Google’s New Disavow Links Tool announced at Pubcon

Article by Pierre Zarokian, CEO of SubmitExpress.com

Last week I attended Pubcon Las Vegas 2012, one of the biggest webmaster trade shows of the year. I came back with thought-provoking and entertaining stories to share. One of these involved Google’s new link removal tool, Disavow Links.

Here’s what happened. The day before Google’s head of webspam, Matt Cutts, delivered his keynote address at Pubcon, I ran into him in the hallway of the show. I brought up the difficulty of removing bad links pointing to our company’s clients — even after strenuous outreach, many website owners will not respond to requests to remove such links. I asked Matt Cutts what Google could do about the matter. Matt asked me if I thought a “link removal tool would be good,” and after I mentioned that Bing had had the tool for over six months, and that many in the SEO community were asking for it, Matt said that he would pass on my suggestion to his team.

That was October 15th; on the 16th, Matt Cutts held a keynote speech at Pubcon, and Google officially released its Disavow Links Tool. It is especially welcomed by those adversely affected by Google’s Penguin Update. Still, Google is advising caution: if you disavow the wrong link, it will take weeks to “reavow” it. Google is also suggesting that you try contacting the owners of the links you want removed before turning to Disavow Links. Access the tool by going to http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2648487 and check out Cutts’ video about it below.

Negative SEO Becoming a Big Problem

As the Web becomes more crowded, people are finding new ways to peg down competitors. Negative SEO, a destructive weapon that aims for search rankings, is gaining new ground. Negative SEO metes out its damage through intrusion, duplicate content, and link spamming. If you want to meet Negative SEO’s unsparing attacks with unsparing vigilance, start reading Pierre Zarokian’s (CEO of Submit Express) recent article on the topic. It was published at www.sitepoint.com and you can read the full article by following the link below:

http://www.sitepoint.com/can-negative-seo-really-get-your-site-penalized/

SEO Basics: The Power of Review and Analysis Services

So you’ve launched a new business and a beautiful website — congratulations! But there’s one problem: your customers can’t seem to find you in the major search engines. Sound familiar?

Most businesses contact SEO companies after they’ve created their websites. Often times, they are searching for a miracle service to get more traffic to their sites. While this is understandable, what they don’t realize is that SEO begins with fixing existing issues. In other words, before an SEO company can implement internet marketing tactics, it will need to identify and repair existing problem areas on your site.

Unfortunately, many websites are oozing with major problems such as duplicate content and poor-quality back links that violate Google best practices. This is why it’s important to find an SEO company that offers review and analysis services to help find and fix existing issues with your site before integrating other internet marketing tactics.

In order to get traffic to your site, it has to be friendly to customers as well as the search engines. The fact is designing a beautiful website doesn’t bring traffic to your site; proper search engine optimization does. So before you invest in SEO services, find an experienced SEO agency that offers comprehensive review and analysis services of your site. This SEO agency should be able to not only identify problem areas, but also come up with proven solutions for repair and recovery.

Visit www.topseos.com to learn more about how to find the best agency for your needs.

Google Penguin Update Interview With Our CEO Pierre Zarokian

Pierre Zarokian, CEO of Submit Express, was interviewed by Murray Newlands at LeadsCon Las Vegas 2012. The interview touched on the Google Penguin update and other trending topics in the world of search engine marketing. See the interview for yourself to get the lowdown on diversifying your lead generation strategies, the uptick in purchases of existing Web sites and expired domain names, and the growing importance of getting the “age factor” into brand-new sites.

Video:

Pierre Zarokian Breaks Down Negative SEO for SEO-News

Today, SEO-News.com featured an article written by Pierre Zarokian, CEO of Burbank’s own Submit Express. The article, titled “How to Protect Your Site from Negative SEO," provided a primer on negative SEO and the ways site owners could escape (or recover from) its nefarious effects. To find out more about how to prevent lowered search engine rankings, go to http://www.seo-news.com/how-to-protect-your-site-from-negative-seo/ to read the full article on the SEO-News website.

Read More:

http://www.seo-news.com/how-to-protect-your-site-from-negative-seo/

Details on the Recent Google Penguin & Panda Updates

In a new article published in SearchEngineWatch.com, Submit Express CEO Pierre Zarokian sheds light on Google’s most recent algorithm changes, Panda 3.5, 3.6, and the Penguin update.

Available on May 11, Insights From the Recent Penguin & Panda Updates provides valuable information about the latest algorithm updates through in-depth analysis of the sites that have been affected by the changes. The article also offers useful white hat techniques for recovery after the updates. Valuable and insightful, Zarokian’s article is a must-read for SEO professionals, site owners and web developers.

Why Landing Page Design is so Important

The place where people “land” after conducting an online search, selecting an ad, or opening an email, landing page design has become an important part of internet marketing. Without a quality landing page, users might not be convinced to take any action, even if your rankings are high in the SERPs (search engine results page). This is why it is very important to design a powerful landing page that focuses on conversions.

The question is: Is there a standard template for the ideal landing page? The simple answer is no; landing page optimization is an ever-evolving project, and search engine optimization professionals are constantly tweaking their campaigns to test out the latest tricks. However, there are certain design rules that can improve your landing page.

The fact is a powerful landing page can turn a mere browser into a buyer, or a surfer into a spender. There are many elements involved in landing page optimization, ranging from the look and feel of the page to a strong call to action.

Without the right skills, including Web design, analytics, and data, site owners simply don’t have the means to conduct testing on their own. This is why it is important to trust a team of professionals that can help you with proper landing page design optimization. Submit Express, a leading internet marketing firm in Burbank, CA, offers premium landing page optimization services that serve both the business owner and the online user.

The Advantages of Hiring an SEO Agency

Select your SEO agency wisely and you’ll be on track to improved online traffic and more engagement from your online audience. Folks in the business know that improved audience engagement is a surefire indication of incoming rises in profits or in the faster attainment of the particular goals of your site. If the purpose of your online portal is to recruit volunteers, you’ll have an immensely easier time going about it if the majority of the inquiries you receive from online visitors come from people who want to participate. You are probably all too familiar with how taxing it can be to your resources to field questions or comments unrelated to your enterprise.

Dealing with these types of issues is where SEO companies excel. They are the places to turn to when your in-house staff doesn’t have the time, or expertise, to craft compelling write-ups that can captivate and persuade readers; or, maybe they’re unable to implement changes to your site’s design that makes it be more in tune with major search engines.

What else can an SEO company do for you? It can help you construct a better image of whom, precisely, your core audience is. If you want to expand beyond it, say reach folks in a neighboring town that could be more responsive to your business, then delving into SEO work is the way to go. And although search engine optimization is primarily concerned with the search engines, part of its work today also involves “social media optimization.” Say Yes to improvements by saying Yes to SEO.

Cowell Turns to SEO to Change His “Mean” Image

Simon Cowell’s new gig as one of the judges (and executive producers) of the U.S. version of his hit British TV show “X Factor” means that his reputation as the “King of Mean” judges on “American Idol” might not suit him so well. The New York Daily News reports that many observers are suggesting that Cowell has turned to search engine optimization tactics such as negative suppression to turn around his public persona.

Judges on “X Factor” mentor certain performers and help them gain favor with the voting audience. This means that Cowell will want people at home to like him in order to get behind the acts he is mentoring. One way that Cowell might be doing this is to push negative articles about him on online sites down in search engine results while promoting articles that feature him in a positive light.

Although his spokesperson denies that this is happening, several experts believe that an SEO firm like Reputation Management Consultants – which has a strong UK presence – could be behind the sudden rise of positive Simon Cowell webpages as Web site results.

Former Universal Music and EMI executive and blogger Hans Ebert has also accused SEO firms working on behalf of Cowell of doing more sinister activities. A blog post he made that was critical of Cowell’s stint on “American Idol” was pulled for 12 hours after WordPress received a complaint that it violated its Terms of Service. The blog was restored and Ebert traced the source of the problems to a firm in Bangladesh which has been hired by a London SEO firm in the past to monitor Web activities relating to certain celebrities.

Tales of a Link Prostitute: No Cash in Vegas Calls for Desperate Measures

It’s a widely known fact that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Not quite as widely known, but still a fact is this: if you have no cash in Vegas, you stay in Vegas.

This is the position I found myself in when I attended PubCon, a conference for online marketers. I could only take out $80 a day in cash due to a mix up at the bank. Also, another mix up had depleted all of my credit without me knowing.

What was a girl to do?

“You could become a link prostitute,” one search engine marketer volunteered at the bar. “Sell links from your website to make mad dollars.”

Some online marketers buy links to their website to help them rank higher on search engines – but none will admit to doing it. It’s a bad idea.

But desperate times call for desperate measures.

I take you through the steps of degenerating into a link prostitute while living it up in two luxury hotels in Vegas.

Palms Place

I arrived at Palms Place late at night on Monday and couldn’t believe my amazing room and warm reception. I stayed in a gorgeous studio with black hardwood floors, a mammoth king-sized bed, a sleek well laid out washroom, and a fully functioning kitchen.

The room also came equipped with a sitting area, comfy sectional couch, and an amazing view of the mountains and the Strip, which I used to make new friends who were staying at a not-quite-as-stunning hotel down the street.

One thing that everyone needs to know about Vegas is that you need cash to get around. Most cabs don’t accept credit cards. I tried to take out some money as I was leaving late for my first day of the conference.

“Insufficient Funds”, the machine said.

Crushed.

Palms Place is not the sort of outfit that caters to folks with insufficient funds. Did I sleep walk to the craps tables, conveniently placed at Palms Resort and Casino just down the way? I broke out into a nervous sweat.

The hotel staff let me use their front desk computer – which was great customer service by the way. I learned that the bank machine was stupid, that I had more than sufficient funds, I just couldn’t access them. Again, the staff went out of their way to flag down the only cab in Las Vegas that accepts credit cards. I made the conference on time.

Learning You Have More in Common with the Thieves Than you Thought

The next morning, I called my lovely bank to ask them what the %&@*! was going on. They had reset my daily withdrawal limit so that I could only take out $80 cash, they explained, because they felt that my card had been compromised in May 2009.

Could they raise my limit for the duration of my stay?

“No. The thieves might have greater access to your account if we do that,” the lady said.

Well, at least I had something in common with my frenemies in debit card fraud: neither of us could access large sums of cash from my account. How comforting.

Encore at the Wynn

One plus about working for Kiwi Collection is that you get to move around every couple of days and experience the best hotels in a given area. Using my allotted $80 USD, I zipped from the conference center to Palms Place, and then over to Encore at the Wynn, one of the newest (and most gorgeous) hotels on the Las Vegas Strip.

Encore is a sister property to the Vegas landmark Wynn Las Vegas. It opened in December 2008.

I entered the complex at the Wynn Las Vegas. As it turned out, I couldn’t check in to Encore from there, and had to meander through the elaborate red-carpeted halls, lined with shops, casino areas and restaurants (poor me!).

My suite had a comfy king-sized bed and separate sitting area, a great view of the strip and a big desk for post-conference work. My favourite thing about the room was the bathtub, which I made immediate use of.

I had the Grilled Jidori Chicken at Society Café at the hotel. And, over a glass of sweet Riesling, all of my cash-strapped stress was melting away…at least until it came time to pay.

“This credit card is declined,” the barman said. “Can I put this meal to your room?”

He didn’t seem rattled – and even believed me when I explained that I was “surprised” and “shocked” and that there “must be some mistake”. This is Vegas after all: after five days, most people’s credit cards don’t work.

Sparing the boring details – my credit card disaster was the product of yet another “misunderstanding” that would need to be sorted out once I arrived back home in Vancouver. If I could get back to Vancouver, that is.

Meeting Your Inner Degenerate

I used my remaining $20 American to hitch a ride to the networking event held by Pubcon. Since I wouldn’t be able to buy anything there (ie. booze), I figured it would be safe to go in my frazzled state. Also, I was looking forward to getting in my exercise, walking the 10 or so miles back to Encore at the Wynn when the festivities were over since I now had no cash or credit.

I was met by a hundred or so friendly online marketers all of whom had lots of suggestions on how to make a quick buck. They all agreed that with this crowd, the most valuable thing I could sell would be links from my website. This would allow me to return to Vancouver, where I could shake my fist at my bank in person.

Michael Bonfils of SEM International – a company that specializes in international online marketing strategies, chose to buy me a beer instead of buying my links, promising that it would make me feel better.

Jill Sampey of Blast Radius was also sympathetic, and offered to feed me tequila shots when she realized my night had gone awry.

My new friends Alon from Israel, and Allen Horwitz and Pierre Zarokian from Submit Express, an SEO Company, provided much assistance in finding a cash machine at three minutes to midnight so I could withdraw my $80 allowance for the day.

One chap would only agree to buy my links if I would sell 500 of them for $5.

I wasn’t prepared to go that cheap.

But then I saw him, from across the room. It was Danny Dover – a young up and coming SEO who surely wouldn’t know any better than to buy my crap links for cash. Why I thought this, I don’t know. In reality, this young grasshopper works at the famous company SEOMoz and has just finished writing an excellent Internet Marketing book all about doing search marketing the “right way” and not needing to resort to buying links from link prostitutes like me.

After talking at this poor man for about an hour, he decided to feed me more shots (probably to make me shut up). That’s when my inner degenerate made a guest appearance.

The rest is a blur of generous Americans offering me money not to link to them and blackjack dealers getting angry at me for stumbling through their “working area” at 4 a.m. Thankfully, my new best friends Michael and Danny led me back to Encore at the Wynn, since I no longer had motor skills and was easily distracted by shiny objects.

The good people at Encore took pity on me, and allowed me to check out late. I spent the day with the blinds closed, contemplating what I had done, and working on materials for my friends back at the office.

At the end of my time in Vegas, I realized that being a link prostitute was just not the career for me. I was lousy at it. Also, I wouldn’t be able to tell my mother what I was doing at night.

However, I did learn a lot about how fun and friendly Las Vegans can be (even if you have no money), and that I was good at getting free tequila, business cards and cab rides.

And if that doesn’t make for a great trip to Sin City, what does?

Story submitted By: Melissa Mewdell from Kiwi Collection
Danny Dover is the author of Search Engine Optimization Secrets.
No parts of this story may be copied or duplicated without permission from the author.

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