SEO

Why is linkbuilding such an integral part of any SEO campaign?

Many of the search engines use a link-based algorithm to determine search engine results. It is inherent then, that search engine performance hinges on the quantity and quality of inbound backlinks.

According to Google’s Webmaster Help Central web site, “Link-based analysis is an extremely useful way of measuring a site’s value, and has greatly improved the quality of web search. Both the quantity and, more importantly, the quality of links count towards this rating.” Essentially, an inbound link counts as a vote for that web site. The more votes that you have from similar web sites (relevant sites) the better rankings you should theoretically have.

So we all now know that linkbuilding helps with search engine performance.

Are sales affected by the power of an inbound link?

According to an article found on Search Engine Land the search engines and search engine marketers are not the only ones who benefit from linkbuilding.

It is possible that sales, or to take it one step further, conversions in general, may benefit from inbound links as well. Not only can traffic increase based upon the value of the inbound link, but that highly targeted traffic may convert better.

Therein lies the answer to the original question about linkbuilding. Inbound links can affect a web site’s search engine performance and conversions if the inbound links are from targeted, relevant web sites.

How else could you use linkbuilding as an SEO tool to benefit not just your web site, but your entire online presence?

By JoAnn Seymore

The next dimension of Google Search is here. Google Scholar is a search engine designed specifically for the academic community. It allows university students to search across many different topics very quickly. A university library can add Google Scholar to their school’s on-line library. Now students doing research can pull from their own schools index of resources, but when linked into Google Scholar, they can also pull from the wealth of knowledge that Google possesses. In one place, students can research peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations. Google ranks their articles the same way researchers do making it easier for researchers to find the material they need.

As the wealth of knowledge begins to expand on the internet, Google is trying to provide its users with the most reputable information that there is available. Just like news and video Google is pulling articles from Google Scholar into the main search results is the next step. We are already seeing some examples of this. When searching for a certain article or author, you can go to Google Scholar (under the “more” drop down menu) directly, or just type it in to the main search. If the article is linked into Google Scholar, it will pull from their search results into the main search results, looking like the example below with a “scroll” symbol next to it. Just like when Google Books results pull up in the main index, when you click on these results, it will automatically connect you with the Google Scholar search page and from there onto your article.

Now libraries can link into Google Scholar so that individuals searching through Google can pull from their local resources and their local students can pull from Google’s resources. This is helpful to everyone around. This means that schools want Google Scholar on their library page to benefit their students and themselves.

As Google expands its reach to other areas of information, the academic community is the next in line it seems. Are you able to search the most current information when doing your research? Are your students able to write the best papers they can because they have all the information they need? Maybe you should look into Google Scholar!

By Matt Kluemper
A little over a year ago, Google made a deal with the Associated Press that allowed them to index its articles, making it possible for the powerful search engine to have a presence in history’s number one informer: the news.

Google takes a traditional news medium and strays from typical news conformity, as there are no news editors placing the news stories. Google sticks with what it is known for, having a computer-based algorithm decide how often and where a story will appear within Google News.

What does this mean for anyone that wants to have an online presence? News isn’t dying, but it is changing, and you need to pay attention to it. They are indexing news stories and articles from different sources all over the world, whether it is the LA Times, CNN, Reuters or ABC News.

Here are the recent results for Joe Torre. The number 1, 2, and 3 results are all news stories:

Google News has even jumped on board of the Facebook application creation craze, creating an application that allows users to constantly be connected to Google News while on Facebook.

What does all of this mean? Anyone involved in any type of marketing or public relations needs to have an optimized online news presence. Many companies will create press releases for a number of different reasons, but fail to even think of getting them into the online atmosphere to increase the marketability of their company.

This is becoming a necessity.

Press releases, news videos and articles should be placed not only on your web site, but using different press-release sites, as well. Some of the sites, such as PRWeb, can even syndicate that press release to other web sites and news organizations (such as the Associated Press, which just so happens to have a deal with Google).

How do you implement traditional news techniques into new technology? Do you have an online news presence?

by Webster Jorgensen

For the fourth part of this series on Universal Search we will look at image search. In the past, Google would return some images at the top of the search results for queries like “explosion.” Later this year Google may start being more aggressive in how the push image results into the rest of the search results as well. Now that we know Google is returning these results, we need to know how to optimize for them and use them to acquire traffic.

Which keywords will return image results?

Google knows this by what people search for in their images search section of their site. If they see a certain keyword is searched for in the image search section of Google, they will start pushing these pictures out to the main results. Google also uses user data to determine when images should be returned in the main search results. If Google returns some images to the main search results and users click on the images, Google knows that those results are providing value and will return more of them.

Research for images and SEO

The most important part of optimizing for image search involves research. You have to think logically about what kind of keywords will return images and what people are looking for. Optimizing text pages is a lot different than optimizing images. In the education vertical for instance, a common keyword that would be used for a text page about medical assisting may be “medical assistant programs” or “medical assistant schools.” These keywords show intent to find a school and are also searched for frequently. However, these are keywords that are not likely to return image results. People are rarely looking for images of medical assistant programs. People often know what a “program” looks like and other kinds of content (text, video or news) will often provide a better result. Another possibility would be “medical assistant pictures.” This is more likely to return an image result, but the problem is very few people search for that term. The ones that do are probably graphic artists and web designers looking for stock images.

If I was going to optimize some images for medical assistant pages I would probably start with the keyword “how to become a medical assistant.” This is a keyword that is searched for fairly often and has great image search potential. Becoming a medical assistant requires a process. This process could be illustrated much like a flow chart. Lines, arrows and boxes letting the user know all the steps that need to be taken to achieve their goal.

Optimizing the image

Now that we have done our research and have a solid plan we can start optimizing the images. When creating the image you want to be sure and use the keyword in the images file name. Make sure and separate words by dashes. After creating the image I would name it:

how-to-become-a-medical-assistant.jpg

When coding the image into HTML, make sure and use the keyword again in the alt tag. This would look like this:

Not only will this help the image rank, but will also improve usability since the screen readers used by blind people use these alt tags to determine the subject matter of an image.

The next step is to create some text content on the page around the image. This copy should contain the keyword being optimized. This step simply involves performing the normal steps for optimizing a text page. When Google downloads that page they will use the text surrounding the image to help determine its subject matter.

Linking and images

The final step in optimizing for images involves linking to them. This step is a little tricky, but is a potent ranking factor image search. Normally, links will always go to a specific web page, but when optimizing for image search we want to have some links linking straight at the image itself. Here is an example on the PlattForm blog:

This link is going to the home page of the PlattForm site:

PlattForm Advertising

This link is pointing straight at the logo on the home page:

PlattForm Advertising

See the difference? Also notice that I used the text (anchor text) “PlattForm Advertising” in the link. This will help the logo rank for the term “PlattForm Advertising.” Using your keyword (in our example “how to become a medical assistant”) in the anchor text will help the image rank for that keyword.

One efficient way to create this kinds of links is to create an image site map. This would be a catalog of all of the images you want to perform well in search results. Simply create a list of links that link to the images, and of course, use the keyword in the anchor text.

Conclusion

Performing all of these steps will put you well on your way to acquiring traffic when Google returns image results in their main search results page. Using keywords in the file name, the alt tag, the surrounding copy, and proper linking is needed to optimize for a given keyword. However, the most important part is picking the right keyword. It is important that an image ranks for the right keywords. Keywords that are searched for frequently, embody the proper intent, and will provide value when served to the user. This is where good research and a little ingenuity can make all the difference.

With Universal Search Google is attempting to serve up the most relevant result that is possible for any given search phrase. With the increased amount of information that will be appearing in the search engine results, having exposure in every possible medium just makes sense. Video optimization was discussed last week; this week we will discuss Google Maps.

Have you seen Google Maps listings appear in the listings on the search engine results pages? Well if you haven’t already, you will soon with the full launch of Google’s Universal Search in November. Sometimes you may see the Google Map link under a listing, while other times you may actually see the Google Map populate the search engine result page.

Let’s take a closer look at an example of each circumstance.

Google Map Link
If a web site has a Google Map listing associated with it, there will be a link to the map. If you click the plus-sign or link that appears below the web site description, it will expand and actually show the map with the location pin-pointed for you within the search engine results page. For example, in the below image, you can see that the map is showing the campus location of Bryan College in Springfield, Missouri. Similarly you can see the listing below Bryan College has a Google Map associated with it but it has not been expanded. To experience this yourself, type Bryan College in the Google search box. The third result should be for http://www.bryancollege.com. Just below the description and above the URL, you will see a plus-sign and “Map of 237 S Florence Ave, Springfield, MO 65806.” Clicking that will expand the map image.

Google Map Listing
If the search query is specific enough to include a location, a Google Map listing may populate the search results itself. For example, typing bryan college springfield, mo into the Google search box will bring up the below image. Accompanying the map is information about the listing: web site, physical address and telephone number. The very next result happens to be for Bryan College as well, and sure enough, the Google Map listing link appears under the web site description as was stated previously.

Getting Listed with Google Maps
If a web site has a physical location associated with it, and a Google Maps listing is not in place, it’s time to get one set up. The process is pretty simple and includes filling out information about the web site and submitting it to Google. Google will then verify that the address and information is correct by either sending a post card or making an automated phone call to the actual location. A verification number will then be provided. After the listing is verified, it will take 4-6 weeks before the listing becomes live on Google Maps.

It may seem like quite the process, but it is worth it. With the coming of Universal Search, showing up as much as possible in the search results is crucial to the continued success of any web site.

Stay tuned for more information about Universal Search next week.