While you trade link with another site you must pay attention specially to one thing to avoid to be cheated. There are lot of webmaster that try to take advantage of the trade, taking backlink from you, without giving one back to you, and you can’t know if this happens if you don’t examine HTML code of the page where your link should be present. There are two most diffused technique to do this cheat.
There are webmaster who put in the head code of the page meta tag noindex for robots. This tag “forbids” to robot to elaborate the page. In this mode, when robot/spider of some search engine visits this page, he doesn’t index it, and you haven’t the link to your sites. The head meta tag mentioned is wrote like this: <meta name="robots" content="noindex"> .
Other webmaster instead use attribute nofollow in the anchor tag. This attribute says to search engine’s robots not to follow the link at which the attribute is related, and even here no backlink for your site. An example of this technique is this
<a href="http://www.mysite.com" rel="nofollow">Link to my site </a>
This concept can be done using meta tag, too, inserting the attribute nofollow. It’s less used way while all links on the page are not followed, including the inner links of the same site, and this is disadvantage for the webmaster who apply this method
When I exchange link with somebody, I always control inner code of page to see if there are some of this tags, and I make other 2 controls: I control if the page with my link is accessible from the main page of the site (often non honest webmaster hide the page from the rest of the site), and if the page is present in the Google cash: if not, maybe robot.txt prevent the page from scanning, so, in this case, I control the robot.txt file, too.
November 10, 2008
October 20, 2008
The rules of the Web communication: 7 rules of the digital darwinism
At the end of the 1999 and the beginning of the 2000, Evan Schwartz wrote a very interesting and useful book: “Digital darwinism”. The book was written in the time when Internet was on the top of its potential. The main point of the entire book is based on one simple concept, the theory of the evolution, already existing inside firms all over the world. The idea that Schwartz introduces it’s easy, in the nature you must be strong and adapt yourself in front of the changes, if you don’t adapt yourself you will be eaten . The same thing is with Internet. Today, we are all living in a dynamic world which is characterized by Internet and if you are not able to understand the new rules of the game you are out. It is also very important to underline the fact that Internet as our entire society is dynamic, everything is changing so quickly and Ewan Shwartz is helping us to understand this new, dynamic world by giving us some essential rules. Here are the rules:
1.You must create the name that solves problems for your future clients, you must enter in their heads and then create your brand. This is the only way to understand the customer. For creating a steady brand you need 4 things: distinction, significance, reputation and knowledge.
2. You don’t have to influence prices, leave them to follow the law of the request and offer. Remember that consumer know better the market and the offer but the producer knows better the consumer.
3. Create affiliate program and let your affiliate do marketing for you. The affiliate program was introduced in the 1996 by Amazon.com and it had great success. And remember to motivate your affiliates by giving them good percentage because if you don’t give a good percentage probably they will search for another affiliate program.
4. You need to suggest cumulative offers of information and services, because you need to justify the price you are asking. Remember to be original and exclusive and you will create the fidelity for your customers.
5. Sell before and then produce. Only when you have already sold your product it will be made in factory and this is very important because you don’t need warehouse anymore. But remember there is a negative consequence because: we are living in a world where people want exclusive products and if you already have made product and at the end you don’t sell it probably you will not be able to sell it anymore because it’s unique.
6. Give new value to transactions.
7. Integrate everything you can with online commerce and check out that your site is available not only from computers and use “smart card”, they have a microchip and they are easily carried. Remember that online commerce must be integrated with one physical point.
1.You must create the name that solves problems for your future clients, you must enter in their heads and then create your brand. This is the only way to understand the customer. For creating a steady brand you need 4 things: distinction, significance, reputation and knowledge.
2. You don’t have to influence prices, leave them to follow the law of the request and offer. Remember that consumer know better the market and the offer but the producer knows better the consumer.
3. Create affiliate program and let your affiliate do marketing for you. The affiliate program was introduced in the 1996 by Amazon.com and it had great success. And remember to motivate your affiliates by giving them good percentage because if you don’t give a good percentage probably they will search for another affiliate program.
4. You need to suggest cumulative offers of information and services, because you need to justify the price you are asking. Remember to be original and exclusive and you will create the fidelity for your customers.
5. Sell before and then produce. Only when you have already sold your product it will be made in factory and this is very important because you don’t need warehouse anymore. But remember there is a negative consequence because: we are living in a world where people want exclusive products and if you already have made product and at the end you don’t sell it probably you will not be able to sell it anymore because it’s unique.
6. Give new value to transactions.
7. Integrate everything you can with online commerce and check out that your site is available not only from computers and use “smart card”, they have a microchip and they are easily carried. Remember that online commerce must be integrated with one physical point.
October 9, 2008
Reciprocal vs. non reciprocal link exchange
Link exchange with other webmasters is a good way to increase the number of links to own site. Reciprocal link exchange consists in putting the links on the two sites that trade links. Site A links site B, and site B links site A. The links can be inserted on index or link page. There are lot of webmaster that, for various reasons, don’t want to do reciprocal exchange. One of the most explicated is the fact that from August 2007 Google introduced a new policy which said that excessive number of reciprocal links can be penalized. Please note that on Google policy pages the “excessive number” isn’t quantified, and I’m sure that, lets say 50 reciprocal links are not excessive (reed carefully the page). The other reason, more ancient, is that putting a link on the own page drains the PR of the page (this fact is evident from the formula for PR calculation), and at this point was born non reciprocal linkage. There are two main modes to do non reciprocal linkage.
3 way link
Webmaster 1 has site A, while Webmaster 2 has sites B, and C. In the 3 way link site A links site B, and receives link from site C. In the correct trade, site B should link site C, too, but often this not happened. If I’m Webmaster 1, those with 1 site only (site A, in this case), I normally don’t accept this kind of exchange. You can ask me, why? Because there are many webmaster that grow site C (the site that link me) for this purpose, to give a link, and after a while they didn’t care more about, or brutally cut off the links towards this site, so I don’t receive an adequate PR from this site. In the reciprocal exchange, I’m sure that the site that links me is supported at least by the link from my site.
4 way link
4 way link trade is similar as 3 way, but both webmasters have 2 sites, and they link one site, and receive the link from the other. It’s better way (each of them can be dishonest :) then 3 way link, specially if two sites of the same webmaster are linked between them.
By the way, Google continues to update ToolBar Page Rank very regularly, each 2 months. The last update was about Sept. 27, but I saw results of this update from statistics of my sites already about Sept. 10. As usually happens, some of my sites improved the position, but some others lost rank on Google.
3 way link
Webmaster 1 has site A, while Webmaster 2 has sites B, and C. In the 3 way link site A links site B, and receives link from site C. In the correct trade, site B should link site C, too, but often this not happened. If I’m Webmaster 1, those with 1 site only (site A, in this case), I normally don’t accept this kind of exchange. You can ask me, why? Because there are many webmaster that grow site C (the site that link me) for this purpose, to give a link, and after a while they didn’t care more about, or brutally cut off the links towards this site, so I don’t receive an adequate PR from this site. In the reciprocal exchange, I’m sure that the site that links me is supported at least by the link from my site.
4 way link
4 way link trade is similar as 3 way, but both webmasters have 2 sites, and they link one site, and receive the link from the other. It’s better way (each of them can be dishonest :) then 3 way link, specially if two sites of the same webmaster are linked between them.
By the way, Google continues to update ToolBar Page Rank very regularly, each 2 months. The last update was about Sept. 27, but I saw results of this update from statistics of my sites already about Sept. 10. As usually happens, some of my sites improved the position, but some others lost rank on Google.
September 11, 2008
Trade link with directories
One of the bast way to have links towards your site is to submit it to the web directories. It’s some kind of reciprocal link trade: they put your link on their pages, and you put their link on yours, usually, link page. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find good directories to submit your site.
When I say «a good directory», I think primarily that:
Example of static page (URL): www.mydir.com/bussines.htm
Example of dynamic page (URL): www.mydir.com?cat=12
A good directory will pass PR to your site. Here is a directory that I intend as a good one (excluding the fact that not all category pages have PR). All pages, and links are static, there are not too much links on page (maybe the fact that some pages are rather empty penalises PR of the same pages), and the pages with PR have decent 3 rank.
There are also directories that will list your site for free, without reciprocal link, and in this case doesn’t meter if the page is dynamic, with dynamic link, without PR; the link is free, so it’s your convenience to have it.
It’s not a good idea to submit to the pay directories, those that insert your link without reciprocal link, but you must pay for the service. This kind of listings are in contrast with Google policy, and Google penalises this links.
When I say «a good directory», I think primarily that:
- category pages should be static;
- the sites listed should be linked with static URL;
- the category pages should have good PR and not so much links on page;
- shouldn’t have too much pages for one categories (when you submit your site you are on the first page, but after 3 months, your link will finish at the fifth page, that has no PR.
Example of static page (URL): www.mydir.com/bussines.htm
Example of dynamic page (URL): www.mydir.com?cat=12
A good directory will pass PR to your site. Here is a directory that I intend as a good one (excluding the fact that not all category pages have PR). All pages, and links are static, there are not too much links on page (maybe the fact that some pages are rather empty penalises PR of the same pages), and the pages with PR have decent 3 rank.
There are also directories that will list your site for free, without reciprocal link, and in this case doesn’t meter if the page is dynamic, with dynamic link, without PR; the link is free, so it’s your convenience to have it.
It’s not a good idea to submit to the pay directories, those that insert your link without reciprocal link, but you must pay for the service. This kind of listings are in contrast with Google policy, and Google penalises this links.
June 5, 2008
Google becomes active and a little strange
Seems that Google changed tactics about toolbar PageRank updating: after very rarely updating last year (only 3 updates, with an inactive period of 6 months), this year Google updates frequently, with very regular intervals. At the start of May it made third update; the first was at the start of January, and the second at the end of February, practically each 2 months. This fact facilitates a lot the work of all those webmasters that work constantly to improve page rank of their sites.
The last 2 or 3 updates there is a strange thing: often happens that index/home page has a good PR, while the inner pages of the site, linked from the index page, have not PR. In some cases, some inner pages have PR, while the others no.
Is this a result of some error in the Google’s software, or it’s a “desired error”, as what happen with the representation of back links, because Google don’t want give away all the information about the site, it’s difficult to say. Maybe it has something to do with a new policy from August 2007, that penalizes too much reciprocal links: it’s very usual to have the same, inner, links on all the pages of one site.
The last curiosity: Google updated Page Rank, without updating the toolbar, about May, 15. I know this, because one my site lost in this occasion a lot of traffic. I was at the first page of the Google’s search results for one rather used keyword, and I had about 1500-2000 visitors/day from Google. After I lost my position on the first page (now I’m on the second page), I have only about 200 visitors per day.
The last 2 or 3 updates there is a strange thing: often happens that index/home page has a good PR, while the inner pages of the site, linked from the index page, have not PR. In some cases, some inner pages have PR, while the others no.
Is this a result of some error in the Google’s software, or it’s a “desired error”, as what happen with the representation of back links, because Google don’t want give away all the information about the site, it’s difficult to say. Maybe it has something to do with a new policy from August 2007, that penalizes too much reciprocal links: it’s very usual to have the same, inner, links on all the pages of one site.
The last curiosity: Google updated Page Rank, without updating the toolbar, about May, 15. I know this, because one my site lost in this occasion a lot of traffic. I was at the first page of the Google’s search results for one rather used keyword, and I had about 1500-2000 visitors/day from Google. After I lost my position on the first page (now I’m on the second page), I have only about 200 visitors per day.
March 2, 2008
Google is updating
Google is updating ToolBar Page Rank, and this days new PageRank will be visible to everybady. My conclusion is based on the fact that, in this moment, various Google’s data center show different PR for some sites, and this is a sight that the update is in the process. The last update happened about 2 months ago, and seems that Google take a rhythm, and updates rather regularly.
Lets see what kind of surprise will reserve us this time.
Lets see what kind of surprise will reserve us this time.
January 2, 2008
Recapitulation of real Page Rank values
Here is a table with the intervals of real Page Rank values.
We will make reference to the real values of the accurate method.
Well, we made a new web site and we go hunting Page Rank. We want to reach at least a PR3 in the next Google update. Lets see how much link, and of what quality, we must have to reach our objective.
To have a PR3, our site must receive a minimum real value of 343 (as from the table above). Lets suppose that the links to our site come from PR3 pages with about 30 links for page: each of this page passes a value of 257 (the minimum value for PR3 from the first article), divided by 30 are 8,57. So, 343/8,57 = 40 pages of this kind must link our site.
It’s a hard work to find 30 pages with this characteristics. We can try to submit our site to directories, to top lists that use direct link, and to trade link with other webmasters.
ACCURATE METHOD SIMPLIFIED METHOD
PR Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
Toolbar Value Value Value Value
0 1 6 1 9
1 7 48 10 99
2 49 342 100 999
3 343 2.400 1.000 9.999
4 2.401 16.806 10.000 99.999
5 16.807 117.648 100.000 999.999
6 117.649 823.542 1.000.000 9.999.999
We will make reference to the real values of the accurate method.
Well, we made a new web site and we go hunting Page Rank. We want to reach at least a PR3 in the next Google update. Lets see how much link, and of what quality, we must have to reach our objective.
To have a PR3, our site must receive a minimum real value of 343 (as from the table above). Lets suppose that the links to our site come from PR3 pages with about 30 links for page: each of this page passes a value of 257 (the minimum value for PR3 from the first article), divided by 30 are 8,57. So, 343/8,57 = 40 pages of this kind must link our site.
It’s a hard work to find 30 pages with this characteristics. We can try to submit our site to directories, to top lists that use direct link, and to trade link with other webmasters.
October 29, 2007
Toolbar’s Page Rank updated
Finally, after a long waiting, 26th October Google updated Toolbar’s Page Rank, too. Why did I use the word too?
Because the real value of Page Rank updates regularly, each 2-3 weeks, while the Toolbar’s value updates rarely: the last update was in April, 6 months ago.
The prove of this fact is the substantial changes in Google’s rank of some sites, in some periods, due to this invisible updates, not supported by Toolbar update.
Because the real value of Page Rank updates regularly, each 2-3 weeks, while the Toolbar’s value updates rarely: the last update was in April, 6 months ago.
The prove of this fact is the substantial changes in Google’s rank of some sites, in some periods, due to this invisible updates, not supported by Toolbar update.
October 18, 2007
Simplified method of Page Rank Calculation
In the previous article an accurate method to calculate Page Rank was exposed. For everybody that found that method too complicated, here is a simplified method, obviously less accurate.
To calculate a minimum page rank real value that one page passes to another page, after number 1 we must add as much zeros as the value of Toolbar’s Page Rank is, multiply by 0,75 and divide
It by total number of links present on the same page. An example: suppose that we examine a PR3 page with 34 links. This page passes real value of
1000 x 0,75 / 34 = 22,05
The maximum value is this value multiplied by 10, that is 220,5.
Using method from the previous article, we would have the minimum value 257/34 = 7,56, and the maximum value 1800/34 = 52,94, the values more lower then those obtained with simplified method.
To transform the Page Rank real value in Toolbar’s Page Rank, we must simply count the number of characters of the number that presents the real value, and decrement the count by 1. For example, one page has real Page Rank value of 3419: there are 4 characters, less 1, so Toolbar’s Page Rank value is 3.
The values previously calculated would give Toolbar’s Page Rank:
- for simplified method we have real value 22,05: 2 characters less 1, so we have PR1;
- for accurate method we have real value 7,56: log(7,56)/log(7) = 1,04, so PR is 1.
To calculate a minimum page rank real value that one page passes to another page, after number 1 we must add as much zeros as the value of Toolbar’s Page Rank is, multiply by 0,75 and divide
It by total number of links present on the same page. An example: suppose that we examine a PR3 page with 34 links. This page passes real value of
1000 x 0,75 / 34 = 22,05
The maximum value is this value multiplied by 10, that is 220,5.
Using method from the previous article, we would have the minimum value 257/34 = 7,56, and the maximum value 1800/34 = 52,94, the values more lower then those obtained with simplified method.
To transform the Page Rank real value in Toolbar’s Page Rank, we must simply count the number of characters of the number that presents the real value, and decrement the count by 1. For example, one page has real Page Rank value of 3419: there are 4 characters, less 1, so Toolbar’s Page Rank value is 3.
The values previously calculated would give Toolbar’s Page Rank:
- for simplified method we have real value 22,05: 2 characters less 1, so we have PR1;
- for accurate method we have real value 7,56: log(7,56)/log(7) = 1,04, so PR is 1.
September 28, 2007
How to calculate Page Rank
Page Rank is a measure of the popularity of a web page. More pages link one page, this page will have a bigger Page Rank.
It is very useful for us, webmasters, to know the value of Page Rank that our page receives from pages that link it. To have this information, we need data for each page that links to our page: the real value of Page Rank and the total numbers of links on the page.
The value of Page Rank that we know is those that we can read from Google’s Toolbar. That value is a logarithmic representation of the real value. I will assume that the base of logarithm is 7 (the real value isn’t known).
The formula that is used to calculate the real value of Page Rank that one page (lets call it page A) passes to another page (lets call it page X) is:
PR[Xa] = d * ( PR[A] / C[A])
With words: the Page Rank that the page X receive from the page A (PR[Xa]) is obtained dividing the real Page Rank value of the page A (PR[A]) by total number of links on this page (C[A]) and multiplying by dumping factor (d). I will assume that the value of dumping factor is 0,75 (the real value isn’t known).
The total value of Page Rank of page X is the sum of all contributions that the page receives from the pages that link it. For example, if the page X is linked by pages A, B, C and D, the real value of Page Rank will be:
PR[X] = PR[Xa] + PR[Xb] + PR[Xc] + PR[Xd]
Using this information, we can produce a table with ranges of real values of Page Rank that one page (A), with a certain Page Rank, read from Google’s Toolbar, gives to an another page (X), supposing that on the page A there is only one link, to page X.
Attention: there are not real values of Page Rank, but real values passed from one page to another.
The minimum values are obtained raising number 7 (base of logarithm) to the PR power and multiplying by 0,75 (dumping factor), for example: the minimum value of Toolbar’s Page Rank 5 is (7^5)*0,75 = 12.605.
The maximum values are obtained simply by decrementing by one the minimum value of the superior Page Rank, for example: the maximum value of Toolbar’s Page Rank 5 is 88.237-1 = 88.236.
Now, to have real value that one page pass to our page, we must take the real value of Page Rank of that page from the table and divide it by total number of links, present on the same page. Here is the problem. What value to take from the table: the minimum or the maximum one, or an average?
It’s impossible to resolve this problem because we don’t know exact value of Page Rank, but only an interval of values. Personally, I always work with minimum value so, in this mode, I’m sure that my calculations are underestimated.
An another problem to resolve is how to find the number of links on the page that we examine? There are Internet sites that offer free tools with which we can obtain this information.
At the end of all calculations, summing Page Ranks that we receive from any page that link our page, we have a real value of Page Rank of our page. Lets suppose that this value is 780. To get an equivalent Toolbar’s Page Rank, we have to calculate logarithm to base 7 of this value. Normal calculators have not this function, so we can calculate it using logarithm on base 10, in this mode: log(780) / log(7) = 3,4. Toolbar’s Page Rank is always represented as an integer number, simply ignoring the decimal part of result, so Toolbar’s Page Rank will be 3.
It is very useful for us, webmasters, to know the value of Page Rank that our page receives from pages that link it. To have this information, we need data for each page that links to our page: the real value of Page Rank and the total numbers of links on the page.
The value of Page Rank that we know is those that we can read from Google’s Toolbar. That value is a logarithmic representation of the real value. I will assume that the base of logarithm is 7 (the real value isn’t known).
The formula that is used to calculate the real value of Page Rank that one page (lets call it page A) passes to another page (lets call it page X) is:
PR[Xa] = d * ( PR[A] / C[A])
With words: the Page Rank that the page X receive from the page A (PR[Xa]) is obtained dividing the real Page Rank value of the page A (PR[A]) by total number of links on this page (C[A]) and multiplying by dumping factor (d). I will assume that the value of dumping factor is 0,75 (the real value isn’t known).
The total value of Page Rank of page X is the sum of all contributions that the page receives from the pages that link it. For example, if the page X is linked by pages A, B, C and D, the real value of Page Rank will be:
PR[X] = PR[Xa] + PR[Xb] + PR[Xc] + PR[Xd]
Using this information, we can produce a table with ranges of real values of Page Rank that one page (A), with a certain Page Rank, read from Google’s Toolbar, gives to an another page (X), supposing that on the page A there is only one link, to page X.
PR Minimum Maximum
toolbar Value Value
0 1 4
1 5 36
2 37 256
3 257 1.800
4 1.801 12.604
5 12.605 88.236
6 88.237 617.656
Attention: there are not real values of Page Rank, but real values passed from one page to another.
The minimum values are obtained raising number 7 (base of logarithm) to the PR power and multiplying by 0,75 (dumping factor), for example: the minimum value of Toolbar’s Page Rank 5 is (7^5)*0,75 = 12.605.
The maximum values are obtained simply by decrementing by one the minimum value of the superior Page Rank, for example: the maximum value of Toolbar’s Page Rank 5 is 88.237-1 = 88.236.
Now, to have real value that one page pass to our page, we must take the real value of Page Rank of that page from the table and divide it by total number of links, present on the same page. Here is the problem. What value to take from the table: the minimum or the maximum one, or an average?
It’s impossible to resolve this problem because we don’t know exact value of Page Rank, but only an interval of values. Personally, I always work with minimum value so, in this mode, I’m sure that my calculations are underestimated.
An another problem to resolve is how to find the number of links on the page that we examine? There are Internet sites that offer free tools with which we can obtain this information.
At the end of all calculations, summing Page Ranks that we receive from any page that link our page, we have a real value of Page Rank of our page. Lets suppose that this value is 780. To get an equivalent Toolbar’s Page Rank, we have to calculate logarithm to base 7 of this value. Normal calculators have not this function, so we can calculate it using logarithm on base 10, in this mode: log(780) / log(7) = 3,4. Toolbar’s Page Rank is always represented as an integer number, simply ignoring the decimal part of result, so Toolbar’s Page Rank will be 3.
September 17, 2007
Introduction with the opening of this blog for Webmasters
There is no need to try to explain the importance of Google’s Page Rank. Every webmaster knows that the best internet traffic comes from search engines, and Google, in this moment, is the most important. So, the main task for a webmaster is to get his site placed as high as possible in Google search results.
Everybody also know that to be placed in first positions the page must be well written, with the selected keyword well spreads in the titles and in the text of the body, that the page must have a lot of incoming links (the link that link the page from other sites/pages), that those incoming link must use the selected keyword as link text, and that the page must have a good Page Rank.
It seems to me that many webmasters do not fully understand the concept of Page Rank and how to obtain it. In this blog I will try to address some of the arguments that I frequently discussed with other webmasters in order to express my opinion regarding this issue.
I used this introduction to tell immediately on, due to me, very important fact. All webmasters that work hardly to place their sites at the firsts positions of searching results, base their efforts using information that have and that often are not very reliable, and coming from different fonts.
Google doesn’t give much referent points, and frequently those points can be interpreted in different ways. Google recommends to webmasters to make sites for surfers, not for SE placement, and to look own sites with the critical eye of visitors, to understand better the quality and the potential of them. You must ask yourself: “Will my visitors find those they are looking for”? I recommend the same thing in the different way, to look the site white the eyes of Google, and to ask yourself: “If I were Google, what should I think about my site”?
Everybody also know that to be placed in first positions the page must be well written, with the selected keyword well spreads in the titles and in the text of the body, that the page must have a lot of incoming links (the link that link the page from other sites/pages), that those incoming link must use the selected keyword as link text, and that the page must have a good Page Rank.
It seems to me that many webmasters do not fully understand the concept of Page Rank and how to obtain it. In this blog I will try to address some of the arguments that I frequently discussed with other webmasters in order to express my opinion regarding this issue.
I used this introduction to tell immediately on, due to me, very important fact. All webmasters that work hardly to place their sites at the firsts positions of searching results, base their efforts using information that have and that often are not very reliable, and coming from different fonts.
Google doesn’t give much referent points, and frequently those points can be interpreted in different ways. Google recommends to webmasters to make sites for surfers, not for SE placement, and to look own sites with the critical eye of visitors, to understand better the quality and the potential of them. You must ask yourself: “Will my visitors find those they are looking for”? I recommend the same thing in the different way, to look the site white the eyes of Google, and to ask yourself: “If I were Google, what should I think about my site”?
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