Garbage In, Garbage Out: The Dirt on Google's New Algorithm

In 2004, Google's new search algorithm has search-engine savvy web marketers scrambling for content instead of search engine rankings.

Janisch, Troy. Icon Interactive. Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

A Glossary of Search Engine Ranking Terms

A glossary of commonly used terms in the world of search engine ranking.

Roy, Sumantra. 1stSearchRanking (2003). Design>Web Design>Glossary>Search Engine Optimization

Google Optimization Secrets From The Trenches

What do learning how to outline a research paper and optimizing your website to rank highly in Google have in common? Much more than you might think at first glance.

SEOchat (2004). Articles>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

The Google Sandbox and How To Get Out

The Google Sandbox is a filter that was put in place in about March of 2004. New websites with new domain names can take 6 to 12 months to get decent rankings on Google. Some are reporting stays of up to 18 months. The Sandbox seems to affect nearly all new websites placing them on probation. Similarly, websites that have made comprehensive redesigns have been caught up in this Sandbox. Does this Sandbox Really Exist, or is it just part of the Google algorithm? This has been a big controversy with many different opinions. Most now believe that this is an algorithm. In either case, the Sandbox functions to keep new sites from shooting to the top of Google in just a few weeks and overtaking quality sites that have been around for many years. This appears to be an initiation period for new websites.

Williams, Doug. stevenforsyth.com (2006). Articles>Web Design>Information Design>Search Engine Optimization

Google Search Engine Optimisation and their 80/20 Rule

Google's increasing use of anti-spam features has meant that optimising websites for Google has become much harder and it's now not just a case of opening your websites source files in notepad, adding some keywords into your various HTML tags, uploading your files and waiting for the results. In fact in my opinion and I'm sure others will agree with me, this type of optimisation, commonly referred to as onpage optimisation will only ever be 20% effective at achieving rankings for any keywords which are even mildly competitive. Those of us who aced maths in school will know this leaves us with 80% unaccounted for.

Callan, David. stevenforsyth.com (2005). Articles>Web Design>Information Design>Search Engine Optimization

Google Search Engine Optimisation and their 80/20 Rule

Google's 80/20 rule means they apply a lot of of importance to off-page optimisation, such as inbound link text. On-page optimisation is now considered to be far less important.

Callan, David. Webcredible (2006). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Google's Advice For Your Website: Content

Google seems to be awarding more and more importance to good content - find out why and what you need to do.

Walsh, Joel. Webcredible (2005). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Guide to Buying Traffic

While many niches depend on PPC search traffic, there’s a wide group of sites that benifit from bought traffic from individual sites. Often times you can get very high quality traffic that converts very well from niches that tend to deal in a more direct site to site type traffic deal, rather than 3rd party ad networks. This guide is mostly to be used when buying traffic from forums, from individual websites, and from “plug” type packages, yet there are many things that transfer over to more traditional PPC outlets.

Robbins, Kyle. ReEncoded (2008). Articles>Web Design>Search Engine Optimization>E Commerce

Hiring a Search Engine Marketing Company

You want to achieve a high search enigne ranking so you're thinking about getting some outside help. Selecting a search engine marketing company can be a daunting task so read through these essential guidelines to find out what you should be looking for.

Claiborne, Scottie. Webcredible (2004). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

How to Find Good Keywords

Learn how to find the best keywords for your website: ones which are heavily searched for but not being targeted by many other websites.

Moss, Trenton. Webcredible (2004). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

How to Get Higher Search Engine Rankings  

In the early days of the Internet, you did not have to do much to drive traffic to your Web site. Simply listing your site with search engines (and all were free back then) could yield a lot of traffic. When I listed one of my sites with Yahoo!, my site hits increased by 10,000 in just one week. Back then, ranking was more a game of optimizing your TITLE and META tags than anything else. But in response to the mammoth growth of the Internet and abuses of META tags by unscrupulous Web designers, search engine spiders have became more sophisticated: The game now focuses on optimizing Web page content.

Leonard-Wilkinson, Theresa A. Intercom (2004). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

How to Get Links Without Asking

Sending out link requests is a time-consuming business. So wouldn't it be wonderful if other sites linked to you without being asked? Sound impossible? Well, it can be done and here are ten strategies to prove it. Why not start 2006 by making sure you use them?

McGaffin, Ken. Website Tips (2006). Design>Web Design>Hypertext>Search Engine Optimization

How Visible is Your Website?

For a business website to grab the attention of prospective customers, the prospective customers have to see it. Simplistic as this sounds, it's a principle that some businesses overlook. They have a website built, but never check to see how visible that site is to their target market. This article helps you to assess how visible your site is in searches, and explains a simple way to improve site visibility.

Bennaco (2004). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Improve the Link Popularity of Your Site

Link popularity, i.e. the number of sites which are linking to your site, is an increasingly important factor as far as search engine placement is concerned. Other things remaining the same, more the number of links to your site, higher will be its ranking. What is important is not only the number of links to your site, but also the types of sites which are linking to you. A link from a site which is related to yours is more valuable than a link from an unrelated site.

Roy, Sumantra. 1stSearchRanking (2003). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Introduction to Search Engine Optimization

This introduction to search engine optimization will outline some of the basic principles of SEO and explain how they can be used to improve your web pages' performance in search results.

Mercurytide (2007). Design>Web Design>Marketing>Search Engine Optimization

Introduction to Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of analyzing your site and modifying it to enable search engines to read it, understand it and catalog it correctly. This is not rewriting the site or changing the look and feel. It is subtle changes, adding or modifying inconspicuous visible and invisible text so that the search engines can read the site. SEO is not 'spamming' the search engines - it is simply helping the search engines help you - by specifying information using a variety of methods.

O'Gribin, Niall. Erigena (2006). Articles>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Is There a Way Out Beyond Google to Bring in Revenues?

No webmaster worth his salt can rule out the indispensability of Google for enhancing the prospects of one's business potential the online way. The ways and means to augment your business statistics are fine as long as they are paving the way in your business interest. The fact is that end results are always important and determine the continuation of a set of strategies or tactics in the future. Notwithstanding the enormous benefits accruing from top positions in Google's rankings, you will end up to lose sight of the long term survival if you drive your business on a Google-only focus.

Azam, Rahbre. Amateur Writerz (2008). Articles>Web Design>E Commerce>Search Engine Optimization

It Takes More than Money To Reach The Top

To get the first spot on Google, Yahoo, or MSN, all it used to take was the highest bid. Today, even the experts aren't sure exactly what it's going to take.

Janisch, Troy. Icon Interactive (2007). Articles>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Just Say No to SEO Spam  

Describes several disreputable search engine optimization practices for Web designers to avoid.

Wilkinson, Theresa A. Intercom (2004). Design>Web Design>Search Engine Optimization>Spam

Keywords Phrases in Linking Text

Placing keywords into linking text gives search engines a clue as to what each destination page is about, so is hugely important.

McGaffin, Ken. Webcredible (2005). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Link Exchange Programs: An Update

It is still a good idea to increase the number of links to and from sites that are relevant to your own.

Bennaco (2004). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Link Popularity

For years, 'link popularity' and 'Google PageRank' have been the talk of the town in the search engine optimization community. However, the definition of link popularity and how it differs from PageRank (PR), as well as how much effect these actually have on search engine rankings, is often misunderstood.

Whalen, Jill. High Rankings Advisor (2004). Articles>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Link Popularity: Who Should You Link To

Find out who you should be linking to in order to optimise your link popularity.

Goetsch, Daria. Webcredible (2004). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

The Meta Description Tag

The keywords and phrases you use in your Meta description tag don't affect your page's ranking in the search engines (for the most part), but this tag can still come in handy in your overall SEO campaigns.

Whalen, Jill. High Rankings Advisor (2004). Articles>Web Design>Metadata>Search Engine Optimization

The Myth of "Guaranteed #1 Ranking" in Search Engine Marketing

No one can guarantee you a number one placement in the search engines - find out why.

Webcredible (2003). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization