Posts Tagged ‘local’

Microsoft Releases New Key SEO Features of Bing

Microsoft recently released a new 24 page document titled Bing: New Features Relevant to Webmasters. The PDF file detailed not only interface updates on Bing, Microsoft’s own decision search engine, but also provides SEO tips for webmasters and web publishers. In addition, the white paper document contains instructive guidelines on how to create friendly, easy to index websites, as well as ways to make sites look attractive to search engine spiders.

Webmaster’s center

Bing’s primary function is to bridge users with websites and content across the Internet, a target all search engines aim for. So, what is different from other search engines you may ask? Unlike ordinary search engines, Bing offers categorized choices. Users can select options from the side tool bar, picking more to-the-point selections which, in the end, will reduce the amount of irrelevant sites popping up and saving the Bing users a lot of valuable time. 

Long tail strategies

Did you know that more than 300 factors are used in determining categorization and that the categories that appear are entity-dependent?  For example: if you search for [baby monitor], the search results may offer you options, such as “shopping”, “reviews”, “ratings”,  and “videos”, splitting up the search in convenient sections . Microsoft believes that this innovative way of organizing results provides new long tail opportunities for website owners.

Best match

A key objective of Bing is to deliver premium search results and one of the ways the search engine approaches this goal is through a new feature called “Best match.” Watch what happens when you conduct a search for a particular brand, such as Adidas, Toys R Us, Campbell’s, or Chrysler. The result is amazing. Bing will actually separate the official sites of these brands from the rest of the results, featuring a “Best Match”.

Bing Hover Links preview

One of the cool features Bing has to offer is “Bing Hover links”. Just hover your mouse over your search results and a window will pop up on the right of it. It will show a summary of that specific query result, as well as and important links related to that result. Webmasters feel this feature increases qualified traffic and helps searcher to find the information they want without having to leave the Search Engine Result Page (SERP). This time-saving feature is truly appreciated by Bing users.

Data Extraction for previews

Through intelligent data extraction, Bing is able to compile useful information in the hover link section. This includes addresses, phone numbers, and email links the search engine has gathered not only from the content of a specific page, but from anywhere else on the Internet.

Flash recognition

Websites saturated with Flash and Silverlight-based content often lack readable Meta data text. Titles and descriptions in the HTML source code are so poor, web crawlers hardly notice them. In an effort to bring these empty-tagged websites out of obscurity, Bing implemented a new technology capable of extracting limited data.

Instant answers queries

Recently upgraded, Bing’s “Instant answers” feature now offers even more comprehensive and richer results to informal queries than ever. Type in a short question in the query box and wait to be impressed by the result!

Local listing center

Businesses should take advantage of the opportunity to list their company with Bing’s newest addition, the Local Listings Center.

Searchers and Surfers

Searchers who do not know how to start a new or specific search often refine their keywords and phrases halfway through their query. Furthermore, the more information is available, the more people adapt the way they search and surf the Internet. Microsoft has done a number of intense studies to analyze specific search patterns and behaviors. As a result, updates and additions were initiated. Microsoft’s goal is to improve searcher satisfaction by delivering faster, more accurate and complete results. It is a tough objective that, perhaps, is closer in reach than you think.

Visit Shout SEO Services to find out more.

Search Engine Optimization Company UK

Buying or leasing an existing website can be a very effective and relatively easy way to make your business or company’s online presence known. As you have probably already realised, having a website and being able to be found on the internet are important factors of your business success, so it makes sense to utilise an already successful and functional website for your own business.

There are actually many people out there who buy websites much like people buy investment properties – sites which are structurally sound, but have room for improvement and once they’re spruced up a little they have the ability to turn a profit once again. Online, this profit is found through adding ads to investment websites, upping the traffic to those sites and then reaping the rewards from the advertising.

However, if you are looking for a website for your own business or as an investment, the basic structure you need and the additions you will make are very similar and here’s how to go about it. First decide whether you are looking for a website which is simply informative, or one which also allows for visitors to shop online, this will also be determined by the sort of business you run as some products and most services cannot be purchased over the internet anyway.

An online store is one of the major structural aspects of a website you are looking to buy and much the same way you would lean towards an investment property with a new kitchen rather than a daggy lime green one, so too is it easier to build and adapt an existing online store, rather than establish the security, shopping carts and payment options from scratch.

The remaining work website investors will put into a newly purchased site is regarding its search engine optimisation. However, when you are looking to purchase a website for your business, it is important to remember that a lot of what can be detrimental to a website’s optimisation, can actually have to do with web design.

Search engine optimisation is not only about adding the right number of the right keywords to a website and expecting Google to see this as SEO. The website’s design, the programming, the layout and even the server systems can all affect that website’s optimisation and if you’re unsure how to check on any or all of these things before purchasing a website, have an SEO expert check out behind the scenes, because you don’t want to have to go knocking through walls later.

As with any investment there are pitfalls and surprises which can cost you a lot of time and money down the track and ‘buyer beware’ is just as relevant when purchasing an investment online as it is down the street. So in much the same way a property investor may bypass the self-serving real estate agents trying to move properties no one wants, and go straight to a builder or developer for something structurally sound form the beginning, there are also opportunities for your business to buy its website ‘off the plan’ too.

SEO companies in the UK would rather see the internet populated with properly optimised, useful and informative sites and while you can seek their advice on your website purchase, there are also SEOers in the UK who build websites solely with optimisation in mind, waiting for businesses just like yours to add your name to them.