joi, 27 ianuarie 2011

SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog

SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog


Why Won't Google Use My META Description?

Posted: 26 Jan 2011 10:12 AM PST

Posted by Dr. Pete

I've seen some frustration in Q&A lately with how Google is handling search snippets and META descriptions. You may have seen a schizophrenic search result that looked something like this:

Sample Search Snippet

Site owners are understandably frustrated when they see the META descriptions they've labored over get carelessly tossed aside. So, where do snippets come from, and is there anything you can do to stay in control?

Search Snippet Basics

Typically, search snippets come from 1 of 3 places (and we’re just talking basic snippets here, not rich snippets like sitelinks):

  1. META descriptions
  2. On-page copy
  3. Open Directory Project (ODP) data

In the example above, Google is using my query ("January 11") and pulling up page content that the algorithm thinks is relevant. Since that copy is really just dates and fragments, I end up with a strange mash-up of on-page copy.

Controlling Search Snippets

So, is there anything you can do to bend Google to your will and always use your META descriptions? Unfortunately, the short answer is "no". Like so much of SEO, though, there are some ways to nudge Google in the right direction:

1. Focus Your META Description

Let's say that, for some reason, we really wanted that SEOmoz blog post to rank for "January 19". One solution is to make sure that phrase appears in our META description for the relevant page. If Google can find the matching copy in your description, they're more likely to use the tag as is. It's also just a good exercise – figuring out what your core target keywords are and targeting them naturally in your META description (don't just make it a list of keywords, of course) will help you focus your overall on-page SEO efforts.

2. Remove Duplicate METAs

In some cases, having too many pages with duplicate TITLE tags or META descriptions can lead Google to rank the wrong page or filter that META description. De-duplicating your TITLEs and META descriptions is a good practice anyway, but making sure that each page has its own unique and relevant description can also help insure that Google sees value in those descriptions.

3. Block Your ODP Listing

If you suspect that your search snippet is coming from the Open Directory Project (this would be more common on the home-page than deeper pages and long-tail queries), you can block Google from using your ODP listing with the following META tag:

<meta name="robots" content="NOODP">

This problem isn't quite as common as it used to be, but it does still pop up from time to time.

4. Block Your Snippet (Caution)

There's another, much more severe META tag you can use to block your snippet entirely:

<meta name="robots" content="nosnippet">

This directive will remove your snippet ENTIRELY, though, so use it with caution. It can also effect caching. In general, I'd only use this option if Google is taking liberties with snippets that could harm your brand or cause legal problems. Typically, these issues would be better dealt with in your on-page content directly.

5. Leave It Alone

Google's attempts to match snippets to queries don't always work the way you'd like, but in general they're a good thing. Matching, bolded keywords drive click-throughs, and people rarely read the whole text of a snippet. If it’s just a couple of long-tail queries, don't worry about it.


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Content Syndication: How to Make it Work for You Graywolf's SEO Blog

Content Syndication: How to Make it Work for You Graywolf's SEO Blog


Content Syndication: How to Make it Work for You

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 08:01 AM PST

Post image for Content Syndication: How to Make it Work for You

Syndicating your content is a tricky game. On the one hand, getting more exposure for you, your brand, or your company is a good thing. On the other hand, having another site outrank you for your own content is not a good thing. In this post, I’ll take a look at some of the pros and cons and offer some tips about how you can make syndication work for you.

Let’s get the easy stuff out of the way. Content syndication is different from web-scraping: content syndication is when you allow your content to be placed on another site. In some cases, the site will approach you asking to use your work; in other cases, you will approach them. In either case, both parties consent to the action. However, from a search engine perspective, it’s almost identical to web scraping because the engines see the same content in two places and have to look for signals that tell them who is the source or owner.

If you are thinking about content syndication, there are few things you do and don’t want to do. The first thing is you don’t want to give permission for someone to take all of your new content; instead, you want to give them access to a limited number of pieces. Try to come up with an arrangement that works for everyone like no more than 2 posts a month, or only posts from some select categories. If you have multiple syndication partners, this can be tricky.

There are some instances when you want to let someone republish your post in its entirety and aren’t concerned about the link back to your post…
Another thing you really want to try and negotiate is credit with a linkback to the original post. A notice at the beginning or end of post that says “This post was originally published on John Smith’s blog (link) under the title John Smith’s Great Title (link)”. If you can get a link to your homepage and the original post that’s golden. If you can only get one link, go for the deep link to the original post. It may seem counter-intuitive but it’s key if you want the search engines to credit you properly. I have seen some people try and use the rel canonical tag, but I’m less than convinced that it’s fool proof when crossing domains. IMHO it’s not worth the dice roll. If you can negotiate they only re-publish a snippet/section and not the entire post, that can also work to you advantage, because it means they have to link back  to the original post.

There are some instances when you want to let someone republish your post in its entirety and aren’t concerned about the link back to your post. For example, maybe you have an issue/rant/viewpoint that you want to get in front of a larger audience where it can do more good/damage. In that case, damn the search engines, full speed syndication ahead. Sometimes you know what type of post publishers like to syndicate, and you can create those posts with a few well-placed links to your projects, client’s projects, or friend’s projects. In the end you’ll end up with a higher powered link in exchange for giving up ownership of the content in the eyes of a search engine. Working on an ORM project? Get a pieced picked up with the client name in the post, point a few targeted anchor text links, and viola! One more SERP position will be under your control.

So what are the takeaways from this post:

  • Never let anyone republish 100% of your content
  • Try to get a link back to your main site and individual post in every article
  • Give permission to syndicate only a snippet of the post
  • Sometimes getting visibility is more important than getting credit
  • Sometimes getting a link from a higher powered site is more important than getting credit
  • Syndicated content can be powerful tool for ORM projects
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Content Syndication: How to Make it Work for You

Your Questions Answered

The White House Thursday, Jan. 27,  2011
 

 

Today, President Obama and senior officials from around the Administration will be answering your questions about the State of the Union Address and the President’s vision to win the future. Be sure to tune in - you can watch all the live question and answer sessions today on WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Your Questions Answered. Watch Live

Here’s the lineup for today on WhiteHouse.gov/live:

  • 11:30 a.m. EST: Economy Roundtable with Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers
  • 1:00 p.m. EST: Foreign Policy Roundtable with Denis McDonough, Deputy National Security Advisor
  • 2:30 p.m. EST: Live YouTube interview with President Barack Obama
  • 3:15 p.m. EST: Education Roundtable with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
  • 4:30 p.m. EST: Health Care Roundtable with Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

If you haven’t already, be sure to watch the President’s State of the Union Address:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sotu

Stay Connected

 


 
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Watch Live: President Obama's YouTube Interview

The White House Your Daily Snapshot for
Thursday, Jan. 27,  2011
 

Watch Live: President Obama's YouTube Interview

Today at 2:30 p.m. EST President Obama will be participating in a live interview to answer citizens' questions submitted on YouTube. Watch it live at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

And throughout the day policy experts from the White House and around the Administration will be answering your questions about the State of the Union. Check out the full line-up and tune in at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Photo Gallery: The State of the Union

See more photos of President Obama’s State of the Union Address.

From left: Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood applaud as President Barack Obama enters the House Chamber to deliver his State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 25, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In Case You Missed It

Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog.

Our Plan to Put One Million Advanced Technology Vehicles on America’s Roads
Vice President Joe Biden traveled to Greenfield, IN to visit a manufacturer of advanced batteries who can help the country meet President Obama's goal to put one million advanced technology vehicles on the road.

Health Care Costs
Stephanie Cutter, Assistant to the President for Special Projects, discusses how the health reforms in the Affordable Care Act will help bring down health care costs.

The President’s State of the Union Address: What They’re Saying Part II
Read more reactions to the President's State of the Union Address from America's governors, mayors and experts from various fields covered in the President's speech.

Today's Schedule

All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST).

9:45 AM: The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing

10:15 AM: The President and the Vice President meets with Secretary of State Clinton

11:00 AM: The President meets with his national security team for his monthly meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan

11:30 AM: Open for Questions: the State of the Union and the Economy WhiteHouse.gov/live

12:45 PM: The President and the Vice President meet for lunch

1:00 PM: Open for Questions: the State of the Union and Foreign Policy WhiteHouse.gov/live

2:30 PM: The President participates in a YouTube interview WhiteHouse.gov/live

3:15 PM: Open for Questions: the State of the Union and Education WhiteHouse.gov/live

4:30 PM: Open for Questions: the State of the Union and Health Care WhiteHouse.gov/live

5:00 PM: The Vice President attends a reception for the Democratic National Committee

WhiteHouse.gov/live   Indicates events that will be live streamed on WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Get Updates

Sign Up for the Daily Snapshot 

Stay Connected

 


 
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SEOptimise

SEOptimise


Simple Goal & Conversion Tracking with Piwik: the Open Source Google Analytics Alternative

Posted: 27 Jan 2011 04:22 AM PST

Piwi goals

It’s not only the black hat and the paranoid who are increasingly wary of Google’s privacy issues. Google Analytics has come under attack repeatedly in Europe. Recently, German government officials even threatened to ​declare Google Analytics illegal.

While I consider Google Analytics a minor threat to privacy compared to other Google products and services (like Doubleclick, Google toolbar or Google Chrome), I think there is still room for improvement.

These and other reasons made me revisit Piwik, the open source, self-hosted Google Analytics alternative.

It’s a German project on top of that, so the solution is already there. I was testing Piwik two years ago in an early beta stage. Now it’s available in version 1.1.1 and already it’s quite a powerful web analytics solution.

Before we go on: Piwik can’t yet replace Google Analytics for most websites, either for entry level or professional​ users. On the other hand, it is an excellent tool for intermediate users – bloggers, for instance.

Once it’s installed, one of the truly outstanding advantages becomes apparent:  the goal tracking and management, or in other words the conversion tracking. It’s very easy to implement, easier than in Google Analytics or other web analytics tools if you ask me. Today I want show you how it works. Let’s use an average blog as an example.

You don’t have any goals to track on your blog? You have no conversions? ​You don’t sell anything on your blog?

Well, think again. I’m with Avinash Kaushik here:  you have to track so called micro-conversions. These are small things that show engagement or have some positive impact on your business. Typically on a blog you could track:

  1. Comments (comment submissions)
  2. Facebook likes​
  3. Retweets
  4. Delicious saves
  5. StumbleUpon shares
  6. RSS clicks (as in people trying manually to subscribe to your blog)
  7. Ad clicks
  8. Contact form submissions
  9. “About Us” or “Services” section visits
  10. Downloads


So you see there are plenty of ways in which you want to convert people even on a blog. Watching traffic trends is one thing, but tracking goals is a completely different way to find out what’s popular on your site.


I will show you three of them to start with:  comments, Delicious saves and “About” views. I chose these three for two reasons:  almost everybody has comments and an About Us page on their blog, and Delicious saves say quite a bit about your content. Furthermore, Piwik allows basically three ways of setting up goals. Each example shows one of them.

To add or edit goals in Piwik:

1. Click the “Goals” tab in the top menu.

Look for “Goals management” in the content part below.

2. Click “Create a new Goal” below.

A “Create a Goal” dialog like the one pictured below should appear:

Tracking “​About”

Let’s start with “About” as in “About Us”.  Why track “About”? Well, people clicking the About page express genuine interest in who you are and what you do. They are those visitors who might trust you in future based on the information you provide. That’s why tracking “About Us” visits makes sense as a micro-conversion.

3. Enter a “goal name”. I’d suggest “about view” as we track how often the About page has actually been viewed.

4. Check whether the radio button “Visit a given URL (page or group of pages)” is already selected, or select it.

5. Check whether “contains” is already selected in the drop down menu, or select it manually.

6. Add the file name of your About page in the input field right beside it. In case it’s something like example.com/about you can add “/about”. In case you have more than one page or post starting with “/about” you can add a more exact part of the URL.

7. Click the button “Add goal”.


Tracking “​Delicious saves​”

Facebook likes and Twitter (re)tweets are great, but Delicious bookmarks are still the granddaddy of all social media engagement ways. ​Users who save your post on Delicious do it for their own sake; they want to read it later, save the resource for future reference or use it in some other way for themselves (I do it for publishing). Also, only an elite few use Delicious these days. Last but not least, Facebook and Twitter sharing does not mean much. People who share do so because they want to show it to others, not because they want to use a post for themselves.

3. Enter a “goal name”. I’d suggest “delicious save”, as we will track how many people have saved your site from a Delicious link on your site. Of course, you need a Delicious save link on your blog first. Most social media plugins provide one. Delicious itself offers tools to integrate it as well.

4. Select the radio button “Click on a Link to an external website” (the third one in the row).

5. Check whether “contains” is already selected in the drop down menu or select it manually.

6. Add the URL “delicious.com/save?” in the input field beside it, or check the actual URL your social media plugin links to and adapt it accordingly.

7. Click the button “Add goal”.


Tracking Comments


Why should you track comments? You can see them in the WordPress back end anyway, can’t you? Well, tracking comments with Piwik allows you to see which users engage with your blog, and thus which traffic is your most valuable based on measuring interaction. Hint:  it’s not the search or social media traffic.

Tracking comments is a bit more tricky than the other goals, but if you can customise WordPress themes you can do that as well.

3. Enter a “goal name”. I’d suggest “comment”, as we track comment submissions here.

4. Select “manually” in the “Goal is triggered” drop down menu.

5. Copy the “piwikTracker.trackGoal()” JavaScript call.

6. Click the button “Add goal”.

7. To find out the goal number of your “comment” goal, click the “Goal” tab again.

8. Scroll down and roll over the “Goal ‘comment’ ” link.

9. You see the following JS link “javascript:broadcast.propagateAjax(‘module=Goals&action=goalReport&idGoal=3′)” where the idGoal parameter is your goal number. Remember the number.

10. Add the number in your JS call in your WordPress theme comments.php.

It can be found in Appearance -> Editor -> Comments (comments.php).

Search for the “submit” button. My form submit button looks like this:

<input id="submit" name="submit" type="submit" value="<?php _e('Post Comment') ?>" tabindex="7" />

11. Add onclick="piwikTracker.trackGoal(3);" at the end of it so that it looks likes this:

<input id="submit" name="submit" type="submit" value="<?php _e('Post Comment') ?>" tabindex="7" onclick="piwikTracker.trackGoal(3);" />

Done.


Piwik not only allows you to set up goals easily, but also to get a quick and useful overview of which traffic converts best. Make sure you check out the “Conversions overview by segment” table view in the Goals tab. You have to scroll a bit to see it. It shows you which traffic sources, countries etc. perform best:



Piwik also has​ advanced privacy options:  you can both opt out of Piwik tracking if you want to enable the feature, and ​anonymise the last digits of the user IP. Google allegedly does this as well, but the data is sent to the US where, due to the patriot act, all kinds of government agencies can access it for a plethora of reasons. That’s why it’s basically already illegal in Germany. You are not allowed to send user data to another country. Furthermore, you’ll never now where your data is . Google has data centers all over the world, and I’m not sure it’s vulnerable to US secret services only.

With Piwik, which is self-hosted, you can decide yourself where your data is stored. It just depends on the location of your hosting. This big advantage is also a drawback. You need to install Piwik on your server or webhosting package. The process is largely automated, but nevertheless even I experienced some issues while installing it:  my FTP client had problems copying the ca. 5MB to my server and thus some files ended up being crippled. Instead of the installation page, I only saw garbled code on the page and rather unhelpful error messages.

Piwik is a software package for intermediate users. Ask yourself:  can I install a WordPress blog? If so, then you can install Piwik. Don’t know what your PHP and MySQL version is? Maybe you should stick with GA.

While Piwik is not yet a fully fledged Google Analytics alternative, it can compete quite well with popular entry level freemium or paid tools like Clicky, Woopra or Reinvigorate.

© SEOptimise – Download our free business guide to blogging whitepaper and sign-up for the SEOptimise monthly newsletter. Simple Goal & Conversion Tracking with Piwik: the Open Source Google Analytics Alternative

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