The Truth About Search Engine Optimization
October 16, 2009 by admin
Filed under Advanced SEO Tips
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“Rebecca’s book is chapter-by-chapter gold for anyone who needs to understand how we find information on the Web.”
Kevin M. Ryan, Motivity Marketing, Inc., and Chairman of Search Engine Strategies Advisory Board
In this book, leading search optimization expert Rebecca Lieb brings together more than 50 absolutely crucial facts and insights decision-makers must know to drive more web traffic through better search engine placement. The Truth About Search Engine Optimization doesn’t deliver abstract theory: it delivers quick, bite-size, just-the-facts information and plain-English explanations that executives, decision-makers, and even small business owners can actually use, no matter what kind of sites you’re running, or what your goals are.
You will learn how to set realistic goals for search optimization… attract qualified traffic, not just any site visitors… incorporate search engine optimization into both new sites and redesigns… write for users… implement search-friendly content management… avoid problems with rich content technologies such as Flash and AJAX… create metatags that actually work… use public relations, blogging, and other techniques to drive traffic… budget and manage search optimization projects… and much more.
This book reveals 51 PROVEN SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES and bite-size, easy-to-use advice that gets results including
- The truth about page rankings
- The truth about best SEO practices and SEO no-no’s
- The truth about link love, keywords, and tags
Introduction vii
Foreword by Fredrick Marckini ix
Part I: The Basics of Search
Truth 1: Getting noticed by spiders, robots, and crawlers 1
Truth 2: Learn to do the Google dance 5
Truth 3: It’s not about traffic–it’s about qualified traffic 9
Truth 4: Your reputation is on the line 13
Part II: The Truth About Being Site-Specific
Truth 5: SEO is an ongoing project, not set-it-and-forget-it 17
Truth 6: SEO is not an afterthought 21
Truth 7: SEO results aren’t immediate or lasting 25
Truth 8: You don’t have a homepage anymore 29
Truth 9: Think like a publisher, even if you’re not 33
Truth 10: Site and page design count 37
Truth 11: Write for users and search engines will follow 41
Truth 12: Keywords are key 45
Truth 13: Use analytics and keyword research tools 49
Truth 14: Site stats share the bad news, too 53
Truth 15: Think twice about hot new technologies 57
Truth 16: Content management systems matter–a lot 67
Part III: Tag, You’re It!
Truth 17: What’s in a title? Everything… 65
Truth 18: The relative importance of meta tags 71
Truth 19: Tag images, audio, video, and other media 75
Part IV: The Truth About Links
Truth 20: Some links are more equal than others 79
Truth 21: Building links through online directories 83
Truth 22: Using SEO PR as a link strategy 87
Truth 23: The jury is out on paid links 91
Truth 24: Share and share alike: Reciprocal linking 95
Truth 25: Ads are links, too 99
Truth 26: Build your site in a good neighborhood 103
Truth 27: Blogs are a terrific link strategy 107
Truth 28: Putting the kibosh on link love with nofollow links 111
Part V: You Call That a Search Engine?
Truth 29: Search is going vertical 115
Truth 30: Everyone is local somewhere 119
Truth 31: Get listed to get vertical 125
Truth 32: Optimize off-site searches 129
Truth 33: Universal search and personalized search 133
Part VI: Get a Social Life
Truth 34: Blogs are built for SEO 137
Truth 35: RSS feeds feed SEO efforts 141
Truth 36: Users will create content for you 145
Truth 37: Tag images, video, links, and other media 149
Part VII: Search Ranking
Truth 38: Being #1 ain’t what it used to be 153
Truth 39: Don’t live and die by PageRank 157
Truth 40: Wag the long tail 161
Part VIII: The Truth About SEO Management
Truth 41: In-house or outsource? 165
Truth 42: Hiring a great search professional 169
Truth 43: Great SEOs sweat the small stuff 173
Part IX: Don’t Be Evil
Truth 44: Beware blackhat SEO 177
Truth 45: Search engines frown on keyword stuffing and spam 181
Truth 46: Don’t cultivate link farms 185
Truth 47: It’s very difficult to get unbanned 189
Truth 48: Moving to a new domain is stressful 193
Part X: Going Beyond
Truth 49: Global SEO 197
Truth 50: Mobile SEO is more important than ever 201
Truth 51: Sometimes you don’t want to be found 205
About the Author 208
Note: Appendix A is available for free and located online at www.informit.com/title/9780321534071.
more info
The truth is this is a great book
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Rebecca Lieb, a writer, author, editor, digital content and SEO consultant, has been a part of the rise in digital technology for over eight years. Rebecca was the vice president and editor-in-chief for the largest source of internet marketing and advertising news, opinion and commentary resources in the world at SearchEngineWatch.com. She breaks down what SEO is, how it works and how you can influence the organic results the search engines provides to the user.
The book consists of 51 different truths about search optimization process, common misconceptions, tricks to help your website receive more traffic and even how to improve your page rank. These 51 truths are subdivided into ten categories:
1. The Basics of Search
2. The Truth About Being Site-Specific
3. Tag, You’re It!
4. The Truths About Links
5. You Call That a Search Engine
6. Get a Social Life
7. Search Ranking
8. The Truth About SEO Management
9. Don’t Be Evil
10. Going Beyond
This is an easy read that can be used by anyone from small startup companies with a website trying to gain recognition, or the big multibillion dollar corporations, the same concepts and truths apply to any website on the internet. There are some common themes that show up consistently throughout the book and they are emphasized many times per section. Some of the same concepts that are repeated are helping the visibility of your website to the general public. You should put common keywords that the general public would use to find your site in the first 300 words to make your site appear higher in the organic search. Also, you want to attract spiders and robots to your site, and to do so have reliable and qualified links both inbound and outbound, as well as making constant revisions and updating your content on a regular basis.
“SEO is the foundation, the bedrock of online marketing”. With technology becoming increasingly important in the world today, businesses have taken their marketing to the next level by having online site to further promote their business. Online marketing has recently become a priority for many businesses large and small; in order to succeed online you must be visible to the public, so search engine optimization is now a staple in the online marketing departments of today. People searching for a business or service online will either find you or your competitor, so the more visible you are the higher your traffic will be.
Search engine optimization is an ongoing process that has no end. There are ways you can influence where you show up in large search engines like Google and Yahoo! but there are no guarantees that you will make it to number one on the organic search results. There are many tips and tricks that will positively influence your chances of getting found, but there are no guarantees when it comes to SEO, just diligent, and consistent hard work.
I am new to the scene of online marketing and thoroughly enjoyed this book. I learned the basics of how search engines find and distinguish sites from the millions of different sites out there, and how to get my site near the top of the search results. I would give this book a 9.5 out of ten, the only flaw to the book is that it could be more recent, because the book gives examples from the “new” Indiana Jones movies and George Bush as the current president. It says that SEO is constantly changing and evolving into something different, so when dated examples are in the book some of the tricks may be a little behind the times.
Same Info As Other Books… Lots of filler
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Just finished reading this, and I have to say I’m a little annoyed. I’ve been building websites and doing SEO work for several years now, so this isn’t the first book I’ve read. But you need to stay updated, and see what’s new…
Apparently nothing is new. If you’ve read one book on SEO, this book won’t help you. I don’t really know who this book is for…
If you’ve read an SEO book before:
You won’t find new information here. Just a rehash of everything you’ve already read and implemented on your own sites. Lots of filler. Pages start to drag on. It’s only 208 pages and could be edited down to 120.
If you’ve never read an SEO book before:
You’ll get a thorough overview of what SEO is, BUT you’re going to have to buy another book to show you how to do it. This talks about SEO. Tells you what might be a good idea. But it won’t show you how to do it. It’s not a how-to book as other reviews have mentioned.
So who’s this book for? Not for me that’s for sure.
good book
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Solid. Gives short pieces of info for someone looking for an overview on the topic. Well written.
Accurate, easy to read — perfect for any business with a web site
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Because I have been doing Internet Marketing for a Fortune 1000 company for over a decade, friends often ask for recommendations they can use for their businesses. They know they need to pay attention to search engines but don’t know what to do. It’s always been a difficult question because there are so many bad sources of information on search engine marketing. It’s a business that is full of charlatans and well-meaning but poorly informed “experts.” The same bad ideas are passed around so often that they start to sound valid.
I’ve always wished for a book that was practical, understandable, and most of all, true. For years, I thought I should write the book. Now, I don’t have to — because Rebecca Lieb has done it!
I recommend this book to business owners because it tells you what you really need to know. It doesn’t dig too deeply into the nuts and bolts. It tells you what the business owner, manager, and strategizer must know. It’s well written and a very easy read. I was amazed again and again at how she explained each concept in just a page or two. But the best thing about it is that it’s all true — she tells you what you need and what to avoid and talks about the myths so you will know if someone is feeding you questionable ideas.
This is the perfect book to read before you hire someone to do your search engine marketing. And if you want to do it yourself, there is enough here that you’ll know what to do next.
The Truth About Search Engine Optimization
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
There’s a common fallacy amongst business owners. They know that in today’s market they need an online presence. They also realize that they have to figure out a way to be found by potential customers. Most know that to do so they have to submit their site to online search engines like Google. The problem is that most people don’t realize that the process isn’t a one time event, it’s a continuous process.
The Truth about Search Engine Optimization explains the importance of search engine optimization. It also shows how to make your business more visible to potential customers. Then, the book goes into even more depth about how to keep your stats up and how to determine what is working and where your website needs to improve. Very valuable information that could make the difference between a good idea that never sees the light of day and a successful business.