Search Concepts

Earlier this year, Google released a web developer preview of its latest state of the art web-search configuration, Caffeine, to obtain user feedback. Once deemed Google’s “secret project,” the scheme is now out in the open. The technology, designed to build on the existing site listing network to provide more relevant search results, has since been received with overwhelming positivism. Due to the affirmative response, developers have decided to move on to the next phase of development: making Caffeine live.

The slow but steady advancement in the search tool will add to Google’s hard-hitting dominance over online searches. The initial trial run has noted important differences between the running search version and the one under development. Results are now more reliable, significant, and turn in less spam.

In August of 2009, to allow their target audience to get a feel for their new search innovation, Google directed users to a preview of the prototype. The positive comments on the work-in-progress have encouraged developers to go live with the new service from one data core. Soon enough, Google users will be able to use Caffeine in addition to Google Live services.

However, due to the added stress brought on by the holidays, the company has decided to postpone the launch of Caffeine until after Christmas. The later date will give restless webmasters and site owners a little leeway to get into what is sure to be the next big thing in web-search. The timing is perfect!

Matt Cutts (Matt Cutts: Gadgets, Google, and SEO) of MattCutts.com wrote, “Caffeine will go live at one data center so that we can continue to collect data and improve the technology, but I don’t expect Caffeine to go live at additional data centers until after the holidays are over.”

November 9, 2009 — Earlier today, advertising giant Google announced that mobile web advertising leader AdMob will be added to their growing family. The arrangement saw an impressive $750 million in stock for AdMob, and another boost in search-based advertising supremacy for Google.

AdMob, based in San Mateo, California, has been listed as the largest mobile Internet advertising company since the world-shattering rise of the smartphone. The company has over 140 employees on payroll, with ads served in 160 countries on 15,000 websites and mobile applications. Especially designed to bring the mobile environment to such devices as the iPhone, the company fills the gaps within Google’s mobile ad contributions.

The company now has tools like mobile adsense that allow users to put up ads according to related content much like they would on a laptop or desktop computer. Furthermore, Google’s disinterest in the iPhone due to competing system, Android, has instantly been filled by AdMob.

Having grown exponentially since its birth in 2006, AdMob sees 10.2 billion ad impressions monthly. The numbers brought with it several interested buyers, which in turn led to endless negotiations. In the end, Google AdMob brings to Google its savoir faire in business with publishers and advertisers.

AdMob’s investors included Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners, Northzone, Draper, and Fisher Jurveston’s Growth Fund. The company received $47 million in financial support. Google’s $750 million easily makes up for the investors’ initial capital.

AdMob founder Omar Hamoui couldn’t be happier with the recent events. He said, “We’re excited about the positive attention this deal will bring to mobile advertising. We have no doubt this will bring even more players into the space and accelerate all the innovation that is already taking place.”

AdMob has exceeded all expectations in the short time since its launch. Last year, VentureBeat released an article on the potential of companies on the rise. It included some critical views on the corporation’s ability to stand on its own. As of today, there is no doubt.

July 14th is (A) my birthday and (B) the Inaugural Event of AZIMA (Arizona Interactive Marketing Association) - of which I serve as a Board Member. If you have an interest in networking and ongoing education in the area of Interactive Marketing please come - http://www.pitchengine.com/free-release.php?id=16539.

Originally published by Joe Griffin in Visibility Magazine in December 2007 - Concept is as powerful now as it was then, and still under-utilized.

There’s an old saying out there that “content is king”, and I agree that good content is the primary foundation for every website. Everyone who’s in the know understands that link popularity is far and away the primary driver of top search engine rankings.

After all, link popularity acts much like a “search engine credit score.” When you first start out, you can have the best looking website in the world, with incredible content and an amazing business model, but until you’ve established some trust, tenure, and responsibility, you simply won’t get any “credit” with the search engines. You’ve probably also heard about the very cliché “Google Sandbox.” Google representatives themselves have admitted the synergies behind the Google Sandbox theory, and the actual algorithmic logic that runs the Google search results.

The Google Sandbox however isn’t necessarily something that Google is intentionally inflicting upon new websites (Yahoo! has a similar policy). Understanding that Google and Yahoo! live and die on the relevancy of their search results, we must conclude that serving up websites with no established credibility, no tenure online, and zero trust would be a really bad idea.

So, I guess the question really becomes, “What is the best way to establish credibility with Google, Yahoo!, and MSN, and how can this be done in the fastest way possible?”

The answer to this question is simple and complex all at the same time. Essentially, building new inbound links to your website establishes credibility. The problem is that building these links properly needs to be addressed early on — having a strong game plan is crucial for obtaining optimal results.

The three components of link building are:
1) Link Quality
2) Link Growth
3) Link Volume

The industry has adopted link quality and link volume as the primary ingredients for link building juice. The only problem is that link growth is still rarely addressed, and long term link growth strategies are scarcely mentioned in tight SEO circles, even among the most experienced.

Well, what do we know about link growth? Let’s recap:

1) Link growth is not a new concept.
In May 2005, Google made public the contents of their United States Patent Application. Just search “May 2005 google patent” in Google to read up. Basically, this patent paints a picture that Google may be looking at a lot more than meets the eye. The patent discusses how they may be recording the date on which new inbound links are gained, the frequency with which new links are gained, the total number of days new links are maintained, and much more.

2) Link growth can act as a “sandbox” expeditor.
As previously mentioned, link growth is kind of like a natural credibility builder. Imagine link popularity like a high school popularity contest. If you can create new friends every single day, than you can exponentially better your reputation in a very short period of time.

3) Link growth is more powerful than fresh content.
People always talk about fresh content. Fresh content!?! Forget fresh content! A monkey can update an HTML page. Fresh content is great, but at the end of the day it plays a small role in the rankings process. Link growth cannibalized fresh content a long time ago. To be safe you should employ both strategies, but if you’ve got time on your hands invest it into getting new links first and foremost – assuming you’ve got at least decent content!

4) Link growth types matter.
There are a number of different classifications of link types. Links from bloggers can be classified as “social media links,” while links from newspapers and online publications can be classified as “news links and article links.” Links from top industry websites can be classified as “authority vertical links.” Each link type is important, and each link type should be expanded upon all the time.

5) Link growth consistency – the primary driver of rankings in the future?
Link growth consistency is one of the tell-tail signs of top performing sites. Why do Amazon, Google, and eBay all have millions of backlinks? They built them feverishly day in and day out naturally over many years. This link growth consistency will forever mark them as the titans within their respective categories. Every category on the Internet is different, and making sure that you are building the best links all the time is the secret sauce to Search. Start now, as this will continue to be one of the primary drivers for top rankings over the next several years.

With all that said, I challenge the person who said “content is king.” If content is king, than link growth is god. Without link growth, you can take your content and flush it down the toilet. Don’t know how to get links? Consult an expert!

An old friend of mine from high-school has recently moved to Las Vegas. He and his father are starting a franchise with WSI (SEO, PPC, Web Design, etc.). Apparently he was doing some research on the subject matter and came across an article I wrote.

He sent me a message from Facebook and wanted some pointers. This is what I said (maybe it can help someone else too):

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Andy, what up! I am very familiar with WSI. Good field to get into man - it’s been a good business for me. Of course I got into it early on, but there is still a lot of money to be had!

When you are in PHX call me up so we can meet up.

I’ll give you a couple pointers.

1) The SEO/PPC business is best when you can retain 50% or more of your customers after the first 6-month contract (assuming you lock them in). You should try looking in SEO deals for at least 6-months to give you time to get results.

2) Crappy clients with bad business models that don’t properly fund the SEO and link building initiative will cost you more money in the long haul (i.e. home based business opps, affiliate gift stores, cheap local realtors, mortgage lenders, etc. You can’t make these guys successful - some industries are too saturated and even $10k a mo. will be a waste.

3) Careful in how you set expectations. Setting organic rankings expectations is the bane of your success. Set them wrong and you will fail - set them right and you will succeed.

4) Link building makes the world go round. Without strong link building SEO might be useless (unless they already have a very popular/trusted site).

Good luck my friend! Keep my posted!

JG