PageRank and Other January Musings

Google updated their PageRank on December 31st. Did you notice?

I must admit that I missed the blessed event which is strange considering that I was working on that date. Still, Google did what has now become an uncommon event: they exported their PageRank to the Google toolbar.

What this means is that everyone’s site has been reevaluated and assigned a fresh rank based on Google’s algorithm, a formula which remains a mystery to all except for those who are part of Google’s inner circle. Everyone has an opinion on how PageRank works, but unless your name is Matt Cutts and you’re talking, then then the rest of us should doubt what is being said.

For the record, Matt’s Musings remains at PR3 while my three other main sites are also now at PR3. The Article Writer dropped a notch, Word Journey climbed a notch, while Auto Trends remains the same. Talk about ranking parity when the traffic patterns for all four sites vary widely! Still, my linking strategies must have changed otherwise Google wouldn’t have adjusted their rankings accordingly.

So, what does this mean? Not much. Given that the toolbar export happens weeks after Google reassigns PageRank internally and that PageRank is a constantly fluctuating commodity, the ranking you see isn’t particularly accurate. Or at least it isn’t so today.

I haven’t dismissed PageRank completely, but I use other measuring points to gauge traffic including Google Analytics and Alexa. All three combined plus Compete and checking backlinks give me a better picture on how my sites are doing, but I’m sure that there are other measurements out there. I just don’t want to pay for them.

Beyond Matt Cutts there is much more to add today. But, I won’t bore you with trivialities or boorish behavior.

Revisiting LinkedIn

I was considering amending something I mentioned on New Year’s Day about LinkedIn, but decided against it. Instead, all I want to add about that is if you are on LinkedIn, you need to fill out your profile completely and obtain at least two recommendations in order for your information to be fully visible.

LinkedIn can also be valuable if you add the right keywords and keyword phrases to your profile. I stick these under “Specialties” which is part of the Summary section in my profile. Those words tell a lot about who I am and what I do for my customers, but they also add some SEO benefit to my page.

As mentioned previously and confirmed by so many others in the industry, Google loves LinkedIn profiles which means that when you Google your (unique) name, your LinkedIn data should appear on the first page of the search engine results page (SERP). Thank you, Matt Cutts!

Writing Better

Lastly, I want to encourage each of my readers who are inspiring writers to step up a notch in 2010.  I know of at least two people who want to expand their writing so that their works might appear on high profile sites and in select print publications for the very first time.

In order to do that, you must work at improving your writing. Certainly a writing class can help, but most bloggers have that down pat. They just need to incorporate some generally accepted rules to bring their writing up to the next level.

There are three books that can help you write better, each of which I own, but none which are offering me compensation to plug them (disclaimer). They are: The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law (AP Stylebook); Grammar Smart: A Guide to Perfect Usage (The Princeton Review); and The Chicago Manual of Style.

The AP stylebook is a must but if you find the Chicago Manual too bulky, then Grammar Smart can do the trick. In any case you will want to invest in yourself  by purchasing materials which can advance your work. Read and study them; apply what you learn to your writings. And if you get published, let me know!

Your Motown Link Love

I put this article together a few days ago, as I am currently in Detroit covering the North American International Auto Show. I must be having a blast ‘cuz I don’t have the time to post live blog posts!

That being said, it is time to share some link love — I’ve back on the SEO theme with this batch, so if you are looking for ways to optimize your site, the following articles could help you in your quest:

Linkbait 2.0: Focus More On Repeat Visitors and Long Term Links — I couldn’t have said it better. In fact, I didn’t!

What Will We Do When Searchers Get Smarter? — Talk about a lack of job security. If keeping people in the dark is the way to career success, then looking for a new job may be in order for 2008.

Arrogance & Writing In Self-Center Person — Marty Weintraub shares compelling reasons why we should regularly credit others who share in our accomplishments. Yes, I know that this can be difficult to do if you are a solitary blogger, but haven’t we all benefited from the guidance of other bloggers? I know that I have!

Get a Free Link From Wired — Wikipedia changed all of their links to no-follow, but Wired has not. Learn how you can get some delicious link juice for free.

How to Use Title Tags Effectively for SEO — This article offers sound advice and a good reminder for bloggers to make sure that their title tags are SEO-friendly.

Why SEOs Will Kill Wikia Search — If you haven’t heard about the newest search engine, Wikia Search, then you may want to read up on it fast because Andy Beal (and others) believe that this tool will be DOA once it is ready for its official launch.

Make the Scrapers Work for You — Ah, ripped off content. You’ve worked hours upon hours crafting the best article and moments after going live with it, bits ‘n pieces of it have been scraped and are being used elsewhere. Don’t fret, Joost de Valk shares tips on how you can make the scrapers do your work.
How An Advice Column Can Help Your Blog Get More Loyal Readers — Dosh Dosh is one of my favorite SEO/marketing blogs, so if you aren’t familiar with his writings I urge you to peruse his site on a regular basis. That being said, I am glad that he shared the benefits of having an advice column — dispensing your personal wisdom and unique perspective on a topic can quickly make you a leader in your area of expertise. Plus, your readership will grow significantly.

Do Not Hire An SEO Company! — Sounds contradictory, especially coming from the mouth of an SEO company. Still, when you understand the expectancy of some customers, then Brent Yorzinski’s piece makes perfect sense. Lots of potential customers are clueless when it comes to SEO!

How to Piggyback Off of Authority Sites for Tier 1 — This article is a must read for everyone (which should be all of us) who wants to improve their positioning online. By piggybacking off of the authority of higher ranking sites, your blog or web page could improve significantly.

WordPress SEO for Complete Idiots….like me — Love the title! Yes, WordPress is a great blog platform, but applying SEO tactics doesn’t come easy for the novice. Do you like screen shots with your tutorials? This article has them and gives you some great tips to help you take your blog to the next level, SEO-wise.

Well, that’s all for now — I’ll be blogging here again at the end of the week, once I complete my journey home.

For all of you automotive fanatics wanting to follow what I’m seeing and doing, why not head over to The Auto Writer for the latest car show news? Vrooooom!