Tag: Google

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Guest Blogging for Links

What does Google (Matt Cutts) think about guest blogging and the links that are generated from doing it? This excellent video answers the question.

This is the bottom line. If you did not sweat in creating the guest blog post Google will typically not give you link juice for it. That’s the hard cold fact. Write a light weight blog post of about 250 words, post it on a variety of sites, and maybe even use article spinning software in an effort to create unique content for each site and you really will not be getting link benefits.

Create a well written, informative, insightful blog post for a site that supports your industry and yes Google does like this approach. It’s all about the time you take and the insight you provide. Do not do guest blogging just for links with minimal effort on your part Matt and Google pretty much say in this video that it is wasted effort.

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Google is Changing the Game

“Google has me in its grip. With every new day, I am subjected to some new persecution for which there seems to be no escape.”  Read her full article at SiteProNews

Do you feel like this? That website organic placement, placement on Google Places (now Google Local) is a moving target. You’ll want to read the story of Marilyn’s travel so you can feel her pain. But does it have to be so complicated?

Here’s my short list of things that you should do for your website to garner organic placement (that means unpaid placement) on Google.com. Don’t get spun up on things that won’t help or hurt you if you simply don’t have the time or know how.

  1. Make sure you are blogging with the blog posts archived and posted using your own domain name so that you build consistent interesting and fresh content.
  2. Do make sure that your website is linked to your personal Google+ account and that you do have a Google+ account for your business.
  3. Do verify your Google+ Local page so Google knows that you are the business owner.
  4. Do get on a plan to build great website content and write regular new informational pages for your website.
  5. Do implement rich snippets with your website reviews if you have the know how.

I don’t feel that making yourself crazy of what Google picks up and doesn’t pick up will help or hurt you. Do the best you can if you are updating your own website.

The real key to placement on Google.com is to have great content first and foremost that people will want to link to in a natural manner. Google is not going to drop your placement if you don’t have your website connected to Google+, but they will drop you if you have duplicate or poor content.

Stay focused on the things that make sense for your business and if you have the budget, hire an expert to help with the rest.

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Ready to Connect on Google+ Here’s How

I consider activity on Google+ important for business owners. The real SEO and search benefits are however not achieved by updating your Google+ Business page, but rather your Google+ personal page.

So, how can you connect with others to start building your Google+ empire and improved rankings for your company website in the organic listings?

  1. Start by making sure the content you write is on target, on topic, and engaging.
  2. I use my Google+ page for business and not personal use. Consider doing the same for now.
  3. Work to actively add users to circles and respond when someone adds you to one of their circles.
  4. Click +1 and leave comments on posts you find interesting. You’ve simply got to spend some time.
  5. Consider starting a hangout. Well I am still thinking about that one, but have participated in several others and they can be fun. I have just not initiated one.

I personally find that for placement Google+ will be very important. As Google does not allow any automated or scheduled updates to be passed to your Google+ page, you will find the community of business people,legitimate, real and engaging.

Personally, I use Facebook for personal interaction on my locked down private page and Google+ as my face on social networks for business.

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Confidence Equals Sales

Sure you’ve seen sites like this on the web; ones that have no phone number, no address, and just a contact form, but they want you to buy! Do you? I don’t! Especially if I am comparison shopping. In fact, I’ll pay more to know that I am dealing with a legitimate firm, do you?

In my business, confidence equates sales. It is just simple, if you are not willing to share your phone number, email address, and location address on your own website, you communicate that you will be hard to reach if there is a problem. Not sharing these important items can become a big problem that does really impact sales.

In online sales, it is all about confidence. Are you who you say you are? If I have a problem will I get help? Will I be able to talk to a “real person”? These are the items that all website should have prominently placed to communicate legitimacy and thereby build confidence with potential customers.

  1. Phone Number
  2. Email Address
  3. Location Address – no P.O. Boxes – a real office location!
  4. Hours of Service – for phone contact
  5. Time Zone – for customer planning

Don’t  have these on your website because you think that you may be spammed? Think again! You do not communicate your willingness to trade with potential buyers by hiding your contact information. Take a look at your website and make sure that you aren’t communicating improperly your desire to serve and sell. You may just find that your sales significantly improve when you are confident enough to put your own information on your website.