No discussion of social media's effect on organic search results is complete without considering Facebook's well-laid play for "search" domination, in a closed-loop-members-only end run around Google's public algorithmic crawl. With 250 million users, the recent purchase of friendFeed and newly offered ability to search at macro and/or granular users' network levels, Facebook's internal community-search platform may well threaten other search models by sheer magnitude of participation and users' trust of their friends, extended networks and themed groups. Why SEO for Facebook is now cruc [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Facebook | How To: SEO | Search Engines: Social Search Engines | SEO: Blogs & Feeds

The Google Webmaster Central Blog announced that Google will no longer include RSS feeds in their search results, with the exception of podcast feeds. The reasoning behind Google dropping RSS feeds from the results is that it is very likely that the RSS feed is a text duplication of an html document, and when users view RSS feeds, they may not be able to render the XML format in their browsers. A quick way to tell if RSS feeds are out of the index is to do a site command on a popular RSS feed producer, FeedBurner. Google shows zero results for the site:feeds.feedburner.com command, while Y [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: SEO | Google: Web Search | SEO: Blogs & Feeds

Last Saturday, there was a gasp of collective horror in the blogosphere as FeedBurner subscriber stats plunged for many sites. Today, it's happened again. Don't panic! Your subscribers are probably all still there, with Google Reader to blame for the missing numbers. Below, our comprehensive guide to how FeedBurner compiles subscriber stats explains all, today's glitch, and why those occasional plunges happen. Last weekend's drop of Feedburner subscriber numbers by as much as half was a temporary glitch. Google Reader didn't report figures, and all was back to normal the next day. Today's dro [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: FeedBurner | Google: Reader | SEO: Blogs & Feeds

Bloglines Beta has launched the Bloglines Top 1000 list. Didn't Bloglines have a top blog list already? Yes, they had a top 200 list, but users wanted to see a larger picture of what feeds people subscribe to, so Bloglines has released an expanded top 1000 list. A formal announcement is planned to go live on the Bloglines News page later today, but here's a closer look at what you can see now and some explanation. Bloglines compiles the top 1000 list by looking at the number of "active" subscribers for a particular feed. Bloglines told us that they know people may try to game the s [...]

Related Topics: Ask: Bloglines | Channel: SEO | SEO: Blogs & Feeds

When Google Reader launched new subscriber figures earlier this week, I touched base with Google to find out if they'd be doing a real top blogs list rather than the ad-hoc ones now out there, plus how often the stats were updated and a few more things. Answers have come back from Google Reader product manager Nick Baum. Will a top list come? He can't say. But he did say figures are updated roughly every day and anyone with a subscription is counted, regardless of whether they read the feed. Longer answers are below. Question: Why did you start reporting counts? Nick: We had the data [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Google: Reader | SEM Tools: Web Analytics | SEO: Blogs & Feeds | Stats: Popularity

There has been a lot of buzz recently about [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: FeedBurner | SEO: Blogs & Feeds | Stats: General

Google Webmaster Central has gone live with a new "subscriber stats" area showing statistics of how many people read your feeds through the iGoogle personalized home page and Google Reader, as well as a new look and user interface for GWC. Below, more about both, as well as issues for those tracking feeds through services such as FeedBurner. I like the new look, and Google says it is designed to better group similar tools and reports together. Here's the overview page: Off to the left, you can see a box with the five main groupings of tools and reports: Diagnostics Statistics Li [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Google: FeedBurner | Google: iGoogle | Google: Reader | Google: Webmaster Central | SEM Tools: Web Analytics | SEO: Blogs & Feeds

RSS feeds offer a unique channel for distributing content that can help expand your audience to people beyond those who visit your web site. But RSS feeds can also be an important part of a search marketing campaign. Well optimized feeds can also gain prominent placement on search engine result pages, attracting even more traffic. Today's Search Illustrated shows how this works: Graphic by Elliance, an eMarketing firm specializing in results-driven search engine marketing, web site design, and outbound eMarketing campaigns. The firm is the creator of the ennect online marketing toolkit. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Infographics | Search Illustrated | SEO: Blogs & Feeds

Since I'm speaking this week at Search Engine Strategies on the topic of SEO through Blogs and Feeds, it seems fitting that this issue of "100% Organic" be related to blog optimization. Even the top SEOs make mistakes with their blogs (and yes, I make some of them too). What are they? Here's my list: Allowing title tags to be auto-generated (from the post title, category name, etc.). Every category page and most permalink pages (i.e. post pages) should be hand-crafted. Don't just let the blog software reuse the post title or category name with your blog's name tacked on in the front. Why? B [...]

Related Topics: All Things SEO | Channel: SEO | SEO: Blogs & Feeds

In light of Google's acquisition of FeedBurner, Google has made the two fee-based FeedBurner services free: MyBrand and Stats PRO. FeedBurner Stats PRO gives you a more details look at your feed readers. The enhanced reporting includes subscriber numbers, item clickthrough tracking, clickthrough tracking optimization, uncommon uses, podcast downloads, reach, aggregate item uses, on site statistics and much more. The MyBrand feature allows you to control the URL your feeds. Instead of your feed URLs being under the feedburner.com domain, it would be under your domain. Stay Master Of Your [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: FeedBurner | SEO: Blogs & Feeds

As part of adding our new "Lands" tabs to Search Engine Land last month, I cleaned up our feed page that helps people understand how to add our feeds to various feed readers. The biggest challenge was dealing with the inconsistent sizes of feed buttons from the different providers. I wanted to share how we arrived at a cleaner look, along with an fresh urging for feed reader providers to standardize buttons to help publishers. Plus, I've got some standard buttons anyone can grab, if you want help with the issue now. At Search Engine Land, we have one main feed page that describes al [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | SEO: Blogs & Feeds | Social Media Marketing

Scary Feedburner Message At Login from Jeremy Schoemaker reported that FeedBurner placed a new message on their login page that read, in part, that you have until June 15th to opt out of "allowing Google to service your account." Jeremy, as did others, did not know exactly how to take this. The first concern is that Google is now going to own your feed. The second concern is that if you did not want Google to own your feed, your feed URLs would be lost forever. Why? If you opt out, your account will be terminated and permanently deleted including all your statistical data and history. I e [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Acquisitions | Google: FeedBurner | SEO: Blogs & Feeds

Which blogs have the most feed subscribers from Self Made Minds is an excellent rundown on top blogs according to the number of RSS or feed subscribers they have, according to FeedBurner. Search Marketing Blogs by RSS Subscribers from Lee Odden at the Online Marketing Blog takes the idea and focuses it on search blogs. Below, a bit more on how this starts to turn FeedBurner counts into a preferred currency for blogs seeking respect -- plus how to tap into the feed counts for some FeedBurner-hosted feeds, even if they aren't published online. FeedBurner is a great feed management service tha [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | SEM Industry: Blogs & Forums | SEO: Blogs & Feeds | Stats: Popularity

What's Up With That? Vol. 3: SEO at the FeedBurner blog answers a number of common questions people have about how search engines interact with web feeds, based in part on FeedBurner having consulted with Google and Yahoo. Among these are tips on easing duplicate content concerns. Some people like (and others dislike) when a search engine lists both their feed and their web site in search results. One suggestion is to do a 302 "temporary" redirect, from your own feed to a FeedBurner-hosted version. This ensures that if you ever stop using the FeedBurner version, your original fe [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | SEO: Blogs & Feeds | SEO: Duplicate Content

FeedBurner's View of the Feed Market at FeedBurner's blog gives us a detailed look at the numbers and statistics behind your feeds. With the recent adoption of Google Reader subscriber numbers, many bloggers have seen their "subscribers" and other feed stats spike up. In fact, we learn from FeedBurner's post that overall; publishers noticed an increase in subscriber numbers by 53%! In short, the statistics behind our feeds show us just a small snippet of our true feed universe. Let me explain... Your RSS or ATOM feed can be included in dozens of places including an RSS reader, a widget, d [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: Reader | SEO: Blogs & Feeds | Stats: General | Stats: Popularity

Joe Whyte has an excellent write up at the Search Marketing Standard blog on how to build up a blog community. He gives the classic ten point list, for his part one of a series in this column. Here is a quick summary of the ten point list: Network with others in your industry Learn about your blog community with MyBlogLogs and related blogs Be opinionated and lively with your content Have goals and think long term Retain your visitors Encourage commenting Use linkbait like titles Leverage social media Leverage link baiting Join ad networks [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | SEO: Blogs & Feeds | Social Media Marketing

Google Reader has now announced that it is now providing subscriber counts, the number of people who read your blog through feeds at Google Reader or the Google Personalized Homepage. In addition a new Google Reader Publishers Guide has been posted with tips on how to get add to Google buttons and answers to frequently asked questions such as how to view the stats. Many will see them through tracking services like FeedBurner, which also mentions the change here. From a search marketing perspective, Google personalized search results are now being seen by many more Google users. These are po [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | Google: iGoogle | Google: Reader | SEO: Blogs & Feeds

In Jennifer Slegg's 25 Tips To Optimize Your Blog For Readers & Search Engines post from yesterday, tip 22 was to use your own domain name. I wanted to dive a bit deeper into that in terms of having your own domain name for your feeds, which is incredibly easy and cheap to do via FeedBurner. Moreover, failure to maintain control of your feeds by not using your own domain is one of the biggest mistakes I feel many marketers make. I love FeedBurner. I'll say it again -- I love them. They make it incredibly easy for me to understand how many people are subscribing to my feeds, not [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | SEO: Blogs & Feeds

Everyone and their dog (yes, there are a few dogs out there with their own blogs) have started up a blog these days, but many people just aren't taking the steps needed to optimize their blogs for both readers and search engines. While blogs can be business related (another blog about mesothelioma anyone?) they can also be personal where you talk about the great ham sandwich you had for lunch today or the crappy service you had at that trendy restaurant last night. But whether your blog is business or personal, you should ensure that you are optimizing your blog for both your readers (af [...]

Related Topics: Channel: SEO | SEO: Blogs & Feeds | SEO: General