vineri, 4 aprilie 2014

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Welcome to the Ghetto

Posted: 04 Apr 2014 07:12 PM PDT

Ghetto pictures.

Watch: Five Minutes with the President

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Watch: Five Minutes with the President

This week, the President wrapped up a six-day trip to Europe and Saudi Arabia, spoke on the success of the first open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act, traveled to Michigan to highlight the importance of raising the federal minimum wage, and honored both the 2013 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox and the 2014 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams.

Watch the latest episode of West Wing Week:

The Rules of Link Building - Whiteboard Friday

Posted: 03 Apr 2014 04:11 PM PDT

Posted by Cyrus-Shepard

Much of marketing, especially SEO, has shifted from a game with very few rules to a game that Google is fairly strictly refereeing. With their old tactics eliciting penalties, many marketers are simply throwing in the towel.

In today's Whiteboard Friday, Cyrus Shepard calls a time-out and shows us the new strategy we need to come out on top.

For reference, here's a still of this week's whiteboard!

Video transcription

Howdy, Moz fans. Welcome to another edition of Whiteboard Friday. My name is Cyrus. Today we're going to be talking about the rules of link building. Now this is really important because we see a lot of people out there in the marketing world getting scared of link building, past actions coming back to haunt them, people saying that link building is dead, links losing value in Google's algorithm. Rand did a great Whiteboard Friday a few weeks ago about that.

But what's really disturbing is some people are giving up completely on link building when it's still a really huge part of Google's algorithm, and they're giving up because they don't know the rules. They don't understand that when you play by the rules, for the most part, you can really win. What we see, I like to think about this like a basketball game, going back to the days of the ancient Aztecs when they started playing and there weren't a lot of rules. What's happening now is we have Google, the referee in the black and white striped shirt. They're coming down and they're saying, "Hey guys, this isn't working. We need to install some order here." So they start giving out fouls and penalties to people.

Some of these people are getting frustrated, and they're leaving the game. But the people who aren't getting fouled, who aren't getting the penalties, they are winning the score. That's where we want to be. We want to be the people who are still playing the game instead of walking off the court, because these people aren't going to win. So if we understand what the rules are, and these rules I see get violated all the time, even people trying to do what they can get away with, it's not worth it. So playing by the rules is something that we want to strive for.

One thing I've heard internet marketers talk about for years is the idea of doing what works. For a long time, there was no referee on the court. Google was just absent, and people were doing whatever they wanted. People would say, "You know, I don't really care what the rules are because I'm going to do what works today for my client." People like Rand Fishkin and Wil Reynolds, they were saying, "Guys, you've got to follow the rules because the rules are coming. Don't do what works today, do what works tomorrow." That's the advice.

These rules are based not only on what works today, but what works tomorrow. Not only that you win today's game, but that you keep winning game after game after game and you win that NCAA tournament. All right.

Beware links you control

First of all, I want to start off with some things that we want to avoid when link building. If we look at what Google has been targeting, there are usually two common factors in links that they target. They are, first of all, links that you control. When we see Google crack down on guest blogging networks, on widget links, signature profile links, they all have that one element in common: that you control the anchor text. That's exactly what Google is looking for. I predict any new link penalties that happen in the future will also follow this pattern. It will be links where you control the anchor text.

We're always going to have situations where we do control the anchor text, but beware and be very careful with those links because those are the links that are subject to devaluation and penalization.

Be cautious with links that scale

The same thing goes for links that scale. Again, we're talking about widget links, author bio boxes. When you combine these two together, those are exactly the kind of links that you need to be extra special careful with and not scale, not do too much anchor text manipulation because they will always be subject to those penalties.

Don't ask for anchor text

One rule that I've been following for years, I got this from Eric Ward, the very famous link builder: Never ask for anchor text. When you're doing outreach, when you're talking to other people, when you're guest posting, asking for the anchor text is going to raise a lot of red flags. That's what kills it for you, because when you start asking for anchor text, your brain starts working. You think, "Well, I need this keyword. I need this keyword." You create patterns. You create over-optimization. No matter what the temptation is, if you don't ask for anchor text, you're going to get a much more natural link profile.

In all of the years that I've been doing link building, I have never asked for anchor text once. Whoever is linking to me can link to me however they want. Sometimes it's a no-followed link. Sometimes it's not exactly what I want. But it's natural, and it comes off so much more natural.

Don't link externally in the footer

A couple of other rules that I see people violate all the time that Google has made painfully clear in the past few months: Don't link externally in the footer. Just don't. I'm not going to go into the reasons. Just don't do that.

Avoid site-wide links

By the same token, except for navigation, avoid site-wide links. This is something that we've known for years. If someone links to you externally, site-wide, in the side bar, that's ripe for Penguin-style links.

Again, these are best practices. There are always exceptions to the rules. But, generally, following these rules is going to help you out even if you have to break them sometimes.

Addendum: In many cases, footer links and site-wides are perfectly acceptable. The three reasons I recommend folks avoid them for link building purposes are:

We often associate external site-wide and footer links with Penguin-style actions. Not always, but it's something we look for.
Optimized, site-wide anchor text may trigger over-optimization filters.
The value of a sidebar or footer link is often considerably less valuable than a truly editorial link found in the main body text.

Keep doing link building!

On the "do" side of things, one thing that I want to emphasize is do link building. Don't give up just because Google is imposing these rules and penalizing people. We still need the people who are actively out there building links. They still have a huge opportunity to win. So don't give up on this as a part of your practice.

Focus on distribution

One thing I would emphasize doing is shifting from actively building links to more of a focus on distribution, because the more eyeballs that are on your content, the more natural links you're going to earn.

That's something we do here at Moz; we have a huge emphasis on social distribution, distribution through our partners. We just want to get the eyeballs on the content because that's the end goal anyway. There is a huge correlation between getting eyeballs on good content and link building. It's one of the best kinds of link building you can do. It's just getting your content out there on the right eyeballs.

Do some outreach

Along those same lines, outreach is still okay. Writing those emails, finding those influencers. Our friends at BuzzStream just wrote a really excellent guide on how to do outreach. Really worth a read. The idea is, along with distribution, you want to get the right eyeballs on your content so that they have those opportunities to build those natural links that you don't control the anchor text, where it's not scalable. It's a real human being putting a real link in their content and endorsing you.

Link value = traffic quality

One thing to always keep in mind that when we're looking at links and how we judge them, the value of the link equals the quality of the traffic that it can drive you. Meaning that this is kind of how Google judges links. It's not necessarily the quantity of the traffic that the link can drive you, but the quality. If you run a mechanic shop and you want good leads from those links, you would want other mechanic shops or auto part stores to link to you. A link from an SEO blog probably doesn't have a lot of value because it's not very relevant.

When you build links, one of the golden rules is look at the quality of the traffic that it's going to drive you. That's going to help you a lot in those relevancy signals that Google is looking at.

Embrace the nofollow

Finally, in this new age of link building, we need to start embracing the nofollow and not be as scared of it as we have been, because those links that we are considering no following probably weren't helping you that much anyway, and so embracing them sort of cuts those signals off that Google doesn't want those to pass PageRank. They don't want them to pass anchor text. But keep in mind that even no followed links, Google still looks at those. We have evidence that Google uses nofollowed links for crawling and discovery purposes. There is some evidence that Google may use nofollowed links for signals other than that. Not every link has to pass page rank or anchor text to be valuable.

One final thought that I want to leave with, to keep in mind, when you practice these good do's, these good link building practices, you start to take your marketing to a higher level. At its best, good link building is indistinguishable from good marketing. When you're doing link building right, you don't even need the links because you're doing good marketing. You're pushing your content out there, you're talking to those influencers, you're getting traffic to your site, and those just happen to be the signals that Google wants to reward.

Let's do that. Let's win the link building game. Happy Friday everybody. Thank you.

Video transcription by Speechpad.com

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These 5 public speaking tips will improve your writing today

White Noise

These 5 public speaking tips will improve your writing today

Posted: 04 Apr 2014 01:22 AM PDT

Hello and welcome, are you all comfortable? Great, let’s begin. I’m here today to tell you, yes you, the man in the front row looking nervous, how the art of public speaking can be transferred in to your writing. ‘How’ I hear you ask? I'll explain.

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to attend a series of sessions aimed at improving my public speaking. While there I learnt many lessons, from how to stop ‘umming’ and ‘errring’ to how to stand properly. What I also learnt, was that speaking is really no different to writing. If you can be a great speaker, there’s no reason you can't be a great writer too. Because, when it comes down to it, they’re both just forms of communication.

Now, you’re probably wondering what you’re going to get from this talk, so let me tell you. In the next 5 minutes I’m going to show you the 5 lessons I learnt about public speaking, and how you can actually transfer those skills straight into your writing, right now. Vice versa, feel free to use the following tips to improve your presentation skills. So sit back, enjoy the free tea, and let’s get started.

1. Structure 

First things first, as with any good presentation, your writing needs a clear, easy to follow structure. Don’t take after an ambiguous indie film and work from the middle outwards; the trusted Beginning, Middle and End formula is there for a reason – use it.

A clear beginning that offers an overview and maybe a hint as to your conclusion, can go a long way to keeping your reader’s attention. Bulk out the middle with your need-to-know information, but don’t go making any conclusions, just leave your reader hints to follow. Finally, make your ending snappy and go out with a bang. The more memorable or inspirational your last paragraph, the more chance there is that your reader will respond to your writing in the way that you want.

Without structure, your reader may find your content difficult to follow, and that can cause them to leave. As a result they won’t like, share, or possibly even read your content at all. Your structure works as a signpost, guiding your reader through your content.

2. Preparation 

As with all good speeches, research is key to owning your content.

A key problem I had, which was quickly exposed, was my inability to really own my content, and you know why? Because I didn’t do enough research or preparation. I didn’t know my content well enough, and it showed. My lack of confidence didn’t come from nerves, it came from the fact that I hadn’t prepared enough.

Preparation can come in many forms. For example, if you’re writing about a product you might read previous product descriptions on the website. You might look at the tone, the types of words they use, and the length of the copy. Is it feature- or benefit-led? Do they refer to the styling of the product, or the state-of-the-art technology it brings? What narrative do they write in?

The same goes for writing. Not many writers have the natural skill of being able to open their laptop and just write. To write great content, you need to own it, you need to understand it, and you need to write with confidence. So, before you start, take some time, even if it’s just 5 minutes, to do a little preparation.

Doing even 5 minutes preparation will not only improve your writing from the start, it might even save you time and money in the long run. As Stephen Keague said, "Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Poor Performance"

3. Audience consideration 

When speaking in public, you need to know who you’re presenting to, and it’s knowing this that helps you choose the words you use and the tone you take. Present to a crowd who already knows your subject and you will likely use lots of subject specific terms and jargon, so they know you’re the real deal. On the other hand, speak to a crowd of beginners and you’ll likely present your subject in a clear and simple manner so your audience will understand. The same is true for content.

When writing it’s important to consider your audience. While it’s difficult for someone to stand up and leave in the middle of a presentation, in this digital age it’s extremely simple, and common, for an internet user to glance at your content and leave, should they not like what they see.

For example, if you, yes you in the smart shirt, were to write an educational piece aimed at readers unfamiliar with your topic, then your writing needs to be exactly what they need to know. And vice versa, don’t aim your content at an experienced and knowledgeable readership then give them the barebones – you don’t want to patronise them.

So the next time you write, imagine yourself presenting your content to a crowd, what would you say? This should help you to formulate your content’s style, tone and word choice.

4. Visual Aids

When used properly, a visual aid can make a dull speech interesting. A well placed graph or a comical picture can go a long way to keeping your audience interested, as long as your audience can read them.

In writing, breaking up long-form content with pictures and visual aids is also a great way to keep your reader engaged. As we know, internet users are prone to skimming, and if your content consists primarily of text, they won’t skim for long.

Including even one or two interesting and relevant images can instantly improve the readability of a piece. By adding images, you’re breaking your long-form content down into smaller, more skim friendly chunks, which your reader will appreciate.

If your copy revolves around the picture, then even better. Many times, an eye-catching image can actually be the reason a user will click through to your page, as they may be interested in your image and the story behind it.

But always remember, Google can read, but it can’t see; so make sure you include some descriptive alt text!

5. Presentation

I’ve always been a stickler for presentation. Whether you’re talking to a crowded room or publishing an article on a blog, I believe that appearance is almost equally as important as the words that you have written.

It would be nice not to have to consider appearance, but that is the way it is. Let’s say you were going to present to a group of company executives about a topic you felt passionate about. Now let’s say you did it wearing a flowery suit, with flared trousers and no shoes. Would they take you seriously? Would they pay attention to your content? Or would they be too busy laughing at your attire?

The way you present yourself, and your information, needs to match the tone of your content. There are many factors to consider before publishing and these can range from carrying out a spell check to ensuring the headers are consistent in size and format. Consider your font, is it hard to read? Is it too big? Is it too small? Like a speaker who mumbles, your reader will stop paying attention and likely leave.

If a user were to come across your writing, and your website or your blog looked like it was designed 10 years ago, there’s a very good chance that they will instinctively assume your content is 10 years old, outdated, and not worth their precious time.

Just as with your presentation, users will respond better to a website that looks like it takes care of itself and understands its readers. So step away from the Comic Sans and think about what you’re doing.

—

So, before I finish and you can enjoy the breadsticks and cheese outside, let me leave you with this.

Like public speaking, the skill of writing takes time, effort, and dedication. It is not a skill that you can pick up in one day, it is one that takes practice. It takes writing as often as you can about anything you can. It takes countless rewrites and edits, just to get that one headline right. It takes putting yourself and your content out there in the public eye and taking what they have to give, whether it’s praise, constructive criticism, or just plain heckling.

So stick at it. If you can make one listener clap, the rest will follow. If you can make one reader share your writing, well, who knows…

Goodnight.

The post These 5 public speaking tips will improve your writing today appeared first on White Noise.

Seth's Blog : The smart CEO's guide to social justice

The smart CEO's guide to social justice

It seems as though profit-maximizing business people ought to be speaking up loudly and often for three changes in our culture, changes that while making life better also have a dramatically positive impact on their organizations.

Minimum Wage: Three things worth noting:

Most minimum wage jobs in the US can't easily be exported to lower wage places, because they're inherently local in nature.
The percentage of the final price of a good or service due to minimum wage inputs is pretty low.
Many businesses sell to consumers, and when they have more money, there's more demand for what they sell.

Given that for even the biggest organizations there are more potential customers than employees, the math of raising the minimum wage works in their favor. More confident and more stable markets mean more sales. Workers struggling to make ends meet are a tax on the economy.

(Consider the brilliant strategic move Henry Ford made in doubling the pay of thousands of his workers in 1914. The assembly line was so efficient that it created profits—but only when it was running, and high turnover made that difficult. By radically raising pay, Ford put pressure on all of his competitors (and on every industry that hired the sort of men he was hiring) at the same time that he created a gateway to the middle class, a middle class that could, of course, buy his cars, whether or not they happened to work for him). Also, consider this point of view...

Climate Change: The shift in our atmosphere causes countless taxes on organizations. Any business that struggled this winter due to storms understands that this a very real cost, a tax that goes nowhere useful and one that creates countless uncertainties. As sea levels rise, entire cities will be threatened, another tax that makes it less likely that people will be able to buy from you.

The climate upredictability tax is large, and it's going to get bigger, in erratic and unpredictable ways.

Decreasing carbon outputs and increasing energy efficiency are long-term investments in global wealth, wealth that translates into more revenue and more profit.

Anti-corruption movements: The only players who benefit from corruption in government are the actors willing to race to the bottom--the most corrupt organizations. Everyone else is forced to play along, but is unlikely to win. As a result, for most of us, efforts to create transparency and fairness in transactions are another step toward efficient and profitable engagements.

Historically, when cultures clean up their acts, get more efficient and take care of their people, businesses thrive. It's not an accident, one causes the other.

In all three cases, there's no political or left/right argument being made--instead, it's the basic economics of a stable business environment with a more secure, higher-income workforce where technological innovation leads to lower energy costs and higher efficiency.