More AdWords tweaks from Google

It looks like Google is changing the way they measure ad quality again. TechCrunch reports that Google will be factoring in ad position when measuring quality score, effectively removing whatever boost is provided by higher ad positions.

Google will also be making it easier for ads to appear above the search results – because a certain level of quality is required for an ad to appear on the top, the higher quality rankings from the first change result in more ads that meet the quality guidelines to appear above the search results. Result? More money for Google, of course, because more ads appear on top, which should result in more clicks.

Full story here. Google's complete explanation of ad ranking can be found here. Here is Google's AdWords blog post on the change.

Simple file sharing and syncing

If you've been looking for a simple way to synchronize files between multiple computers, share files publicly with family and friends, or just keep a quick, drag-and-drop backup of your most valuable files, you might want to check out Dropbox, which recently launched out of beta.

Dropbox is about as simple and elegant as it gets; I've been using the beta for a few months and it's a breeze to move stuff around. It's nice to see something as complex as file synchronization handled so straightforwardly. Check it out here.

Using your Competitors' Keywords and Trademarks

We've discussed the use of negative keywords and competing keywords in your content as potential strategies to attract customers looking for alternatives to something – for instance, using "chemotherapy" and related keywords for a site that is actually promoting alternatives to traditional cancer treatment like chemotherapy. With non-trademark keywords, this is a sound strategy.

With trademarks, you have to be a little bit more careful. A recent ruling points out that using competitors' trademarks specifically for search engine optimization can run afoul of trademark law. The ruling seems to rest on the standard that the use of the words can create confusion for consumers but, since I'm not a lawyer, I'll send you right over to this excellent blog post that discusses it in detail.

Keyword Tool

For those of you who don't want to spring for tools like Wordtracker, Google offers similar functionality with its Keyword Tool. Google's Keyword Tool provides keyword assistance by allowing you to enter seed keywords or phrases and then showing you potential traffic of your keywords and suggesting related ones.

The tool is built primarily to assist pay-per-click customers in developing keyword lists but, if you are having trouble generating basic keywords for your product or service, it can be an excellent way to generate alternatives and evaluate their potential search traffic. Check it out here.

10 Resources for SEO

Clickz provides a good list of SEO resources for folks just starting out with their search engine optimization efforts. Some of this is covered in the SEO session, but there are a few new ones here worht checking out. Have a look.

Search Engine Optimization basics

I'm adapting a series of Identity Marketing magazine columns for blog posts over at the eBlox e-commerce blog. These articles focus on the basic search engine optimization for folks that are just beginning to try and optimize their content. The first article is available today, and subsequent posts should be out roughly every week or so. Check it out.

Another cool free web site creation tool

SynthaSite looks like a pretty well-designed, easy to use web site creation tool. The service is free and does not display ads on your site. Sites are simple to create with a drag and drop interface. I haven't checked it out in detail, but if you're interested in free web site creation tools, this might be a good one to add to your short list. Check it out here.

Flash may now be indexed by Google and Yahoo

Adobe announced today that they are providing a method for the major search engines to index Flash content. I have always recommended against extensive (or total) use of Flash for your site if you wish to be properly indexed and garner good search rankings. It looks like at least part of that problem is solved. I still recommend against using Flash for information-rich sites like e-commerce (it's just too expensive to duplicate all that content for non-Flash users like mobile users) but for those of you with mainly brochure-style content on your site, this new method of crawling Flash sites might benefit you. Read a full writeup at TechCrunch here.

Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design

For those of you undertaking web design on your own or hiring someone to build your dream site for you, a classic set of tips from usability expert Jakob Nielsen on what not to do. Check out the article here.

StartSmart tonight

StartSmart class tonight at BigAustin, from 6:30 - 9:30pm. See you there!

Web Developer's SEO Cheat Sheet

Great resource here for the technically inclined, especially if you want to know how many characters to put in a title tag or how many bytes a web page should be. Good stuff even for those of you just worried about creating proper meta tags. Check it out here.

For those of you looking for more specific information on e-commerce and general articles on web technology, my company eBlox is now publishing a blog over at blog.eblox.com. Many of the web technology articles I write for Identity Marketing Magazine will be published there, as well as various strategies for e-commerce, search engine optimization and web marketing. If any of that interests you, head on over and check it out!

Optimizing Flash-based sites for search

Ralph and Heather asked how to optimize their Flash-heavy website for search engines. A good collection of articles on Flash SEO is available here. Check it out if you've been struggling with Flash web site optimization. At our company we tend to avoid Flash for e-commerce sites, but those of you more focused on branding and imagery may need the animation and interactivity of Flash for your web presence.

Web Site Grader

Hubspot has published a free tool to help you analyze your web site's search engine performance: websitegrader.com. Just put in your URL (and, optionally, your competitors' web sites and keywords) and it will generate a report for free. It's full of really helpful information and clear explanations of what the various terms and statistics mean. If you're confused about how Google ranks your site, this is one of the best resources out there. Check it out!

Search Engine Ranking Factors

A comprehensive (and somewhat technical) overview of all the factors that influence search engine rankings. Very detailed, and also acknowledges the disagreement over the significance of many factors. Good reading if you want to understand the details of search engine optimization. Check it out.

Creating Privacy Policies

The DMA has a great tool for quickly creating a customized privacy policy online. Check it out if you need to post a privacy policy on your site (every site that collects any kind of information at all about visitors should have a privacy policy).

As we've discussed in many of the classes, a lot of firms and content providers try to game the search engines by creating huge webs of links back to sites via blogs, comments and so on. As we've also discussed numerous times, Google is wise to these tactics and frequently finds ways to get around them to correctly rank quality content.

It appears Google has just revised its page ranking algorithm to reduce the rank of many of the sites that use this tactic. Full details on Techcrunch.

The most expensive clicks

CyberWyre maintains a list of the highest-paying keyword combinations; as mentioned in class, the most expensive clicks tend to be from plaintiff's attorneys and are generally asbestos-related.

Start Smart Facilitation October 22, 2007

Next up: A 2.5 hour Web/E-Commerce class as part of the Start Smart program, from 6:30 to 9pm on Monday, October 22. Class materials will be refined a bit more based on feedback, so check the Documents and PowerPoints sections around class time.

New handouts and powerpoints posted; networking info

The September classes were well-attended and successful. Thanks everyone! I've posted new Powerpoints (in PDF format so everyone can view them) and a new handout on Networking over in the Class Documents section to the right.

For those of you interested in networking online, some site recommendations:

LinkedIn
Facebook
Plaxo

You can find me on all these services. Next up, another StartSmart class on 10/22/07. See you there!