Parked domains are an old standby for any business that’s interested in protecting its reputation. Very few businesses can afford to operate more than one website, so it’s been easier, until now, to simply slap on some place-holder content and ignore these minor domains. There is still no harm in doing this, but if you want to make use of all of the internet assets at your disposal, you’re better advised to put in a bit more effort.

How to use parked domains

The essential word here is ‘parked’. Businesses began putting basic content on secondary domains so as not to lose them. This is a good way of keeping the domains under control, but not so good if you want to help your main site’s SEO, and you can discuss this with us at SearchEngineOptimization.co.uk.

*Develop secondary domains as mini-sites, used for promoting particular products or services
*Add some fresh content every now and then
*Begin to add them to your social media campaigns.

By putting just a little bit of work into these domains, you can turn what is essentially a drag on your internet budget into an SEO asset.

Having a few parked domains isn’t going to set your business back, but it does mean you’ve got business assets not being put to use. Talk to your search engine optimization company about your options for using secondary domains.

The products that ‘What Do You Love?’ displays include ‘Google News’, ‘Google Translate’, ‘Google Trends’, ‘Google Books’, ‘YouTube’, ‘Google Translate’, ‘Sketchup’ and ‘Google Patent Search’, as well as many others.  It is presented in a way that will feel unfamiliar to users of traditional search engines.  Instead of spreading the results over multiple pages, the user is presented with a single page listing results for the search query in a tiled format, with a single result from each of Google’s products per tile.

The service seems a little bit gimmicky as supposed to perhaps being a potential design for a new generation of search engines.  But for those who have an interest in search engine optimisation and internet marketing, it is interesting to be reminded of the plethora of products that Google own, and the potential that they bring to possible SEO strategies.   It’s worth noting also that to access ‘What Do You Love?’, the full URL needs to be entered; simply entering ‘wdyl.com’ will result in a 404 error.  So, if I search for something I love, it would look like this:

While this does seem helpful in keeping me up to date with the latest pie news and finding nearby pies it will be interesting to see if this single point search location is developed further by Google – or if it is simple a device through which Google can remind users that they specialised in more than just search and maps.

Google has had a lot of troubles in and around Europe for a while now in regard to privacy issues and how they collect data, and the French authorities have decided that Google’s collection of data through their Street View service was wrong.

Google has admitted as much in the past, claiming a programming error saw their vehicles collecting private data from unsecure networks. The French Data Protection Agency is the first to fine Google for the error however, with secretary-general of the independent regulator, Yann Padova, saying: “The way they collected the data were unfair. CNIL also considers there was a lack of co-operation from Google in terms of the information given about the software within the Google cars.”

In short, the French weren’t happy at all over the episode, and have let Google know all about it in no uncertain terms. Peter Fleischer, Google’s global privacy counsel took up the role of spokesperson in response, apologising profusely for the error. “As soon as we realised what had happened, we stopped collecting all WiFi data from our Street View cars and immediately informed the authorities,” he says.

Though it’s being viewed as Google’s first offence, the fine is still a hefty one, and is the largest the French regulator has ever imposed. New York-based internet privacy expert, Joel Reidenberg, says: “By imposing one of the largest fines ever issued in France, the CNIL is also sending a signal to its counterparts in Europe that data protection authorities should step up their enforcement activities since the same activity occurred elsewhere in Europe.

“This is a significant case because it sends a powerful message that the CNIL is serious about enforcement and is willing to use its enhanced authority.”

So are search engines promoting piracy via search engine optimization services, by having links to these sites available via their search services? Not at all – it’s not their job to police every single person who creates a website. It’s a search engine’s job to help people find relevant results for the terms they search for, they can’t be held responsible if someone illegally records a movie and distributes it via their website. The people who run these sites will also go down other avenues to attract visitors, such as SMM.

The sad thing is though that most of these sites don’t even offer free movies, and are just full of viruses and other malicious code that have got where they are by black-hat search engine optimisation and other techniques. The bottom line always rests with the searcher though – if you’re going to search for those kinds of terms then, well, do so at your own risk…

Google is doing its bit to try and help. In December 2010 they announced that they are taking four steps to try and help combat the problem: taking certain search terms out of its autocomplete function that are associated with piracy, stopping Google ads being displayed on sites that host the offending content, promoting legitimate sites that host legal content and creating a new copyright system, with a view to taking down pirated sites 24 hours after a request from a publisher.

Conflicting points of view on the measures so far. A spokesperson for the BPI says: “”It is encouraging that Google is beginning to respond to our calls to act more responsibly with regard to illegal content. However, this package of measures, while welcome, still ignores the heart of the problem – that Google search overwhelmingly directs consumers looking for music and other digital entertainment to illegal sites.”

Jim Killock from the Open Rights Group however, says: “We are concerned that words like ‘torrent’ might be harder to use on Google. Many small software groups and movie makers depend on torrents for legitimate distribution. There is no reason why they should be put at a disadvantage.”

What is clear is that the fight still has a long way to go before it’s settled.

Some multinational corporations, including famous car firms, have blundered by using names which go down badly in other cultures. They have shown a tendency to be slow to appreciate how cultural diversity must be respected. This has left some of these firms vulnerable in some regions to competitors who have more knowledge about the localities concerned. While Google is more popular in some parts of the globe than others, it has realised the great value of catering for local business needs online.

At Searchengineoptimization.co.uk we work hard to keep up with all the relevant trends that impact on the ‘search world.’ This enables us to pursue efficient and tailored campaigns on behalf of our clients. SEO is not really a short term proposition, so it can be necessary to adjust a campaign slightly in light of any changes in the site’s external environment.

Due to the fact that Google appreciates the importance of the local, firms which do most of their business locally are well catered for online. There are plenty of ways in which optimization can help a locally-oriented firm. However, without proper planning, opportunities may well be missed. Once opportunities have been missed, it can be hard to catch up later. Asking some questions in the first instance can help with the production of a coherent SEO plan.

The site owner should work out whether or not they want their business to spread its operations more widely using the power of the net. The site owner may want to exploit local opportunities more intensively. It could be the case that the site owner wants to aim to do both simultaneously. Or it might be that they desire to focus on the local initially, but plan to expand further down the track. The answers to these questions may well influence the keyword research, but they may influence anything from the site design to the language(s) used on a site (particularly if the local firm is based in a border region.) However, Google has come up with more specific assistance for local firms.

Using Google Local Business Centre is an astute method of maximising what you can get out of the local milieu. The right way of using the Business Centre can be explored with an account manager because there are some fairly subtle dos and don’ts to observe.

At Searchengineoptimization.co.uk we make every effort to give the best advice. As a matter of course, we place all our ingenuity at the disposal of our clients and ensure that our tailored campaigns are of the highest quality.

Facebook is very useful when it comes to social media marketing. This is because of the huge audiences who often spend considerable time there. The use of a Facebook fan page is one way in which productive relationships can be established and built upon. However, Facebook has sometimes been used for the purposes of search. This means that it could be encroaching on Google’s territory. Google may have been irritated by the fact that more users are using Facebook than used to be the case, but should they have concerns about Facebook threatening their position in the search engine sector?

Google dominates the world of the search engines and has done so for about a decade. It has seen off challenge after challenge. It has done so by being brilliant at what it does. Some of the challengers which it has defeated have received a lot of hype at the start of their challenge. Arguably quite a few industry commentators would like the drama that would come from the displacement of Google from the international top spot. Google’s human capital and reputation management mean that it is a very formidable competitor. However, if it overextends itself into areas in which it has no track history, Google could divert too many resources away from its strengths.

It is important therefore to assess whether or not Facebook has the potential to develop into a serious challenger of Google. Google has specialist challengers in the ‘search world’ to contend with, including Yahoo! and Bing, but how does Facebook measure up? Thus far Facebook does not seem to represent a serious threat to Google on its home turf. Facebook has been used by people for search queries and research has indicated a slight increase in this. However, Facebook seems to provide scanty information when you attempt to use it in this way. Furthermore, independent commentators tend to agree with the notion that searching on Facebook is not a satisfactory experience.

Undoubtedly, Facebook is a great tool for social media marketing. However, it does appear that it will have to up its game considerably before many site owners have their SEO adjusted specially for Facebook.

At Searchengineoptimization.co.uk we research and monitor the world of search because this ensures that our campaigns are flexible and up-to-date. SEO, which does not take into account the features of the ‘external’ sphere of search, typically have suboptimal consequences for the performance of the specific site concerned.

The implications of Google’s enduring dominance are complex and far-reaching. It is not the case that campaigns should forget about the other search engines. A lot depends on the specificities of the site under discussion. However, in practical terms, a site which is properly geared up for Google often does well in relation to Yahoo! When it comes to Microsoft’s Bing, the hyped ‘almost new kid on the block,’ the lessons may be a little different. Bing is a revamped search engine which does not yet look like matching Google in terms of relevance or importance. Nevertheless, optimising for Bing may not be a waste of time and it may involve tweaking things a tiny bit. Minor search engines may come into play for particular campaigns, but guidance is necessary. Regardless of these elements of uncertainty, the continued hegemony of Google means that contemporary SEO largely focuses on satisfying two groups.

The persistent success of Google means that SEO professionals spend most of their time trying to please Google and human users. Due to the fact that pleasing users is a staple of Google’s advice to the sector, it actually means that a lot of time is spent trying to address what Google wants. Unethical black hat firms may try to manipulate the sphere of search by trying to ignore the wishes of users, but they can incur the wrath of Google. Even if their efforts do not incur a search engine penalty, practices like mass link purchasing or keyword stuffing are unlikely to yield sustainable success.

As Google is so successful, it really has a powerful ability to shape and enforce the rules of the game. It makes sense to pay close attention to the information it releases through figures like Matt Cutts. However, Google’s power is important in another way. Google has the strength to set the agenda, at least in part. Therefore its innovations like its new indexing infrastructure, Caffeine, need monitoring and require proactive responses.

Google’s continued success is not guaranteed, but its resilience and commitment to innovation mean that campaigns will be focused on what Google wants for some time.

At Searchengineoptimization.co.uk we have been completely focused on improving the diverse sites of our clients while paying close attention to the relevant shifts in the world of search. One of the most important recent changes is Google’s Caffeine ‘going live’ this summer. Google Caffeine is basically a structure which indexes all the sites and it has been introduced in a clever manner.

In the summer of 2009, Google sought feedback in relation to Caffeine. This process ensured that relevant parties had a chance to have an influence. Subsequently, in November, Caffeine was put in motion at a single data centre in order to observe how it worked in practice. This meant that any initial problems or quirks could be ironed out in advance of the major launch when the index was to become ubiquitous. Google likes to get feedback from site owners and does not have an antagonistic attitude to the search engine optimization community. This is because there is a mutual interest in getting sites which are effective and user-friendly.

The big question is how will Caffeine alter the ‘search world’? There are two obvious points which must be made before anything else can be ventured. Firstly, it is premature to assess the practical impact of Caffeine on the way SEO has to be conducted. Secondly, it is the case that Caffeine is just one of the important changes transforming the sphere of search. Thus it will sometimes be quite hard to disentangle the influence of Caffeine from that of the other changes. The main thing will be to pursue evidence-related effective SEO that enables sites to improve their traffic and boost their conversion rates. Despite these caveats, some things can already be understood in relation to the advent of Caffeine. In the first instance, content can be accessed with greater alacrity. Secondly, Google can hold more content than was previously the case.

At present, it seems that the practical implications on SEO of Google are limited in extent. This is because the benefits of the new system are distributed to all the parties involved. However, Caffeine is likely to reinforce Google’s dominance in relation to the other search engines, so while Yahoo! and Bing should not be ignored, there is even less prospect of them making massive gains at Google’s expense in the foreseeable future.

At Searchengineoptimization.co.uk we keep focused on the developments within and between the major search engines. This means that the search engine optimisation which is applied to sites is up-to-date, and ideally focused on the needs of users and web crawlers alike. While other search engines are not ignored, the emphasis is placed on pleasing Google because that is what the SEO of today is largely about.

When it comes to understanding Google’s anticipations of local desires, one needs to look no further than Google Business Listing. This is because Google provides an excellent service for local businesses, over and above a handy map. The service has the capacity to highlight the telephone number and online location of around six or seven firms in an area. These details are conveniently displayed when a user enters a search for some type of business in a particular location. If a firm wants to feature prominently in searches like this, there are several things which they may do.

The first thing which a firm should do if they are interested in capitalising on this opportunity is to get their enterprise on Google Local Business Centre. This step needs to be followed by the provision of proof which indicates that the firm is owned by who claims to own it. A pin number is sent to the owner, who can then utilise it to put in the firm’s salient features into the listing. It is possible to alter the details of the firm after it has been put on display. A host of relevant details can be entered, to the benefit of the firm and its potential customers. The details can even be included in different formats. The best way of describing it is to go into a little more depth.

A form has to be filled in and it makes good sense to put in things like when the firm is open. It can also be astute to indicate whether the firm accepts things like cash, cheques, credit cards, debit cards and so on. Some people advocate including relevant images, while others like to demonstrate what they offer via the medium of video. There are arguments for and against the video option, and the answer is dependent on resources and on what the specific firm does. Arguably the main thing is to get a brief description of the firm correct and within the 200 word limit.

Defining the Sandbox is relatively easy, because Google does it for us. New sites are obliged to spend time in a special location, before they have proved their value to the satisfaction of the search engine. SEO techniques can be applied for a while, before the site is permitted out into the much happier – and more productive – world of the higher positions on the index. Patience is required, because diverse sites spend different amounts of time in the Sandbox. Frustration can mount, because the wearisome weeks can turn into miserable months in some unfortunate cases.

At Searchengineoptimization.co.uk, we might not have the capacity to prevent your site from enduring a tough period in the Sandbox, but we have developed tailored techniques that should ensure your spell ‘in quarantine’ is as brief as possible. When keyword research is performed for a site, it is prudent to make sure that not all the keywords which are being fought over are exceptionally competitive. Site owners, who do not heed this guidance, can believe their sites are in the Sandbox, but they are merely finding it tough to find their feet.

The adoption of the best way forward can help limit the duration of the Sandbox blues. It basically involves making sure the site is of the highest quality from the word go. It must be useful for users, while conforming to what Google’s web crawlers appreciate. Regular supplies of relevant content, employment of appropriate long tail keywords, and an effective link building strategy are the order of the day. The purchase of an already existing domain name may be an idea. Getting the hosting practicalities sorted out early on can also have a beneficial effect.

Search engine optimisation is not a process to recommend to impatient individuals. The Return On Investment (ROI) will usually come, but only in the context of an evolving, continuous and flexible campaign. Using the new social media can be a boost to a site, and it is important to do everything possible to maximise traffic and conversions. It is worth remembering that rankings without conversions are like sandwiches without the fillings: empty. Therefore, when you are waiting in the Sandbox, it can be a good time to check over the site as a user would.

There is no silver bullet which can get a site out of the Sandbox instantly. A reputable firm will not make you a promise that it cannot keep. Instead, it will endeavour to do its utmost to get you in to the game for real.