You can check out this TechCrunch article which gives several methods for embedding links. If you decide to use Blackbird Pie, be sure not to use the https version of your tweet links. Also, you must click on the time link below the Tweet which says something like “about 1hr ago” and copy and paste that link into the Blackbird tool to get an embedded tweet like the one on this post.

Other Twitter Stuff

You do know that many of the search engines are using Twitter results for part of their real time search results right? Well tweets do often show up in the SERPs.

Something that makes me go hmm

As you may or may not know,  as part of the Baldydog.com company, we not only do SEO, but I as the Social Media Director, do manage several other blogs.

In addition to all the blogs, as part of the Baldydog network, we have multiple sites to include directories such as Pixelheadonline, Online Legal Directory, Home Improvement Directory, and of course Alltravelsites.com to name just a few. If you want a complete list of our directories, leave a comment, and I will send you an email with the complete list of our directories.

Anyway, while reviewing and publishing travel site submissions on the travel directory, as part of the submission process, I usually send out several tweets about the newly added travel resource. I usually say something like the tweet below.

I also send out a tweet with the individual page for the listing and may include a direct link to the url of the listing if it is a short url.

Link Building Tip

What I have noticed is that links that I tweet, such as individual listing pages, will then be cached in Google. If I don’t Tweet them, they won’t get cached, and as you know, an un-cached page is as good as invisible to Google because it doesn’t know about the web page.
Does this mean you should go and send thousands of spam links to Twitter so they get cached?  I wouldn’t recommend it. I think it is ok occasionally. What I try to do when I do these types of “resource addition” tweets, is to sandwich them between tweets that seek to share, communicate, rt, or be genuinely helpful.

Even these types of tweets, I feel are helpful and not spammy, as I am only tweeting about travel related resources, and most of the 2000+ followers have some sort of travel interest.

So How Can You Use Twitter for Link Buiding

Twitter links as you know are nofollow type links, so they really don’t count for much Google Juice, but they do serve to notify the search engines of your resource, which may otherwise have been uncached.

If you do link building as we do, when you get accepted into a directory, send out a Tweet for the actual listing page of your resource or the category page that your listing appears if it is not too heavily populated with other similar resources.

Try to get as many cached links pointing to your site as possible. Cached with PR is better, but cached at the very least.

So have you noticed similar results using Twitter, or do you think I am erroneous?

**note – to get the box around my tweets, I put the tweets into a table. <table border=”2″><tr><td>Tweet code</table></tr></td>

***For more info on Link Building check out On-Page Optimization Training.

If you have not been on your Twitter account lately, you should be aware of Twitter Lists, which is the new feature that Twitter just released last week. This is the feature that allows the Twitter user to create groups.

Lists enable the user to group users according to any variable that they choose. Some Examples:

1. Geographic locations(Philly Bloggers)
2. Occupations (Web Developers)
3. Family(My family and friends Twitter accounts)
4. Work(business contacts)
5. Hobbies(mountain biking)

The uses are limitless.

Lists can be both public and private.  You don’t need to follow someone to add them to a list. Adding profiles to a private list does not let them know that they are on the list, but adding a profile to a public allows the profile to see that they are included on a list. Twitter takes the word privacy serious.

When would I want to use a private list?

1. keep track of my competition.
2. Using Twitter for research that you may want to keep private.
3. Keep all your amorous profiles secret.
4. Keep your family profiles secret.
5. If you are ghost Tweeting, you can create a list of the profiles that you tweet on to have easy access to the stats.

In short, Twitter Lists are here, stop in and check them out.

Some Other Twitter List Tips:

1. Got an idea for a list, then create your list and then add profiles.
2. Check Out the Twitter Blog post announcing the Twitter List Feature.
3. Check out my first blog post on Twitter Lists on Socialtivity.net.
4. If you get added to a list, follow the list.
5. When you are added to a list, your Tweets will show up on the Twitter list stream.
6. If someone adds you to a cool list, not a list of “jerks”, then you might want to consider not only following the list, but also consider following the person.
7. If you go to http://twitter.com/goodies/widgets you can get widgets that allow you to show lists as well as the standard Twitter stuff.

If you would like to be added to the Pixelhead_Peeps list, leave a related comment below, and include your Twitter profile in the comment.

So what do you think of Twitter Lists?

tags: , Twitter, Twitter Lists,Twitter tips

Twitter tip nuggets:

Do you use the @feature to make friends?

I get tons of people who add me on Twitter, and I would gladly add them as well. However, I get so much email everyday, that when I get a notification that someone has added me, many times I won’t get back to check out the persons profile and add them. If you want me to add you, send a tweet out using @emperoranton. Make sure to say something original, insightful and/or helpful. @EmperorAnton your great, please add me is nice, but if I visit your profile and you have no updates, and are following 2000 other people, I probably will not be following you in return. If you want me to add you, try re-tweeting one of my tweets using the format “rt @EmperorAnton{copy and paste a tweet from my stream}. Use the @feature, and you will surely make lots of friends. But please don’t do it in a spammy sort of way. Sincerity and originality are appreciated greatly.

How do You Search Twitter?

Sure you can use the search feature at the top of the page by clicking the “find people” link, but that will only enable you to search for account users. You can also use the search bar on the side bar, which will give you the same results as search.twitter.com, which is the Twitter search tool I prefer to use. I like having the ability to create a search for any given phrase, and then being able to use the feed for that query for what every purpose you may want.

One last nugget not included in the video.

Check out Twittapp.com which is a great little site that has several sweet Twitter applications that will allow you to get email notifications when someone follows or un-follows you, and also when someone ats you or uses your user name with the at symbol.

How about you?

Do you have any Twitter tips to share?