Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

How do you know the differance between a directory and a link farm?

Hmmm... I am going to assume that a link farm generally requires you to link back to them, or requires you to pay for placement. (Which I guess would make yahoo directory a link farm - if it is still around).

Also, I am going to guess that a link farm would have links to all different categories of pages all on one page, while a "directory" would have many different pages that have links to a specific area (such as a page for plumbers and plumbing services, one for travel sites, one for women's shoes, etc...)

I don't think you will be penalized by having a link FROM a link farm to your site, but you just won't get any boost from it. Your site could be affected negatively by google, on the other hand, if YOU link TO a link farm...

[Pamela Hazelton]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

I don't think you will be penalized by having a link FROM a link farm to your site, but you just won't get any boost from it. Your site could be affected negatively by google, on the other hand, if YOU link TO a link farm...

Actually, you can be. Google frowns on illegitimate links. The number of links TO your site do help in SE rankings, so they tend to look at where those links are coming from.

[aarcmedia]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

Not fully true Pam. I'm kind of afraid to disagree with you (because you are so highly respected), but if Google actually penalized you for a link that points from SiteA to your site, and if SiteA was an unreputable site, I could then go and kill your rankings by going to every shady linkfarm on the internet, and create links for you.

Where you get penalized for linking, is WHEN YOU LINK TO A SHADY SITE. Google will not count links from bad link places, but they won't penalize you either because it would be to easy for people like me that know the difference between a good and bad link to go out and kill your rankings by beeing shady.

You'll here a lot about Google Penalizing sites, but most people that cry "foul" and say they're being penalized, actually are just not being rewarded. Search engines really don't invoke anywhere near as many penalties as people think. Reason being, it would be too hard to make sure that the site being penalized "actually deserves it" because seo sabotage would become the new name of the game.

Please don't be mad at me for disagreeing:)

[Biffy]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

This subject was discussed on Cutts' forum. The discussion resulted in Google changing their wording in such away that they now admit that such linkfarm backlinks can damage your score.

You also have the Link Acquisition Rate penalty. You get too many links too fast and they'll nail ya.

I realize that Google uses Fear and Threats to discourage certain behaviors where there is no actual penalty. Who know what's Really True here? I can only go by (1)what Google says and (2)measured case histories.

You see, Google is aggressively addressing "bought links" because they pollute the quality of their search results. It's the same as buying votes.

[Pamela Hazelton]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

Not fully true Pam. I'm kind of afraid to disagree with you (because you are so highly respected), but if Google actually penalized you for a link that points from SiteA to your site, and if SiteA was an unreputable site, I could then go and kill your rankings by going to every shady linkfarm on the internet, and create links for you.

Where you get penalized for linking, is WHEN YOU LINK TO A SHADY SITE. Google will not count links from bad link places, but they won't penalize you either because it would be to easy for people like me that know the difference between a good and bad link to go out and kill your rankings by beeing shady.

You'll here a lot about Google Penalizing sites, but most people that cry "foul" and say they're being penalized, actually are just not being rewarded. Search engines really don't invoke anywhere near as many penalties as people think. Reason being, it would be too hard to make sure that the site being penalized "actually deserves it" because seo sabotage would become the new name of the game.

Please don't be mad at me for disagreeing:)

Not mad at all, but in my experience (not just 'threat talks') link farms can hurt. I'm sure it's dependent on many factors, but I've seen many a site drop levels AS more links from farms came in.

Yeah, you could do that. And I could also go right to USPS and change yer address. :-) That's why it's important to also be aggressive about monitoring just who is linking to (and from) your site and address things as they occur.

[Biffy]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

To check a directory to see if it's Good or Bad, run a Google data center report on it and see what their scores are across a significant number of indexes. If you see all 0's or a mixture of 5's and 0's, better stay away. If all indexes are good, then go for it.

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

Hi there, Steve:

To check a directory to see if it's Good or Bad, run a Google data center report on it

How does one run a google data center report? I have never heard of that before.

thanks in advance,

Mark

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

And speaking of bad links,

Does anyone have a favorite tool for checking inbound links to their COMPETITOR'S sites?

The LINK: operator in google doesn't list the majority of inbound links. And while using the webmaster tools provided by google is great, you can only get a list of links to your web site, not to the web site of others.

thanks,

mark

[Pamela Hazelton]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

And speaking of bad links,

Does anyone have a favorite tool for checking inbound links to their COMPETITOR'S sites?

The LINK: operator in google doesn't list the majority of inbound links. And while using the webmaster tools provided by google is great, you can only get a list of links to your web site, not to the web site of others.

thanks,

mark

And rightly so. Do you seriously want all YOUR competitors to have the ability to copy every single thing YOU do?

Building good links and gaining a decent SEO presence requires knowledge, research, patience and time. It doesn't happen overnight and it should always happen with your own resourcefulness - either pay someone or learn it. Are there tools out there to get the info you request, sure. Do I condone them? No.

[Biffy]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

Try iWeb Tools.

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

Hi there, Steve:

To check a directory to see if it's Good or Bad, run a Google data center report on it and see what their scores are across a significant number of indexes.

Thanks for the note. I am still a bit confused. I went to the Data Center Report on the iweb stools site you suggested, but it asks for inputting a keyword, not for inputing a url for a directory. so i am not exactly sure how running a data center report would explain if a directory is good or not.

Thanks in advance,

mark

[Biffy]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

Use the PageRank checker.

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

Hi there, Steve;

Use the PageRank checker.

Thank you!

[Siamese-Dream.Com]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

One more question,

If you see all 0's or a mixture of 5's and 0's, better stay away. If all indexes are good, then go for it.

so i did a page rank search on http://www.illumirate.com

11 Data Centers gave it a page rank of 5

21 Data Centers returned a "Datacenter down" message.

any suggestions on how to interpret the results?

Thanks in advance,

Mark

[Biffy]

Re: Search Engine Optimization w/ Miva

It's probably fine.