Learn SEO | SEO Tools & Techniques | Search Engine Optimization

There are several different schools of thought when it comes to linking such as where should the link come from, where should it go and how many links is enough. I have been through each of these thoughts and have tried each method plus a few more. Over the past couple of years I have seen some pretty good success with my SEO efforts and have learned quite a bit about the effects of linking and have come to the following conclusion. Deep links are the best.

What do I mean by deep links you ask? A deep link is a link that comes to you from another site but does not point to your index page. But wait a minute…… don’t I want all of my links to point to my home page so people will find out what I am all about? Not necessarily. While links to your homepage are needed and do help people to find your site, wouldn’t you rather have someone refer a visitor via a text link directly to one of your site’s inner pages and provide that visitor with an immediate solution to what they seek?

Another advantage of having a deep link is the originators website will pass “link juice” to your inner page thus making it stronger in value which in turn will have a positive effect on you overall page strength.

Let me use the example of one of my websites which is a trucking industry website. TruckerHub.com is a directory style site that has links to almost every aspect of the trucking industry. While I would certainly like a lot of in-bound links point to my home page, it is advantageous to me to have a trucking website specialty site link directly to a page within my site dealing with that subject. For instance a specialty chrome shop could link directly to one of my inner pages that deal with chrome modification and customization for trucks. The visitor to that page obviously wants chrome related info and by landing on that subject page you save the new visitor time.

Deep linking also helps in your search returns as your inner pages start to show up in better positions for more precise searches such as “chrome plating for trucks”.

If I had my preference I would want 25% of my inbound links to hit my home page and the other 75% to go to inner pages for deep linking.

What are your thoughts on deep linking?

With talk of the impending death of SEO as we know it by Google and rumors of Behavior Based Search, Intent Based Search and Universal Search, one has to wonder how they will ensure the success of their website. The only way any business, whether online of offline succeeds is by providing a top notch service or product and then having news of that service travel via word of mouth.

If your website truly provides a “solution” to a need or problem then it will be successfule no matter where it ranks on Google.  I dare say that a quality website that gives the visitor what they want on a consistant basis will do well even if they are at number 900 in a Google search return. Word of mouth is a powerful advertising medium. Good search return rankings will be a natural result of the success of a website as others link to it (at least for now).  We must learn to anticipate what visitors will want and to put ourselves in the visitors shoes. If I know someone has come to my site based on a referal then I need to make sure I solve their problem and then give an incentive to comeback.

Have content of the quality that will make them want to sign up for emails or subscribe to RSS feeds or at least bookmark your site. The new game in town is no longer going to be SEO but PQS (Provide Quality Solutions).

Minimalism is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity “. Wikipedia goes further to say “minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features”.

More and more I am of the firm belief a minimalist design is the best option for a website. Google is a perfect example of minimalism in design. With a “sparse” design the visitor will know what to do. No searching around for menu links or reading through “keyword” laden text or over the top graphics. It is becoming more and more apparent to me that by providing a simple solution to a visitors need you will not only retain a visitor but that visitor will tell others how simple it is to find something at your site.

But what about text and keywords and relevant content you ask? All of that can be provided at your website; it just doesn’t all need to be stuffed into one spot. I think as more and more people become numb to webpage sensory overload, they are going to welcome a simple interface that quickly takes them to their answer. On subject or topic per page with one supporting advertisment that a business will pay for to be the only solution your site provides to it’s visitor.

Does this make sense to you. I am about to start and expirement with a domain I have had for a couple years that has not really done anyting on it’s own. I am going to pare down the design to the bare basics and turn it into a simple directory of answers the the particular industry that it deals with. No graphics, no rows of banner ads, no overwhelming text; Just a simple gateway to an answer. We will use social networking to promote and hopefully the quality of the visitors answer will become well known enough that the site starts to be known as the “only” destination for information and answers in it’s particular niche.

If this expirement is successful I will post the url on this blog as well all the steps I took to get the site known in its niche community.

Who knows, I may just be daydreaming, but then again, I like simple and easy to use. Maybe others will too.

What is your opinion?

I have learned a lot about SEO over the past 18 months. I am by no means an expert, but I have had good success with my websites ranking on Google. Most of my sites are in the top ten for their primary search terms and others are still climbing.

I am a big believer in sharing what I know. Others have shared with me and helped me so I want to pass the info I have accumulated on to others. If I don’t know the answer to your question I will be upfront and let you know. No BS here. So, if you are starting out on your SEO journey and learning the basics, post your question and I will answer each one based on my personal experience.

I look forward to hearing from you so ak away……….

Although I write primarily to those who wish to learn SEO and try to share what I have learned, there is more to the success of a website than the whole SEO process. We all know what a good SEO campaign consists of and we all try to incorporate those steps and items into our websites.  But there is more that can be done to make your online presence a success.

I am of the opinion that you should spend at least the same amount of time marketing your website offline as you do online. You heard right. Good old fashioned 20th century marketing that is “sans Internet”. I know some of you younger folks may have a hard time grasping the concept of marketing without the use of the Internet, but it is possible.  Old school traditional marketing techniques coupled with old school guerilla marketing methods can increase the amount of traffic you see.

Here is my list of 6 ways to effectively market your website offline. Beware, some of these are off the traditional path but effective.

• Place an ad in the back of your favorite niche subject magazine. Does your website cover “beading”, then place a text ad with your website url in the back of BeadStyle Magazine. You would be suprised how many people look at those ads.
• Every letter you drop in the mailbox should have your website address on it. Even if you hand write it in pen, people will see it. There are quite a few people that handle your letter before it reaches your destination and your niche website address may catch the eye of one of those people.
• You don’t have to be a Fortune 500 business executive to use a business card. If your niche is winter sweaters for small dogs then get a couple hundred cards made up that state exactly what you do with your website address on it and take them with you everywhere. Each time you see someone with a small dog give them one. What a way to break the ice. You can also take them to the pet shoppes and leave them.
• Attend networking events such as trade shows (take your cards - see above) and chamber events and get to know people. Let them get to know you and what you do.  Listen to what people are saying and when the opportunity arises, let them know you have a solution to their need and give them your website.
• Do you live in a high traffic area?  Is there a digital billboard in the area? Check into running an ad on a digital billboard. Most of these billboards offer multiple advertisers the opportunity to display in rotation and as a result you can often find your website url in front of thousands of people for a lot less than you would imagine.
• Become an expert in  your niche and seek out speaking opportunities. Teach others what you know and of course explain your website is a resource for them.

What are your offline marketing methods for your website?