SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog

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Weed Out Your Lowest Performing Pages [Panda Strategies] Posted: 28 Mar 2011 05:51 PM PDT Posted by richardbaxterseo This morning I set myself a challenge. Using some inspiration from recent excellent ideas, strategies and articles about the Panda update, I decided to see if I could cobble together a quick strategy to weed out pages that might be deemed as “low quality” in the eyes of Google's most recent major algorithm update. I gave myself two hours to get the data and to put this post together, with the intention that you'll be able to download the template and pick up your analysis from where I left off. It’s all about poor performance This methodology should help you identify poorly performing pages that have few, if any links and a high average bounce rate across a wide spectrum of keywords. This might help you identify any page candidates that need a rethink. Step 1 – Head to Google Analytics Head over to analytics and navigate to Traffic Sources > Search Engines: Now, select “Google” Step 2 – Get lots of raw data Make sure you can get your hands on plenty of data by inserting the &limit=50000 query into your report URL. This might come in handy later! Step 3 – Sort by landing page We’re interested in landing page performance, so in your left hand sort column, select “landing page” Step 4 – Download the data as CSV and create an Excel Table Ok so far so good – by now you should have a rich data set all tuckered up in Excel. To make your data into a table, highlight it and press CTRL-L on your keyboard. Step 5 – Head to Open Site Explorer Next, we’re going to export all the links data that Open Site Explorer can give us, and use VLOOKUP to add the number of links to each URL in our table. Whee! If you’re not familiar with VLOOKUP, check out Mike’s awesome guide to Excel for SEOs. Create an Open Site Explorer top pages report (My favourite report since, ever), download the data and throw it in an Excel tab called “Top Pages”. Tip: for the purpose of this blog post, you’ll need to remove the domain name from the Open Site Explorer data. Do a find and replace for your domain, replacing the domain URL with nothing, like this: Step 6 – VLOOKUP time Next, you’re going to need to combine the analytics data with the top pages data from OSE. Create a new column in your analytics data called “Links” and add your VLOOKUP, just like this: Pro tip: use IFERROR to weed out any nasty N/A errors, replacing them with a 0, like this: =IFERROR(VLOOKUP([@[Landing Page]],toppages,6,0),0) Step 7 – Create your pivot table With a complete data set, you’re now able to create your pivot table. Insert a pivot table and setup your filters, labels and values like this: Step 8 – Filter by bounce, visits and use conditional formatting At the end of my data mashing, I came up with this table: I can only imagine what this data might look like on an extremely content thin, "low value" site. Any page with a very high bounce rate, measurable level of traffic and low / no links might cause some concern and there are certainly a few pages in this list I’d like to take a closer look at. If you'd like to take a closer look at your pages, you can download this Excel document here: http://bit.ly/PandaData PRO Tip: Add your keyword data I have a working theory that it’s good to have a complete picture of a landing page’s performance. In principle, you could build a more complete picture using keyword data. Think about it like this: if a page has a slightly below par bounce rate, with the keyword data intact you can investigate the problem a little further. Is there a specific keyword that’s causing a problem? How would you approach this problem? I hope you enjoy using the data and I'd love to hear your thoughts on how this type of analysis could be developed further. Happy number crunching! Do you like this post? Yes No

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Using Living URL’s for Seasonal Content Graywolf's SEO Blog

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Using Living URL’s for Seasonal Content Posted: 29 Mar 2011 07:48 AM PDT I’ve mentioned incorporating living URL’s into your SEO strategy before.  Now that I have been experimenting with them for a while, I have some tips about using them a little bit more intelligently. If you read fashion magazines, you know that every year they publish a spring fashion update; bridal magazines publish new spring wedding dresses; and bands that have been around a long time will always return to give concerts in major cities like New York or Los Angeles. Traditionally, publishers would use a solution like this: Title: Women’s Spring Fashion For 2011 URL: example.com/womens-spring-fashion-2011/ Title: Spring Bridal Dresses 2011 URL: example.com/spring-bridal-dresses-2011/ Title: U2 Concert Tickets Madison Square Garden 2011 URL: example.com/u2-concert-tickets-madison-square-garden-2011/ To use the living URL strategy, you need to understand how Google handles dates and to know when to use them and when to avoid them. My recommendation is to keep the year in the page/html title (updating it every year) but to keep the year out of the URL. So it would look like this: Title: Women’s Spring Fashion For 2011 URL: example.com/womens-spring-fashion/ Title: Spring Bridal Dresses 2011 URL: example.com/spring-bridal-dresses/ Title: U2 Concert Tickets Madison Square Garden 2011 URL: example.com/u2-concert-tickets-madison-square-garden/ In the examples used above, I would put up new content on the existing URL’s and not save the old content. However, there are some cases where you would want to save the content, as in my WordPress SEO plugins post, but that’s a decision you’re going to have to make for yourself based on your niche and whether the archived content has value. A third option is to put the new content on the old URL and move the old content on a new URL. It sounds complicated, but it’s really pretty easy. I go into more detail in keeping an editorial calendar in the new car model section. Next you need to consider the implications of social media on your living URL strategy. If your blog auto tweets new posts, you’ll need to clear/reset the fields that control those actions. Next, you need to update the publish date, especially if you do any date-based sorting or displays or if you include the date in your XML site map. If your content has a link bait social bookmarking quality, you need to experiment with how the site you are targeting handles submitting the same URL. I suggest experimenting with someone else’s domain–not your own. I suggest that you try adding parameters or try camouflaging your intent with dummy parameters like “utm_source=rss”. So what are the takeaways from this post: Use predictive SEO and an editorial calendar to identify candidates for a living URL strategy. Use the date in the title but avoid it in the URL. Have a plan for archiving, relocating, or eliminating the old content. Update the publish date and reset any autotweet fields. Know how any social media sites handle resubmissions. Try using parameters as a workaround. photo credit: soundman1024 Related posts: Running A Seasonal Website While running multiple websites isn’t a strategy I recommend for... WordPress SEO: How to Create Living URL’s If you watched any of the congressional hearings about the... Can You Make a Living Blogging Today’s question comes from Joe Tao who asks: “Is it... What is Evergreen Content Evergreen Content is a subject I talk about quite frequently... Short Term Content Versus Evergreen Content I’ve got a confession to make. I used to be... Advertisers: Text Link Ads - New customers can get $100 in free text links. BOTW.org - Get a premier listing in the internet's oldest directory. Ezilon.com Regional Directory - Check to see if your website is listed! Directory Journal - Get permanent deep links in a search engine friendly directory Glass Whiteboards - For a professional durable white board with no ghosting, streaking or marker stains, see my Glass Whiteboard Review Need an SEO Audit for your website, look at my SEO Consulting Services Link Building- Backlink Build offers 45 PR5+ Backlinks for $295 KnowEm - Protect your brand, product or company name with a continually growing list of social media sites. Scribe SEO Review find out how to better optimize your wordpress posts. TigerTech - Great Web Hosting service at a great price. What Motivates You - what makes you want to get up and be successful This post originally came from Michael Gray who is an SEO Consultant. Be sure not to miss the Thesis Wordpress Theme review. Using Living URL’s for Seasonal Content

Thanks to This Month’s Sponsors March 2011 Posted: 28 Mar 2011 10:46 AM PDT I’d like to say thanks to the people who sponsored the blog this month, without them there wouldn’t be regular posts here. Text Link Ads – New customers can get $100 in free text links. BOTW.org – Get a premier listing in the internet’s oldest directory. Ezilon.com Regional Directory – Check to see if your website is listed! Directory Journal – Get permanent deep links in a search engine friendly directory Link Building – Backlink Build offers 45 PR5+ Backlinks for $295. Interested in seeing your message here? There are banner and RSS advertising options available find out more information. Be sure to check out our new Sponsored post option. Blam Ads – Content locking can help you make more money with your website   Here’s a list of some other programs and products I reccomend Thesis Theme for WordPress – Hands down the best theme on the market right now, read my Thesis Theme for WordPress Review. Scribe SEO – Improve your blog posts with this easy to use built in tool, read my Scribe SEO Review. KnowEm – Protect your brand, product or company name with a continually growing list of social media sites, read an Interview with Michael Streko. TigerTech – Great Web Hosting service at a great price, read my Tiger Tech Review. photo credit: paul (dex) Related posts: Thanks to This Month’s Sponsors Feb 2011 I’d like to say thanks to the people who sponsored... Thanks to This Month’s Sponsors – March 2010 I’d like to say thanks to the people who sponsored... Thanks to this Months Sponsors – March 2009 I’d like to say thanks to the people who sponsored... Thanks to this Months Sponsors – June 2009 I’d like to say thanks to the people who sponsored... Thanks to this Months Sponsors – August 2009 I’d like to say thanks to the people who sponsored... Advertisers: Text Link Ads - New customers can get $100 in free text links. BOTW.org - Get a premier listing in the internet's oldest directory. Ezilon.com Regional Directory - Check to see if your website is listed! Directory Journal - Get permanent deep links in a search engine friendly directory Glass Whiteboards - For a professional durable white board with no ghosting, streaking or marker stains, see my Glass Whiteboard Review Need an SEO Audit for your website, look at my SEO Consulting Services Link Building- Backlink Build offers 45 PR5+ Backlinks for $295 KnowEm - Protect your brand, product or company name with a continually growing list of social media sites. Scribe SEO Review find out how to better optimize your wordpress posts. TigerTech - Great Web Hosting service at a great price. What Motivates You - what makes you want to get up and be successful This post originally came from Michael Gray who is an SEO Consultant. Be sure not to miss the Thesis Wordpress Theme review. Thanks to This Month’s Sponsors March 2011

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In Case You Missed It: President Obama's Speech on Libya

Your Daily Snapshot for Tuesday, March 29,  2011   In Case You Missed It: President Obama's Speech on Libya Last night, President Obama delivered an address to update the American people on the situation in Libya, including the actions we’ve taken with allies and partners to protect the Libyan people from the brutality of Moammar Qaddafi, the transition to NATO command and control, and our policy going forward. Watch the video. In Case You Missed It Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog. The Facts on Domestic Oil and Gas Production Some recent comments in the press have attempted to paint a picture that an agreement on energy issues signed during the President’s trip to Brazil shows a lack of commitment to domestic oil and gas production. Let’s be clear – this administration is committed to developing a broad range of energy sources, and we know that high prices at the pump are forcing Americans to make tough choices.  Presidential “Latinos and Education” Town Hall—A Key to Winning the Future President Obama participates in a town hall event focused on education and the Latino community. The Changing Face of American Education The Deapartment of Education's TEACH campaign is an initiative to encourage talented Americans to become teachers. TEACH.gov provides individuals interested in entering the teaching profession with resources to help them meet the requirements of being a teacher. Today's Schedule All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). 9:30 AM: The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing 1:00 PM: The President departs the White House en route to Andrews Air Force Base 1:15 PM: The President departs Andrews Air Force Base en route to New York, NY 2:05 PM: The President arrives in New York, NY  4:45 PM: The President delivers remarks at the dedication of the Ronald H. Brown United States Mission to the United Nations Building   7:00 PM: The President delivers remarks at a DNC event   9:05 PM: The President delivers remarks at a DNC event 10:10 PM: The President departs New York, NY 11:00 PM: The President arrives at Andrews Air Force Base 11:10 PM: The President arrives at the White House  Indicates events that will be live streamed on White House.com/Live. Get Updates Sign Up for the Daily Snapshot  Stay Connected     Facebook Twitter YouTube Flickr iTunes       This email was sent to Email Address Manage Subscriptions for Email Address Sign Up for Updates from the White House Unsubscribe Email Address | Privacy Policy Please do not reply to this email. Contact the White House The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111

Seth's Blog : Small screens and big decisions

Small screens and big decisions

My take: the smaller the screen, the more hurried and less informed the decision ends up being.

Yes, there's more currency, more immediacy, more with-you-right-now-all-the-time and more data being collected. But......

If you're working with a spreadsheet or a thread of correspondence or a set of data, I'm not sure you're doing your best work if you're doing it on an iPhone.

 

 

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• Initiative isn't given, you take it
• Accepting false limits
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• Impossible in theory

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