SEO/SEM RESOURCES

Need to "get smart" about Search Engine Optimization & Marketing?

START WITH THESE SEO/SEM RESOURCES

Search Engine Ranking Factors v.2
Search Engine Marketing 101
Why Do Some SEOs Want Toolbar PageRank To Go Away?

GENERAL SEO/SEM LINKS

Introduction Into Search Engine Optimization by Danny Sullivan

Search Engine Ranking Factors

So Google Changed their PageRank Algo - How? Interesting post on Webmasterworld about recent Algo changes.

Search Engine Roundtable - Excellent well rounded view of current SEO forum events and the latest SEO news.

Search Engine Land - Danny Sullivan's new venture and great resource for the latest news and opinions from leading experts.

SEO Consultants.com Resources Page

PERSONALIZED SEARCH

Personalized search got you annoyed too? Part of the fun of searching is finding new sites and information, not the same stuff over and over again. Try adding the following parameter to the end of a search url string to prevent personalization from happening. Still working as of 12/2009.

Add: pws=0
So the url will look like:
http://www.google.com/search?q=dallas&pws=0 or http://www.google.com/search?q=dallas+cowboys&pws=0

LOCAL SEARCH

Local Search Ranking Factors - Survey of local search experts that gauges the factors most helpful for ranking well in the Google Local and Yahoo Local algorithms, as well as techniques to be avoided.

Get Listed.org - This is an excellent service I wish I would have thought of. It searches Google, Yahoo, MSN, BOTW for your local business listing. If not found it then helps with setting it up.

How to Get Your Business Listed in Local Search Engines and Online Yellow Pages - Most comprehensive list I have seen for this.

Yelp for Business: New Tools from Yelp.com

VERTICAL / B2B SEARCH ENGINES

A Big List of Major B2B Search Engines

UNIVERSAL SEARCH

Video SEO Can Give Small Business An Edge

Some of my general (unofficIal) rules about Search Engine Optimization:

1. Don't over optimize your site, be natural.

2. Strive to be an authority in your niche.

3. A strong domain is priceless.

4. Don't spam the search engines, or use techniques that might be deemed risky enough that you will loose your site completely from the search engines

5. Usability is essential, think about your users, the people you are targeting first. The search engines will adapt.

6. Always stay up to date, search engines change frequently, techniques change, business changes for better or worse. Don't assume what worked last month will work as well this month.

7. Don't be overly concerned about optimizing just one particular area of your site. See the big picture and do a complete optimization and plan for growth.

8. Simple website changes can have profound changes in your search rankings. Seek these opportunities out and solve server/website problems rapidly.

9. Build links as if your business depended on it.

10. On the subject of content, this quote from Aaron Wall I think is perfect: "the barrier to entry (and what is needed to be considered remarkable) keeps increasing. Do whatever you can to set your content apart from the thousands of other similar sites and pages - especially on featured content... the extra effort produces nonlinear increases in links and profits."

SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING / PAY PER CLICK ADVERTISING

Google Adwords Beginner's Guide

Learn about Pay Per Click Search Engines & Who Powers Who? Search Engine Provide Chart

Search 624 Smaller PPC Search Engines

Feedback on Second Tier PPC Search Engines

Local Keyword Generator

Track The ROI of your PPC Campaign

Stop Click Fraud & Learn About Clickbots and Deciphering Adsense Code

Google AdWords Adds Quality Score, Budget Analysis & New Algorithm

7 Rules For Landing Page Optimization

ROBOTS.TXT

Robots.txt Generator - This is a very easy to use robots.txt generator from Ian McAnerin

TOP SEARCH ENGINERANKING FACTORS

1. Keyword Use in Title Tag
2. Global Link Popularity of Site
3. Anchor Text of Inbound Link
4. Link Popularity within the Site’s Internal Link Structure
5. Age of Site (Age at which the first visit of search engine spider occurs to today's current date)
6. Topical Relevance of Inbound Links to Site
7. Link Popularity of Site in Topical Community
8. Keyword Use in Body Text
9. Global Link Popularity of Linking Site
10. Topical Relationship of Linking Page

SEO FORUMS

http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/
http://www.highrankings.com/forum/
http://www.webmasterworld.com/
http://www.cre8asiteforums.com/
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/
http://www.seomoz.org/

SEARCH ENGINE GUIDELINES

http://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html

Requesting Removal and Reinclusion of Content From the Google Index

Instructions on using Google's Content Removal tools - Including how to reinclude pages into the index, 6 month term content is excluded and other good information on types of removals.

OPT-OUT SEARCH ENGINE BEHAVIORAL AD TARGETING GOOGLE/YAHOO

http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html

http://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/opt_out/targeting/details.html

http://networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp

SERVER HEADER CHECK & PAGE LOAD TIMES

URI Valet by SEO Consultants - Excellent free tool details a wide range of stats on pages load times, server header codes, objects on the website, internal/external links.

SITEMAPS

XML Sitemap Generator - Just plug in your url and it does everything for you.