When it comes to SEO, too much knowledge is never enough. There would always be areas of expertise which are yet to be mastered by you. Let alone master, there are facts and interesting details about SEO which you might not be even aware about. One such detail is the use of subdomains and the kind of impact they can have on the search engine rankings of the website.

Subdomain can prove to be a very powerful tool especially if the webmaster intends to host a web blog or a sub-site which pertains to a completely different theme than the main website. For example, if the main site deals with gaming, the sub-site can deal with education and career opportunities with the help of a subdomain. With the announcement of change in treatment of subdomains by popular search engines, more webmasters have started experimenting with subdomains.

The main advantage of subdomain is that it allows an individual to host a sub-site within a site, thus eliminating the need to purchase another web domain. A lot of people argue that the impact of subdomains on the website is bound to change with the recent announcement by search engines. While some argue that the impact of subdomains has reduced considerably on the websites, others argue that the search engines can still recognize which of the following websites with subdomains are separate entities while which of them are an integral part of the main site.

Subdomains have been around the scene for quite some time now. There have been instances of a single website hosting several subdomains. The main reason for creating these subdomains was to achieve higher search engine rankings. The trick was to create a subdomain based on a single keyword. Thus, if a website shortlisted three keywords, three separate subdomains could be created out of the main website based on a keyword each.

SEO treats subdomain as a separate website, albeit connected with the main website technically. Thus, even if SEO displays the subdomain as a separate search result, it will be preceded by the main website in terms of search engine results.

One of the main reasons why webmasters still resort to the use of subdomains is precisely because of the fact that it allows an individual to dominate the search engine results. If a user is looking for a particular product that a company deals in, the search engine rankings will be dominated by the particular company and its subdomains (listed as separate search results), thus influencing the potential customer to click on the company’s website and therefore, increasing the business for the particular company.

It is common knowledge now that people make use of redirects when they want the visitors to direct from one page to the other. Most of the times website owners employ this technique when they shift the content from one page to another and want to redirect the visitors to the new page.

One of the easiest ways to make your site profitable while redirecting it, is by adding code to .htaccess code. Redirection in .htaccess can be enabled by making use of the Apache module, mod_rewrite. The advantage of making use of this module is that it allows the users to rewrite the code internally. If it changes, it is referred to as an external rewrite.

After this, the FollowSymLinks option also needs to be incorporated in the apache server. In absence of this, the user might be presented with the 500 Internal Server Error or 404 Error which is basically an error flashed when the host cannot find the designated page. It is mandatory for an individual to incorporate this option in case they want to avoid the error page flashing instead of their websites on the visitor’s screen.

Now, let’s come to the most important part of the website i.e. how to redirect the website with the help of .htaccess. One needs to follow simple programming steps in HTML in order to avoid flashing of any unnecessary errors

.htaccess is easy to write upon, provided you have access to the apache server where is usually located.

1. When an individual wants to deny all files, they should give the command:

Code:

deny from all

2. If the access has to be allowed only from certain IP addresses, it should be addressed as:

Code:

order allow deny
deny from all
allow from 

After all the formalities have been done, one needs to remember that .htaccess is a very powerful file, one which can still flash an error page even if there is a single space left while writing the new code. Thus, it is suggested to seek guidance from an experienced software engineer in order to write the code.

Here are a few guidelines to .htaccess file:

a. Any .htaccess rewrite should ideally begin with:

Code:

Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine On 
RewriteBase /

b. Further examples of .htaccess include:

Code:

SSLOptions +StrictRequire 
SSLRequireSSL SSLRequire %{HTTP_HOST} eq "google.com"
ErrorDocument 403 https://google.com

If one had to take a wild guess at the biggest advancement to take place in the world of SEO post Sitemap, it has to be the introduction of the Canonical URL’s. With some of the biggest search engine giants, such as, Google, Yahoo and Live announcing their support to the canonical URL, this is slowly becoming one of the most sought after tag.

Canonical URL helps the webmasters to eliminate the need to duplicate the entire content in the index as it is already supported and listed by the search engine. It is important to understand how canonical URL operates. This tag is included in the header part of the HTML. In many ways, it is quite identical to the nofollow tag. Just as nofollow, it makes use of a new rel parameter.

HTML Code:

<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.jv-extensions.com/blogs" />

The above command would tell the search engines that the concerned page should be treated as a copy of the link given in the command, thus eliminating the need to copy the entire content in the new page.

This tag can be used in a variety of applications, such as

• When search engines are confused amid the ranking of various versions
• When the search engines aren’t guided properly whether to direct the entire content in one search result or separate the link metrics in several pages.
• When search engines are not aware which versions of a website to include/exclude.

There is a very important tag in the world of SEO which has helps webmasters to improve their rankings drastically. This tag is known as rel=nofollow. It prevents the webpage from being associated with the unnecessary links and logins, thus making it completely spam free and helping it to escalate its rankings.

This is the most hassle free to send a message loud and clear. The message is that the website is not up for being associated or interested in unnecessary advertisements/links/plug-ins or any other kind of logins.

A lot of people were wondering how the search engines adjust to this tag would. The answer is simple. The search engines simply drop the target links from their web graphs, however the search engine rankings of the particular website are not affected at all.

There are basically two types usages of rel=nofollow tags.

Type #1:
The tag appears along with the Meta tag and can be easily incorporated with the meta tag in the HTML code. An example of rel=nofollow in meta tag is:

Type #2:
Another way to use this tag is on a link level. This way, the tag can be included in a href tag, as in:

HTML Code:

<a href="signin.php" rel="nofollow">sign in</a>

This simply tells the search engine, not to follow the link to destination, thus preserving the link juice of your website. Usually this tag is added to all links in blog comments and forms.

By adding rel="nofollow" to a hyperlink, a page indicates that the destination of that hyperlink SHOULD NOT be afforded any additional weight or ranking by user agents which perform link analysis upon web pages (e.g. search engines). Typical use cases include links created by 3rd party commentators on blogs, or links the author wishes to point to, but avoid endorsing

Redirecting a website could be the most important link for an individual who is having troubles with two separate pages with same names. Most of the website owners fear that such a situation could lead to their site being marked as spam by the SEO. Redirecting a website basically allows an individual to prevent their website from being directed to the infamous 404 Error Page.

URL redirects and SEO are deeply interconnected. For people who don’t know, if a website deals in several products and has dedicated separate pages for each of the products, it makes perfect sense to engage URL redirects and SEO. URL redirects should ideally be employed in situations when the webmaster has shifted the content from one page to another but does not want the viewers to be greeted with an error message. In such a situation, the viewer can be redirected to the new webpage, without him having to type any new URL.

In case the URL are not implemented correctly, it is possible that the error message, such as 301 and 302 are flashed on the viewer’s screen. These arise when:

Error 301:

• Error 301 is flashed when the URL is permanently shifted to some other page and is not incorporated in the HTML code
• It could also appear if the user has a corrupt redirection chain.
• Error 301 could also flash if the web server software is defective

Error 302 occurs under these situations:

• If the webpage has been moved only temporarily, this error might flash on the screen.
• This is basically a looping error, requesting the system to redirect the page to a new page where the content has been shifted
• It is necessary to incorporate the alternative URL in order to avoid this situation

A lot of people try to redirect their website to other pages. What they don’t realize is that it could often result in major losses. This is because most of the virus infected sites try to redirect the web crawler from the desired page to some remote page which could have undesirable content or advertisements on it. Thus, rather than being listed in the SEO list, the website could be banned altogether and be removed from the competing list of SEO.

There are several ways through which URL redirects and SEO results can be achieved. Some of the most common methods include:

1. It is fairly easy to redirect the web crawlers by strategically placing a small snippet of javascript in the HTML coding of the webpage. The owner can also choose to select the number of seconds for which the user will stay on the same page before being redirected to the other page. URL redirects and SEO allow this option to let the web crawler have enough time to understand that he is being redirected to some other page, and thus he can prevent the action if he wants. Sites which automatically jump to other page via redirection often leave the web crawler confused and agitated

2. One of the easiest methods of engaging in URL redirects and SEO is via investing in parked domains. The owners of the websites can choose an additional domain name which can be made the central point of the DNS servers. Thus every time that a web crawler will type any other additional domain name, he will be automatically redirected to the main page. This technique, however, should be use with caution as it could also result in the SEO displaying the same search results twice, leading to spam

Posted: 2010-07-03 02:53:00

It does not matter what kind of particular technique a webmaster employs in order to popularize their website. Until and unless, the technique used and the results thus delivered should be measurable before any definite conclusion regarding their effectiveness can be made. This is the reason where importance of Analytics in SEO comes in.

The Importance of Analytics in SEO is as much as it is to employ the right kind of promotion techniques. One should be able to map their measure of success before making any next move regarding the promotion of their webpage. The importance of Analytics in SEO can be measured in following terms:

1. Measuring the targeted traffic:
It is very important for the web master to identify the total number of targeted traffic that actually visits the websites. If the targeted traffic is poised in the right direction, the chances of making business can improve manifold too. Similarly, this move will also allow the individual to figure out the bounce rate i.e. the individuals who leave the site within no time of entering it. Usually if an individual leaves the website within five minutes of staying on it, it is counted among the bounce visits. Ideally, if a website has less than 25% bounce rate out of the total visitors, the web page is considered to have a considerable amount of traffic.

2. Checking the response:
Once the volume of traffic has been assessed, the importance of Analytics in SEO can be felt when it comes to actually checking the total number of people who visit the website thoroughly and then respond in a positive manner. Responding well could mean that the advertisements or the content posted on the website is geared in the right direction. It allows the webmaster to assess what clicks with the targeted audience so that more of similar stuff can be incorporated while the useless one can be simply chucked off.

3. Assess the page popularity:
The realization of importance of Analytics in SEO comes to light when analytics reveal how popular a page is among the traffic and if a website has multiple web pages, it can also assess how individual page ranks in terms of popularity. Some of the most popular tools used for analytics include Radian6, Alterian Social Media Monitoring Tool, Scoutlabs Web Based Social Media Monitoring Tool, Real Time Social Media Monitoring Tool

4. Internet marketing firms:
There are plethora of internet marketing firms today, most of which charge hefty fee for promoting your website. These marketing firms are probably well versed with the importance of Analytics in SEO as they initially check the data and ratings of the particular website before taking any further steps to promote it. Thus it makes sense to remain aware of the site performance and constantly improve it via analytics before trying to take help from any external internet marketing firms

In order to make the effective use of directory submissions one needs to clearly understand the concept of SEO. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) means the process of optimizing the customer’s web site so that it might get higher rankings in the search results of the search engines. In order to achieve this goal, basically two things need to be done. The first on involves re-writing or updating the SEO content of the web site in order to make it thoroughly search engine friendly.

The second aspect involves the popularity of the links contained within the SEO web sites. For this purpose, it is essential to provide proper external non-broken links of the SEO web site. Moreover, it is also requisite to clearly define the theme of the web site in view of the relevant keywords. This is because, the search engines find the relevant websites based upon their SEO links. Thus, the more the number of inbound links there are to a website, the better are its rankings.

One very popular method of quick link building to the website is known as web directory submission. This is because the main purpose of the online directories is to provide relevant links based upon the entered keyword to the online visitors. The SEO value of such sites is thus of enormous importance. These are vital while promoting a new SEO web site as the return on investment is very high in comparison to the initial expenditure.

The internet is an amalgam of thousands and thousands of web directories, many of which also offer free link submissions and thus free SEO, without charging any amount of money. On the other hand, some of the other popular online directories charge a small fee for their services. However, it is not compulsory to submit links to these internet directories. These relevant free SEO supporting web directories can be easily found online via a quick web search. These lists can be suitably exploited to submit the URL of the web site, either yourself or by hiring someone to do the work for you.

With directory submission, the link of your web site URL is placed in the online directory and more number of links will eventually result in more number of SEO back links, thus guaranteeing lots of traffic in addition to a higher page ranking. In comparison to the method of buying links, this method of improving SEO via online directories is must more economical and beneficial, even though it might be time consuming.

The basic rate of buying a link is generally $1, which figures out to be $200 for 200 back links. This is very expensive as compared to 200 free back links one can get based upon the approval of their web site on the free web directories.

Some of the popular free web directories include DMOZ, So Much, Link Centre, Pegasus Directory, JV-Directory etc. On the other hand, some of the popular paid directories include InCrawler, Best Of The Web, JoeAnt, Yahoo Directory, Gimpsy, etc.

“Search Engine Optimization” is defined as a mode of increasing the volume of traffic and furthermore enhancing the quality of the visitors to a particular web page or a web site from different search engines, through an unpaid or natural search results. On the other hand, Link Exchange is defined as a website confederation that runs parallel to the web ring.

The HTML code is responsible for the display and showcasing of the banner advertisements. It is invariably done for the sites of other exchange partners or members and this process takes place on the web sites of the members. However, the webmasters are required to create several banner advertisements for their own web sites.

In order to get a guaranteed inclusion into the directory, the SEO and Link Exchange facilitators require an individual to send an automated and unsolicited request for the link exchange through either ways of email or a contact form online. By making a populous use of both these methods, one may guarantee a direct inclusion into the online directory.

The next step is to provide a direct link into one’s “automated link request” directing it to the page on the chosen site, which is linked graciously to directory of SEO Consultants. The SEO and Link Exchange guarantees an individual a definite inclusion into the online directory if the link pages, preferably the high quality ones are seen as Google supplement results, for instance, the searches that come under the category of .com. The guaranteed inclusion is also ensured if one has more than 50 outbound links per page and if this number exceeds to more than 100, then one may earn a guaranteed SEO star, which may be an additional benefit.

The SEO and Link Exchange professional allows an individual to enjoy the ownership of an SEO star along with a second link extracted from the dictionary by making use of his/her Gmail accounts or by connecting via his/her own "links [at] their company.com" mail addresses. Also, by sending an unsolicited email with a purpose of follow up and an additional request of link request, it guarantees directory inclusion without much ado.

The SEO Consultants and professionals assure that the link building and link exchange services are performed in an undaunted and polished manner, keeping in view the requirements of the customer and the given specifications. The concept of Link Exchange is seen widely used by people playing online and competing on a large scale.

There are several software available that enable your to exchange links. If you are using Joomla, then you may want to try JV-LinkExchanger or JV-LinkDirectory for advanced SEO benefits.

The process of internal linking within the website structure is pivotal for higher rankings on the search engines. This is an important aspect of making the web site search engine friendly, as besides the links from the other web sites, it is also recommended to easily maximize the internal links within the web site too.

The additional benefit of internal linking is that these links are totally under the total control of the web site owner itself. Besides, the internal linking structure can be highly beneficial in ensuring that the web site gets properly linked within itself, thereby increasing the relevance of the keywords or phrases related to the web site content. By maximizing the internal linking process effectively within the web site, higher page rankings can also be obtained

In order to build the relevancy of the page with respect to a keyword or a phrase, individual pages of the web sites should be ranked with respect to the different phrases. This implies that the home page should target the most competitive phrase, while the less competitive phrases should be present on the internal pages.

Moreover, it is advisable to use the targeted phrases on the internal pages as the linking text in case the linking is done through the navigation, the footers or the inlet text links. This kind of internal linking technique is beneficial in giving a boost to SEO within the web site, especially with respect to the competitive phrases.

However, linking all the pages of the web site from the homepage should be avoided as besides looking unattractive, it only diffuses the weight which each individual link possesses. Rather than cramming the major phrase of the web site into each and every link, it is rather recommended to optimize the web site by adding the appropriate weights to every page

Additionally, footers should be carefully used in the web sites. Rather than treating them as spam tools, the footers should contain only limited and important links that aid in better page rankings on the search engines.

The anchor text should also be wisely written and used while linking only the key internal pages on the web site ands listing the rest on the site map. Internal linking can also be done in terms of links which are placed in between the content of the web site. These are referred to as inline text links. While these are only slightly helpful in optimization of the pages, they should only be utilized when they are entirely relevant to the web site content