Archive for the ‘Search Engine Optimisation’ category

On the 4^th September this year I will be heading down to Leeds with Mediaworks to attend Think Visibility. I have to say I am looking forward to it greatly! Having lost my conference virginity earlier in the year SASCon, I am eager to attend further conferences, particularly Think Visibility. » Read more: Why I Am Looking Forward to Think Visibility

We work with Google Analytics daily; it provides us with lots of amusement, but also frustrations. During a query that arose in the Mediaworks office surrounding uninviting an invited account from Google Analytics, Dan Hoggan brought to light a slightly annoying, yet deceptively brilliant problem with Google Analytics. Looking into it in a little more detail, we discovered a great little trick that you can carry out with Google Analytics to cause chaos and mayhem to a fellow user you don’t like, be it a competitor, an ex-employer or whoever you hold a grudge against.

The process is simple and all you require is the email address of their GA account. You don’t need to know the password or anything else, just the email.

Disclaimer: This post is for information only. Do not try this. I do not condone anybody trying this to cause problems be it with malicious intent or otherwise. I’m not responsible for the consequences. » Read more: Google Analytics Bombing

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to predict some of the largest yielding search results and have an SEO campaign ready for when it happens? Imagine ranking ready for the BP oil spill, Justin Bieber or the iPad? Sometimes, all it takes is a little forward thinking and you can prepare be ready to soak up the traffic.

There are several ways to earmark an emerging market. These can include:

• Google Trends, Seasonal Insights etc.
• Real Time Events (e.g. the BP Oil Spill)
• Industry/Insider News
• A bit of luck!

Unfortunately, you have to either be in the right place at the right time, or simply put hard graft into planning and analyzing markets & industries. » Read more: Future Thinking: Planning an SEO campaign for an emerging market

Black Hat SEO is a term that gets bandied around with everything that the “White Hats” deem to be underhanded or to appear to be giving a webmaster an unfair advantage. When a legitimate web design technique gets caught in the crossfire, it annoys me – especially when the search engines are unable to differentiate from a useful, (Google) law abiding technique and blatant abuse by spammers. » Read more: CSS Image Replacement: When Did It Become Black Hat SEO?

I’ve had many discussions, heated debates and rants with many of my close friends who still work in the realm of web development, web design & corporate branding about SEO. Many still believe SEO is bullshit. One of my closest web dev buddies still believes that “SEO is as real as fairy dust”. Yet, he still uses me for advice on SEO for big name clients who are trying to compete – go figure

It all comes down to skills. As with SEO’s there is a varying difference in skills between good & bad web developers/designers. Some are open-minded, some are elitist and some are just starved of oxygen to the brain – just like some SEO’s I know. Unfortunately you only ever hear about the bad experiences – from both sides of the fence.

» Read more: Is SEO bullshit?