Darren Varndell's Blog, page 4
July 6, 2013
How to Rank #1 on Google - Video
Website SEO was the topic, coffee was the fuel, and an early morning meeting in the office the location. As with most early meetings they can take a while to become productive, and so the most simple question was asked while we settled into our seats; How to Rank #1 on Google? Given the interesting fact that Youtube is now the largest search engine, we asked 'The Tube'. Knowing the complicated nature of the answer to our question (e.g. the hundreds of ranking factors actually involved with website SEO) we did not expect to find a video lasting just over 2 mins that not only answers this question, but is presented by a name we all know in the industry, Matt Cutts from Google's web spam team.
We are having a board meeting today to vote upon whether we should replace the entire contents of our website and blog with this one video.
How to Rank #1 on Google - By Matt Cutts.
Please note: This video is very funny parody of how NOT to do Website SEO. It highlights some of the major points made in our Online Marketing Mistakes article.
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June 22, 2013
Anchor Tag Link SEO
While conducting Search Engine Optimization strategies such as SEO Link Building, it is easy for some webmasters to lose sight of how they use anchor text and the HTML anchor tag on their own website or blog. This article digs deeper into this critical area for SEO.Search engines use text found on websites to discover information regarding a web page topic and pay a lot of attention to text found within an anchor tag, the HTML code for a hyperlink.
Internal links, those pointing to URLs on your own website, and external linking, where you link to other websites, are treated very differently by search engines. This article discusses both types of linking strategies to help you get your SEO and Links working together to help improve your search rankings.
SEO and Links
The use of text linking instead of images and buttons is the best choice for SEO and links as search engines seem to favor these and give them more weight as a ranking factor. For this reason you should try to use text linking wherever possible, especially when linking to internal pages on your website.
Avoid the use of generic terms and phrases such as 'Home', 'Click Here', 'More' etc. Unless you wish to rank for these terms they serve little purpose with regards to SEO. You should strive to use related keywords within your anchor text, both for internal and external linking, both of which are described in more detail below.
HTML Code for a Hyperlink
The HTML code for a hyperlink uses an Anchor Tag to make elements of your page clickable and open another URL when clicked by a user. A basic example showing the elements related to SEO is shown below.
Anchor Tag Format
<a href="http://blog.ezwebsitepromotion.com/20...URL" target="TARGET">LINK TEXT</a>
URL - The full URL to the resource or page to open.
TARGET - Location to open the URL;
_blank - opens a new un-named browser window_parent - opens in parent frame or window_self - replaces current frame or browser window_top - loads in top frame framename - a named frame or browser window
Omitting this value will cause the link to open in the current window or frame.
LINK TEXT - This is the clickable text on your page, or an image tag that you want to make into a clickable link.
Example Text Link in HTML
<a href="http://www.ezwebsitepromotion.com" target="_blank">Website Promotion</a>
The above example opens the website www.ezwebsitepromotion.com in a new browser window when the text Website Promotion is clicked.
Internal Anchor Text Linking
Anchor text for internal linking should always contain keywords related to the target page. Linking text containing two to three words seems to work best. Follow the same strategy for your website menu and site navigation links.
Some good examples anchor text for links incoming to this page could be SEO Anchor Text, Anchor Tags for SEO, etc. Only use related and relevant keywords that appear on the target page. Try to avoid linking to the same page more than two or three times from the same web page as this can look spammy to search engines.
External Anchor Text Linking
SEO link building to external websites is still a relevant factor for your own website as search engines also look at the sites that you link to when ranking your website. Again use relevant anchor text only. We have seen some success in linking outward using our targeted keywords, but only link to well established, trusted, authority sites. Linking to bad or unrelated websites can cost you ranking positions and in severe cases get you banned (sand-boxed).
It is also a good idea when external linking to open the URL in a new browser window to ensure you do not lose your user if they click the link. Use the Target value of the anchor tag to specify "_blank" as the target for the new page.
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June 17, 2013
Video SEO
Video SEO Marketing Tips
Video search optimization and Video SEO marketing information, tips and resources for beginners. This article contains essential techniques and advice regarding video search engine indexing and ranking, If you are just getting started with video marketing you will find these tips for optimizing web videos for Google and Youtube essential reading.
If you aren't optimizing your videos to match the common search terms used by people while searching the internet, your videos are likely to get lost among a huge number of alternative search listings and not reach their intended audience. YouTube is currently the second largest search engine behind Google. A recent study suggested that Youtube videos are up to 50 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google search results, Video marketing is therefore a powerful medium for driving additional traffic to your website and increasing your brand awareness. How do you take advantage of this online website promotion medium and ensure your videos get the desire results? With the use of video search engine optimization, often referred to as Video SEO.
Top Tip: Add your full website URL as the first word of your description. This is a valuable backlink in terms of SEO and will help with your overall website rankings.Choosing TagsOptimize your video Tags using important keyword phrases or keywords. Don't use complicated or uncommon words or terminology in your video tags. Look at your keyword research and what your targeted audience is likely to use while searching to find your product, brand or service online. Also consider naming the file of the video using these keyword(s).
Provide Video TranscriptsProvide transcripts of your online videos where possible, within reasonable size limits of course. Standard HTML text content is still a favorite source of information for search engines.
For your videos to rank well you need to give search engines something to read, index and rank. Surround your videos with relevant text that can be easily read and indexed by search engines.
SEO Video LengthFor best SEO performance keep your video length to five minutes or less. The average amount of time a user spends watching a YouTube video is around 1 and a half minutes. If you have video(s) of long duration, consider breaking them up into smaller parts, and title/tag each to be more appealing to the viewer. Multiple videos are also better for your Video SEO optimization efforts. YouTube is now paying closer attention to viewers and users engagement and so it is increasingly important that users watch your video for as long as possible.Video SEO optimization and promotion is a new and exciting form of internet marketing and a way to increase your overall brand exposure to new users that may otherwise have not been familiar with your product or brand. It is a great way to promote your website or business and will get you increased results with search engines.
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Video search optimization and Video SEO marketing information, tips and resources for beginners. This article contains essential techniques and advice regarding video search engine indexing and ranking, If you are just getting started with video marketing you will find these tips for optimizing web videos for Google and Youtube essential reading. If you aren't optimizing your videos to match the common search terms used by people while searching the internet, your videos are likely to get lost among a huge number of alternative search listings and not reach their intended audience. YouTube is currently the second largest search engine behind Google. A recent study suggested that Youtube videos are up to 50 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google search results, Video marketing is therefore a powerful medium for driving additional traffic to your website and increasing your brand awareness. How do you take advantage of this online website promotion medium and ensure your videos get the desire results? With the use of video search engine optimization, often referred to as Video SEO.
Top Tip: Add your full website URL as the first word of your description. This is a valuable backlink in terms of SEO and will help with your overall website rankings.Choosing TagsOptimize your video Tags using important keyword phrases or keywords. Don't use complicated or uncommon words or terminology in your video tags. Look at your keyword research and what your targeted audience is likely to use while searching to find your product, brand or service online. Also consider naming the file of the video using these keyword(s).
Provide Video TranscriptsProvide transcripts of your online videos where possible, within reasonable size limits of course. Standard HTML text content is still a favorite source of information for search engines.
For your videos to rank well you need to give search engines something to read, index and rank. Surround your videos with relevant text that can be easily read and indexed by search engines.
SEO Video LengthFor best SEO performance keep your video length to five minutes or less. The average amount of time a user spends watching a YouTube video is around 1 and a half minutes. If you have video(s) of long duration, consider breaking them up into smaller parts, and title/tag each to be more appealing to the viewer. Multiple videos are also better for your Video SEO optimization efforts. YouTube is now paying closer attention to viewers and users engagement and so it is increasingly important that users watch your video for as long as possible.Video SEO optimization and promotion is a new and exciting form of internet marketing and a way to increase your overall brand exposure to new users that may otherwise have not been familiar with your product or brand. It is a great way to promote your website or business and will get you increased results with search engines.
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June 14, 2013
URL Submission
What is URL Submission?The internet is full of search engines and web directories ready to add your link and send you free traffic. URL submission is the process of submitting your website URL for possible inclusion. This article provides information for effective website submission, plus a FREE URL Submission Tool to help get you started promoting your site.How to Submit a Website URLBefore seeking out obscure web directories and search engines for site submission it is important to note that both Google and Bing offer website submission directly from your Webmasters Tools area. You should sign-up for, and take advantage of these search engine services before moving onto other URL submission tasks.
It is a good idea to make the distinction between web directories and search engines. Directory listings are usually provided by the submitter of the link, whereas search engines obtain data about your website by using software to crawl the pages of your site, often using your Title and Description SEO meta tags to add your link.
When submitting to web directories you should pay particular attention to relevance, ensuring you visit each directory manually to select the correct category for your website listing.. Use accurate and meaningful titles and descriptions that include your targeted keywords where possible during your website promotion activities. Don't forget to include a call-to-action in your description to increase click through rates.
URL Submission MistakesAvoid making some common site submission mistakes that can cost your site in terms of SEO and search rankings by following the guidelines below:
Do NOT use automated submission software tools for website submission.Add your link using unique titles and descriptions that make sense.Only submit your website to web directories relevant to your site.Duplicate titles and descriptions may look like spam to some search engines.Do not enter page titles or description in all uppercase.Keep page titles less than 60 characters.Keep page descriptions less than 140 characters.Use only keyword tags related to your website. Unrelated = spam!Check your email for confirmation links, use a real email address.Avoid submitting to web directories more than once. Be patient.Check website policy before submitting deep page links.
URL Submission SitesHere is a list of other website submission sites that can help you add your link to web directories and search engines. Follow the submission guidelines shown above, with particular attention to unique titles and descriptions.
Submit URL to Google (Do This FIRST)Add your link to Bing (Do This NEXT)Submit your site to EntireWeb (Multiple search engines)FREE multiple URL submission from SubmitterBot.Free URL Submission ToolYou can submit your website online to the 21 search engines shown below by using this quick and easy online website submission form to add your link.
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