It is important to understand how to use heading tags as well a when to use them. Use the H1 tag around the name of your product or service. This should be the keyword that you plan to target with that particular web page. This is important to do because that is what tells the search engines that these particular words found on that page are the most important from all of them that are displayed on that page.

You can start out with the keyword or phrase the same font, size, and even bold as the rest of it. Then you can use a style sheet to change the various elements of the H1 tag. Even if you aren’t selling goods or services, your website can still benefit from the use of heading tags. Any page that has content on it should have its own heading. If you have a blog, then the post title should be considered the H1 tag.

When you have sub sections of an article, that is when you would use H2 and H3 tags. You also need to make sure you use appropriate header tags for the various types of pages found on the typical website. This can include the about us page – where you would use about us as the keywords of the H1 tag.

With the use of heading tags on your web pages, you offer some type of structure that is the foundation of it for the search engines. They rely on you telling them that the H1 tag is the most important part of that particular web page that is being indexed. It is important to use these heading tags on every single web page. It will certainly help you to get higher rankings in the search engines. As a great tip, your H1 tag should be the same as or very similar to what you have as your title tag.

Therefore, one of the goals in the world of e-commerce has to be creating and securing a very good reputation. To find out what is going on with it right now, go to Google because it is the #1 search engine that people use today. Type in your company name and see what comes up.

Go through the first few pages and see what is listed. However, I encourage you to go at least five pages deep to get a great deal of information. This type of digging helps you to see what people have to say about you. Chances are you can also find out if there are some solid links to your website or not being identified in that search engine for potential visitors.

During this type of search, you are very likely going to come across some profiles. Some of them may be social media profiles due to the explosive use of it online today. However, they won’t have links in them, just your company name most of the time. To help you with improving reputation and ranking, get in touch with the various site owners and see if you can get a link put in there as link text to your business name.

Back to the concern of your reputation, type in your business name and the reviews behind it. There you will see what consumers have to say about you. If there are negative comments, then try to get in touch with those consumers and address their issues. Learn from what is being said too. For example, if you have complaints about customer service not getting back to them vamp up that area of your business to make it stronger.

Many of the sites with reviews will also allow you to make comments. That is your opportunity to make amends. Take responsibility, thank the individual for sharing information, and then state how you plan to correct the problem. This type of improvement on your part will hold plenty of clout with those considering buying something from you. It is a great way to improve your reputation.

Too often though people will just plan their initial website. They have a variety of web pages and they create them and call it good. Your website should always be a work in progress so that it continues to generate new visitors for you. This will also ensure that you get plenty of repeat traffic from people that have been there before. Your site will continue to be trendy and current with new content instead of becoming boring and outdated over time.

Studies indicate that the top ranking sites on the search engines out there are those that have regular updates to their web pages. They also contain a great deal of very good content that is relevant to that their site is all about. You have to evaluate all of it from the view of the search engines. They know that if they want to be of value to the customers they have to give them the best possible experience.

This is why Google is the search engine of choice – they offer lots of information on any subject. There is typically not any reason for a consumer of Google to go to any other search engine. They are going to find what they need high in the pages of search results that come back to them. If that wasn’t the case then they would be starting with other search engines. If you want to place well in Google, then you must continually be adding good content to your web pages.

It is a good idea to get into the habit of routinely adding content to your website. You may decide to write it on your own. However, you can also outsource to a ghostwriter that can offer you some fresh content on a weekly basis. This is a cost effective way of getting better rankings and that will generally also increase your conversion rates. There will always be new topics in your niche that you can use to add content with. Make sure you optimize what you add with keywords that consumers will most likely be typing into the various search engines.

I’d like to start by sharing a quick story about an experience I had a week ago with my smart phone.

Friday night, my wife and I were looking for some dinner, sick of the normal chain restaurants that plague our area we were hoping to find something new and reasonably priced. There are many smart phone options to find local restaurants, bars, theaters, and activities but my go-to app currently is Yelp. If you haven’t tried it before, Yelp is a review and rating app that lets users share experiences they have at a business, generally used for restaurants. The app also lists a businesses website, picture, and other relevant information when available.

For any new restaurant my standard approach is to check out the star ratings, read 3-4 quick reviews and then click on the website link to find the menu.

I decided on a new restaurant that had recently opened and had good reviews. Next step was to check their menu to make sure the prices were reasonable and we liked the dinner options. Yelp did have the restaurants website link but clicking it brought me to a page completely unusable by my iPhone because it was completely created with Flash.

I don’t necessarily have anything against Flash, the website likely looks beautiful on a computer but that doesn’t help me while out shopping and hunger strikes. We then found the next intriguing restaurant on the list, checked reviews, read the menu and had a great dinner. Unfortunately the first restaurant lost one customer that night and potentially a lot more in the future. Thanks for sticking with me to the point I’m trying to make – Be Mobile Friendly!

Although Yelp was the example I used there are many other ways a mobile user will find a business. TripAdvisor, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and more can all connect possible customers to your business from a mobile device on the go. In most cases, the user will be directed to your website and it is extremely important to anticipate what they will be looking for. In my example, the restaurant needed to have a menu accessible on the home page, even with flash they could have used an html link to a PDF file which would be mobile friendly.

My advice to any business from restaurant to roller skate rink is do your own ‘smart phone web audit’. Take your iPhone, Blackberry, Android or other and go to your businesses website right now, what do you see? Most smart phone browsers can now render full websites and just require zooming in to navigate, your main focus should be whether or not the important content is easy to find and read. If you think content is hard to find or access yourself, chances are so will your customers – change it. Another option is to create a complete mobile friendly version of your website; this can be done from scratch or by using services such as Mobify or for WordPress sites WPTouch and WPTap.

I hope you take the two minutes to test your site out and then make any necessary changes, every small competitive advantage helps.

Matt is a Social Media Consultant at Near Coast Media.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @mattjham.

Ginzametrics is using the SEOmoz API as a complement to its own intelligence data platform. Links to customer sites are being actively re-crawled in order to develop custom recommendations for link building efforts as well as in-depth reporting and alerts. Enterprise customers are receiving the first access to the SEOmoz-driven data, with all Ginzametrics customers gaining access in the coming weeks.

Launched in early 2010, Ginzamarkets offers the Ginzametrics SEO dashboard for mid-size and enterprise level clients. Ginzametrics presents complex data into actionable recommendations on a page-by-page basis. The complete solution covers all aspects of SEO including server configuration, broken link notifications, improved crawling and granular keyword recommendations.

We are currently searching for a full-time, permanent Search Engine Marketing Manager in Mesquite. Our client is a large, stable distribution company starting a new/ separate e-tail division thus this is a newly created position. This position will report directly to the business owners.

Responsibilities include;
– Create a marketing plan for launching the B2C web site and applications
– Develop, implement and maintain comprehensive organized search engine optimization recommendations
– Conduct keyword analysis/ research and development quality keyword portfolio utilizing SEO tools and resources
– Perform website analyses, consultation and other SEM services
– Maintain web analytics tracking and make adjustments where necessary
– Analyze latest algorithm changes and continually modify recommendations and best practices with regards to content, links, etc.
– Develop and implement quality link programs and/ or directory listings
– Drive traffic to the web site using innovative but cost effective marketing strategies and tools, including social media and other approaches
– Create and edit content for social media marketing initiatives

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities;
– Must have proven experience successfully launching a consumer web site and online marketing strategies
– Basic coding experience to be able to implement on-page optimization strategies
– Extensive experience with developing marketing strategies and campaigns to drive online customer acquisition and engagement
– Experience with a B2C web-based start-ups
– Strong Research skills and ability to review articles, blogs, web discussion forums, press releases, etc. and extract the key points from an SEO and technical perspective
– Knowledge of Search Engine Optimization, along with all of the associated online analytics tools
– Knowledge of various social media techniques and tools
– Ability to work independently initially then recommend additional staff needs as the on-line business grows
– Ability to manage a small team and work in a positive way with team members
– Ability to think creatively to come up with new, valuable approaches and present these ideas to owners

Our client offers an excellent benefits plan and ESOP program.
If you are looking to get in on the ground floor with a new business offering substantial stability and financial backing- this is the opportunity for you! This position offers outstanding opportunity for growth!

Please forward your resume and salary requirements ASAP to; pam@peakrecruitingsolutions.com as our client is ready to begin interviews.

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a leader in measuring the digital world, and released its monthly comScore qSearch analysis of the U.S. search marketplace. Google’s web sites led the core search market in December 2011 with 65.9 percent of search queries conducted.

Google has 65.9 percent market share, which is up 0.5 percentage points from the previous month. Microsoft’s web sites now has 15.1 percent (up 0.1 percentage points from the previous month) and Yahoo!’s web sites have 14.5 percent. Ask Network accounted for 2.9 percent of explicit core searches, followed by AOL, Inc. with 1.6 percent.

According to comScore, “More than 18.2 billion explicit core searches were conducted in December (up 2 percent). Google Sites ranked first with 12 billion (up 3 percent), followed by Microsoft Sites with 2.7 billion (up 2 percent) and Yahoo! Sites with 2.6 billion. Ask Network delivered 531 million searches (up 3 percent), while AOL, Inc. rounded out the top five with 287 million.”

Here are a few screen captures of what this looks like:

In this case, they keyword searched is the beginning of the word “hello” with several letter “L”s in the search field.

What is interesting is that as of the writing of this blog post, you can see this in Canada only. I tried using http://www.google.ca/ and can see it just fine. But so far I am not seeing this functionality in Google.com. Maybe it’s because Canadians have more trouble typing? (I’m joking!)

A hat tip goes out to JS Lascary for this tip.

Update:Barry pointed out to me that this was tested back in October but it now appears that it’s being rolled out to more people now.

Hopefully, check your external links from time to time. You can’t just put them out there and then assume they are always going to work. Nothing is more frustrating to a visitor then seeing a link, clicking on it, and the link is broken. Or, the domain name has expired and you’re linking to some web site that you don’t want to link out to.

This can make your site appear to be very unprofessional. It can also result in your site dropping in terms of where it is placed on the search engine rankings. Checking those external links frequently will aid you with your various SEO efforts. It is very simple to check them, but you do need to keep track of where you have links. The more your website grows, the more external links you will have out there.

Then you can routinely just click on them and make sure every single one of them works. If they don’t, take immediate action to find out what the problem is and to correct it. If you have a links page that is quite old, then it may be time to update it all. You also want to make sure the links are to sites that you are happy with. You may be out there involved with sites that you don’t think are a good fit for your business such as one that offers adult materials.

Find sites that offer you plenty of link value too, which means that they get a decent amount of traffic on a regular basis. You can use various tools too so that your efforts for checking your links are very simple. One that I highly recommend is called Xenu Link Sleuth. You can add all of the links to your website here and then get regular reports about them.

You always want to make sure your links work and that you aren’t linked to any type of site that you would rather not be associated with. Links are a vital resource for effective search engine optimization, but they can also hurt you if they aren’t good links.

For more detailed information about external links and external linking, see the SEOmoz info about external links.

We started off at the beginning of the year with some pretty irresponsible search engine optimization tactics performed by some major brands on the web. Overstock.com was penalized for their shady search engine optimization tactics, JC Penney was caught gaming the search engine optimization system, and Google penalized Forbes.com for selling links on their website. We then had some Google hypocrisy, an SEO firm liable for their client’s website content, and a sketchy search engine optimization firm forcing Google to Out them. I cannot possibly forget Robert Scoble’s apology to the SEO community as a whole, saying that he was wrong. Then there’s the very weird but timely $1,000 reward offered for the proving of link value. And finally, We cannot possibly forget Yahoo! shutting down their free Site Explorer service, and locksmiths using local SEO spam tactics to embarrass Google Maps.

1. Overstock.com Gets Penalized
In February, 2011, Google penalized Overstock.com for links to their website–which were determined to be what I would call “unnatural” in nature. In exchange for a link to their website (which would boost Overstock’s search engine rankings), colleges and universities listed a discount for students. This practice has been going on for years, and many websites have been benefitting from these links related to discount codes that retailers and other websites offer. Google determined that this was unnatural, and thus penalized Overstock.com as a result. I am listing this as the number one blunder of 2011 since this affected not just Overstock.com. I have been seeing hundreds of websites take advantage of these links over the years.

2. Forbes.com Penalized for Selling Links
Google does not like it when a website sells text links. Google informed Forbes.com that they are violating Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. According to Search Engine Roudtable, “Google told Forbes that they have “artificial or unnatural links on your site pointing to other sites that could be intended to manipulate PageRank” on their web site. In other words, they are selling links, which is against Google’s guidelines.” This is the number two blunder–especially because Forbes has been doing this for years and they should have known better than to sell text links.

3. J.C. Penney Banned for Gaming Google
One of the biggest search engine optimization news stories of the year has to be J.C. Penney being banned in Google. Well, only for a short time, that is. The New York Times had a big story called “Search Engine Optimization and Its Dirty Little Secrets” that caused quite a stir in the SEO world. Even though J.C. Penney claimed that they did not know (or did not actually acquire the links themselves), that is truly no excuse. The J.C. Penney website was banned in the Google search engine for a short time.

4. Google Accused of Hypocrisy Over Grooveshark Ban
The number four SEO blunder for this year is Google’s handling of the Grooveshark ban. While not directly related to Search Engine Optimization, the SEO industry is much more critical when it comes to Google. And the timing of the Grooveshark ban is certainly not to be taken lightly. According to the EFF, the takedown timing was not very good by Google: “Did Google’s takedown intentionally coincide with its appearance before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on (intellectual property) in an effort to make itself more sympathetic to Congress?”

5. SEO Firm Liable for Client’s Website Content
In March 2011, a company’s SEO firm was held responsible and liable for what was being sold on their client’s website. The SEO firm was ordered to pay $770,000 because the SEO company “provided marketing and web hosting services was financially responsible for the sale of counterfeit golf clubs by a client e-retailer. This is the number five on the list of search engine optimization blunders in 2011 because the SEO firm obviously knew what their client was selling–because they promoted it.

6. SEO Company Forces Google to Out Them
In January 2011, Search Engine Roundtable discovered a question on the Google Webmaster Central Help forum about an SEO firm “to be the first company authorized to work directly with them to roll out some new program that allows them and only them to allow companies that can be verified 1st page ranking within a 50 mile radius.” The SEO firm responded, and essentially forced Google to not recommend doing business with the company.

7. Robert Scoble Apologizes to the SEO Industry
In July, 2011, Robert Scoble apologized to the SEO Industry, and some http://www.seroundtable.com/scoble-sorry-13697.html thought it was just link bait. But in any case, link bait or not, Robert Scoble apologized. It all started back in 2007 when he really liked Mahalo and when people used to respect his opinion. apparently that was because he had visited Mahalo and he was trying “to kiss someone’s behind and let that bias” his opinions. This is search engine optimization blunder number 7 on the list.

8. $1000 Reward for Proof that Links Count
In June 2011, you may have missed the $1000 reward ofered to anyone who could provide a credible link value test. Michael Martinez offered $1,000 to someone–anyone who could prove that links help a website’s search engine rankings. And no one, absolutely no one, could prove it. So the offer expired and was closed. This is search engine optimization blunder 8 on my list because the SEO industry failed, as a whole. It was a great offer.

9. Yahoo! Site Explorer Shut Down
Many SEOs, including myself, have used Yahoo! Site Explorer to view a quick list of the links to a website. After being in use for several years, Yahoo! decided to close this tool, and shut it down. There are alternatives to the Yahoo! Site Explorer tool, and closing this tool may in fact be an indication that links might not be as valuable as the once were. This is number 9 on my list of Search Engine Optimization blunders for this year, since it’s closely related to number 8 on the list, and the fact that so many SEOs still rely on link building as their primary means of search engine optimization efforts to increase a website’s search engine rankings.

10. Locksmiths Game Google Maps
Number 10 on the list, lastly but not least on the list, is the fiasco with local locksmiths gaming the Google Maps system. The New York Times reported that Doug Pierce of Digital Due Diligence found that “lead gen sites use some interesting gimmicks to charm and hoodwink Google’s algorithm. Some basically hijack the local addresses of other entities in or near the middle of town”. Google responded, saying “We’re aware of the gaming practices happening in the locksmith industry – practices which long predate Google and have affected the Yellow Pages for decades. We’ve implemented several measures to combat this issue, including improving our spam-detection algorithms and working with the locksmith industry to find solutions.”

Well, there you have it. My list of the top 10 search engine optimization blunders of 2011. I am sure that there are other issues and stories that were just as popular and could have made the list. I personally had a tough time narrowing down this list to just 10 search engine optimization-related stories and items that were memorable enough. Certainly many of them had a lot of impact on all of us, whether you are in the search engine optimization industry or not. Are there any stories or news items that I missed?