SEO is a race. And in any race learning from your competitors makes you a better runner. Even when you're running first it's sometimes good to look back and check the runner-ups. And if you're not the yellow jersey guy, you absolutely should examine the leaders: their gear, their training, their strategy. In SEO the most interesting thing about your competition are their links.
Whether you like it or not SEO is still pretty much about links. Good link profile can make up for almost any lack of optimized content and other onpage flaws. Love or hate, the best thing you can do about it is embrace the fact and run with it.
So let's go through some tricks that will enable you to look deeper into your competition's link profile granting you access to the restricted areas: their locker room, dirty laundry and even the briefing hall where they plan their link building strategies.
[Track Your Keyword Rank History on Google, Yahoo and Bing!]
Let's Talk Competitive Link Research
Finding out where your competitors' links come from is not all that hard. You just go to Yahoo! or Google and type in link:www.your-competitor.com to get a list of inbound links to the site.
Yahoo's much better in that respect as it tends to give more extensive and accurate data. The problem here is that there's a limit of 1,000 links per website which is often not enough as the fattest link sources get left behind the limit fence. Here're some tips to break through to the other side.
Note: If you're lazy like me skip to the end of the article where I'll share a tool that does it all much quicker.
Trick 1: Search for Links to Particular Web Pages of a Competing Site
Alongside with link:www.your-competitor.com search for
link:www.your-competitor.com/products.html or
link:www.your-competitor.com/services.html
and so on.
Trick 2: Exclude Internal Links
You may examine the internal linking structure of your competition if you want to gain some insight on their navigation and marketing steps. But as we want to find more external links, let's exclude the internal ones.
You can do this by adding -site:site.com operator to your search query. Type in:
link:http://www.your-competitor.com -site:your-competitor.com or
linkdomain:www.your-competitor.com -site:your-competitor.com
and you'll get a list of external backlinks only.
There's a dropdown option in Yahoo! site explorer that does the same.
Trick 3: Exclude Links Coming from Certain Domains
The -site: modifier lets you exclude links coming from specific sites. So, whenever you see a large chunk of links coming from the same domain add -site:thisdomain.com modifier to your query and the links from this site will get replaced with new ones.
Top Positions in the Web's Largest Article Directory
You can add -site: multiple times in one query so that you have something like this:
link:http://www.cnn.com -site:cnn.com -site:en.wikipedia.org
Trick 4: Check Links Coming from Certain TLDs
This is a little known trick. The site: modifier actually lets you get a list of links coming from domains with certain TLDs: .com, .org, .edu, .co.uk and so on. Just type in
link:http://www.your-competitor.com site:.gov or
linkdomain:www.your-competitor.com site:.gov
and you'll get a list of .gov sites linking to your rival.
Note: Do this in Yahoo! regular search, not site explorer
Trick 5: Exclude Links Coming from Certain TLDs
This is an even lesser known trick. You can exclude certain TLDs from the results with the -site:.tld modifier. Usually the biggest chunk of links comes from .com's so add a -site.com modifier and you'll get lots of new link data.
[Forget Expensive PPC Advertising - There is an Alternative!]
Trick 6: Use Different Combinations of the First 5 Tricks
Try link:http://www.your-competitor.com/page.html -site:your-competitor.com -site:.com
Or link:http://www.your-competitor.com site:.org -site:wikipedia.org
Give it a thought and I'm sure you'll come up with lots of ideas. Feel free to share your findings in the comments.
Trick 7: Use the Above 6 Tricks in Different Search Engines
Don't limit your searches to Yahoo! and Google, go to AltaVista, Alexa, (Bing doesn't give you link data, so forget about it) but then there're Exalead, Excite and tons of regional search engines. Search them, get rid of the the duplicates and you'll have a goooooooooooooooogol of competitor's links to study.
Note: Some search engines have a different set of operators so you'll need to type domain: instead of link:.
Getting It All Done Fast
This sure seems like a lot of work and it is. Moreover, getting the links list is only the beginning and the easy part of competitive link research. Once you get the list you need to analyze each link, weed out poor quality sites and only leave the ones you can get a link from. Now THAT's a lot of work.
I'm too lazy to do this all by hand, besides I value my time too much to waste it on such kind of work. That's why I use SEO SpyGlass an advanced link analysis tool that employs all the tricks described in this article (plus some more advanced ones I don't even know) to get up to 25,000 links per domain, which is much, much more than any other tool can get.
SEO SpyGlass also finds all the data I need to analyze the links:
• Google PR of the domain and linking page
• The URL and title of the linking page
• The anchor text and description
• Whether the link is still on the page (sometimes the link gets removed but search engines will
think it's there till they reindex the page).
• Whether the link is no-follow or dofollow
• How many other links are on the page
• How much link value the link passes
• And some other data like TLDs, domain age, country, etc.
If you want to do competitive link research seriously, I'd strongly recommend trying SEO SpyGlass out. And of course you can always use my tricks whenever you want to run a quick background check on that new guy on your block.
Source:-www.Site-Reference.com
SEO Expert in India
Showing posts with label freelance seo service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freelance seo service. Show all posts
Monday, October 19, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Latent Semantic Indexing in google?
Latent semantic indexing was introduced in an attempt to improve the service offered by Google and other search engines to those using their services.
Keyword density has been the main part of search engine optimization for many years, easily understood by beginners in website design and article writing. The two major factors influencing search engine placement were the use of keywords and in-links (back links).
When Google introduced Adsense, however, it soon became apparent to entrepreneurs that there was a lot of money to be made by generating web-pages specifically designed to display Adsense ads. Thousands of dollars could be made daily by generating thousands of pages, using template-based page generation software specifically designed for the purpose. Content duplication was rife and the websites themselves were of little or no use to the visitor who was presented with nothing more than Adsense adverts.
One of the reasons, perhaps the main one, for the introduction of latent semantic indexing was to overcome this problem, and to ensure that websites were providing a useful service to those using Google’s search engine, though Google is not the only search engine using the algorithm.
Since the introduction of latent semantic indexing, many sites have been de-listed by Google as being of little use to the visitor, and for using duplicate content. A change of keyword was frequently the only difference between pages. Many internet marketers found their income slashed to almost zero overnight, and this change can often be traced back to the time that latent semantic indexing was introduced.
Latent semantic indexing was initially used in Adsense to enable adverts targeted to the theme of a webpage to appear on the page. The algorithm checks the wording on the page and determines the theme of the page. It was only later that Google applied the algorithms to search engine placement, and it is used by search engines other than Google. It involves analysis of words used in natural language, the synonyms and closely related words used when discussing the general theme of a page. It complements, rather than replaces, keyword analysis.
Since it is based on a mathematical set of rules, or algorithm, it is not perfect and can lead to results which are justifiable mathematically, but have no meaning in natural language. Google purchased a company, Applied Semantics, to develop it early in 2003.
So what is latent semantic indexing? How does it work in layman’s terms?
Let’s look at the three words separately:
LATENT.
The word ‘latent’ means something which is present, but not obviously visible. For example, the latent heat of vaporization, or the heat required to vaporize water, is present in clouds, and is only released when it rains. This is why it seems to get warmer during thunderstorms. In terms of latent semantic indexing, it means that a word such as ‘lock’, can be present in a text, and its meaning is hidden until some other factor reveals it. ‘Lock’ can mean, among other things, a piece of hair, a security device or a means of conveying a barge between different heights in a canal. It is only the rest of the text which makes its meaning clear.
SEMANTIC
The word ‘semantic’ refers to the meaning of language or words, as opposed to what is actually said or written. In the use of the word ‘lock’ in ‘a lock of hair’, semantics is the use given to the word ‘lock’, which is made obvious by the expression ‘lock of hair’.
INDEXING
With reference to use of the word in latent semantic indexing, ’indexing’ is the identification of the meaning of a document from its subject content, and its listing into a form suitable for use by a search system.
Let’s make it clearer by giving an example. Software-generated pages used for Adsense tend to be very general and are able to be used as templates for any keyword or phrase. Here is how a typical piece of such text could read, using ‘the history of locks’ as key-phrase.
“If you are seeking information on the history of locks, there is no better place than the internet. The information superhighway is full of sites specializing in the history of locks, and the history of locks is a very popular subject. We recommend that you check out the other pages on this site for information on other topics associated with the history of locks.”
This is very common with Adsense sites. You can replace the key-phrase ‘the history of locks’ with any keyword whatsoever, and the same text can be used countless times, being replaced automatically by the software from a given list of keywords. It does not give the reader any information whatsoever. In fact, it does not even give information as to what type of lock is being referred to. It could apply equally to a security lock and a canal lock. This is why latent semantic indexing was introduced to search engine ranking analysis.
Now here is the same text including some qualifying wording:
“If you are seeking information on the history of locks, there is no better place than the internet. The information superhighway is full of sites specializing in the history of locks of all types, from the massive Roman door locks to sophisticated encrypted password security systems. From long-keyed safe locks to the history of combination locks that have given safecrackers so much trouble over the ages. The history of locks is a very popular subject and we recommend that you check out the other pages on this website dealing with topics such as general security, the history of cylinder and lever locks, and padlocks of various kinds.”
The ‘latency’ referred to in the term ’latent semantic indexing’ is the hidden meaning of the word ‘lock’, which remains hidden in the first version until the semantics of the second reveal its meaning. Thus, by use of the algorithm, website content with similar keywords, but different meanings for the keywords, can be differentiated and, more importantly for the webmaster, the relevance of the site can be properly determined and indexed.
No longer will sites with ambiguous keywords, as in version one above, be acceptable to search engines. The semantics of the page must make the meaning and topic of the page clear.
So what does that mean to you? It means that not only must you maintain a reasonable density of the specific keyword being targeted, since that is still the term being used by the searcher, but you must also use related words and terms to define the overall theme of the page. Prior to latent semantic indexing, a search for the term ‘the history of locks and canals’ would have been directed to both of the above texts. Since its introduction, such a search will be directed to neither. It will be directed to a page where it is obvious that the theme of the site is canal locks.
This can only be good for the visitor to Google.
SEO Service in india
Source:http://www.aj2000.com/articles/latent-semantic-indexing.htm
Keyword density has been the main part of search engine optimization for many years, easily understood by beginners in website design and article writing. The two major factors influencing search engine placement were the use of keywords and in-links (back links).
When Google introduced Adsense, however, it soon became apparent to entrepreneurs that there was a lot of money to be made by generating web-pages specifically designed to display Adsense ads. Thousands of dollars could be made daily by generating thousands of pages, using template-based page generation software specifically designed for the purpose. Content duplication was rife and the websites themselves were of little or no use to the visitor who was presented with nothing more than Adsense adverts.
One of the reasons, perhaps the main one, for the introduction of latent semantic indexing was to overcome this problem, and to ensure that websites were providing a useful service to those using Google’s search engine, though Google is not the only search engine using the algorithm.
Since the introduction of latent semantic indexing, many sites have been de-listed by Google as being of little use to the visitor, and for using duplicate content. A change of keyword was frequently the only difference between pages. Many internet marketers found their income slashed to almost zero overnight, and this change can often be traced back to the time that latent semantic indexing was introduced.
Latent semantic indexing was initially used in Adsense to enable adverts targeted to the theme of a webpage to appear on the page. The algorithm checks the wording on the page and determines the theme of the page. It was only later that Google applied the algorithms to search engine placement, and it is used by search engines other than Google. It involves analysis of words used in natural language, the synonyms and closely related words used when discussing the general theme of a page. It complements, rather than replaces, keyword analysis.
Since it is based on a mathematical set of rules, or algorithm, it is not perfect and can lead to results which are justifiable mathematically, but have no meaning in natural language. Google purchased a company, Applied Semantics, to develop it early in 2003.
So what is latent semantic indexing? How does it work in layman’s terms?
Let’s look at the three words separately:
LATENT.
The word ‘latent’ means something which is present, but not obviously visible. For example, the latent heat of vaporization, or the heat required to vaporize water, is present in clouds, and is only released when it rains. This is why it seems to get warmer during thunderstorms. In terms of latent semantic indexing, it means that a word such as ‘lock’, can be present in a text, and its meaning is hidden until some other factor reveals it. ‘Lock’ can mean, among other things, a piece of hair, a security device or a means of conveying a barge between different heights in a canal. It is only the rest of the text which makes its meaning clear.
SEMANTIC
The word ‘semantic’ refers to the meaning of language or words, as opposed to what is actually said or written. In the use of the word ‘lock’ in ‘a lock of hair’, semantics is the use given to the word ‘lock’, which is made obvious by the expression ‘lock of hair’.
INDEXING
With reference to use of the word in latent semantic indexing, ’indexing’ is the identification of the meaning of a document from its subject content, and its listing into a form suitable for use by a search system.
Let’s make it clearer by giving an example. Software-generated pages used for Adsense tend to be very general and are able to be used as templates for any keyword or phrase. Here is how a typical piece of such text could read, using ‘the history of locks’ as key-phrase.
“If you are seeking information on the history of locks, there is no better place than the internet. The information superhighway is full of sites specializing in the history of locks, and the history of locks is a very popular subject. We recommend that you check out the other pages on this site for information on other topics associated with the history of locks.”
This is very common with Adsense sites. You can replace the key-phrase ‘the history of locks’ with any keyword whatsoever, and the same text can be used countless times, being replaced automatically by the software from a given list of keywords. It does not give the reader any information whatsoever. In fact, it does not even give information as to what type of lock is being referred to. It could apply equally to a security lock and a canal lock. This is why latent semantic indexing was introduced to search engine ranking analysis.
Now here is the same text including some qualifying wording:
“If you are seeking information on the history of locks, there is no better place than the internet. The information superhighway is full of sites specializing in the history of locks of all types, from the massive Roman door locks to sophisticated encrypted password security systems. From long-keyed safe locks to the history of combination locks that have given safecrackers so much trouble over the ages. The history of locks is a very popular subject and we recommend that you check out the other pages on this website dealing with topics such as general security, the history of cylinder and lever locks, and padlocks of various kinds.”
The ‘latency’ referred to in the term ’latent semantic indexing’ is the hidden meaning of the word ‘lock’, which remains hidden in the first version until the semantics of the second reveal its meaning. Thus, by use of the algorithm, website content with similar keywords, but different meanings for the keywords, can be differentiated and, more importantly for the webmaster, the relevance of the site can be properly determined and indexed.
No longer will sites with ambiguous keywords, as in version one above, be acceptable to search engines. The semantics of the page must make the meaning and topic of the page clear.
So what does that mean to you? It means that not only must you maintain a reasonable density of the specific keyword being targeted, since that is still the term being used by the searcher, but you must also use related words and terms to define the overall theme of the page. Prior to latent semantic indexing, a search for the term ‘the history of locks and canals’ would have been directed to both of the above texts. Since its introduction, such a search will be directed to neither. It will be directed to a page where it is obvious that the theme of the site is canal locks.
This can only be good for the visitor to Google.
SEO Service in india
Source:http://www.aj2000.com/articles/latent-semantic-indexing.htm
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