POLL: Could Changing your Meta Tags Result in More Google +1s?

• By: John E Lincoln
• Categories: Google, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing
• Comments: 5

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Now that Google +1s have become important to search engine optimization and social media marketing website owners will be going to great lengths to increase the likelihood that users will +1 a page. At SEO Inc. we have been developing many new and exciting strategies to increase the probability that a user will +1 a page in Google search results.

One idea we have been kicking around is putting a call to action in the meta description. We are in the process of implementing this on some test sites right now. But we wanted to get your opinion first, as we thought this new idea could spark some excellent debate.

The Many Ways Google +1s Influence Search Engine Optimization

• By: John E Lincoln
• Categories: Google, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing
• Comments: 0

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Google +1 is all the rage right now in the search engine optimization and social media marketing world. It is even having a big impact on YouTube! However, many people are confused about the ins and outs of the new social phenomenon, especially when evaluating it from an SEO perspective. In an effort to clear things up we will evaluate how Google + effects search engine optimization, right here, right now.

First, let’s define the 3 different ways to engage with a Google +1 button.

1. +1 from Search Results
2. +1 from a Web Page Button
3. +1 from a Google + Profile or Business Page

You can also simply post a link to your Google + page or profile.

Now that we know what we are talking about lets look at each of these Google + functions a little more in depth and explore their SEO implications.

+1 from Search Results

When you +1 a URL from search results it does two things. First, the +1 acts similarly to a backlink, in that it adds credibility to the website and allows it rank higher in non-personalized Google search. Secondly, it also allows it to rank higher in personalized search. To be clear, your search results in Google are personalized in almost all cases. The only way to remove personalization is to log out of Google, clear all of your history, cookies, etc. But even then in most cases Google will still attribute a location to your search based on where they see your IP address.

So let’s get back to the question at hand, how do +1s from search results affect SEO.

How Google +1s Help YouTube Video Optimization

• By: John E Lincoln
• Categories: Search Engine Optimization, YouTube
• Comments: 1

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Google + is having a bigger impact on search engine optimization everyday and now it is altering results in the second biggest search engine in the world too, YouTube.

Log in to Google and visit YouTube and you may notice something different. Now you will see videos that people in your Google + network have +1ed front and center on the home page of YouTube. This is very similar to the way that Google is dealing with search results that have been +1ed. It is all about personalization via Google + at this point. You can see an example of this new YouTube development below.

Watch a Short Video on Google + YouTube Optimization

Why Google Changes Title Tags in Search Results

• By: John E Lincoln
• Categories: Google, Search Engine Optimization
• Comments: 0

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Have you ever done a search in Google for a keyword that you rank for only to discover that Google is displaying a different title tag than what you implemented? Well, we have done this, often. Probably because we are search engine optimization geeks, nonetheless, we demanded answers as to why Google was manipulating our titles when we take so much time to perfect them. Recently, Google came out and explained why they change titles in search results.

“We use many signals to decide which title to show to users, primarily the <title> tag if the webmaster specified one. But for some pages, a single title might not be the best one to show for all queries, and so we have algorithms that generate alternative titles to make it easier for our users to recognize relevant pages.” – Google

An Overview of the Search Engine Optimization Process

• By: John E Lincoln
• Categories: Search Engine Optimization
• Comments: 0

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I made the image below during the process of creating materials for an upcoming webinar. The image basically shows how the search engine optimization process works. Now keep in mind, every website is different and each website comes to SEO Inc. with unique issues inherent to their stage in the optimization process. That being said, this image provides a good general idea of what the SEO process consists of. Many of these items are actually more complicated than they sound, but that is what you have us for right!

Google Tools for Dealing with Malware

• By: John E Lincoln
• Categories: Google, Search Engine Optimization
• Comments: 0

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Websites get hacked all the time. It is really unfortunate. Luckily at SEO Inc. our Director of IT is a whiz kid so he fixes things up fast. But did you know that Google offers free tools that can help you deal with these situations so that they do not compromised your search engine optimization? In this video Matt Cutts from Google discusses malware detection at Google, including what to do if Google says your site has been infected with malware.

Google Tools for Dealing with Malware Video

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