Google’s new tool for SEO/SEM spying

From the desk of Roy Furr, November 19th, 2008

Just got notice today of a new tool from Google. It’s designed to help you identify keywords you can use to generate new SEM traffic, that you’re not taking advantage yet. But there’s another (almost secret) use this tool has.

Spying.

You see, you can enter any website into the tool and see the 100 most-commonly searched for terms that match pages on that website. You don’t have to be the website owner to do this. So you can search on your own sites. Or a competitor’s.

I think you can see the value in this.

The tool is called Google Search-Based Keyword Tool and is available at: http://www.google.com/sktool/

The ability to search on other peoples’ sites or sites you don’t have AdWords accounts linking to may be removed, if Google gets wind this is being used to gain competitive intelligence (none of the promotion materials indicate that this is what the tool is for). So use it now while it’s available.

And let me know what you think.

Posted in Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Website Design | No Comments »

I don’t normally talk about SEO, but…

From the desk of Roy Furr, August 7th, 2008

This will be quick.

I don’t normally talk about Search Engine Optimization — or SEO — because my opinion is that it’s an industry teeming with con artists with no real rules.

It’s the nastiest part of Internet Marketing, if you ask me.

Here’s why.

Some things seem to work, and some don’t — but your SEO firm will bill you for both with utter disregard for your bottom line.

There are black hat tactics to get you to the top today — but tomorrow you’ll be banned.

There’s very little white light in the industry as a whole.

But occasionally (very occasionally) I come across a piece of information or article that makes sense.

(Usually what makes sense — and works — takes a lot more time and effort than you’d like it to take, but when it works it WORKS.)

Today was such a day — and I thought I’d pass it on, for your sake.

So without further ado, here’s the link:

Search Engine Optimization — How I Became Number 1, by Mark Ellison from SEO Chat

(Be sure to read through the last page, because that’s where the real good stuff is.)

Cheers!

Posted in Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Website Design | 1 Comment »