Google Penguin Update: 8 Quality Guidelines to Follow

What is Google Penguin Update? What does Google do with the Penguin? You might like to ask if you are new to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Google Penguin is the official name for Google's new launch of search engine algorithm change, which targets at web spam to ensure the quality of the websites in providing products or services when people google search for.

Dad, what is Google gonna do with our penguins?

Google lists eight quality guidelines for a quality website NOT to do:

1. Avoid hidden text or hidden links.
2. Don’t use cloaking or sneaky redirects.
3. Don’t send automated queries to Google.
4. Don’t load pages with irrelevant keywords.
5. Don’t create multiple pages, subdomains, or domains with substantially duplicate content.
6. Don’t create pages with malicious behavior, such as phishing or installing viruses, trojans, or other badware.
7. Avoid “doorway” pages created just for search engines, or other “cookie cutter” approaches such as affiliate programs with little or no original content.
8. If your site participates in an affiliate program, make sure that your site adds value. Provide unique and relevant content that gives users a reason to visit your site first.

KingSource Auto Parts online store is an online source offering custom projector head lights and LED tail lights in the automotive after market. We follow strictly Google's basic principles in building quality Kingsource.com website and providing quality aftermarket lighting products for Audi, BMW, Honda,Chevy, GMC, Ford, Dodge, and more.

Matt Cutts of Google on SEO and Search Engine Ranking Algorithm

Matt Cutts of Google talks a lot about SEO recent days. In a webmaster discussion at SXSW, Matt Cutts spoke about some changes Google is working on that would seem to make SEO matter less, in that sites with fresh, original quality page content that don't do a lot of SEO could potentially rank just as well, or better than a bigger site with a bigger SEO budget and a lot of SEO tactics implemented. The whole thing appears to be more about Google getting better at not helping sites just because they employ a lot of grey hat/borderline black hat tactics. Google has always tried to do this, but based on what Cutts said, it sounds like they're about to get better at it.

Changes to Google's search engine ranking algorithm have the ability to make or break businesses. Google is sending out the signal that you should worry less about the current SEO trends, and more about producing great page content, and that they're "leveling the playing field" for sites that don't pay as much attention to SEO. Obviously great content is a positive, but at the same time, Google is showing us each month all of the changes it is making, and all the while, providing tips about how to do certain SEO things better. Is Google sending mixed signals? Just how much should webmasters worry about optimization?

SEO SEM Keyword Research Tools

Keyword research is one of the critical parts of SEO and SEM for any eCommerce online business.

The following is some of the keyword research tools I would like to recommend:

Google AdWords Keyword Tool: better for SEM keyword bidding, need to consider the long-tail keywords or niche keywords for Google organic search results page.

Google Analytics Keywords: You can find those keywords that your online store pageviewers get to your online store for the product or service they are looking for. Tweed and optimize those keywords in those specific pages to enhance the page rankings.

Bing Webmaster Tool Keyword Assistant: Bing and Yahoo work together trying to compete against Google. How well are they doing? Need more time to test the results. Same as to Bing's keyword research tool.

Alexa.com: Amazon-owned web information company. More and more web sites are citing their Alexa Ranking though be aware Alexa data is more accurate for the higher ranked websites. The small online business owners could only use the data for reference purpose only. Gather those keywords and combine them with other sources (Google & Bing), and work on those niche keywords. I also like to search our competitors' sites for inbound links to build.

WebConfs.com: free SEO tools for website keyword suggestions, Alexa Global Rank #3451, US #6007, inbound links #6756.

Wordpot.com: another free keyword research tool for niche key terms and phrases Alexa Global Rank# 80,565, US Rank #26,617, inbound links #273.

WordTracker.com: they offer 7-day free trial for the keyword tool, which costs $69 per month to continue the membership. There are some free guides and webinars for the keyword basics which is worth to explore.

NicheBot.com: it is not free anymore. $1 for a 14-day trial and $17.5 per month for silver membership, $33.7 for gold and $108.5 for platinum monthly membership.

KeywordDiscovery.com: Owned by Trellian company which has a bunch of .com websites for SEO services. Will check it out later.

Finding Sites to Link to KingSource.com

Find sites linking to your competition in aftermarket auto parts industry is the most important step in building inbound links to KingSource.com, a leading online source for after market auto parts and car accessories with specialty in custom aftermarket lighting parts & accessories.

KingSource.com offers after market car and truck lights for a wide selection of products for replacement and performance, such as headlights, tail lamps, fog lights, corner/bumper lens, brake lamps, in particular, projector headlights, euro crystal headlights,euto tail lights lights, LED tail lights, halo truck lights, led luxury car lights, Daytime Driving Lights, Wheel lights, neon lights, undercar lights, and many more.

Google Toolbar
The little blue i button on the Google Toolbar is the Backward Links command. This info feature generally shows pages of a PageRank of 4 or more.

Google Search
Search for link:yourcompetitiondomain.com in Google.However, Google link search shows only a small subset of those inlinks to KingSource.com or any of your competition. Use Google's link search result as a reference to other search results.

Bing Webmaster Tool
Yahoo! Search's Site Explorer is now merged with Bing Webmaster Tool since July 2011.

Alexa Site Info
Alexa site info provides both global and regional (US) traffic rankings and reputation of the incoming links to your competitor's online store. Get details then click on the number of inlinks, which shows a list of inbound links.

Link popularity sites
LinkPopularity.com: searches Google, AltaVista, and HotBot to find links of your competitors for you to consider linking to KingSource.com.
MarketLeap.com: searches AlltheWeb, Google, AltaVista, HotBot, and MSN for links of your competitors.

Link popularity software
SEO Elite: a SEO software by Brad Callen of Bryxen Software, Inc., recommended by Peter Kent, author of SEO for Dummies. One of those dummies is ME!
$167 for a program that looks for links to a site in various search engines,SeO Elite has the ability to find potential link partners and email them, has a way to search for potential link-submission pages and quickly submit information to them.
LinkPartners.com: a free service for link-building program with a huge directory of people who want to exchange links. LinksManager.com is fee-based service associated with LinkParteners.
Links4Trade.com: a RipOff report on Dec. 2007 regarding this internet site disappeared, which charge fee for its service of link-building that creates only a single page.

Asking for links
Once you find sites of your interest for a link to your site, say KingSource.com, so how do you ask for the link? Nicely. An informal chatty message, explain what your site does and why it would be of use to the other site's visitors.

The best strategy of SEO site-linking is to get related links from pages with high PageRanks!