The easiest way to tell if you have been slapped with a panda or penguin penalty is by the dates you lost most of your organic traffic from Google. Again, if it was after 4/24 then it was the pesky penguin. If it was before 4/24 then it was probably Panda or the new layout algorithm that affected your rankings.

So, how do you recover from the Penguin update? Well, first of all you need to understand what this little penalty is all about. It is an update to target webspam. If you put spun content on your site or create backlinks with spun content, then that is considered webspam in Google’s eyes.

Do you do article marketing? Chances are you submit an original article to Ezine Articles, then spin that same article to 50 – 70% uniqueness then submit each spun article to thousands of directories. That is also considered webspam.

Do you create web 2.0 pages with spun, copied content? Do you leave spammy web comments on blogs? Do you create thousands of forum profiles with your link in the bio? Do you submit spun content to blog networks? Do you create hundreds of thousands of links using the exact same anchor text? These are all examples of factors that can hurt your site rankings.

All those backlinking methods still work, if done properly. Your link profile needs to look as natural as possible. There is nothing natural about 1000 bookmarks pointing back to your site with the same description and title on the same day. There is nothing natural about thousands of spammy blog comments accumulated in a day.

I think by now you get the idea. The target in the Penguin update is webspam. Wash your hands of it and create unique content that the search engine will eat up and spew out into their algorithm. You can still create web2.0 properties, but write them manually and stay on-topic. You can sprinkle in LSI keywords, but do so naturally.

Can a site recover if it is already flooded with webspam? Well, if the content is on-site, then just rewrite everything from scratch. If the webspam is external, it might take your site a long time to recover. If you are able to have those “bad neighborhood” links removed, great! If not, you may need to wait it out. Google will constantly be updating their algorithm to provide the best user experience they can. The best you can do is make sure your content is golden.

So, what kind of link building techniques are accepted by Google? Well, only the search hub and their employees can tell you 100% what is acceptable. However, we can give you a couple of ideas that can help you a bit. Obviously quality is a very important factor to consider. And if you want to gain a nice ranking, quantity is also pretty important.

First, you need to build your site, adding plenty of unique content that is compelling and engaging. The most important thing you need to focus on is user experience. If you have sticky content that is well written, you are off to a good start. Also, be sure to break up long, drawn out paragraphs into more pages. People hate to read text bundled up and shoved together. Plus, you need your visitors to move through your site, rather than only visiting one page, right?

Next, start your link building the right way. A press release distribution is a great way to get the news out there that your site is officially launched. This will grab the attention of other news sites that are looking for news stories to post to their own sites. Typically they will give a link to your site after telling their readers about your site. Then their readers will share with their friends if they like what you have to offer.

Does article marketing still work? You will be surprised to know that yes, it does. However, it needs to be carried out properly. Remember, webspam is a huge no-no. So, no more spinning content and distributing it to thousands of article directories. I’ve already mentioned this previously that if you cannot write unique articles, rewrite them by hand and DO NOT spin your content. Write an article that follows the directory guidelines, submit it and write a new one from scratch for another directory. No two should be the same. For quality sites to submit to, do a quick search on google and only submit to the top 20. Then move on.

How else can you build backlinks? Well, you can get the conversation started about your site via discussions on forums and chat boards. But, do not try to manipulate search engine results by creating a bunch of forum profiles. Remember, to stay on track and only employ “white hat” methods. By starting the conversation, links will come naturally.

How else can you get people to discuss your content? Social media is your best bet. Create a page for your business on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. This is the best way for people to share your content and stay updated. You can also share your link via blog comments on related posts. But, keep this minimal and do not spam. Blog commenting is still alive, but practice caution with going overboard.

I’m sure there are other ways to build quality links that are acceptable. If there is any tactic that seems questionable, chances are it’s not worth risking your rankings so run far far away from it. Forget any __ hat methods you previously used. Only use “white hat” methods from now on! It sure is easy to cheat, isn’t it? But ask yourself this: is it worth risking your rankings? Food for thought!

What is the future of SEO gonna be like now? Will optimizing sites be wiped out completely? Well, if you are relying on Google for all of your traffic, then who knows. But, if you are optimizing for Yahoo and Bing, there’s still a chance your site might gain some more attention from these less powerful search hubs. You have to agree that they don’t send nearly as much traffic as Google, right?

The truth is, if you want your website to succeed the best it possibly can, you need the big G. So, it’s best to fall in line and do things white hat from now on if you plan on depending on them into the future. Now, I’m not saying they are all you need, but it sure helps to get the targeted traffic they send. But, then again, today we have social networks that send just enough traffic if you are in the right niche. Twitter, Facebook, Tumbler and Linkedin are just a few that could send enough visitors to make a site succeed. So, combine that with white hat optimization and I think you might have a winning scenario for the future. I don’t think social media and networks are going anywhere. They are too big now to take a hit.

What can you do now? Start building from scratch if you are one of the people that lost everything. Create content that is engaging and let visitors come naturally. And feed your site to social media so that it can spread like wildfire. You gotta think, there are so many pages that lost rankings. You have an opportunity right now to move in on some great keywords. So go do it!

Next: Use White Hat Link Building Techniques After Panda Update

Honestly, you cannot blame the biggest search hub on the planet, can you? I personally cannot stand it when I do a search for something and  the first few results are poorly thrown together websites that were not authoritative at all. These sites had manipulated Google’s algorithm, which had allowed them to scale past authority sites, gain a good position on search results pages and eat up all of the good, natural traffic. How is this far to the honest hard working sites with good, original content? Come on, did these guys really think Google was going to keep letting this kind of behavior ruin their reputation? I think not.

Anyways, back to the topic at hand. The powerhouse of a search engine has the web in a buzz once again with their newest update which targets sites that are OVER-optimized. And yes, there are many of these sites popping up every few minutes on the web. And Google’s filters are setup to catch anyone using over-optimization methods to manipulate their algorithm.

What if you don’t mean to overly optimize your content, but got the big penalty anyways? Well, chances are you were not writing your content in a natural, free-flowing way or you were trying to get the point across to your readers by repeating the same words repeatedly. There are many things that might raise a red flag with Google, so it is best to just create a site based on a topic you are educated in or passionate about and write unique, original content. Then you will have nothing to worry about.

What is over-optimizing? Well, only Google knows for sure what they consider optimization heavy content is. However, here are some ideas you might want to consider. First of all we already mentioned repeating the same words over and over. Well, this is considered keyword-stuffing and search engines never really liked it to begin with. It makes a site look spammy and readers are turned away by it. Secondly, if you are trying to manipulate Google’s search results by buying 100’s of unnaturally built links from SEO wannabe firms, then that raises a huge red flag right away. You really have to be careful about someone who offers you 500 links using the same or similar anchor text for each link they create. And lastly if you are adding your main keyword in your domain name, title tag, h1 tags, h2 tags, image alt tags, in bold or italics and so on, it looks like you may need to stop doing that. That is simply over-optimization at it’s finest.

Look, if you are doing things the right way, you will know it. There is no reason to worry if you are creating sites based on your own knowledge or research you have done. Of course there will always be people that will find new methods to manipulate search engines, but they will be caught eventually because Google is not about to let it’s search results get flooded with spam if they can help it. And I think they have enough cash to backup their plans to weed out the dirt and allow fresh, budding content to flourish.

If you have been over-optimizing your websites, this can easily be undone. If you truly have good knowledge about the information you write about, go ahead and rewrite it as naturally as you possibly can. Only bold items you really want to put emphasis on. And try to create a site that you know people are really going to enjoy visiting. A good user experience is what you and Google are aiming for in the end.

The reason behind this change is the internet based company wants to provide searchers with a better user experience. They receive many complaints from users telling them it is hard for them to tell which is content and which is an advertisement. Many webmasters know how to place ads where they can trick people into clicking ads to make more money. This is the type of behavior Google wants to eliminate. They want you to put users first when you decide on advertisement locations on your sites.

How does this affect webmasters?

If you have an ad-heavy site with many Google ads placed above-the-fold, then you might get penalized in search engine rankings. And if you heavily abuse ad placements using trickery to gain ad-clicks or place very little content on the page, you may find yourself banned from the Google Adsense program. If you use one of those High CTR WordPress themes, it’s time to find a better theme that is more focused on user engagement.

People want to see your content as soon as they arrive on your page without having to scroll below the fold. If what they see when they first visit your page is a bunch of different advertisements, that’s a no-no. Matt Cutts explains that these type of sites will not rank well in search results going forward with their new change.

If you have an ad visible above the fold in a normal way, it is ok. They are saying those sites that place an excessive amount of ads with no content above the fold will be affected by the change. Or those sites that make it difficult for users to find their true content with sneaky ad placements will be affected.

Matt Cutts goes on to say “If you decide to update your page layout, the page layout algorithm will automatically reflect the changes as we re-crawl and process enough pages from your site to assess the changes.” So, if you have an ad-heavy site that has been affected by the new changes and you change your layout to improve user experience then you may get your search engine ranking placement back. And finally Matt says “This change is just one of the over 500 improvements we expect to roll out to search this year.” So on a final note…from here on forward, make your website about “user experience” and your rankings should stay intact.

Have you heard of SOPA and PIPA? There are a lot of people who have and are doing something about it, but there are also many who do not know or they know, but are iffy about being involved in protest. That is why these big internet companies are taking such a big stand. They need help in stopping these bills from being passed. While SOPA has been delayed for the time being, it has not completely left the building.

How does this affect you as a website owner?

If you are running a site that the government feels is distributing copyrighted music, movies or any other media via your website, they can have you completely blocked! I mean by your domain, hosting, internet, ad companies, etc. You can be sued, plus search engines and other directories can be sued as well for supporting your site in any way. This affects everyone online, whether you have a website or not. However, if you are a site owner, the domino affect may affect us all in many ways. Imagine if our favorite search engines, social media sites and ad companies that pay us regularly all got shut down. Wow! It would be a huge mess. All the hard work you have done on your sites could be wasted.

Watch this video to learn more about SOPA/PIPA:

By stopping SOPA, you can help prevent huge corporations from censoring the internet. This is censorship! There are other ways to fight internet piracy and shut foreign rogue internet properties down.

Resources:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-57360223-261/google-will-protest-sopa-using-popular-home-page/

https://twitter.com/#!/mattcutts

Social media and blogging giants such as Twitter are a little upset with Google’s latest news and have made it clear, publicly. However, they have to realize it could possibly benefit them as well. Google+ has already grown so fast, there is no stopping it and it will become just as big as Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook.

You might be wondering why the new changes are taking place. Well, it is all about positive user experiences. Search results were not being returned the way people would like them to be and Google had to do something about it. Some say, however, that Google is only trying to promote their products, leaving other sites in the dust. There are even rumors that they are being investigated by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).

When a user is not connected to G+, the information returned back to them is the same as it has been of late….you know the advertisements at the top of the page, authority sites, answer type sites and then the optimized for search results sites. But, when someone is logged into Google accounts, Gmail or Google+, they will see “personal results” showing above ads at the top on the results page. As they scroll down, they will find posts from people who shared a story using the “keywords” they searched for. These posts will display the Google+ user’s profile picture and will state “Jane Doe shared this”.

This is a positive step forward and it is best to jump on the bandwagon now while it is early. Think about it…don’t you wish you were on top of things when Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin first launched? Ya, I thought so.

Now that we know we need to change our internet marketing strategy to implement Search, plus Your World, how can we improve rankings after this latest update? It’s simple…join Google+, add people to circles, vote on newsworthy posts, add Google+ voting to your blog posts, create a business page and be as active as you possibly can. Know the ropes from the get go!

Resources:

http://www.google.com/insidesearch/plus.html

http://searchengineland.com/googles-results-get-more-personal-with-search-plus-your-world-107285

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2137553/Rank-for-Anything-You-Want-on-Google-Search-Plus-Your-World

If you purchase gigs on Fiverr, you will notice something that is selling like hot cakes right now. Link Wheels and Link Pyramids creation services are in demand right now because at this time they are producing the desired results customers want to see. If they are done properly, you can see a site move from nowhere in the top 100 to the very first page for a primary or secondary keyword.

The Idea Behind the Link Wheel/Pyramid

The majority of the internet population has not even heard of a link wheel or pyramid…or they simply walk away. The idea is that Web 2.0 properties are powerful on their own with no promotion needed. With a little push from hundreds of thousands of backlinks, the properties gain a little more strength. However, there is always a footprint of these bad neighborhood links and they will be taken down in time.

Web 2.0 Sites List

Here is a list of some of the most popular Web 2.0 properties.

1. Squidoo.com

2. Tumblr.com

3. WordPress.com

4. Typepad.com (free blogs are available)

5. LiveJournal.com

6. Weebly.com

7. Posterous.com

8. Jimdo.com

9. Wetpaint.com

10. Edublogs.com

Again, while these pyramids and wheels are working now, they might not work in the future. While I do believe these Web 2.0 sites are great for building links, I think that is really all you need. There is no need to go to extra lengths to try and make them more powerful. Really what you are doing is trying to manipulate search engines. And if that is your goal, you will probably succeed for the time being. But don’t expect your rankings to stick. The best plan is to employ “white hat” techniques. Your site will get the proper rankings it deserves.

What factors impact search rankings?

There are many factors that will determine where your site will rank on Yahoo, Google, Bing and more. We will focus on the basics which include keywords, content and backlinks. Once these items are improved, pinpoint other areas of your site that could use some improvements.

Seo Checklist for New Sites

Keywords
Keywords – Research:
Once you have the main idea and theme of your site, start keyword research using online tools to find long-tail keywords that have low competition. Focus on 1 primary keyword per page, then try ranking for secondary words.

Keywords – Title Meta Tag:
Include your primary keyword in your Title tag. Search engines grab the information placed in this tag and use it to display the title of your page in search results.

Keywords – Permalinks:
If possible, include the primary keyword of each page in the permalink structure. This tells search engines your page title is relevant to the theme of the page. Example http://yoursite.com/primary-keyword/

Keywords – Heading Tags:
H1, H2 & H3 tags give more importance to text than all other text on the page. It stands out like a sore thumb to visitors and search crawlers view them as important text as well. They also place importance on text within bold, italic and underlined text. Anything that stands out will grab their attention.

Keywords – Image alt Tags:
Crawlers cannot scan images, however many people do not know that they do scan the ALT tags of an image. If you have any pics on your pages, make sure to include the ALT tag.

Keywords – In Content:
Include your keywords at the beginning of your first paragraph. Another great place would be at the end of your last paragraph. When a crawler scans your written content, they will notice your primary keywords when they enter and when they exit the page.

Keywords – Anchor Text:
Each time you create an inbound or internal link to your pages, make sure you use relevant keywords as anchor text. This has to be one of the biggest factors of ranking a page.

Keywords – Density:
Keyword stuffing can look very unnatural to both humans and search crawlers. Just write your content in a natural manner and avoid repeating the same words over and over if it causes sentences make no sense.

Content
Content – Unique and Engaging:
Write your content by talking out loud as if you were actually talking to someone. This will help you write in a natural, flowing way. This will also keep your visitors happy and search crawlers satisfied. When a visitor reads something that makes no sense, they will leave and never return. Fortunately search engines can be a little more forgiving and will give you a second chance to correct your mistakes.

Content – Update Often:
While search engines can appreciate aged content, they also love freshly updated content. Make sure to update your pages often.

Content – Relevant:
Keep everything on-topic. Write articles about the primary keywords you used in your title meta tag and permalink. Relevancy is another big factor search engines use to determine a sites rank.

Content – Heading Tags and Larger Fonts:
Again, heading tags should contain your main keywords. You can also use larger fonts if you do not like using H1, H2 & H3 tags. Larger fonts stick out the same way.

Backlinks

Backlinks – Inbound
Inbound links play a huge role in determining where your pages will rank on Google, Yahoo and Bing. If a popular website places your link as an important resource to visit on their pages, you get an A+ vote. The more reputable sites that link to yours will improve your score even more. And don’t discount the smaller sites that link back. You might get an A or B+ vote from them. Focus on the quality of backlinks and the quantity will build over time naturally.

Backlinks – Outbound
Link to useful resources that are relevant to your content. If you cannot find a useful resource, Wikipedia always has great content to link to. Be sure that you do not link to D-List sites. This activity will hurt your rankings.

Backlinks – Internal
Setup an internal linking structure within your content along with menus and xml sitemaps. This makes it easier for users and search crawlers to navigate your site. It also helps your pages get indexed faster.

Backlinks – Anchor Text
Use keywords when creating backlinks anchor text. Using terms such as “click here” or “read more” does not help you SEO wise. Try to create as many “in-content” links, with text before and after your anchor, as you can. Regular backlinks are fine, but “in-content” links provide more “link-juice”.

Backlinks – Link Building
Building backlinks is something that will not happen overnight. In fact, if it does happen overnight then chances are your site will hit the nasty sandbox of doom and it will take months to get it out. If search engines think you are trying to manipulate their ranking formula, they put a stop to it real quick. So the best way to evade the sandbox is to build links over a length of time and NOT all in one night.

These are just some basic factors that will be used to determine where your site will rank in search engine listings. Once you complete this SEO checklist, move onto the harder ranking factors.

Resources:

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/an-seo-checklist-for-new-sites-whiteboard-friday

http://blog.ineedhits.com/tips-advice/ultimate-seo-checklist-for-new-websites-125010256.html

Get FREE backlinks using your Twitter profile. There are websites that will link back to your website automatically by using the information found in your Twitter profile. Now, if you do not have any links in your profile, you will not get anywhere with this link building method. So, before I fill you in on this little secret, go to your Twitter profile, edit and add a link back to your website. You can add it in the space titled “Web” and you can also include a link to an inner page or another site in the bio. I advise adding a link to both because some of the sites grab the link from your bio, while others grab the link from your profile info.

One more thing to note – some of these sites may ask permission to access your twitter account. If this makes you uncomfortable, you can easily go to your settings and click “revoke access” next to any app you do not approve of.

Sites That Automatically Link Back to Your Site via Your Twitter Profile

Once you have your Twitter account setup and optimized to build links, you can visit the following websites to get a backlink to your website.

1. Klout – PR7

With Klout, you may already have a profile connected to your Twitter account without you even knowing it. By visiting http://www.klout.com/username (replace username with your twitter username), you can easily check. Klout will pull information you included in your Twitter bio.

2. Tweet Grader – PR6

Enter your Twitter username and click “Grade”. Once they pull your information a page will be created for you which can be found by visiting http://tweet.grader.com/username (replace username with your twitter username).

3. Twellow – PR6

You have to register with Twellow to access features including gaining a backlink to your website via your Twitter profile. It is worth the small amount of time it takes as this is an authority PR6 site. Depending on how old your Twitter account is, you may already have a page setup and may not know it. You can check by visiting http://www.twellow.com/username.

4. Twitter Counter – PR6

Sign in using your Twitter account. Then visit http://www.twittercounter.com/username to find your backlink and view stats about your followers, your tweets and where you rank.

5. Twitaholic – PR6

Enter your Twitter username at the top right hand side of the page and click “Go”. Twitaholic will take you to a page where you gain a backlink to your Twitter profile and your website.

6. Listorious – PR6

Enter your Twitter username and click “Search”. Then once your username is displayed, click on it. If your username is not displayed, you will need to click on “Sign in with Twitter” at the top right-hand side of the page.

7. Friend or Follow – PR6

Enter username. You will be taken to your profile page that displays who you are following and which ones are not following you back. You will find a link back to your website in the tiny icon located next to your username. It will also be displayed by hovering over your username.

8. Tweet Level – PR5

Enter your Twitter ID and click “Calculate”. A page will be created for you and you can find it by visiting http://tweetlevel.edelman.com/User/username.

9. Favstar – PR5

Enter your username in the search box. You will be redirected to a page that contains 3 links (the images under your username contain the links). One to your Twitter profile, one to your main website and one to the link you placed in your Twitter bio.

10. TwtBizCard – PR5

Sign in with your Twitter account. You will be directed to a page that contains your TwtBizCard profile link.

11. Favorious – PR4

Sign in with your Twitter account and access your new profile page.

12. Retweet Rank – PR4

Enter username. You will be redirected to your new Retweetrank profile page.

13. Foller.Me – PR4

Enter Twitter name in search box. Great analytics tool.

14. Crowd Reel – PR3

Sign in via Twitter. Then click on “Profile”. Your website link will be displayed on the right side of the page.

15. SNPros – PR1

Enter username and click “Appraise”. You will get a profile link that estimates how much your Twitter account is worth, plus get a backlink to your site.

Enjoy!