Mostly, SEO experts discuss important factors employed by top search engines for ranking. But not many of them talk of the non-ranking factors. In this post, we shall look at some of the aspects that can be tackled on the least priority basis simply based on an assumption that they do not give tangible benefits compared to the efforts and energy spent on them to boost your site’s search engine ranking. It’s not to say that these are areas to be ignored totally, but they should not take up unncesessary time and attention of yours. Read the rest of this entry »

The new updates that Google has just effected in Panda, its page-rank algorithm system, might pose some threat to paywalls, recent research reports suggest. After the search engine update implemented by the search engine giant, a number of well known and well-established technology sites and paywalls have suffered a sudden setback to their online visibility as their webpages have significantly dropped in the relevant search results. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are not quite sure a corporate blog is relevant to your branding exercise, you must rethink. Many astute B2B marketers’ experience has shown their blog pages and not the company’s official homepage that more often than not act as an entry point for the new site visitors. In many cases, blog posts are generally outpacing the other pages for key metrics like total visits, number of page views and time spent on a website. Read the rest of this entry »

The new Yahoo!-Microsoft Search alliance is aimed at combining the strengths of two companies to create a better choice in search with the enhanced scale and reach. It will let searchers get relevant results quicker. The combined entity promises to offer more value and deliver increased returns for advertisers. It will also bring improved results for web publishers. If the alliance succeeds in delivering what it has promised, it will be great for search marketers. Read the rest of this entry »

Search engine optimization strategy involves an in-depth analysis of the site performance metrics. On-Page site optimization serves as platform, or essential building blocks, for the long term direction and successful development of the SEO strategy. If properly implemented, it can have a positive effect on the site’s performance. Read the rest of this entry »

Keywords are an integral element of a website’s search engine optimization strategy. A well-executed keyword research program is crucial to successful SEO. Expert inputs regarding precise selection of the best possible ‘search friendly’ terms helps a great deal in accessing your target audience through search engines in a cost-effective way. When carried out by an experienced SEO specialist, it sure will lead to higher conversion. Read the rest of this entry »

Proper keyword research and their precise usage are absolutely critical to the entire process of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Without paying necessary attention to this aspect, efforts to boost your site’s search rank in the major engines may be hampered. You must realize the fact that however well designed and attractive a website may be, users won’t notice it in the first place if the choice of key terms and phrases is wrong. This will result in poor rankings. Read the rest of this entry »

Links – both incoming and outgoing – are extremely important to improve and sustain your search engine rankings over time. It is vital that you as a site owner focus on amassing as many quality links as you possibly can through ethical and fair means. If you ask me, I shall attribute the success of a link building program to mainly utilizing your assets; harnessing your USPs; getting your site noticed in the Web world and building a mutually beneficial, domain specific relationship. Read the rest of this entry »

Remember, a sustained interaction with blog and website owners can result in a deeper business partnership, at times, which can benefit you well beyond just seeking a link. On the other hand, if they refuse to give you a link, don’t lose heart and make the mistake of ignoring them. Be gracious and thank them for considering your request. Read the rest of this entry »

Google has officially unveiled new SERPs based on its Place Search functionality. Launched less than a month after the introduction of Google Instant, Place Search is expected to bring about major changes in search rankings for local businesses. To start with, Google has compromised on the 7-pack for local results in an effort to reverse-engineer its search algorithm. Implications of this new functionality will force local business to rethink SEO strategies in terms of keyword usage and online presence.

What is Google Place Search?

According to the official Google blog, Place Search is “a new kind of local search result that organizes the world’s information around places”. With this functionality in place, Google has merged search results for organic searches with the listings in Google Places. According to the official blog, this would help online users to search for genuine local listings and compare them in a more organized manner.

Here are two screenshots of the Google search result page for the keyword ‘austin bar-b-que’ (retrieved from the official Google blog). The first screenshot displays search results when the Place Search functionality was not deployed. In this case, the search page used to show Google Map listing of the 7 pack (top seven local business listings), followed by organic search results.

Here are two screenshots of the Google search result page for the keyword ‘austin bar-b-que’ (retrieved from the official Google blog). The first screenshot displays search results when the Place Search functionality was not deployed. In this case, the search page used to show Google Map listing of the 7 pack (top seven local business listings), followed by organic search results.

The second screenshot is the revised form of the Google search page after Place Search functionality has been successfully deployed. Google Map listing has been moved to the sponsored results section. The organic search result section shows Google Places listings in a comprehensive manner.

Interestingly, the Google Map on the search page moves down as the user scrolls. This has been done to establish the relation between map listings and search results and also to ensure user-friendliness.

It is noteworthy that the rank of restaurants has also changed significantly in the new version of the search page. Stubbs BBQ, which was on first rank in the 7 pack listing, has moved to second rank in the new search result. An understanding of the new search result dynamics is essential to save your business from severe losses.

What it Means for Local Businesses

With the introduction of Place Search, Google has revised its search listing algorithm. On a detailed analysis of the new search page, it is notable that:

• Local results are gaining prominence in the search results.
• With map being moved to the sponsored list, advertisers will have to face more competition for Adwords.
• With more information available for local searches, users will be able to compare results.

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Here is how Place Search is going to impact local businesses:

• Business with no websites can get registered with Google Local/Places. Earlier, it was possible for such businesses to grab a position in the 7 pack without any web presence. Now, businesses with a functional website will getthe leverage.
• Google is considering both local results and organic results to show an exact number of listings. Thus, businesses with good organic ranking will be able to break into the 7 pack easily. However, businesses with no local listing will suffer a severe search rank loss.
• There is a possibility of user reviews driving the online business.
• Vertical directories might suffer a drop in search ranking unless they are able to find a place among the clustered third party links associated with each listing.

Quick Tips to Survive

Adaption is the best policy to survive a change. To make your business loss-proof from this new Google search algorithm, local business have to:

• Invest into building a professional website
• Get listed in Google Places
• Promote the website offline and ask customers to write reviews for you
• Re-strategize SEO efforts to include the new functionality