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<title>Seo Project</title>
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<link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.seoproject.com/atom.xml" />
<id>tag:,2008:/1</id>
<updated>2008-05-08T16:18:11Z</updated>

 
<entry>
<title>Beginner SEO Techniques</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2008/05/beginner_seo_techniques.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2008://1.106</id>

<published>2008-05-08T16:14:20Z</published>
<updated>2008-05-08T16:18:11Z</updated>

<summary>Many SEO techniques focus on submitting sites to search engines, meta tags, backlinks, and other such methods. While these types of approaches do work, they can be complicated for SEO beginners. And, these techniques can be time-consuming. There is, however,...</summary>
<author>
<name>Craig Parker</name>

</author>
<category term="Content Development" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>Many SEO techniques focus on submitting sites to search engines, meta tags, backlinks, and other such methods.  While these types of approaches do work, they can be complicated for SEO beginners.  And, these techniques can be time-consuming.  There is, however, one SEO technique that is perfect for beginner website owners.  </p>

<p>This SEO method is quite simple, and should really be the very first technique on which every website owner focuses.  All it involves is writing good content.</p>

<p>Many people underestimate the importance of good content on a website and instead put a great deal of time into site design and the aforementioned SEO techniques.  But, what these people fail to realize is that without good content, visitors will not enjoy your website.  It is unlikely that anyone will visit your site--and, even if they do visit, they will probably not ever come back because there will be nothing to compel them to return.  <br />
</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>Many SEO techniques focus on submitting sites to search engines, meta tags, backlinks, and other such methods.  While these types of approaches do work, they can be complicated for SEO beginners.  And, these techniques can be time-consuming.  There is, however, one SEO technique that is perfect for beginner website owners.  </p>

<p>This SEO method is quite simple, and should really be the very first technique on which every website owner focuses.  All it involves is writing good content.</p>

<p>Many people underestimate the importance of good content on a website and instead put a great deal of time into site design and the aforementioned SEO techniques.  But, what these people fail to realize is that without good content, visitors will not enjoy your website.  It is unlikely that anyone will visit your site--and, even if they do visit, they will probably not ever come back because there will be nothing to compel them to return.  </p>

<p>Good content is what makes people spread the word about a website.  Good content is what gets people to sign up for an RSS feed or email newsletter.  It is what makes people bookmark articles or pages of a website on various social bookmarking sites--which, in turn, helps to advertise a website.  Good content is what makes people email their friends about what they just read about.  Without good content, it doesn't matter how many "share this" or "email this" buttons you have after your articles; no one will want to share what you have written on your website, anyway.</p>

<p>Now, writing good content does not necessarily mean that a person needs to write essays of immense length.  Nor does it mean that anyone expects website owners to pen great pieces of literature.  Instead, writing good content simply means that the articles and text on the website need to be clear, interesting, and valuable to the reader in some way.</p>

<p>Think about it like this--you would not visit (or revisit) a website that contained no valid or useful information.  You would not go to a site that was difficult to read because the text contained dozens of grammatical errors.  And it goes without saying that any website that you found to be boring would be one from which you would quickly click away.</p>

<p>So, website writers need to write text in such a way as to keep them interested.  But, not only that, writers need to make sure that their content attracts readers in the first place.  An article may have good content, but it doesn't serve a purpose if no one comes to read it, after all.</p>

<p>The way to write good content that attracts readers is through the use of keywords.  There are many keyword tools on the internet; choose one that will give you suggestions of which keywords to use in any given article.  If you use those keywords for a certain percentage in your article (perhaps from 2% to 5%, though recommendations on this percentage vary), you will likely attract many more readers than if you did not use the keywords.</p>

<p>Writing good content is more important than most other SEO techniques.  You have probably heard the phrase, "Content is king."  This is never truer than on the internet.  For every website subject, there are hundreds--if not thousands--of websites devoted to that subject.  So, every website has competition; in fact, many websites have a great deal of competition for readers.  Without stellar content, a website has little hope of keeping readers--readers will simply head to one of the other hundreds (or thousands) of sites devoted to the same subject.<br />
</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>SEO News</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2007/11/seo_news.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2007://1.105</id>

<published>2007-11-08T21:03:34Z</published>
<updated>2007-11-08T21:05:09Z</updated>

<summary>As all webmasters know, if your website does not show up on Google, it might as well not exist. This becomes difficult, however, when Google keeps changing the rules. Of course, the search engine gurus have a good reason to...</summary>
<author>
<name>Craig Parker</name>

</author>
<category term="Google" />
<category term="Marketing" />
<category term="SEO News" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>As all webmasters know, if your website does not show up on Google, it might as well not exist.  This becomes difficult, however, when Google keeps changing the rules.  Of course, the search engine gurus have a good reason to do this, because search engine spammers who are out there for nothing more than a quick buck quickly learn how to get past whatever new rules and regulations the search engines put in place.  However, for the legitimate webmaster looking to get content out there and make some money at the same time, the constant changes can be extremely frustrating, not to mention time consuming.</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>As all webmasters know, if your website does not show up on Google, it might as well not exist.  This becomes difficult, however, when Google keeps changing the rules.  Of course, the search engine gurus have a good reason to do this, because search engine spammers who are out there for nothing more than a quick buck quickly learn how to get past whatever new rules and regulations the search engines put in place.  However, for the legitimate webmaster looking to get content out there and make some money at the same time, the constant changes can be extremely frustrating, not to mention time consuming.</p>

<p>One of the things that all webmasters know that they have to do in order to optimize their webpages is get links to their site from other sites.  In the eyes of Google in particular, these back links show that you have quality content on your site that others want to see and show to their site visitors.  This has led to a process known as link selling, where webmasters allow you to put a link on their website for a small fee.  While this sounds like a good plan, Google does not like it!  In fact, if you have a site that sells links, you have probably seen or will soon see a significant drop in your PageRank in the next month or so, and your site might even be dropped from Google's search engine altogether. </p>

<p>Will all link selling get you banned?  Not necessarily, because the sites that flagged are going to be reviewed by a human, not just a computer, before being penalized.  The best way to prevent having your site flagged is to only sell links to sites that are applicable to yours.  Check the sites that are asking for links on your site.  Make sure that they are valid, informational, and helpful to your users.  If Google finds that you have huge link databases with completely irrelevant sites listed, you will be penalized. </p>

<p>So how does this affect those who bought links on other sites?  Well, if you have purchased a link on a site that is going to be penalized, the PageRank of that site is going to be lowered.  That means the incoming link is not as valuable for you.  If you suddenly see a decrease in your PageRank status, you should probably focus on building some organic links.</p>

<p>If you are wondering why Google took this step, stop and think about the world of Google for a moment.  Google did not become the most popular search engine accidentally.  The search engine has always focused on providing its users with quality content for their searches.  As frustrating as it might be for those of you who have e-commerce websites not to be listed on the front page, Google doesn't care. Google wants to have their front-page content be relevant and full of good information for its users.  So how can you make it to the front page?  By providing good, quality content to your target audience.</p>

<p>In other SEO news, it appears that the MSN search engine is loosing speed quickly.  While MSN.com wants to be one of the top three search engines, the August 2007 statistics indicate that it has fallen to number four, after Baidu.com.  For those of you who are not familiar with Baidu.com, it is an Asian search engine that is quite popular in Japan.  Google is, of course, still number one, followed by Yahoo.  MSN is fourth, followed by NHN, eBay, Time Warner, and Ask.com, in that order.  So what does this teach the webmaster?  When optimizing your site, stick to the rules of Google.  It has been and will continue to be the most popular search engine out there.<br />
</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Five Quick Ways to Improve Your Search Engine Optimization</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2007/10/five_quick_ways_to_improve_you.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2007://1.104</id>

<published>2007-10-22T19:25:45Z</published>
<updated>2007-10-22T19:28:04Z</updated>

<summary>Regularly adding new content to your site will make current search engine algorithms happy and improve your SEO. While quality, unique content is ideal, even taking advantage of relevant feeds and using freely available articles can help your overall search...</summary>
<author>
<name>Craig Parker</name>

</author>
<category term="Link Strategies" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>Regularly adding new content to your site will make current search engine algorithms happy and improve your SEO. While quality, unique content is ideal, even taking advantage of relevant feeds and using freely available articles can help your overall search engine rankings. Keep your keywords in mind, and if you feel that you are struggling with particular keywords adding appropriate, unique content is one way to improve your ranking with those keywords in particular. To maintain a good ranking, consider adding content to your site on a regular basis. Good content will not only appeal to search engines, but will also keep people coming back to your site regularly, clicking on your ads, and perhaps buying your products or services. </p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p><strong>New Content</strong></p>

<p>Regularly adding new content to your site will make current search engine algorithms happy and improve your SEO. While quality, unique content is ideal, even taking advantage of relevant feeds and using freely available articles can help your overall search engine rankings. Keep your keywords in mind, and if you feel that you are struggling with particular keywords adding appropriate, unique content is one way to improve your ranking with those keywords in particular. To maintain a good ranking, consider adding content to your site on a regular basis. Good content will not only appeal to search engines, but will also keep people coming back to your site regularly, clicking on your ads, and perhaps buying your products or services. </p>

<p><strong>Review Your Keywords and Backlinking</strong></p>

<p>You may also wish to review your keywords and backlinks. Have you made good choices with the keywords in your site, and do you have an appropriate distribution of keywords on your website?  Tweaking your keywords if you have perhaps focused on the wrong words, need to add additional keyboards or need to use your keywords more efficiently can improve your overall search engine optimization. Good quality backlinks from sites with a good search engine ranking can also help your site. You may even wish to consider dropping a personal and professional email to similar sites to see if they wish to swap links.  Many free and easy to use tools are available to assist you with this sort of optimization review online.</p>

<p><strong>Take Advantage of Promotional Services and Tools</strong></p>

<p>If you are struggling with optimizing your site, even using tips and tricks for good search engine optimization, you may wish to consider outside help. While full search engine optimization services are, reasonably, quite costly, you may find that some promotional services are very affordable and can help draw traffic to your site. Directory submission services are one such option. While directory listings and that accordant backlinks are less critical to search engine optimization than they once were, they are, nonetheless, still useful in modern SEO work. If you have not taken advantage of online SEO tools, now may be the time to do so. Google offers many excellent and free tools to allow you to track keywords, site traffic and more. <br />
<strong><br />
Draw Additional Traffic to Your Site</strong></p>

<p>Bringing new traffic to your site can help your overall success. Consider a well written press release as a promotional tool. Additional human traffic will improve your sales or ad revenues, and well trafficked sites are more successful in Google and similar search engines as well. You may also wish to post and become active in relevant online forums, especially since many of these allow you to post your site in your signature file, adding valuable and relevant backlinks. Also, if relevant, make sure your site address is on any printed promotional materials, including your business cards. </p>

<p><strong>Improve Your Layout</strong></p>

<p>While improving your site design and layout would seem to apply more to your human visitors than search engine spiders, this is not always true. If your site does not read as content rich and clearly keyword optimized to the search engines, you may find that your rankings are not at all what you hoped for when you designed your site. Avoid using frames in your site design for the best search engine result. If you have used a content management package, blog software or similar for your site, look into modifications for your software that allow each page to have a unique URL for the best search engine optimization results.  You should also keep in mind that your site's human visitors are more apt to stay, read your content, and click on your ads if your site is visually pleasing. <br />
</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Bodog.com Loses Its Domain</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2007/09/bodogcom_loses_its_domain.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2007://1.103</id>

<published>2007-09-14T13:11:03Z</published>
<updated>2007-10-11T10:08:47Z</updated>

<summary>The news about Bodog.com losing its domain came as a rude shock to poker communities.</summary>
<author>
<name>Craig Parker</name>

</author>
<category term="SEO News" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>The news about Bodog.com losing its domain came as a rude shock to poker communities. One of the most popular poker sites, Bodog.com had offered poker gamers an exceptional gaming interface and excellent customer service. However, the hard-hitting news has created widespread disappointment. The issue began when Bodog.com was accused of patent infringement. A Las Vegas company had secured a $48.6 million judgment, by default, in its favor on June 14th. Although the Bodog Entertainment Group, which includes the gaming sites Bodog.net and Bodog.com, hasn't refuted the allegations, most people believe that Bodog has given in to the pressure because the online gambling business per se is threatened by the ban imposed by the US Department of Justice.</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>The news about Bodog.com losing its domain came as a rude shock to poker communities. One of the most popular poker sites, Bodog.com had offered poker gamers an exceptional gaming interface and excellent customer service. However, the hard-hitting news has created widespread disappointment. </p>

<p>The issue began when Bodog.com was accused of patent infringement. A Las Vegas company had secured a $48.6 million judgment, by default, in its favor on June 14th. Although the Bodog Entertainment Group, which includes the gaming sites Bodog.net and Bodog.com, hasn't refuted the allegations, most people believe that Bodog has given in to the pressure because the online gambling business per se is threatened by the ban imposed by the US Department of Justice. In recent times, there has been a spate of arrests, which included high profile executives running the online gambling industry. This offers enough reason for Bodog to maintain a low profile and not react violently to the allegations. </p>

<p>The allegation basically indicates a violation of rules pertaining to the production and transmission of multimedia information. In the wake of this development, the online gambling industry is certainly nervy about its future. Furthermore, Bodog is fighting, amongst others, DNS issues for most of its portals. It is still debatable whether the domain name of Bodog.com is owned by the Bodog brand. Apparently, Mel Molnick and the Home Gambling Network Inc (HGN) believe that the domain name has been stolen from them. HGN is a subsidiary of i2corp. The company is the owner of a method patent pertaining to live electronic betting carried out from remote locations.</p>

<p>However, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that Bodog's top shot Calvin Ayre owns the trademark rights to the registered name. It is now certain that a long and intense legal battle is on the way. However, industry experts believe that Ayre would perhaps consider a settlement to lower the cost implications of the issue. This would have been the prime objective of Molnick when he had taken on the big brand and it is now just a matter of time before the issue is resolved amicably. </p>

<p>Bodog has taken a serious dent to its reputation, and it will take a while for the company to repair the damages sustained by brand Bodog. Despite this, Bodog has made a serious effort to ensure that its customers are not disappointed. A new domain has been created with the name www.newbodog.com, where players can continue gaming. For now, it seems the leak has been plugged to a certain extent.</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Important Factors in SE Rankings</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2007/07/important_factors_in_se_ranking.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2007://1.102</id>

<published>2007-07-09T21:49:41Z</published>
<updated>2007-07-09T21:53:31Z</updated>

<summary>There are a number of important factors in SE rankings. Keeping all of those factors in mind when working on extant or new web sites will help you achieve good SE rankings. The age of your site, number of backlinks...</summary>
<author>
<name>Craig Parker</name>

</author>
<category term="Content Development" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>There are a number of important factors in SE rankings. Keeping all of those factors in mind when working on extant or new web sites will help you achieve good SE rankings. The age of your site, number of backlinks to your site, keywords, anchor text and overall on-site optimization will all determine your overall search engine ranking. A good SE ranking will bring more visitors to your site increasing your business or online advertising profits. </p>

<p>The longer your domain has been in existence, and regularly spidered by search engines, the better your search engine ranking will be. Obviously, this is not easily changeable; however, if you envision creating multiple sites, it may be beneficial to register and set them all up and work toward content development all at once, even if each site takes longer to reach fully developed. This tip is particularly relevant for individuals creating sites to generate online advertising revenues, since they may well own and manage multiple sites. If nothing else, it can be helpful to realize that this factor in SE rankings simply takes time, and given time, if all else is in place, your SE rankings will improve.</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>There are a number of important factors in SE rankings. Keeping all of those factors in mind when working on extant or new web sites will help you achieve good SE rankings. The age of your site, number of backlinks to your site, keywords, anchor text and overall on-site optimization will all determine your overall search engine ranking. A good SE ranking will bring more visitors to your site increasing your business or online advertising profits. </p>

<p>The longer your domain has been in existence, and regularly spidered by search engines, the better your search engine ranking will be. Obviously, this is not easily changeable; however, if you envision creating multiple sites, it may be beneficial to register and set them all up and work toward content development all at once, even if each site takes longer to reach fully developed. This tip is particularly relevant for individuals creating sites to generate online advertising revenues, since they may well own and manage multiple sites. If nothing else, it can be helpful to realize that this factor in SE rankings simply takes time, and given time, if all else is in place, your SE rankings will improve.</p>

<p>Backlinking is another important factor in SE rankings. Backlinks are other sites that link to your sites. The more sites that the search engines see linking to yours, the better your SE rankings are apt to be. How can you go about getting backlinks to your sites? In the simplest terms you can trade links with relevant sites, submit your site to online site directories, and use your site in signature files on message boards. All of these will help improve your site rankings. Reviewing search engine optimization resources and message boards will reveal that there are services available to submit your site to a large number of directories, thus providing you with immediate backlinks for an affordable charge. </p>

<p>Keywords are one of the most essential and most common search engine optimization tools. Using keywords in your content is important, but using them in headers and anchor text is especially important. Anchor text is the highlighted text that is clickable, linking to another page on your site or another site entirely. Good use of anchor text will help with your SE rankings. Be certain that your anchor text varies, but is relevant to your keywords and site themes.  While good use of anchor text for external links is important, it can be even more helpful when you use internal linking among individual pages on your own site. Limiting your external links to those that are actually useful and relevant is a practical tip when looking at ways to increase your SE rankings. </p>

<p>Overall on-site optimization for modern SE rankings is critical for a good overall ranking in major search engines. SE rankings can change easily, and the algorithms for determining them often change as well. Staying on top of current on-site optimization strategies, including using keywords, backlinking, heading and anchor text, is critical for good SE rankings. Your site will be much more successful if you achieve a first page site ranking, and even more so if you are in the top five listings on a major search engine, such as Google. Good SE rankings will bring traffic to your site. If you are running an ecommerce site, traffic will mean customers. If you rely upon advertising on your blog or informational site to bring in needed revenues, SE rankings are also critical for your overall online success. Taking advantage of practical, modern on-site optimization strategies can help your site rankings improve within just a few months, with minimal work or effort. </p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>SEO News from Seo Project</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2007/06/seo_news_from_seo_project.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2007://1.101</id>

<published>2007-06-23T10:09:59Z</published>
<updated>2007-06-23T10:12:19Z</updated>

<summary>Search engine optimization changes so fast in today&apos;s marketplace. Keeping on top of the latest SEO news can be challenging, but it is critical for webmasters and others involved in search engine optimization to know what is going on in...</summary>
<author>
<name>Craig Parker</name>

</author>
<category term="SEO News" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>Search engine optimization changes so fast in today's marketplace. Keeping on top of the latest SEO news can be challenging, but it is critical for webmasters and others involved in search engine optimization to know what is going on in this most important aspect of web promotion and development. Changes have abounded at Google recently, and several other major search engines have brought applications into beta testing.</p>

<p>Google's recent AdSense arbitrage has worked to root out many users who had sites made solely as a means of generating AdSense revenues. The cut-off deadline for users guilty of violating the AdSense terms was June 1, 2007. This move should make Google more useful for searchers, and a more viable source of advertising for AdWords and AdSense patrons. Webmasters should know that AdSense is still a viable source of income and revenue for sites that are more than just link farms. </p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>Search engine optimization changes so fast in today's marketplace. Keeping on top of the latest SEO news can be challenging, but it is critical for webmasters and others involved in search engine optimization to know what is going on in this most important aspect of web promotion and development. Changes have abounded at Google recently, and several other major search engines have brought applications into beta testing.</p>

<p>Google's recent AdSense arbitrage has worked to root out many users who had sites made solely as a means of generating AdSense revenues. The cut-off deadline for users guilty of violating the AdSense terms was June 1, 2007. This move should make Google more useful for searchers, and a more viable source of advertising for AdWords and AdSense patrons. Webmasters should know that AdSense is still a viable source of income and revenue for sites that are more than just link farms. </p>

<p>Google is also dealing with some concerns regarding privacy policies in Europe. In March, Google announced that search data would only be retained for 18 to 24 months.  The EU requires that companies retain only as much data as is necessary, and retain data for no longer than necessary. Google has expressed confidence in its ability to justify current data retention standards. Google's privacy policies can reassure customers, and only add to the prominence of this search engine. As most webmasters know, Google is the search engine where the rankings matter most.</p>

<p>Google is also jumping on the blog ranking bandwagon with its rumored purchase of the well-known RSS management company, Feedburner. While neither Google nor Feedburner have yet confirmed the reported ten million dollar deal, several reputable sources have confirmed that Google will be adding yet another useful and profitable aspect to its services. Bloggers looking to profit via AdSense and other advertising programs should take notice of the possibilities inherent in Google's purchase of Feedburner.  The acquisition of Feedburner will likely allow Google's profitable advertising to enter into the realm of RSS feeds.</p>

<p>In other SEO news, AOL's local search is now in the second phase of beta testing. While AOL's search relies on Google's technology, the local search feature integrates aspects of Google Maps, Mapquest and AskCity.  Drag and drop technology and pinpoint mapping can make the local search feature useful for many people and a number of applications. If you are managing a local site, considering working your optimization strategies to maximize local opportunities. </p>

<p>A new search engine offers a people powered alternative to algorithm based search engine solutions like Google.  While computers generate answers to your Google or Yahoo searches, Mahalo.com will employ a staff to generate lists of the best answers to common queries. While many major search engines can generate a response to nearly any query,  Mahalo.com will only attempt to answer l0,000 or so common queries. Currently, only 4,000 sites are indexed, but more are expected to be added each week. Mahalo.com will rely on search engines themselves to search out the best sites to respond to their queries, and expects to eventually sell advertising as well. </p>

<p>Keeping up to date on the latest search engine optimization news is a challenge. This ever changing market grows and shifts with each week, and the latest SEO news changes with it.  When reading the latest SEO news, look at how and why these changes and shifts in the search engine market may impact your sites. Adding content, shifting your site design a bit, and opting for a variety of advertising strategies may be necessary to keep your sites on that ever-desired first page. </p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Marketing of Websites and SEO</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2007/06/marketing_of_websites_and_seo_1.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2007://1.99</id>

<published>2007-06-03T21:43:23Z</published>
<updated>2007-06-22T22:27:48Z</updated>

<summary>This article covers what SEO is, what it can do for a company and the most popular pitfall to avoid when hiring an SEO firm.</summary>
<author>
<name>Craig Parker</name>

</author>
<category term="Content Development" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>There are a thousand different ways to market a product or company and one of the most popular ways is through the internet.  However, placing a product or company on a web page is simply not the best way to market the product/company.  Sure you have a website but when people search for a product if the website does not come up within the search, then the website does nothing for the marketing efforts.  In order to control whether or not a website comes up and how high up in the search it appears, Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a must.</p>

<p>The basis of SEO is simple and that is to improve a site's search ranking.  This can be done through the use of coding as well as changing the structure of a site so that the site is more user-friendly.</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>There are a thousand different ways to market a product or company and one of the most popular ways is through the internet.  However, placing a product or company on a web page is simply not the best way to market the product/company.  Sure you have a website but when people search for a product if the website does not come up within the search, then the website does nothing for the marketing efforts.  In order to control whether or not a website comes up and how high up in the search it appears, Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a must.</p>

<p>The basis of SEO is simple and that is to improve a site's search ranking.  This can be done through the use of coding as well as changing the structure of a site so that the site is more user-friendly.  Structural changes to a web site can have two pay-offs.  The first is accomplished when a web site sends spiders out to find sites with pertinent information to a keyword search.  While the spiders are out, they may come across a site but then hit a wall of sorts that disallows it to really search the site for the keyword phrase.  If the spider cannot read a site, then no one will.  The second pay-off to tweaking a web site is that people will use it.  It really does not matter if a site is number one in the search rankings if no one can navigate the site.  If navigation is prohibitive, then the company will not be profitable.  </p>

<p>The expense of SEO can vary greatly depending on needs and the size of a company, as well as the SEO itself.  Some firms start at $500 while others start at $50,000.  In terms of pricing, there really is no limit to high or low you can go.  The difference in pricing of course depends on your project and how much time you would like the SEO firm to invest in it.  The price may also vary depending on what type of SEO firm is chosen.  SEO firms can vary greatly in terms of their SEO focus.  Some SEO firms will have expertise in one or several industries such as technology.  Some other firms will have a more general focus and will take on clients from a wide range of industries.</p>

<p>When investing in an SEO firm, a company must be weary as there are some unethical and deceptive practices called spamdexing or black hat that some people employ in order for a site to appear high in a search.  These methods are disapproved of by the major search engines such as Yahoo and Google.  If the search engine finds that these practices were used in order to evoke higher rankings, very often the site will be banned and not listed on the search engine.  Obviously this is a very risky technique because if a company is caught and banned using these techniques, then no one will find the website.  If no one can find the website, then a company's profits will surely suffer.  In the case of SEO firms using these techniques, very few if any firms notify the client that spamdexing is being used.  Therefore, search engines may be a little more lenient in these types of situations, but do not expect to be able use ignorance as an excuse.</p>

<p>Obviously anyone that owns a company or for that matter has even the smallest stake in one wants it to be successful.  In this world of booming technology a web site is a must and if that site is to also be successful, placement, ranking, and easy navigation is a also a necessity.  The brilliant people that perform SEO understand this and can help any company accomplish their goals.</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Being visible is crucial to success online</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2007/05/being_visible_online_is_crucia.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2007://1.100</id>

<published>2007-05-24T13:28:26Z</published>
<updated>2007-06-22T22:27:34Z</updated>

<summary>Being visible online is crucial to the success of websites, especially those that deal with e-commerce. A person or company can no longer submit their website to various search engines and then hope for a good ranking. There have been...</summary>
<author>
<name>Craig Parker</name>

</author>
<category term="Content Development" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>Being visible online is crucial to the success of websites, especially those that deal with e-commerce.  A person or company can no longer submit their website to various search engines and then hope for a good ranking.  There have been studies that have shown that 85% of people use search engines to find information on the Internet.  If websites are not visible, they may be losing out on business.  One of the main methods for being visible online is with search engine optimization (SEO).  The tactics of SEO is to make the website more visible on the web by giving it more visibility on major search engines, such as Google. </p>

<p>The fact is that search engines are very popular vehicles that will connect users to websites.  The search engines and directories on the Internet provide the first step in connecting users to various sites.  This is why it is important to have visibility; if the site has a high search engine ranking, the more likely it is that the search engine will connect the people that are looking for what that site offers, whether it be information, products, or services.  It is important that a website be listed in the first 30 pages of search results for relevant keywords and phrases about the website.  </p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>Being visible online is crucial to the success of websites, especially those that deal with e-commerce.  A person or company can no longer submit their website to various search engines and then hope for a good ranking.  There have been studies that have shown that 85% of people use search engines to find information on the Internet.  If websites are not visible, they may be losing out on business.  One of the main methods for being visible online is with search engine optimization (SEO).  The tactics of SEO is to make the website more visible on the web by giving it more visibility on major search engines, such as Google. </p>

<p>The fact is that search engines are very popular vehicles that will connect users to websites.  The search engines and directories on the Internet provide the first step in connecting users to various sites.  This is why it is important to have visibility; if the site has a high search engine ranking, the more likely it is that the search engine will connect the people that are looking for what that site offers, whether it be information, products, or services.  It is important that a website be listed in the first 30 pages of search results for relevant keywords and phrases about the website.  </p>

<p>The Internet is growing every year at an enormous rate; in 2006 there were 747 million users.  Every day people on the Internet use major search engines, and there are in excess of 400 million queries to find products, services, or information.  Having visibility on the web means there will be more of these queries directed to the site.  Internet marketers have seen the importance of the global market and have come up with website positioning in order to become visible to more people who are searching for various things over the Internet.  </p>

<p>The Internet is a medium that is interactive where people can be in contact with other parties 24/7 and 365 days a year.  There are potential customers that will use search engines in order to locate content on the Web.  The usual search query will often have over a million search matches.  If the site is not a visible one and it is far down on the list, the site can be losing business.  For example, If the user types in a keyword or key phrase and there is a site that has exactly what they are looking for, but does not have visibility and comes up as the 100th most related site, the chances are slim that the person will visit that website.  This is why having high visibility on the Internet is very important. </p>

<p>Every year shopping online continues to grow at an enormous clip; in 2006 alone there were $102 billion in Internet commerce.  This is an increase of 24% from the previous year.  The number one way that individuals find websites, in whatever they are looking for, is from search engines.  The most valuable type of Internet traffic is search engine traffic, because it is made up of people that are specifically looking for information, products, or services.  Therefore, the visibility of a site that has a high page ranking with search engines will basically mean that site will get more hits from the people who are interested in what the site offers. </p>

<p>People that use search engines:  generally do not look further than the first 30 listings; use the Internet to find what they are exactly looking for; use the major search engines, and use a key word or phrase to begin their search.  These types of visitors to sites are ones that are targeted, as they know what they want.  The more visible a site is to a viewer, the more likely that site will offer what the visitor wants.  This can be correlated directly into more sales if the site deals with e-commerce.  Many websites spend a lot of money developing a site, but if it is not one that is visible on the Internet, it can cost you a lot of money.  It does not matter how attractive a website is, as the site can be set up well and look great, but the whole point is to get people to visit it.  Having extensive visibility on the Internet is important to getting visitors to a website.  Recognizing the importance of search engine optimization in the development of a website is crucial to the website's success. <br />
</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>The Latest SEO News</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2007/05/the_latest_seo_news.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2007://1.98</id>

<published>2007-05-02T07:39:51Z</published>
<updated>2007-06-22T22:27:05Z</updated>

<summary>This article covers the latest SEO industry news about SEO business acquisitions made by major brand names like Google and Yahoo.  The article also discusses the key competitive mechanics that exist within the SEO industry at the moment.</summary>
<author>
<name>Craig Parker</name>

</author>
<category term="SEO News" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>On April 30, 2007 the war between search engines got a little bit more serious when Yahoo! announced its purchase of Right Media for a approximately $680 million dollars.  This now puts Yahoo! in a position to compete with Google who recently acquired Doubleclick, Inc. for a reported $3.1 billion dollars. </p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>On April 30, 2007 the war between search engines got a little bit more serious when Yahoo! announced its purchase of Right Media for a approximately $680 million dollars.  This now puts Yahoo! in a position to compete with Google who recently acquired Doubleclick, Inc. for a reported $3.1 billion dollars.  While it appears that Yahoo! is only copying Google, this was not an out of the blue decision for the search engine giant since it already owned 20% of Right Media as of October 2006.  </p>

<p>Right Media was founded in 2003 as a direct marketing solution for online marketers looking to draw in a higher volume of traffic.  Once upon a time, marketers and search engine giants such as Yahoo! and Google, depended on text based messages in order to drive traffic.  Then Right Media began to capitalize on the industry's movement toward more ad-based methods of driving traffic.  One of the most appealing aspects of Right Media to companies was the opportunity to purchase and sell online ad materials in the free market or in other words in an auction fashion much like one would purchase a tablecloth on Ebay.  This enabled companies to not only build up their ad inventory at a price they desired, but it also allowed them the chance to pick and choose which companies were worth forming a working relationship with.  By recognizing not only the industry's movement toward more ad-based marketing but also the need to build an ad inventory while staying in budget, Right Media helped the industry to see billions of dollars begin to flow in a totally new direction within the online marketing industry.  </p>

<p>Yahoo's intended purchase of Right Media still needs to be approved by the SEC before it actually becomes official but expects the sale to be completed by the second or third quarter of 2007.  Regardless of when the sale will be completed, some are left wondering if Yahoo's purchase makes sense.  Six months ago, Right Media was only valued at $200 million dollars, which means that at a $680 million dollar purchase price Yahoo! is paying nearly three times of what Right Media is actually valued at.  Furthermore, Right Media is not considered by financial experts to be a profitable company.  While it may look like a poor financial decision on the part of Yahoo!, the intention by Yahoo is to have Right Media complement the present Yahoo online marketing initiatives.  The main initiative is to improve the online marketing industry's advertising methods and make these methods more open and accessible to any company that wishes to purchase interactive marketing advertising.  Furthermore, as any company would desire, Yahoo hopes that the purchase of Right Media will aid them in becoming the number one company within the online marketing and publishing industry.  </p>

<p>The purchase will allow publishers the opportunity to actually understand the true value of an advertising inventory, as well as, bundle their own advertising inventory with Yahoo and Right Media's inventory.  In addition to helping publishers, advertisers will see a larger audience for their products and should even have a greater amount of control over the purchasing of ads.   </p>

<p>Since both Google and Yahoo have bought new companies in an effort to become the number one online advertising company, rumor has it that Microsoft is also shopping around.  It is suspected that Microsoft actually tried to purchase Doubleclick just before Google purchased it.  What this means for the numerous online advertisers out there, is that they need to keep a check on this war between the search engines, as it is proving to be a war that will result in a major transformation of how online marketing and search engine use is performed.</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Yahoo fighting the 360 blues...</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2006/11/yahoo-360-revamp211106.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2006://1.97</id>

<published>2006-11-21T15:58:26Z</published>
<updated>2006-11-21T16:08:22Z</updated>

<summary>My guess is that Yahoo will continue to half-step in this market for quite sometime. They might pull of something eventually, but for now, they will continue to be a non-factor in both the blogging and social networking scene....</summary>
<author>
<name>Hugo</name>

</author>
<category term="Yahoo" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>My guess is that Yahoo will continue to half-step in this market for quite sometime. They might pull of something eventually, but for now, they will continue to be a non-factor in both the blogging and social networking scene.<br />
</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>Its no big surprise really.</p>

<p>When Yahoo execs announced a proposed facelift for their ailing Yahoo 360 blogging/social networking portal it didn't really make many waves. Most pundit were already aware that their product offering needed a major revamp.</p>

<p>So now what? Are they going to continue to try and mimic industry powerhouses like blogger.com or myspace.com? Or will they try to unveil something truly revolutionary? </p>

<p>I think part of the problem is that Yahoo is trying to do too much. They want to attack both blog publishing and social networking with one all-inclusive portal, and I'm not quite sure that will work.</p>

<p>MySpace pulled it off, but that's only because they're immense popularity in social networking circles made their blogging tool popular by default.</p>

<p>My guess is that Yahoo will continue to half-step in this market for quite sometime. They might pull of something eventually, but for now, they will continue to be a non-factor in both the blogging and social networking scene.<br />
</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Google takes advertising from the net to newspapers?</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2006/11/google-newspaper-advertising071106.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2006://1.96</id>

<published>2006-11-07T16:24:51Z</published>
<updated>2006-11-07T16:25:48Z</updated>

<summary>At first, it sounds like a step back into the stone age for Google. Allowing customers to buy ads in various newspapers across the country from its web site?...</summary>
<author>
<name>Hugo</name>

</author>
<category term="Google" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>At first, it sounds like a step back into the stone age for Google. Allowing customers to buy ads in various newspapers across the country from its web site?</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>At first, it sounds like a step back into the stone age for Google. Allowing customers to buy ads in various newspapers across the country from its web site?<br />
 <br />
Instead, Google is trying to take the one stop shopping concept that has worked for e-bay and other sellers to the newspaper advertising market. In creating a web portal that allows for newspaper advertising purchases at some of the nations largest newspapers, Google is simply acting as a middleman in the transaction.<br />
 <br />
The one stop shopping for advertising concept allows national or large regional companies to put together an advertising campaign in a multitude on newspapers with a single contact. Among the options are The New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Jose Mercury News and the USA TODAY. <br />
 <br />
In the process, Google will continue to sell search advertising on its AdWords.google.com site. The company will add a "newspaper advertising" tab to the site that will then allow a business to bid on advertising on specific advertising space in various newspapers.</p>

<p>For more on the Google ad concept:<br />
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-11-06-google-ads_x.htm</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Let the Bidding Begin</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2006/11/internet-tv-wars011106.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2006://1.95</id>

<published>2006-11-01T17:23:14Z</published>
<updated>2006-11-01T17:24:35Z</updated>

<summary>The general consensus is singular in thought - it is only a matter of time before the internet moves from the desk top computer in the home office space to the full comforts of the living room....</summary>
<author>
<name>Hugo</name>

</author>
<category term="SEO News" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>The general consensus is singular in thought - it is only a matter of time before the internet moves from the desk top computer in the home office space to the full comforts of the living room.</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>The general consensus is singular in thought - it is only a matter of time before the internet moves from the desk top computer in the home office space to the full comforts of the living room.<br />
 <br />
With that concept a virtual certainty, the giants of the internet have to be fast-at-work devising a plan to be the industry leader when the standard form of internet entertainment moves to the big screen and our personal TV sets.<br />
 <br />
Google, Microsoft and Yahoo all have to be spending countless hours in the back room, thinking, planning, and getting ready to move with the right set of deals. At Microsoft, there is already the Xbox while Google has made the move to acquire YouTube. But for one writer, Yahoo and its current partnership with TiVo could be just the ticket to get a leg up.<br />
 <br />
For more on the internet move to the living room, see:<br />
 <br />
http://www.pvrwire.com/2006/10/27/who-will-buy-tivo-google-yahoo-or-microsoft/</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>PR update still in progress</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2006/10/google-pagerank-pr021006.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2006://1.94</id>

<published>2006-10-02T17:48:21Z</published>
<updated>2006-11-21T15:58:08Z</updated>

<summary>Ever since this past Friday, Google, Inc. has been in the process of updating its Pagerank value. Also known as a PR update, this process of updating Google&apos;s toolbar (the little green bar) typically takes anywhere from a few days...</summary>
<author>
<name>Hugo</name>

</author>
<category term="Google" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>Ever since this past Friday, Google, Inc. has been in the process of updating its Pagerank value. Also known as a PR update, this process of updating Google's toolbar (the little green bar) typically takes anywhere from a few days to a week. It usually occurs every three months or so, but has been quite sporadic over the past year or so.</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>Ever since this past Friday, Google, Inc. has been in the process of updating its Pagerank value. Also known as a PR update, this process of updating Google's toolbar (the little green bar) typically takes anywhere from a few days to a week. It usually occurs every three months or so, but has been quite sporadic over the past year or so.</p>

<p>The update is not done propagating, so different Google datacenters are showing different PR values. However, you can view an extended sampling of datacenter values by using the handy little tool at:<br />
http://www.seochat.com/seo-tools/future-pagerank/<br />
</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>Google Goes Political, Reaches Out to Republicans</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2006/09/google-netpac-fec190906.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2006://1.93</id>

<published>2006-09-19T23:10:23Z</published>
<updated>2006-09-19T23:11:28Z</updated>

<summary>Apparently deciding that it was time play by the rules set forth in Washington, Google Inc. has filed paperwork to register a political action committee, Google NetPAC, with the Federal Election Commission....</summary>
<author>
<name>Hugo</name>

</author>
<category term="Google" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>Apparently deciding that it was time play by the rules set forth in Washington, Google Inc. has filed paperwork to register a political action committee, Google NetPAC, with the Federal Election Commission. </p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>Apparently deciding that it was time play by the rules set forth in Washington, Google Inc. has filed paperwork to register a political action committee, Google NetPAC, with the Federal Election Commission. </p>

<p>The move represents a clear decision by the search engine giant to match the direction of other corporate leaders in their overt attempts to influence pertinent legislation. Google's PAC will seek to foster the company focus on a free and open Internet for all users.</p>

<p>Google has been at odds with recent legislation in Washington, particularly the issue of network neutrality. The search engine leader strongly opposes the movement towards a "tiered Internet," one where web sites could charge extra for speedier delivery of content to certain users willing to front the cost. </p>

<p>The move by Google is said by many to be a direct push to move into the political arena and reach for the Republican vote. To date, Google and its independent-minded employees have tended to make more campaign contributions to Democrats. Insiders speak to that tendency as being a part of the Republican push back against Google and its views.</p>

<p>Though the company has always had a presence in Washington, Google has spent far less funds on lobbying that other tech companies like Cisco and Intel. Details on the funding of the PAC were still being worked out.</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<title>EBay Chooses Google Advertising Option</title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.seoproject.com/2006/08/ebay-google-advertising300806.html" />
<id>tag:www.seoproject.com,2006://1.92</id>

<published>2006-08-30T22:54:55Z</published>
<updated>2006-08-30T22:56:03Z</updated>

<summary>In an effort to counter the slowing growth rate of its online auction business, EBay Inc. has chosen to run Google advertising on its International web sites....</summary>
<author>
<name>Hugo</name>

</author>
<category term="SEO News" />

<content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://www.seoproject.com">
<![CDATA[<p>In an effort to counter the slowing growth rate of its online auction business, EBay Inc. has chosen to run Google advertising on its International web sites.</p>]]>
<![CDATA[<p>In an effort to counter the slowing growth rate of its online auction business, EBay Inc. has chosen to run Google advertising on its International web sites.<br />
 <br />
Ebay shares are reported to be headed for their worst performance in six years. The joint venture with Google came just three months after the online auction company said it would show ads from Yahoo on its U.S. markets. Both moves are designed to boost company revenue through the use of advertising partners.<br />
 <br />
Google ads will start appearing on EBay in early 2007.<br />
 <br />
For more on the Ebay choice, see:<br />
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=athtkk1wA3mA&refer=news<br />
</p>]]>
</content>
</entry>

</feed> 