June 08, 2009
Google Doesn't Like Nofollows Anymore. Shocker. 
posted by Angela Moore in category: Link Building
Recently, Google's Matt Cutts made some hints about nofollow links and their value going down. I have to be honest. I'm not surprised.
Once again, we're seeing something that Google did to try and make link popularity "fair" across the board become a nightmare for them to measure because of many people abusing the original intent of it.
This story has been developing for a while and there are some interesting elements at play. The biggest factor is that some sites have abused this link attribute in order to funnel the link value to a few of their internal target pages or for other purposes (of which there are many). The situation is not unlike the paid link debate: while some uses of the tactic are completely valid and ethical (assuming you follow the guidelines put in place), those that overuse and abuse the tactic ruin it for the rest of us. Let's face it, for every really good link builder (meaning ethical, transparent, creative, etc) there are 100 link builders that are only it for a short time and try to figure out a way to game the system instead of creating a long-lasting strategy.
Let's remember that the purpose of link building is not to trick the search engines. The purpose is to provide search engines and users with what they want: relevant results for their keyword queries by providing links to the content and having those links adequately describe what's on that page. Sadly, most people don't know how to do this very well and they begin schemes like link farms, blatantly irrelevant paid link campaigns and other less than savorty tactics to try and push their sites to the top.
Basically, from what I can see happening and what I’ve seen happen in the past few months is this: nofollow links coming from external sites are being followed by the search engines (many of them are showing up in my link reports) as well as affecting the ranking of certain keywords that I monitor. Now, I don’t think they are counting as much as a link without the nofollow attribute, but they are certainly adding some value. In regards to internal links, nofollow links are still valuable for PageRank sculpting and harnessing the values of the links coming in, but for sites that overuse this attribute, the value will not be as great as it once was.
Once again, Google will be trying to take things on a site-by-site basis, but I have not seen them fully succeed at that through the years. Even the algorithm, which was designed for a “site-by-site basis” style of analysis likes to make blanket assumptions on things and we’ve seen the SEO industry get worked up about it before. So what can we expect from this? It could be anything from an announcement from Google introducing a new alternative to nofollow, blanket rules and blanket statements that apply to all nofollow links (which was the original intent anyway: the search engine would not follow the link, but look what has happened), the ability to report “nofollow abuse” directly to Google (much like the paid link report form) and other various methods to try and control the issue.
The bottom line is that if you have an array of tactics and creative approaches to link building, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Nofollowing links (when appropriate) will still have some effect, and how great that effect is will be completely dependent on what the search engines do in the following months.
So, are you prepared for whatever comes your way? If you have a diverse portfolio of skills and tactics and don’t rely heavily on only one thing you should be fine. But if you've been banking on your nofollow strategy, you may be starting to panic.
Google Doesn't Like Nofollows Anymore. Shocker.
Posted by Angela Moore at 07:34 AM
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February 11, 2009
Is Your Industry too Boring for Link Building?
posted by Angela Moore in category: Link Building
So often as I am discussing link building strategies or the concept of link bait, I am faced with the same question:
"Aren't we too boring for all this? Who is going to want to link to us? All we do is (fill in the blank)."
The short answer is no. You are not too boring. Why? Because in every industry, every niche, SOMEONE cares about what you're doing.
The long answer involves discussions around target markets and their demographics, the various services offered, and industry trends. Since it's a bit complicated, let's take a purely hypothetical example.
Let's say we are dealing with a client who sells pens. Not too sexy, right? I mean, they're pens. Everyone can get them and you can pretty much get them anywhere. Even gas stations. Well, let's take it a step further and say that these pens are around $150 each. Why would people want to buy a pen for $150 when they can get 12 pens for around $2? That becomes the source of our link bait and link building campaign.
Asking questions like this is the next step for designing a campaign for a seemingly boring industry. What makes your pen worth $150? Can you write under water with it? Is the quality of the actual shell of the pen magnificent? Does this pen never, ever, in a million years "skip" when you're writing unless it's completely out of ink? Does it have some sort of indicator to let you know when it is about to run out of ink? What about refills? Do customers get them when they initially purchase the pen? How expensive are they? What type of ink is it? Has it been safety tested around kids? Pets? Is it child-proof?
Of course, this is all hypothetical. But when you hit on that one thing that makes this pen stand above the rest, you have your link bait concept. Branching out from there, you need to find the people who would want this pen. Business executives, writers, celebrities who sign a lot of autographs, lawyers... there are people out there who will not only love your product but want to tell others how great it is too. How about people who just plain love pens? Don't think they exist? I beg to differ. So, where do you find them? Blogs, social networks, resource sites, and other authority hubs will be the go-to locations to find these people. Simple queries will tell you where you should start researching. From their, the web of links that you are sure to find will also give you more avenues to pursue.
Now, what do you tell these people when you find them? You can do a myriad of things on your site and show it to your target market. Showing a video of all the amazing things your pen can do would be one option - Blendtec perfected this with their "Will it Blend?" series. How about a contest? An interactive widget? User-generated lists of what people want in their perfect pen? Top 10 lists?
All of these are good options. By really working to match your efforts with your target market, you will see the benefit as people blog about your pen, post links on their sites back to yours and help you spread the word about your magnificent pen.
My point is that no matter what you're selling or trying to promote, someone out there wants to hear about it. Combining elements like quality and differentiators with your target market and a catchy way to grab their attention will generate links before you know it.
Is Your Industry too Boring for Link Building?
Posted by Angela Moore at 07:07 AM
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December 17, 2008
What the Economic Times Mean for Link Building
posted by Angela Moore in category: Link Building
So unless you've been living under a rock, you realize that the economy isn't as strong as it used to be. And yes, that is a rather large understatement. Many industries have been pushed into the limelight to discuss their dire situation and ask for help. Many search bloggers are also talking about the economy and what it means for the search industry at large. We're seeing stories about how to get the most out of your search campaigns right now, looking for SEO opportunities in tough economic situations, and big brand SEM strategies.
In the past few months, I have recognized several trends that could ultimately benefit link development.
1. The need for information. If your site is providing information on financial tips or if you have ideas on how your target market can save money within your industry, publish the content. Do some keyword research and find out what exactly people are looking for and create a title and a content piece that will rank in the search engines. Since most people are looking for ways to be more economical right now, you've basically just created some nice link bait.
2. Blog Explosions. Bloggers know that if they publish content that provides timely tips and advice, their traffic will increase exponentially. Reach out to those bloggers and ask how you can help them get the content they need. Every day, new blogs are created on every conceivable topic. Keep an eye out for both the established bloggers and the up-and-coming candidates.
3. Looking for experts. In tough times, many executives tend to hide out. Be up front. Grant some interviews with some bloggers who write about your industry. Be honest about what's going on. Talk about your plans when it's appropriate. Be the face of your company.
4. Now is the time for shake-ups. If you've been sitting #5 or #6 for a particular keyword, a little extra investment into your link development campaign will pay off. Many sites that are sitting #1 and have been there for a long time have relied on that fact without much thought. The companies that are investing in SEO and link development are making big moves and the momentum could keep them there as time goes on.
There are lots of ways to stay afloat in tough times. The biggest need right now is information and hope. When you give that to your consumers, they can often reciprocate with some unsolicited links and a window into your target market.
What the Economic Times Mean for Link Building
Posted by Angela Moore at 07:23 AM
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November 27, 2008
Don't Think Like a Student for .edu Links
posted by Angela Moore in category: Link Building
I've written posts before on some tips to fixing existing .edu links and why .edu link acquisition services are typically worthless. But what about when you're trying to get links the old-fashioned way? By providing valuable content to users and then telling Webmasters where to find it? What do you do? Where do you start? How do you go about it?
When you're doing research to gain some much-coveted .edu links, be sure to do your homework. You want to find sites that cater to your target market. But stop and think before you channel the zen of a college student to get your links.
Why not? It's simple. College students don't dictate links on University sites. Professors and staff do. How do I know this? Take a look at any college Web site and find a resources page of sorts for students. These days with so many college kids graduating with excessive debt (and I'm not just talking about student loans) many sites are now putting up a page packed full of resources on how to manage your credit from the start rather than how to fix it (although there are links for that too).
Let's take a look at this sample page from Baldwin-Wallace College on how to manage your finances. Lots of good stuff in here, right? Perfect opportunity to maybe place a link to a well-respected site that offers additional tips and financial information? Want to put a link to a big and flashy Web site that college kids just seem to love? Stop. Read the content again. The thing I heard most in college is "You're an adult now." Colleges are set up to groom promising professionals into upstanding citizens (not to mention that whole education thing). The content on this page is geared towards the students with a parental tone.
"But wait," you might say. "College kids love my big flashy Web site!" True, but they're not the ones who are managing a large university's Web site. Even if they are, a professor is mentoring them and watching their every move. Those links, even if they do get put up, won't last long. The biggest mistake I see in trying to get .edu links is that some link builders think that you are marketing to the students. You're not. You're marketing to their parents. And their professors.
"So what do I do?" I'm so glad you asked. Market to the professors and parents of these students. They're the ones who, ultimately, dictate what types of content goes up. Typically, parents pay the bills to these schools. So, professors and staff answer to them. The staff and teaching professionals are responsible for the education of these young minds. They don't want something as glaring as a junk link on their Web site. Think like an adult when marketing to .edu sites.
The bottom line in all of this? You must provide valuable content to the user to get .edu links. No ifs, ands, or buts. Sure, you can get other .edu links without much effort. But I doubt they'll provide any long-term value for search engine rankings. And in link development, long-term is the way to go.
Oh, and by the way... Happy Thanksgiving!
Don't Think Like a Student for .edu Links
Posted by Angela Moore at 06:53 AM
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November 13, 2008
Perceived Competition vs. Actual Competition
posted by Angela Moore in category: Link Building
It happens 80% of the time I ask the question. I am talking with a client on the phone and I ask “who do you feel is your direct competition in your industry?” What I then receive is a list of competitors that are prominent in the industry. But how many of these competitors are showing up in the search results? Generally, less than 10% of the competitors that I get from my client are actual competitors in the SERPs.
If my client is a big brand, then I get a list of other big brand companies that have a Web site. These competitors typically are not engaging in SEO nor are they targeting the same keywords that my client is focusing on. These competitors tend to rely on their brand name to draw customers and make online sales. There are times when big brand competitors are showing up in SERPs for broad keyword phrases due to their brand name and domain. For instance, if I’m doing research on the keyword “toys,” it makes sense that Toys R Us shows up at or near the top. “Toys” is in their brand and their domain. Since most people link to Web sites with the brand name, that adds to their ability to rank.
But what about my clients’ actual competition? There is a tremendous amount of value in doing a thorough competitive analysis that focuses on link development. Why? Because a) it shows you what your competition is (or is not) doing in terms of link development, b) it tells you who your actual competition is for specific keywords that are valuable to your SEO efforts, and c) it is a springboard (or smorgasbord of information) into researching potential sites that you can acquire links from.
Big brands aren’t always optimizing their site nor are they engaged in an active (or well designed) link development campaign. More often than not, I find resource sites, niche brands, and other lesser-known players in a particular industry performing the best for these types of keyword phrases. And, surprisingly enough, these smaller sites tend to out-perform the big brand competition in their link development efforts. They have a more varied link portfolio than the bigger companies. Why? Generally because they teach themselves the ins and outs of the industry because they know they are competing with bigger brands. And also because they tend to have a little more time on their hands since they are not managing the daily activities of a multi-million dollar corporation.
There are, of course, exceptions to this. Auto insurance is a great example. Several of the big players in the industry are actively engaged in strategic SEO and link development campaigns. While some are definitely performing better than others, there is quite a bit of evidence that points to the fact that these companies are SEO savvy.
So the next time you think of your competition, think beyond the big players in the industry. Do some queries and find out who is truly at the top. And dig a little deeper to see what more you can be doing.
Perceived Competition vs. Actual Competition
Posted by Angela Moore at 07:43 AM
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October 24, 2008
Why .edu Link Acquisition “Services” Don’t Last Long
posted by Angela Moore in category: Link Building
Recently, I had a client send me an email saying they had been approached by a company who could get them some .edu links in an “under the radar” kind of fashion and they asked me what I thought. Needless to say, I’m not crazy about these types of services. There are lots of reasons why, so I’ll hit on a couple of them now.
Many of these services say they will create original content for you on .edu domains and give your site a couple of links. They also put a couple of links to other resource sites like Wikipedia or a government site that provides a lot of value to the user, but is not a direct competitor of yours. Here are the issues with this:
1. The content is not worthwhile for any human to read. It doesn’t provide any value and just reading it tells you that the person who wrote it doesn’t have very good English skills.
2. Because this is the common trend with these types of services, it’s not hard for a search engine (or link development specialist) to figure out what’s going on.
3. Anything that promotes itself as being “under the radar” isn’t something you should engage in as a white link development specialist or firm. That should be the first warning sign.
4. Links are seldom built to these types of pages and when they are, they aren’t relevant nor are they valuable.
To further elaborate my point, I’ve monitored these types of pages and it doesn’t take long for them to get devalued by the search engines. One page I’ve been watching (no link, and for a reason) went from a PageRank 3 to a gray bar within 2 months of being live. They were also stripped from the indices of the search engines in that time period. I monitor lots of pages like this and while some of them (perhaps 5% of the ones I watch) slip past the requirements and provide PageRank value to the pages that it’s linking to, most of them become worthless pretty quickly. And for the price that you pay (I’ve seen as high as $3,000 a month for some of these pages) that’s a lot of wasted money.
Why .edu Link Acquisition “Services” Don’t Last Long
Posted by Angela Moore at 07:45 AM
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October 08, 2008
10 Tips for Doing Link Development Research
posted by Angela Moore in category: Link Building
When you are hunting for links for your site or for a client’s site, there are lots of avenues that you could pursue. Some work, some don’t. That’s just the nature of the business. There are a couple of things I have gleaned along the way that have helped me when I’m doing that sometimes tedious research for link development.
So here are my 10 favorite tips for doing link research:
1. Be a user first, link developer second. If your link is not going to provide value, why bother? Think like a user and make sure that the link makes sense before you post it or submit it.
2. Keep hunting for the contact info. This is something that Eric Ward has talked about and the extra effort can go a long way. If all you’re finding is the webmaster@domain.com email, keep hunting. Check the site map, About page, staff page, etc. until you find an actual person to contact.
3. Check more than the PageRank. PageRank is good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not the end all – be all of a site’s value. It’s a snapshot. Check who’s linking to them, how many pages are being indexed in both Yahoo and Google (major discrepancies here can send up a red flag), and the overall quality of the site.
4. Check partner sites. Even if the site that you want doesn’t take links or turns you down, find out who else is linking to them or has links on their site. If the relevancy and quality factors are there, send the email.
5. Evaluate who is linking to the competition. While some link developers say you shouldn’t do this because you’re always chasing the competition’s coat tails, I disagree. If the competition is on a page, why should users only have that option? They should have the option to choose the site you’re working on.
6. Let randomness take over. I tend to have a bit of ADD, which actually helps in my line of work. I roam the net, clicking what interests me and let the user in me take charge (yes, this relates back to #1). Chances are other users will surf in a similar fashion. I keep track of all the pages that I find that may work for a link request.
7. Use Google blog search. Or other social media monitoring tools. If people are talking about the site you’re evaluating, that’s a good sign. But make sure it’s not all negative. A mix of both positive and negative comments and posts regarding these sites make it legit to request a link from them.
8. Document everything. Inevitably, you’ll find yourself at a point where you’re wondering “where did I see that information…” and it will be lost. Be sure to document any pages you stumble across that may be helpful in later work.
9. Check the authority site. Let’s say you’re doing link work for a health site dealing with breast cancer. What are the online authorities for this? Obviously, the Komen Foundation and BreastCancer.org. Who is linking to them? Dig in and see what opportunities are there.
10. Investigate some forums. I’m not advocating SPAM here. But people who are passionate enough to talk about the content of what is on your site will have a long list of sites they regularly visit that may be relevant to what you’re looking for. Ask questions, check out discussions, and view user’s profiles for interesting leads.
10 Tips for Doing Link Development Research
Posted by Angela Moore at 07:31 AM
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September 16, 2008
Local and Links: A Match Made in Heaven?
posted by Angela Moore in category: Link Building
A good friend of mine, Adam, suggested that I do a post on How can local information, events, news, and other local fodder help your link development campaign? Oh, let me count the ways. Local search is a huge marketing push right now online. From Google maps to your local radio station’s Web site, the opportunities are endless for link development.
Of course, this is taking into account a couple of factors. First of all, that you are, in fact, local. If you have a brick and mortar location, you have the opportunity to be listed in the local search engines of Google, Yahoo, and the like. You can also get submitted to other Internet Yellow Pages (IYPs) and Local Directories like Best of the Web’s.
But there’s more to it than that. There is a world of opportunity when you look at your community and what is currently happening in it. Of course, the second assumption I am making is that you are active in your community. Whether it be community service, local festivals, or other popular events that you are participating in, you can make a name for yourself (and get some links) by doing some selfless service.
1. Sponsoring community organizations or events – Do you faithfully sponsor a local race, fundraiser, hospital or charity every year? Ask for a link from their Web site to yours if you don’t already have one. If you do have one, check to see if the link says what you want it to say. If the link is actually a hyperlinked image, make sure an ALT tag is included.
2. Receiving awards from local organizations – Ask if the organization has a page on their Web site for past recipients and see if a link has been included by your name. If not, a gentle suggestion may be a good idea. But, of course, don’t be pushy. It’s their site, they can do what they want. Additionally, ask if you can do an online press release about the award. Ask for a quote and syndicate it to an online service. Include a link to the organization as well as to your own site. If they are planning on doing their own, ask them to include a link to your site as well.
3. Current events – is your community going through some rough times and they need your expert advice? Create content that is specifically geared towards the current state of affairs and give tips on what the community can do. Then reach out to your local newspaper’s site and let them know the resource is available on your site.
4. Local Business Organizations and the Chamber of Commerce – Are you a member of a local group that is affiliated with the professional community or your particular industry? See if your terms of membership include a link from their Web site to yours.
If you’re not currently doing any of these things, get active. If you can make a positive impact on your community, you’re sure to be rewarded. Of course, I’m hoping that links are not your only motivation for doing good things for those around you. But, getting active in your community and staying on top of the needs of your potential client base will pay dividends in the long run.
Local and Links: A Match Made in Heaven?
Posted by Angela Moore at 05:45 AM
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September 11, 2008
How to Evaluate a Link Development Firm
posted by Angela Moore in category: Link Building
So, you’ve embarked on an SEO campaign and now you want to get more links. Welcome to my world! You understand it’s critical to your optimization efforts and you’re evaluating a firm that offers link development services. For many in the industry, link development is the thorn in the side. Very few people actually like doing it (present company excluded) and I’ve seen that some companies’ approach to the process is indicative of how they feel about it.
Here’s how to tell if you’re getting a good deal whether you’re hiring them only for link development or it’s part of the SEO campaign they are executing for you.
1.Tactics – does the firm offer only tactic (ie directory submissions) or are their campaigns more diversified? The more white hat options that a firm offers, the more keen they are as to how link development works. If a content development strategy is a part of the puzzle, even better.
2.Communication – how often will they be talking to you about your campaign? Regardless of whether it’s by phone or email, regular and thorough communication will make you feel more comfortable about what’s going on behind the scenes.
3.Reporting – how often you get reports and what is detailed in them is important. Are you only getting bare bones information? Like how many links are pointing to your site? Or are they telling you where those links are coming from, what pages on your site those links are pointing to, and what anchor text they used? The more data that is incorporated into a report for you, the more that firm actually cares about your project.
4.Competitive Information – this goes back to tactics, but if a firm is telling you what the competition is doing (something more substantial than “they have more links than you do”) they’ve taken the extra step to dive deep into what’s happening online on your behalf.
5.Analytics – does the firm jump into the analytics fray and tell you what’s going on beyond just how many links you’ve gotten? Do they talk about site referrals, type in traffic metrics, increases or decreases in brand-related searches? All of these and more would tell me that a firm is in tune with all the benefits of link development, not just rankings.
This is just a small sampling of what you can look at in regards to a link development firm and how they will handle your campaign. Other things can include what advanced strategies they offer, results of brainstorm sessions (if they are having them), and industry trend information being sent your way. Be sure you are spending your money (and your time) wisely by choosing a firm that not only does a good job, but actually cares about your links.
How to Evaluate a Link Development Firm
Posted by Angela Moore at 05:33 AM
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September 02, 2008
Link Development Vocabulary
posted by Angela Moore in category: Link Building
First, I want to say thank you to the entire Intrapromote team for the warm welcome and another big thanks to Erik for his introduction on this blog.
Now, onto the thing that I love to talk about: Link Development. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about link development. A lot. So, it's probably a good idea to start with some basics and clarify some of the lingo we use in the industry.
Link Popularity: First and foremost, it's a metric. Why do we care? Because Google says it's important, so all professional SEOs and Google-wannabes have followed suit. This measures both the quantity and quality of the links coming into all the pages on a site. Link Popularity is more than just how many links are coming into a page / site. It also measures how good the linking sites are by looking at things like how many links are pointing to that site, the quality of the content, the history of the site online, PageRank, and how often that site is updated, among others. The better the site, the more valuable the link. And these links play into the ever-elusive algorithm of how Google returns search results for keyword searches.
Link Building: In a nutshell, this refers to "getting" more links either through solicitation, submitting to directories, or other various methods. It focuses on only getting new links. In fancier terms it can also called "Link Acquisition." I prefer the latter when referring to this type of link work. It sounds prettier.
Link Development: This is more holistic in its approach. Not only are you building links and getting new links to a site or page, but you are also looking at the links that already exist and identifying ways to improve them. There are lots of ways to do this and it's most often referred to as "Link Reclamation" or reclaiming the links that already exist. It is also called "Link Sculpting." This is what we focus on at Intrapromote.
I'm sure we'll get more into a lot of this as these blog posts continue to roll in, but for now I think that's a good start. Again, I'm excited to be a part of the Intrapromote team and I'm looking forward to the exciting conversations ahead.
Link Development Vocabulary
Posted by Angela Moore at 01:32 PM
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