords.

First, the options that don’t receive as much action are often not as competitive. Some niches are surprisingly under-represented on alternative PPC networks. That can create some strong value opportunities for smart advertisers. That click that costs you $5 via Adwords might be available for $2 on a competing network.

Second, you may be able to reach a different audience with different networks. In some cases, that can work to your advantage. Yahoo and MSN users, for example, profile out differently, on average, than Google users. This is your chance to reach the people who aren’t Googling their searches and, in some niches, the user demographics for alternate networks are a much better fit than is Google’s.

Third, developing alternate advertising venues provides some degree of insurance in case of problems. What would happen to your PPC plan if you experienced problems accessing your Google or Adwords accounts for a few days? What would you do if a new “bully” moved into your PPC “neighborhood” and you didn’t have the resources to fight back in an economically viable manner? You can avoid the sting associated with a variety of problems if you have back-up, or secondary, plans in place.

There is PPC beyond Google. Consider making it part of your overall plan.

Turning 95 Characters into Sales – Writing Ads for Adwords.

PPC marketing is probably the fastest way to drive traffic to your site and it can be one of the most profitable—if it’s done correctly. An important part of the PPC equation is actually convincing people to click on your ad. It doesn’t do you any good to have the ad displayed every time someone queries for your keywords if they aren’t clicking.

Unfortunately, Google gives you a mere 95 characters to construct an enticing ad. You don’t have a lot of space to write irresistible copy in the world of PPC. In addition to playing by Google’s rules with respect to grammar, spelling, etc., you need to be strong, succinct and tempting.

That’s easier said than done, of course. And there’s no way to turn an absolutely miserable copywriter into a PPC ad writing superstar in a single blog post. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind when writing your Adwords ads that will increase your CTR dramatically.

First, you need a call to action. The call to action is a critical component of traditional copywriting. Every sales piece is a funnel leading to that moment where the prospect is convinced to follow through with action. Your 95-character PPC ad might be a tiny copy project, but you can’t overlook including a call to action if you want to produce the best possible results. Don’t just impart information. Make a point of persuasively directing searchers to click on your ad.

Second, you need to approach your ads as if you were a potential customer. If you’ve done market research, this is the time to use it. If you have a strong sense of your potential customers and what they really want, this is the time to make sure you’re giving it to them. Too often, PPC advertisers think like business people or advertisers instead of “getting into the head” of the people who’ll really be seeing (and hopefully clicking on) those ads. Write for your audience.

If you put together an ad that will resonate with your prospects and you manage to craft a compelling call to action, you can expect great results for your PPC ads. Your CTR will jump and you’ll be getting the most out of your Adwords investment.

Too Much of a Good Thing? Overdoing SEO

Good SEO requires more than just a commitment and a work ethic. In fact, too much work in certain areas can actually do more harm than good. We tend to naturally embrace the notion that “more is better” but when it comes to optimizing your site for search engine performance there are times when it pays to back off a little bit.

The most obvious proof of that theory becomes obvious when you look at the old-school SEO technique of keyword stuffing. If you’ve been online for more than a few years, you can probably remember those sites with “hidden” keywords designed to attract search engine attention. That kind of stuff actually worked, too. Now, however, it’s a recipe guaranteed to put you on Google’s bad side. That’s why the keystuffing era is history.

There are some practices used today that will suffer from overkill. One of them involves the use of anchor text in inbound links to your site. People doling out the SEO advice will often tell you that the right anchor text is a great idea. What they fail to mention is the fact that too many backlinks featuring the exact same anchor text will raise a flag at Google. It looks automated and may make Google wonder if you really “deserve” all of those votes of confidence. That’s why too much of the same anchor text is a mistake. You need to mix it up.

Another example is the use of bold texting. This on-page SEO technique can work. The search engines do notice those <b> and </b> tags and they take notice of what rests between them. However, you dillute the value of bolding when you toss it around too much. You also give yourself away if you’re bolding every single instance of a keyword. This is another great place for SEO moderation.

You can do too much of a good thing. Bolding, anchor text and keyword stuffing all prove that the best SEO involves knowing when to put the pedal to the metal and when to slow down.

Meta Tags in 2009

Meta tags have been part of the SEO discussion for years and no matter what happens in other areas, the topic has a way of rearing its head again and again.

That wouldn’t be a bad thing if it wasn’t for the fact that so many commentaries on meta tags are relying upon old information that no longer reflects the SEO reality associated with their use.

So, in hopes of getting 2009 off to a great start, let’s separate truth from fiction with respect to meta tags and search engine optimization.

First, if you believe meta tags are a real difference maker in terms of your search engine rankings, think again. It simply isn’t the case. Once upon a time, when Google and the other search engines were less advanced, they tended to rely upon meta tags much more than they do today. Currently, the top SEO experts argue, meta tags have less influence on SEO today than they ever have.

Second, if you think you should disregard meta tags completely, you might want to reconsider your perspective. No, they aren’t the big deal they once were. However, SEO is often a game of small improvements and finding edges wherever they exist. That includes meta tags. They are still used by some of the minor search engines and the info in your meta tags often appears as part of search results. You don’t want to sweat blood over your meta tags, but there’s no reason to ignore them completely.

Third, don’t be sloppy when you do tinker with those meta tags. If the keywords embedded in the tags don’t match the actual material on your page, there’s a good chance that the search engines might give you a slap on the wrist in the form of worsened rankings. It would be a shame to hurt yourself with something that only offers a slight SEO advantage.

Why Looks Might Matter for SEO

We usually think of design and SEO as two very different aspects of the site management process. Design is usually discussed in terms of usability and aesthetics while SEO conversations center on backlink acquisition.

There is a place, however, where the two concepts overlap. That’s right, good design can be a good way to improve your SEO by encouraging others to backlink to you. Good looks might not be the most important aspect of making a site into a link magnet, but it can help.

Let’s outline a few of the ways that a good-looking site can improve your SEO.

First, if you can come up with a really attractive design you’re more likely to capture a visitor’s attention. In turn, that makes it more likely that they’ll discover the value in your content than if they encounter a plain or ugly site. That improves site performance on the visitor level, obviously, but it also increases the likelihood that the visitor may link back to you. In other words, getting attention is a good way of getting backlinks. We all know that viral content is a great way to get traffic and backlinks. It stands to reason that viral design—a design that really stands out and creates interest—could serve the very same function.

Second, there are some sites that are more likely to link to sites that demonstrate certain design components. Standards compliance is a great example. If your site is fully standard compliant, government sites and some directories will be more likely to link to you. Another great example of this involves communities that are interested in particular design techniques. If you build your site with a great CSS layout, for instance, you might get some link love from those involved in the CSS scene.

SEO isn’t a beauty contest, but good looks certainly can’t hurt as you try to climb the SERPs.

Commenting Your Way to Better SEO

The volume and quality of links pointing toward your site has a massive impact on its search engine performance. Backlinks are THE most critical aspect of off-page SEO and webmasters are always on the lookout for good ways to increase their backlink totals.

One of the easiest ways to secure backlinks is by commenting on blogs. No, we’re not talking about the old (and no longer powerful) practice of “comment spamming”. Instead, our focus is on finding blogs that are thematically related to your site and placing legitimate, constructive comments on them.

These backlinks won’t produce significant direct traffic, but they can help considerably with respect to SEO. In order to make the most of this link-building opportunity, however, there are few things you need to keep in mind. Let’s run down two of them:

The DoFollow Factor. Due to past abuses by comment spammers, many bloggers and blogging platforms implemented “NoFollow” tags that render comment links far less valuable. The NoFollow tag instructs the search engine not to follow the link. Although some minor engines may ignore the directive, Google follows the instruction. Commenting for backlinks only makes sense when you’re targeting DoFollow blogs.

The Relevance Factor. Google isn’t interested purely in how many backlinks you have. Quantity matters, but relevance and quality matter just as much. You’ll get much better results if you comment on blogs that have some direct thematic relationship to your site. If you’re selling cars, there are better ways to spend your time than commenting on video game blogs, for instance.

You don’t want to rely exclusively on blog comment links (Google prefers a well-rounded backlink profile), but they can be a great way to boost your SEO efforts. Take a look at one of the many lists of DoFollow blogs and find a few places to add to the conversation!

Important Off-Page Strategies for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is not all about optimizing the content within your site. To support your search engine optimization campaign, there are a lot of off-site things you can do to improve your pages’ rankings. Optimizing through off-page efforts generally involves link building and traffic generation. This can be done in a number of ways. The most common ones are listed below.

Post in Forums

More often than not, forums allow users to place links within their signature box. If your posts are interesting to others, they will most likely visit your site.

Submit your Site to Web Directories

Submitting your site to web directories, especially those with high page ranks, can give you both high quality links and traffic. Read more

Google Japan

Google and Japan just don’t mix, I was surprised myself when I read that Google has a weakness and hasn’t totally dominated the World Wide Web - despite public opinions and belief. Yahoo currently owns 76% of the search volume within Japan, 76% of the 360 Billion page views (for 2007). Big numbers in comparison to other popular nations and countries, for example Japan’s estimated value on the web is 10% of the total revenue and that includes advertising, Read more

Wikileaks Mirrors

This is a follow up post to my previous link bait and bot bait post based on the recent Sarah Palin wikileaks post (related to the wikileaks mirrors), in this example I will show you an un-saturated form of Bot baiting, by un-saturated I mean that it’s not widely used or known about. It is simple and requires a little knowledge and practice.

Let’s look at a few bots and where these bots travel (bot can also be a scraper) :

Youtube Bots, RSS, API, Auto Galleries and Video Blogs.
Digg Bots, RSS is the primary method.
Yahoo Answers is also primarily RSS feeds.
Google assorted RSS feeds, Blogs, News and Google Trends.

And this is what I am discussing, Google Trends, Read more

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