SEO

How Google Identifies and Indexes Images

So what exactly does Google look at when indexing images? This will help to provide a quick review of what Google assesses before digging into how to optimize images.

• Google can index  BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, and SVG image files.
• To learn more about a particular image when Google’s algorithms index an image, Google looks at the written copy on the page where the image was found as well as the page’s title and body.
• Google also considers anchor text (the hypertext link) pointing to the image, the image’s filename, and its alt text (descriptive text about the image).

In addition, Google may use other methods and data points such as the caption from the Image Sitemap.

In previous posts we’ve talked about ways to speed up link building processes and techniques for selecting keywords to target. But, what about actually finding link building opportunities? How do you determine whether which sites may be worthy of contacting and which are not? I like to call this process of selection ‘list building’, and almost any link building project will involve creating a list of contacts/targets at some point. Experience is the best teacher for recognizing who is most likely (think personas) to want to link with you, but there are some basic processes you can follow to help improve your positive response rates. This guide is intended as a walk-through for beginner list builders, but offers advice that can be useful for link builders at any level of experience.  

You may have noticed a subtle change to Google’s search pages in recent months. In fall of
2012, Google shifted their ‘advanced’ search tools from the left sidebar to the top of the page as a drop down menu. Design wise this was a nice update, freeing up the search page to look a bit cleaner. However, there was another change in search tools that might have gone unnoticed, and its occurrence coincided with the search page redesign.

Recently a whole bunch of digital marketers freaked out when they got news that some of their favorite search engine rank tracking tools were losing their rank tracking capabilities.  Here at Confluence Digital, we had been using Raven Tools and SEOMoz for rank tracking, two tools that were going to lose those capabilities, so we found ourselves freaking out with everyone else and looking for a new program. 

Luckily for us we have a SEO-sensei of sorts Margery Spears, who took some time to try out a few other tools to see if there were any other viable choices currently available.  The following blog post is a summary of her discoveries:

Although link building is an important aspect of inbound marketing it can be both intriguing and tedious. Finding optimal targets for link building will often mean a lot of browser action. To find sites you’re targeting you will have to wade through the pink slime that is roughly half the Internet.

The less time you have to spend looking for targets the better, and with so much surfing going on a second saved here or there can really add up.  

With that in mind, here are a few shortcuts I use to hack away the seconds as I put Google through the paces and pile up the CAPTCHA prompts:  

In this SEO for WordPress Cheat Sheet:  

• SEO Basics & Definition
• Keywords Overview
• How to Optimize Page URLs in WordPress
• How to Optimize Page Titles in WordPress
• How to Optimize Meta Descriptions in WordPress
• How to Optimize Meta Keywords in WordPress
• The Final Preview

SEO Basics & Definition:

SEO (search engine optimization) is a set of best practices for getting your website and content found online.  Most people use the internet today to at the very least research products/services.  Data has shown that 75% of internet searchers don’t search past the first page of search results, and so optimizing your content, website, etc. is extremely important as it will help you show up on the first page (ultimately, hopefully the top spot on the first page) of search engine results pages (SERPs).

Recently, Forrester Wave™ (a marketing technology analysis organization) released a report on SEO platforms in 2012.  SEO platforms are relatively new tools that help to streamline the search optimization process.  These SEO tools “platforms” are capable of everything from tracking keywords to optimizing content across search engines and other channels.  

SEO technologies have evolved a great deal over the past couple of years – in 2009 SEO technologies were few and far between.  And as PPC inflation continues to grow and marketers continue to look for other inexpensive digital marketing solutions, the demand for SEO platforms that automate time-consuming and often complex optimization processes will continue to grow as well.   

Google’s algorithm is complicated and with seemingly constant Penguin or Panda updates it is tempting to want to “do something” in response.  But there’s no reason to be reactive. Those updates may get rolled out with fanfare and get lots of attention from the digital pundits, but the truth it, they tend to impact those who have been trying to game the system. Those who have been steadfast in their SEO efforts and stuck to all White Hat techniques and recommended best practices will come out ahead. That said – it’s never a bad idea to examine your keyword strategy to see if there are opportunities for improvement.  

As engagement in social media has continued to grow over the past few years, search engines have recently begun to incorporate a more social approach to SEO.  Digital marketers however, have been talking about the value of social signals and mentions from “influencers”, for years.  And so, if influencer outreach is so important, what does a successful influencer outreach campaign look like?

“Hey, I just saw you have tons of followers, and this is crazy… but here’s my website, so mention me maybe?”