ICANN Makes Major Change to Domain Name System

At the ICANN board meeting in Singapore today, a vote that was held that will change how future domain names will be created. Anyone can now create a new generic top level domain (TLD)…as long as you have $185K. The Board vote was 13 approving, 1 opposed, and 2 abstaining. Applications for new gTLDs will be accepted from 12 January 2012 to 12 April 2012.

What does this mean? General Motors can now create a “.gm” domain. Coke can have a “.coke” domain. The possibilities are endless. There are many arguments both for and against this new plan. Some argue that banks and other financial institutions could use a branded domain to help avoid fraud. Luxury brands could use a branded domain to help ensure customers are purchasing real goods and help reduce counterfeit products. Both are valid arguments.

Personally, I this will not work in the long run. First, only big companies will have the money to purchase a “vanity domain” (which is what it really is), ultimately pushing out competition from smaller companies. Honestly, I am curious as to how the board came up with the $185K price tag.

Second, I am curious how search engines like Google, Bing, and the like will rate these new domains in organic search. I would think they would automatically get a high page rank, since it is what I would consider a “qualified” domain. In my opinion, this is the same as an uber-expensive PPC campaign that is mixed in with organic results. These new domains won’t have to go through all the traditional tried-and-true SEO best practices, which will again, push small businesses further down in organic results. Google just finished attempting to level the playing field after the JC Penny mess that took place this past Christmas season.

ICANN said they will work hard to address all the concerns that have been brought to their attention.  I certainly hope they do.

It’s Not All About Social Media

Many who plan SEO campaigns and online marketing programs are working hard to work social media into their plans. While social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are helpful, there are still many other sites that should be part of an online marketing plan.

There were some interesting little nuggets of information in research released today by the Pew Research Center, including:

• Twitter “barely registers” as a referring source for traffic
• 85% of its users visited USAToday.com between one and three times per month
• Yahoo News (and not Google News) has the largest news audience

The one tidbit I found very interesting is that most of the “news sites” (including Yahoo and Google) are aggregators. Why would I find this interesting? Simple. Aggregators aren’t anywhere near new. What is even more interesting is that a majority of traffic from aggregator, the Drudge Report (yes, that site), accounted for between 5 and 10 percent of the traffic to the New York Times and USA Today during the period studied. It also accounted for 15 percent of the traffic to the Washington Post, 20 percent to the New York Post and an astonishing 30 percent to the Daily Mail. This means the Drudge Report, a 15-year-old aggregator, is more popular than Facebook if you follow the math. Amazing!

So this is just another reminder that it isn’t all about social media.

The Ongoing Meta Tags Debate

Ever since Google announced they no longer consider meta tags as part of their search algorithm, the debate as to whether or not they are important has been ongoing. In my opinion, they are. Just this week, The Bloggers Bulletin even did a post on why it is still important to populate meta tags.

First, while Google may not consider them today, that does  not mean they may not in the future. Algorithms are constantly evolving, so it is always a good idea to follow best practices. This can save time in the long run if they are suddenly important again and need to be populated at a later date.

It is also important to remember that while Google is the big boy on the block right now, that may not always be the case. Since Microsoft has re-branded their search engine (Bing), they are starting to make a dent, while small at the moment, in Google’s market share. Additionally, according to current research, Yahoo and Bing still consider meta tags important.

To quote a former boss, meta tags are one of those things that if you do them right, they may not “help,” but if you do them wrong, it can ultimately count against you. Take the time to understand best practices when writing best practices and take the time to do them the right way. Ultimately, it is definitely worth the time.

Using Google Trends to your SEO Advantage

No matter what type of business you are in, everyone is looking for an edge. SEO is no different. One tool that should be in your SEO arsenal is Google Trends.

Google Trends provides important insight into what terms are most commonly searched as it relates to total search-volume across different regions of the world, and in what languages. Google claims they update Trends daily. “Hot Trends” represent the top fastest moving search terms hourly within the United States.

This information can provide valuable insight into the search habits of different individuals globally. A search engine professional can then take that information and those search terms and augment a site’s SEO strategy. Additionally, enter up to five of your keywords and see how those terms are searched on Google over a period of time. This can really help a company’s SEO plan on track.

Ultimately, Google Trends is just one tool in an SEO professional’s bag of tricks. Tkae

Slow and Steady Always Wins the Race

“Why can’t I just buy one of these link building programs?”

“Won’t this go faster is I just buy links?”

“Why is this taking so long?”

As someone who hears these questions regularly, it is always important to explain why it makes sense to follow the path of the SEO straight and narrow. Well, here is a perfect example why.

The New York Times recently did an article on an SEO investigation of JC Penny and their organic search placement. Guess what they found? Link farms! Apparently these weren’t even cleverly hidden link farms, but blatantly obvious black hat SEO techniques.

When I was a young girl my mother used to tell me to think of the following before I did something: “when Mom finds out what I did, and she will find out, will it be worth the punishment?” While I hated hearing this as a child and teenager, it actually makes sense when it comes to your SEO plan.

Any improvements that may result from black hat techniques will be short lived. Now, if you are planning to go in, make some fast money from an SEO client and get out, well then, your mission will probably be accomplished. However, if you have any scruples or business ethics at all, you will explain to your client that when it comes to SEO, slow and steady ALWAYS wins the race.

Top Five SEO Tips

When a company first begins to think about SEO, it can be overwhelming. Here are a few tips when starting an SEO plan.

Keywords are Key: From content to blogging to link building, keywords are key! Really think about the service or product your company can provide when building your keyword list. Start out focused on 10 or so keywords and phrases and build from there.

Build a Brand: Go beyond just online marketing or SEO and think about your brand. Who are you? What is your company all about? What sets you apart from your competitors? What do you do to make a positive impact on your community?

Stay White Hat: Think about what you don’t like when surfing online and what spammers do and DON’T DO IT. You will not only alienate your potential customers, you will detract from your SEO campaign. Don’t be a spammer!

Use Analytics: Make sure to utilize an analytics program for your website, your blog and other other online site your company may manage. Analytics programs provide key data on how your potential customers are finding you, how long they stay on your site, how many pages they visit and most importantly what keywords they are using in their search. Remember, this is not a “set it and forget it” type of plan.

Do More than Just “Sell:” When people go online, they are most often looking for information. If a potential customer feels like they are just getting a sales pitch, they will quickly navigate away. By providing information, you are essentially helping your potential customer while simultaneously showing you have in-depth knowledge in your field. Help solve a potential customer’s problem and they will go from a potential customer to a customer!

These are just a few considerations when building an SEO or online marketing campaign. It is always a good idea to work with an SEO specialist or online marketing consultant when it is time to manage your company’s online presence. These individuals can really help build your brand and make a positive online impact!