• SEO's Magic Bullet

  By Keith Moehring | Posted Jan 27, 2010 | 2 Comment(s) | Filed in: Content Marketing, Search Marketing, Social Media

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  The concept of a Magic Bullet is an intriguing one — a magical solution to solve a vexing problem without the fear of any side effects. This is especially true in search engine optimization, where there is so much money to be made by ranking at the top of a Google search result page for a key term.

  Well, what if I told you...

  ... Search Engine Optimization may just have a “Magic Bullet,"

  

   And it is BLOGGING.

  Half of you just stopped reading. You were ready to hear something new and exciting, and instead were given the same ole same old. Allow me to explain.

  Several months ago, SEOmoz.org released their Search Engine 2009 Ranking Factors. (For those who don’t subscribe to this blog, you’re missing out on some of the most advanced and useful thinking on the topic.)

  The 2009 Ranking Factors rate the importance of search engine ranking factors based on the opinions of 72 SEO experts. Below I’ve detailed how a blog can impact the factors ranked as “very high importance” or “high importance.”

  (It is important to note that while blogging can have a big impact on the factors below and growing your business, to have the greatest success, it should be one part of a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes search marketing, social media, content publishing, and PR. Learn more here.

  On-Page (Keyword-Specific) Ranking Factors:

  Keyword Use Anywhere in the Title Tag (Very High Importance)

  Blogging makes it simple to continuously generate new Web pages, all with keyword-rich Title Tags. In most blogging platforms, your Title Tag is taken from your headline, and if you follow SEO best practices, you are already integrating keywords here anyway.

  Keyword Use as the First Word(s) of the Title Tag (High Importance)

  This again falls in-line with writing effective headlines. By positioning your keywords near the beginning, you can easily satisfy this factor. Word of caution however, don’t get to focused on search engines when writing headlines. First and foremost, headlines should be written to catch the attention of your readers. Always be thinking user-friendly first, optimization second. Search engines are smart enough to understand what you’re optimizing around.

  Keyword Use in the Root Domain Name (High Importance)

  If your company is looking to boost its site's search engine rankings through blogging, don’t worry about this factor. For a blog to provide the maximum SEO value it must be attached to your site as a subdirectory or subdomain (i.e. www.CompanyName.com/blog or blog.CompanyName.com). The root domain name should ALWAYS be your main site.

  On-Page (Non-Keyword) Ranking Factors

  Existence of Substantive, Unique Content on the Page (High Importance)

  Blogs give you a medium to consistently publish new, original content that addresses specific subject matters. By keeping in mind your buyer personas and objectives, there is no limit to how much keyword-rich, unique content you can create.

  Recency (freshness) of Page Content (Moderate Importance)

  As Russ Jones commented in the SEOmoz post, “If Google only ranked the ‘tried and true,’ their results would be old and outdated.” A blog gives you the ability to quickly publish timely content. The more often search engines find new content, the more frequently they’ll return to your site. Every new blog post you create is another page for Google, and other search engines, to index.

  Page-Specific Link Popularity Ranking Factors
  

  Keyword-Focused Anchor Text from External Links (Very High Importance)

  At first look, it may appear that you have no influence over what anchor text people use in their links. Not exactly true. Typically, when creating links, others will use the title/headline of your post — another reason to focus on getting keywords in your headlines. Something else to keep in mind — a number of bloggers understand the value of keywords in link anchor text and may automatically integrate words you use, or even consider changing their anchor text if you ask nicely.

  External Link Popularity (quantity/quality of external links) (Very High Importance)

  The beauty of quality, useful blog content is that if you share it using the right social-media channels (i.e. Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc.), your network will spread it for you. As more people see your content, the chances of generating links increase exponentially. Always be trying to grow your reach through social media in tandem with writing good, useful blog content.

  Diversity of Link Sources (many root domains) (Very High Importance)

  This goes hand-in-hand with External Link Popularity (above). The greater your social media reach, the broader your audience of potential linkers. Consider pushing the boundaries of your niche and expanding how you can impact other topics or industries through disruptive innovation. The more you can do this, the more diverse your audience will become.

  Page-Specific TrustRank (whether the individual page has earned links from trusted sources) (High Importance)

  The Internet is full of online resources created by thought leaders expanding their industry’s thinking on a specific topic. Support your posts by citing these resources with links from within your content. If the source is using analytics, they will see any traffic coming from your post to theirs, consequently making them aware of you. If your post supports their thinking, and they find value in your content, the chance of them linking to you increases.

  Topic-Specificity/Focus on External Links Sources (whether external links to this page come from topically relevant pages/sites.) (High Importance)

  Blogging gives you the opportunity to become a thought leader. Your blog can amplify your reach to thousands of people who are interested in learning about your subject matter, many of whom are probably writing about similar topics on their own blogs. The more of a resource you are, the more your links you can expect.

  Keyword-Focused Anchor Text from Internal Links (High Importance)

  Integrate your blog posts throughout your site, whether it’s through a feed on your homepage, links on related product or service pages, links from other blog posts, or a list of posts in a media room. If you’re using a feed, your keyword-rich headlines should do the trick. If you’re linking from within page content you have complete control over what words you use as anchor text. Use your priority keywords, and consider using synonyms on different pages to expand the terms for which the search engines index your post.

  View SEOmoz’s full list of search ranking factors. See the 72 SEO experts who collaborated on this project.

  Keith Moehring is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Keith on Twitter @keithmoehring.

  Image credit - http://www.clker.com/clipart-25666.html

• Public Relations in Web 2.0: From Impressions to Inbound Links

  By Paul | Posted Jul 17, 2008 | 1 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Public Relations

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  The public relations industry is rapidly evolving. Technology is redefining the profession, and Web 2.0 — the new online world of mass collaboration and consumer-generated content — has given unfiltered access to the opinions and perceptions of target audiences (i.e. employees, customers, prospects, competitors, media, etc.).
  
  Plus, through the use of blogs, optimized press releases, podcasts, videos, forums, social networks and other Web 2.0 tools, companies now have the ability to connect with their audiences in a more authentic, human voice.
  
  For the PR industry, which traditionally has relied on pitching stories to mainstream media (i.e. TV, print, radio) in the hopes of landing editorial coverage and generating impressions, Web 2.0 has given us the ability to consistently produce a more measurable outcome — inbound links.
  
  Through social media, search engine optimization (SEO) and self-publishing, wired PR firms are building inbound links, driving qualified Website traffic, generating leads, directly influencing consumers and having a measurable impact on the bottom line.
  
  Here’s a snapshot of three public relations trends changing the industry:

  1) Social Media

  This is the most obvious and talked about trend in the public relations industry. PR professionals are communications specialists, and blogs, forums, online video and social networking offer the ability to communicate more affordably and efficiently than ever before.

  2) Search Engine Optimization

  Placement of targeted keywords throughout your Website, as well as generating inbound links to your Website, play an essential role in how your site ranks on major search engines, and in turn, directly impacts the quantity and quality of Website visitors. While SEO is not a traditional public relations practice, PR firms that don’t quickly integrate SEO principles into their services will become obsolete.

  3) Self-Publishing

  Press Releases, blogs, eBooks, white papers, by-lined articles, newsletters and online magazines are now being written with keyword-rich content and distributed with the goal of building Website traffic, inbound links and leads.

   

  Web 2.0 has leveled the playing field for many organizations. It’s no longer about the size of your marketing budget, or how many impressions you can generate, rather it’s about how intelligent and innovative you can be in adopting emerging online technologies.
  
  By concentrating on the activities that build inbound links, drive Website traffic and convert visitors into leads, your organization can grow smarter and faster than the competition.

• Google's Take on Inbound Link Strategies

  By Keith | Posted Jun 24, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing

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  Google takes a number of different factors into account when ranking Websites for specific search terms, including: content, page titles, descriptions and navigation.
  
  However, the number one thing Google looks at is how many other Websites link to your site (i.e. inbound links). It considers each link an endorsement of your site to other Internet users, and the more you have from legitimate Websites relating to your subject matter, the higher you rank.
  
  For this reason, when optimizing a Website, generating inbound links must be a top priority. Paul touched on this topic in an earlier post titled – Tools to Build Inbound Links, Website Traffic and Leads.
  
  Well, in a recent post on Ramblings About SEO, Eric Enge shares a transcript of his interview with Matt Cutts, head of Google’s Webspam team.
  
  In it, Enge asks Cutts to describe what makes a good inbound link and to explain Google’s take on several inbound marketing strategies, including article publishing and reciprocal links. Below are a couple excerpts from the transcript:
  

  On What Makes a Good Link:

  
  Matt Cutts:  So, what are the links that will stand the test of time? Those links are typically given voluntarily. It is an editorial link by someone, and it’s someone that’s informed. They are not misinformed, they are not tricked; there is no bait and switch involved. It’s because somebody thinks that something is so cool, so useful, or so helpful that they want to make little sign posts so that other people on the web can find that out.
  

  On Article Publishing:

  
  Eric Enge:  ... writing a really good article, placing it in an online magazine site somewhere. I mean, that’s a pretty solid strategy as well, right?
  
  Matt Cutts: Yeah absolutely; because someone is choosing to put that article up.
  
  If you think about it as a freelance journalist, it is exactly that situation where they are getting their article placed in a magazine and in return they get credibility. And, a journalist is actually paid as well, but getting well-known, whether it’s through networking or through writing articles that you are expert about, or even doing a guest post on a blog are all important to journalists who are trying to get their name out there and have people know more about them.
  

  On Reciprocal Links:

  
  Matt Cutts:  ... that’s another place where not so long ago [we] improved our documentation, because at first we said avoid the reciprocal links. Really, what you need to do is avoid the excessive reciprocal links.
  
  Click here for the full transcript. And for more from Matt Cutts, check out Google's Cutts: Good directions drive traffic to your Website from USA Today.

• Tools to Build Inbound Links, Website Traffic and Leads

  By Paul | Posted May 15, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing

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  The number of inbound links to your Website plays an essential role in how the site ranks on major search engines, and in turn, directly impacts the quantity and quality of Website visitors.
  
  So what can you do to generate more inbound links to your Website?
  

  • Become content publishers:
    • Launch, maintain a blog about your company, industry and/or areas of expertise.
    • Distribute keyword-optimized press releases through online wire services that include links directing readers to your Website.
    • Publish eBooks, white papers and case histories.
    • Submit by-lined articles to industry sites.
    • Post photos and videos to social media sites.
    • Launch interactive, Web 2.0 magazines with keyword-rich content.
  • Incorporate RSS feeds into your site.
  • Maintain updated company profiles on key online directories such as ZoomInfo, DMOZ, Yahoo! Directory and Business.com.
  • Submit your URL to major search engines.
  • Post a complete, searchable site map to your Website.
  • Optimize anchor text of existing inbound links based on priority keywords.
  • Analyze competitor inbound links to discover new link-building opportunities.
  • Get involved in the blogging community by researching blogs that discuss topics related to your site, and then commenting on relevant blog posts.
  • Contribute to online forums discussing topics related to your company, products and industry.
  • Participate in leading social bookmarking sites such as StumbleUpon and Digg.

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