Is there a better way to do social search? - Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

You’ve probably heard the news already. Google is making search more social with their new Search Plus Your World. Basically, results from or recommended by people in your social network (meaning Google+) are given high placement in rankings when you search.

You might have also heard the biggest criticism of this new search feature — that it’s anticompetitive. (Or at least that’s what Google’s big social media competitors have said.) While I understand that concern, I have bigger ones. I worry about how Search Plus Your World will affect the actual users of Google’s search engine. And I immediately found two glaring problems.

Search Becomes Redundant

The first thing I noticed after the introduction of Search Plus Your World is that my results were repetitive. I already knew so-and-so wrote about subject X and recommended Y. I saw that in their social media updates.

In and of itself, that doesn’t make the content more relevant. I’m using a search engine to find something new or specific. If I want to see what my friends recommend, I’ll check out their +1s, likes, or I’ll ask them on Twitter. Search engine users shouldn’t have to be bombarded with the same material they’ve already found elsewhere.

Google Gets Gamed (…Again)

As a Web publisher I’ve watched Google go after people they see as gaming the rankings system for years. Now it appears they’re handing these heavy promoters better rankings on a silver platter. That’s another trend I noticed quickly — people who are blatant self-promoters ranked high while more trusted sources (like closer colleagues and friends) didn’t appear in my results nearly as much.

Why did this happen? Because these folks are the link whore types who will link to, “recommend,” +1, etc. their own content all day long if they think it’s going to drive more traffic to their sites. These are the old Stumble exchange folks, the “tribes” that blindly link to each others’ content so their own will be promoted too, and the aggressive SEO link builders.

Now don’t get me wrong. These aren’t all bad people. But they do game the system, and the behavior borders on spam at times. I follow some of them because I like what they have to say on their blogs or I have an interest in what they offer elsewhere. That doesn’t mean I should be slammed with their self-promotional nonsense in search results. Keep it isolated to the social networks where I choose to let that through. Wanting to see something on Google+ (or any social network) doesn’t mean we want to see the same people and the same things promoted whenever we search the Web.

On the plus side, Google does let you disable Search Plus Your World (either in your settings or on a case by case basis). The latter option has its own problems though. The options aren’t labeled well, so I doubt the Average Joe searching the Web would even notice. You have to change the results after you search rather than being able to set your options up front. Their highlighting seems almost reversed (when personal results are turned on that button is grayed out — not a big deal, but I can see how it could get confusing).

Then there’s the worst part. You have to change this setting every time you use Google (whether it’s a separate visit or you just open another browser tab). The exception is if you run a new search in the same window where you already changed the settings.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not thrilled with Google’s aggressive tinkering with the default style of search results. If you want your search engine to work as a search engine (rather than a promotional tool for Google+), you need to login and change that in your search settings. I’m sure most readers of this blog are savvy enough to do that. My concern is more about an average user who doesn’t even notice the changes yet (given that the new settings and the ability to change them back aren’t clearly disclosed on results pages).

What are your thoughts on Search Plus Your World? Have you seen the same kind of redundancy I’ve come across? Have you also had issues with bloggers and other heavy promoters ranking better than more trusted people in your network? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

If you too have been waiting with baited breath to see how to use Google Plus for business, I have your answer. Google Plus is completely open to the public (invitations are not required) and Google Plus Pages are now here. In addition to circles to inform your friends, coworkers, and family with the messages you’ve written just for them you can show support to and follow your favorite businesses. Connect with your favorite clothing line, bands, coffee shop, and more.

For local businesses and globally recognized brand names, Google Plus Pages have been introduced, worldwide. Now you can share with individuals who are passionate about what you do. It’s social media marketing at its finest, real relationship building and nurturing.

Individuals can recommend you with a +1, add you to a circle to get regular updates, and get to know you and your business. All you have to do is start sharing. Google is currently limiting pages, not everyone will be able to create one right now. A number of pages are already available for public viewing and soon any organization will be able to create a page at plus.google.com/pages/create.

What does Google Plus Pages mean for search? Two things. One, Google Plus Pages will be included in search results. Two, Direct Connect. From Google search you can search for (+) followed by the page/company you’re interested in. Google will direct you to the Plus Page related to your search and allow you to add the page to your circles. Direct Connect is still in Beta (it doesn’t work for my page yet, for example – just a few well known brands).

I’ve been waiting for months to see if Google Plus could compete with Facebook. I’m still not sure I’ve got a good answer. Google Plus hasn’t taken off quite as quickly as I thought it would, but I’m excited to see what Pages have to offer. I recently added the +1 icon to my blog and will be adding badges to my website soon. I hope to use my brand new Plus Page to build a base of super fans and loyal customers as well as educate potential clients (much like what I already do on Facebook). Be sure to +1 Fletcher Freelance and add my page to your circle for marketing tips and all the latest in social media.

Your Plus Page is a blank state. Share what you’ll make of it in the comments below.

Search and social media are two constantly (and rapidly) evolving areas. So to serve you better and make sure you don’t miss some of the bigger or more interesting stories, we’re launching a new series. Near the beginning of every month we’ll reflect back on the previous few weeks, highlighting some of the search engine, SEO, and social media stories that grabbed our attention.

Google has generated a lot of buzz recently with news on both the search and social media fronts. But they’re not alone. Facebook, Microsoft, Baidu, and even Myspace make a showing this month. Check out some of the latest stories, or share other news that has you excited in the comments.

1. Google+

Google has dominated social media news lately with the launch of Google+ — their latest attempt at a Facebook killer. Not a fan of Facebook myself, I’m looking forward to seeing how Google+ might (or might not) be a better fit. One of the main features I’m excited about is Google’s “circles.” Basically you can group your friends, family, colleagues, or whomever into different circles and share different information with each group easily. I just received my invite today and can’t wait to test it out. Are you on Google+ yet? Do you think Google+ will have any affect on traditional search? [source]

Credit: Google+ (Circles feature)

2. Google Discontinues Real Time Search, Wonder Wheel and More

One of the biggest stories in search right now is the discontinuation of Google’s real time search feature (where they showed tweets and other information as it happened). This is reportedly due to a contract expiration between the search giant and Twitter. Google has also discontinued other enhanced search features including the Wonder Wheel and they’re sporting a new look (including a black / charcoal bar at the top of the site which seems to be a “love it or hate it” change). [source]

3. Facebook-Skype Video Chat

Facebbook and Skype announced a joint effort to bring you video calling and better integration between the two services. You’ll be able to video call your Facebook friends and even set up group video calls through Skype. How will you take advantage of these features? Do you think video calling was a natural step for Facebook? [source]

4. Google Panda Update 2.2

Google released their Panda 2.2 update in mid-June. Some webmasters have seen their rankings improve from the last update while others are now feeling Panda’s pain. Where do your sites fit in? According to Matt Cutts the update specifically targets scrapers. [source]

5. Microsoft / Baidu Deal for English Search in China

Where Google was previously willing to pull out of China, Microsoft wants a way in. With that goal in mind Microsoft recently came to a deal with Chinese search giant, Baidu. They’ll work together to provide English-language search results to the market. [source]

6. Facebook Blocks Friend Exports to Google+

If you’re both a Facebook user and an early user of Google+, I bet you’d love a way to move your friends’ information to the new tool. Right? Well, with Google+ barely out of the gates Facebook is already putting a stop to it. They recently blocked the Chrome extension, Facebook Friend Exporter, that allowed users to export Facebook contact info and import it into their Gmail address book (where Google+ pulls contact details from). Does sharing their info with you count as an opt-in where you should be able to move to another service (like with email marketing)? Is this a move to protect user privacy, or just an anti-competitive strike-down? We’ll let you decide. [source]

7. News Corp. Sells Myspace

News Corp. finally parted with the social network, Myspace, at a huge loss. It was sold to Specific Media for $35 million. Apparently Justin Timberlake will have an ownership stake and some say in the site’s future. Do you think the new owners can breathe life back into Myspace by going back to an entertainment focus, or is Myspace just clinging to its last breath? [source]

Share your thoughts on these recent stories from the search and social media industries, or share other stories with our readers by leaving a comment below.

 

Facebook’s Status

Let me make one thing clear, Facebook is continuing to grow. A $100 billion valuation is expected for Facebook’s initial public offering and the site as 600 million users. Growth, however, is seen primarily outside the United States. U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Russia have been losing friends.

It seems as soon as Facebook becomes too popular, registration in a given country stops. According to Inside Facebook 6 million users in the U.S. left in May. This was the first domestic decrease in a year. Canada saw a loss of 1.52 million. Facebook has been able to make up losses with gains in countries like Mexico, Brazil, India, and Indonesia.

What do Networkers Want?

One thought is that social networkers are going to look for anonymity again or will seek niche networks over those with mass appeal. Once your mom (sorry mom, I love you and it’s totally cool with me that you’re on Facebook) and everyone you know is on Facebook, the site begins
to lose its mystery.

What is Google Plus?

In a lot of ways Google + looks and feels very much like Facebook. Profile pics are in the top left corner. With photos and personal stats just to the right. Post pictures, videos, and what you’re up to on the status bar. The stream with news from your friends allows you to put in your two cents on their life.

Google Plus is marketing itself as “Real-life sharing, rethought for the web.” The project is supposed to allow connections that mirror real life.  Plus will satisfy the desire to communicate with niche groups.

The Circle feature allows users to share different things with each circle. Your circles could be coworkers, family, and close friends. This way your coworkers or 13-year-old niece won’t need to hear about your overindulging in alcohol. And your golf buddies won’t read about your
passion for crochet. This feature seems much more user-friendly and better integrated than Facebook’s groups.

I heard Sparks are compared to newspaper clippings. This is how you get your news socially. Spark looks for videos and articles based on what you like. You choose when to watch, read, and share. Hangouts are the place to chat on Plus. One huge difference between Plus and Facebook is that on Google’s social network you have a video chat option in Hangouts.

With Plus you’re able to do instant mobile upload of photos. All your phone pics go to a private album on Google + automatically. Then all you have to do is decide who gets to see them. Huddle allows group conversations (as an alternative to texting multiple people at once.)

How do I Sign Up?

The Google + tool is still in test mode. Because it is in field trial and full to capacity, the network is not currently accepting new members. You are able to sign up for notices by entering your email address at plus.google.com

Although it seems that most new tools are just added to the arsenal (not fully replacing older ones), as with any tech advancement, a network can only stay on top for so long. With a recent decline in US Facebook accounts, are users getting bored? Will Google + give them what they want?  Only time will tell.

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

If you’re interested in link building for your website, you’re probably familiar with Web directories. You’ve probably even seen huge Web directory lists encouraging you to submit your site to as many directories as possible. These types of lists are still (unfortunately) often sorted by Pagerank. Yet Pagerank is one of the last things you should look at when choosing Web directories to help you promote your site. Let’s talk about why.

Risk vs Reward (and Getting Your Priorities Straight)

Mass directory submissions are a form of spam. But more importantly, when you target those directories based on Pagerank, you risk being accused of trying to manipulate your own Pagerank by Google, which can lead to having your PR or rankings manually penalized.

If you really want to get the most from directories, it’s not about submitting to every directory with link juice to spare. It’s about quality over quantity — submitting your site to Web directories that can actually reach your target audience and send them your way as relevant traffic as opposed to simple back links. After all, it’s that relevant traffic that’s most likely to convert to sales, sign-ups, etc. And those are the end goals you should keep in mind. Improving your own site metrics goes far beyond generic visitor numbers.

Why PageRank is a Faulty (Pretty Much Worthless) Metric

There are a few different reasons you should stop looking at a directory’s Pagerank when deciding to submit to them or not. Here they are:

1. Pagerank doesn’t reflect traffic.
2. Pagerank is easily manipulated.
3. Pagerank has nothing to do with audience targeting.
4. Pagerank can change (or disappear) at any time or at Google’s whim.

Seek web directories sending you targeted traffic - Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

Instead focus on things you can control, monitor, and improve without fully relying on a third party like Google. For example, you could view a Web directory’s overall incoming links to see if they’re getting traffic from sites that are relevant to your own (or from spammy sites). You could look at things like blogs or other resources tied to the directory and see what kinds of visitors they go out of their way to appeal to (or in the case of blogs, what type of visitor is actively engaged with the directory’s site). If you really wanted to do your research, you could even contact owners of similar sites to yours who are already listed in a directory, asking them if they find it to be a worthwhile investment or if it seems to send targeted traffic. If you’re direct competition they might not be willing to share that information. But if a colleague is listed and you know each other already, they might be more inclined to share. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

What are your thoughts on looking at Pagerank when choosing Web directories? Do you still obsess over it? Do you ignore it? Do you fall somewhere in between? Why? Leave a comment below to tell us what you think.

If you’re familiar with Facebook you will probably know about their “Like” button for recommending photographs and comment posts. Google has now launched a similar feature; +1. +1 is a recommendation vote for websites and ads served up in Google’s search results and will be used to enhance personalized search results for those with activated Google profiles.

+1 recommendations will be used to highlight individual sites and ads which are served up to users, and will also show who is recommending them too. +1 can be used as an aggregate vote number (like Digg), so for instance, a website may have 2,000 +1 recommendations annotated to it in the ranking results. Google will also provide enhanced placement of websites with high number so +1 recommendations, especially from +1 votes from users within the searching user’s social circle. Google is collating the +1 results for those users with active Google profiles and also from features such as Gmail, Buzz and Orkut.

Some say +1 marks a new effort by Google to enter the online social networking arena, however I think this is simply a new layer of Web socialization. The +1 feature is unleashing the power of personal recommendation onto the wider Web outside of social networks, and it makes a lot of sense.

Will this result in more relevant results for users?

Yes and No.

Users are more likely to get a more interesting and engaging set of search results, tailored more closely to the likes of their contacts. If my friends like “Stargate Universe” then chances are so will I.

But is liking something enough going to make it more relevant to me?

I don’t see that connection myself and think we will start seeing search results skewed to what is popular within my social circle rather than what is most relevant to the topic I am searching on now.

At the moment, only personal users who have activated Google Profile will be able to use the +1 feature, which means that business users will not be able to use it … yet. There is an obvious issue with spamming +1 recommendations too, however Google is pretty adept at spotting spammers so I wouldn’t recommend anyone starts arranging for mass +1 recommendation spamming of their own websites unless you are asking for a ranking penalty.

Again, if you are a Facebook user, you will also be aware of some of the occasional gripes about the lack of “Dislike” button. There is nothing about Google launching a “-1” feature, which makes a lot of sense to me personally. As a user, a negative vote is just as important as a positive recommendation in helping to decide which websites I want to visit.

The +1 implication is clear. If you want that +1 recommendation (and who wouldn’t?) you are going to have to work for it. That means creating website content that provides interest and value to users, further cementing the idea that “Content is King!” If Google is using +1 recommendations within its ranking calculations, then site owners will have to pay closer attention to the content and presentation in a much stronger way than they probably are doing right now. This also means that integration of your website with a social media strategy is even more important too; to get recommended you need to generate traffic to get those rank-enhancing votes to begin with.

Shell Harris is a co-founder of BigOakInc.com, a Richmond SEO company. Big Oak owns MakeTheList.net, a blog publishing top 10 lists. Big Oak’s newest site, VeryBestSites.com posts weekly information about the best websites on the web.

Photo Credit: f-l-e-x on Flickr

For a few days in September Google confused their users with different logos made up of a variety of colors and shapes. Finally Google made the announcement that search results are now instant. Although, not everyone was thrilled. Ever since Google Instant was announced and released to Google users, there has been a large debate among the SEO community and it started almost immediately after the announcement when tweets started flying that “SEO is dead with Google Instant.”

What is Google Instant?

Google Instant is an optional front end for users who want to see their results as they type. This stems from Google Suggest, which was created to suggest keywords to a user as they type and lets them press search at anytime to view the results. With Google Instant, Google takes Google Suggest one-step further by displaying results in real time as well as option keywords. If you don’t want your real time search results showing up as you type, Google Instant does have an option to disable the feature.

Why Google Instant Did Not Kill SEO

There are a variety of problems with the “SEO is dead” theory. The first problem is that this isn’t the first time people have claimed that Google “killed SEO.” After multiple different Google upgrades (including Google Suggest, changes to the Google search page, and additions to the AdWords ads) people have made the claim SEO is dead. Some of those changes were implemented years ago, and SEO hasn’t gone anywhere. 

One of the other complaints about Google Instant is that as you type the first letter there is already results on the page. Google users may never get to the result if they find something else first. This is a problem for some websites who have dedicated their SEO budget for ranking for long tail keywords and have not been able to rank for short tail keywords. SEO friendly web directory

Optimizing a website for search engines is all about finding the right combination of assets to let Google (or any search engine) know what content can be found on the website. Google Instant is an interface to display the search results, not a new way to organize the data. The Google Instant FAQ question about the rankings says:

“This change does not impact the ranking of search results.”

In other words, if you were ranked number one for a certain keyword, it has not changed as a direct result of Google Instant.

Other Changes May Effect Your Rankings

If your rankings did change, something other than Google Instant caused them to change. Shortly before Google Instant was released, Google released an update to allow more than one URL off the same domain to show up in search results. This change opened the door for millions of websites to have more than just the top spot for one specific keyword. This change alone can make a huge difference in the way sites were ranked, your site could have easily been pushed down by the same site that once controlled only the number one spot.

As new sites become available throughout the internet the competition for each keyword becomes greater. In order to handle the growing number of websites, Google’s algorithm is always changing. The possibility of a change in rankings is one that we face every day.

Three Ways to Optimize Your Website for Google Instant

1. Re-Evaluate Your Keywords

Google Instant does result in one new major change in SEO: the need to look at both long tail and short tail keywords. With Google displaying data instantly (hence Google “Instant”) results will show up before Google users are able to complete their thought and their search might change to something completely different because a shorter version of the keyword got there first.

Chances are you aren’t going to rank number one for every short version of a keyword. It still is important to think about one or two shorter keywords that your website might be able to rank for. Keep in mind that Google does display results for your social circle as well as local results so ranking for those shorter keywords might not be as hard as many fear it is.

2. Cleaner & More Descriptive Meta Descriptions.

It may sound silly but the Meta description still plays an important role, as the overview that is posted in the Google search results. Leaving a generic Meta description in place or allowing Google to come up with it’s own Meta description makes it less likely that Google users will see what you want them to see when your site appears in the results. By filling in your own description and telling Google what it should display as a description, allows you to have some control over what Google users will know about your website before they get there.

3. Make Use of Landing Pages

With real time results and not all users finishing their thoughts before they see what they want, it is a good time to start making more use of landing pages. Landing pages can focus in on the smaller keywords without forcing you to change your entire website content around those keywords. By creating a small one page websites that will ultimately direct users back to your main website you are able to focus it in on those niche topics. The landing page simply needs to contain relevant content and a link back to your main website. Having an additional link back to your website very rarely hurts you.

SEO is an industry that is always changing. The search engines are in a constant battle to increase user experience and it is always resulting in changes. Sometimes these changes hurt our rankings and sometimes they just change the interface. Keep track of your rankings, when new interfaces come out, spend time with them and get to know them before ruling SEO dead. It’s going to take a lot more than instant search to change the number one result.

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

“Google can make or break my business, so I have to do whatever they say.” I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard similar things from small business owners and webmasters. Do you know what I say to them?

“Then you don’t know enough about running a website to be making this your business.”

Why so harsh? Because I’m tired of the “Google God” nonsense, where people truly believe Google is the be all and end all for any site on the Web. It’s not. It’s a search engine. More importantly, Google is a tool — a tool for finding websites and a tool for helping people find your website.

There’s nothing wrong with Google on the surface (okay, so that’s a bit debatable), and there’s nothing wrong with making reasonable efforts to rank well for truly relevant terms. Still, that’s a far cry from Google making or breaking a business. And if you know what you’re doing, neither Google , nor any other third party will have that much control over your project. Why? You’ll diversify.

Website Survival With or Without Big G

There are other traffic sources out there; some are much better than search engines when it comes to bringing targeted traffic. Even if your Google traffic disappeared tomorrow, you could still run a highly successful site or online business.

“But where would my traffic come from?” you might ask. Here’s a quick list with some ideas to get you started. All of these things can help you attract targeted visitors to your website, without worrying about SEO and potential Google bans if you happen to do something they don’t approve of:

• Run a Blog – If your site already has some traffic, add a blog. The subscribers will keep coming back regardless of search engine rankings.
• Issue Press Releases – If you’re doing something newsworthy in your niche or industry, put out a press release / news release. They’re a great way to build relevant links and traffic not only directly but through your pick-ups (each time the release is republished or used as a source for a story in the media or on other blogs). If you don’t have anything release-worthy, come up with ideas. Release a new tool. Publish a free report. No matter what industry you’re in, you can be newsworthy with your audience with just a little bit of effort.
• 

  Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

  Use Social media – Social networks, social bookmarking, Twitter, etc. can be fantastic sources of traffic that by-pass the whims of search engines. You’ll want to spend a bit of time building your network with these social media tools. The bigger your audience there, the more traffic those tools can bring.
• Advertise - If you have an advertising budget, use it! If not, maybe it’s time to consider one. Sure, free traffic can seem more appealing than paid traffic, but advertising has its benefits. It might save time (and let’s face it, time really is money) when compared to things like maintaining a strong social media presence. It allows you to target very specific audiences as well, by picking and choosing which sites you want to advertise on. Of course, if you’d rather not bother with manually choosing publishers to advertise with, there’s always the option of going with ad networks.

Those are just a few of the most popular and effective ways to get traffic to your website without having to rely on search engines. Can you think of any others? Leave a comment and share your tips with other readers.

The fact that Google is really just a single tool in a much bigger toolbox of smart webmasters everywhere is just one thing site owners seem to forget. Just for fun, here are a few other helpful “reminders.”

• No, industry jargon is not cool. Lose the buzzwords already. If your neighbor’s kid in the 8th grade couldn’t understand your site, it’s time to re-work things. If you cater to the small group that understands and actually likes to talk that way, you’re missing out on a potentially huge market segment that doesn’t.
• 

  Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

  That splash page you think is really sweet, really isn’t. People don’t want to wait for your page to load. They click a link or type in your URL and they expect the information they want to appear… like magic… yeah, that quick. If yours doesn’t, optimize. Trying to be “with it” creatively can really piss off your visitors who frankly couldn’t care less. Unless your site exists specifically to show off such designs or it’s absolutely necessary, don’t. You can be stylish without being slow.
• Your site might be online all the time, but your audience is not. If you’re neglecting offline marketing tactics for your website, you’re losing out on visitors (and potentially buyers). Don’t assume Internet marketing is the only way to market your website or online business.

Have you made these mistakes? Have you made others you’d like to share? Leave us a comment and let us know what else website owners sometimes forget when it comes to managing and marketing their sites.

As we move from 2008 into 2009, everyone seems to  be getting into the forecasting business.  If you wait a little, you can even get to review some of the other forecasts that people have already made.  In search marketing, many seem to be suggesting little change.  For example Steve Rubel has the following three points in his post on Reading Tea Leaves for 2009.

• We’re growing comfortable with social networks
• Blogging may be making a comeback
• The recession drove consumers to shop online

There is nothing particularly eye-shaking there.  Many others are equally bland.  However buried among them is an important change in my opinion.  Let us look at what David Berkowitz highlights in his 2009 Search Trends To Keep An Eye On.

• Holistic — In Every Sense
• Search Fragmentation
• New Models for SEO
• Your Car Engine’s Your Search Engine

He is right that the first three are major factors but these have been slowly evolving over the months and even years.  The really important one is the last.   By this he is implying that Mobile Search is the coming thing.

Stephanie Hobbs describes it in a different way in Local Searches Set to Flip to Mobile Phone.

Given the continuing growth in the smart phone market, mobile phones are poised to become the first source people turn to when searching for local business information. Until widespread adoption of smart phones occurs, though, there will be a gap that smart businesses will seek to fill.  …   Presently, two-thirds (64%) of Americans say they generally turn to online resources for local search, while 33% turn to print, and 3% go to their phones. However, mobile phone users outnumber computer users by 39 million. And the market for mobile search is growing faster than expected.

I too believe that 2009 will be the year of mobile search.  Although to an extent it will run independently and in parallel with regular desktop search, you can expect some strong interactions down the road.  To accommodate mobile search, it is not just a question of ensuring your regular website can be seen on a smart phone.  Pierre Far has an excellent account about the 8 Steps for Making Your Site Mobile Friendly.

Let me tell you this: most sites, mine included, suck when viewed on a mobile phone. It’s a horrible experience, and given the astonishing rise in mobile use, you and I, the people who build websites, better get our act together.

Another useful resource in making your site mobile friendly is SEO Principle.   It is a most worthwhile blog written by Nadir Garouche that talks about the intersection of mobile and search.  He spends a great deal of time on mobile search and is very familiar with mobile search engines so his site is a place to watch for developments.   For example he was one of the first to publish the T-Mobile G1′s browser user agent which meant that websites can deliver suitable content to such devices.

One major initiative here is the Open Handset Alliance which is promoted and supported by Google.   This is a group of more than 30 technology and mobile companies, which has developed Android: the first complete, open, and free mobile platform. To help developers get started developing new applications, the Alliance offers the Android Software Development Kit. There is a great deal of effort being put in and we can expect to see major results in what can be done with a smart phone in the very near future.

Just as Google’s Universal Search is combining the results of searches from a whole series of different channels (regular web search, videos, images, news, etc.), we can expect that mobile search may well be a further source to add to this mix.  If being truly visible to the search engines means being found in whatever type of search is being done, then your mobile website is a key priority.

As a footnote there may well be another development that has major impact during 2009.  Google already has all the data on how visitors move around websites and how long they spend on different web pages.  The visitor behavior can well be an indicator of the value of the website.  Someone immediately leaving a website after a few seconds clearly found little relevance there.  Although there has been interest in using social media data such as votes in Digg or StumbleUpon as indicators of relevance, these are subject to easy manipulation.  Visitor behavior is less likely to give false signals.

One person who has pushed these ideas strongly is David Leonhardt with his Sticky SEO concept. He believes that this will be an important element in the Google search algorithms, if it is not already being included.  That means it is important to create sticky websites where people move around because they find what they are looking for.

Even if 2009 is not the year you create your own mobile website in support of your regular website, then at least make sure that your online properties are sticky so that people wish to visit and to stay.  Best wishes for a great year.

Internet opens the doors to a worldwide audience; if they can find the website. People search for all sort of things on the search engines, such as Google. This is the search engine traffic that visits the web pages on the websites or blogs in search of information.

What are people looking for? How do they find it? These become the two most crucial questions that need to be asked when trying to direct traffic to a website.

Let us first understand that this search-engine based traffic is free traffic and to gain access to this traffic, a webmaster has to work at two levels; the setting up of a perfect content management system and at the article level. Both become very important.

Here let us see from a writer’s perspective, at how a good article needs to be written to attract quality search engine traffic.

Out of the three sources for traffic; friends of the webmaster who come directly to the website; people who come to the site by following links at other sites; the traffic that is directed by the search engines to a particular article becomes very important. A decent website is said to be one that can attract search engine traffic, which is at least half of all the traffic.

Search engine traffic comes to different pages within the website and it solely depends on the content within the web pages. It thus becomes important that every article on a site draws some traffic to the site.

How search engines send traffic

The whole process starts when people type in a search phrase into Google or some other search engine. The search engine searches its databases to find that phrase and displays all the pages containing the phrase in an order. It is important that an article shows up at the top of the search results to increase clickthroughs. Search engines display the results based on the PageRank. It is necessary to put the keywords that people are looking for in the article to show up higher in the results. There are better chances for showing up early in the search results, if there are more keywords, if they appear more frequently and if they appear earlier in the article. Here, it is also important to understand that a webmaster has to be careful not to fake things by using irrelevant keywords or stuffing with too many keywords, as the site can get blacklisted by the search engines.

Keyword phrases to be used

This depends on who the article is aimed at. Try and think what sort of words people searching on this particular topic will come up with. What are they likely to type in the search boxes? Write down all the words or phrases, other topics that are closely related to the article topic, the names of famous people that are associated with this topic and the current hot topic that revolves around this topic. The challenge is to try and incorporate all of them into the article.

Popularity of the topic

All the topics are not popular and do not attract the same amount of interest. While iPhone attracts huge search engine traffic, it is not possible to only write about iPhones. Sometimes, a keyword that a webmaster wishes to target may not be receiving enough traffic, then the idea is to find a related keyword that has a lot of traffic and incorporate that into the article too.

Heading is Important

Getting the search phrase into the heading is the best way of getting into the good books of the search engines. This again has to be a word or phrase that people search for.

Related Keywords

Remember, that people do not search for what a webmaster has in mind. They search for what they have in mind. They could use different variations and combinations. There are several keyword tools that show up related keywords, which will give an idea of what related keywords or phrases need to be used in the article. If the website is about telescopes, then it becomes essential that all the articles and content contain the word telescope. However, the related words, such as the types of telescopes can be included in the pages.

Some of the keyword tools are; keyworddiscovery.com and freekeywords.wordtracker.com

Quote an authority

Another thing that helps is quoting an authority on the topic where possible. This helps bring authority to a website.

Captions- A neglected zone

Captions that are given for pictures and tables are another area where keyword rich sentences can be written. This is where many webmasters go wrong and write generic ones that sound good. In the search engine world, this is considered a huge crime.

Greek and Latin

Starting an article with Greek, Latin, Roman or Sanskrit words looks and sounds good, but that is where it all ends. It may even get a couple of people but definitely will not get the kind of traffic that one can get when plain English is written.

Long gone are the days of the printed word, when it was not the business of the writer to ensure the reader picks up the magazine. Good search engine rankings and traffic are now based not only on the structure of the site but also on the articles that are written. The power lies more in a good well-written article.