Top Click Media Staff BlogLink Building - Top Click Media Staff Blog

SEO firm launch new publisher tools

Jay Smith — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 08:30:17 +0000

Blekko, the stealth search engine, have announced the launch of a number of new tools which are designed to improve both their publisher and marketer outreach proposition. The firm have developed some new widgets, in addition to offering their users a ‘Blekkogear’ page which provides the new tools, in addition to a number of other publishing support services.

The main development by the company is the Live Link Roll, which enables users to download a widget that shows the most recent inbound links which have been implemented online, as they are happening. In addition, Blekko have provided a tool which allows people to generate code for iframe use, which can embed any internet blog or web site in to a frame, as a widget construction function.

The new functionality makes it simple for people who are looking to enhance their sites to include a range of inbound links to a number of different domains, customising the way they are displayed to site visitors. The rationale behind the launch is to simplify the way inbound links are used, and enhance the quality of the links which are developed for sites.

In addition to the Live Link Roll, Blekko have developed a search box which can be embedded in to sites, so that owners can provide a search facility through the firm. The box can feature the full capabilities of Blekko, or be reduced to take up less space and loading time. The page of tools which has been made available also features a number of other downloadable items including a toolbar.

The company have made a name for themselves primarily through providing accessible information to people interested in online search marketing, relating to SEO data about the sites which feature on their index. A spokesperson for the firm has commented: “As you know, top brands have recently ended up in the headlines, because vendors may have paid for links to sites in order to fool search engines into higher ranking. Blekko is combating this with the link widget, which allows sites to provide the world link transparency.”

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The top four blunders which undermine SEO

Jen — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 09:48:14 +0000

The world of Search Engine Optimisation is a complex one, involving a strong understanding of the workings of the web, and a wealth of tools and techniques involved with producing great copy and links to support efficient retrieval of search query results. This very complexity means that it is easy to perform SEO badly, as common errors and oversights tend to compromise the effectiveness of the process, leading to poor results online.

The following five mistakes are the most common which affect the average SEO marketer on a regular basis. Working around these four areas will enhance the quality of the SEO performed, and enable the key search engines to retrieve data quickly and effectively…

Unethical use of links

Although Google doesn’t authorise the purchase of links, and now levies a penalty if this activity is undertaken, many small businesses still engage in this practice. If inbound links are purchased rather than being implemented ethically, they are likely to be of a poor quality, actually bringing little value to the SEO process. Links should be tailored to the site content, to ensure that searchers are getting the results which they need when they go online. Links are only of use if they are assessed for efficacy, rather than success being measured through volume alone.

Not performing comprehensive research

Good research is the foundation of any sound SEO strategy. Without looking at the industry in which the SEO is to operate, including keyword research, investigation in to market requirements and customer needs, the search optimisation strategy will fail. The requirements of online consumers can change on a daily basis, and it’s critical to ensure that adequate investigation is carried out prior to launching a new SEO process.

Neglecting the maintenance of copy

Old copy, out-of-date material and poorly-maintained sites won’t benefit from a great SEO process. In order for search to be optimised online, techniques need to be applied to copy which is worthwhile to people looking for information over the net. Poorly-written or constructed content can make even the most rigorous SEO techniques fail, as surfers will not respond well to the information as it is brought to the pages of the search engine.

Not tailoring the SEO to specific site needs and requirements

The best possible attribute of great SEO is that it is specifically tailored for the individual needs of the site to which it is being applied. Taking a universal approach to SEO will simply serve to undermine the content being promoted, rendering the overall search strategy useless. The best SEO takes in to account that every site is different, and needs a bespoke approach in order to thrive on the major search engines.

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Life after NoFollow (Part 3)

James Oliver — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:58:12 +0000

All week I’ve been talking about the DoFollow blog movement, the wonderful people who have rejected the scourge of SEOs all over the world that is No Follow by allowing links from their comments boards to pass link juice to other sites, but how do you join the good fight yourself? And, apart from the warm feeling that comes from helping your fellow man, what are the benefits of doing so?

Let’s start with the benefits. Removing the NoFollow tag will encourage more comments on your blog – if people know they are getting something in return they will be far more inclined to engage in discourse. Also, comments breed comments. Before you know it you could have lively discussion across your board between both linking and non-linking users. It really helps to create a sense of community and therefore some brand loyalty for your blog.

So how do you do it? Well, if you use WordPress then good news, it’s as easy as simply installing the DoFollow plugin. Other blogging platforms make things a little more complicated though there is a way to make it happen for any blog. There are too many to go into here but this page contains a comprehensive list that should answer the specifics.

Once you’ve converted you can submit your page to the DoFollow lists mentioned in yesterday’s blog, which will obviously help greatly with your marketing. However, be warned, not every SEO is as ethical as we are. You will get spam. Be sure to monitor your board and, if necessary, play policeman.

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Life after NoFollow (Part 2)

Matt Thomas — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:35:27 +0000

Yesterday I told you how to find DoFollow blogs, today I’m going to talk a little bit about etiquette and the best way to post on these blogs. The reason this is important is firstly, to make sure that your posting is having the maximum effect and secondly, to make sure that you are showing the appropriate respect to the DoFollow bloggers. After all, there’s nothing stopping them switching back to NoFollow.

The first hint is fairly obvious, check the PageRank of both the blog homepage and the actual page you’re commenting on. Try to focus on homepages with PageRank of three or above to try and make it worth your time. The actual blog page’s rank matters less because they will often be too new to actually have PageRank, only worry about it if it’s an old post. You should also use ‘Site Strength Indicator’ to get an idea of who’s linking to the page – link data is updated more regularly than PageRank, it could help you get the jump on the other posters. Check out the number and quality of posts too, if they’re many and good you can bet that there’s some good inbound links.

Also, I hope this goes without saying, but don’t be a spammer! Nobody likes a nuisance – remember the DoFollow community is just that, a community! Make sure that your post actually adds something in exchange for the link and don’t fill the name field with keywords – it’s a dead giveaway. If the site admin gets annoyed with the spam and switches back to Nofollow you’ve just closed a useful door forever. The traditional ‘Nice article mate!’ will not do.

Unfortunately, this switch back has already happened to many of the DoFollow blogs. To check if a site is still passing link juice, download the GreaseMonkey plugin for FireFox and install the script that allows you to see all the NoFollow links on a site.

Next week: how to become part of the solution by setting up your own DoFollow blog.

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Life after NoFollow (Part 1)

Matt Thomas — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:07:51 +0000

In 2005 Google’s endorsement of the NoFollow tag messed things up nicely for SEOs. Before that, building high quality inbound links was as easy as posting a comment on a blog and dropping in a link. We were happy, our clients were ecstatic, things were just fine thank you very much. Then, of course, NoFollow came along and called time on happy hour, ending the age of straightforward link building forever… Or did it?

As if turns out, numerous bloggers were a little annoyed that Google thought they had a right to unilaterally decide how their link juice was distributed. Incensed, they modified their blogs to allow comments and track-backs to continue to bestow link juice on sites. These rebellious souls became known as DoFollow bloggers. If you know how to find these blogs, and there’s quite a few out there, you can flash back to 2005 and, up to a point, reap the benefits.

Over the next few posts I’m going to show you how to find DoFollow blogs, isolate the best posts and stop your comments getting binned by site administrators. One word of warning however, tread softly. These blogs are subverting NoFollow out of the goodness of their hearts. If you end up abusing these blogs it’ll backfire.

So where are the DoFollow blogs? Well, luckily a few kind hearted people have done our work for us here and compiled lists. You can find these lists at the following sites; Court’s D-List, Tricia’s Musings, Whydowork.com, Digital Product Review, Untwisted Vortex, The DoFollow Directory, Stephen Miller’s Ultimate DoFollow Blog List and Bumpzee.

There are also a few do follow search engines, though these vary widely in quality, the best ones are, DoFollow Diver, DoFollow.US and Dofollo.com.

Tune in tomorrow for advice on finding out if sites are using NoFollow and some posting tips…

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What makes a good Link?

Matt Thomas — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:02:44 +0000

Unsurprisingly, due to their ability to make or break a site’s ranking, there’s a lot of discussion about incoming links in our meetings with clients. People want to know what kind of links to aim for, what determines the weighting of a link, how search engines make the distinction between a good link and a bad one.

Since this is the Internet, the conversation usually becomes fairly long and complicated. There are many different factors that search engines use to evaluate the strength of a link and the amount of that strength that is passed on to the specific site page. However, we feel that there are a few key points that make a huge difference to the strength of a link.

The first is anchor text. If you have targeted your site towards specific keywords, having those keywords appear as the link text can make a real difference
Another thing to consider is the current page rank of the linking page. Unsurprisingly, Google gives more credence to the more highly ranked pages
If a site has used NoFollow on your link, it’s as good as useless. It’s still indexed, by Microsoft and Yahoo anyway, but it passes absolutely no page rank
Relevance is another thing to consider. If the page linking to you is highly relevant to your content then that link will be rated much higher than irrelevant links
The link also needs to look natural, ie. surrounded by content that is relevant to the link. Otherwise the link won’t pass much value
Where the link is placed also makes a difference. Near the top of a page or as part of a page’s content is best
Something that makes Google suspicious is links that come and go often on pages. You really want permanent links
Another thing that make Google look twice is sites linking to each other often. This all but broadcasts a quid pro quo between sites, which is frowned upon

I Hope that answers some questions. Have a good weekend!

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Does Link age matter?

Matt Thomas — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:32:52 +0000

There is no general agreement in the world of the internet about whether or not age matters in terms of links. Of course, nobody says that older sites aren’t better off than brand new sites, of course they are. The arguments start when people begin talking about whether older links actually provide more juice or other benefits than newer ones.

My opinion is that old links are better than new links. Allow me to explain why…

The age of a link is very likely to become a ranking factor very soon, if it isn’t already. So obviously, if you’ve secured links early and given them time to age like a fine wine you’ll be in a very good position when the rules change. The main reason I’m so confident that this will happen is that Google absolutely despises purchased links and takes steps to discourage buyers and sellers whenever it can. One way to do this is to make new links less valuable, substantially weakening the seller’s product.

Also, whatever you think of it, you have to agree, Google is far from stupid. It knows that real links hang around for a very long time. In my humble opinion it’s only a matter of time until that’s factored into the constantly evolving Google ranking algorithm.

Okay, so basically old links are better, probably.

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Don’t get penalised: the right way to buy Links

Matt Thomas — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:44:21 +0000

A lot of people come to us after being unceremoniously dropped down the Google rankings for the crime of buying links. Often they’re surprised, being either unsure of the risks when they went into the deal, or under the mistaken impression that Google doesn’t punish the link buyer directly.

Let me clear this up: Google can and will penalise you for buying links. Therefore the simple rule to follow is, don’t buy links.

Simple but not always practical, I know. In some lines of online work it’s pretty much impossible to compete unless you’re buying links. I know how it is when you see practically every single competitor buying up links left right and centre to dominate your market sector. It’s like seeing people use the bus lane when you’re stuck in traffic.

Unfortunately, just as a police car could appear the minute you try it, Google could decide you’re the one to get punished – the fact that everyone else is getting away with it does not mean you will. Google are also fairly inconsistent in the way they hand out penalties, which is why you’ll see big names continually and blatantly buying links and getting away scott-free.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. If you really think that link buying is essential to your online business, there are ways to minimise the risk.

Firstly, if at all possible, avoid brokers. Buy your links directly from the sites you wish to link to you, this is much harder for Google to track. If nobody’s playing ball then using brokers very carefully is option number two.

The main rule with brokers is don’t point the links at your site straight away. Instead, direct them to a test site for a month or so. Choose a site you wouldn’t mind getting penalised – one of your older or less well performing sites, maybe even a competitor’s site. If the rankings go down you know you’re likely to be penalised, if they don’t move you know the link was a waste of money. This is a great way to asses the risk and reward of a link.

However, let me be absolutely clear, these strategies only minimise the risk, they are not sure fire ways to avoid a penalty. Google may still decide to penalise you months down the line. There’s simply an inherent risk when buying links.

The question you need to ask yourself is, does the reward outweigh the risk?

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