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luni, 13 decembrie 2010

SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog

December's Linkscape Update and A Look at the Web in 2010

Posted: 13 Dec 2010 12:31 AM PST

The Linkscape web index updated this past Wednesday, December 8. You can see new link data for sites and pages via Open Site Explorer, the mozBar, the Web App and Linkscape Classic. This is also one of our freshest and fastest index updates (from the prior update on November 16, it's only been 22 days), so the links you'll see were crawled at the end of November and processing occurred in the beginning of December.

This index is slightly smaller than others, but oddly, it appears to be due to some extra decay on the web; we've requested as many pages as normal but just haven't seen as many still alive. Perhaps the holidays are the time to put old sites on ice, as last year appeared to show a somewhat similar pattern (tough to confirm whether this is Linkscape's crawling behavior vs. a true representation of the web, though).

Index 34's stats are:

39,821,634,471 (39.8 Billion) Pages
420,451,251 (420 Million) Subdomains
104,307,322 (104 Million) Root Domains
387,736,255,184 (388 Billion) Links
2.08% of All Links are Nofollowed (down 0.02% from November)
- 57.66% are internal (up from 56.99% in November)
- 42.34% are external (down from 43.01% in November)
5.91% of pages have rel=canonical (up from 5.88% in November)
62.11 links/page on average (down from 62.28 in October)

Since it's the end of the year, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at some of the Linkscape data from the beginning of 2010 up through this latest update. Just remember that this comes from Linkscape's indices only, so the entire web is represented, though a substantive portion is included (many tens of billions of pages per index).

Rel=Canonical Use in 2010

% of Pages w/ Rel Canonical

Links / Page in 2010

Links / Page on the Web

Nofollow Distribution in 2010

% of Nofollow Links on the Web

% of Internal vs. External Nofollow Links

Quantity of Subdomains per Root Domain in 2010

Subdomains / Root Domain

Average Percent of Links to a Site that Came from the Same C-Block of IP Addresses in 2010

Same C-Block Links

While we're excited with how far Linkscape has come in 2010, there's a lot more progress to be made and a lot of effort going into it. In 2011, expect to see even faster updates, recursive crawling (meaning new pages on the web go into indices at an increased clip), much larger indices (25-50%+ larger) to reach deep down into those corners of the web we miss today, and more views on the data.

In the meantime, we invite you to use the tools above and the Awesome FREE SEOmoz API, and tell us what else you'd like to see in the future.

Finally, SEOmoz PRO is getting nominations for two categories of TechCrunch's Crunchies awards. It would mean a lot to us if you'd drop by and support our nod for Best Internet Application and Best Technology Achievement. TC takes one vote/day until midnight on December 24, so if you feel inclined, feel free to vote daily. Thanks!

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How to Do SEO Cheap

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 01:51 PM PST

Posted by Kate Morris

Most respected SEOs will tell you there is no such thing as cheap SEO. You get what you pay for in respect to hiring an SEO consultant. And that remains true. Whether you are hiring an agency, independent consultant, or hiring in-house, the best SEOs are going to know the value of their skills and its impact on your business. Going for the lowest cost option (bad SEOs, scam artists) is what gives good SEOs a bad name. Please, don't be one of those (read SEOmoz!), and don't hire one of those.

On the other side of the coin, I was also a small business owner at one time (independent consultant), and I know that you can't always afford the best in the beginning. There are a number of options available to small business owners on a budget. You don't have to forego quality to get good, cheaper SEO advice. Just remember that the less you pay with these suggestions, the more you might have to contribute your own time and learning. You are going to have to think about each of these in terms not just of cost, but also cost of your time. Doing cheaper SEO options means more time on your part learning. But ... with the right time and dedication, you can get the same results those bigger competitors are getting.

Remember the Marketing

From Distilled's Co-Founder Duncan Morris: If you are not an SEO, running your own business and looking to do this on your own, remember that the best SEO you can do is build your business right. You should network and find contacts, grow a mailing list, deliver awesome customer service, and maybe acquire another company. Do remarkable stuff, write interesting stuff on a blog, and tell people about it.

In the end, it's about getting people interested in your business. SEO is not the answer, it's yet another tool in your marketing arsenal.

Local Conferences

Matt Cutts Vanessa Fox Site Review
Matt Cutts and Vanessa Fox on a Site Review Panel at PubCon

If you want to get the most bang for your buck and good suggestions for your site in real time, attend a local regional conference and submit to a site review panel. The key here is to find one in your area to reduce the costs as much as possible.

There are many you can choose from, a few from the past year include PubCon South, SearchExchange (no new one has been scheduled), SEMPDX SearchFest, and SXSW Interactive. There are many conferences in larger metropolitan areas, but they tend to be pricey. Look at the agenda ahead of time and make sure they have site reviews. On the day of the conference, get there before the session starts and give the moderator your card with the site address, and sit up front. I can't say that Matt Cutts will be the one reviewing your site, but regardless, these shows offer some of the best and brightest in the business.

Cost: Varies Wildly. About $200-750 for the conference (plus any travel costs)
Time: At least an hour for the session, but plan staying the whole conference, about 2-3 days

PodCamp, BarCamp, WordCamp

These are much like a local conference and meetup, but they are unconferences. They are usually free, day or two day long, with the key being that the content is user generated. Topics are about anything from new media (PodCamp) to WordPress (WordCamp), or really anything (BarCamp). There are many local experts you can meet here and ask about anything you need help on. These are the definition of community.

Cost: Free - usually
Time: A day or two for the Camp, and then applying what you learned of course.

Exchange Services

Exchanging services is one of the best ways to get services that you might not be able to afford right now. For instance, I got some awesome shirts "for free" in exchange for some PPC help for the company that printed the shirts. At the time there was no way I could afford the $500 for the shirts, but in exchange for my time? That was easy. If your company offers a service or product, talk to an SEO about an exchange of services.

It is also possible to offer good links for pro bono work. And on that thought, you could exchange your products and services as a link building tactic. Think about donating your time and services and getting links in return. This is a gray area (hat wise), but if you let them decide what to do ... it's cool. It's all about the intent and if the new link is useful to the users of the other site. Keep that in mind.

Cost: No money changes hands.
Time: It's going to cost in time however much you make the deal for your own time.

Visit Local Meetups

Check for local search marketing meetups via Meetups.com or contact your local chamber of commerce for any possible training that might be upcoming. The other option is to Google SEO group in your location - there might be some that aren't formal groups. Local professionals speak and attend sessions and are usually more than happy to answer questions and give advice to other attendees.

My pointer is to look for those meetups and groups that offer training for small business owners. For instance, in Austin, there is the Austin SEO/SEM Meetup through Meetups.com and that is a more training based group, however the AustinSEM.org group is for professionals only. Just be sure you are in the right group.

Second and biggest piece of advice: Don't go there for advice, hound the speaker, and then leave. They are people too. Be a friend, get to know before launching into your issues. Never expect free advice. Go there to learn and maybe you might get some good free advice as a bonus.

seo meetups

Cost: $0-$25 typically
Time: Substantial. An hour for the meetup generally, but there will be many of these over the year, you'll want to attend most of them you can find. And then you have to apply the knowledge.

Twitter (Read: Social Media)

Put simply: Get onto Twitter and make friends. Join in the conversation, don't be creepy, and be genuinely interested and interesting. There are many intelligent SEOs on Twitter that are happy to help friends. But you can't just get on there and ask. Building the relationships is what takes the most time and why this is one of the free options. You have to spend the time conversing and learning from what is being tweeted in addition to building the relationship. This cannot be automated, but once you are friends with an SEO, they are more likely to take time out of their day to help you out.

Cost: Free
Time: This one is all about your time. Hours, months, years is what I am talking here.

Simplest: Read

Read SEOmoz, SEOBook, Google Webmaster Blog, Search Engine Land, Search Engine Journal, BlueGlass, Distilled, and so many more. For the most part (at Distilled this is true but I can't talk for everyone), we don't hold much back. If there is something new and cool that can help others with their campaigns, we share it via blogs. You just have to take the time to read them and apply the knowledge to your situation. This isn't easy as examples are not usually just like your situation, but with the right time and dedication you can learn much just reading.

Cost: Free
Time: Less than building relationships, but still high in personal time involvement.

Join a Community

Become a member of a forum or other Q&A type community like Webmaster World, SEOmoz Q&A, SEOBook, SEODojo, StackOverflow (more technical), and ExpertsExchange.

Webmaster World is free to use and the community responds to the questions. Each section has a few moderators, but your question isn't guaranteed to be answered. So there are pluses and minuses to that setup. I learned a lot there when I started, and the community is fantastic. They even have Google and Bing employees drop by to answer sometimes.

SEOmoz Q&A on the other hand comes with your membership to SEOmoz at all paid levels. Your level determines how many questions you can ask per month. At the PRO level, you get two questions a month. These questions are answered by SEO/PPC/Local/Mobile specialists at SEOmoz, Distilled, and across the globe by associates hand picked by the SEOmoz team. All the people answering are true professional experts and your question is guaranteed to be answered by an associate.

While I don't know much about SEOBook and SEODojo, I can tell you that there are many friends of mine that love these communities. They provide an area where you can ask questions and get answers from some of the best minds in search. I hear that Aaron Wall responds to many of the questions himself on SEOBook.

Check out all your options before committing but a community is very helpful at every stage of business or your career.

Cost: From Free to $300 a month at the lowest levels
Time: Good amount. You get direct answers in communities like these to questions about your specific situation, but you still have to learn and apply the advice you are given.

Adopt an SEO

If you have family and friends that are SEOs the chance is that you can get SEO services for free or at a highly discounted rate. So why not adopt? I kid. I kid. This isn't a suggestion for everyone, but if you do have a friend or family member in the business, you can make it their Christmas present to you for life if they will help you out. Most will be more than willing to help, unless this is your 17th "great money making opportunity."

Cost: A Lifetime - no really, you can't buy this one, sorry.
Time: Nurturing for an estranged SEO takes a lifetime, this is a big dedication on your part.

Look to your Family/Friends

Happy funny people stock photo
Stock Photo Courtesy of Shutterstock

So if you have family and friends that are willing to help out but they aren't search marketing professionals, fret not. Enlist family/friends for help in content generation and link building. Everyone has a talent, and your family and friends can research and write about a number of topics. They can help you contact local businesses for linking opportunities. If any of them are interested in search marketing, you might even get them to read and join the communities we spoke of earlier. It's a win-win for anyone looking for a new career (maybe hire a student!) and your business that needs help getting the word out.

Cost: Minor
Time: Minor. It's your family and friends that are learning, so they get a benefit as well as the satisfaction of helping you.

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New Behind the Scenes Photos from November

Your Daily Snapshot for
Monday, Dec. 13, 2010

Photostream: Behind the Scenes in November

Check out 79 behind the scenes photos from the month of November and get the inside scoop on a few of these photos from Official White House Photographer Pete Souza.

View more photos.

President Barack Obama greets the Sinkfield family in the Outer Oval Office, Nov. 24, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Seth's Blog : The myth of the simple business plan

[You're getting this note because you subscribed to Seth Godin's blog.]

The myth of the simple business plan

The status quo is accepted, regardless how complex, but we demand the new thing be simple.

Here's a business plan for a textbook manufacturer ca. 1955:

Hire a professor, pay them to spend years making a textbook. Hire a lot of salespeople, have them visit other professors and their committees, selling them a book they won't ultimately buy, but will merely force others to buy. Then build an infrastructure to make sure the bookstores have the book that the students are instructed to buy against their will. Then add meaningless updates to the book regularly so the used textbook market doesn't impinge on new book sales.

If someone pitched you that business model a century ago, you'd laugh.

Most giant industries have similarly convuluted plans. For some reason, we require new business models to be far more elegant...

The secret to classic industries is that each step in the plan must be simple. So simple that it's easy to explain and scale. But those simple steps can certainly add up to a complex web.

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duminică, 12 decembrie 2010

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty on Public Unions vs. Taxpayers
Jim Chanos: "Adam Smith will get his Revenge on China's Real Estate Bubble"
Williams Calls for "Great Hyperinflationary Great Depression"; A Very Easy Rebuttal
Sunday Funnies 2010-12-12 Art of Congressional Compromise

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty on Public Unions vs. Taxpayers

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 05:39 PM PST

I have finally found another governor besides Chris Christie who makes me want to stand up and salute. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty says the moral case for unions does not apply to public employment.

Please consider Government Unions vs. Taxpayers by Governor Tim Pawlenty.

Much has changed. The majority of union members today no longer work in construction, manufacturing or "strong back" jobs. They work for government, which, thanks to President Obama, has become the only booming "industry" left in our economy. Since January 2008 the private sector has lost nearly eight million jobs while local, state and federal governments added 590,000.

Federal employees receive an average of $123,049 annually in pay and benefits, twice the average of the private sector. And across the country, at every level of government, the pattern is the same: Unionized public employees are making more money, receiving more generous benefits, and enjoying greater job security than the working families forced to pay for it with ever-higher taxes, deficits and debt.

How did this happen? Very quietly. The rise of government unions has been like a silent coup, an inside job engineered by self-interested politicians and fueled by campaign contributions.

Public employee unions contribute mightily to the campaigns of liberal politicians ($91 million in the midterm elections alone) who vote to increase government pay and workers. As more government employees join the unions and pay dues, the union bosses pour ever more money and energy into liberal campaigns. The result is that certain states are now approaching default. Decades of overpromising and fiscal malpractice by state and local officials have created unfunded public employee benefit liabilities of more than $3 trillion.

We proved that even in deep-blue Minnesota, taxpayers can take on big government and big labor, and win. In coming years, that fight will have to be joined throughout the country in city halls, state capitals and in Washington, D.C.

Reformers would be wise to adopt three overriding principles.

First, we need to bring public employee compensation back in line with the private sector and reduce the overall size of the federal civilian work force. Mr. Obama's proposal to freeze federal pay is a step in the right direction, but it falls well short of shrinking government and eliminating the pay premium enjoyed by federal employees.

Second, get the numbers right. Government should start using the same established accounting standards that private businesses are required to use, so we can accurately assess unfunded liabilities.

Third, we need to end defined-benefit retirement plans for government employees. Defined-benefit systems have created a financial albatross for taxpayers. The private sector dropped them years ago in favor of the clarity and predictability of defined-contribution models such as 401(k) plans. This change alone can save taxpayers trillions of dollars.

The moral case for unions—protecting working families from exploitation—does not apply to public employment. Government employees today are among the most protected, well-paid employees in the country. Ironically, public-sector unions have become the exploiters, and working families once again need someone to stand up for them.

If we're going to stop the government unions' silent coup, conservative reformers around the country must fight this challenge head on. The choice between big government and everyday Americans isn't a hard one.

I Salute Governor Tim Pawlenty

Governor Pawlenty, I salute you. Moreover I call for the scrapping of Davis-Bacon, prevailing wage laws, the end of defined benefit plans for all public workers, and the end to collective bargaining of all public union workers.

The US desperately needs to look at pension benefits of public union workers, even existing benefits.

I do not know where Pawlenty stands on military spending or other critical issues but his stance on public unions is certainly a breath of much needed fresh air.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Jim Chanos: "Adam Smith will get his Revenge on China's Real Estate Bubble"

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 01:51 PM PST

China bulls may wish to consider the other side of the story as noted by Chanos in China Overbuilding to 'Hit a Wall'

"Construction is 60-plus percent of GDP, compared to exports of 5," said Chanos, who is the founder and president of Kynikos Associates.

"The problem is that consumption as a percentage of Chinese economy has declined in the last 10 years, from 40 to 35 percent. It's all real estate," he said. After the US, China has the world's second largest economy.

Chanos said that steel, iron ore, cement and other materials needed for construction will be "under pressure."

Video Notes

China is building US-priced condos where the average income is $3500 per person.

Margins on Chinese companies are razor thin. If China hikes rates substantially most companies in China will lose money. Chanos thinks they already are. "Every company we have looked at has accounting issues. The lower you get in the story the more interesting it becomes."

If China implodes, Chanos thinks the US will fare relatively well on the basis "Europe exports more to China than the US, and that South America is dependent on China as are parts of Asia."

When asked about the sustainability of what China is doing, Chanos commented that a lot of what the state is doing is "misdirected investment" in order to keep nominal growth. At the end of the day, that will come back to haunt them.

Chanos mentioned Adam Smith a couple of times in the interview. Adam Smith is author of The Wealth of Nations.

"Adam Smith will get his revenge in China's real estate market. It is very difficult to manage these kinds of bubbles."

I happen to agree with Chanos on all counts, adding that an implosion in China, or even a significant slowdown would be beneficial to the US dollar. For additional discussion of the US dollar please see Williams Calls for "Great Hyperinflationary Great Depression"; A Very Easy Rebuttal

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Williams Calls for "Great Hyperinflationary Great Depression"; A Very Easy Rebuttal

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 11:52 AM PST

Those looking for Sunday entertainment can pull out the popcorn and watch this video of John Williams calling for the "Great Hyperinflationary Great Depression", coming your way soon.

I have rebutted such thinking a hundreds of times, so I do not even have to write a rebuttal. It's been prepared in advance. Here is a 5 point summary of where Williams goes wrong.

1. Williams focuses on money supply, ignoring credit although credit is far more important
2. William ignores numerous global interconnections. Calling for hyperinflation in the US alone ignores happenings in Europe, Japan, and China. I remain amazed at how US-centric hyperinflationists in general are. Monetary printing in China far exceeds that in the US, and it is the Euro and the Yen most at risk now, not the US dollar.
3. Williams ignores relatively small changes in Social Security that can keep that system afloat for another decade or longer. Regardless, SS is a huge future problem that will matter at some point, just not now. Currently, collapsing consumer credit in the US is soaking up all the Fed's printing.
4. Williams ignores numerous constraints on the Fed and Congress
5. Williams ignores US gold holdings, the largest in the world
6. Williams ignores the massive influence of consumer attitudes and bank attitudes towards lending.

For a look at constraints, please see Failure to Consider Constraints - My Response to "Has Mish Deflated the Inflationistas?"

For a look at global interconnections including a discussion of rampant inflation in China and why hyperinflation is more likely in Japan than the US, please see Multiple Simultaneous Games of "Chicken"; Price Controls on Walmart; China Declares Shift to "Prudent" Monetary Policy

For a look at currency issues including a lengthy discussion of credit and why it is important please consider Fiat World Mathematical Model

Finally, Williams seems to ignore that hyperinflation is primarily a political event not a monetary event. The idea the world is going to flat out abandon dollars anytime soon is quite simply preposterous.

For further discussion of inflation, deflation, and what causes hyperinflation, please see "Straight Talk" with Economic Bloggers, an interview with Chris Martenson.

My call does not change. The US will go in and out of deflation for a considerable period of time, just as Japan did. The determining factor is mark-to market valuation of credit and money supply.

Right now, the Fed has temporarily overcome massive deflationary forces. For how long remains to be seen.

For the "hyperinflationary great depression", all we have to do now is wait a year to see.

Addendum:

Numerous people have asked me to respond to Deflationists Take Note: Bernanke Succeeds In Offsetting Shadow Banking Collapse

For starters I do not concern myself with M3 and I have been consistent on ignoring it in both directions.

Moreover, monetary inflation never really stopped, and that is something I have said many times, even called for in advance. It is irrelevant given that credit is far more important.

If one views inflation through the eyes of monetary measures alone, then we will have the absurd scenario of seeing "deflation" just as the economy is strong enough for Bernanke to start contacting the Fed's balance sheet. Practically speaking that is of course preposterous, and it is one of many reasons focusing on various monetary measures in isolation leads to absurd conclusions.

This is not pointing a finger at ZH as I actually agree with his statement "Bernanke Succeeds In Offsetting Shadow Banking Collapse".

In simple terms, the Fed and government spending have temporarily overcome credit deflation. This is nothing new. It has gone on since March of 2009.

I did think the economy was about ready to slip back into deflation in summer of 2010, but speculation on QE followed by actual QE put that on hold.

Now, Congress has stepped to the plate with more stimulus and that will likely put the kibosh on a double dip-recession in 2011. I did not see that coming and I do not know anyone who did. I think Bernanke is the one who put Obama up to that. If so, it does suggest the economy is far weaker than most realize.

However, the idea that either QEII or the new stimulus is going to ignite serious "price inflation" is flawed. Even with that stimulus, all Congress really did is replace the stimulus effects now expiring. It will take that stimulus to barely maintain the economy at the stall rate.

One thing I agree with Bernanke on is the GDP stall rate is about 2.5%. I look at it this way: The first 2.5% of GDP is hedonics, imputations, and other statistical nonsense that did not happen at all.

Thus, it should be no surprise there is little to no decrease in unemployment until GDP starts growing faster than 2.5%.

Finally, risks are still skewed to the downside. State cutbacks loom, Build America Bonds (BABs) are set to expire, risk of municipal bankruptcies is great, home prices are again contracting, inventories are rising, Europe is likely to slip back into recession, and there still is no driver for jobs yet benefits for 99er's are set to expire. Yes Congress did extend the program, but not the number of weeks, at least not yet.

That is one hell of a lot of headwinds even if Congress extends the number of weeks of unemployment insurance. I am sure I missed many more.

All things concluded, there is ample reason to believe the US is still following the path of Japan, and on a marked-to-market credit aspect basis the US will likely hop in and out of deflation for the foreseeable future.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Sunday Funnies 2010-12-12 Art of Congressional Compromise

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 12:36 AM PST

How Congress Approached the Tax Compromise

Charles Hughes Smith weighs in with a humorous way to stimulate the economy. Please consider White House, Republicans Offer Bloggers $100K Each in Compromise Deal

An Irishman Speaks His Mind

This video has been making the rounds. It is hilarious but it does contain very harsh language.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Seth's Blog : Everyone and no one

[You're getting this note because you subscribed to Seth Godin's blog.]

Everyone and no one

Two things are always not true:

Everyone likes this.

No one likes this.

Sorry.

If you try to please everyone, the few you don't delight will either ruin your day or ruin your sense of what sort of product you should make.

And if you believe the critic who insists that no one is going to like what you made, you will walk away from a useful niche.

One other thing: Sometimes it's easy to confuse, "the small cadre of people I want to impress because my ego demands that this 'in' group is important," with "everyone." They're not the same.

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luni, 13 decembrie 2010

SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog

SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog

Rel=Canonical Use in 2010

Links / Page in 2010

Nofollow Distribution in 2010

Quantity of Subdomains per Root Domain in 2010

Average Percent of Links to a Site that Came from the Same C-Block of IP Addresses in 2010

Remember the Marketing

Local Conferences

PodCamp, BarCamp, WordCamp

Exchange Services

Visit Local Meetups

Twitter (Read: Social Media)

Simplest: Read

Join a Community

Adopt an SEO

Look to your Family/Friends

New Behind the Scenes Photos from November

Seth's Blog : The myth of the simple business plan

The myth of the simple business plan

More Recent Articles

duminică, 12 decembrie 2010

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Seth's Blog : Everyone and no one

Everyone and no one

More Recent Articles

Pagini

Persoane interesate

Arhivă blog

luni, 13 decembrie 2010

Rel=Canonical Use in 2010

Links / Page in 2010

Nofollow Distribution in 2010

Quantity of Subdomains per Root Domain in 2010

Average Percent of Links to a Site that Came from the Same C-Block of IP Addresses in 2010

Remember the Marketing

Local Conferences

PodCamp, BarCamp, WordCamp

Exchange Services

Visit Local Meetups

Twitter (Read: Social Media)

Simplest: Read

Join a Community

Adopt an SEO

Look to your Family/Friends

More Recent Articles

duminică, 12 decembrie 2010

More Recent Articles

Pagini

Persoane interesate

Arhivă blog

Subscribe to