Counting to 10 the Google Way
Just when you thought you could count to 10, along came Google. I explore the new math of modern SERPs, and what it means for your SEO efforts.
Search Engines
Understanding how search engines work, Google in particular, is important when working in SEO. The basics of crawling and indexing are amazingly useful to understand if you want to rank your own content.
Additionally, Google updates its algorithm several times a year. Understanding the more significant updates, and how they work, can help you to craft content and SEO strategies that are up-to-date.
We've written extensively about how search engines work, and included some of the top resources here. You can also browse the latest posts on search engines from the Moz blog below.
How Search Engines Work : New to SEO? Start with the basics of how search engines operate with our free beginner's guide.
Search Engine Ranking and Visibility : Learn the fundamentals of how search engines rank content on search engine result pages.
Google Algorithm Update History : A complete history of Google algorithm updates since 2000. This includes important links and references for understanding how Google works.
How Search Engines Value Links : Search engines work off a number of signals, but two of the most important are content and links. In this video, Rand Fishkin explains the basics of link evaluation.
MozCast : Is Google updating it's algorithm as we speak? MozCast is the Google algorithm weather report, so you can see how much Google results are changing each day.
Most Recent Articles on Search Engines
Are Rich Snippets the New Generation of Spam?
Every SEO specialist knows that a good ranking is not enough to get clicks from the SERPs, mostly if you work in niches filled with videos, images, Google Shopping items or local listings. So every optimization that can grow your CTR of even one digit in percentage can be fundamental.
How Negative Emotion Could Hurt Your Rankings
Those of us who have been working in the SEO field for a while might take for granted that citations and links are like a “votes” or “endorsements." However, what if those citations and links are negative – and what if Google can tell the difference? While trolling for links might be fun for some, the harsh responses may end up hurting more than feelings.
Wake Up SEOs, the New Google is Here
I must admit that lately Google is the cause of my headaches. No, not just because it decided I was not going to be not provided with useful information about my sites. And neither because it is changing practically every tool I got used since my first days as an SEO (Google Analytics, Webmaster Tools, Gmail…). And, honestly, not only because it released a ravenous Panda. No, the real question that is causing my headaches is: What the hell does Google want to go with all these changes?
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How Search Volume Affects Brand Links
Distilled's Tom Critchlow recently gave a presentation on SEO Ranking Factors at Digital East. One of the key points he made is how brand links could potentially relate to search volume. ...
Social Network Spam and Author/Agent Rank
As search engines develop and ranking signals change, it can be helpful to look at patents and try to pull out and explain what factors may go into their algorithms. Not every social share will affect rankings, so how can we build our authority? In this post, we explore the ideas of Author Rank and Agent Rank and how search engines may view social signals. We also provide some actionable tools that you can use to create your identity online as social signals become more of a ranking factors.
Search Engine Speculation: Predicting Future Ranking Factors
In our industry we ask a lot of questions. How do I make better content? What can I do to build more links? Which seat can I take? But perhaps the most frequently asked question in the SEO community is regarding the nature of search engines and their algorithms. SEOMoz does an incredible...
SEO Marketing Is Dead, Is Dead! Long Live SSOM
Link bait title? Perhaps. Yet, after much thought, research and consideration of our day to day client processes, we've come to the realization of a simple fact: SEO marketing really is dead. It's been in the death throes for a while and optimizers have just been too busy to see it.
SEO Is Like Buying A Home
Let's face it, SEO is a little bit complicated to people who have never heard of it. At least once a week someone asks me what I do for a living and if they don't know what SEO is I have trouble answering that question in less than five minutes. I've worked at SEO agencies where you have to sell the service as a salesman but also explain the process as an account manager to a client...
The Responsibilities of SEO Have Been Upgraded
When I started in the SEO field (circa 2003), the job responsibilities weren't easy, but the list was relatively small: Over the next 5 years, those responsibilities increased, but it was primarily in tactical and knowledge sorts of ways. A 2008 rundown might look something like: The last 2.5 years, however, have made for some fairly substantive changes. We...
Social Annotations in Search: Now Your Social Network = Rankings
For years, the best way to gain rankings in search results was to have:Accessible pages featuring Quality content Targeting the right keywords In a way that naturally earned external links But this changes things:The ...
The Tweet Effect: How Twitter Affects Rankings
The advent of social media has brought a host of changes to the SEO industry, and online marketing as a whole. You would be hard-pressed to find a business with a decent online presence that does n...
More "Panda" Update Information Starting to Come Out
On Friday, Google posted an update on its Webmaster Central blog entitled "Providing More Guidance on Building High-Quality Sites". The piece expands on much of what Google has said about the Panda update since its original release on February 24th.
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Google Should Not Allow an Algorithm to Determine Content Quality
Google has in many ways the best of intentions and often does right by its users. I value their leadership in so many respects. But their recent algorithm change has gotten some folks (myself included, and I believe Google themselves) into some murky waters. While the precept of increasing quality should be a mandate for any self-respecting search engine, I believe the objective of picking wi...