Oaseo Blog

More from Cheezhead.

Labels: Cheezhead

So the buying and selling of links - and how much Google hates it - has taken center stage as of late. Text Link Ads, a company at the center of the Google jihad, has taken steps to defend itself, and more importantly its advertisers, against the search giant. From a recent e-mail:

... we have just uploaded changes to our marketplace that should significantly increase the privacy of your ad buys. We will no longer be revealing pictures or URLs to our users. We feel moving to a more private marketplace will prove more valuable to you the advertiser in the long term. This way your competitors, or other market players, will not have any access to which sites are selling text link ads. In addition to more privacy for your ad buys, we have advanced filtering that will allow you to find the ideal ad fast!

Too little, too late? Maybe. Had TLA done this a lot earlier, it may have helped insulate the company. TextLinkBrokers, in contrast, have always kept things on the down-low with extreme vigor. However, with tons of human editors on the case at Google, chances are most of the publishers on TLA are already revealed.

Labels: paid links

If you haven't checked out Sage Lewis's daily commentary on all things Internet marketing at Web Marketing Watch, I encourage you to do so. I hooked up with Sage earlier today to discuss the site and its benefits to his SEO business.

Labels: Internet marketing, video

Is it just me, or is Google taking longer to count a backlink once it finds one? Granted, there are a lot of variables here, such as the level of trust from the site linking to another, but in general, Google seems to be initiating some sort of timing filter for new links.

With the advent of such sites as Pay Per Post and Text Link Ads, this was inevitable. And considering the recent stink at SES about link acquisition, the issue is obviously on Google's radar in a big way.

The funny thing is how much less importance link popularity may have in Google's future when they look at ranking sites. The company is clearly moving toward a world where popularity is counted in more ways than backlinks by tracking things like time spent on a site, number of RSS feeds and loyalty.

To put the smackdown on links almost seems like a diversionary tactic, keeping SEOs focused on links while they gradually give more weight to other things. Don't get me wrong, backlinks will always be in Google's DNA. However, by initiating some filters and focusing on other initiatives, they'll catch a lot of SEOs asleep at the wheel.

Labels: search engine strategies

File this one under "Huh?" Checkout a recent search result for blog Cheezhead for the search "Internet recruiting."



I have no idea, as the author of the blog, how a Simpsons image became associated with my site. The image isn't on my site, as far as I can tell. Clicking on the image goes to the homepage. Weird is an understatement. What is Google doing here?

I'm not complaining, mind you. The extra traffic from image highlighting is much appreciated. Again, I'm just like, Huh?

Labels: google

Not sure if this is new or not, but it's the first I've seen of it. A la YouTube videos in SERPs, Google is now offering stock data:



Still waiting for job data from Google Base to rear its head.

Labels: google finance

Indeed.com provides some great insight into the increase of job postings on the Web for search engine optimizers:



Considering the fact that the skills and experience needed to become a professional optimizer grows more and more difficult, while the demand remains on the rise, I expect this uptick - along with rates and salaries - to continue.

Labels: SEO

Google's homepage is currently promoting a YouTube partnership with CNN and Anderson Cooper to allow citizens to ask a question via the video service. Good call for both CNN and GooTube. MySpace launched its political section Impact a few months back and seems to be getting similar traction. On the heels of Hillary's recent video poking fun at The Sopranos ending and the Obama girl, it'll be fun to see what comes out of the Web as we get deeper into the election.

Labels: election youtube google