Is Backlinking Still Important?

Link Building, Organic SEO, SEO, ,

Is backlinking still important?Link building is still the mainstay of how major search engines rank websites but the interpretation of link data has changed ever since the Penguin update was launched. Bad link building is one of the easiest ways to get penalized, but good link building can be the hardest part of your job (even more so in certain niches).  So, what can be considered definitely as a bad link or a link that should be “disavowed”?

  • Site wide footer links / multiple links from same domain
  • Blogroll link
  • Forum posting / profile link
  • Free directory links
  • Links from same class C IPs
  • Links from spun content
  • Links to different industry websites from the same article / content
  • Links from link-farm directories / pages
  • Links from non-English sites (for example – .ru, .jp, .cn, etc.)

If you have fallen prey to this techniques earlier by some unethical vendors who claim to be experts, it is always advisable to get rid of such links either manually or disavowing the links via Google Webmaster Tools.  From our end, we have adopted the below techniques as far as building links is concerned.

Backlink Analysis – Balancing of followed links to nofollow to have a natural profile. Check backlinks and traffic of sites from which we are getting links to find and weed out sites which are themselves hit by this update.

  • Link Velocity – The first and most significant observation that stood out among sites which were affected by Penguin update was link velocity. We have reduced our link velocity since the update. Getting too many links quickly will be flagged easily by Google.
  • Anchor Text Diversity – Continue to vary anchor text and lower the % of specific key terms focus. We have been doing this since 2012 and will continue to work the %’s.
  • Link Diversity – Sites performing well have good link diversity including links from Guest Blog Posts, info-graphics, videos, local business directories, presentations, coupons submissions etc. Since Google prefers a diversified link profile. We recommend getting links from these sources. Most of these sources are also now part of new deliverables.

Apart from this, to get quality links you can also consider link reclaiming. Link reclaiming is the act of finding sites that mention you, your brand or a related story and simply asking for a link.

There are a number of ways to find opportunities for link reclamation:

  • Web Mentions – Google Alerts is the most popular tool for monitoring mentions on the web, but Moz has also just released an alert function for their Fresh Web Explorer. Set up an alert for your brand name and when a site mentions you without linking send them an email.
  • Images – Use Google’s Search by Image tool to find out where people are using your images and ask for a link credit, this works almost 100% of the time.
  • Videos – If you are hosting video on YouTube you can use their analytics platform to see where your videos are being watched on external sites. Visit those sites and ask for a link to your website to supplement the video.

If you incorporate these rules to your online strategy you’re more likely to rank higher while also providing a good user experience which is ultimately what Google wants for its users.

What is Good Content to Google?

content marketing, How to, Organic SEO, SEO

digital contentUsing content as the foundation of your SEO strategy is not a new concept, but the definition of “good” quality content is ever-changing. Although the Panda update punished sites with thin content, there still are sites which use such content to rank higher. It might help temporarily, but will definitely affect in the long run.

Good content:

  • Drives traffic through searches related to your industry
  • Builds authority in the eyes of users and search engines
  • Increases engagement with your brand on social media

So what can be termed as good content?

Content in 2014 will not be just limited to the pieces of text you will add to the website or blog. You will need to think outside of this and make sure to develop a range of different media like videos, presentations, whitepapers, infographics, how-to’s etc. These become your assets and can be one of your best sources of links. Basically, you have to provide content which is useful to the end user.  Google’s Hummingbird algorithm, though not in full effect is going to become more and more of a player as search becomes more mobile and voice oriented. Therefore, be sure to include questions and answers as well as location data, when relevant, in your content. This will provide more value for your end users and the search engines alike.

content marketingNot to forget your site pages, you should be constantly improving your static assets (especially landing pages) to improve conversions and provide the best user experience. Engagement and conversion metrics are not just important to your bottom line, they’re important to Google providing the best results. In a nutshell give the people what they are looking for and Google will reward you with good rankings.

What Will 2014 Bring for Local Search Marketing?

Link Building, Local SEO, SEO, Small Business Marketing, , ,

Local-SEOAs opportunity grows for businesses to connect with customers via search, so do the challenges of determining the best approach. Here are a few local search happenings to expect in this year.

National to Local Approach for Brands

The idea of a coordinated national to local strategy will become a reality for more brands and local businesses in 2014. Many local markets (and vertical industries) are very competitive and keyword saturated, making it difficult for national and regional brands, as well as for independent business owners, to win the online visibility game on their own.

National marketers that depend on the success of independent business owners (franchises, dealers, contractors) will find they can create a platform effect with a coordinated national-to-local approach to SEO, social media and content marketing.

Mobile Optimized Websites

Making sure a business’ website is mobile optimized might mean the difference between being found by customers on a mobile browser or not. With more consumers shopping via mobile, it is clear that site traffic is moving to mobile. So, being mobile-ready is a must.

In 2013, we witnessed Google giving prominence in mobile SERPs to local businesses that properly configured their websites for mobile devices, and this will be a growing trend in 2014.

Some websites could even be penalized by Google and the other major search engines if they’re not optimized correctly. Also on the mobile front, strategies like click-to-call will become even more interesting as they play a larger role in the digital lead generation strategy for many business verticals.

Google will Focus more on Ratings & Reviews

In 2013, Google focused on ramping up its local ratings and reviews. It will continue to try to gather this rich, hyper local content from local consumers to grow Google+.

In another sign of this effort, businesses with verified Google listings will continue to reap benefits including having the ability to see customer ratings and reviews in their Places for Business dashboard and the ability to reply to those reviews.

4 Apps That Helps You To Stay In Touch While Travelling

SEO, Small Business Marketing

Photo credits: British Airways

If you know you’re going to be traveling – near or far – being able to keep in touch with friends and family is a good idea for a lot of reasons. While you shouldn’t be checking your smartphone if you’re driving, we have four mobile apps that can help you stay in touch when you’re traveling. No matter your destination, these mobile applications are going to help you stay connected.

Four Apps for Communication on the Road

Here’s a closer look at four specific mobile apps that can help you stay in touch when you’re traveling on vacation.

  1. Fring – This is a very cool mobile app that will allow you to make VoIP calls with your smartphone via any WiFi spot you can find. It’s available for both iOS and Android based mobile phones. The best part is that you can even do video group chats – all without running up your data charges.

  2. Skype – You’ve probably already heard about Skype if you spend any amount of time online, but you might not know that it’s also available as a mobile application. If you have a WiFi connection, you’re going to be able to keep in touch via video chats on your mobile phone.

  3. WhatsApp – If you’re looking for a communication app that is location aware and has a super large user base, you’re going to want to download and install WhatsApp. The user interface is very easy to use and you’re going to find that a lot of your friends are already part of the WhatsApp network. This particular app has been downloaded over 1 million times, which proves that it’s at least somewhat useful. As with the other apps in our list, it’s all about how you use it.

  4. Wi-Fi Finder – While this isn’t an app that allows you to communicate directly, it’s still very useful when you’re on the road traveling. Basically, it allows you to find the nearest (and strongest) WiFi connections so that the other mobile apps in our list work better. Finding a strong and stable WiFi hotspot isn’t the easiest thing to do – especially if you find yourself in a foreign country or unfamiliar part of the world. With a few taps of your finger, you’ll be able to find what you need.

Using one or more of the apps listed above will help you keep in constant contact with your loved ones – or even your boss. In all seriousness, it’s never been easy to travel the world and still keep in touch with people back home. Know of any other mobile apps that help you keep in touch while traveling? If so, write a comment below and share your wisdom.