The tools listed below will not only help you discover your competition’s backlink profiles but will also provide ways to obtain relevant back links yourself.

1. Backlink Watch – The Backlink Watch Tool a very simple way to check a website’s back link URL’s, anchor text and total OBL’s (outbound links) on the same page as that link.
2. Analyze Backlinks – Another gold mine for exploring a competitor’s back links. This one provides more valuable options that allow you to filter out same domain URL’s and to search for factors such as target keyword mentions surrounding the links.
3. Yahoo Site Explorer – Not really a linking tool, but you could quickly check a site’s inlink count and it’s top 10-1000 back links. Although this tool isn’t much more better than the previous 2, it does show the title of the linking pages and allows you to track you own websites if signed in and verified ownership of site.
4. Google Search (link:yoursite.com) – No different than the one above except for the fact that the number of back links according to Google’s search engine is ALWAYS considerably lower than Yahoo!’s results. But the links that made it to Google’s results are assumingly affecting the search rankings.
5. Alexa Backlink Checker – You can see total domains linking to a website and which domains they are. This Alexa tool also provides other great website data.
6. Bad Neighborhood Text Link Tool – Great way to see what type of links a website accumulates, whether it be yours or a potential link partner.
7. SoloSEO Link Search Tool – Quite possibly the easiest way online to find relevant back links, that are fairly easy to obtain.
8. Webconfs’ Back link Anchor Text Analysis – Compare the top ranking site’s text links to yours. Is there a difference?
9. Webconfs’ Back link Builder – Enter a keyword. Copy whole list(s), paste into excel. Filter.., or, get to work.
10. Webconfs’ Backlink Summary – A quick summary similar to the results delivered by Analyze Backlinks & Backlink Watch.
11. SEO for FireFox Plugin – Besides being able to provide you with on-demand access to data of the top ranking site’s instantly, the SEO for Firefox Tool also provides a great feature that highlights nofollow links (in red), so it’s easy to identify which inlinks count and which don’t.
12. Google Webmaster Tools – Besides getting the best perspective of your website through the eyes of Google, the Google Webmaster Tools also tells you the links they’ve found, and their anchor text.
13. Link Harvester – This tool is toward the end of the list because it provides the type of data far beyond what the basic linker needs. Nonetheless, it’s a oldie, but goodie.
14. Search Combination Tool by We Build Pages – Not really a link building too at all. But adding phrases like “resources”, “links”, “favorite sites”, “suggest url”, etc. could add some fun to it.
15. Recip Links – A tool that spiders a site (or list of sites) and checks to see if they are links to a specified domain.
16. Link Appeal Tool – Is a link from your website really worth it? Find out with this tool how valuable your website is based on several factors. Aim to get links from sites of higher value than yours.

In all, there were three major improvements added to Google’s search engine capabilities. The first improvement comes in the way of localized Google Suggest. Although localized Google Suggest was introduced to users last year, it was done so only in a manner that would suggest localized sites on a per-country basis. For example, users in London might see different suggestions than users in New York.

This time around, however, users in the United States can experience a more enhanced version of localized Google Suggest that will offer results based on the largest metropolitan area they are closest to. So, if a person in San Francisco types in “bart,” they could likely be searching for information on the region’s Bay Area Rapid Transit system, rather than sites related to the popular TV character, Bart Simpson.

Another example would be a web surfer in Miami who begins to type “dolphin” into the search form, which would now yield suggestions related to the area’s local football team, rather than the animal itself. These localized suggestions, new to users within the United States, should definitely add a little speed and ease to searches, and might help them find what they are looking for in a more streamlined manner.

The second major improvement to Google’s search engine revolves around spelling enhancements for names. As of right now, users in the United States will be the first affected by the name spelling improvements, with more enhancements coming in the near future for global users. The name spelling enhancements were made due to the fact that several people have names that are difficult to spell. With that in mind, Google has added some extra clues within their suggested search queries to help users find what they are looking for.

For example, a suggestion such as “matthew devin oracle” could be given, with “oracle” added at the end as a possible clue or suggestion to the user. Another example could be “simon tung machine learning,” with “machine learning” added to the end as a specific suggestion to the searcher. Considering the difficulty with spelling many names, these added enhancements should help users when searching for people, as they give added clues for the context in which the search is being performed.

The third and final search enhancement comes in the form of spelling auto-correction. While in the past Google used the “Did you mean” link at the top of results in the event of a misspelling, the search engine will now send users directly to the intended spellings’ results. This will happen when there is an extremely high probability that the user misspelled the word, saving them time by omitting the need to click the “Did you mean” link at the top. This correction has been made globally, spanning 31 different languages.

Despite its current dominance, it’s nice to know that Google’s minds are still churning out new ideas for improvement that should not only help them retain their current market share, but also keep users satisfied.

This proliferation of traffic and scale raises an interesting question about how Google’s own tools can be used to increase your search engine visibility.

An important point to recognize when conducting a search engine optimisation campaign is that your success or failure does not necessarily depend on the web site itself appearing at the top of the search results. Think about SEO more as a chance to drive targeted traffic and raise online awareness (both pay offs of a good search results position) and you’ll begin to see why the use of other web sites and online properties can deliver that very same result. To my mind, that’s where Knol and Google’s other platforms come into play.

1. Knol

With a tag line ‘a unit of knowledge’, it seems that Knol was always intended to rival Wikipedia. An amalgamation of research and how to articles, Knol references social media in a big way. Material posted on Knol can be discussed by the community, reviewed, tagged and graded. Individual authors can collaborate with colleagues working in their field and even edit the work of others.

Benefits to your SEO Campaign:

As with all Google properties, it boasts an incredible PageRank (7), which makes it great link fodder.

As a collection of authoritative material about a particular topic, it’s also a very worthy showcase for research papers or white papers, helping to establish yourself as an expert in your field. This goes back to the principles of article marketing.

More importantly, the huge network of pages means it’s cropping up more and more often in Google search results. It isn’t displacing Wikipedia listings at the top of the page as yet so there’s no advantage to be gained in that sense but, it is another route through to your site from the higher echelons of the search results when your own site is languishing at the bottom of the pile.

2. YouTube

YouTube needs no introduction to the seasoned search engine optimizer. 99% of videos returned in Google Video results are YouTube based. Most publishers will only be able to dream of such dominance but, it’s easy to cash in and secure your own five minutes of fame with a prominent position for your brand. Simply create a YouTube account and upload your own videos.

Benefits to your SEO Campaign:

The best way to leverage this for search engine visibility is by using product demonstrations and how-to-programs. Steer away from marketing pitches and sales presentations.

YouTube has so much traffic going through it that you’re likely to find your target demographic searching for video related to your particular area of expertise. Reward that with helpful, useful footage and their next stop could be your web site or your store.

YouTube’s dominance in the video search results gives instant Google exposure, again shoring up your search engine presence if your own URL is not yet making an appearance in the top 10.

3. Blogger

If not already the largest online blogging platform, it surely can’t be long before Blogger camps out in the top spot permanently. This blog site is super easy to use with a friendly, problem-proof interface for the novice and more advanced branding and appearance options for the seasoned used.

Benefits to your SEO Campaign

It’s PageRank of 8 makes it excellent link fodder, just make sure that you abide by the core principles of SEO and build links around good quality content. As always the aim is to direct the search engine spiders and the end user back to the most relevant page on your site so deep link and use keywords in the anchor text to secure a double whammy.

You can keep the posts in an FTP sub directory on your own site, meaning you can use your blog postings to supplement site growth. This is hugely important, not just to show the search engine’s that you can keep your site up to date with relevant content but also to present readers and other bloggers with interesting pages to link to. This snowball effect will deliver more links and more inbound traffic.

Searches on most keywords will display a blogger.com URL somewhere in the search results. Again, this is a valuable route into your site for users who may not otherwise know your brand; if for example your own web site is not on page 1.

4. Local Search

Any location specific search will always trigger a Google Maps result at the top of the page. This enables you to get directions or more significantly, find a local business or store. Unlike Knol, Google does play favorites with Google Maps, always awarding it pride of place at the top of the page. Getting your business included in this section is a must if you have a physical storefront location.

Benefits to your SEO Campaign

Any business with a physical location can add their addresses and pictures to Google Local. When search users input keywords plus a state or zip code, your site will show up along with any images you’ve added to your listing. This is an invaluable opportunity to appear at the top of the SERPS, reinforcing your brand identity even if you have other page 1 listings.

Google Maps are a popular mobile search function as commuters search for directions or a restaurant / store nearby. This gives extra exposure for your web site, directing not only virtual traffic but physical foot traffic to your place of business.

Your listing is reinforced with images or a company logo, adding an extra note of interest to your web presence.

In todays market, competition for customers is fierce, so you can see why a strong brand identity is crucial for companies.

Business owners rely on design professionals to invest time into researching, defining, and ultimately building a brand that people can trust. One could say that branding is the foundation of your design and marketing campaign.

For graphic designers who are new to building brand recognition this article will highlight the research process that experienced designers who are successful at building brands will implement in their graphic approach before offering up any directions. When building brands it’s not simply a matter of creativity it’s a matter of doing the right research.

Whether you’re branding a product or a company you will need to put in a good amount of time doing research.

Ask yourself some key questions such as:

* What kind of company are you trying to establish a graphic representation for?
* Who are their clients?
* What is the company’s target demographic?
* What services do they provide, etc.?

The same applies to product branding.

* What kind of product is it?
* Is the product targeted at males or females and what age group?
* How should the product be associated with the company that is selling the product?

Once you’ve collected your preliminary data from your initial questions, filter through and analyze your information to really hone in on your target audience. The ultimate goal of branding is to speak directly to your target audience in order to motivate them to action. In order to do this you better be sure that your target market is clearly defined.

Establishing your target market means identifying who your audience is specifically. To help you find out who your target audience is exactly ask questions like:

* Where is my audience located geographically?
* What colors should be associated with the product or company?
* Who is my brands direct competition?
* What elements have made my competition successful?
* Who are my competitors targeting?

You can do a large amount of this investigating on line. The more accurately you can assess your target market the more effective your brand will be.

If you spend enough time properly researching answers to your questions you will find that you have provided yourself with a guide to direct your creativity in the design process.

Remember, every element of your design is something that will be associated with the business or product you are branding. These elements should evoke emotion, create a reaction, and will not only define the company but be a part of it for as long as it exists.

These may seem like very simple questions, but the trick is making sure that you spend the time to answer them properly.

Many designers throw the term branding around without a true understanding of what that term means or how effective branding is accomplished.

A strong brand builds relevance, credibility and establishes trust. A strong brand speaks to your target market – it motivates customers to act. When done correctly it establishes the company or product as an industry leader.

By answering a few core questions you will be provided with a system of guides to help direct you when it comes to the actual design process. This is your map to an effective brand.

Squidoo is very well rated to by the most popular search engines and is rapidly becoming too good an SEO opportunity to pass up. Within the lens you can add links back to your own web site so an authority lens can make a big contribution to better site rankings overall.

Getting Started

Get the basics out of the way – create a user account, log in and familiarize yourself with the easy to use dashboard. Click the ‘create a lens’ button and then decide on a name. At this point, you must keep basic SEO principles in mind. Your Squidoo lens is a chance to take up another spot on the search engine results pages so you’ll want to include your product name, company name and priority keywords if possible. Keep the title short and catchy.

Squidoo allows you to rate the lens in much the same way as films are rated – most will be suitable for all audience, but take time to read the other options just in case some material is unsuitable for certain audiences. At this second stage you’re also invited to choose your own Squidoo URL. Again, keep in mind SEO optimisation principles and branding considerations to give visibility a helping hand.

With the lens now named, you can start to add keywords. Although you’re limited to three initially, you can add more later so choose the most relevant three for the moment.

First Updates

When you complete the set up process, you’re presented with the basics of a good lens. Among the choices when you first begin to add content to your new Squidoo page are welcome text, Flickr photos, YouTube videos, a guestbook, Google Blog search and Amazon voting.

You probably won’t be able to complete each of the modules straight off (you may need to enlist the help of other departments or hunt down relevant pictures for example) but make an appointment to start populating the modules you don’t complete at this first pass. A good Squidoo lens will take a lot of time and work to create and maintain but it’s worth putting in the extra effort to give your page a chance of appearing in the SERPS. There are millions of mediocre lenses just as there are millions of blogs and community pages that were left to fade into obscurity after the first flush of enthusiasm. A mediocre page won’t contribute to your ranking positions or drive traffic to your web site though so do try and keep to a realistic update schedule.

Using Modules

Regular updates are essential but that doesn’t mean that you have to write reams and reams of text. Of course, if you have white papers or insights into any aspect of your industry or product use, it pays to add them to your lens but if you’re short on time, you can get creative with the pre-loaded modules that Squidoo offers. A great way to ensure cohesion of message is to link your Squidoo lens to your other social media outlets – you can do this by going to Add Modules at the top of the dashboard and then selecting the new content type you would like to load in.

The best lenses blend a variety of modules to create a useful, informative page that visitors will return to time and time again. Link to your eBay shop to generate additional revenue, add Twitter Follow or Lists to increase your Twitter followers, add Wikipedia knowledge, slideshare, even videos from Saturday Night Live.

Optimisation

Whatever kind of content you add, make sure to always include relevant tags for the post and link back to your own web site where appropriate. You can use HTML code within text modules, so choose anchor text wisely and try other optimization tips such as the use of H2 and H3 tags for longer chunks of text. Remember, you want to apply as many SEO techniques as possible to make your lens stand out in the SERPS. This will ultimately drive more traffic and brand awareness your way.

About Footprints-SEO.com

Footprints-SEO.com is an internet marketing company whose priority is to make your organization rise above the competition, we are a group of talented and dedicated individuals with a passion for search engine optimization. We will custom-tailor marketing strategies that are right for you and your business, while ensuring top search engine optimization and web-site design.

Footprints-SEO.com has the answer to all your internet marketing needs.

While search engines are becoming more sophisticated in their ability to crawl through a site and can follow text links, hyperlinked images, and image maps contained within graphics, they still struggle to crawl and follow dynamic HTML pages, JavaScript, and content built in Flash. If the search engines come across this type of content, they may stop their exploration and not crawl any deeper into the site. This is very bad for your SEO efforts, as the more pages crawled on the site, the more search results you will appear in. If the spiders can’t crawl through the whole site, you’ll inevitably be missing out on some listings.

Link architecture is a crucial part of your site design and search engine optimisation strategy . It controls the process of directing the flow of traffic from one page to the next. It can help address the problem of new pages not being found and be used to help search engine spiders circumnavigate their way around Flash or JavaScript road blocks rather than abandoning the site altogether. Equally importantly, good link architecture will ensure that your visitors can find the information they are looking for easily and enjoy visiting your site.

Text-based linking within your site should be intuitive. To ensure you’re building the best possible site for both better search engine rankings and the user experience, you must make it easy to find information and travel deeper within the site. If the visitor doesn’t use your sophisticated navigation system or click through to the sitemap, is there still a route through the site? If not, you may see a high bounce rate on certain pages. Similarly, a user clicking through an organic ranking, other external link, or selecting a paid advert will rarely land on the home page. If they miss this front door to the site, link architecture steps in to help them find their way from page to page.

Text links are not just for the human visitor. Keeping link architecture in mind when creating new content will also encourage the search engines to rank you a little more favorably. Using optimized anchor text, much like that used for inbound linking, is a great signal to the search engines what the next page is about. Using keywords in the text link helps them identify what they should be considering ranking the page for.

Particularly if your website does employ Flash or JavaScript based menus, use the Google Webmaster tools to check that the Googlebot is finding your newly crafted internal links.

About Footprints-SEO.com

Footprints-SEO.com is an internet marketing company whose priority is to make your organization rise above the competition, we are a group of talented and dedicated individuals with a passion for search engine optimization. We will custom-tailor marketing strategies that are right for you and your business, while ensuring top search engine optimization and web-site design.

Footprints-SEO.com has the answer to all your internet marketing needs.

Millions of businesses jumped on the social media express train over the last 12 months but, many of them do not know why they have a Facebook account or why it was so important that they have a presence on Twitter. Even those companies that have dedicated personnel in-house to work on their social media presence often struggle to justify the investment – they just know that they ought to be participating in social media, often as part of their SEO efforts. This mindset means that money and effort is being extended with no means of tracking progress, measuring return or monitoring conversions.

Social media in 2010 can be much more than ‘ought to be participating’ or ‘no idea why we are on Facebook’. 2010 can be the year that your organization develops a definitive social media strategy, with a clear what, where and why. As part of this, specific goals and objectives must be defined and definitive means of tracking progress towards them implemented. This knowledge, if dissimilated through the various layers of your organization could transform something you’re already doing to something that really starts to reap rewards and makes a positive contribution to your business practices.

About Footprints-SEO.com

Footprints-SEO.com is an internet marketing company whose priority is to make your organization rise above the competition, we are a group of talented and dedicated individuals with a passion for search engine optimization. We will custom-tailor marketing strategies that are right for you and your business, while ensuring top search engine optimization and web-site design.

Footprints-SEO.com has the answer to all your internet marketing needs.

The job of appointing a search engine optimisation company can be daunting if you have never worked with an SEO specialist, will likely make or break your online success. For many firms, their SEO is a sales tool so you’ll want to be sure you’re making the right decision. Hiring an online marketing agency can also be difficult if your own web site optimisation knowledge is basic as you do not want to be blinded by science or thrown off course by the use of technical jargon.

As we speak to hundreds of businesses throughout the UK, Europe and USA, we’ve compiled this guide of questions to ask.

1. What new SEO related skills and services have been recently developed?

Online Marketing consultancy is a crowded and competitive marketplace, so you shouldn’t have any problems finding companies to approach. Because SEO changes so quickly, you’ll want your new agency to be on top of their game. A great opening question is to ask the SEO agency you are considering what new techniques they have added to their optimisation repertoire in the last 3 months. Although search engines like Google keep their algorithms a closely guarded secret, a good SEO company will constantly be adapting and updating their methodology and services.

2. Can they offer an SEO site review?

If possible, ask agencies to produce a brief report focusing on problems and opportunities with your current website in search engine optimisation terms prior to signing an agreement. This doesn’t have to be a detailed report, a conversation about the site will suffice. Can the SEO consultant identify possible barriers to stronger rankings? Do they approach the site in a methodical and logical manner? Do they ask questions to get some background to the site and previous SEO efforts? You can request an SEO site audit from Footprints SEO here.

3. What kind of link building strategies will be used and what is their position on link buying and link bait?

The importance of an experienced link builder cannot be underestimated, so have a detailed discussion about the SEO firm’s preferred methodology and previous experience. Be sure to check that link building and off page optimisation is included in the package quoted as some Online Marketing agency representatives will quote separately for each SEO module so you may be looking at an extra cost. All Footprints SEO packages include link building.

Look for an emphasis on relevant links and tactics to increase inbound links from sources likely to drive good quality traffic to the site.

4. What kind of reporting and analytics packages will be used to track SEO results?

You’d expect any direct hire to be able to report back to you about job progress and tasks completed, so don’t expect any less from your new online marketing consultancy. Ask for a breakdown of reporting methodology and copies of dummy reports.

5. Will competitor analysis be used in on and off page optimisation?

Keeping an eye on the competition is a must in any well-executed SEO campaign, so you’ll need to know that your SEO consultancy can bring competitor analysis skills to the table. Ask for examples and a detailed breakdown of what will be included in the competitor research. It’s also worth checking that you can specify sites yourself to be included.

About Footprints SEO

Footprints-SEO.com is an internet marketing company whose priority is to make your organization rise above the competition, we are a group of talented and dedicated individuals with a passion for search engine optimization. We will custom-tailor marketing strategies that are right for you and your business, while ensuring top search engine optimization and web-site design.

Footprints-SEO.com has the answer to all your internet marketing needs.

A PDF file can often make a greater impact than a regular web site page for documents such as catalogues and sales material as it can be branded to more closely reflect offline marketing docs. In addition to this, you will often see PDF files returned high up in the search results on engines like Google, making PDF optimisation a useful endeavour for most web sites.

Optimising a PDF document requires a similar thought process and workflow to regular optimization work.

Tip 1: Use Words, Not Pictures

As with any material you’re looking to use for SEO purposes, content is king and thought must be given to keyword use, placement and density. Standard good practise for content optimisation should be observed within the creation of the PDF document; use keywords for titles, picked out in bold, italicised and used at regular internals throughout the body of the document.

Some PDF documents are converted into PDF after being designed in an image based program. This has the same effect as using flash on site in that no information can be taken from the document as it is essentially an image. This is the last thing you want if you’ve spent time crafting a PDF that blends visual appeal with a good keyword density. Make sure your SEO efforts are not lost by avoiding programs that create PDFs from images alone.

Tip 2: Don’t Skip Document Properties

When creating a PDF document, there is a tendency to skip the document property fields. This is a mistake as fields such as ‘Document Title’ are just as important as the <title> tag of a regular HTML file. The document properties form provides important information about the file – both to the search engine and end user. When deciding on a title for the PDF, bear in mind that the information you input will normally be used as the title of the listing in the SERPs. It’s worthwhile including keywords here and spending a little time deciding upon the most appropriate title – avoid clever headlines and plays on words and stick to something straightforward, accurate and descriptive.

If you’re pushed for time, a concise title will suffice but consider returning at a later date to complete at least the Author and Subject fields, particularly if you want to establish yourself as a thought leader or opinion former in your field. This information will help users to find documents and white papers you have presented so it’s also worth sticking to the same format to establish your credentials – e.g. if you prefer to be called Bob rather than Richard or use Bob more in professional circles, make that the standard author entry on all your PDF files to be uploaded to the web.

Tip 3: Consider File Size

PDF documents can be quite weighty if they are stuffed full of high-res images. To encourage readers to wait for the PDF to load, use the Adobe Acrobat advanced optimiser tool to format the file to the correct size. You can also encourage speedier loading by activating the Fast View option, which will load download the document a page at a time. Regardless of whether or not you choose to use these file size optimisation tools provided in Adobe, always use the lowest possible dpi for images inserted in the file.

Tip 4: Include Your Web Site Address as A Link

Unlike a regular HTML page which can be emailed as a link and will direct the recipient straight through to your site, a PDF document may not guide a third party directly to your web site. PDFs can be easily passed on via email and printed off for reference in meetings or at a later date. If you haven’t included at least one prominent link in the PDF to your web site, you may miss the opportunity to capture relevant qualified traffic.

Including a link in the PDF with optimized anchor text will be recognised by the search engines and added to the inbound link count they hold about the URL.

Our award-winning in house team of online journalists and SEO specialists will research and write your press release. Available as both a one-off and recurring service, your press release has no word limits and is optimised for media publication.

Setting out your new product, boasting about a client win, introducing an innovative new service or announcing your presence at a major event, our press release service is tailored to your individual needs.

If things are quiet on the news front but you would like to maintain contact with the press, or even introduce your company to the media for the very first time, Footprints SEO understands news values and will present a series of ideas for your consideration.

Our team will brainstorm the best way to secure column inches for your brand and then suggest press release titles, themes and approaches. As with your own company news, these ideas can be used as stand alone news items or play a role as part of a more sustained campaign.

Walking the walk and talking the talk is easy with Footprints SEO. Just tell us about your product and service and let our team do the rest. We’ll research current trends, search out relevant facts, figures, studies and stats and wrap it all up in a media friendly package.

Presented in a custom designed press release template, Footprints SEO compiles a bespoke contact list specifically for your news item. For each item we issue to the media, an up to date list will be created to ensure your PR reaches only the most relevant of contacts.

Delivered directly to the inbox of each major national, regional and local newspaper and magazine, our news hounds will go the extra mile to sniff out specialist publications, relevant foreign press, online web sites and social media sites.

A series of press distribution sites are used as standard to ensure publication in RSS feeds – giving a wider net of coverage – and Google news alerts. If relevant, your press release will be given its moment in the spotlight at high traffic sites such as Google Base, MySpace, Facebook and Squidoo. All relevant forums and online business communities will also be presented with a copy and media requests carried out and followed up on your behalf.

Nosy by nature, our team will also track who reads the press release and where it’s published, giving you a fully accountable tracking service. Scouring the web, you’ll receive both real time notifications and periodic resumes of published links and media exposure. These are presented in a report format and can be discussed with your account manager at your convenience.