Is Ontology the Next Big Factor in Google's Algorithm?Written by Bobby Heard
When ax comes down at Google, there are always big winners and big losers. Recently, we’ve seen first big algorithm change of year and many web site owners and their respective sites have fallen, much like proverbial tree. What was it about their site that was simply too much for new algorithm to allow anymore searchers to see? Taking a look at their sites (if you can find them) as well as sites at top, gives us great insight into mind of Google boys and evidence is clear; word ontology is not getting attention in deserves.What is ontology? The quick answer is that it is words that are related to keywords that you are targeting. However, it’s a bit more complicated than just dusting off old Thesaurus. The way it works is that it is an undetermined amount of words that most frequently appear on same pages throughout internet as keywords you are targeting. I would assume that more weight is given to words on pages that rank well than those that don’t. So now that we know that, how is it affecting today’s SERPs? Logically, ontology makes a lot more sense than keyword density, which is clearly a thing of past. Of course, Google needs to know what your site is about, and you need to tell them, but not in way that some sites have in past. This is a lesson learned for site owners who have been axed from Google’s rankings. I have taken a look at a few that have been talked about in SEO “underworld” and while it’s been obvious in past that keyword density is nothing more than spamming search engines, it is now clear that Google has made necessary adjustments in it’s algorithm to avoid sending it’s users to spammy sites.
| | 5 Critical Pay-Per-Click TipsWritten by By Michael Murray, VP of Fathom SEO
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is a good supplement to natural search engine optimization, IF you keep a few tactics straight. 1. Choose right search terms. If you go after broad phrases and terms, you'll pay top dollar. Strive for more descriptive and specific search terms that reflect your products or services. 2. Map out a strategy. Don't go after every possible keyword or phrase. Target your online ads around business priorities--such as seasonal purchases, your most profitable products and services, etc. 3. Use bid management software. Software can regulate your bids and turn off keywords. You might be interested in clicks during business hours; you might not want to pay for those clicks at 1 a.m. (There’s less of a chance that it's a business prospect at that time of night). 4. Write effective ads. Google, Yahoo! Searching Marketing and other services have limits on characters per line. With Google, it's tough not to push limits because space is so narrow. With Yahoo! Searching Marketing, focus on getting your message across without consuming every character. Long ads may discourage people from reading them.
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