Amarnath Online

Most of you register & verify your site with Google Webmaster Tools pretty soon as you start a new website. But have you verified your site with the similar service from Yahoo? As a newbie you often miss the point for using Site Explorer. Registering your site with them will allow you to access detailed stats & a few cool tools to optimize your site for Yahoo search. Detailed stats include:

• Crawled Pages
• All Known Pages
• Known Hosts on This Site
• Hosts linking to Site
• Domains linking to Site
• Hosts Outlinked from Site
• Domains Outlinked from Site

Besides you can see if Yahoo has found any errors while crawling your site so that you can rectify it.

Now I am telling you a very important thing if you use dynamic urls for tracking session ids or referrals (like http://example.com/store?prod=4&sid=jnd7234x or http://example.com/blog?src=feed). Then same pages of your site may get indexed with different dynamic parameters. Yahoo tries to resolve these duplicate pages to one. But still problem may persist. In Site Explorer you can enter default action for these parameters like removing it or replacing it with default value while indexing. Thus you can remove the problem of duplicate pages & increase your site ranking by reducing fragmentation of links & anchor text. You can learn more about it here.

You can even delete a specific url/path of your site that you don’t want to get indexed. All in all, a pretty handy tool to do SEO for Yahoo. So don’t just concentrate only on Google tools.

Your FeedBurner Feed emails use to have your blog title as the email subject. That is not a thing that many of us like too much. It is hardly attractive & after all, when a user checks mailbox after sometime, he will find same heading for new subscribed emails. Do you know you can change it? You can use your latest blog post title as subject of emails while sending them to your FeedBurner Email Subscribers. It can be quite helpful to catch the eye of the readers. Use Email Branding feature of FeedBurner. Then you can choose your own message or use a bit of code to give it a dynamic look. You just have to add

${latestItemTitle}

To Email Subject/Title box to use your latest post title as email subject. By the way, it will be used as both email subject & body title.
Go to your particular feed in Feedburner account. Then click Publicize> Email Subscriptions> Email Branding. Give your feed update mails a more interactive look.

There has been a lot of high profile media buzz about the launch of a new “search engine” Wolfram|Alpha in the build up to its launch, and this is something that Emily touched upon a few weeks ago when looking at new search engines coming onto the market.

Wolfram|Alpha refer to themselves as a computational knowledge machine rather than “search engine” as is being said in a lot of the publicity around it.

Although you enter a search query into it Wolfram|Alpha in much the same way as a “normal” search engine, it is there that the similarity ends.

Traditional search engines index content, and through the use of an algorithm, determine which pages of content they have indexed are the most relevant results to the search query entered. There are all kinds of factors that determine a pages placement, such as Page Titles, Descriptions and other on page factors, as well as a large proportion of relevancy determined by the number of links and the words used in those links to a website.

The industry of Search Engine Optimisation was born to help people make their websites more relevant to the type of word that they would like to be found under, by ensuring that you maximise as many of the ranking factors that we are aware of around those terms in an effort to drive visitors and ultimately business to that website.

Wolfram|Alpha isn’t doing this – instead, it is trying to give searchers the answer to the query directly that they have entered into the search box. So it isn’t leading visitors from Wolfram|Alpha to the most relevant website for that search query, it keeps the users on the Wolfram|Alpha website and gives them the best information fitting to that search query. This engine really is suited more to information and data searchers than someone that is looking to buy something.

So – what impact does this have for search engine optimisation? The short answer is none at the moment – because with this new engine, you aren’t trying to get traffic from it relevant to your website – because it doesn’t link out to other web pages like the others do. This really is a knowledge search engine, so for most people that are doing SEO work, Wolfram|Alpha will have no impact, because that isn’t what they are trying to do. Whether or not this changes and evolves over time remains to be seen, but we will be keeping an eye on Wolfram|Alpha to see how it develops over time.

It was only a few months ago, that Kerry reported that the major search engines had been working together to create a new tag that allows webmasters to specify which version of a URL they want to be indexed.

It was decided that this was necessary, as there are lots of issues of duplicate content on many websites caused by a variety of problems – some of which can be easily fixed, with others that are quite difficult to overcome.

Duplicate content is a problem for lots of websites – certainly it’s something that we encounter on a daily basis working on a number of campaigns, particularly at the beginning of a campaign, where we have to unravel the mess that we are sometimes given to work with.

Sometimes this is caused by shopping carts – lots of shopping carts will have the same products across different categories, each with its own URL. Previously this was very difficult to fix, as short of only having a product in 1 category (which wouldn’t be sensible from a user of the sites perspective – they want to see products that are relevant to that category regardless of whether or not this means having more than page on a website for that product – ultimately that doesn’t matter to them) there wasn’t really a fix for it.

With the introduction of this tag, you can now add this to each of these duplicates, selecting just 1 URL that you want this page to be seen as, and only this page will then be seen as the “main” page for this content – as long as the content on all those groups of pages is substantially the same. Minor differences in content are allowed, but it does have to be very close from page to page to be effective.

Another useful situation where we can utlise this tag is in resolving site canonical problems – I’ve come across a number of hosting packages with clients that don’t allow for this to be resolved satisfactorily.

The site canonical problem is where you have a website that can be seen with and without the www part of the URL. Another instance where this can be an issue is with http and https versions of a website being indexed – and in some cases, all 3 versions of the site can have pages indexed. By using this tag, all 3 versions of the web page(s) can be displayed, but only 1 of them gets the authority that all 3 accrue over time.

It still remains to be seen if this is as effective as removing the duplicate content – the search engines are all making the right noises about how it should, but there are a lot of things in the SEO world that don’t always hold the same weight when it comes to the application than is being said to be the case. If it does prove effective at eliminating these issues, then it is something that we will be using far more frequently to resolve this type of issue.

Why blogs work well for search engine optimisation. This is a multi-faceted answer, but one of the reasons is the liking of the search engines for new content, and that a blog is the ultimate in updated content. Not only is it frequently added to but it even lets the search engines know when it is updated.

Yes, using standard blog software, when you press publish, the search engines are automatically “pinged” with the URL of the new update.

So when is a blog not a blog?

When it doesn’t ping.

There are a few websites out there that have something in a directory called “blog” that works to all intents and purposes like a blog, but doesn’t have the ping facility. So the effect is not the same.

The pinging is done via a Remote Procedure Call or RPC. You send a specially formatted XML message to an RPC server. If you write your own blogging software (as we have got for the Vertical Leap blog, because it integrates with Apollo), you can build this functionality in to the publishing process. This is how proprietary CMS systems from web designers can link into this functionality.

Technorati has a good explanation of the content of the XML here.

There are systems that you can ping that send your information to several different sites, including the search engines, such as http://pingomatic.com/ where you send to rpc.pingomatic.com. Of course, Ping-o-matic does allow you to do a manual ping, but having is automated is so much more efficient.

All of the specialist blogging platforms (Wordpress, Typepad, Blogger etc) do this pinging automatically, you just need to check the functionality of content management systems to make sure that this is implemented so that you get the full benefit of the work you are putting in.

SEO (search engine optimization) versus PPC (pay-per-click) advertising can be absolutely mind boggling. This is a hot topic and a very complex one. For today, let us focus on a simple definition and comparison of the two, since it will be nearly impossible to cover this vast topic at this time.

Organic  SEO : Definition

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via “natural” (”organic” or “algorithmic”) search results. Typically, the higher a site’s “page rank” (i.e, the earlier it comes in the search results list), the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO can also target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines.

Organic SEO : Breakdown

1) Say you want to search for the word “car rescue”

2) Go to your Google or Yahoo search and type in the keyword “car rescue”

3) Hit enter and check out your results

4) The results that come up in the left-hand side of the page BELOW the sponsored links at the very top of the page (and not including the links on the right side of the page) are your “Natural” or “Organic” search engine results.

So, the big question is how a business can get higher rankings and ultimately get found amongst the vast amount of competing websites on the worldwide web. Getting more visitors to come to your website from an “organic” or “natural” search engine listing is the process of SEO.

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) : Definition

Pay per click (PPC) is an Internet advertising model used on search engines, advertising networks, and content sites, such as blogs, in which advertisers pay their host only when their ad is clicked. With search engines, advertisers typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to their target market. Content sites commonly charge a fixed price per click rather than use a bidding system.

Websites that utilize PPC ads will display an advertisement when a keyword query matches an advertiser’s keyword list, or when a content site displays relevant content. Such advertisements are called sponsored links or sponsored ads, and appear adjacent to or above organic results on search engine results pages, or anywhere a web developer chooses on a content site.

Although many PPC providers exist, Google AdWords, Yahoo! Search Marketing, and Microsoft adCenter are the three largest network operators. Cost per click (CPC), vary depending on search engine and the level of competition for a particular key word or key phrase.

PPC BREAKDOWN

1) Type into Yahoo or Google search “buy shoes” (I happen to love shoes and buy them online all the time!)

2) Hit enter and check out your results

3) The results that come up on the right-hand side of the page and at the very top of the page are your Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising results

Again, take a look at the Search Engine Results Sample Page

When you click on the “sponsored links” at the very top of the page or on the right-hand side of the page they are considered paid links. These companies use advertising dollars to place ads and “bid” for higher rankings. One of the most popular PPCs, is Google Adwords.

If you’re trying to make money online with AdSense, you’re probably wondering how you can make more than just cents. Well, some people are trying out “Cost Per Action” or CPA Marketing to earn dollars instead of just a few cents. Similar to online advertising, you are not selling anything and your visitors don’t have to buy anything yet.

Here’s quick overview of how this works and how you can start making money fast.

There are companies out there who want to capture leads online. The thing is, they only have a few websites and are unable to attract as many visitors as they want. So, they turn to you. You have a website which is visited by a fair amount of people. What if you can generate the leads for these companies, right?

And that’s where CPA Marketing Profits (a downloadable 89-page PDF) comes into the picture.

When you download that free PDF report today, you will be treated to an insider’s view of the inner workings of CPA marketing. You’ll find out what CPA offers are, how to select a CPA offer, how to attract traffic (both paid and organic, or search engine traffic), how to gain recycled traffic as well as viral traffic, Keyword and PPC tactics, Ad Copy strategies, and a whole lot more.

Yes, you will be shown how other people are making money on the web. In today’s economic environment, it pays to try different approaches, right? My various problogger friends are using combinations of AdSense and affiliate marketing, and their different sites are later tweaked depending on which income source is larger.

Soon, more people will try CPA marketing, and you will discover that in several cases (especially if your website traffic is not exactly in the thousands of visitors a day), you’ll make more money from CPA than from online advertising.

What exactly is the “action” that your visitors need to perform so that you earn a commission? An example would be filling out a survey, or subscribing to a list. The merchants are willing to pay $5 or even $50 (sometimes higher) for each subscriber, because they know that somewhere down the road some of those subscribers will buy their high value products.

If you’re just starting out, you’ll probably be happy with the $5 or $50 commission. Later on, you will gain experience and perhaps even try the role of the merchant. For now, however, beginners can earn money online even with just a handful of visitors a day. The secrets lies in attracting targeted traffic, and pairing these people with the right merchants and the compelling offers.

Based on a couple of experiments, I’m seeing sites which have less than 150 visitors a day earn 5x more from CPA than from AdSense. Wouldn’t you like to try that, too?

If you’re trying to make money online with the help of affiliate marketing, there are certain “time-limited” situations you need to be aware of. Sometimes, we rapidly promote this or that new program, membership site, or ebook, and become too busy to revisit those sites. In the process, we unwittingly build the business of online merchants without earning anything in the process.

And yes, some big-time internet marketing gurus are guilty of this, to the detriment of their affiliates.

You’ve probably seen those offers which will close once there are X number of sign-ups. You know, those which say that they can only support 1,000 members and will close the doors forever once they reach that membership level.

What happens when they have 1000 members? Some merchants will edit the sales letter and ask the reader to sign-up to their mailing list so that they will know if the doors open again in the future. Afterall, some members might choose to stop subscribing. The number of members drops to below 1000 and slots are re-opened.

Do you, however, get credit for the visitor you referred to the merchant’s site? If you analyze the opt-in form, you will not see your affiliate ID. In other words, you helped build the merchant’s mailing list without getting any credit for it.

When the membership site reopens and the visitor you referred receives an email notifying him or her of the re-opened site, they will sign up using the merchant’s direct link. As far as your affiliate URL is concerned, however, it’s as if it never existed.

In other cases, people who sign-up for the mailing list are then sent to another product page of the merchant. Once again, using a direct, non-affiliate link. And once those people buy, the merchant earns the full amount (less transaction fees, of course), while you, the affiliate, end up with mere how to make money online dreams.

How do you achieve affiliate marketing success? Closely monitor the programs you promote, particularly those which will be “taken off the market” soon, or which will be closed once their membership fills up. Keep notes about these various IM gurus, and you will see a recurring pattern.

You’ll also find wonderful and fair merchants or online marketers who know how to take care of their affiliates. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can relax. The key is to monitor regularly, or become a product owner/creator yourself so you can focus on marketing your own infoproducts.

The wonderful thing about starting off as an affiliate marketer is that you can see things from the “other side”, so to speak. Once you experience what it’s like to be an affiliate, you can then move on to building your own product as well as your own affiliate network, and transform yourself into an internet entrepreneur that people will want to work and joint venture with.

What really is the difference between an and network and an affiliate network?

The question rages in many minds who’re nouveau to the Internet Marketing Scenario. One easy answer, is that it really doesn’t matter, which is which as long as one is paying to get the results.
The entire objective of these networks is to act as an effective middleman to reach out to the few thousands of small sites(Don’t believe any if they claim they’ve more). Who are catering to specific verticals/ small portals where advertisers can advertise in Bulk. The so called “Mutual Fundsisation” of websites leads to a similar synergy and benefit. Popularised by the hugely popular Google “Adsense” and “Adwords” programs. So how does it work?

1. For Small Site Owners- They don’t have to pay a dime for any sales efforts or employ a sales force. If a small portion of their visitors click on the banners displayed, they stand to make a tidy sum. So more the visitors, more the chances of clicks and more the money. Even Bigger sites tend to utilise their unutilised inventory by monetising on the Google Adsense Program. For more details on the same click http://www.google.co.in/intl/en/ads/

2. For Advertisers - They can get a good bargain while buying through a network. Most of these networks have a few Star sites, which give lots of volumes and thousands of small ones, which together also make a tidy buy. The cost of approaching them is lower as against a Big ticket buy on a mainstream site. Lastly, most of these networks offer CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) buys, which is absolute value for money.

So tackling the final question, what’s the difference?
It’s just that in Affiliate Networks, various sites apply to be a client’s “affiliate” and the client knows exactly who his affiliates are and how well each of them are performing. In real life, it’s the closest to a franchise model. A more open model

In case of Ad Networks – They buy in bulk from smaller websites and come to the clients as an overall bouquet of websites. Ads are placed after optimisation depending on campaign objectives. It’s good for bulk buys, where a client buys for say 10 mn impressions or 20,000 clicks,

Finally, in this incestuous world of Online Marketing, nothing is absolute. We’re seeing more transparency for the customers and lots are heading the CPA way. Let’s wait and watch how the next couple of years pan out

Basically, the title should contain 65 characters. Why ? Because search engines won’t display more then 65 characters and personally I think that it isn’t too nice to read an unfinished title. As a general rule, if you want to to have a nice title both for users and search engines, stick to the 65 characters rule. Big titles are ugly!

Now let’s move on further. The title should contain your main keywords (the best title is the one that contains only the keys). It must contain no more than 3 keywords so you have as little words as possible.

The more words you have in the title the less “power” each one receives. Example : let’s say we have 2 keys “Chicago attractions” and “Chicago tourism”. If we set the topic like “ Chicago tourist attractions. Learn all about Chicago tourism.” then we will have 8 words… so each word will get 100/8=12.5% power. Instead if we put it like “ Chicago attractions – Chicago tourism” we will have 4 words so 100/4=25% power. In this case the first title is good as well, because it explains the users what they can find on the site. Always put your visitors first, and then think about the search engines. But for example a title like “Chicago tourist attractions – Cheap restaurants, fast rides, quality taxi services” isn’t too good. You simply to list some random services that are listed on your site. Be as specific as you can in as less words as you can.

Now something that you should never do. Don’t put your website URL in the title. At least if you REALLY want to put it, make sure you put it in the END of the title.

“TestSite.com – This is just a test site” – wrong, wrong and again wrong
“This is just a test site – TestSite.com” – acceptable but not very good
“This is just a test site” – the best

Putting your website URL in the title won’t help you out but instead will increase your number of words so it will lower the “power” of every word in the title.

The order you’ll put the words into the title will represent the order of importance in the search engines eyes as well. So for example let’s suppose that you have a site and you sell car parts. You decided to use the following 3 keywords : “auto accessories”, “performance parts” and “import parts”. You know that “auto accessories” is the best keyword, followed by “import parts” and “performance parts” in the end. Below you can find proper titles you could use

Auto accessories / Import parts / Performance parts
Auto accessories – Import parts – Performance parts
Auto accessories, import parts, performance parts

You can use whatever other symbols you want instead of “/” or “-” but I advise you to use only these 2, as they are known to be phrases separators by many. Also the search engines don’t care if you use upper or lower cases.