SANTA MONICA, CA – Sometimes SEO gets a bad reputation. Naysayers are correct that there are two types of SEO strategies that are indeed bad for business, and those are gray hat and black hat SEO tactics. Gray hat SEO includes tactics such as reciprocal links, buying old or expired domains, and Google bombing/washing. Black hat techniques are even worse for business and include tactics ranging from keyword stuffing, using link farms, comment spamming and more.

Since Google can so easily spot these tactics, why do companies use black hat and gray hat SEO techniques? For starters, those tactics take less time. White hat techniques require creating quality content, careful site optimization, link baiting, guest blogging, internal linking and more. These techniques take a considerable amount of time, which is why to effectively use SEO tactics, you must hire an SEO team with a positive track record.

Image Courtesy of Itsabacus.com.

Master Google only uses white hat SEO tactics because it is the only way to go for successful SEO, according to Ali Husayni, the CEO of Master Google. Husayni said to heed the warning of Google’s anti-spam strategy as your rankings will rise and fall accordingly to how well you implement the correct SEO strategies.

“The only thing not changing with SEO is that it’s always changing,” Husayni said. “Be diligent in keeping up with those changes as [you handle your] site’s SEO, or partner with a qualified SEO provider to handle that task.”

When done correctly, SEO is not spam at all, but a good tactic that Google recognizes, according to Google Software Engineer and head of Google’s web spam fighting team, Matt Cutts. Watch the video below to hear Cutts explain why Google appreciates SEO when done well.

A focused SEO plan is a never-ending job, but one that will greatly increase the likelihood that your customers will find you on Google. Contact Us to see if we can provide SEO services for your website.

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SANTA MONICA, CA — From tips about using White Hat SEO to providing Free SEO advice, our Master Google team writes this blog to demystify the SEO world for our readers. Keeping in line with our previous efforts, we want to continue to help you with your SEO efforts. Today’s topic revolves around avoiding three of the most common SEO mistakes. While there is an endless list of things to do and to avoid when it comes to search engine optimization, avoiding these three things are in the ‘do or die’ category when it comes to launching or continuing a successful SEO campaign.

Not Being Consistent With Your Information

Your website might be flawless, but remember that your online presence also includes your other online profiles. Update all of your content, on every platform (Google +, Google Maps, Google Places, Yelp, etc.), every time. Failure to do so will hinder your SEO efforts, according to a recent article by Ashley Zeckman of TopRankBlog.com.

“It is important that your Google Places profile contains the same information as any other profiles your company may have online. Google Places pages create another opportunity to build trust and consistency as part of your marketing strategy. Be sure to audit your other profiles and answer each question as consistently as you can,” Zeckman said.

Ignoring Very Present Social Media Influences

It has been almost six years since Twitter launched, and since then, its users have grown to giant proportions. An article from Time Techland dated September 2011 revealed that Twitter has 100 million active users. Facebook launched in February 2004, and as of January 2012, there are 800 million users.

Use these sites and remember that they really do impact your SEO efforts. These websites are places where people spend countless hours connecting with friends or acquaintances, and they much are more likely to find you if you are a part of the conversation. Eric Hammer from Quantum SEO Labs talked about the importance of social media in a recent article.

“[Social media] has really taken the concept of SEO and stood it on its ear because until now, you were trying to get Google to notice you. Now, for the first time, because of social media, you need to try to get human beings to notice you too and recommend you to their friends,” Hammer said.

In short, don’t be anti-social networks, because they help your SEO efforts.

Considering Search Engines Other Than Google

Yahoo! and Bing just can’t do what Google can, according to Master Google’s CEO, Ali Husayni. Just take a look at the fact that Google has taken over 67% of the global search market, and that is old news. The number is surely even larger now, as Husayni explains.

“From the SEO point of view, ranking on Yahoo! and Bing is much easier than ranking on Google. But those that rank well with Google also rank well with the other rivals. You could rank #1 on both Yahoo! and Bing and still lose a big chunk of your business to your rivals that rank well on Google,” Husayni said.

If an SEO company shows you successful campaigns with Bing and Yahoo!, then ask them about Google. Tell them that you only want to be at the top of Google. After all, just as you should be careful when selecting SEO tactics, selecting an SEO company is even more important. According to Husayni, an SEO company knows its game and ranks very well on Google for their important keywords.

Keywords to use when researching SEO companies include: SEO, Google SEO, SEO Company, SEO Services, Free SEO, Cheap SEO, Google Ranking, Top of Google, etc. (Master Google ranks on the first page for Top of Google, first page of Google, Google SEO guaranteed and many other keywords.)

“These keywords vary for different SEO companies; nevertheless they must have a strong organic presence on Google,” Husayni said.

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SANTA MONICA, CA — Search engines are a complex weave of algorithms and updates, which can be stressful when it comes to tackling SEO. Master Google’s CEO and SEO expert Ali Husayni shares that in an ever-changing SEO world, a great team is everything because the game is always changing. On the eve of the Super Bowl, we at Master Google invite you to stay ahead of the game. Husayni shares a few different Super Bowl related analogies to throw around this idea: how creativity and critical analysis join forces to play a big part in any SEO strategy, and in all SEO teams.

“The Super Bowl is extremely analytical. You have to know exactly who to throw it to, and at one correct speed. It’s precision that comes with a lot of practice with the team, and requires them all to be extremely smart. To win, you have to guarantee that when you throw the ball to the quarter back, it’s going to land in your teammate’s hands,” Husayni says.

Husayni’s Super Bowl analogies are outlined below, and include the importance of a strong team and persistence.

Illustration Courtesy of Digboston.com

Know How To Analyze Different Ideas from Your Team

Husayni has advice for the head of any team, which includes knowing how to utilize the different ideas of his team. Husayni analyzes his own managerial style, saying:

“I can analyze, see a trend and see where it’s headed. What I’m good at is looking at what other people suggest and taking it a step further, combining different ideas to come up with a specific solution to a problem.”

Every employee has a different perspective, so be sure to listen. After all, the solution to any problem often comes from a combination of ideas.

Be a Team Player by Knowing Your Strengths

It suits the Super Bowl topic well to say that when it comes to launching a successful SEO strategy, you have to be a great team player. Each individual needs to know their area of expertise on the field, and each one needs to be the best at what they do. The combination of this expertise and hard work is what’s going to make the team a winning one, according to Husayni.

“Each team member we have is an expert in what they do. What they do is going to make the entire process succeed, and let the ball land with Google, with a higher search engine ranking result for our clients,” Husayni says.

Always Strive for Accuracy: There are No Shortcuts for Effective SEO

An accurate team is a winning team, according to Husayni. We can’t control SEO efforts entirely, because just like a football game SEO has fluctuations. You may go forward and then a little bit back. To hit a 10 yard mark, you need to be persistent and be careful not to go back a couple of yards without noticing it. Husayni explains the importance of a team effort when it comes to carrying out a touchdown of an SEO campaign.

“Before the quarter back throws the ball, the rest of the team needs to protect him. While an SEO strategy is vital, if you aren’t throwing your SEO tactics out at the right speed, you can get red flagged from Google,” Husayni says.

To avoid an interception from another business on Google’s search results, remember that a lot of what Google does is common sense. Google hates spamming techniques, like Black Hat SEO. So remember, while it might be tempting to duplicate content or buy links, if you just copy and paste or try to buy your way to the top without hard work, Google will take notice. Don’t risk getting flagged to save a tiny bit of time.

“Because some SEO companies are always looking for shortcuts, they are also looking for black hat techniques. The client is very happy and then Google changes their algorithm, and the black hat techniques are revealed. Then they hire us.”

So enjoy the game and remember—it’s all about the team.

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SANTA MONICA, CA — In a perfect web world, quality links are a big stamp of approval received from another site (or many sites, sending many, many clicks back to you). But, especially in the early days of link buying, before it was made such a huge ‘don’t', there were some pretty funny gimmicks out there, as pointed out in a humorous comic strip by BigOakInc.com.

But, the idea of selling links is still out there, even though Google addressed it years ago by putting Google’s Webspam team head, Matt Cutts, on the case. According to an in-depth blog entry by Cutts, the basic problem with selling links is that it makes a link-based reputation seem shallow, and, even worse, it can even make a Google search less reliable if not discovered. Cutts gives an example of the early link buying days, and what went wrong.

“Selling links muddies the quality of link-based reputation and makes it harder for many search engines (not just Google) to return relevant results,” Cutts says. “When the Berkeley College newspaper had six online gambling links [back in 2005] (three casinos, two for poker, and one bingo), on its front page, it’s harder for search engines to know which links can be trusted.”

In fact, the mass buying of links can ultimately render a site unsearchable and get it cast out of Google’s search results, especially if the site is selling links, as Cutts explains. So what should you do to get links? Do you turn to the dark side of SEO practices (as discussed in our Black Hat Vs. White Hat SEO tactics post), and if not, what do you do?

According to Cutts, links will come when you have great content on your site, which will help it to rank well on Google. Although, as Ali Husayni somewhat agrees with Cutts that great content is king but he believes that leaving your great content out there without any hands-on link-building efforts will get you no where.

“Great content may attract inbound links but only if your site has good popularity (did the chicken come first or the egg?)” Husayni says. “But since your competition is not sitting back waiting for inbound links to appear, you cannot either.”

In this case, you need to consult a professional white-hat SEO specialist to help you understand what you need to do.

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SANTA MONICA, CA – Although SEO is a serious time commitment, there are some lighthearted moments. From realizing that rankings can become a roller coaster ride if you check them moment-to-moment, to comedic commentary on just how perhaps overly personal searches have become (as outlined in our recent article, Search, Plus Your World), here are a few funnies to start your weekend off on a happy, lighter note.

The Rankings Game: What happens when we get addicted to checking our placement on Google’s search results? A wonderful comic strip by BigOakInc.com showcases the dangers of checking your rankings too often.

So how do you avoid this roller coaster? Our client CariniAir.com is a good example of what having the right attitude about the nature of changing rankings does for peace of mind. Doug Cooper, the VP of Marketing for CariniAir.com, has been working with Master Google for a relatively short period of time, and was supportive of our efforts, which landed him the top spot in Google Maps and Google Places. Cooper understands that rankings fluctuate slightly, but keeps it positive about the big gains in his website rankings.

“Finally achieving the top spot on Google Maps for our most important keywords is a dream come true. Everyone at Carini Heating and Air is very excited and grateful to Master Google for their continued hard work and persistence,” Cooper says.

When The Use of Highly Competitive Keywords Goes Wrong: Again, BigOakInc.com makes a great point about overusing keywords by inserting them into a conversation between coworkers at an SEO company.

While funny, this comic strip emphasizes that White Hat SEO techniques are so important for higher rankings, because Black Hat SEO simply defeats the purpose of keywords, because keyword stuffing without anything to back up those keywords is simply bad practice. According to Husayni, Black Hat SEO techniques include any techniques that use spam, cheap links and poor or irrelevant content just to get a higher ranking, and these techniques just hurt you in the long run. As you ruminate over the free SEO advice that you’ve learned about while reading these comic strips, also keep in mind that SEO efforts count for your blog content as well, Husayni advises.

“Blogs seem to be an important part of any site because they get updated on a regular basis,” Husayni says. “I suggest site owners should write for their sites on a regular basis. The more fresh, quality and relevant content they post to their sites, the better chances of exposure and inclusion on Google search results they will have.”

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SANTA MONICA, CA – Here at Master Google, we are not afraid to admit it: SEO is a lot of work. White hat techniques require real effort. After all, the things that white hat SEO requires are all big commitments (which is why a team of specialists is key).

Let’s take a look at a few of the basics of white hat content: quality content, site optimization, link baiting, guest blogging, internal linking, and semantic markup. The differences between white, gray and black hat marketing efforts are described to perfection in the form of a clever picture titled SEO Wars: What Color is Your Lightsaber, featured in a recent article by Angie Schottmuller of Search Engine Watch.

The definitions of gray and black hat seo practices are also made more clear by this picture. The gray hat area of SEO techniques include: spinning/rewriting articles, reciprocal links, buying old/expired domains, and Google bombing/washing. Black hat techniques include: keyword stuffing, link farms, hidden text, cloaking, scraping, doorway pages, comment spam, and paid links/content+.

Keep in mind that both gray hat and black hat areas will hurt you in the long run, according to Ali Husayni, the CEO of the SEO service company, Master Google. Heed the warning of Google’s anti-spam strategy: they can distinguish between black hat and white hat SEO techniques, and your rank will rise and fall accordingly.

“The only thing not changing with SEO is that it’s always changing,” Husayni says. “Be diligent in keeping up with those changes as [you handle your] site’s SEO, or partner with a qualified SEO provider to handle that task.”

After all, the battle lines between white hat, gray hat, and black hat techniques are drawn quite clearly, so pick an SEO practice and stick with it, urges Schottmuller, using Star Wars as an analogy.

“Will you uphold the righteous values of quality content and serve as a SEO Light Jedi, or do you long to be a master of deception as a SEO Sith Lord?” Schottmuller says. “Perhaps you’re a SEO Dark Jedi – once believing in white hat tactics and now thirsting for the dark side. Or perhaps you’re a SEO Jedi Fashionista – knowledgeable of both sides, but discreet in practices to keep up appearances.”

Our strong suggestion: do your search engine optimization efforts justice by sticking with white hat techniques.

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BOULDER, CO -   A news story circulating major media outlets recently highlighted the issue of negative publicity and its connection to higher Google rankings – a reality that has caused some serious problems for many consumers.

An article in the New York Times detailed the problems one consumer faced when she came across an unscrupulous business owner in her quest to order some eyeglasses. She was cheated and sought official help. The business welcomed negative publicity because any feedback- good or bad- helped with rankings.

While many respected SEO companies work with businesses to help them get top SEO rankings, the business featured in this article went another route – one that caused problems deliberately.

SEO service Master Google’s Ali Husayni says he has faith that companies that get attention due to mistreating customers will not succeed.

“In the long run, being  a reputable company that uses appropriate SEO to draw customers in goes a lot farther than treating customers poorly and trying to take advantage of the search system,” Husayni says.

Google addressed the problem in a blog, and provided tips on how to avoid experiencing difficulties. The blog points out there are things consumers can do to protect themselves, and that Google took steps to try and alleviate the problem.

“…in the last few days we developed an algorithmic solution (that) detects the merchant from the … article along with hundreds of other merchants that, in our opinion, provide an extremely poor user experience,” says the blog. “The algorithm .. incorporated into our search rankings, represents an initial solution …Google users are now getting a better experience as a result.”

There are many consumer review sites available online, and the savvy consumer will conduct research to find out if others have had problems with a business prior to entrusting them with credit card information. As for the future of companies that seek bad postings to get higher rankings, Husayni says their standing on the Web is not solid.

“It is true that people have profited heavily by ‘tricking’ or ‘spamming’ Google in the past,” Husayni says, “but Google history shows that those companies and businesses never survived its algorithm updates. This case is a great example and a good reason why people should do business ethically.”

A better way to boost rankings, he says, is for businesses to seek reputable search engine optimization firms who use “white-hat” SEO techniques.

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