Weekly SEO news: 20 December 2011

Welcome to the latest issue of the Search Engine Facts newsletter.

This year, we published many articles that help you to get better results for your website. In this issue, you have a quick overview of the 2011 articles, sorted by category: Google ranking algorithm insights, tips and tricks, link building, Google's +1 button and Google algorithm updates.

In the news: the latest search engine statistics, Google bottom ads lead to higher CPCs, sharing trends 2011, Google incorrectly flags AdWords ads and more.

Table of contents:

We hope that you enjoy this newsletter and that it helps you to get more out of your website. Please pass this newsletter on to your friends.

Best regards,
Andre Voget, Johannes Selbach, Axandra CEO

1. One year of search engine news: everything you need to know

This year, we published many articles that help you to get better results for your website. In this issue, you have a quick overview of the 2011 articles, sorted by category: Google ranking algorithm insights, tips and tricks, link building, Google's +1 button and Google algorithm updates.

Google ranking algorithm insights:

From time to time, insider information about Google's ranking algorithm leaks. As a subscriber of our newsletter, you will always be up-to-date with the latest insider knowledge:

Tips and tricks:

Search engine optimization is the most effective way to promote your business. We regularly publish tips and tricks that help you to get more out of your website:

Link building:

Link building is still the most important search engine optimization activity and it seems that high quality backlinks will remain the most important ranking factor for the foreseeable future:

Google's +1 button:

Google introduced the +1 button for web pages this year. The new button is Google's answer to Facebook's 'Like' button and it influences the position of your website in Google's results:

Google ranking algorithm changes:

Whenever Google has a new ranking algorithm, our newsletter will inform you. You will also get tips and tricks on how to benefit from Google's algorithm updates:

This is the 504th issue of our weekly newsletter. That means that it has been available for 9 years and 243 days. We'll continue to provide you with detailed information about how to get more customers through search engines in the years to come.

 

2. Search engine news and articles of the week

SurveyYahoo & Bing have nearly the same market share

"Google Sites led the U.S. explicit core search market in November with 65.4 percent market share, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 15.1 percent and Microsoft Sites with 15.0 percent (up 0.2 percentage points).

Ask Network accounted for 2.9 percent of explicit core searches, followed by AOL, Inc. with 1.6 percent (up 0.1 percentage points)."



Google bottom ads – a changing landscape

"Clearly, there is an attempt by them to make the top ads look more like natural results. This could be another move to help create even greater visibility and less noise on the page for these Top ads. [...]

Many experts are rightly predicting that there will be a drop in CTR and a rise in CPC. This will occur because of inventory scarcity. Based on the examples provided by Google, the ad placement shift to the bottom diminishes the number of listings and creates scarcity in the marketplace by removing between 2 to 4 listings from the first page of results. As a result, brands face the same competition for fewer locations in the new format."



Sharing trends in 2011

"Facebook makes up 52.1% of sharing on the web. Twitter makes up 13.5% of sharing and grows 576.9%. Google +1 grows 373% but has plateaued.

Digg sharing continues to decline by 47.7%. MySpace sharing continues to decline by 56.9%."



StudyStudy: where people get information about local businesses

"The internet is the source that people most rely on for material about the local business scene and search engines are particularly valued. Newspapers and word of mouth also rank high as sources."

Editor's note: search engines are the most important way to get new customers on the Internet. Make sure that your web pages can be found.



Google incorrectly flags AdWords ads

Google confirmed the problem: "This morning we found a bug in the approval systems that was incorrectly flagging some ads as gambling- or pharmaceutical-related when they shouldn't have been.

We're in the process of sending all those back through our systems and re-reviewing them from scratch so the problems get fixed. There's no ETA yet, but I hope it will be soon."



Microsoft study: domain bias in web search (PDF)

The study find out that searchers pay attention to the URL in the search results before they click. Credible, trusted domain names have an advantage, regardless of their position in the search results.



Search engine newslets

  • Let it snow on Google.
  • Video: If I buy AdWords, will that cause my algorithmic search rankings to rise? Answer: no.
  • Google Scholar is no longer an option on Google's result page.
  • Google acquires Clever Sense, creator of a local recommendations app.
  • Google Zeitgeist 2011.
  • New Scientist: Inside search engines' war on bad results.
  • Google introduces smartphone Googlebot mobile.

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3. Success stories

"My website now ranks number 1 on Google. "

Dan Clay"I'd just like to thank IBP for making SEO so easy. My website now ranks number 1 on Google and Yahoo for my most important keyword and ranks in the top 10 page results for dozens more.

I would definitely recommend IBP to any one looking to increase their search engine traffic. IBP has added thousands of dollars to my income in just a few short months and I'm just getting started - not a bad return on investment if you ask me!"
Dan Clay, www.PersonalTrainerSydney.com



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4. Previous articles

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