Showing posts with label SEO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SEO. Show all posts

SEO Terms Reference Guide

Now Bateeilee Blog will post SEO Terms Reference Guide. Simple Definitions to Common Search Engine Optimization Terms. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a confusing subject filled with terminology that you need to understand in order to implement the SEO techniques that are thought to boost search traffic to your blog. Following is a quick reference guide that provides easy to understand definitions to common search engine optimization terms so you can start implementing SEO techniques as soon as you hear about them rather than wondering what they mean.

Algorithm

An algorithm is a finite set of rules created to deliver a specific result. Search engines like Google use proprietary algorithms to deliver the best web page results based on keywords users type into the search bar in an attempt to find related content.

Alt-Tag

The Alt-Tag (short for Alternate-Tag) is a piece of HTML code that is used to display text instead of an image when the corresponding image cannot be displayed in a visitor's web browser. It is thought that text used within the alt-tag is reviewed in Google's search algorithm.

Anchor Text

Anchor text is the text within a text link on a web page. It is the clickable text that leads to another web page. It is thought that anchor text is reviewed in Google's search algorithm.

Backlink

A backlink (also called an incoming link) is a link on a website that goes directly to a page on your own blog. Backlinks are thought to be reviewed in Google's search algorithm (i.e., sites with a lot of backlinks must have great content or no one would link to them) and backlinks that use keywords are thought to be particularly useful for search engine optimization.

Duplicate Content

Duplicate content is considered blocks of text that apear multiple times on the same website (or blog) or across multiple sites. It is thought that sites with duplicate content are penalized in Google's search algorithm.

Heading Tags

Heading tags are used within blog posts or web content to divide it into sections and can add visual relief by breaking up long blocks of text. However, they are also thought to be reviewed in Google's search algorithm.
 

Incoming Link

Incoming link is another way to refer to a backlink as defined above.

Keyword Density

Keyword density is calculated by dividing the number of times a keyword is used on a web page by the number of words on that page in total. It is thought that keyword density is reviewed in Google's algorithm.

Keyword Stuffing

Since keyword density has been reviewed in Google's algorithm, spammers began stuffing pages with their chosen keywords over and over again. This spam tactic is referred to as keyword stuffing and Google penalizes sites that are caught doing it.

Linkbait

Linkbait (or link bait) refers to a blog post or piece of web content that was written for the sole purpose of attracting large volumes of search traffic and incoming links which are thought to be reviewed in Google's algorithm. Link bait posts are usually written about hot, trending topics.


Long-Tail Search Engine Optimization

Long-tail search engine optimization refers to creating extremely targeted and specific content that is intended to attract a niche audience using very specific keyword searches. The goal is to attract highly interested search visitors to the site who are likely to share content and return instead of attracting larger volumes of traffic that is likely to just click away and never return again.

NoFollow Tag

The NoFollow Tag is a piece of HTML code that makes a link invisible to search engines. When inserted within the link code on a blog or website, search engines won't "see" or index the link or the information within the link for search engine keyword rankings.

Page Rank

Page rank is a term used by Google to rate the importance of pages within a blog or Web site in order to deliver the best results for keyword searches.

SERP

SERP is an acronym for search engine results page and refers to the page of results that a person gets after typing keywords into a search engine like Google and clicking the Enter button. Using search engine optimization techniques, website and blog owners attempt to boost their search engine results rankings, so they appear on the first page of a search engine results page for keywords related to their site or content.

Title Tag

The Title Tag is the text that appears in the Title bar in your web browser and is thought to be reviewed in Google's search algorithm.

5 SEO Tips to Increase Image Search

Today Bateeilee Blog will post 5 SEO Tips to Increase Image Search Traffic,When you think of search engine optimization (SEO), you probably think of using keywords within text content, but there are more ways to optimize your blog posts to boost search traffic. Optimizing images for search engines is an often overlooked method of increasing search traffic to your blog, and it only takes a few seconds to turn images that might get skipped by search engines into neon signs that your content is relevant, high quality, and useful to search audiences.

In other words, don't just rely on the most popular blog SEO tricks or commonly used blog post SEO techniques. Instead, take your SEO efforts a step further by optimizing images, and you'll see your search traffic and your blog grow even more!

Following are five easy ways to optimize images in your blog posts. The more tips you implement on your blog, the better. However, don't overdo it! You don't want to be accused of spamming the system. Keep yourself in check by learning the top SEO don'ts as well.

1. Image File Size

Search engine indexing and ranking algorithms typically weigh site load time as an important factor in delivering relevant results to keyword searches. For example, Google assumes that a website that loads quickly in a user's web browser offers a better user experience than a site that loads very slowly. Therefore, save images that you plan to publish on your blog in the smallest size possible.

It's faster for you to just upload an image at its original size, but that 3000 pixel X 2500 pixel image not only takes up a lot of space in your hosting account but also causes your blog to load slowly in web browsers. Instead, use a free image editing tool to save your image to the smaller size you plan to use within your blog post before you upload and publish it on your blog.

2. Image File Format

You don't need to use high resolution images online. It's always best to use image files in JPEG or PNG format on your blog. Both are compressed so they load quickly within web browsers, and they're preferred by search engines (particularly JPEG).

3. Image File Name

It takes a couple of extra seconds, but changing your image file name is a step that you should never skip. Use relevant keywords that describe the image, but don't keyword stuff. Search engines do crawl image file names, so take the time to name yours accordingly.
 

4. HTML Alt-tag and Title Attributes

The HTML alt-tag should not only describe the image in case it cannot load in a person's web browser, but it should also be named with search engines in mind. The alt-tag is indexed by many search engines and can affect your search rankings. Similarly, the title attribute should include keywords for additional search engine optimization. Fortunately, you don't have to be an HTML expert to complete this step because most blogging applications allow you to enter text for the alt-tag and title attribute when you upload images through your post editor.
 

5. Image SEO Don'ts

There are some tactics that you should avoid when it comes to image search optimization. For example, don't stuff keywords into your image file name, alt-tag, and title tag above and beyond what seems natural. Furthermore, your blog posts and web pages shouldn't be covered in images with little or no original text. Both of these tactics can be flagged as spam by search engines like Google. Your images should also be relevant to the other content in your posts and pages, or they could raise red flags to search engines.

Benefit Blog Tittle for Search Engine

Now I will Share Benefit Blog Tittle for Search Engine. Don't neglect your page titles when you make new content. A good title can influence your rank in Google, and it can drive people to either click on your page or stay away.
Titles for Web pages are made with the <title></title> tag in HTML.There should be only one title per page, and adding extra titles is a Google don't that could penalize you.
The title is what you see at the top of your browser window when you look at a page. It's also what you see by default when you bookmark a Web page.

Why Do Titles Matter to Search Engine Results?

Nobody but Google knows the exact algorithms they use to determine where pages rank in search results. However, most experts agree that keywords in the title have a greater weight than keywords in the body text.
It's only logical that if a page has a title of "Homemade Apple Pie" that the page is more about homemade apple pie than it is about rolling pins or flour, even though those words may be mentioned more often in the page.
Google does keep track of titles and index them separately, because you can restrict your searches to Web page titles. It stands to reason that they index titles separately, because they weigh them separately.

What If Title Keywords Didn't Make a Difference?

It's possible that title keywords don't actually matter to how your pages rank. However, they do still matter in Google. Every time you search for anything in Google, the results are listed by title first. The worst thing you could do is have an untitled page, and the second worst thing you could do is have a title that has nothing to do with your content.
People are skimmers. In an information age, we tend to see a page full of search results, and we quickly scan the titles to find the results that are most relevant to us. The title is your first impression, so make it meaningful, make it relevant, and make it interesting.

11 Free Link Building Tips

Now Bateeilee Blog will share 11 Free Link Building Tips.Incoming links are an essential component of building a successful blog. Links give your blog more authority on Technorati and a higher Google Page Rank. Together, those ratings can make your blog more attractive to advertisers, which allows you to charge higher advertising rates. Additionally, as your blog grows in authority and your number of incoming links grows, your Google search engine rankings will rise, which equates to more traffic to your blog. With more traffic comes more ad impressions, greater potential for pay-per-click ads to actually be clicked on and ultimately, more money for you.

1. Write Content People Want to Read

 

The easiest way to get people to link to your blog from their own blogs and websites is to publish great content. Naturally, if you write posts that are interesting, useful and helpful, people will want to talk about those posts on their own blogs and share them with other people. That means more links to your blog!

2. Submit to Blog Directories

 

There are a number of blog directories where you can add a link to your blog such as BlogHer. Some even include a social aspect such as BlogCatalog and MyBlogLog, which provide multiple ways to increase the number of incoming links to your blog simply through your registration.

3. Get on Blogrolls

 

Once you have a good amount of compelling content published on your blog, approach other bloggers with equal or more authority than your blog (as demonstrated through their Technorati rankings and Google Page Rank) and suggest a blogroll reciprocal link. This is most successful when both blogs are related to the same subject and you develop a relationship with the other blogger by leaving comments on his or her blog prior to suggesting a blogroll link exchange.

4. Write Guest Posts

 

Guest blogging is a great way to not only drive new traffic to your blog and promote your blog but also to increase the number of incoming links to your blog. This is particularly helpful when you are able to write a guest post on a blog that has a higher Technorati authority and Google Page Rank than your blog has.

5. Hold Blog Contests

 

Blog contests are a great way to drive traffic to your blog and increase the number of incoming links to it. First, you can promote your blog contest on a variety of blog contest promotion sites to add incoming links. Additionally, you can include a contest rule that tells entrants they can earn an additional entry into your contest by writing about the contest on their own blogs with a link back to the original contest post.

6. Join Blog Carnivals

 

Blog carnivals are a simple way to increase the number of links to your blog. Simply find a blog carnival related to your blog's topic (or start your own), write a post for the carnival and submit your post link to the main blog carnival site. Your post link will be published as part of the blog carnival bringing in another free link that can also drive a significant amount of traffic.

7. Write Articles for Other Sites

 

There are many websites that accept submissions from just about anyone such as eHow and Associated Content. Additionally, pursue opportuntities to write for online magazines and publications related to your blog topic that accept freelance submissions. Be sure to include a link to your blog with your article and bio.

8. Create Other Blogs and Websites

 

Create additional blogs, websites, Squidoo lenses, HubPages hubs and more, and interlink all of them to increase your links exponentially.

9. Comment on Other Blogs

 

When you leave a comment on another blog, always be certain to include your blog's URL in the URL field of the comment form. While some blogs use the "NoFollow" HTML tag in their blog template (meaning the link back to your blog won't count by Google's standards) it's a good habit to always include your URL, so the opportunity always exists for an incoming link with every comment you submit.

10. Include Your Blog URL in Your Online Forum Signatures

 

Join online forums and message boards related to your blog topic and actively participate. Ensure your blog URL is included in your forum signature, so it appears as a live link each time you submit a message in the forum.

11. Participate in Social Networking Sites

 

Social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace provide areas where you can include your blog's URL in your profile. Use your social networking accounts to further promote your blog and drive additional traffic to it.

Boost Traffic with Long Tail SEO

Now Bateeilee Blog will share How to Boost blog Traffic with Long Tail SEO. Most bloggers who analyze their blog traffic statistics learn that the majority of visitors to their blogs come directly from keyword searches on popular search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing. Many of those bloggers spend a lot of time doing keyword research to identify the keywords that people are actively typing into their preferred search engines to find content similar to what is published on those blogs. The reason is simple. Once you know the keywords that people use in order to find content like yours, you can revise your existing content and write new content that actually uses those keywords in order to capture some traffic from those keyword searches.

A Search Engine Optimization Problem

Unfortunately, the world of online keyword searches is imperfect, and it can be very difficult to compete with large, popular Web sites for broad and popular keyword traffic. How can your small blog appear high enough in keyword search results when big sites with deep pockets and vast content are already dominating the scene?

A Search Engine Optimization Solution

One answer is long-tail search engine optimization, which is the highly targeted and specific keyword search optimization that small bloggers can leverage to boost meaningful traffic to their blogs.

Going after the Long-Tail SEO Traffic

Long tail search engine optimization techniques involve researching the very specific keywords and keyword phrases that people use to find content like yours, and then writing content on your site that focuses on those keywords. For example, instead of focusing on a keyword such as parenting, which is an extremely broad and competitive in terms of search results rankings, a blogger could focus on writing content for a more specific keyword phrase, such as parenting twin infants, that is more targeted to their content and attracts a smaller, niche audience. The assumption is that large blogs already own the broad search phrases, so they're unlikely to spend time optimizing content for highly specific keywords that attract smaller audiences. That's exactly where smaller bloggers can snatch some traffic from the big players.

Mastergoogle.com to know more in

Now BateeIlee will share experiences Knowing Mastergoogle.com. Mastergoogle is a site that helps you to improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Inbound Links and many more that you will get from the site. if you have an account there, and you will get a variety of experiences in improving the performance of the website or blog you have.

The site is headed by someone who is very nice and friendly with anyone who is his full name is Aly Husayni and he was bloody india or pakistan could be a person, but not many people know the true origins of his right

What I love about the site is the site are happy to help greet who beg their assistance in terms of optimization of your site or blog without the cost, especially to the owners blogspot account which is a domain in the Host by Google themselves, their team will be happy to help the bloggers

of course you are asking how to get the free seo for your blog or site from mastergoogle? not be confused fella to get it is very easy you can try it here http://www.mastergoogle.com/services/free-seo/. and fill in the form provided in the right way, and you do not have to worry about the security of the data from your site, they will not make your site destroyed or share your login details to other parties

What will you get from Free Seo Mastergoogle :
Free SEO is now open to everyone. We offer 4 groups of plans to fit all businesses.
    1) Sites with page rank 1 or less will get the following:
    • Keyword Analysis
    • Homepage optimization for your 5 most important keywords
    • Removal of any instances of black-hat SEO
    • Set up of Google Analytics
    • Monthly keyword rank report
    • Two lists, each one containing 5 sites to get back-links for your website with full instructions. One will be sent per month.
    2) Sites with page rank 2 will get the following:
    • Keyword Analysis
    • Homepage optimization for your 5 most important keywords
    • Removal of any instances of black-hat SEO
    • Set up of Google Analytics
    • Weekly keyword rank report
    • A list of 10 sites to get back-link for your site with full instructions.
    3) Sites with page rank 3 will get the following:
    • Keyword Analysis
    • Homepage optimization for your 5 most important keywords
    • Removal of any instances of black-hat SEO
    • Set up of Google Analytics
    • Weekly keyword rank report
    • A list of 10 sites to get back-link for your site with full instructions.
    • Back-link profile + back-link analysis for 20 of your links.
    4) Sites with page rank 4 and above will get the following:
    • Keyword Analysis
    • Optimization for 3 main pages of your site
    • Removal of any instances of black-hat SEO
    • Set up of Google Analytics
    • Weekly keyword rank report
    • A list of 15 sites to get back-link for your site with full instructions.
    • Back-link profile + back-link analysis for 20 of your links.
I can only tell you that it may be useful for those who need it and useful also for his other blogger friends

http://www.mastergoogle.com/services/free-seo/.

Directory Links

Now Bateeilee Blogs Will share about Directory Links In the early days of search engine marketing, all you had to do to increase your site’s ranking was load up your web site with the “right” keywords. But unfortunately, doing so led to a situation in which more of the “wrong” sites were getting all the attention.

In an effort to right this wrong, search engines began focusing on link popularity. The theory behind this approach was simple: if a web site had an impressive number of incoming links, the assumption was that the site contained valuable content.


But like all good theories, this one had holes through which sneaky webmasters also crawled. To take maximum advantage of using popularity to increase page ranking, they started setting up web sites that consisted of nothing more than links. And to make matters even worse, the majority of links were completely useless, with many leading to sites considered unsavory.


Most of the early link directories didn’t provide those who used the web with any valuable content whatsoever. It seemed their main purpose was to provide space for webmasters to gather together bunches of links and in doing so, help give the impression that these web sites were more “popular.” 


Being the protector of users’ rights that it is, it didn’t take Google long to realize that link directories such as these were only cluttering up the Internet. They didn’t offer anything of value to users; exactly opposite what web sites are supposed to do.


That’s when Google came up with a rating system for the links being used to increase a site’s popularity. Soon thereafter, many of those link directories received the ultimate punishment: getting labeled as SPAM.


Today, although they’re very easy to use, you’ve got to be very careful using link directories. That’s because including links to your web site on the wrong ones could have serious consequences. Not only could doing so lower your site’s ranking, but the site itself could be banned for using a “spam site” to generate traffic!


So find a link directory that’s relevant and SEO friendly, meaning basically that the page on which your link will be listed is spiderable. In other words, the search engine robots can scan the pages, cache the links and assign page ranking to the site, which is your ultimate goal.


When considering a link directory, make sure your link will not appear as a redirect. If it does, the link will be worthless because it won’t be assigned a PR. The link should not make use of no index, no follow tags for the same reason; they prohibit robots from spidering the page. There shouldn’t be more than say 30 links on a page and your link shouldn’t be positioned too far from the home page. And finally, make sure the link directory itself has a respectable Google Page Rank.


If this is all too much to remember, you have another option. Why not buy targeted text link ads instead?

Building Backlinks

Bateeilee Blogs Now will share Building Backlinks One of the less known ways of building up the backlinks to your site is by having your site listed with the numerous top sites located on the web. These sites are very niche specific. You will find them by doing Google searches like “top100 web hosts” or “top100 Flower sites” etc. depending of course on what exactly it is that best represents your niche market.

These top 100 sites are all traffic driven meaning that the more traffic you send to them the more they will display your links on their top 100 list of sites. This of course works very well for sites that already have a bit of traffic. Those sites that are new, and that do not have much traffic will not receive a lot of benefit from this type of link until such a time as their traffic grows.


Another method that can be very useful in generating backlinks is by taking advantage of the news groups. News groups are like bulletin boards. Each board is on a unique topic and each one will allow the general public to post to the board. These boards are very niche specific so it is important that you only post your messages to boards that share a similar niche to that of your own site. 


When posting to boards always observe the rules of the board. Never do multiple posts, and never use improper language or you can bet that spam accusations will follow and your ISP could be banned as a result.

In order to gain access to the news groups you may need to subscribe to a news service. Most ISP’s do offer news groups as part of their services. For those that do not it is possible to find third party sites that can offer you access to these same groups at a very nominal charge.


Another method that is just recently becoming popular is the use of community sites as a place to put text links back to your sites. There are a lot of very high traffic communities out there and all of them are looking for more content. One of the most popular community sites today is the youtube.com broadcasting site. It is possible to set up a youtube account, and then place references to your email address and your website on that account. Any time someone from the youtube community scans your site they will see your link and potentially pay your site a visit.


There are other equally popular community sites besides YouTube. Another one of the popular ones is myspace.com. Once again this site will let you build a profile and once again it will let you place your links for other community members to see. Yahoo, AOL, MSN all have similar community sites that may be used in the same fashion. The key in using these sites to successfully generate traffic is to use them responsible. Do not over post to them, and never just send unsolicited emails or you will likely get banned and removed from the system.


Obtaining more backlinks to your site doesn’t have to be an overly complicated process. No matter which type of site you are trying to use, always keep in mind the lesson that spamming is a very bad practice and do everything you can to ensure that it is somebody else that is doing the spamming and not you.

How to create a 301 Redirect?

301 Redirect


301 redirect is the most efficient and Search Engine Friendly method for webpage redirection. It's not that hard to implement and it should preserve your search engine rankings for that particular page. If you have to change file names or move pages around, it's the safest option. The code "301" is interpreted as "moved permanently". 


You can Test your redirection with Search Engine Friendly Redirect Checker you can try under my post.


Below are a Couple of methods to implement URL Redirection via code and htaccess redirect

IIS Redirect


  • In internet services manager, right click on the file or folder you wish to redirect
  • Select the radio titled "a redirection to a URL".
  • Enter the redirection page
  • Check "The exact url entered above" and the "A permanent redirection for this resource"
  • Click on 'Apply'

ColdFusion Redirect

<.cfheader statuscode="301" statustext="Moved permanently">
<.cfheader name="Location" value="http://www.new-url.com">



PHP Redirect

<?
Header( "HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently" );
Header( "Location: http://www.new-url.com" );
?>



ASP Redirect

<%@ Language=VBScript %>
<%
Response.Status="301 Moved Permanently"
Response.AddHeader "Location","http://www.new-url.com/"
%>



ASP .NET Redirect

<script runat="server">
private void Page_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
Response.Status = "301 Moved Permanently";
Response.AddHeader("Location","http://www.new-url.com");
}
</script>



JSP (Java) Redirect

<%
response.setStatus(301);
response.setHeader( "Location", "http://www.new-url.com/" );
response.setHeader( "Connection", "close" );
%>



CGI PERL Redirect

$q = new CGI;
print $q->redirect("http://www.new-url.com/");



Ruby on Rails Redirect

def old_action
headers["Status"] = "301 Moved Permanently"
redirect_to "http://www.new-url.com/"
end



Redirect Old domain to New domain using htaccess redirect


Create a .htaccess file with the below code, it will ensure that all your directories and pages of your old domain will get correctly redirected to your new domain.
The .htaccess file needs to be placed in the root directory of your old website (i.e the same directory where your index file is placed)

Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule (.*) http://www.newdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]

Please REPLACE www.newdomain.com in the above code with your actual domain name.

In addition to the redirect I would suggest that you contact every backlinking site to modify their backlink to point to your new website.

Note* This .htaccess method of redirection works ONLY on Linux servers having the Apache Mod-Rewrite moduled enabled.


Redirect to www using htaccess redirect


Create a .htaccess file with the below code, it will ensure that all requests coming in to domain.com will get redirected to www.domain.com
The .htaccess file needs to be placed in the root directory of your old website (i.e the same directory where your index file is placed)

Options +FollowSymlinks
RewriteEngine on
rewritecond %{http_host} ^domain.com [nc]
rewriterule ^(.*)$ http://www.domain.com/$1 [r=301,nc]

Please REPLACE domain.com and www.newdomain.com with your actual domain name.

Note* This .htaccess method of redirection works ONLY on Linux servers having the Apache Mod-Rewrite moduled enabled.


How to Redirect HTML


Please refer to section titled 'How to Redirect with htaccess', if your site is hosted on a Linux Server and 'IIS Redirect', if your site is hosted on a Windows Server.

 

Search Engine Friendly Redirect Check


Enter the URL whose Redirect you want to check


SEO and Web Directories

SEO experts spend most of their time optimizing for Google and occasionally one or two other search engines. There is nothing wrong in it and it is most logical, having in mind that topping Google is the lion's share in Web popularity but very often, no matter what you do, topping Google does not happen. Or sometimes, the price you need to pay (not literally but in terms of effort and time) to top Google and keep there is too high. Maybe we should mention here the ultimate SEO nightmare – being banned from Google, when you simply can't use Google (or not at least until you are readmitted to the club) and no matter if you like it or not, you need to have a look about possible alternatives. 


What are Google Alternatives 


The first alternative to Google is obvious – optimize for the other major search engines, if you have not done it already. Yahoo! and MSN (to a lesser degree) can bring you enough visitors, though sometimes it is virtually impossible to optimize for the three of them at the same time because of the differences in their algorithms. You could also optimize your site for (or at least submit to) some of the other search engines (Lycos, Excite, Netscape, etc.) but having in mind that they altogether hardly have over 3-5% of the Web search traffic, do not expect much. 


Another alternative is to submit to search directories (also known as Web directories) and specialized search engines. Search directories might sound so pre-Google but submitting to the right directories might prove better than optimizing for MSN, for example. Specialized search engines and portals have the advantage that the audience they attract consists of people who are interested in a particular topic and if this is your topic, you can get to your target audience directly. It is true that specialized search engines will not bring you as many visitors, as if you were topping Google but the quality of these visitors is extremely high.

Naming all Google alternatives would be a long list and it is outside the scope of this article but just to be a little more precise about what alternatives exist, we cannot skip SEO instruments like posting to blogs and forums or paid advertisements.

Web Directories

 


What is a Web Directory? 

 


Web directories (or as they are better known – search directories) existed before the search engines, especially Google, became popular. As the name implies, web directories are directories where different resources are gathered. Similarly to desktop directories, where you gather files in a directory based on some criterion, Web directories are just enormous collections of links to sites, arranged in different categories. The sites in a Web directory are listed in some order (most often alphabetic but it is not necessarily so) and users browse through them. 


Although many Web directories offer a search functionality of some kind (otherwise it will be impossible to browse thousands of pages for let's say Computers), search directories are fundamentally different from search engines in the two ways – most directories are edited by humans and URLs are not gathered automatically by spiders but submitted by site owners. The main advantage of Web directories is that no matter how clever spiders become, when there is a human to view and check the pages, there is a lesser chance that pages will be classified in the wrong categories. The disadvantages of the first difference are that the lists in web directories are sometimes outdated, if no human was available to do the editing and checking for some time (but this is not that bad because search engines also deliver pages that do not exist anymore) and that sometimes you might have to wait half an year before being included in a search directory. 



The second difference – no spiders – means that you must go and submit your URL to the search directory, rather than sit and wait for the spider to come to your site. Fortunately, this is done only once for each directory, so it is not that bad.

Once you are included in a particular directory, in most cases you can stay there as long as you wish to and wait for people (and search engines) to find you. The fact that a link to your site appears in a respectable Web directory is good because first, it is a backlink and second, you increase your visibility for spiders, which in turn raises your chance to be indexed by them.

Examples of Web Directories


There are hundreds and thousands of search directories but undoubtedly the most popular one is DMOZ. It is a general purpose search directory and it accepts links to all kinds of sites. Other popular general-purpose search directories are Google Directory and Yahoo! Directory. TheBest of the Web is one of the oldest Web directories and it still keeps to high standards in selecting sites. 

Besides general-purpose Web directories, there are incredibly many topical ones. For instance, the TheEnvironment Directory lists links to environmental sites only, while The Radio Directory lists thousands of radio stations worldwide, arranged by country, format, etc. 

There are also many local and national Web directories, which accept links to sites about a particular region or country only and which can be great if your site is targeted at local and national audience only. You see, it is not possible to mention even the topics of specialized search directories only because the list will get incredibly long. Using Google and specialized search resources like TheSearch Engines Directory, you can find on your own many directories that are related to your area of interest.

Specialized Search Engines

 


What is a Specialized Search Engine?


Specialized search engines are one more tool to include in your SEO arsenal. Unlike general-purpose search engines, specialized search engines index pages for particular topics only and very often there are many pages that cannot be found in general-purpose search engines but only in specialized ones. Some of the specialized search engines are huge sites that actually host the resources they link to, or used to be search directories but have evolved to include links not only to sites that were submitted to them. There are many specialized search engines for every imaginable topic and it is always wise to be aware of the specialized search engines for your niche. The examples in the next section are by no means a full list of specialized search engines but are aimed to give you the idea of what is available. If you search harder on the Web, you will find many more resources.

Examples of Specialized Search Engines


Probably specialized search engines are not that numeric as Web directories but still certainly there is no shortage of them either, especially if one counts password-protected sites with database accessible only from within the site as a specialized search engine. As with Web directories, if there were a list of specialized search engines it would be really, really long (and constantly changing), so instead, here are some links to lists of search engines: PandiaPowersearch, Webquest, VirtualSearch Engines, the already mentioned TheSearch Engines Directory, etc. What is common for these lists is that they offer a selection of specialized search engines, arranged by topic, so it is a good starting point for the hunt of specialized search engines.

The Dynamic URLs vs. Static URLs


The Issue at Hand

Websites that utilize databases which can insert content into a webpage by way of a dynamic script like PHP or JavaScript are increasingly popular. This type of site is considered dynamic. Many websites choose dynamic content over static content. This is because if a website has thousands of products or pages, writing or updating each static by hand is a monumental task. 

There are two types of URLs: dynamic and static. A dynamic URL is a page address that results from the search of a database-driven web site or the URL of a web site that runs a script. In contrast to static URLs, in which the contents of the web page stay the same unless the changes are hard-coded into the HTML, dynamic URLs are generated from specific queries to a site's database. The dynamic page is basically only a template in which to display the results of the database query. Instead of changing information in the HTML code, the data is changed in the database. 

But there is a risk when using dynamic URLs: search engines don't like them. For those at most risk of losing search engine positioning due to dynamic URLs are e-commerce stores, forums, sites utilizing content management systems and blogs like Mambo or WordPress, or any other database-driven website. Many times the URL that is generated for the content in a dynamic site looks something like this:

   http://www.somesites.com/forums/thread.php?threadid=12345&sort=date

A static URL on the other hand, is a URL that doesn't change, and doesn't have variable strings. It looks like this:

   http://www.somesites.com/forums/the-challenges-of-dynamic-urls.htm 

Static URLs are typically ranked better in search engine results pages, and they are indexed more quickly than dynamic URLs, if dynamic URLs get indexed at all. Static URLs are also easier for the end-user to view and understand what the page is about. If a user sees a URL in a search engine query that matches the title and description, they are more likely to click on that URL than one that doesn't make sense to them.

A search engine wants to only list pages its index that are unique. Search engines decide to combat this issue by cutting off the URLs after a specific number of variable strings (e.g.: ? & =).
For example, let's look at three URLs:

   http://www.somesites.com/forums/thread.php?threadid=12345&sort=date
   http://www.somesites.com/forums/thread.php?threadid=67890&sort=date
   http://www.somesites.com/forums/thread.php?threadid=13579&sort=date

All three of these URLs point to three different pages. But if the search engine purges the information after the first offending character, the question mark (?), now all three pages look the same:

   http://www.somesites.com/forums/thread.php
   http://www.somesites.com/forums/thread.php
   http://www.somesites.com/forums/thread.php

Now, you don't have unique pages, and consequently, the duplicate URLs won't be indexed.
Another issue is that dynamic pages generally do not have any keywords in the URL. It is very important to have keyword rich URLs. Highly relevant keywords should appear in the domain name or the page URL. This became clear in a recent study on how the top three search engines, Google, Yahoo, and MSN, rank websites. 
The study involved taking hundreds of highly competitive keyword queries, like travel, cars, and computer software, and comparing factors involving the top ten results. The statistics show that of those top ten, Google has 40-50% of those with the keyword either in the URL or the domain; Yahoo shows 60%; and MSN has an astonishing 85%! What that means is that to these search engines, having your keywords in your URL or domain name could mean the difference between a top ten ranking, and a ranking far down in the results pages. 
The Solution

So what can you do about this difficult problem? You certainly don't want to have to go back and recode every single dynamic URL into a static URL. This would be too much work for any website owner. 
If you are hosted on a Linux server, then you will want to make the most of the Apache Mod Rewrite Rule, which is gives you the ability to inconspicuously redirect one URL to another, without the user's (or a search engine's) knowledge. You will need to have this module installed in Apache; for more information, you can view the documentation for this module here. This module saves you from having to rewrite your static URLs manually. 
How does this module work? When a request comes in to a server for the new static URL, the Apache module redirects the URL internally to the old, dynamic URL, while still looking like the new static URL. The web server compares the URL requested by the client with the search pattern in the individual rules. 
For example, when someone requests this URL:
   http://www.somesites.com/forums/the-challenges-of-dynamic-urls.html

The server looks for and compares this static-looking URL to what information is listed in the .htaccess file, such as:

   RewriteEngine on
   RewriteRule thread-threadid-(.*)\.htm$ thread.php?threadid=$1

It then converts the static URL to the old dynamic URL that looks like this, with no one the wiser:

   http://www.somesites.com/forums/thread.php?threadid=12345 
You now have a URL that only will rank better in the search engines, but your end-users can definitely understand by glancing at the URL what the page will be about, while allowing Apache's Mod Rewrite Rule to handle to conversion for you, and still keeping the dynamic URL. 
If you are not particularly technical, you may not wish to attempt to figure out the complex Mod Rewrite code and how to use it, or you simply may not have the time to embark upon a new learning curve. Therefore, it would be extremely beneficial to have something to do it for you. This http://www.webconfs.com/url-rewriting-tool.php can definitely help you. What this tool does is implement the Mod Rewrite Rule in your .htaccess file to secretly convert a URL to another, such as with dynamic and static ones. 
With the http://www.webconfs.com/url-rewriting-tool.php, you can opt to rewrite single pages or entire directories. Simply enter the URL into the box, press submit, and copy and paste the generated code into your .htaccess file on the root of your website. You must remember to place any additional rewrite commands in your .htaccess file for each dynamic URL you want Apache to rewrite. Now, you can give out the static URL links on your website without having to alter all of your dynamic URLs manually because you are letting the Mod Rewrite Rule do the conversion for you, without JavaScript, cloaking, or any sneaky tactics. 
Another thing you must remember to do is to change all of your links in your website to the static URLs in order to avoid penalties by search engines due to having duplicate URLs. You could even add your dynamic URLs to your Robots Exclusion Standard File (robots.txt) to keep the search engines from spidering the duplicate URLs. Regardless of your methods, after using the http://www.webconfs.com/url-rewriting-tool.php, you should ideally have no links pointing to any of your old dynamic URLs. 
You have multiple reasons to utilize static URLs in your website whenever possible. When it's not possible, and you need to keep your database-driven content as those old dynamic URLs, you can still give end-users and search engine a static URL to navigate, and all the while, they are still your dynamic URLs in disguise. When a search engine engineer was asked if this method was considered "cloaking", he responded that it indeed was not, and that in fact, search engines prefer you do it this way. The http://www.webconfs.com/url-rewriting-tool.php not only saves you time and energy by helping you use static URLs by converting them transparently to your dynamic URLs, but it will also save your rankings in the search engines. 

Writing Articles Captivate Your Reader

You've heard it time and time again: if you want to get your name out there, write articles and allow them to be freely reproduced (with a resource box pointing back to you, of course). Largely, that is true. A well-written article can:
  • help you build your profile as an expert
  • draw traffic to your site, and
  • help you to build a database of potential clients through associated e-courses or a newsletter.
So far you probably haven't heard anything you didn't already know. What YOU are likely to be struggling with is the process of actually writing the article. Sure, you can come up with the content - but how do you really grab those readers? How do you keep their attention all the way through? And most importantly, how do you make them want to come back for more?

Let's assume that you understand the basics of constructing and editing an article (it has a beginning, middle, and an end and you know how to check the grammar and spelling.) Most of us can manage that. But if you're not content with simply "getting something out there" - if you want to WIN readers - then you need to start thinking about what they want to know, rather than what you want to tell them.

Put your readers first - every time. Give them what they want, and they'll be queuing up to read anything you produce. Give them something bland (or worse, blatantly self-serving) and they'll blast by you so fast you'll be spinning in the back draft.

The following four steps will give you a blueprint for writing articles that captivate your readers - whatever the topic.

1. Find Out What Your Readers Really Want

Sometimes you'll know what they want because you're an expert in the field, and understand the problems. If you don't know the subject area well, you'll have to do more research. Look for forums on your topic and see what people are discussing. What are the problems that need solving? Can you provide an answer? ("If they have a headache, give them an aspirin.")

2. Start With An Attention-Grabber
Spend time working on your opening. Try to avoid trite questions like "Have you ever wondered why so many people find it difficult to lose weight?" Firstly, it's dull. Secondly, it's not targeting the person reading the article - what do they care about the difficulties "many people" have with losing weight? They only care about THEIR weight problem!

Try to come up with an opening paragraph that gives the reader that warm "Hey, this is about me!" feeling right away. Better still; try to generate a rush of excitement - "This could be the answer I've been looking for..."

Example: "The diet gurus make it all sound so easy: to lose weight, all you have to do is expend more energy than you take in. Huh! If it were that simple, the "Big People" stores would be out of business in a heartbeat. Luckily for those of us who are tired of diets, gyms and dull group meetings, there is a back-to-basics way to tackle this. A way that won't cost you a fortune or leave you feeling deprived."

3. Write As You Speak... Then Edit!
The sample opening above also illustrates the importance of the tone you use in your article. You need 'meat' in each article, of course, to make it worth reading - but make sure it's not indigestible!

You're better off writing your article in a natural, relaxed style that's akin to normal conversation. It doesn't matter if the first draft is a little too informal - you can fix that when you edit. Naturally you don't want to irritate your readers with a too-breezy style, but too-formal is worse. Readers may want facts, tips, and strategies, but they hope to be entertained, too! Let your personality shine through.

4. End On A High
What's one of the biggest problems with most articles? They fizzle out! Writers often don't know how to end on an upbeat note. They either just stop dead or they come up with a trite ending like: "So what are you waiting for? Get started today!"

The beginning and the end of your article are the two parts that make the biggest impression. Start by creating a feeling of anticipation... and leave them feeling satisfied (or excited) when you finish.

If you are offering advice to help them solve a problem (like obesity) gives your readers a reason to feel optimistic and good about them. Don't make rash promises... but do offer hope. If you are giving hints on marketing or business, sum up the benefits of acting on your tips. You can also experiment with using a pithy/humorous quote, or giving readers a specific action to get them started. Be creative - and don't rush it.

Here's a final tip: create an article-writing cheat-sheet for yourself. Divide it into beginnings/middles/ends and add more useful strategies as you think of them. (For example, using the tips in this article, you might write: ENDINGS - end on a high, offer hope, use funny quote, suggest action to get started.)

Do this, and you'll be steadily cranking out articles that everyone wants to publish!

Automated traffic - What's it about?

Automated traffic - What's it about?

There are many, different services that offer some sort of traffic exchange. Some require you to click, and browse other people's web pages. As this is a requirement for everyone, your site will be seen by everyone using the same system.


Other programs - known as autosurfs - are based on the same idea, but instead of clicking links, the script does it for you. The good thing about it is; you do not have to browse, or even watch a single page to earn "page views". The downside is quite obvious; there is no guarantee your site will actually be seen, you are only getting automated page views.


Another way of exchanging traffic with other websites is thru, so called toplists. You simply send visitors to a toplist - the more you send, the higher your link will be placed - getting you more visitors back.


Yet another popular method is banner exchanges, borderline automated. Often it IS script based, with methods of earning credits much the same as traffic exchanges and autosurfs. But the big difference is in the quality of traffic received. Another big advantage is the free exposure you - and your trademark - will get from having your banner seen all over the web. It is no coincidence large companies spend top dollar on making their trademark(s) well known.


Is this traffic of any use?

Well, it might be. Depending on what your site is about, you can gain much from these programs. Advertising a product appealing to webmasters and site owners, will make it easier to attract new customers, since they are the only ones using these traffic programs.

If you have a site completely unrelated to the webmaster community, you might advertise your affiliate program, if you have one.


For those of you not running an affiliate program, and with no products appealing to webmasters, it's time to get creative.
If you use these "tools" to your advantage, it is possible to extract quality visitors - all though not in the same quantity - instead of merely site views and loss of bandwidth. Read more about converting hits into visitors at El Traffico


Are there any hazards?


Many contextual advertisers do not approve of automated traffic, some will even terminate your account if you repeatedly send automated traffic to pages with contextual advertising code on it. If you drive a lot of traffic to your site, see to it you only send it to pages without these ads. This is extremely important if you are getting paid per impression. No one wants to pay you for automated impressions.


Try to spread the traffic out a bit, not allocating all visitors at the same time. It can, and will be a huge amount of page views if you are using autosurfs to directly send traffic to your site. This can slow the site down if you point them to a "heavy page".