Dear Clients/Friends,

In general terms SEO services are divided into two categories: Web site optimization and link-building. The former refers to modifying each Web page so Google spiders (algorithm) can read it without any obstacles and keywords are placed appropriately on each page so these spiders rank the particular page higher than the competition.

Link-building on the other hand has very little to do with your Web site. It refers to encouraging “other” Web sites to place a link of “recommendation” on their site pointing to yours.  In other words and in contrast to Web site optimization, nearly all link-building efforts are done off-site.

In our company, Web site optimization is only about 10% of the work. The other 90% is link-building. That’s what makes us very successful when it comes to Google SEO. As a matter of fact, we offer Web site optimization for free to any Web site on the planet.

A few days ago, one of our free SEO clients who is now interested in our link-building campaign sent me the above question. I thought this may be the same question as many of you, so I’m placing my answer here – with some modifications to keep our client’s identity hidden:

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Dear Client,

Link building is a sophisticated service and we cannot give you exact estimates on how much each link costs. It’s actually wrong to think of link-building that way, because having many cheap links is not necessarily the best deal. Cheap links usually come from low-end Web sites and are less valuable to Google spiders.

Our different link-building services cost from $79 to thousands of dollars per campaign. So, the best way to approach link-building is to know the kind of budget you want to work with. Of course, the more you can spend, the better link-building campaign you can have.

How many links do we generate with these campaigns? The number of links has to be multiplied by the quality of the sites that are giving us the link. So, the number of links could confuse people who do not understand the subject well. In other words, there are Web sites out there that having only one link from them is equivalent to having 1,000 links from low-end sites. So, asking about the quantity or the price/quantity of links is the wrong way to approach this subject.

We tell our Top of Google clients (the ones we guarantee their rankings at the top of Google search results) that they need to have a specific budget – which is different for each client – based on the competitiveness of their market. Almost any Web site could enjoy top of Google rankings for competitive keywords if we have the right budget to work with.

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In case you need a proposal on how much you need to spend to get your Web site ranked at the top of Google (or how many high-quality links your site needs to get there), simply fill out our services request form. I will personally respond to you within a few days.

Also, I’ve discussed our link-building techniques in our Google SEO eBook. This is a great guide for anyone who’s either interested in doing his/her SEO campaign or those who want to understand what we do in order to make our clients successful.

Leave a comment and I’ll be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Best,

Ali Husayni

Popularity: 8%

For the first time we have refunded the full amount of its fees to a client, making good on our 100% money back guarantee. Our contract promises that within three months we will get a client’s Web site placed on the first page of Google for at least 50% of the site’s keywords. If we cannot meet those placements, the contract states that Master Google will refund 100% of the client’s money.

During a search, Google uses software called spiders that find relevant Web sites, read their code and content, and rank them for the user’s specific keywords. Our Web site optimization paves the way for Google spiders so they can easily read the client’s site and find the most important keywords. We combine that with a sophisticated link-building campaign, taking our clients’ Web sites on their way to the top of Google.

Unfortunately, in this case, when we contracted with the client, we were unaware that this particular site had already been flagged by Google for the use of unacceptable Web site building techniques – namely duplicate content. After three months, we were unable to make sufficient progress in increasing the site’s placement on Google’s first page. So we refunded 100% of the client’s money. Since the client was a small start-up business, the owner needed to invest every penny carefully.

After receiving the refund, the client took the time to write an unsolicited testimonial about Master Google’s President, Ali Husayni: “I found Ali’s site from an article on a Google finance site. I sent him a request and he was on the phone with me the same day. He talked about his services and his money back guarantee. He said we carry a gentlemen’s agreement on the main part. He worked on my site for three months. I was one of the few that could not be brought up to the top in such a short time.”

“I was running out of resources to keep his services,” the client added. “When I mentioned this to Ali he understood and was kind enough to refund me the full amount I had paid him for his SEO work.  He did this because he is the rare honest businessman. There are not too many honest guys like Ali left in the world. He only accepts people who he believes he can help. What have you got to lose? If he fails, you get your money back.”

“Many of our clients are struggling new or small businesses,” Husayni said. “We really want to help them improve their Google ranking and increase their revenues and we were sorry we could not help this particular client. In the two years Master Google’s money back guarantee has been in place, this is the first client who couldn’t be helped and received a refund. We are the only SEO company that offers this kind of guarantee and it’s important that our clients know we stand by it.”

Popularity: 3%

Almost eighty percent of users click on organic links on Google’s first page. And being there requires that your site has a high Page Rank and is perceived by this giant search engine as an authoritative Web site. For Google, the determining factor is how popular your Web site is on the Internet. In other words, how many high quality sites are “endorsing” your site or “referring” to it by placing a link on their site pointing to yours.

There are many ways to improve your link popularity and therefore your Google Page Rank (PR), but some of the techniques are more controversial than others. The “organic” way is to provide top-notch content and encourage other sites to link to yours.

Although much of Google’s formula for determining Page Rank (or a Web site’s popularity) is secret, they have revealed that the more sites link to your site, and the better Page Rank (PR) these sites have, the more link juice your site will receive.

However, link building the “organic” way can be a slow process and isn’t always guaranteed to work. So, many Web site owners are tempted to use paid links – simply paying 3rd parties to place a link on their sites. The process of buying links for the sole purpose of improving PR is frowned upon by Google and other search engines since they are trying to provide their users with organic search results.

“The best links are not paid, or exchanged after out-of-the-blue emails – the best links are earned and given by choice,” says Matt Cutts, a Google engineer who blogs about these issues. “Google does consider buying text links for Page Rank purposes to be outside our quality guidelines.”

It is important to note that buying links from 3rd party Web sites shouldn’t be confused with paid advertising or Sponsored Links. With paid advertising, search engines have provided a platform where you can pay them directly to place your link on their search results pages – clearly defined as “Sponsored Links.” Usually, you won’t be charged unless someone clicks on the link to your site – thus Pay Per Click is another name for these advertising methods.

Many Web sites do buy links and, done correctly, it can have a positive effect on your Web site’s Page Rank as well as its ranking on Google search results. But, before you start spending your marketing dollars, you should start with a well-organized SEO strategy – which relies on a variety of “white-hat” (and sometimes not-so-much white hat) Google SEO techniques.

If you still think you need a boost from paid links, keep in mind the strategies and cautions below.

Choose Reputable Sites: If you’re link building by buying links make sure the site you are paying for has a high Google Page Rank (PR 5 or above). Remember that your Page Rank increases because of the quality of your links, not just the quantity. Google gives a higher ranking to sites it views as having more organic back-links and offering legitimate content.

You cannot be penalized by placing a link on a link-farm or a site that has been banned by Google, mainly because your competition could have done that in your place. However, that’s just a waste of your time, since the link coming from a link-farm wouldn’t have any value for your site. But this works both ways. Links from reputable sites will increase your site’s PR. Multiply that by an entire network of second-party sites and you’re on the fast-track to success.

Text Links: If you pay someone to provide a link, you want to make sure the link either looks like an organic part of the Web page (like an endorsement of your services) or like an advertisement. If the purpose of a text link is to funnel traffic to your site, then that’s a perfectly acceptable link-building technique. Note that you’re NOT having the link there for improving your PR, although that’s a bi-product (and could well be your main objective). As far as Google is concerned, you have not crossed any lines.

One option is to pay a site to place content with embedded text links leading back to your site. Be careful which words you use as text links. If you use the same text link words over and over on different Web sites, Google’s algorithm may think that your Web site is spamming. Be sure to vary the keywords you use as text links.

Directories: Directories exist for a wide variety of topics and will provide a link to your Web site for free or sometimes for a fee.
When I try to explain the pitfalls of posting links to sites, I remind clients of all the spam and viruses floating about the Web. Now apply that concept to link building. Sometimes it’s not so easy to recognize the sheep from the wolves. In these situations, it’s best to consult with SEO experts before posting links to bad Web sites. Master Google has a lot of experience with guiding its clients through these treacherous waters and has helped many sites get to the top of Google in 2 to 6 months.

Safe directories have competitive Page Rank and have been vetted by Google’s AdSense or a similar service. Google doesn’t consider such sites to be link farms since they are run by human editors who evaluate each submitted Web site for relevance and quality –and there is a chance you will be rejected. Some of these sites operate in a bit of a gray area ethically, but usually Google allows them. However, many paid sites aren’t legitimate directories, so be careful. Only a reputable directory can increase your Page Rank and Web traffic.

Staying Power: Paid links offer another downside: they don’t last as long as organic connections. If you take the time to set up a network of organic links, those links will remain in place – directing traffic to you and raising your Page Rank – for a while. Paid links disappear if you don’t keep paying for them.

Getting Links for Free: Whether or not you decide to buy links, you should also consider how you can get links for free. First, offer great content that people want – and keep it fresh. You can also write articles for another Web site and ask for a link from the byline. Or you can offer good blog content or send out press releases.

So, use paid links if you wish, but be extra cautious when you do so. We’ve seen Google penalize sites for specific keywords when spam techniques were used. Pay only for reputable sites and make sure your text links vary from site to site. Then you’re off to the road of Google SEO success.

Popularity: 5%

Master Google, a leading Search Engine Optimization (SEO) company, began offering free Google SEO services –worth $500 – to qualified businesses in August 2009. Since then, the company has helped 390 businesses to improve their ranking on Google and other search engines.

In seven months, Master Google received 1,166 applicants – an average of 170 per month – for free SEO services. 390 applicants were qualified to receive the services and, of those, approximately 50% of the Web sites noticeably improved their Google ranking. Approximately 25% saw improvement in their ranking with other search engines. Such success rates for a free program have encouraged many businesses to give it a try.

“These days it can be hard for a small business to establish a Web presence,” said Ali Husayni, CEO of Master Google. “But we have the knowledge that can help them improve their ranking and become more prominent on the Internet.”

Each of Master Google’s free clients has been able to raise his or her Web site’s profile and improve traffic. In turn, Master Google has a chance to show potential future customers how the firm can help their business.

“I launched mjdrawings.com on Dec. 26 2009,” Nicole wrote. “I signed up for free SEO services a few days later. My site was selected and optimized by Master Google on Jan. 7, 2010. A week later today, all of my seven keywords rank in page 1 in Yahoo, with good improvement ranking in Google. Thank you so much Master Google, for your SEO service!”

The Free SEO Program offers the following services:

• Keyword Analysis – Identifying a Web site’s most important keywords.
• Home Page Optimization – Optimizing a Web site’s homepage for those keywords by updating the site’s tags and submitting it to Google for indexing.
• Ranking Reports – Master Google provides ranking reports to the clients for three months so they can see the improvement in their ranking.
• Google Analytics – The Web site is set up for Google Analytics

Master Google is still accepting applications for free SEO on its Web site.

Of those applicants who did not qualify for the program, the most common reason was providing the wrong File Transfer Protocol (FTP) data; without that information, Master Google’s staff cannot access a site.

© 2010 Master Google. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Sinai Marketing and Master Google are credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this press release is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

Popularity: 1%

Two days ago, Internet search engine giant Google announced that it has pulled its search engine operations out of China and now redirects all Chinese users to its Hong Kong site. The move is a risky one for Google and an embarrassment to the Chinese government. China’s failure to find an accommodation with Google is also part of an overall pattern of worsening trade relations between the U.S. and China.

In January, Google announced that its computers, along with the computers of over 20 American companies, had been aggressively compromised and sensitive information was stolen by hackers who were traced back to two Chinese universities. The hackers were almost certainly working for the Chinese government since American businesses–and even U.S. government agencies that work with China–have seen a consistent pattern of such hacking. At the time Google said it was evaluating whether it wanted to keep its search engine operations going in China, which has demanded that Google censor its search results for sensitive topics such as protests by Tibetans or Uighurs and the events at Tiananmen Square in 1989. Read more…

Popularity: 2%

BOULDER, CO — According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, Americans are not only using Google more, they are believing that Google’s rankings accurately portray the best solutions to their searches. In saying this, establishing a higher rank on Google’s organic search results has never been more important for businesses vying for a competitive edge online. Read more…

Popularity: 1%

Dear friend,

I’m very much excited to announce that you can now get the entire eBook we worked so hard to prepare. My excitement is because I’m sharing many years of my experience in SEO with everyone who is interested to learn – whether an SEO guru, newbie or a client of mine.

Our future clients could also see the level of expertise we implement in SEO by reading this eBook and comparing it with other information available online.

As the first edition, I’m sure the book has room for improvement. I’m very much open to ideas and feedback from all of you. So, please don’t hesitate to speak your mind here or by sending me an email.

The cost of this book is $40 and is 100% refundable within 12 months from the purchase date. So feel free to use it, test its techniques, wait to see the results and if you’re unsatisfied with the outcome, let us know and we’ll refund your money back.

Popularity: 6%

The eBook that we’ve all been anticipating is going to be out within a couple of days. Now, you can read the full introduction and see the table of content for free. Just visit the eBook page and click on the book to download the first 11 pages.

What’s really different about this eBook is the fact that it lays out almost all the SEO secrets that the SEO companies try so hard to hide (if they know them of course).

I had a double intention for writing this book: 1) as our future client, I wanted you to see the level of expertise we have in comparison to other search engine optimization companies. By investing a small amount, you can read all the SEO techniques we use to rank your site at the top of Google and 2) I wanted to give a hand to those of you who want to learn SEO and become SEO experts… Nonetheless, It’s not as easy as you may think.

A few features of the book stand out: its ease of understanding, its structure, and its Tip format (where you can go back for future references).

Again, I’m open to any feedback from you.

Ali Husayni

Popularity: 2%

It is now clear that the partnership deal between Microsoft and Yahoo! is going to take place after regulators in the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice did not object to it.

“The (European) Commission’s… market investigation has indicated that scale is an important element to be an effective competitor in search advertising,” the EU executive said in a statement.

According to the latest analysis of StatCounter Google now holds 90% of the total market share compared with 7.4 percent for both Yahoo! and Bing.

The actual deal was struck in July of 2009, under which Bing becomes the search engine for both, while Yahoo! will go after the bigger online advertisers.

This is going to mean little for those who have a good ranking on Google search results. A combination of Yahoo!/Bing is not going to affect their market share in the near future. Of course, Yahoo! and Bing hope to take away a chunck of Google loyal searchers by this partnership, but that’s unlikely to happen.

Google has been great in changing its search tactics based on the latest trends in the industry. The other two giants are too slow to follow through.

Popularity: 1%

Another great list for those of you who want to engage in Google SEO yourselves. Similar to our press release distribution sites, article submission sites provide you with another great platform for building your Web site free quality inbound links.

Articles you submit to these sites need to be original, related to your field of expertise, well written and free of spelling/grammatical errors. It may be better for you to hire a professional copy-writer to help you with the writing. Read more…

Popularity: 57%