| Search Engines have evolved into a new consumer, | | | | only lists relevant websites, but images of the |
| communications and marketing channel. Google, | | | | children's television show characters as well as other |
| Yahoo and MSN serve 213 million searches a day. | | | | interesting narrower searches and other related |
| In fact, 9 out of 10 internet surfers use a Search | | | | children's TV shows. |
| Engine to start their internet journey. Therefore, if | | | | Google calls it Universal Search. In the not too distant |
| your website doesn't have visibility in the engines, | | | | future when you search for Madonna you will be |
| you are missing significant volumes of traffic. | | | | served listings of Madonna sites, Madonna photos, |
| What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? | | | | links to buy Madonna tracks, latest news articles |
| Search engine optimization, or SEO as it's commonly | | | | about Madonna, you tube videos of Madonna - all |
| known as, is an online marketing strategy that | | | | served on the same Google SERP. This is why link |
| involves designing, writing and coding your entire | | | | building has become more interesting over the last 18 |
| website with the intention of enabling search engines | | | | months. |
| to index your site easily and efficiently. The sole aim | | | | Google is up weighting the value of new forms of |
| and objective is for it to rank higher for keywords | | | | links as they index not only websites but all the |
| relevant to your business. Optimizing a website and | | | | available content, videos, music, images, news etc. |
| building link equity, are critical to gaining visibility on | | | | that they will need to populate their new Universal |
| the organic or natural (left hand side) of a search | | | | Search SERPs. |
| engine results page (SERP). | | | | Submitting rich videos with the correct file |
| Two Parts to SEO: On Page Optimization and Off | | | | description, to video directories can have a great |
| Page Optimization | | | | effect on your link building results. You can also place |
| SEO, is done in two stages, known primarily as on | | | | images, which are named in relation to your meta and |
| page and off page. On page involves the website | | | | with links back to your site, on photo sharing sites. |
| itself and fundamentally evolves around the design, | | | | Fresh news also has a high value as Google prepares |
| build and copy laid out within the actual site. Off page | | | | for Universal Search. And of course up to date blogs, |
| relates to building link equity for your site through | | | | forums and web 2.0 sites are high on Google's list of |
| what is referred to as, Link Building. The latter is | | | | content providers for their new SERPs - therefore |
| basically about gaining 3rd party exposure of your | | | | active links from these sites are very valuable in the |
| website. Both activities are necessary to improve a | | | | newly invigorated world of link building. |
| site's position in the engines' Natural Listings, for | | | | For examples of Active and Passive link building |
| relevant searches. | | | | please see the case study below of a successful |
| Two Types of Link Building: Passive and Active | | | | ongoing campaign developed and managed by Tug's |
| Passive Linking | | | | team of SEO professionals. |
| Traditional link building to create 3rd party exposure | | | | Search Engine Optimization Case Study: Problem:o |
| and to build link equity has concentrated on passive | | | | Celebrity blog, Mr was launched in November 2007 |
| linking. We define passive linking as the creation of | | | | into the competitive online gossip arena.o Backed by |
| links that will passively stay linked to your site, | | | | Darryn Lyon's celebrity photo agency Big Pictures, Mr |
| waiting for a spider to index them. This includes paid | | | | had the largest photo database in the UK, but no |
| link directories and reciprocal linking. With a new | | | | traffico The website had no visibility on any page of |
| website one should still always starts by laying a | | | | the major search engineso Mr needed a cost |
| foundation of links within general and vertical specific | | | | effective way to drive high volumes of awareness |
| directories. The next step would be to develop a | | | | traffic to ultimately monetize the new property |
| base of article submissions, using white papers or PR | | | | Solution:o From launch, Tug developed a PPC |
| stories. However the next step in your link building | | | | campaign focusing on driving cheap traffic from the |
| strategy has become much more interesting as there | | | | Google content network.o In addition, the site was |
| are so many valuable new ways to link build such as | | | | optimized for the keywords: Celebrity News, |
| active link building. | | | | Celebrity Gossip, Celebrity Videos and Celebrity |
| Active Linking | | | | Photos - the most searched for keywords in the |
| Active link building is creating links that could spawn | | | | verticalo Tug worked with the development team to |
| the creation of new links through active human | | | | optimize the content and coding of the site, as well |
| interaction. Leaving comments on a relevant industry | | | | as improve the content management system, to |
| blog with a link back to a pertinent white paper on | | | | manage the optimization of daily posts.o In January, |
| your site would be an innovative way to drive engine | | | | Tug started link building. The first 2 months were |
| spiders as well as humans (consumers or expert | | | | spent laying a foundation of links in general and |
| influencers) to your website. Many forums allow links | | | | celebrity directories.o In the following months Tug |
| back to your site within conversations. Keeping the | | | | backed this up with pr and celebrity article |
| conversation going on several forums and blogs with | | | | submissions, posts of fresh news on news feeds, |
| a good Page Rank is a great way to practice active | | | | links with other celebrity blogs and discussions on |
| link building. An industry has also sprung up around the | | | | relevant forums. Exclusive videos were also posted |
| creation of Facebook and MySpace profiles. If kept | | | | on video directories, baiting people to come to the |
| up to date with relevant, rich content and value add | | | | site for more.o Due to active linking these links were |
| links back to your site, this is another strong form of | | | | spread by interested parties and resulted in increased |
| active linking. | | | | exposure and even more good quality links. |
| Passive Link Buildingo Free / paid directory | | | | Results:o After 5 months Mr had a top 5 position on |
| submissiono Article and news submissiono Press | | | | Page 1 of Google, Yahoo and MSN for all targeted |
| release distributiono Reciprocal linkingo Video & | | | | keywordso Over 60% of the site's traffic comes |
| Image submissions | | | | from Tug's Search activityo Month on month direct |
| Active Link Buildingo Forum Threadso Blog | | | | traffic is growing steadily showing that users who |
| Commentso Corporate Bloggingo Social Network | | | | found the site through search are now coming of |
| Profileso Link Baiting | | | | their own accordo By using only PPC and SEO to |
| Link Building is getting more Creative due to the | | | | build traffic, in less than 9 months, Mr Paparazzi now |
| coming of Universal Search | | | | boasts over 6 million page impressions a month! It is |
| Google has been experimenting with the look of its | | | | now viable to sell advertising and monetize the site. |
| results page as well as the types of results it | | | | This white paper has been prepared by Tug. Tug, is |
| provides for a specific search. The next version of | | | | a Search Engine Marketing specialist agency, based in |
| Google will look a bit like the latest version of Go | | | | Shoreditch, London. |
| check it out. When you type in 'Fraggle Rock' it not | | | | |
