Google Local Business Center is the talk of the town lately, so how do you add your website? Well, it just so happens I’ve added a quick and dirty Youtube.com video which breaks it down for you step by step (provided by smbwebguru)

Google also offers its own video located on the Local Business Center website, if you prefer to hear it from the horse’s mouth.

I’ll add, unlike BING’s current local Business Directory process, Google’s version allows for instant phone verification of your listing. Very nice.

I recently read an article from SEOMoz on the new deal between Yahoo and Microsoft’s BING. In the very near future there will be, in essence, a merger of search technologies between the two major search engines. While Google Search still holds fast in the dominance of search on the internet, these two combined forces are sure to add some interesting changes in the Search Engine Optimization landscape. Those of you out there who have held off on putting much effort into learning how BING ranks, now is the time to play catch-up!

Article from SEOMoz: Top 10 Things the Microsoft/Yahoo! Deal Changes for SEO – July 29, 2009

~ How much website traffic do you feel you need to meet your goals?

~ How many conversions will you need to meet these monthly goals?

…Better yet, what are your goals?

Many people think they need millions of visitors to achieve their company or website’s goals. Not true.

If your monthly analytics continues to grow and your actual conversion rate keeps you in the “green”, you very well may not need those millions of visitors. *smirk*

Well, many of you out there had already suspected this and any designer “worth their salt” knows to watch for this, page load speed matters!

Taken from sitepronews.com:

“Last week’s post about load speeds on Google’s Official Webmaster Central Blog finally confirmed the rumors which have abounded across the SEO sector for months – that Google now factors a site’s load-speed when assessing its search ranking.

And while this announcement, which comes as no surprise to those with their finger on the Google pulse, has drawn a few favorable responses from blog commenters, the overwhelming majority of readers have expressed concerns and doubts about the soundness of Google’s approach. At the forefront of these were questions primarily regarding the exact magnitude of any negative ranking impact carried by slow page loading speeds. ”

Now, there is still a bit of controversy of this suggested “Google factor”..but lets just say that if it was a “Google ranking factor”, it is but one of the various factors they use. In talking usability standard procedures… let’s make site’s timely people.

What are your thoughts on Page load Speed and Google Ranking?

Many times clients and “the generally curious” ask me what THE best way to get more followers and/or visitors to their sites.  My short answer is this:  “better content”.  Quite frankly, there is nothing that beats great content.  How does one get this type of visitor stimulating substance?

• Find something stimulating within your niche to write about.
• Search Twitter Trends
• Search Google Trends
• Test out Google Search Box terms, check out what people search for most frequently ( Good list to start with: http://searchenginewatch.com/2156041). This is really thinking outside the box and a nice trick to test out.
• Be passionate about what you are writing about. Show your style and add something that the reader can take with them (could be a tip, trick or whitepaper)
• Take note of what is “hot” in your niche or industry. Find a subject and write about it in your own words – inject your personality.
• Write about a professional colleague and their site/work.
• Most importantly, write frequently. Make your voice dynamic, not static.

That should get you started… so what are you waiting for?

Link Juice.. can I get a glass?

I recently read an article online discussing the term “link Juice“. Although online sources differ as to who exactly coined the buzzword, most people in the SEO world understand its basic concept. It is essentially your PTR or Pass Through Ratio for your website.

There are a few basic things to keep in mind when trying to keep your glass of link juice as full as possible…

1. The website which posts your link should have a higher PR than your own website. I’d suggest shooting for at least a PR4 or higher.

2. Don’t allow your link to reside on a link farm.

3. Don’t allow your link to reside on a ad-stuffed website. You’ve all seen then. They generally have a ‘zillion sponsored or adwords ads present.

4. Take time at least once a month, to review who is linking to your website and get to know those pages. you do not want to end up with a nasty surprise and any form of juice draining penalties.

There are quite a few options available for you when attempting to track down who is linking to your website. Essentially, this is basic Link Analysis. Here are a couple methods to play with:

http://www.webmaster-toolkit.com/link-popularity-checker.shtml

https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/

http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/

Or by simply typing the following into Google Search:

link: www.mywebsite.com

Missing all the action? Unfortunately, quite a few of us are. Good news for you and me, we have Youtube!

Check out the SESConferenceExpo’s Youtube channel for all the latest updates and interviews surrounding the 2009 expos.

http://www.youtube.com/user/SESConferenceExpo

Here are some additional SES related links to check out:

SES Expo on Facebook

SES – Home Base

The SES 2009 Events Page

SES Blog Coverage

Last but not least… SES on Twitter

I recently came across this Youtube video which outlines the Google Ad Auction process in a pretty basic and straightforward manner. Anyone familiar with Google Ads and CPCs should definitely take a second to check this out.