Tag Archives: Google Plus

Uncategorized

You’re optimizing the wrong page on your Google +

Leave a comment

This blog was posted a while back, and I thought I would update it today. So much has changed on G+ that the truth is you really shouldn’t try to “optimize” your G+ profile or posts much at all.  The value of G+ posts on SEO is highly overstated, as a stand alone practice.

USe your G+ profile like any other about you page.

You’re optimizing the wrong page on your Google +

I had a discussion with Stephan Hovnanian ( https://plus.google.com/105076725141939280120/about , who is someone you might want to follow by the way on Google Plus) about optimizing your Google plus profile. Here’s the deal in my opinion. People are always talking about “optimizing” your profile, when that’s a long term losing game.

Your profile page is like a scrolling screen. Google probably see’s every post you make as a new page, and every time you make another post about cute cats, or your amazing insight into… whatever… every post you made previously gets pushed down the page (or buried under more stuff). That causes your links in those posts to gradually diminish in value, both from a readership standpoint (come on, when was the last time you read more than 3 or 4 of the most current posts on a profile page) but also from a SEO value.

Your “About Page” on G+

You could be optimizing your “About ” page, and getting far more SEO value. The About page doesn’t scroll, and is attached to your profile page. Every time you get a mention of your about page or add it as a link on an decent authority site, you are getting far more value when it comes to SEO.  Not that you want to ignore all the very cool and important ways to utilize your profile and posts.  That IS important. But a complete focus on your profile is a short term strategy.  If you build the value of your about page…. it will naturally build the visibility of your profile, and… you don’t have to constantly update, plus, mention, post, engage…

Places to add your About Page URL

Here are places you should mention and add your About page:

  • Your Facebook page

  • Your Linkedin Profile

  • Your Web site  (the Google badge goes to your profile, why not add an additional mention  and link to your About page)

  • Any other social directories you participate in.

  • Twitter

  • Any forums you participate in

  • Blog comments you make from time to time

  • On your blog

  • Add to your email signature

I bet you  can think of many more. So what happens if I do all this you ask?  Well, all the things you hope will happen as far as your sites, blogs and authority will get better.

Needless to say, if you are going to start paying more attention to your About page, please read up on all of the good info out there on how to build a good one.  And trust me, it can be a very powerful page for your internet visibility, and therefore every page you have a link to on that page..

So, if someone were to ask me, would you rather have a link to your site in a post on a profile which slowly just loses it’s value as it sinks deeper and deeper into the G+ (or Facebook, or whatever) catalog of millions of posts that are made every day, or on an About page, which never moves down into that cavernous digital vault of old posts.  Which makes more sense?

By Mike Bayes. My About Page on Google Plus


 

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Uncategorized

Google Plus for SEO. A Fellini Movie Set in Algorithms.

3 Comments

Google + for SEO. A Fellini Movie Set in Algorithms.

SEO practitioners are, by their very nature, curious. I think this is the main reason they continue to research and track and measure in a business area where there are no “right answers, or at least, not that stay right  for very long. SEO is a changing landscape like no other I’ve experienced in business. It’s more analogous to a game of chess where the rules change every three moves. The queen becomes the pawn, the pawn becomes a soccer ball. Its a Fellini movie set in algorithms.

According to wikipedia.org “Curiosity killed the cat is a proverb used to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation. An easier definition of the phrase curiosity killed the cat would be that being curious can sometimes lead to trouble”. As SEO companies we all understand that we ultimately are lead to trouble when we become completely focused on the newest SEO rage, currently the Google plus platform.

It seems like every 30 minutes there is a new post (on G+)  about the miracles of G+  and SEO.  It’s a mass conscientious thing. One well known SEO makes a post or blog stating G+ has potential, and then every young SEO gun slinger wants to prove it is so. The young guns do a lot of the early testing,  and when one or two stumble upon some curious correlation between say… the alt tag in your g+  profile picture and one high ranking low competition keyword, the content marketing crowd goes to work flaming the fires of curiosity, all for the benefit of traffic, not truth.

Even if all of this discourse on Google plus for SEO has a substantial amount of truth in it, the fact remains, (and this is where so many of us fail, and get “killed”), there is no one historic case you can point out where an SEO gold mine platform, wasn’t converted conveniently by  Google  into just another web page over time, leaving those who invested too heavily in it, poorer than when they began.  Can any one who has been working in the SEO community for more than a few years, honestly say, that even IF G+ is the greatest SEO platform in the world today, that in a blink of an eye, it won’t just become another web page or site, like any other, at any moment.

We should be curious…  but diverse. We should view all new trends and correlations with historical perspective, and not let the current mania du jour  form our operating principles.

 By Mike BAyes


 

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Uncategorized

13 Good Luck Tactics For Your SEO Programs

Leave a comment

 

13 Good Luck Tactics for your SEO program.

We all know SEO is hard work, and lot’s of research, but as in anything, some good luck is always welcome. Here are the top 13 tatctics to attract good luck for your SEO.

1.) Type in your search term every hour, click on your listing, stay on home page AT LEAST 45 seconds. Click onto another page. Stay there as you hold your breath to the count of 10.

2.) Do this again from another IP address, but stick your tongue out as you hold your breath.

3.) Go to any of the Google blogs, and make HIGHLY positive comments about them. But be sincere, like you can tell them how great their Google Places service team is. http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/

 

Image representing Google as depicted in Crunc...
Image via CrunchBase

 

4.) Go to Rand Fishkin’s wife’s blog and make a comment about how smart her husband is. http://www.everywhereist.com/  . Buy the way, it’s a great blog!

5.) Never, ever mention SEO in any article or published piece that in any way can be associated with you or a client.

6.) State on your site you do not list clients because you don’t want Google to know who they are.

7.) Each week mention how sexy your wife or girlfriend thinks Matt Cutts is. Post a picture of her on your blog. If need be, post a picture of a model and say its your girlfriend or wife. You can extra points if you mention it here. http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/

8.) Always use broad match in your Adwords… and spend too much.

9.) Do a blog weekly on how great Google Plus is. Extra credit if you bash facebook or microsoft. (I find that pretty easy to do).

10.) Just tell people they can find your site by Googling you or your company name, because, yes, you are that good. ( You might remind them to add the city after the name just in case)

11.) Carry a lucky mouse foot around in your pocket with your keyword and site written on it.

 

 

Computer mouse
Computer mouse (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

12.)  Brag about your new Chromebook on your Facebook page and refer them to the post you made about it on your Google + page.

13.) Hire someone from fiverr to search on google just like this:
Your Company name | Popular in your keyword   100 times a day.

Using all of these on a consistent basis will do wonders for your rankings. Do you have any you can add?

These are just some that work for us..  What good luck tactics have you found work?


 

Mike Bayes

 

 

Enhanced by Zemanta

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

On Line Reviews

Google Places (Google Plus for Business) now showing competitors Zagat ratings.

4 Comments

Google Places ( Google Plus for Business) now showing competitors Zagat ratings.

Google Plus for Business and Google Places listings are now showing not only the similar places information on listings, but are now also showing the review scores of some of those similar places (or you might say competitors).

You can scroll down to the screen shots at the bottom to see several examples.  I started this blog to see what other review sites the Google places listings show for some top ranked (in Maps)  listings. The basis was just to update and see if anything had changed. Doesn’t look like it has. You can see the usually suspects below. These are sites you should actively seek reviews from your customers on.  All are based in a top 20 market  ( Okay it’s Denver)/

Top Ranked Local Sites and review mentions:

Chiropractor:  Reviews from around the web: insiderpages.com (7) – yahoo.com (3) – citysearch.com (1)

Chiropractor 2: Reviews from around the web: citysearch.com (54) – dexknows.com (20) – insiderpages.com (3)

Denver Dentist 2: demandforce.com (28) – citysearch.com (2) – dentalelements.com (68)

Denver Custom Home Builder: Reviews from around the web: kudzu.com (1)

Denver Remodeling:

judysbook.com (1)

But here is what really caught my eye:  Under similar places for a basement finishing company Google is now showing the scores for the competitor’s listings.  That’s new for me, and another good reason to monitor your business reputation, and ask your customers for reviews.

It also should be noted that the main reason I was going through this exercise was based on the issues Google seems to be having even getting real reviews from your real customers posted. Our clients are reporting reviews not showing up after posted. It just doesn’t get any better than that. But in all things Google Plus (Places) patience is the main attribute needed to maintain one’s sanity.

Here are some screen shots.

From a Basement Finishing Search and Google places page: https://plus.google.com/109113884867743336579/about?hl=en

 

From A Search For Top Rated Dentists:

I could add more, but you get the picture. Let me know what you see and we will continue to keep our eyes on how the new world of Google Plus for Business may affect your Internet reputation and marketing.

 

Mike: 303 500 3053 ext 1

Related articles
Enhanced by ZemantaOur new Business Profile Page

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post