________________________________________________________ Google's Latest "Dance", Looks More Like "Slam Dancing!" By Merle MCPromotionsPress.com ________________________________________________________ Note: If this shows in your browser, simply click "File" in your browser and select "Save As" and make sure that file type is text (.txt) Links in this article do not show as active because this is a text file. Why text (.txt) format? Text files are much easier to download, don't require much disk space, and easier to print. ======================================================== THE CENTER FOR INTERNET MARKETING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION http://bizinfo.manila.ph ======================================================== Hi, This is Ave Ramel, the Coach of the Center for Internet Marketing Research and Education, exponent of internet marketing since 1999. This article was evaluated by your Coach and made available for The Center's archive for new subscribers. After mastering this article, proceed to our Internet Marketing Knowledge Base at http://bizinfo.manila.ph/knowledge-base As a favor, please forward this article to all your friends you want to help and who would like to earn income from the Net. Cheers, Ave Ramel, Coach P.S. Start your home business online with this global opportunity - the world's first instant powdered green iced tea P.P.S. You can do your business in 32 countries using the internet. Proceed now to http://freeonlineschool.manila.ph/resensa ================ YOUR NEXT STEPS: ================ Internet Marketing Services: 1. Get Coached - personalized coaching, at your most convenient time and place Proceed now to http://bizinfo.manila.ph/coaching 2. Hire A Retainer-Consultant for your corporation or marketing campaigns Proceed now to http://bizinfo.manila.ph/consultancy 3. Add one profit center to your company minus the overhead costs - your own internet marketing arm. Proceed now to http://bizinfo.manila.ph/outsourcing Available on the Web: 1. Internet Marketing Knowledge Base - the archive contains selected and annotated articles, lessons, and ebooks, including secrets, tips and tricks, categorized into the following general subjects: - Advertising - Affiliate Programs - Beginner and Web Design - Customer Relations Management - E-mail Marketing - Sales Conversion - Search Engine Marketing - Search Engine Optimization - Strategy and Tactics - Web Promotions This includes The Net Marketing Review (newsletter) containing researches, latest updates, and strategies that are analyzed and tested by The Center. Proceed now and download free stuffs like this article at http://bizinfo.manila.ph/knowledge-base 2. Do-It-Yourself for ... Beginners or Newbies Intermediate Students Advanced Students Professionals Proceed now to http://bizinfo.manila.ph/school 3. Proceed to your Coach's Weblog located at http://aredconsult.blogspot.com and discover secrets, tips, and tricks ________________________________________________________ Google's Latest "Dance", Looks More Like "Slam Dancing!" By Merle MCPromotionsPress.com ________________________________________________________ Google's recent November changes to its algorithm, now known as the "Florida Update", have left many site owners in a quandary. Many who were enjoying top placements, have lost their spots, and apparently, for no real reason. Now keep in mind, that periodic algorithmic changes are a normal and vital maintenance feature of "ALL" major search engines, but the effect of this particular "Dance," as these adjustments have come to be called, has been truly enormous, and carried with it consequences, still yet unmeasured or understood. It's hard to tell what kind of "dance" Google was doing, as, to many, it appears to be more of a form of "slam dancing". Algorithms are what are used to rank web pages, and periodic changes are to be expected, but this one is being hailed as the most substantial change at Google in years. Google is definitely trying to clean the spam from its database, but many innocent people, who claim not to be using illegal search engine optimization techniques, were hurt in the process. Certainly Google's main goal is to provide relevant results to its users. If they didn't, no one would want to use them for searching. There was no advance warning of the change, but that's pretty normal. No real surprise there. What is a surprise, however, is that many site owners who felt they were doing nothing wrong, were penalized in the process. Manipulative behavior is definitely being punished. Google is certainly enforcing their guidelines and has grown tired of those website owners using "spammy optimization" techniques and having little or no real content. Google claims the change is all part of their continued efforts to improve their search engine results, but many others have their own "conspiracy theories" about what lies behind the big change. Keep in mind that this is all purely speculation: 1) Some say Google is trying to force small business owners to join their "AdWords" Program. Since most of the sites that were hardest hit by the flux, happen to be highly competitive, commercial ventures by nature, there are whispers in the shadows, that perhaps an unpredictable index rating might convince the "freebie" seeker to join "Adwords," in order to obtain an ascertainably better placement. 2) The other theory is that Google is trying to increase their "perceived value" in the eyes of the business world, as a whole, before issuing their IPO. This would make them a far more attractive commodity to potential investors with big bucks. Certain genres of websites were definitely hit harder than others. That is a fact, which is not even being debated. Anyone can quite easily verify that with a minimal effort of research. The biggest classifications to suffer from the slam, seems to be: 1) Real Estate Agent Sites 2) Search Engine Optimization Sites 3) Travel and Tourism Sites It would appear that a lot of the sites, now ranking highest with Google, are more editorial, instead of commercial. Is this purely coincidence? So why is everyone so shaken up by this change? Well, with over 3 billion pages in their index and with Google powering so many other of the major search engines, they control a lot of the search engine pie. Lose ranking with them, and you lose a lot. As a site owner with a good marketing plan, you should be using many other promotional / marketing methods, and not putting all your "eggs in the Google basket" so to speak. Those who were using Google for their main source of traffic are definitely hurting right now. Let this serve as a lesson to diversify your marketing efforts. So what's an "honest" site owner to do? Stay away from irrelevant linking and link farms, and build a quality site with good solid content. Use keywords in the first 250 words of text on the page, but don't go overboard. If, when read "out loud," it sounds funny, it's overkill. Google outlines their guidelines for building a "search engine crawler friendly" site over at: http://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html If you haven't read this in awhile, or maybe you never have, you just might want to take an attentive look at it now, in hopes of safely improving your ranking, by conforming to their guidelines. Google is also now integrating its "Froogle Listings" on its pages, so if you sell a tangible product, then you may very well want to use Froogle as an opportunity to get better placement. Froogle is an extension of Google's search engine, which many people use for product research, before making a purchase. If there's a Froogle match on an attempted search, the results will show up on the results page. For more on Froogle go to: http://froogle.google.com/froogle/merchants.html Remember, search engines should only be one small part of your marketing mix. By relying too heavily on any "single" search engine for your traffic, you'll likely find yourself in the position of being irretrievably out of balance and completely at their mercy, whenever such an algorithmic quake is inserted into the index. So be sure to always use a wide variety of marketing/ promotional tactics, thereby, ensuring that the next time Google goes "Slam Dancing," you don't get an unintentional elbow in the eye or your feet stepped on. ================ About The Author ================ Merle operates EzineAdAuction.com "Where some of the BEST Deals in Ezine Advertising are Made". Buy & Sell Ezine Ads in a live auction setting! Publishers sell off your excess inventory and Buyers pick up some Fantastic bargains. Go now. FR'EE e-book on how to Write Winning Ezine Ads ============================== Let Me Help You Get Customers: ============================== AREDCONSULT SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS I. EXECUTIVE COACHING - for busy entrepreneurs, decision-makers and marketing executives who can't spare much time away from their office operations but must immediately grasp and harness internet marketing to contribute to the company's profitability. I will come to you instead. I offer you customized lessons, varied delivery, and at your own time, place and pacing. II. WEBSITE CRITIQUE - for those who already have a website but the results didn't satisfy your expectations, especially your bottomline - profit. I offer you immediate and in-depth assessment. III. RETAINER CONSULTANCY - for those who prefer to consult an internet marketing expert anytime, similar to a retainer legal counsel, especially for those who are launching regular internet marketing campaigns. IV. INITIAL EXPERT ASSESSMENT & STRATEGY FORMULATION - for those with no website yet but seriously planning to publish one on the Web, it is better to hear from an expert first before plunging to unfamiliar field. This might save you huge sums of money. Also, from the axiom "always start with a strategy in mind" - this shall cover your strategy and tactics. V. PROJECT CONSULTANCY - includes website design, installation of website functions, and search engine optimization (SEO); database design, programming, and development; installation of ecommerce functions. VI. STAFF TRAINING - for those who intend to maintain an internet marketing team or have already an existing one, I will analyze and improve your process, update your staff's skills, and provide them with continuous online training. VII. INTERNET MARKETING PROMOTIONS - for those who want to outsource or contract out the whole internet marketing promotion processes. We will become one of your profit centers with a very cost-efficient operation. Business processes that can be outsourced include submission of your website to search engines, email campaigns, mailing list management, product upsell and cross-sell, website content build-up, weblog content, link exchange with other websites, customer relations management, etc. http://bizinfo.manila.ph/coaching http://bizinfo.manila.ph/consultancy http://bizinfo.manila.ph/outsourcing http://bizinfo.manila.ph/training ======== CONTACT: ======== Ask Aredconsult online for any internet marketing questions: http://www.aredconsult.com/ask-aredconsult.htm E-mail: mastermind@ask-the-expert.com Production Office: Tel. # 757-5106 Corporate Address: Rm. 404 Parchouse II EDSA, Guadalupe Nuevo, beside Sogo Hotel 1200 Makati City, The Philippines ***Trust in the Lord with all your heart***