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Archives for December 2010

How can web specialists prepare for the next Google Mayday?

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While Google’s May algorithm changes caused a stir, search marketers found best practices still effective

How can we prepare for the next Google Mayday?

Eric Covino of Creative Signals offered his insights about Google Mayday update at the June 7 SEO Meetup.  Was it overrated and overhyped?

  • When working with website upkeep and SEO, “there’s really no secret sauce” and there are never 100% right or wrong answers.
  • Consistent SEO practice will keep your website functioning, making you ready for the next Mayday.

Google Mayday update: overrated and overhyped?

If you know what you’re doing, no.  Mayday was really overhyped.

People start to take their foot off the gas when they’re ranking high enough, says Corvino:  “Don’t do this. Give your site a quality check.  Spruce it up a bit and refine it for your target market.”

Be savvy and know how to increase or maintain your site’s popularity.

Tips to enhance your website

  • Don’t just have 4-5 pages with no content.
  • Blog, interact with parallel marketplace, who would be a potential partner?
  • Social interaction is huge:
    • Facebook, Twitter: Have to have a business that will fit socially.
    • What can you converse about online?
  • Success on Facebook: Embed “Like” button on your site.
  • If you have a site about dog food, better that link is from the words “dog food,” not “healthy dog meals.”
  • Dashes and hyphens are seen spammy (— guilty!)
  • Only .com, .net, .org  are seen with authority.
  • Look for underserved markets or those that are over-served but with crappy content:
    • Create better content.
  • Check out your competition

Link-building tools and Search Engine Optimization tips

  • The most difficult aspect of SEO
  • Backlink tracking tools: Opensiteexplorer.org
  • Link tracking: advancedlinkmanager.com
  • Advanced webranking can search by lat & long, show query by location)
  • Update it 1x/month, discover new links, tell if links are active or not
  • RavenSEO tools: link toolbar for firefox
    • $19/mo just for links, as opposed to SEOmoz @ $79/mo
    • Majestic, also fairly inexpensive
    • Tools.SEOBook.com for free tools

WordPress website design: Tips and tools to avoid custom themes

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Adapt your website design to WordPress

Looking for flexible themes that can be customized/adapted to create a designed-looking WordPress page/blog?  November 30’s Providence WordPress Meetup was the hot spot for learning WordPress page design.

Case in point:  Designated Editor is transitioning the entire site to WordPress.  How do I retain my unique look without having a custom theme built?

Website design tools and services

  • WordPress theme
  • Elastic (still in development but allows you to drag & drop design elements)
  • PSD2HTML.com paid service will convert designs
  • Artisteer will output a theme file into CSS
  • Also code to hide unwanted theme elements
  • Can also create child themes that protect from parent theme changes.  Google “WP child themes” #1 is good
  • Specify CSS to an individual site without having to create a separate child theme.

Suggested themes by Meetup attendees — a little crowdsourcing

  • Genesis
  • 2010

Plugins recommended by Bill Dennen, Web Technologist and Sysadmin at Wheaton College

Adapting your website to WordPress requires some effort, but resources are readily available to guide you through the process.

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