Orange County SEO™ Blog

Your Infographics Can Still Count

Earlier this week, Matt Cutts talked about devaluing infographics. This is not surprising given Google’s stance on content and link issues.  However, the statement set the world abuzz with speculation.  We all know that spam analysis is not an exact science, so many are hoping Google will be unable to carry out its threat.

This is probably a vain hope.  If your infographics are used to link to wonky sites, be prepared for Google to devalue you.  However, this does not mean that you should toss infographics away altogether.  You can still use them if you are careful to ensure that they are being used for the right purposes. Read More »

United States Senate Asks for Help From Web Communities

The US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation has asked major United States search engine operators to examine how moving services are using search results to try “bait-and-switch” tactics on potential victims.

The committee found that customers who use search engines to locate moving companies are often subjected to the same tactics:  they are confronted with “soundalikes” for reputable moving companies that are actually brokerage firms that charge exorbitant fees to set up the move.  Unaware and trusting the search results, many victims have been pulled in and charged hundreds or thousands of dollars more than necessary by these unscrupulous companies.

The Senate involved the search engine providers because these companies seemed to appear at the top of all search engines with alarming regularity, leading to the conclusion that the companies had found a way around the natural safeguards that existed to prevent spam and disreputable vendors from exploiting the search engines. Read More »

Will Google Give Your Website An A+?

It is not impossible to find out what Google’s guidelines are for human web page rating as opposed to algorithmic rating–in fact, you can read their manual if you want to know the facts.  However, it helps to break these ideas down to help you understand them.

Google has a history of following relatively predictable guidelines when it comes to SEO rankings.  The content of your website is still the strongest factor in your Google ranking.  After all, content is what drives readers to your website–and keeps them there. Read More »