If earning money online is one of your goals and you expect to be successful via natural search engine traffic you might want to read this article.
If you’ve been following previous articles about SEO you’d probably realize that the topic is so vast you could continue to explore different facets of the subject until it’s raining cats and dogs.
Page rank is a very important issue when you are trying to establish credibility and get Google to start indexing and associating certain keyword phrases with your content. However if your site is brand new there is a possibility that its not gaining page rank and moving up in the SERP’s because it’s in the Google Sandbox…
History of the Google Sandbox
Although there is no solid evidence that the Google Sandbox actually exists, for the sake of this article please humor me and assume that it does…
People have been talking about the Google Sandbox all the way back to 2004.
The topic really became an interest for Internet Marketers and Bloggers around February of 2005 when Google decided to do a major update to their index.
The result of this update was staggering! People that ranked high for their target keyword ranked much lower, others that ranked low were moved towards the top. Up was down, down was up and it was a very confusing time.
The Theory Behind the Google Sandbox
The Google Sandbox theory refers to a method in which Google restrains and limits a website’s search engine ranking and keyword dominance for a certain amount of time.
After March of 2004, many sites experienced what many refer to as the Google Sandbox..
How Do I Get Out of the Google Sandbox?
It is unclear whether the Google Sandbox actually exists but assuming it does and assuming your site is in it, there’s no way it could be considered a boon for your natural search engine traffic.
It is assumed that the following factors that could affect your site could be :
1.) Time – Age of your Website
This is definitely a possibility and also a factor you can’t do much about except wait. After careful review this wouldn’t make much sense for a search engine like Google to penalize a site because of age when their ultimate goal is making sure you find what you are looking for.
2.) Quantity of Links Theory
This would make a lot of sense… Think about it, if a link from a relevant site has
a text anchor with your keyword, this would mean a lot in regard to credibility. The site is referring to you as the expert in that particular niche. Either way you will want a huge number of links so get to it!
3.) The Age of Inbound Links
This seems to be a valid possibility. Research has shown that if you don’t have enough quality inbound links within a year you may never make it out of the Google Sandbox.
I believe the third factor would have the most importance in regard to getting out of the sandbox. Try to create as much niche related fresh content as possible every week. Start building links everyday to strengthen your target keywords. Before you know it Google will not be able to deny your authority on a subject.
As long as you are in the sandbox you will never truly enjoy the benefits that come with a high search engine ranking. Also, don’t forget to have some fun while you’re playing in the sandbox!
Showing posts with label google. Show all posts
Showing posts with label google. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Internet Marketing – Blogger Vs. Domain
When creating a blog or website there are generally two options in regard to how you will need to set it up.
1.) Use a free hosted service.
An example of this would be sites like Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. Both of these companies offer a free sub-domain where you can host your own blog or website. They also offer turn-key installation so you won’t need to know much about the way websites work etc… You will walk through a simple setup and two minutes later you will be able to set up your first post.
This is a great way for the beginning blogger or website owner to start. It will give you a chance to become more familiar with html and also offer you an easy way to share your thoughts and research with the world.
2.) Purchase a Domain and Hosting
This will require a small investment but I think you will find that the advantages of taking this route vs. option one far outweigh the costs.
This article is dedicated to exploring and listing the advantages of hosting your blog or site on your own domain.
Credibility – Having your own domain will commend a certain amount of credibility in your field. Many people will judge your site by how it looks rather than by the valuable content that it may provide. Having your own domain name will be more aesthetically pleasing. Compare the following two domains :
http://www.yourblogismoney.com
http://blog-basics-for-beginners.blogspot.com
Both of these sites have quality content but the first site has a URL that is easy to remember. If you had to make a choice between the two, which one would you prefer?
Security – Many people find security in a simple URL. Because of the high number of scams on the internet, generally shorter domain names are more trusted than those that are longer.
Ownership – I can’t stress this point enough. Even though sites like Blogger and WordPress have a commitment to keeping blogs online indefinitely, at the end of the day they are still in control of your sub-domain. They own your sub-domain! It’s hard to place a lot of confidence, time and effort into something that feels uncertain. Owning your own domain will give you a sense of security that many people find priceless.
SEO – Independent domains and sub-domains are treated differently by search engines. Although this fact is hard to prove, sites with their own domains are given priority over sites that are hosted on sub-domains. If you want traffic and your hoping to get this traffic from Google, Yahoo and MSN then having your site on it’s own domain definitely won’t hurt.
Ultimately the primary advantage is control. If you want to build something that is permanent and expandable, wouldn’t you also want to protect your investment?
If you do decide that you want to take control by purchasing and hosting your own domain, then you have made the same decision that I made a long time ago.
I’ve reviewed countless service providers and have come to the conclusion that the best way to do this is to purchase a domain name and hosting through a company called Bluehost. They will provide you with your own domain name free of charge and offer you their premium individual hosting service for only $6.95/month!
There are many options in regard to hosting but I know for a fact that Bluehost has the best price and customer service available. The combination is unbeatable!
Please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to discuss any of these topics further or have questions about web hosting, web development, how to set up your blog etc..
1.) Use a free hosted service.
An example of this would be sites like Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. Both of these companies offer a free sub-domain where you can host your own blog or website. They also offer turn-key installation so you won’t need to know much about the way websites work etc… You will walk through a simple setup and two minutes later you will be able to set up your first post.
This is a great way for the beginning blogger or website owner to start. It will give you a chance to become more familiar with html and also offer you an easy way to share your thoughts and research with the world.
2.) Purchase a Domain and Hosting
This will require a small investment but I think you will find that the advantages of taking this route vs. option one far outweigh the costs.
This article is dedicated to exploring and listing the advantages of hosting your blog or site on your own domain.
Credibility – Having your own domain will commend a certain amount of credibility in your field. Many people will judge your site by how it looks rather than by the valuable content that it may provide. Having your own domain name will be more aesthetically pleasing. Compare the following two domains :
http://www.yourblogismoney.com
http://blog-basics-for-beginners.blogspot.com
Both of these sites have quality content but the first site has a URL that is easy to remember. If you had to make a choice between the two, which one would you prefer?
Security – Many people find security in a simple URL. Because of the high number of scams on the internet, generally shorter domain names are more trusted than those that are longer.
Ownership – I can’t stress this point enough. Even though sites like Blogger and WordPress have a commitment to keeping blogs online indefinitely, at the end of the day they are still in control of your sub-domain. They own your sub-domain! It’s hard to place a lot of confidence, time and effort into something that feels uncertain. Owning your own domain will give you a sense of security that many people find priceless.
SEO – Independent domains and sub-domains are treated differently by search engines. Although this fact is hard to prove, sites with their own domains are given priority over sites that are hosted on sub-domains. If you want traffic and your hoping to get this traffic from Google, Yahoo and MSN then having your site on it’s own domain definitely won’t hurt.
Ultimately the primary advantage is control. If you want to build something that is permanent and expandable, wouldn’t you also want to protect your investment?
If you do decide that you want to take control by purchasing and hosting your own domain, then you have made the same decision that I made a long time ago.
I’ve reviewed countless service providers and have come to the conclusion that the best way to do this is to purchase a domain name and hosting through a company called Bluehost. They will provide you with your own domain name free of charge and offer you their premium individual hosting service for only $6.95/month!
There are many options in regard to hosting but I know for a fact that Bluehost has the best price and customer service available. The combination is unbeatable!
Please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to discuss any of these topics further or have questions about web hosting, web development, how to set up your blog etc..
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Sunday, January 4, 2009
SEO – 4 Ways to Increase Your Page Rank
In previous articles we have spent significant time discussing page rank and SEO. In regard to page rank there are several things that affect your ranking. It’s possible to make improvements both internally and externally. I have found that the most important factor that affects page rank is backlinks.
The following list includes four methods you can use to obtain backlinks.
1. Reach out and try to negotiate or ask other webmasters in related fields to link to your website. This will be a difficult task but in many cases if approached the right way, site owners are sometimes willing to assist their fellow bloggers in this way.
2. Make sure to submit your site to indexes and directories. It’s very important to register with as many search directories as possible. Search engine directories provide high quality one-way backlinks that are sure to improve your page rank.
3. Register and participate in forums related to your topic of discussion. In most cases you will be able to add your backlink either in your signature or in the body of your post.
As an added bonus you will gain targeted traffic through the forums you participate in.
Keep in mind that these are people that are genuinely interested in your topic. They may become regulars and subscribe to your RSS feeds.
4. Submit your articles to free online publishers. I have discussed this in previous articles as well. There are several sites you can use to submit articles and drop your backlinks. Two of my favorite sites for this purpose include ISnare.com and GoArticles.com.
Lastly, if you use all these methods to increase your SEO and page rank, you will see results very quickly. Sometimes it may take longer than expected due to something called the Google Sandbox. I will explain the sandbox and describe its purpose in future articles so stay tuned!
The following list includes four methods you can use to obtain backlinks.
1. Reach out and try to negotiate or ask other webmasters in related fields to link to your website. This will be a difficult task but in many cases if approached the right way, site owners are sometimes willing to assist their fellow bloggers in this way.
2. Make sure to submit your site to indexes and directories. It’s very important to register with as many search directories as possible. Search engine directories provide high quality one-way backlinks that are sure to improve your page rank.
3. Register and participate in forums related to your topic of discussion. In most cases you will be able to add your backlink either in your signature or in the body of your post.
As an added bonus you will gain targeted traffic through the forums you participate in.
Keep in mind that these are people that are genuinely interested in your topic. They may become regulars and subscribe to your RSS feeds.
4. Submit your articles to free online publishers. I have discussed this in previous articles as well. There are several sites you can use to submit articles and drop your backlinks. Two of my favorite sites for this purpose include ISnare.com and GoArticles.com.
Lastly, if you use all these methods to increase your SEO and page rank, you will see results very quickly. Sometimes it may take longer than expected due to something called the Google Sandbox. I will explain the sandbox and describe its purpose in future articles so stay tuned!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Page Rank - 10 Links for Search Engine Optimization
In previous articles, I have discussed the importance of page rank and SEO i.e. Search Engine Optimization.
Obviously, SEO is very important to your page rank, the better your site is organized and indexed, the better the chances of you getting a high page rank. If you can't find yourself in the search engines, you don't have much of a chance to get a high ranking do you?
Keep in mind, you will only want to submit your site once to each search engine, if you submit more than once, there is a high probability it will penalize your SEO and page rank.
After your site becomes indexed, spiders will crawl it regularly looking for new content and updates. Try to keep your site fresh, add a few things every week if possible.
The following section will provide links to various search engines for submission.
I've provided two ways to submit your site to the search engines.
My new favorite option is DreamSubmit. They have a way to automatically submit your website to several search engines all at the same time. Their free choice is an excellent to get a ton of submissions in a manner of minutes! Please review the auto-submit options and use at your own discression :
Auto Submission :
DreamSubmit
AddMe.com
FreeWebSubmission
Submit Express
Manual Submission :
Submit URL to Google
Submit URL to MSN Search
Submit URL to Yahoo Search
Submit URL to ExactSeek
Submit URL to Acoona
Submit URL to Scrub The Web
Several sites require you to manually submit, one of the most notable that requires manual submission is Yahoo Search. Make sure to manually submit to Yahoo Search because it is one of the top three indexes you will want to register with for optimum SEO and page rank.
Please let me know if you found this article helpful. If I forgot anything, please drop a comment and I will add it to the list.
Obviously, SEO is very important to your page rank, the better your site is organized and indexed, the better the chances of you getting a high page rank. If you can't find yourself in the search engines, you don't have much of a chance to get a high ranking do you?
Keep in mind, you will only want to submit your site once to each search engine, if you submit more than once, there is a high probability it will penalize your SEO and page rank.
After your site becomes indexed, spiders will crawl it regularly looking for new content and updates. Try to keep your site fresh, add a few things every week if possible.
The following section will provide links to various search engines for submission.
I've provided two ways to submit your site to the search engines.
My new favorite option is DreamSubmit. They have a way to automatically submit your website to several search engines all at the same time. Their free choice is an excellent to get a ton of submissions in a manner of minutes! Please review the auto-submit options and use at your own discression :
Auto Submission :
DreamSubmit
AddMe.com
FreeWebSubmission
Submit Express
Manual Submission :
Submit URL to Google
Submit URL to MSN Search
Submit URL to Yahoo Search
Submit URL to ExactSeek
Submit URL to Acoona
Submit URL to Scrub The Web
Several sites require you to manually submit, one of the most notable that requires manual submission is Yahoo Search. Make sure to manually submit to Yahoo Search because it is one of the top three indexes you will want to register with for optimum SEO and page rank.
Please let me know if you found this article helpful. If I forgot anything, please drop a comment and I will add it to the list.
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