SEO Blog Post- Week 14 (Understanding Google Panda 2.0)

For its last training session, http://www.seocertification.org/ explains Google Panda in great detail. In short, it discusses the end of black-hat over-optimization tactics and new requirements for high search engine rankings.

Due to the end of black-hat over-optimization tactics, Google Penguin 5.0 penalizes websites that result in poor user experiences. In addition, over-optimized websites utilizing black-hat tactics are punished or penalized with low search engine rankings. The following factors are examples Google Panda considers when searching for over-optimization tactics:

• Backlinks Revamped 
• Paid Editorial Links
• "Exact Match Anchor Text" Keywords
• Authorship 

Another important aspect of understanding Google Panda are its new requirements for high search engine rankings:

1. Good Content
2. Social Proof
3. Author Rank
4. Internal Links
5. HTTPS as a new Ranking Factor

SEO Blog Post- Week 13 (Understanding Google Panda)

According to http://www.seocertification.org/, Google Panda is an extremely important aspect of SEO to understand.

In short, Google Panda represents a series of cumulative changes to the algorithm used by Google to sort through search results rankings. It provides higher priority to sites with both original and high quality content, and lowers the rankings of sites with low quality or duplicate content. As a result, users are able to find sites or links in a more accessible manner. Google Panda was actually released to address allegations that Google SERPS delivered useless sites which had to bypassed in order to visit the site that could actually be used.

In addition, Google Panda uses artificial intelligence to maneuver through search results. In fact, Google Panda has advanced AI that monitors and tracks the quality of content on the Internet to determine what is relevant or not.

The following list demonstrates some of the key characteristics Google Panda emphasizes:

• Advanced AI
• The quality of articles or websites
• The ability to use social media to your advantage
• The ability to relate relevant backlinks to a niche
• Be prepared for continuous Google Panda and Penguin updates

SEO Blog Post- Week 12 (Social Media Optimization)

There is an enormous amount of information regarding social media optimization on http://www.seocertification.org/, some of which I will be explaining in this blog post.

As is the case for almost all social media sites, the path to Facebook news feed optimization is through content. If you create quality content that users are interested in and will interact with, then it is more likely to show up on his or her news feed. Even more, quality content goes along with the frequency in which you post on a social media site. A user is more likely to notice or engage with content if it is reliable and frequently appearing on his or her news feed. 

There are various social media marketing and optimization tools to consider when you are looking for ways to improve SEO through social media. The following list may be helpful to consider:

• Regularly engaging with users
• Asking questions to entice users to interact or respond to your social media pages
• Holding contests
• Posting videos or pictures
• Monitoring both quality and frequency of user interaction with social media accounts
• Envisioning yourself as a user
• Contemplating what makes a unique and high-quality post

Conversion rate optimization is another key factor to examine when you are looking to improve on social media optimization. Using the "Facebook Insights" tool is a great example of how to improve on a conversion rate, since it provides you with direct feedback on conversion efforts. Ultimately, the overall goal of increasing a conversion rate should be to provide a relationship with a user. 

SEO Blog Post- Week 11 (Latest SEO Tactics and Strategies)

To begin, I would like to mention that I am officially certified from http://www.seocertification.org/, as I passed its exam earlier this week.

Material that I learned this week is related to some of the latest SEO tactics and strategies available to digital marketers. The first topic I read into was SiteLinks, which are used when you want to navigate through a website. The term "breadcrumbs" is often associated with a SiteLink, since it operates as a hierarchy that can replace URL's to show where in a website a certain result best fits. Also, I learned that Ad SiteLinks are used to attract more traffic to a website. In turn, this enables users to find a website more easily. It is also worth mentioning that Ad SiteLinks are managed at a campaign level, as opposed to a group level.

Another recent SEO tactic and strategy is Website Speed Optimization. This can result in higher search results if Google Webmaster Tools are utilized correctly. For example, Firebug Plug-in is an available tool that can increase a website's overall speed optimization. The following strategies should be monitored to further improve loading speed:

• Script Language
• Hosting Server Speed
• Coding Quality
• Picture Resolution
• Bulky Applications 

Lastly, increasing traffic by using social bookmarking can also assist SEO efforts. For instance, Facebook Ad Tactics consider geography, age, gender, education, relationship status, workplace, and keywords to ensure ads are approved. Carefully selecting a target market, testing markets and improving ads, using Facebook reports, and using creativity with both text and images can also improve SEO results greatly. 

Classmate Blog Links

The following links correspond to my peers blogs:

John Dodson - http://jdodsoniii.blogspot.com

Francesca Guido - http://francescaseoblog.blogspot.com/

Shannon Oconnell - http://shannonsmarketingblog.blogspot.com/  

Carlos Salinas - http://carlosmarketingblog.blogspot.com/

Ashfaaq Seedat - http://ashmarketingblog.blogspot.com/

Maureen Lepke - http://maureenlepkemarketingblog.blogspot.com/

Cory Evans - http://coryevansmarketing.blogspot.com/

Caitlin Campbell - http://campbellmarketingblog.blogspot.com/  

Kaitlyn Szaflarski - http://kaitlynmarketing.blogspot.com/  

Bruno Gomes - http://brunogomesmarketing.blogspot.com/  

Sumaira Quraishi - http://sumairasmarketingblog.blogspot.com/  

Trevor Walzak - http://trevormarketing1.blogspot.com/

Anthony Phipps - http://phippsmarketingblog.blogspot.com/

Kevin Carroll - http://kc3marketing.blogspot.com/

Tommy DiPonio - http://tommydmarketing.blogspot.com/

Steve Kositzky - http://stevesmktgblog.blogspot.com/

Drew Keil - http://drewkeil.blogspot.com

SEO Blog Post- Week 10 (Advanced SEO Techniques)

According to http://www.seocertification.org, there are many advanced SEO techniques to take into consideration as a digital marketer. The top three techniques that I have learned include pointers on how to earn high rankings on local search engines, how to use HubPages to promote websites, and how auto-pinging a blog can be beneficial for a user.

There are four major pointers to consider for earning high rankings on local search engines:

1. Include your clients' websites to local search engines 
• Google Local Business Center
• Yahoo! Local Merchant
• Ask Business Search
2. Submit your client's website listings to popular directories and Internet Yellow Pages
3. Set your geographic location in Google's Webmaster Tools 
4. Add contact information to your site

Another important technique to utilize for SEO is to use HubPages to promote websites. In short, HubPages aim to allow users to publish content and gain information about a specific topic or submit content via one-page websites referred to as "hubs". In addition, HubPages can increase customer traffic by adding links to a website and attracting readers to a hub by constantly updating them. 

Lastly, auto-pinging can be used as an advanced technique for SEO to improve blogging and its RSS. Essentially, pinging is a tactic in blogging that tells Google that changes have been made to a website or its corresponding pages, and that it should come back to that site to have a look. Therefore, auto-pinging is considered the consolidation of all pinging into one common location that is completely disconnected from someone's blogs. 

SEO Blog Post- Week 9 (Marketing Strategies)

From http://www.seocertification.org, I have learned a lot about marketing strategies as they relate to SEO. To begin, I learned about local search marketing, which is considered search marketing in a limited geographical area. Moreover, local search marketing tends to involve keyword research. For example, keyword research could contain zip codes, city names, county names, state names, or even streets. Essentially, keyword research aides local search marketing in adding geographical and local language qualifiers.

Another important marketing strategy related to SEO is link baiting, or the process in which you use a bait or hook to attract back links. This may include but is not limited to:

• Resource Hook
• News Hook
• Contrary Hook
• Attack Hook
• Humor Hook

Finally, another useful marketing strategy useful for SEO is Google Webmaster Central and its corresponding tools. In short, Google Webmaster Central provides tools to diagnose, analyze, and solve crawling and indexing issues. In addition, the service can also submit content to various Google services, enhance site functionality, and analyze traffic.

Google Webmaster Tools form the central and most important part of Webmaster Central. The tools related to Google Webmaster allow you to do the following:

• Analyze robot.txt files
• Set geographic target for website
• Enable enhanced image search
• Remove a URL from Google's index
• Set preferred domains
• Set a crawl rate
• Re-verify site with Google Webmaster Central