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IN THIS ISSUE:
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==> Sponsor - Arelis
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==> Feature Article: Google Bombing
or Legitimate SEO?
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Google Bombing or Incremental
Search Engine Ranking?
by Mike Banks Valentine
© Sept. 1, 2004
Today I visited the WebProWorld forums and stumbled across a
topic "New Google
Bombing Technique" and was startled to see that the topic
had been viewed over 22,000 times! It is by far the most active
of the forums in the "Search Engine Insider Reports" section.
This article is simply my response to that discussion thread
and I hope it helps cool off the heat being generated there.
New Google Bombing Technique Discussion
The general gist of the conversation suggests that appending a
question mark ? or a pound sign # to the end of an embedded link
in a web site could lead to ranking a site at the top for any
search phrase. An example is given of top rank for a particular phrase, then immediately forum members post their
own URL's in the discussion replies, using the technique to link
back to their own sites with their own targeted search terms in
an attempt to gain advantage with the technique, many times with
odd or obscure terms.
This "new" so-called "#Google-Bombing"
technique is simply a routine SEO strategy that has been used
for years by pros. When we optimize a site for a client, we include
keywords wherever possible within the visible page text. The top
priority is ALWAYS page text and title tags. From there on, ALL
uses of additional techniques are only incremental in value and
don't dramatically affect ranking for targeted keyword phrases.
I demonstrate the ease of ranking for obscure terms on a page
where I discuss the foolishness of SEO guarantees by including
the phrase, "Screeching
Camels" one time on the page in visible text. There are no
keyword or description metatags on that page, yet it ranks number
one at Google when you search for "Screeching Camels".
That is not Google bombing. A one-time use of a keyword phrase
on a page got this number one ranking for that phrase simply because
it is an absurdly rare phrase. Use of irrelevant and misleading
keyword phrase stuffing in keyword metatags, in comment tags <!--
keyword stuffing --> and in ridiculous "invisible
text" (using text the same color as the background) got abusive
and so the search engines began to penalize those who did those
things. They will always attempt to ban the obsessive cheaters
and keyword stuffing liars.
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The ? and # technique has always been used legitimately for
?tracking-referrers, calling ?search-terms and #jump-links to
take you to a named anchor within a page. Now obsessive webmasters
are attempting to use the technique to increase their own search
engine rankings.
Sometimes when I link OUT to a site, I append ?WebSite101 to
the tail end of the URL simply to let them know where the visitor
came from (referrer) when they view their logs or use a traffic
analysis or tracking service.
The ? technique for tracking traffic is even recommended by
Pay-Per-Click engines which give instructions to advertisers using
the technique to track clickthroughs from PPC ads.
Appending "?overture-keyword" to the end of PPC destination
URL's makes that visior who clicked your ads show up in your log
files and allows you to know the phrase that delivered that visitor
and that the visitor originated from Overture. SEO's have always
used # and ? to advantage in an incremental fashion to optimize
client sites. The jump links to named anchors is routinely used
by SEO's by placing keywords in the #named-anchor links.
This works particularly well on long FAQ pages and on glossary
of terms pages. Instead of doing what most do and using
<a href="#FAQ1">Keyword Phrase</a>
instead we use
<a name="keyword-phrase">Keyword-Phrase</a>.
Of course you'll need to use it again in the anchor tag at the
appropriate spot further down the page with
<a name="keyword-phrase"> </a>
Again, just an incremental tidbit to increase the use of the
keyword phrase by a slight margin THROUGHOUT the site in that
same incremental fashion, without being excessive.
The same is done with image filenames <img
src="keyword.gif">
second level directory names /keyword-phrase/keyword.html,
page filenames, and adding links in visble page text keyword phrases
<a href="keyword-phrase.html"> Keyword Phrase</a>
rather than the worthless
<a href="wordfrag4.htm"> Click Here</a>
Every once in a while someone re-discovers these incrementally
valuable techniques and attempts to abuse them a la "Google
Bombing" (as discussed in the WebProWorld forum) and they
get abused obscenely by overly agressive folks that risk being
banned in order to gain short term advantage for their own sites.
This leads the search engines to downgrade or penalize those
who abuse the techniques. SEO is not made up of a single technique
used to compulsive levels. Wholistic SEO is using many techniques
moderately for incremental gains. When you get obsessive about
any one technique it leads to trouble.
Stay out of trouble - please!
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Mike Banks Valentine is SEO for Mesothelioma
Attorney Referral Service
Contact Mike at: http://seoptimism.com/SEO_Contact.htm
Improve your site http://website101.com/Free-Tutorials/index.html
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Copyright © 2004 Mike Valentine
This article may be reproduced if used in it's entirety and the
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and copyright notice included in all uses. Not to be Sold. See
complete usage information at http://website101.com/arch/
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