New PageRank Formula May Change Your SEO Priorities

This is one of the more interesting articles I have read for a long time on  Link Building and Page Rank.  I’ve included a few relevant quotes but it is well worth going to read the whole article if you are involved in any kind of SEO or online marketing.

The vast majority of website owners seem to be obsessed with PageRank. It was one of the heaviest ranking factors in the original Google algorithm, and the fame persists. I must admit that I also find it hard to ignore the single most visible feedback figure presented by Google.

Google has been worried about all the unnatural link spam that results from this

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Yet no-one seemed to listen much. PageRank was bought, stolen and begged for in every possible way. So now Google seems to work extra factors into PageRank value itself.

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New Google’s patent hints at a new PageRank formula

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There is one key difference the new patent suggests. Previously, each link on a page passed the same amount of authority to the target page. Now, every link is weighted according to how likely a “reasonable surfer” would be to click on that link. To estimate that, Google considers a number of factors, which boil down to 2 main categories:

• link visibility (placement and appearance)
• link relevance

So, you can say goodbye to small text links in page footers, forum and blog comments, stuffed sidebars, link exchange pages and other similar link spammer paradise areas. They didn’t bring much PageRank juice before, now they will hardly bring any at all.

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Why I believe PageRank formula is really changing?

I have recently launched a new blog on web tracking. Having some experience with online promotion, I started building links for it. Here is what I did:

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The link building techniques that I used worked well several years ago. And they still produce some results, just not as good as they used to. Now I figure this could be because of the change in PageRank formula.

What does this mean for you and your blog?

With this possible change in PageRank algorithm, is it time to change your link building habits?

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So I suggest you to scale down these link building methods in favor of others:

• Forum posting and blog commenting. It has plenty of benefits, but don’t do that in hopes of increasing your PageRank.
• Social bookmarking. Same as above, share what you think is valuable. You can get some click-through traffic, but don’t expect any PageRank.
• Article submission. Don’t go for the numbers, submit to top directories to get traffic, syndication and recognition.
• Bulk directory submission. It’s probably not worth your time and money any more.
• Bulk link exchange. This is explicitly discouraged by Google now, and can get you banned from their search results.

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Now, some quality link building methods to scale up:

• Guest blogging. It’s the most reliable way to get a quality context link on a reputable, relevant blog.
• Link baiting. While it is hard to create a successful link bait, one success can pay for several failures.
• Press releases. With some effort and some luck, you can get a quality link from big media.
• Joint ventures. Get to know people and discuss how you can do business together. Be creative.
• Building communities. Create a resource that attracts a targeted community, and they will link to you.

As you may notice, the methods that bring the highest quality links are also the ones which are widely used by the bloggers, and which can benefit a lot from their already high social activity. So as a blogger, you should probably welcome the change, and hope that the Internet will become a better place for everyone, with less spam and clutter.

And listen to the advice from Google. Pay less attention to PageRank and more attention to your content, traffic and conversion rates.

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There may be no new PageRank formula in reality. Maybe the data in my case study can be explained by pages with too many links per page, or temporary glitches when ranking new pages. Still, even if the PageRank value itself will not change, the new Google patent clearly outlines their priorities in ranking. You should seriously consider introducing the suggested changes to your link building strategy. Especially considering that it will bring you more traffic regardless of Google, possibly reducing your dependency on their free search results.

 

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Google Hotpot now on Google.com and around the world

Back in November, we introduced Hotpot, a new local recommendation engine powered by you and your friends. Using Hotpot is simple: you rate places on google.com/hotpot—restaurants, hotels, cafes—and add friends on Hotpot whose opinions you trust. Then the next time you perform a search, Google will serve up personalized results, listing places based on your tastes, as well as recommendations from your friends.

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You can now enjoy Hotpot recommendations in your regular search results on Google.com. So say you’re looking for a restaurant in Barcelona. Go to Google and search [restaurant barcelona]. If a friend has rated a particular restaurant, you might see their rating and what they had to say about it—as well as their name and photo—directly beneath that restaurant’s listing. To see all recommendations by your friends, click “Places” on the lefthand side of the page, and choose “Friends only.” Remember, you’ll need to be logged in to your Google account in order to see recommendations.

Seeing place recommendations based on your tastes and those of your friends across more Google searches will make results more relevant to you and maybe lead you to discover a new gem. If you don’t have Hotpot friends yet, you can invite them to share all the places they love with you by using the “Friends” tab on google.com/hotpot

But Hotpot will only be half the fun if you can’t share it with all your international friends. So starting today, we’re making Hotpot available in 38 new languages—including Chinese, French, German, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian and Spanish—allowing people to share their favorite places in their native language

Start rating and sharing recommendations with Hotpot everywhere, anytime: at google.com/hotpot, on Google Maps, using Google Maps for Android with an easy widget, and on our new iPhone app.

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Services like this are making SEO for local businesses so much more important – and on keeping a close eye on your online reputation.

Google Docs can now be edited with iPhone or iPad | TiPb

Google Docs can now be edited with iPhone or iPad

by Brian Tufo, Wednesday, Nov 17, 2010, 7 Comments

Google has added some much awaited functionality to Google Docs today — you can now edit your docs on-the-go with iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad!

The feature will be rolling out over the next few days and means that:

• You can work on that important memo…while on the bus or train to work.
• If you’re behind on a group proposal, but really want to make it to the ball game tonight, your whole team can work on it from the bleacher seats.
• You can take minute-by-minute notes at a concert so you’ll always remember the setlist. And your friends can jealously follow in real-time at home.
• …and the list goes on!

If you utilize Google Docs all you have to do is visit docs.google.com in Safari on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and select the document you would like to edit. Once the document is open simply select the edit button and you will be switched over to their mobile editor.

Let us know if you are excited for the seemingly much anticipated feature and if you use it how it worked out for you!

Check out a video of Google Docs editing on-the-go in a video after the break!

[ Google Mobile Blog ]

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Categories:Apps, News, Web Apps;   Tags: Google, google docs, ios, ipad, iPhone, ipod touch, Web Apps

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Fantastic News!

Tips For Writing Website Copy That The Client Can’t Possibly Reject

As hard as some web content copywriters try, they always find their writing rejected or sent back for major revision, often multiple times, because the style and substance doesn’t blend well with the client’s existing site. For a copywriter, this is a frustrating (not to mention time-consuming) experience, and there’s a temptation to become unnecessarily resentful.

I spoke with Tiana Smith and Andy Eliason, lead copywriters at SEO.com about their experiences with a variety of client sites, styles, and expectations and how they write website copy that won’t get rejected (or at least has a much lower chance of rejection). They shared some great tips that have resulted in more “blendable” writing and happier clients.

Read Everything – And Don’t Skim

When you try to emulate content already on a site, you skim at your own peril. You should deliberately read every page on the site when possible, unless the site is huge. You’ll be able to tell whether the site was written by a single person or, in most cases, by multiple people. Let the client specify which pages are considered acceptable if the site has multiple writing styles. In a few cases, like one Tiana recently experienced, the client may want not even like his own website copy and want something completely different.

Take Note of Length

How long is the average paragraph? What about sentences? Recognize that you may actually have to resist your urge to write crisp, concise sentences if the existing site content is long-winded. It behooves any decent copywriter to let a client know when the current content is just awful, but you may be dealing with a company owner who wrote it himself and absolutely loves his run-ons.

Look For Recurring Elements – Especially Calls To Action

Are there phrases that are used consistently across multiple pages? Are you familiar with all of the terminology used on the site? Good copywriters must be familiar with client industry terms on a basic level in order to use those terms in appropriate contexts. When looking at the content you’ve written, many clients will subconsciously accept or reject content based on the calls to action. The call to action is the most important promotional element on a page and most reflective of the client’s business and how he wants to be branded, so make a special point to not diverge too far from the norm, unless requested.

What’s On The Black List?

Just as you’d ask a dinner guest beforehand what his food allergies are, you should do the same in asking a client what’s on his “black list” of prohibited words. Many companies have quality control rules about what can and can’t be said on the website. Some businesses refuse to use superlatives, e.g., “the best” or “one of the top companies.” Others are bound by SEC regulations because of their status as a publicly traded company. One client I worked with had terms he avoided because he felt they made him susceptible to potential liability (even though others in his industry used the terms freely on their sites).

The Devil is in the Details

You’d be amazed at how many obscure details add or detract from new content’s ability to mesh well with the old. Don’t forget to look at conjunctions, whether the site uses “won’t” vs. “will not.” Notice the reading level of the text and whether the pages assumes the reader already knows the acronyms and jargon. Determine whether the content is weighted more heavily in favor of SEO and keyword usage or readability (though these don’t have to be mutually exclusive).

Even after preparing with these tips, it’s usually best to send a sample of text that you’ve completed to the client before writing the rest, especially for a big project. You might save yourself a lot of headache. Finally, be prepared for clients who will add their own “finishing touch” to whatever you write. And remember that you’ve never been fully initiated as a copywriter until you’ve experienced the client who rejects all of your work by completely changing his mind after you’ve written everything strictly by his instructions. Consider it a rite of passage.

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Tesco Fail

Dear Mr Tesco,

A few weeks ago you sold me a Laser Printer, a Samsung CLP-320 Series which you were pushing as a really good deal, and a very good printer. You were absolutely right. It was a very good deal, and it is a very good printer. I am delighted with it.

The nature of printers is that they are used to print things. In the case of my printer, it prints a lot, which is why I bought this particular printer. When laser printers print, the nature of the beast is that they run out of toner. Not a problem, you told me that you stocked all the consumables (toner is a consumable in case you hadn’t realised).

In dire need of toner I turn to the Tesco website where I need to order Black Toner, item CLT-K4072S – no problem. I need to order Cyan Toner, item CLT-C4072S – no problem. I need to order Magenta Toner, item CLT-M4072S – no problem. I need to order Yellow Toner, item CLT-Y4072S – what’s this? I search and search, no Yellow toner appears on your list. I visit your store to be told ‘No, you have to buy that online’.

I have no objection to buying online, in fact I do it all the time. I return to the website and search, and search and search, all in vain. No sign of yellow toner. This seemed a little odd to me, why would you sell me a printer, and then stock only three out of the four cartridges – it seemed a little odd when customer service is supposed to be your watchword.

Contact was made via Customer Service where a very helpful young man was equally as bemused as I. ‘It must be a mistake, perhaps someone forgot to put it on the stock list. I’ll ring you back.’ Several days later, he did indeed ring back to say he still hadn’t got to the bottom of it but he was still working on it. Today, some three weeks later, he rings to say ‘We don’t stock it at all, we do stock the other three but not yellow’.

?????????????????

Perhaps you can explain the logic of this to me, dear Mr Tesco, because I cannot see it. You had a customer for the life of my printer, which I expect to be long and fruitful needing much toner. Now you have one very miffed customer who is going to share her level of dissatisfaction, not to mention bemusement at your stupidity in stocking only three out of the four toners needed. I am sure there is a logic in your giant superstore mind, but it makes no sense to me – the shopper – the person who gives you money in exchange for goods, the process which keeps you in business. I would have given you some £400 in the last month – if you had stocked the items you said you did when I bought the printer from you in the first place. Why stock three and not four?

Mr Tesco, I have no choice, I have to say it. On your part this is not only very stupid but an epic

PS. For anyone else who has bothered to read this far, toners were supplied with next day delivery by the very excellent www.printware.co .uk – the mighty Tesco would do well to take a lesson in customer service from them!

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Tesco Fail

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I still cannot believe that they are this stupid!

Worth following…

I’ve followed Mark Copeman on Twitter for some time (@mark_copeman) – it is a worthwhile experience. Apologies for lifting the post in it’s entirety but I do think it is worth sharing and would recommend that you take yourself off to http://www.being-smarter.com where you will find some very interesting reading

You may have read our sister blog – Watch us Getting Real, where we write a regular diary of the trials and tribulations of an online startup and building a web application, following the process outlined in the totally awesome Getting Real book from 37 Signals.

We are getting to the stage where the talking’s about to stop, the planning’s done and the focus swings onto execution. Remarkable execution we hope.

I couldn’t help noticing a sidenote in Getting Real, from a chapter you find in its entirety here, but I wanted to emphasise the thinking of the entrepreneur, Derek Sivers, founder of CD Baby and Hostbaby. He provides the simplest of formulas behind the making of a good idea and it’s based on a multiplier:

Ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions.

Explanation:

• Awful idea = -1
• Weak idea = 1
• So-so idea = 5
• Good idea = 10
• Great idea = 15
• Brilliant idea = 20

• No execution = $1
• Weak execution = $1000
• So-so execution = $10,000
• Good execution = $100,000
• Great execution = $1,000,000
• Brilliant execution = $10,000,000

To make a business, you need to multiply the two.

Simple.

How well are you executing?

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I’ve followed Mark Copeman on Twitter for some time – it is a worthwhile experience. Apologies for lifting the post in it’s entirety but I do think it is worth sharing and would recommend that you take yourself off to http://www.being-smarter.com where you will find some very interesting reading