There is definitely more than one way to build links. In fact, there are many more not listed here that are worth exploring. Every SEO plan should incorporate a variety of link building tactics to ensure a good link diversity profile. While some of these tactics don’t work as well as others, each can be an integral piece to your search engine optimization campaign and should be considered when constructing your link building plan.

While many will find some of these methods basic or nothing new (depending on your experience), I am sure there will be something actionable you can take away from this post. So, let’s get to it! (btw, this list is simply in alphabetical order and by no means indicates preference of use) Read more »

October 17, 2012 Chris Makara SEO 2 comments

When searching on Google you may have noticed more and more search results are showing a picture of the author. This is what is called a rich snippet. However, you may be wondering how to add your own image to appear next to your pages in Google’s search results? It can easy be accomplished in a few steps. Simply follow the 6 steps below as I show you how to setup Google authorship markup in WordPress.

Step 1 – Make Sure You Are Using WordPress

While it may be more of a reminder and not so much a step, it is important to note that what I will be explaining is how to setup Google authorship markup in WordPress. It is important to note that you will need to be using a template that shows your user “biographical information” on each blog post. If you are not using WordPress, this will not work for you. You will need to try something like this for non WordPress sites. Read more »

September 11, 2012 Chris Makara SEO 10 comments

Let’s face it, your brand is your baby. It is your lively hood. Your pride and joy. However, when someone searches for you on Google, what branded search results do they see? Chances are that your domain ranks first, but what else shows up? Other web properties you control? Perhaps some competitors are trying to move in and steal organic branded real estate from you? For your brand, there is no reason you can not “own” the first page organic results. Below, I will explain 10 easy ways you can dominate your branded search results.

1. Your Website

Chances are that 99% of you have this one covered, but I needed to bring it up for those who are in the 1%. There should be little issue getting your domain to rank for your brand provided it is a legitimate brand and not some generic keyword phrase. For example, if you search for the brand “Directv” you will see their branded site ranking first. Please note that this an actual brand and not something generic like “satellite tv” which could be anyone. If you can’t or are not ranking first for your brand with your URL, chances are that you may have incurred a penalty of some sort. Possibly you have been hit by a duplicate content penalty from the Google Panda update. Should you be penalized, it is very important you utilize the other tactics listed below to dominate your brand for search. Read more »

September 5, 2012 Chris Makara SEO 2 comments