Category: Google

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Looking for an Alternative to Google Reader or iGoogle?

If you’ve used and loved iGoogle or Google Reader, be aware that Google is retiring this service on July 1, 2013. Not to worry though, you’ll want to check out MyMSN as your need feed reader platform and guess what I know that you’ll like it better!

I’ve been using www.My.MSN.com preferentially as my RSS/XML feed aggregator for years. This simple and easy to use interface is fully customizable. I watch 30 news feeds in my control panel and even have feeds for stocks and weather. It is easy to add a new feed when you find it by clicking Add Content on the top right and then you paste in your feed URL or you can select from preset MSN news modules.

I like My.MSN.com much better than the Yahoo version as I have mine set up to show three columns per page, have very little advertising and I have lots of customization options.

So if you are bemoaning the fact that iGoogle or Google Reader is going away, switch now and check out My.MSN.com. I personally think that you will like it better and will drop iGoogle before July 1st.

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DudaMobile Integration with Google AdWords

A smart secret about AdWords and DudaMobile.
A smart secret about AdWords and DudaMobile.

This is a little known fact, but did you know that DudaMobile and Google have agreed to allow mobile URLs in the destination URL in Google AdWords to be a DudaMobile top level domain and still work.Let me explain

The destination URL, where your visitor goes when they click your ad on Google.com, by AdWords rule has always had to go to a page in the site of your top level domain. If it did not, your ad was disapproved.

Now you can have a DudaMobile destination URL and your own domain Display URL and your mobile ads will be approved and show by Google AdWords. Wow! Who knew! As Google is pushing mobile, and encouraging AdWords users to set up a DudaMobile website, but some business owners are having trouble knowing how to implement mobile or create a mobile CNAME record for their domain, Google has decided to make it easy.

Here’s an example:

In my AdWords ad, my Display URL for an ad would be www.McCordWeb.com. Typically my destination URL would be http://www.mccordweb.com/ but now for my mobile ads my destination URL can be http://mobile.dudamobile.com/site/mccordweb_2 and my ads will be approved and run! Cool, thanks Google for helping all business owners get into the game with mobile without too many headaches.

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SEO’s Take a New Strategy with Anchor Text

Don't get nailed by Google's Penguin filters
Don’t get nailed by Google’s Penguin filters

It used to be pre-Penguin era, that you researched your keywords and then actively worked to include the keywords you wanted to place on organically in your anchor text. For some of you who are reading, anchor text is the actually text that is shown that is underlined in a hyperlink. Now, to prevent link spam penalties on Google.com, you’d better mix up your anchor text!How So?

Now it is a big no-no to constantly repeat the same anchor text in on-site and off-site efforts. In fact some SEO’s are moving to general terms such as visit our website, click here, find out more instead of very targeted keyword uses such as Maryland SEO firm, or SEO experts. Google actually recommends using descriptive text for links and not the very general click here types of use. However, some SEOs are trying to mitigate overly optimized strategies now by introducing generic links to move their SEO client sites out from underneath Google’s microscope. Here’s a great article I’ve found that really expounds on that topic. 

So what’s a website owner to do in regards to anchor text?

1. Make sure you do not use the same three to five phrases of anchor text in your website and off-site efforts starting now!

2. Mix it up, use generic text as well as descriptive, but not keyword dense phrases. Consider the reader, use what works best and is descriptive of the link versus a set phrasing albeit even in unnatural wording to not be hit by Google’s Penguin filters.

3. Work to increase your visibility on the web so co-citation can work for you for organic placement. Google is very smart now, you don’t need to spoon feed keywords important to your traffic; rather take time to let others share your content and Google will understand what you do through these offsite mentions.

Just a few tips to help you take a new direction. If you need more concrete help to move your website into becoming a web authority site, make sure to check with McCord Web Services.

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Introducing Rel=Publisher for Brands

Introducing rel=publisher.
Introducing rel=publisher.

Rel=Publisher is a new tag that can tie your website brand to a Google+ page and it is a hot new tactic that allows brands to expand beyond the rel=author tag.This is actually great news that Google now has expanded Google+ verification and authority beyond just a person. In fact, this was a problematic issue for large businesses on Google+ – who did you tie your business website too when you are really a brand more so than an individual.For a business like mine, using the rel=author tag makes perfect sense. I write for my own business exposure and I am my brand as the owner and founder of McCord Web Services, but how about a large company where the CEO really does not want to tie his or her name to a Google+ page which may be ghost written. In this case the new rel=publisher is a much better fit.

With rel=publisher a brand or large company can now tie their website and verify their brand tying  to a Google+ Business page and not a Google+ personal page. This allows for the Google verification process to work, to build trust and web authority but without being tied to an individual who may or may not stay with the company in years to come.

With changes that Google is making on Google+ Business Pages by allowing Business Pages to now follow people this new tag is welcome news to help with the long term implementation and use of Google+ by large businesses.