If you are running an eCommerce project and going to build some links to it, this beginner-friendly guide will point you some directions, explain basic terms, and inform you about the don’ts of the long complicated SEO game.
In the earlier days of search engine optimization (SEO), keyword usage within a website’s content determined its ranking on the search engine results pages (SERPs). Since sophisticated algorithms were uncommon back then, keywords were the “way to go” in SEO. But not any more....
In recent years, there has been plenty of debate across the SEO world on whether getting your website listed in a web directory confers any worthwhile ranking benefits. Let us just say that it's a question of relativity. There are web directories and then there is the open directory, better known as DMOZ. DMOZ is essentially the grand-daddy of all online directories. However, getting your website listed in the DMOZ directory is neither easy nor straightforward. In this guide, we will explore some of the tips, tricks and plain common sense approaches that have proven useful in getting a website listed on DMOZ in record time.
But let's cover the nitty-gritty first:
Google, in an effort to improve search engine results, constantly evaluates websites and their ranking algorithm to ensure the results users are receiving are of the highest quality. On April 24, 2012, the search engine giant released an algorithm update known as the “Penguin” update. This update was designed to target websites violating the webmaster guidelines established by the company. More specifically, it targeted websites with over-optimized backlink profiles. Google estimates approximately three percent of search engine queries done in English were affected by the update. Another update, referred to as Penguin 1.1, followed the original on May 25, 2012 and another on October 5, 2012. Although fewer sites were affected with the subsequent updates, any site that was impacted by one of these changes may find they need help recovering from these penalties imposed by Google.
In years past, it was very simple to rank a web site high atop Google's search results without devoting the time to creating relevant, high-quality content.
Google domination could be achieved with sneaky, underhanded tactics known as "black hat" search engine optimization.
Black hat SEO methods included stuffing keywords into the text of a web site as densely as possible, paying for hundreds (or thousands) of low-quality back links to your site from link farms, subscribing to blog networks to procure more back links, and primarily using keywords as anchor text for links.
