Online PR

My 10 SEO Predictions for 2011

It’s that time of year where everyone speculates and lays down their predictions and I thought what better way to start the New Year than adding my views into the mix.

1. Google Local/Places will be massive this year with many SEO’s offering ‘optimisation’ for this niche field. This is due to the full integration of Google Local/Places (I still don’t know what the true name for this is) into the organic listings for almost any search that includes a place name.

2. The next thing I think will happen… and I’d hazard a guess at this becoming a reality around the end of April 2011, is the integration of Google Local style- non linking citations into the organic rankings algorithm. This will see sites like Yelp becoming more prevalent as emphasis is taken off links and anchor text and reputation taking a stand and being counted. After all Google is interested in showing high quality results, and what better ‘quality’ than sites that have independent citations.

Creative Link Building – a quick almost the weekend post

A quick few thoughts before the weekend.

Don’t spam your site to death by using automated tools such as Xrumer, Link Farm Evolution and Scrape Box, be creative instead, you’ll protect your back-link integrity and will achieve extra long lasting rankings (a bit like Willy Wonka’s ever lasting gob stopper).

Creative link building tips:

  • Blogger baiting – offer bloggers exclusive copy, promos, gifts etc for a link
  • Competitions – create a comp and promote it
  • How to guides – lap up those links!
  • Set up a niche directory – place it on a new or dropped domain and get related sites listed on it – ask for a link back
  • Use Online PR networks – tap up journalists and get links on authority sites
  • Create surveys and publish the results
  • Build on-site games and quizzes (such as 10 multiple choice questions)
  • Be controversial – start a debate or petition
  • Develop comprehensive FAQs pages
  • Use back-link badge banner schemes – such as a certificate, I’m a member of etc
  • Build a fantastic  glossary page
  • Publish technical guides
  • Release a white paper
  • Create useful online applications, tools and widgets
  • Write a favourable review or testimonial regarding a great web resource and tell them about it
  • Release data charts and research graphs

Comment below and share your link building ideas – Enjoy the weekend!

5 Useful Websites for your PR Toolbox

Before putting together PR campaigns and optimising your press release, it is useful to know who you are going to target and find out where the most influential people may be hiding. News will be picked up by the right people if it is relevant and current so creeping into the right hubs and schmoozing with journalists is always a wise move.