Link Building and SEO tips from Pixelhead » Google

Penguin Update Articles

Pixelhead — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:19:25 +0000

The Penguin update is one of Google’s latest updates. I like many of you have been scouring the Internet for all information about the club penguin update..lol…sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Anyway, from what I have been reading, I am under the impression that it is more of a spam filter than an algorithm update. So now more than ever, content is going to be even more important, along with good link building practices. Some might even go as far as forgoing link building, but venture into creating great content that others will share via social media.

If you think you have a totally awesome site with lots of great content, and have totally natural looking backlinks and you were affected adversely by the Penguin Update, here is the Penguin Update feedback form.

I suggest visiting the SearchEngineland.com post right below, and watch the two videos about the Penguin Update by Google’s very own Matt Cutts.

Two Weeks In, Google Talks Penguin Update, Ways To Recover & Negative SEO

Google+ – Connect with Me on Google Plus

Pixelhead — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:12:39 +0000

If you have a Google+ profile, please feel free to connect with Baldydog on Google+ and me Adam Donkus.

I have been using Google plus off and on for several months. It does seem to be a decent way to connect with people that have very similar interests. I also like it because, well its a Google property.

Be sure to create both a personal page and a page for your company as well. Be sure to add the Google+1 badge in addition to creating your company page, to insure that your site is included in the Google+ directory( that is the directory that is used when someone does a search while logged in to Google+. Additionally, there are some Google+ directories poping up that are not affiliated with Google+. I am not sure how beneficial getting listed in the non-Google affiliated Google+ directories is, but hey you never know. Here is a link to once such Google+ directory that accepts free submissions.

Much like Facebook, be sure to add some pictures at the top of your Google+ profile.

I have not used Google+ much, so I don’t have a ton of advice. Got any Google+ advice or blog posts to share?

Google+ Resources

Kristi Hines post on Social Media Examiner for creating a Google+ Business Page.
Another good post by Kristi on SME about using Google+ for SEO
Google+ for Business
Just came across this post on Google+ 11 GOOGLE+ DIRECTORIES TO HELP YOU MAKE MORE FRIENDS

Google URL Shortner VS Bit.ly URL Shortner

Pixelhead — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:55:00 +0000

Google just made its URL Shortning service available to the public at large. Prior to using Goo.gl I used the Bit.ly URL shortening service prior to jumping over from tiny.url.

Much like Bit.ly, with Goo.gl you can track the stats of your links which includes:

the number of clicks per link
countries the clicks came from
browser type
operating system
stats for all of your shortened links
also includes a 2d barcode for your link much like the one to the right.
all links shortened by Goo.gl and their stats are public knowledge and can be shared.

With Bit.ly You can:

Share your links in a number of ways to include sharing your profile, tweeting your links, or publishing on Facebook.
see the number of links per link
see the locations your clicks came
shows the time and day of your clicks
referrer of the links such as email, twitter or another site.
gives a 2d bar code for links as well.
Share or publish your bit.ly rss feed
Use the Bit.ly API key to give third party programs access to your account.
search for active links

From my view, currently, Bit.ly has a lot more going on, but one thing Goo.gl has is it is a Google property. As such, I am sure it will continue to evolve and offer more features.

Currently however, I will continue to use Bit.ly, but will keep my eye on the Google URL Shortening service to see what features are added in the future.

Adding a Business to The Google Map

Pixelhead — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:36:22 +0000

Today, Google released the Google Local Businesses Center which gives businesses that advertise on the local level some pretty impressive tools to track their web traffic. With these great tools that Google gives you, your business does not even need to have a website to take advantage of this free service.

Have You Submitted Your Business to Google Local?

Submitting your site/business to Google Local is really an easy task. Start by visiting the previous link.

You will need to have a Google Account,which includes a free gmail account. If you don’t have one, this is really easy to set up as well…you will need a pre-existing email account to sign up for a Google account if you don’t have one already.

How to Add Your Business to The Google Map

So you now have a Google account. The next step in getting your site/business listed on the Google Map is to visit the Google Local Business Center and login with your Google account login info.

Then click the “Add new listings” link. You will then need to fill the form out which includes your location to include country, business name, address, city/town, zip for US, main and alternate phone numbers, mobile, fax, and TTY/TDD. You will then need to put in an email address. If you have a website, I recommend using an email with your domain instead of a free email account. You then have the ability to put in your business website url. Next comes your business description. Be short and concise giving a good non-sales like description. (200 Char max).

Next will come the categories. Prior to doing this, I am going to recommend that you do a bit of keyword research using the Google Adsense Keyword tool to see which of your keyword phrases get the most traffic. So for the Earth-in-Hand Landscape site local profile, I used “Landscaper”, “landscaping”, “landscape contractor”. That way when someone types in “Landscaper Easton, PA” my friend’s website will be on the local listing section.

Important Step in Listing Your Business on the Google Map

For your categories, use the broadest keywords that get the most traffic.

The rest of the process of adding your business is pretty easy and straight forward. Your Google Local Profile can include up to 10 pictures, and 5 videos…I suggest adding as much as you can.

To move your site up in the local listings, encourage your patrons to give your profile a rating. Reviews on local sites can also help.

Below is a video that Google put out for business owners…check it out.

Do you have your Google Local profile up?

Update on 10/6/2010: You now can add your business listing to the Google Map, but you will do it through “Google Places”. The process is much the same as it was when it was the Google Local Business Center.

Site Search Scripts

Pixelhead — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:58:36 +0000

A client asked me about putting a search engine on his site so that visitors could find selected products. Having a search engine on an ecommerce site makes it easier for return visitors to find pages that they visited previously. Having a search function on a site is a usability issue that could result in lower sales if it is not present.

Below are some search engine scripts that I found while doing research, but I have not evaluated them in anyway, but did note when I found a user rating.

Premium Site Search Scripts

For a professional ecommerce site, I would recommend using a premium search script rather than a free search script.

http://www.site-search-pro.com/ $39 (high user rating)

http://www.freefind.com/plans.html paid ($19-$79)and free options

http://risearch.org/eng/risearch_php/index.html $10

http://www.aleadsoft.com/ $59 for standard or $99 for pro and has a free trial version.

Free Site Search Scripts

Free is a nice thing, but often times it does come with a price. The price for using a free site search script is often that in addition to searching your site, adds for other sites will appear in the search results. If potentially sending visitors away from your site does not bother you, then I would suggest signing up for a Google Adsense account and using the Google site search tool bar. In addition to the Google site search, I have also included several other free site search script options here as well.
http://www.jrank.org/

http://www.javascriptkit.com/script/script2/google_site_search.shtml

http://www.perlfect.com/freescripts/search/

http://www.google.com/coop/cse/

http://www.freefind.com/

Got any other site search engine scripts that could be added to the list?