Measuring rankings and traffic for large websites can be a daunting task. Ecommerce and content management-based sites can have hundreds of thousands to millions of pages, products and keywords. Understanding the behaviors of search engines and how to sample and measure search engine data will lay the groundwork for effective rankings management and tracking.

Determining Rankings and Base-lining Analytics

A large ecommerce site can easily be targeting thousands to millions of keyword phrases. However, it is not realistically possible to run a ranking report with this many keywords. Search engines will not allow it and the report would be indecipherable. To make tracking progress across this many terms manageable, it is necessary to establish a structured process incorporating rankings, trends and reporting.

Step 1: Setting up ranking categories

The primary goal here is to determine your keyword rankings and their baseline information as well as your search engine traffic and its baseline information. The first step of this process is to set up ranking categories or levels. Whether you have an ecommerce site or a content management system, there are generally levels of pages on your website. We will use Amazon.com as an example. An ecommerce site like Amazon.com typically has four levels:

Level 1: The home page
Level 2: Category pages
Level 3: Subcategory pages
Level 4: Product pages

Get The Full Story
To get the full story make sure to pick up the most recent issue of “Search Marketing Standard.”

This post was edited to comply with Terms of Service of Search Marketing Standard.

Originally Authored by Joe Griffin

2007 has drawn to a close and so the time has come to take a look back at the seminal moments in the SEO industry. These are my thoughts on the developments I feel most impacted our business and our clients rankings.

# 10: Wikipedia and Yellow Page Directories Infiltrate the Natural SERP’s

Yellow Page directories like Magic Yellow, City Search and Super Pages have dominated natural search results for years. These directories possessed the majority of the highly coveted, top ten natural search results for many local professional and trade service key words in 2007 (example: “Washington DC plumber”). This relegated local businesses to lower SERP’s when they would typically enjoy higher rankings. It drastically affected websites and businesses across the country.

Wikipedia also had a significant impact. It is now a major industry player after maintaining a strong presence for the past few years. Currently, Wikipedia is the best ranking website on the Internet. It continues to not only preserve, but accrue number one positions for extremely competitive keywords.

#9: Matt Cutts’ Communication

Google’s Matt Cutts has become increasingly vocal over the years. He maintains a popular blog, participates at most major conferences and has begun posting videos on YouTube (find them on YouTube or Google video). He addresses hot button issues such as paid linking, alt tags and on page SEO. His engagement validates SEO and allows the industry to hear from the horse’s mouth.

#8: Google Backlinks Displayed in Webmaster Tools

For as long as I can remember, Google has displayed a partial snapshot of a website’s full backlink portfolio. This applies to every website on the Internet. Several months ago Google allowed unfettered access to backlinks in the Google Webmaster Tools. Anyone possessing these tools can see every backlink Google gives them credit for. This is a boon for SEO and is still underutilized within the industry.

#7: Google – DoubleClick Merger

The FTC has given Google the green light to buy Double Click. DoubleClick is arguably the largest ad serving company in the world. It also owns Preformics, a full service SEM/SEO company. Translation? Google has officially purchased an SEO company. This merger has significant implications for the industry down the road. Even though the jury is still out regarding the precise consequences, I consider it a banner move worthy of ranking in the 2007 Top 10.

#6: Google and Yahoo! Filters Get Public

Search engines have instituted spam protection since 1995. This protection became increasingly sophisticated around the late nineties and into early 2000. Filters represent one aspect of this progression and they are more public in 2007 than ever before. For example, Yahoo! will assess 50,100 and 500 point penalties. Google will assess everything from 5 or 6 point penalties to 20, 30 or 100 point penalties. There is also the famous 950 filter, a 950 point penalty. The visibility of these filters, what they mean and how to avoid them are popular topics for discussion amongst industry insiders.

#5: SMO not Always Great for SEO (except when you’re in the SEO business)

A year or two ago social media’s popularity was rapidly building. It reached its pinnacle in 2007 when the industry latched onto the medium, and its marketing potential, with strategies like link bait. As tempting as it is, not every business will benefit from these endeavors. Speaking on behalf of an agency that manages over 250 customers, in various industries, we have found that Social Media Marketing definitely has its place. Many businesses do not fit the mold and that puts a kink in the link bait idea. Link bait applies to less than 50% of businesses and potentially less than 25%. Major social sites (including Wikipedia, MySpace, Facebook, del.icio.us and Digg ) have assigned the “no-follow” to all outbound links. The “no-follow” is an attribute on hyperlinks ensuring links get no credit when search engines rank websites in their search results. It is essentially a non-vote so spammers will not take advantage of public areas. In essence, these social networks do not pass link juice. It is critical to note the lack of impact these popular sites have on most marketing efforts. That said, in many circumstances these networks can be used to positively impact search results, but only through third party notice originating from these networks, but not directly from the networks.

#4: Paid Directories get Squashed

Paid directories have always been an ace in the hole for SEOs as they are a useful resource for acquiring paid links. We maintained a list of approximately 110 paid directories we considered valuable. Google recently took action and filtered around 50 paid directories leaving only 60 valid options available. This is a significant percentage and eliminated 50 guaranteed links. It affected rankings and strategies across the industry for individual search engine optimizers and companies alike.

#3: BlogReviews Hits it Big in 2007

Blogging has been popular for several years, but 2007 was its banner year. Blogging as well as paid reviews (what we call BlogReviews) took off and are strong contenders for relevant link acquisition. The industry embraced this trend. Consequently, it meaningfully impacted rankings.

#2: Universal Search Jumps into the Scene

This year Google rolled out universal search. The service includes Google Local, Google Maps, Google Video, Google News plus more. Google has conducted extensive experiments with the application as well as the industry. They tested the click through rates for video, local etc. by positioning them in different locations in the SERP’s i.e. top, middle, bottom. They even tried displaying 3 local results and 7 natural results. Thankfully, they are back to 3 local results and 10 natural results. All SEO companies have had to address universal search and assess the entire search mix. This includes video and news which also entail press releases. Universal search’s impact and implications rank it number 2 in the Top 10.

#1: Text Link Advertising gets Dinged

Google takes a fierce stance against text link advertising. Many major Google webmaster blogs discuss this subject and naturally Matt Cutts is the main spokesperson. Google has trained a magnifying glass on paid links. They are manually filtering out websites and will pass penalties to sites that buy links, when it is done in a non-favorable way. If sites buy too many links, use too much of the same anchor text, buy on non-relevant sites or buy on sites that are known links sellers, they are in the danger zone. In essence, links must be purchased with the utmost care and consideration. That being said, text link advertising is still a healthy industry, but the model has entirely changed in 2007. Information on this issue saturates the Internet and the industry has yet to see its ultimate effect.

This wraps up the Top 10 SEO changes in 2007. The industry has its gaze fixed on the horizon and the dawning of a new year filled with an array of possibilities, advances and modifications.

There are two words that are guaranteed to strike fear into the heart of any website proprietor: penalties and filters. They damage rankings and ultimately may result in banishment from the search engines. However, before panic sets in, let us guide you through the basics of penalties and filters.

A penalty is caused by significant violations of a search engine’s website guidelines, such as:

Penalties can be issued after a person reviews a website or after it has been crawled and processed by search engines. They result in a website being heavily held back in the rankings, or removed from the search engine’s index entirely. A penalty is called a ban when a website is completely removed from a search engine.

To remove a penalty, a site needs to first correct the problem that caused it, then contact the search engine and request a reinclusion. It is important to note penalties are not common for business websites, particularly in Google.

1. In Google, this is done through a Webmaster Tools account, which can be set up for free.

2. MSN has just created a Webmaster Tools system like Google’s.
3. Yahoo does not have a defined reinclusion process.
4. A filter is caused by passing a search engine’s threshold setting for one or more optimization/link building elements, such as:
1. Too many keyword mentions on a page’s body content (over-optimization).

2. Too much keyword blurring between a site’s pages.
3. Too many links with the same anchor text.
4. Too much keyword-rich internal linking (can cause 950 filter).
5. Too much link building in a short period of time.
6. Too much link building using the same anchor text.
7. Link building in bad neighborhoods.

Filters are common. They are issued automatically after the site is crawled and processed by search engines and result in a site being held back in the rankings.

1. Filters can be keyword-based or site-based.

2. Filters can be mild (held back a few positions) or heavy (held back hundreds of positions).
3. Filters can have a time element (like the normal Google Sandbox process, where a site is initially held back many positions and over time gets held back less and less until eventually it ranks near its allinanchor rankings).

In general, to remove a filter a site needs to first correct the problem that caused it, then wait for the search engine (s) to crawl the site again and find the corrections. The next time the search engine updates its rankings with the corrected data, the filter will be lifted automatically.

1. In some cases, like the Google Sandbox, you can simply outwait a filter. Websites commonly spend anywhere between a few months and a year or so in the Google Sandbox. The time websites spend in the Sandbox has significantly decreased over the last few years.

2. In some cases, you can remove a filter on a site by doing things that search engines like (such as getting quality links to the site from other respected websites in the same sector) to outweigh the things about the site or optimization they don’t like.

Filters are common, especially in Google.

1. The Google Sandbox is technically a filter. Google closely examines new websites for over-optimization to try and minimize spammy websites filling its SERPS. As a result, newer websites often trip filters when they start an optimization campaign using traditional SEO (lots of keywords on the page, keyword-heavy titles and description, keyword heavy anchor text in incoming links). This pattern of new websites getting filtered and eventually getting released from the filter is called the Google Sandbox. Websites can speed up their release date from the Sandbox by getting quality internal links and not going overboard with on-site optimization.

2. New websites are not the only targets. Older websites can trip filters when they go overboard with over-optimization

Being aware of how search engines assess penalties and filters is essential to avoiding them. Do not try to cheat the system, over-optimize or trick search engines. They are savvy to these tactics and punish those who attempt to take advantage of them. What may help in the short term will only end up hurting in the long term.

Being competitive in the SERP’s is important, and sitting idly is not a good strategy. If you must build links or optimize your website try to stick to the guidelines and use common sense.

Spread a little holiday cheer with your favorite SEO Masterminds.

Aaron Wall, Joe Griffin, Matt Cutts and Neil Patel:
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1671884698

Brett Tabke, Rand Fishkin, Jim Boykin, and Danny Sullivan:
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1670476736

Jim Boykin (again), Jeremy Shoemaker, Barry Schwartz, amd Michael Gray :
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1670750601

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
The Submitawebsite Team

There’s an old saying out there that “content is king”, and I agree that good content is the primary foundation for every website. Everyone who’s in the know understands that link popularity is far and away the primary driver of top search engine rankings.

After all, link popularity acts much like a “search engine credit score.” When you first start out, you can have the best looking website in the world, with incredible content and an amazing business model, but until you’ve established some trust, tenure, and responsibility, you simply won’t get any “credit” with the search engines. You’ve probably also heard about the very cliche “Google Sandbox.” Google representatives themselves have admitted the synergies behind the Google Sandbox theory, and the actual algorithmic logic that runs the Google search results.

The Google Sandbox however isn’t necessarily something that Google is intentionally inflicting upon new websites (Yahoo! has a similar policy). Understanding that Google and Yahoo! live and die on the relevancy of their search results, we must conclude that serving up websites with no established credibility, no tenure online, and zero trust would be a really bad idea.

So, I guess the question really becomes, “What is the best way to establish credibility with Google, Yahoo!, and MSN, and how can this be done in the fastest way possible?”

The answer to this question is simple and complex all at the same time. Essentially, building new inbound links to your website establishes credibility. The problem is that building these links properly needs to be addressed early on — having a strong game plan is crucial for obtaining optimal results.

The three components of link building are:

1. Link Quality
2. Link Growth
3. Link Volume

The industry has adopted link quality and link volume as the primary ingredients for link building juice. The only problem is that link growth is still rarely addressed, and long term link growth strategies are scarcely mentioned in tight SEO circles, even among the most experienced.

Well, what do we know about link growth? Let’s recap:

1. Link growth is not a new concept.

   In May 2005, Google made public the contents of their United States Patent Application. Just search “May 2005 google patent” in Google to read up. Basically, this patent paints a picture that Google may be looking at a lot more than meets the eye. The patent discusses how they may be recording the date on which new inbound links are gained, the frequency with which new links are gained, the total number of days new links are maintained, and much more.

2. Link growth can act as a “sandbox” expeditor.
   
   As previously mentioned, link growth is kind of like a natural credibility builder. Imagine link popularity like a high school popularity contest. If you can create new friends every single day, than you can exponentially better your reputation in a very short period of time.
3. Link growth is more powerful than fresh content.

   People always talk about fresh content. Fresh content!?! Forget fresh content! A monkey can update an HTML page. Fresh content is great, but at the end of the day it plays a small role in the rankings process. Link growth cannibalized fresh content a long time ago. To be safe you should employ both strategies, but if you’ve got time on your hands invest it into getting new links first and foremost – assuming you’ve got at least decent content!

4. Link growth types matter.
   
   There are a number of different classifications of link types. Links from bloggers can be classified as “social media links,” while links from newspapers and online publications can be classified as “news links and article links.” Links from top industry websites can be classified as “authority vertical links.” Each link type is important, and each link type should be expanded upon all the time.

5. Link growth consistency – the primary driver of rankings in the future?
   
   Link growth consistency is one of the tell-tail signs of top performing sites. Why do Amazon, Google, and eBay all have millions of backlinks? They built them feverishly day in and day out naturally over many years. This link growth consistency will forever mark them as the titans within their respective categories. Every category on the Internet is different, and making sure that you are building the best links all the time is the secret sauce to Search. Start now, as this will continue to be one of the primary drivers for top rankings over the next several years.

With all that said, I challenge the person who said “content is king.” If content is king, than link growth is god. Without link growth, you can take your content and flush it down the toilet. Don’t know how to get links? Consult an expert!

In the Search world it’s all about innovation, and staying on top of the latest trends. Over the past few years the search engines have become much more vocal, and have clearly voiced to the webmaster and business community that artificially inflating your backlinks is a no-no.

They’ve also publicly announced the crutch of their algorithms, and we all know that link popularity and trust is the driving force of rankings in every category on the Internet.

Google/Yahoo would have you do nothing to get your website better rankigns. Basically, they want you to ignore the natural search listings and only worry about the Paid search listings.

Aaron Wall from SEOBook has a great viewpoint on the subject which I agree with wholeheartedly. To throw in the towel and let your competitors walk all over you for fear of getting penalized is simply not a good strategy – this is what Aaron has to say.

Submitawebsite is excited to announce our new website. Our new site features our integrated blog, new tools, and updated case studies, and clients/partners page.

I’m a big fan of the DomainTrust and SEO Shortcut Widget tools, but all of the 8 tools are great.

We’ve also updated our management team page and blog.

We’re proud to announce that we have added an additional 25% staffing upgrade to our client service department. All employees go through a regimented 2-week training program. In addition, we have also successfully launched our new Client admin, which enables our clients to more effectively communicate with the project management team.

Cheers!

Google Webmaster Guidelines from Matt Cutts
At the SMX conference in Seattle, Matt Cutts shares his thought on the Webmaster Guidelines.

In particular he talks about:

* Establishing best practices.
* Google will manually tweak results.

Again, here is the direct link to the Google Webmaster Guidelines:
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35769

At this point we all know that Link Building is the latest and greatest with the search engines and that without link popularity it’s nearly impossible to rank on the first page for competitive keyword phrases.

With that said, most companies fail to take advantage of some of the best link opportunities out there. Put on your link building thinking cap, and start getting links in everything you do. This works especially well for companies that spend money on traditional media.

Tip #1 – Get in Bed with your Partners…

Sounds pretty obvious right? All established businesses have partners. In our case we’ve partnered with firms like Text-Link-Ads, 352 Media Group, ClickTracks, and others. In our partnership discussions we made it a point to see that these firms linked to our website as part of the terms of the partnership. If you are going to help sell someone else’s product, or engage in some type of joint venture, make sure you get a link out of it.

Tip #2 – Manufacturers, Dealers, and Distributors…

Do you run an eCommerce website? Or are you a service provider for a large manufacturer? If so, make sure you are listed in the dealer directory. If you have a good relationship with the manufacturer of your product make sure you are listed in the “Authorized Reseller” section of their website.

Now here’s a great tip: often these dealer directories and authorized reseller sections are database driven, and frequently these inner “search” pages cannot be accessed by the search engines, which means you won’t get link credit. Luckily, there is a way around that. On your partner’s website, perform a search matching your listing’s criteria. Once you’ve confirmed the search that pulls your site up on the page, simply copy/paste the URL of this search. Now, somewhere on your website give this URL a link (and no you can’t hide the link!). Most likely the search engines will be able to spider the link on your website, follow it to the search result page on your partner’s site, and shazam! you get link credit!

Tip #3 – Hold Traditional Media Renewal Contracts at Ransom – Force the Link

We have a large local real estate agent client that advertises massively on the radio, television, billboards, local magazines, etc. All of these advertising companies have websites, and many of them have a “clients” page. We helped our client come up with some solid renewal messaging, so that when the renewals for these programs came to term our client was able to negotiate free links on the local television station sites, magazines, and more. You can score excellent links from your traditional advertising programs.

Tip #4 – Be a Testimonial Freak…

I absolutely love giving testimonials to companies I work with. About 70% of them put my testimonial up on their website, and better yet over half of them link to my website. Is there really a better way to get free publicity for your website, help out your partners, and get link credit? It’s a win-win!

Tip #5 – Get Savvy with your Banners…

The standard banner size is 468×60 (see a full list at http://www.iab.net/standards/adunits.asp). With that said, that gives you a 468 pixel width and 60 pixel height. Some websites that sell advertising space give you the option to provide them with a 468×60 with your own HTML code. This allows advertisers to control the flexibility of their banners, utilize their own tracking, etc. If this option is available I recommend using about 80% of the height of your banner for your creative “pitch,” while allowing the bottom 20% of the banner to incorporate somewhere between 5-7 text links (see an example). You’ll just want to make sure these are static HTML links.

With that said, don’t be abusive about it. Use this though in moderation as part of your versatile arsenal of link building techniques.

Tip #6 – Pull the Network Marketing Trick…

Why is it that almost everyone gets hooked into Network Marketing at some point? Somehow these network marketers convince you to sign up your Father, Sister, Aunt Margie, Uncle Fred, flat-broke next door neighbor, and everyone else in your sphere of influence. So why should link building be any different? Got a landscaper? How about a real estate agent buddy? Convince them to link to your site – I don’t know how you’re going to do it – somehow you convinced them to buy your Mary Kay makeup – use the same techniques.

Tip #7 – Become a Social Networking Fruitcake…

I hate to list them but sign up for accounts with all of the social networking sites, i.e. Squidoo, 43 Things, Delicious (doesn’t directly pass link credit), Yahoo! Answers, MSN Groups, and all relevant Industry forums. You can also score links from time to time with Wikipedia, Aboutus.org, and others. Operating a blog helps this process. Get involved in the web community. Drop your link when appropriate – again, you can’t abuse this. Add value to the sites and you’ll get links. These companies have already figured out ways to stop spam, so you’ll have to actually put in the time to get credit here. Often this is a good project for the company copywriter, PR/Marketing person, or even webmaster. If you want to be successful though, you’ll need someone that has something smart to say, otherwise don’t waste your time.

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