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Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Proxy servers and its benefirs
Proxy servers are used to increase the effective speed of your connection to the Internet, as they save files that are requested most often in a special database called "cache". The cache of a proxy server is generally huge in its capacity, and contains not only the requests made by you, but also the files that have been requested by hundreds, if not thousands, of other Internet users. As a result, the information you need may already be present in cache by the time of your request, making it possible for the proxy to deliver it immediately. The overall increase in performance may be very high. Besides that, proxy servers can help in cases when, for example, the owners of the Internet resource impose some restrictions on users from certain countries or geographic regions.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Top off site SEO Factors
Number of quality backlinks
When it comes to optimising your website and obtaining backlinks, quality by far outweighs quantity. Every page that Google indexes is given a Page Rank from 0 to 9 based on how authoritatitve the webpage and website are deemed to be, for example, the BBC homepage has a Page Rank of 9. This information can be useful when developing your SEO campaign as you want to obtain backlinks from websites which have high page ranks as the search engines will perceive your website to have something of value on it.
Number of relevant backlinks
Similarly to the previous point, it is best to obtain backlinks from websites that are relevant to your own. This will increase your relevancy to a particular subject and consequently the search engines will reflect this in your positioning.
Anchor text used for backlinks
The anchor text is the clickable text that opens a link to your website. For the greatest SEO impact this should be one of your keywords and ideally featured within relevant content, as opposed to added at the bottom of the page. For example, TFH Gazebos would receive a greater SEO benefit from us linking using the anchor text Gazebos than linking their domain name.
Source of backlinks
Search engines hate spam, automatically generated backlinks and anything that they perceive not to be an organic backlink. Therefore if your backlinks are predominantly from spammy websites or paid sources then Google and the other search engines will hold this against your website.
Diversity of backlink sources
For the most effective SEO results your website have backlinks from a diversity of sources, such as directories, websites, blogs, social media and so on. This diversity makes search engines believe that unique websites are linking to you which they presume means that your website is authoritative on that particular topic.
Total number of backlinks on the webpage that links to your website
With the exception of directories, if the website that you have a backlink from has a whole range of backlinks on the page then search engines will reduce the SEO weighting that these links carry, if any at all.
Number of deep links
Deep links are the links which go to other pages on your website other than the homepage. If you have a high number of backlinks to these pages, search engines see this as there being relevant information throughout the website.
Speed of building backlinks
Search engines are seeking an organic and steady development of backlinks. If your website instantly have hundreds of backlinks then the search engines will suspect that something isn’t right and so your website will not receive the SEO benefit that it should from these links. This is partly why we recommend spreading an SEO campaign over a period of months and gradually increase the number of links, as opposed to performing a slap dash approach.
There are many other off site factors that effect your search engine position, but these are some to take into consideration.
When it comes to optimising your website and obtaining backlinks, quality by far outweighs quantity. Every page that Google indexes is given a Page Rank from 0 to 9 based on how authoritatitve the webpage and website are deemed to be, for example, the BBC homepage has a Page Rank of 9. This information can be useful when developing your SEO campaign as you want to obtain backlinks from websites which have high page ranks as the search engines will perceive your website to have something of value on it.
Number of relevant backlinks
Similarly to the previous point, it is best to obtain backlinks from websites that are relevant to your own. This will increase your relevancy to a particular subject and consequently the search engines will reflect this in your positioning.
Anchor text used for backlinks
The anchor text is the clickable text that opens a link to your website. For the greatest SEO impact this should be one of your keywords and ideally featured within relevant content, as opposed to added at the bottom of the page. For example, TFH Gazebos would receive a greater SEO benefit from us linking using the anchor text Gazebos than linking their domain name.
Source of backlinks
Search engines hate spam, automatically generated backlinks and anything that they perceive not to be an organic backlink. Therefore if your backlinks are predominantly from spammy websites or paid sources then Google and the other search engines will hold this against your website.
Diversity of backlink sources
For the most effective SEO results your website have backlinks from a diversity of sources, such as directories, websites, blogs, social media and so on. This diversity makes search engines believe that unique websites are linking to you which they presume means that your website is authoritative on that particular topic.
Total number of backlinks on the webpage that links to your website
With the exception of directories, if the website that you have a backlink from has a whole range of backlinks on the page then search engines will reduce the SEO weighting that these links carry, if any at all.
Number of deep links
Deep links are the links which go to other pages on your website other than the homepage. If you have a high number of backlinks to these pages, search engines see this as there being relevant information throughout the website.
Speed of building backlinks
Search engines are seeking an organic and steady development of backlinks. If your website instantly have hundreds of backlinks then the search engines will suspect that something isn’t right and so your website will not receive the SEO benefit that it should from these links. This is partly why we recommend spreading an SEO campaign over a period of months and gradually increase the number of links, as opposed to performing a slap dash approach.
There are many other off site factors that effect your search engine position, but these are some to take into consideration.
Social Media and Organic Search results
There’s been a lot of talk over recent years about whether or not social media marketing has a positive impact on organic search positions and, for a fair while, Google strongly denied it themselves. Despite this, many industry professionals had evidence to suggest an increase in organic search positions through an increased use and growing influence on social media platforms and there’s a wide range of case studies online where webmasters claim and showcase that they’ve ranked a site solely via social signals. The big question, however, is how much truth is there in the fact that social signals directly impact on search results?
It was actually way back in 2010 when Matt Cutts stated the following, confirming that Google do indeed use social signals as a ranking factor; “I filmed a video back in May 2010 where I said that we didn’t use that as a signal, and at the time, we did not use that as a signal, but now, we’re taping this in December 2010, and we are using that as a signal.”
Since then, however, the debate has continued as to the effects of social signals on search positions and, whilst there’s no grounds to deny that they are used as a ranking factor, the question has been to what extent are they taken into consideration? When Matt first announced that they were a ranking factor, it’s safe to say that they were only a very small part in Googles overall algorithm. It’s likely that they hadn’t developed the algorithm at that stage to a place where social signals could significantly impact search rankings and studies at the time proved that you needed a significant number of tweets, as an example, to see even minimal movement on the SERPs.
Fast forward to 2013, however, and it’s a very different picture. There’s discussions on internet marketing forums and news resources on an almost daily basis which outline the importance of social signals as an organic search ranking factor and showcase how powerful social signals can be. As an example, take a look at the following article which was published earlier this year on Search Engine Watch and see for yourself what just one of the leading internet marketing resources are saying on the subject. The SEO community is buzzing with talk of social signals and there’s been plenty of case studies which prove the effects which can be had. If you’re not using social signals as part of your SEO campaign in 2013, you’re missing a big trick. Whilst it should never be the only approach you take, it should be one of them and the greater influence you can build on social media, the stronger you’ll see your site rank.
Now that isn’t to say that you can ignore the likes of strong on site optimisation, content and natural link building, but social is something you simply cannot ignore. If you want to succeed online in 2013, you need to ensure you have a strong presence on social media and make sure that it’s strongly engrained within your SEO and digital marketing campaign.
If you need help or advice on your websites SEO or social media marketing, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today and discuss your website and it’s needs with one of the team!
It was actually way back in 2010 when Matt Cutts stated the following, confirming that Google do indeed use social signals as a ranking factor; “I filmed a video back in May 2010 where I said that we didn’t use that as a signal, and at the time, we did not use that as a signal, but now, we’re taping this in December 2010, and we are using that as a signal.”
Since then, however, the debate has continued as to the effects of social signals on search positions and, whilst there’s no grounds to deny that they are used as a ranking factor, the question has been to what extent are they taken into consideration? When Matt first announced that they were a ranking factor, it’s safe to say that they were only a very small part in Googles overall algorithm. It’s likely that they hadn’t developed the algorithm at that stage to a place where social signals could significantly impact search rankings and studies at the time proved that you needed a significant number of tweets, as an example, to see even minimal movement on the SERPs.
Fast forward to 2013, however, and it’s a very different picture. There’s discussions on internet marketing forums and news resources on an almost daily basis which outline the importance of social signals as an organic search ranking factor and showcase how powerful social signals can be. As an example, take a look at the following article which was published earlier this year on Search Engine Watch and see for yourself what just one of the leading internet marketing resources are saying on the subject. The SEO community is buzzing with talk of social signals and there’s been plenty of case studies which prove the effects which can be had. If you’re not using social signals as part of your SEO campaign in 2013, you’re missing a big trick. Whilst it should never be the only approach you take, it should be one of them and the greater influence you can build on social media, the stronger you’ll see your site rank.
Now that isn’t to say that you can ignore the likes of strong on site optimisation, content and natural link building, but social is something you simply cannot ignore. If you want to succeed online in 2013, you need to ensure you have a strong presence on social media and make sure that it’s strongly engrained within your SEO and digital marketing campaign.
If you need help or advice on your websites SEO or social media marketing, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today and discuss your website and it’s needs with one of the team!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Best email platforms for e-mail marketing
With so many different email platforms available, it can be difficult to find the best one to use for marketing purposes. Some email platforms offer a few desired features but lack others, some have a better appearance but lack almost any features. The number one favorite email platform being used by marketers is Gmail. The following is just some of the many reasons why.
Efficiency
Gmail offers users an extremely efficient experience with the help of several features including the new “compose new” options. With the new compose you can pull up as many new message windows as your screen will hold and still be able to sort through your mail or anything else you wish at the same time. To add to the efficiency, there is the new, Gmail Inbox tabs feature that separates your emails into given categories, each with its own easily accessible tab. You can dictate what category emails from specific senders go to and color-code the icons of each category. Multi-tasking is another great way to achieve efficiency which is why Gmail lets you chat, call, and use video all at the same time.
Hangouts and circles
Anyone who is familiar with Google+ knows about the Hangout and Circles features. Now with Gmail you can access your Hangouts right from your email without having to pull up any extra tabs. This feature allows you to conduct a virtual meeting with up to nine people at one time from anywhere with internet access. The Circles feature provides an opportunity to keep the people in your life in easily accessible groups, that way you will never have to worry about finding the right contacts or sending a message to the wrong people again.
Stars Feature
This is an excellent feature for anyone that receives more emails in one day than you want to sort through. With the stars feature, you can quickly scan through your emails and add a star to any that needs to be read or seems important. This allows you to be able to find important emails quickly without going through the whole mess again.
Google Drive
Never have to worry about getting a file to load again, simple share the file from Google Drive. Google Drive allows for files up to 10 GB to be loaded, which is more than almost any other service. Within Google Dive you can create Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides which covers most of what you will need out of a writing platform.
Undo Send
Have you ever sent an email before it was ready, or sent a message to the wrong person? If so then the “undo send” feature is something that you will never want to be without again. For a short time after you send an email from your Gmail account you have the option of hitting “undo send” and stopping that message in its tracks before it can get delivered. This will save you from any potential embarrassment from a misplaced email.
Authentication
Gmail place an authentication icon on emails from verified senders like eBay or PayPal so you do not have to worry about scams. Have you ever opened an email that you thought was for real but turned out to be a virus or scam? If you have or just want to avoid the experience than you will be able to fully appreciate this feature.
Beauty
For many people the view provided while in your email is important. With Gmail you can change colors, themes, and pictures to make your email page a very inviting place to be. There is even a random setting that changes your theme every time you log in so you will never be bored by the appearance.
Custom domains
When most people think of Gmail they think of an email address like my-name@gmail.com but from a marketing perspective Gmail is flexible and lets you use your own custom domain with your email, like my-name@flashissue.com. You'll need to upgrade to a Google Apps account that will cost about $50 per year but it's another reason that makes Gmail the Marketers’ favorite email platform
Free add-ons
There's a wealth of free marketing add-ons you can install into Gmail. They can be found in the Google Chrome store (similar to the Apple App store). Once installed you can create email lists from your Google Contacts, track the performance of the emails you send to your audience or create your own marketing templates.
Efficiency
Gmail offers users an extremely efficient experience with the help of several features including the new “compose new” options. With the new compose you can pull up as many new message windows as your screen will hold and still be able to sort through your mail or anything else you wish at the same time. To add to the efficiency, there is the new, Gmail Inbox tabs feature that separates your emails into given categories, each with its own easily accessible tab. You can dictate what category emails from specific senders go to and color-code the icons of each category. Multi-tasking is another great way to achieve efficiency which is why Gmail lets you chat, call, and use video all at the same time.
Hangouts and circles
Anyone who is familiar with Google+ knows about the Hangout and Circles features. Now with Gmail you can access your Hangouts right from your email without having to pull up any extra tabs. This feature allows you to conduct a virtual meeting with up to nine people at one time from anywhere with internet access. The Circles feature provides an opportunity to keep the people in your life in easily accessible groups, that way you will never have to worry about finding the right contacts or sending a message to the wrong people again.
Stars Feature
This is an excellent feature for anyone that receives more emails in one day than you want to sort through. With the stars feature, you can quickly scan through your emails and add a star to any that needs to be read or seems important. This allows you to be able to find important emails quickly without going through the whole mess again.
Google Drive
Never have to worry about getting a file to load again, simple share the file from Google Drive. Google Drive allows for files up to 10 GB to be loaded, which is more than almost any other service. Within Google Dive you can create Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides which covers most of what you will need out of a writing platform.
Undo Send
Have you ever sent an email before it was ready, or sent a message to the wrong person? If so then the “undo send” feature is something that you will never want to be without again. For a short time after you send an email from your Gmail account you have the option of hitting “undo send” and stopping that message in its tracks before it can get delivered. This will save you from any potential embarrassment from a misplaced email.
Authentication
Gmail place an authentication icon on emails from verified senders like eBay or PayPal so you do not have to worry about scams. Have you ever opened an email that you thought was for real but turned out to be a virus or scam? If you have or just want to avoid the experience than you will be able to fully appreciate this feature.
Beauty
For many people the view provided while in your email is important. With Gmail you can change colors, themes, and pictures to make your email page a very inviting place to be. There is even a random setting that changes your theme every time you log in so you will never be bored by the appearance.
Custom domains
When most people think of Gmail they think of an email address like my-name@gmail.com but from a marketing perspective Gmail is flexible and lets you use your own custom domain with your email, like my-name@flashissue.com. You'll need to upgrade to a Google Apps account that will cost about $50 per year but it's another reason that makes Gmail the Marketers’ favorite email platform
Free add-ons
There's a wealth of free marketing add-ons you can install into Gmail. They can be found in the Google Chrome store (similar to the Apple App store). Once installed you can create email lists from your Google Contacts, track the performance of the emails you send to your audience or create your own marketing templates.
Friday, October 25, 2013
12 things to know before hiring an SEO expert
To understand the type of questions that help weed out the good from the bad, we asked a panel of successful young entrepreneurs to share some solid SEO advice with us. Here are the top questions they recommend you ask the so-called experts first:
1. Do You Care About Content?
Link-building by simply dropping irrelevant links in content just isn't okay anymore. Ask the company if they simply put links first, or if they care about the content. High-quality contributed content will work better in the long run.
2. What Do You Think of Google's SEO Initiative?
Google has recently launched a new initiative to send link-building back to the stone age. They’re penalizing companies that pay for links and are overly SEO-optimized. The most important question to ask is "How do you combat Google's new initiative to stop the SEO benefits that link-building businesses bring?"
We are entering into a new Internet age, and the best way to build your page rank is by writing quality content that organically gets read and distributed. A more effective and faster alternative is to pay for sponsored content. This will bring traffic to your site and increase awareness and page rank. Work only with respected content agencies because Google will penalize and remove any publisher that does not disclose sponsored content correctly on Google News.
3. What's the Fastest Way to Generate Links?
Danny WongThis will catch them in a trap. The poor vendors will be eager to boast ways of building artificial links through methods you'll soon realize are illegitimate. The better vendors will explain that there's no easy or fast way to build links. Play dumb, and listen to their logic to make sure it's solid. Then you'll finally discover who the honest vendors are.
4. What Do You Consider Quality Content?
It's important to be very clear with a link-building firm on the type of links they are getting. Right now, search engines are rewarding companies for getting quality content coming from them. All the old link-building tactics are going away, and search engines want to reward the trusted sources for information.
5. Do You Sell Link-Building Services?
You need to hire a marketing firm that does robust marketing. Anyone selling link-building services should have gone out of business a couple of years ago. If they believe they sell link-building services and you hire them, you might find yourself out of business very fast as well.
6. Do You Know Any Quick Fixes?
There are a lot of people selling links and Twitter followers in social media. If it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is. The best way to get links is organically (e.g., I was published for my commentary here with a link to my website). Content is a big driver for SEO and very important for link-building. A good piece of content will be shared on social media and possibly picked up by other sites, which will add organic links back to your websites. If you find somebody who has strong and organic relationships with bloggers or PR sites, then it might make more sense to work with them. Like anything in life, there is no quick fix, and anybody selling a quick fix is usually selling snake oil.
7. What Is Your Client Retention Rate?
It’s important to check how long they’ve been in business and the number of active clients they have. However, the most important question to ask is "What is your client retention rate?" That provides you with the best indication of a company’s legitimacy.
8. Who Will Do the SEO on My Site?
Many SEO companies are scams. Get a name, a number and social media accounts of the person who will do the SEO on your site. Why? If you don't know who will be doing the SEO on your site, there's a good chance the vendor is simply a front to accept your business and outsource everything. Buyers should know from whom they are purchasing and what they're purchasing. If they do give a name, allow a 60-day period before you hire them. During those 60 days, you'll see if the person working on your site is someone you feel comfortable working with. Call the person a few times and ask questions. Does your contact answer his phone or respond to email, or do your questions go unanswered? Does he check out online? Make sure the person is real because that's hard to manipulate.
9. Will You Go After Influential Websites in My Industry?
Every year Google will alter the algorithm to ensure white hat strategies are being implemented by a company or website. If the links do not look natural, you will be penalized, and it can really set you back. A link-building vendor should build relevant, natural links to your website. Ask how they will build links. What strategies will they will use to build relevant links? Will they go after influential, authoritative websites in your niche? If not, what exactly are their link-building strategies? Are they just looking at outdated metrics such as PageRank? The most important thing is for you to become knowledgeable in link-building to understand the best vendor to outsource to.
10. Who Are Your References?
Because of all the recent algorithm updates, you need to be careful who you hire. You should ask the company you are potentially working with for references of past companies and sample reports. This company will be acting on your behalf, so you need to know what types of links you will be getting and if they use any tactics that violate Google's guidelines. If the company guarantees a certain number of links, run away as fast as you can.
11. How Do You Measure Your Success?
SEO is constantly changing. Website optimization takes time and precision. You need to know who you can trust with optimizing your website. Avoiding SEO companies that abuse and game both clients and the system is one of the first tactics you should adopt in your SEO strategy. It pays to understand what they are doing and why before you pay out any cash for SEO. Break it down for the company you want to work with, and make sure you feel comfortable with the relationship before getting started. If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.
12. What Are Your Tactics?
The best way to qualify potential link-building vendors is to first educate yourself about SEO practices. You should know the difference between black hat and white hat, and stay up to date on algorithm updates and SEO trends. You want a strategy that is as organic as possible, so ask your potential vendors details about what their tactics will be, and don't compromise on the quality of your links. Link-building is a long-term strategy, so be wary of anyone promising overnight success. Know your topic, and you'll know which questions to ask.
1. Do You Care About Content?
Link-building by simply dropping irrelevant links in content just isn't okay anymore. Ask the company if they simply put links first, or if they care about the content. High-quality contributed content will work better in the long run.
2. What Do You Think of Google's SEO Initiative?
Google has recently launched a new initiative to send link-building back to the stone age. They’re penalizing companies that pay for links and are overly SEO-optimized. The most important question to ask is "How do you combat Google's new initiative to stop the SEO benefits that link-building businesses bring?"
We are entering into a new Internet age, and the best way to build your page rank is by writing quality content that organically gets read and distributed. A more effective and faster alternative is to pay for sponsored content. This will bring traffic to your site and increase awareness and page rank. Work only with respected content agencies because Google will penalize and remove any publisher that does not disclose sponsored content correctly on Google News.
3. What's the Fastest Way to Generate Links?
Danny WongThis will catch them in a trap. The poor vendors will be eager to boast ways of building artificial links through methods you'll soon realize are illegitimate. The better vendors will explain that there's no easy or fast way to build links. Play dumb, and listen to their logic to make sure it's solid. Then you'll finally discover who the honest vendors are.
4. What Do You Consider Quality Content?
It's important to be very clear with a link-building firm on the type of links they are getting. Right now, search engines are rewarding companies for getting quality content coming from them. All the old link-building tactics are going away, and search engines want to reward the trusted sources for information.
5. Do You Sell Link-Building Services?
You need to hire a marketing firm that does robust marketing. Anyone selling link-building services should have gone out of business a couple of years ago. If they believe they sell link-building services and you hire them, you might find yourself out of business very fast as well.
6. Do You Know Any Quick Fixes?
There are a lot of people selling links and Twitter followers in social media. If it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is. The best way to get links is organically (e.g., I was published for my commentary here with a link to my website). Content is a big driver for SEO and very important for link-building. A good piece of content will be shared on social media and possibly picked up by other sites, which will add organic links back to your websites. If you find somebody who has strong and organic relationships with bloggers or PR sites, then it might make more sense to work with them. Like anything in life, there is no quick fix, and anybody selling a quick fix is usually selling snake oil.
7. What Is Your Client Retention Rate?
It’s important to check how long they’ve been in business and the number of active clients they have. However, the most important question to ask is "What is your client retention rate?" That provides you with the best indication of a company’s legitimacy.
8. Who Will Do the SEO on My Site?
Many SEO companies are scams. Get a name, a number and social media accounts of the person who will do the SEO on your site. Why? If you don't know who will be doing the SEO on your site, there's a good chance the vendor is simply a front to accept your business and outsource everything. Buyers should know from whom they are purchasing and what they're purchasing. If they do give a name, allow a 60-day period before you hire them. During those 60 days, you'll see if the person working on your site is someone you feel comfortable working with. Call the person a few times and ask questions. Does your contact answer his phone or respond to email, or do your questions go unanswered? Does he check out online? Make sure the person is real because that's hard to manipulate.
9. Will You Go After Influential Websites in My Industry?
Every year Google will alter the algorithm to ensure white hat strategies are being implemented by a company or website. If the links do not look natural, you will be penalized, and it can really set you back. A link-building vendor should build relevant, natural links to your website. Ask how they will build links. What strategies will they will use to build relevant links? Will they go after influential, authoritative websites in your niche? If not, what exactly are their link-building strategies? Are they just looking at outdated metrics such as PageRank? The most important thing is for you to become knowledgeable in link-building to understand the best vendor to outsource to.
10. Who Are Your References?
Because of all the recent algorithm updates, you need to be careful who you hire. You should ask the company you are potentially working with for references of past companies and sample reports. This company will be acting on your behalf, so you need to know what types of links you will be getting and if they use any tactics that violate Google's guidelines. If the company guarantees a certain number of links, run away as fast as you can.
11. How Do You Measure Your Success?
SEO is constantly changing. Website optimization takes time and precision. You need to know who you can trust with optimizing your website. Avoiding SEO companies that abuse and game both clients and the system is one of the first tactics you should adopt in your SEO strategy. It pays to understand what they are doing and why before you pay out any cash for SEO. Break it down for the company you want to work with, and make sure you feel comfortable with the relationship before getting started. If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.
12. What Are Your Tactics?
The best way to qualify potential link-building vendors is to first educate yourself about SEO practices. You should know the difference between black hat and white hat, and stay up to date on algorithm updates and SEO trends. You want a strategy that is as organic as possible, so ask your potential vendors details about what their tactics will be, and don't compromise on the quality of your links. Link-building is a long-term strategy, so be wary of anyone promising overnight success. Know your topic, and you'll know which questions to ask.
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