Axandra news archive: 20 February 2006

• Facts of the week
• Search engine news of the week
• Articles of the week
• Preview of the next ARELIS version - part 3
• Recommended resources
• Previous articles

There are many rumors about the best way to get listed on Google. Every now and then, a new secret trick pop ups that promises that your web site will get top Google rankings quickly and easily.

These secret tricks have one thing in common: while it might be possible to get listed with these methods for some time, nearly all of these tricks will get you banned from Google sooner or later.

Google has the answer to your ranking questions

You don't have to use tricks to get listed on Google. Google tells you how to get listed on their official pages:

Traditional search engines rely heavily on how often a word appears on a web page. Google uses PageRank™ to examine the entire link structure of the web and determine which pages are most important.

It then conducts hypertext-matching analysis to determine which pages are relevant to the specific search being conducted. By combining overall importance and query-specific relevance, Google is able to put the most relevant and reliable results first.

PageRank and hypertext-matching analysis?

Google uses PageRank (which is an algorithm and not the the green bar in the Google toolbar) and hypertext-matching analysis to rank your web pages. To get good results for the PageRank factor, you need many links from related pages that point to your site. The software program ARELIS can help you to get these links.

While getting links can be time-consuming, the concept is easy to understand. The hypertext-matching analysis factor is a bit more complicated. Google explains hypertext-matching analysis as follows:

Hypertext-Matching Analysis: Google's search engine also analyzes page content. However, instead of simply scanning for page-based text (which can be manipulated by site publishers through meta-tags), Google's technology analyzes the full content of a page and factors in fonts, subdivisions and the precise location of each word.

Google also analyzes the content of neighboring web pages to ensure the results returned are the most relevant to a user's query.

How to optimize your web pages for Google's hypertext-matching analysis

As Google analyzes the full content of your pages you have to optimize the full content of your web pages. It is not enough to edit your meta tags. You have to optimize all factors that can influence your search engine rankings.

The problem is that many webmasters don't know which page factors can be important. That's why we developed IBP's Top 10 Optimizer.

IBP's Top 10 Optimizer analyzes more than 75 web page elements that search engines use to rank a website. You just have to enter the search term for which you want to be listed and IBP compares your web page with the web pages that currently have a top 10 ranking for that search term. That means that your own web page will be perfectly prepared for Google's hypertext-matching analysis then.

One page is not enough

As mentioned in the explanation of Google's hypertext-matching analysis, Google also analyzes the content of other web pages on your site to ensure that your web page is really relevant.

That means that you should optimize different pages of your web site for different but related search terms. The more web pages of your web site are optimized for keywords about a special topic, the more likely it is that you'll get high rankings.

Play by the rules and you will get listed

Don't use tricks to get listed on search engines. Google tells you what you have to do. You need good incoming links and optimized content. These two factors represent Google's PageRank algorithm and the hypertext-matching analysis. Our tools can help you to get both.

Microsoft redesigns MSN Search page

"Microsoft this week redesigned the home page for MSN Search to give it a similar look other services under its Live brand. The move is in anticipation of MSN Search's imminent name change to Windows Live Search"

Editor's note: Of course, IBP already can deal with the new MSN interface.

Google admits Desktop security risk

"We understand that there are a lot of security concerns about the Search Across Computers feature, but Google won't hold information unless the user or enterprise opts in [to the feature]."

Google operating without Internet license in China

"Chinese authorities are investigating US Internet giant Google for launching its local service without the proper license. [...] Instead of its own ICP licence, Google.cn is using the same one as Ganji.com, a Chinese information website."

Search engine newslets

• MsFreckles.com makes searching Google easier.
• Miva now offers all-in-one account tracker for Miva advertisers.
• Google's Trusted Tester program allows people to test new Google features.
• MSN has updated its AdCenter.
• The adventures of Googleman (comic strip).
• A new episode of Google Park.
• Compare Google.com and Google.cn results.
• Google Calendar has been released. :-)
• Take a look at the good-bye page of Jeeves from Ask Jeeves.
• Google might plan voice mail for Gmail.
• All Google Winter Games logos on one page.
• Unofficial Google modules for Google personalized home page.
• Yahoo launches PC-calls via Yahoo Mail.
• PreFound.com is a search engines that searches what other people found.

Google to use online backchannel to measure offline media results

"Google may be diversifying offline into radio, print and potentially TV advertising sales, but its plan is to utilize its powerful online backchannel to measure results of those deals. [...]

As an example, Keane noted how marketers might include a unique URLs in text ads, allowing advertisers to measure by site visits the number of visitors who interacted with the text ad. He suggested advertisers could cast an even wider net by including an old direct response technique--the unique 1-800 number--in print campaigns and radio advertising."

Editor's note: You can already do this with AxROI without sharing revenue information with Google.

Online seizes more of the advertising mix

"This year, online marketing spending is expected to increase 19 percent. This is eight times TV and radio's expected 2.4 percent rise, and six times print's 3.3 percent. [..]

Within online's increase, search engine ad spending is set to grow 26 percent this year. Budget allocation for Google amounts to $3.7 million; $4.6 million for Yahoo!; and $4.6 million for MSN."

Editor's note: To track the return on investment of your online ads (and your organic search engine listings), take a look at AxROI.

Google Book Search security hole

"When you search for a book, like intitle:Miracles, and then click on the result you are required to log-in. After doing so, you will be forward to the book page. Now copy the URL (which includes an 'auth' – authentication – parameter) and send it to someone else... and that someone else will suddenly be logged in to your Google Account."

Google argues against disclosing search results

"Google has argued that turning over more than a million of its search records to the U.S. government would undermine users' trust in its service and compromise its trade secrets."

We're currently working on a new ARELIS version. The new ARELIS version will have many new features and many improvements.

We think that it will be the best and most complete link exchange, link popularity and off-site web promotion solution. In the next few weeks, we'll show a preview of some of the new ARELIS features in this newsletter.

Part 3: Use thumbnails in your link pages

The new ARELIS version can automatically create thumbnails of web pages. Thumbnails are small preview images of the web sites in your link directory.

They make your link pages more colorful and easier to read. For example, your link pages could look like this:

ARELIS allows you to specify the size of the thumbnail images and, of course, you can put the thumbnail images anywhere you want on your link pages.

You don't have to do anything to get these thumbnail images. ARELIS will get them automatically for you. Of course, only you decide if you want to use thumbnail pictures on your ARELIS link pages or not.

It's a free update for registered users

The feature above is only one of many new features that will be available in the new ARELIS version. The new ARELIS version is planned for this quarter. We'll announce its official release in this newsletter.

Although the new version will have many more features than the current ARELIS version, it will be a free update for registered users of the current ARELIS version.

If you haven't tested the current ARELIS version yet, you should do so now.

"I purchased IBP (Internet Business Promoter) from Axandra almost 2 years ago, when I realized that I needed a more effective and efficient process to promote my business web sites.

While there were a number of other options, including a host of free web promotion tools, I was really looking for a robust commercial quality tool that could grow with my needs as I built my business. At the time I was using a link creation product from Axandra, called ARELIS.

The quality and effectiveness of that tool gave me the confidence that IBP would deliver similar results. I was not wrong.

So what does IBP do for my business?

First of all, I feel that I have a secret weapon that gives me an advantage over my competitors.

The Search Engine Ranking Checker feature alone is worth the license fee. IBP creates a report that tells me how my web site compares to my competitors for the critical search keywords for my business. I then determine which search phrases need a boost, then use the IBP Top 10 Optimizer tool to help optimize my site to improve my search engine rankings.

Secondly, I use the Search Engine Submitter feature to submit my optimized pages to the search engines. Doing this manually is very time consuming and prone to errors and omissions.

In my early days, I would manually create excel spreadsheet checklists with hyperlinks to all the major search engine submission pages. Then every 30 days would manually remit by latest sites, updated pages and indexes. With IBP, I simply set up an automatic schedule for each site and then let it run in the background. I now only deal with the exceptions when a site is rejected or I want to add another site to the auto submitter list.

I hardly ever touch this process now and my web site rank higher much faster. I have the security to know that IBP is doing the accurate work for me... literally while I sleep.

Lastly... it works. Call me simple, but I love the rock solid engineered products that come from Germany. Unlike the USA, which delivers more lawyers than any other country, Germany arguably leads the world in producing engineers.

This IBP product is not hype and does not break. It is well designed to run efficiently and effectively."
Paul Mark on SearchEngineBusinessWorld

• How to find the keywords that really deliver sales for your site
• The Stanford University reveals how to add credibility to your site
• Bigdaddy: Big changes on Google to come
• Can online press releases really increase your search engine rankings?
• New study: people judge your web site by the cover - in 50 milliseconds
• Official Google statement: How does Google collect and rank results?
• Beware the reciprocal link short sellers
• View all past issues...