Google SEO Starter Guide Updated

Update on October 3, 2010: We have fixed the issue causing the highlighted text to be obscured on Linux PDF readers.

About two years ago we published our first SEO Starter Guide, which we have since translated into 40 languages. Today, we’re very happy to share with you the new version of the guide with more content and examples.

Here’s what’s new:

• Glossary to define terms throughout the guide
• More example images to help you understand the content
• Ways to optimize your site for mobile devices
• Clearer wording for better readability

You may remember getting to see what Googlebot looks like in our “First date with Googlebot” post. In this version of the SEO Starter Guide, Googlebot is back to provide you with some more SEO tips.

You can download the new version here [PDF].

Social Media Marketing - The Myths

The original Internet changed the way we work and live, and the way we interact with one another. The coming of Web 2.0 promises to be just as revolutionary, and just as important to businesspeople around the world.

When the original Internet came along, businesses like eBay and Amazon.com were quick to see the power of the online world, and those early adopters went on to become some of the most successful net residents. The same is sure to happen with the world of social media, and companies are already lining up to take advantage of this unique marketplace.

Unfortunately, myths and misinformation about the social media landscape and its business potential abound. Falling for one of these common myths could hurt your business, even as you are tying to build an online presence in the Web 2.0 world.

Let's take a look at ten of the most common social media myths in the business world:

1. Social media is easy - your 10 year old cousin can start a website, but that does not mean building a social media presence is easy. Take the time to think out your social media strategy before you get started - your business is riding on it.

2. Social media is free - it is true that there is no charge to join most social media networks, but there are costs involved in establishing your business presence on those sites. How you look is important, so look for people who can help you establish a great presence from day one.

3. Social media provides instant results - we have all heard the stories of the overnight YouTube sensations, or the new blog or website that makes a big splash. But those stories are the exception, not the rule. It takes time for social media to start working, and it pays to be patient.

Webmaster Tools - Links to Your Site Updated

The "Links to your site" feature in Webmaster Tools is now updated to show you which domains link the most to your site, in addition to other improvements. On the overview page you'll notice that there are three main sections: the domains linking most to your site, the pages on your site with the most links, and a sampling of the anchor text external sites are using when they link to your site.


Who links the most
Clicking the “More >>” link under the “Who links the most” section will take you to a new view that shows a listing of all the domains that link to your site. Each domain in the list can be expanded to display a sample of pages from your site which are linked to by that domain.


The "More >>" link under each specific domain lists all the pages linked to by that domain. At the top of the page there is a

Google Makes Reputation Management Easier for Local Businesses

Google is now letting businesses respond to reviews posted on their Place Pages in Google Maps. This should be huge for reputation management, particularly as Google continues to place increased emphasis on these pages.

"Engaging with the people who have shared their thoughts about your business is a great way to get to know your customers and find out more," says John Maguire of the Google Place Page team. "Both positive and negative feedback can be good for your business and help it grow (even though it's sometimes hard to hear). By responding, you can build stronger relationships with existing and prospective customers."

Increase your Website Traffic - SEO Basics

Here is a simple list of SEO tips

and tactics to help get more traffic and links to your website with some very simple and easy to follow steps.

Many people think that having a good website is all you need to get tons of visitors. Wrong answer. Getting traffic to your site takes hard work and diligence and is not accomplished overnight.

Think about it this way - how are people supposed to know where to find your site if you don't tell them? You must advertise. Here are some proven ways to advertise your site without spending [much] money:

The order of these does NOT matter and will not affect how your site ranks or gets traffic if you decide to do these in a different order as to how I have listed them nor will missing any of these out affect your rankings or traffic. Remember though, the more work you put in the more traffic you will get as you submit to more sites by using these different SEO tactics for link and traffic building

.