Rank Fast with these Topical Authority Tactics Ep.589
In this podcast episode featuring SEO Specialist Matthew Bertram, the focus is on demystifying Topical Authority in SEO and providing actionable…
Link Building
Above the Fold SEO - #seopodcast 134
Google's 2012 page layout algorithm update penalizes sites with too many ads above the fold, and anchor text manipulation through circular linking hurts SEO rankings according to this episode.
Key takeaways
- Sites with excessive ads or unrelated images above the fold will see ranking drops from Google's page layout algorithm update.
- If your site sells a product or service, avoid running display ads because they pull visitors toward competitors.
- Social media is increasingly tied to personalized search results, especially for users logged into Google, making it harder to ignore.
- Rand Fishkin predicted in 2012 that Google would take stronger Panda-style action against manipulative link spam.
if you sell and make money somehow, you should not have ads
About this episode
In this podcast we discuss a Houston local PR firm, Design At Work. We also discuss above the fold marketing. With some focus on back to basics we discuss anchor text. We finally discuss Search Engine Optimization in Houston Video. The most popular PPC Houston podcast on iTunes. E-Webstyle provides Houston SEO .
Questions this episode answers
What is the Google page layout algorithm update and how does it affect SEO?
The Google page layout algorithm update targets pages where ads, banner ads, or unrelated rotating images dominate above the fold instead of content relevant to the search query. Sites with that layout will hurt their rankings. Google's stated goal is to reduce user frustration by surfacing pages with genuinely relevant content at the top.
Should a business website run display ads like Google AdSense?
According to this episode, if your site sells a product or service you should not run display ads. Ads pull visitors away from your site and can even direct them to direct competitors. One example given was a moving company running AdSense ads that linked to other moving companies.
What is anchor text manipulation and why is it harmful for SEO?
Anchor text manipulation includes using multiple links with different anchor text on the same page that all point back to that same page, which is called circular linking. The episode says this is foolish and something Google is moving to penalize, as part of broader Panda-style action against link spam.
How is Google plus affecting organic search results?
When users are logged into Google and search, their results change based on who is in their Google plus circles and what those contacts have plus-oned. This means two people searching the same query can see different results, giving sites with active Google plus presence a potential visibility advantage.
In their words
having multiple anchor links with different anchor text on the same page that links to the same page is stupid and foolish and you shouldn't do it
Host
Terms defined in this episode
- Above the fold
- The portion of a webpage visible without scrolling. Google's page layout algorithm update penalizes pages where ads and non-relevant images dominate this area instead of content matching the search query.
- Anchor text
- The clickable text inside a hyperlink on a page. Using multiple anchor text variations on the same page that all link back to that same page is considered manipulative and can be penalized.
- Google page layout algorithm update
- A 2012 Google algorithm change designed to lower rankings for pages that show excessive ads or irrelevant images above the fold rather than content relevant to the user's search.
- Not provided
- Keyword data withheld by Google when users are logged in during a search. The episode notes this figure was already 12 to 17 percent and predicted to reach around 25 percent due to Google plus and Android growth.
Full transcript is being added.
This episode answers
Matthew Bertram
AI keynote speaker · Owner & CEO, EWR Digital · President, ModalPoint
Matthew Bertram is an AI keynote speaker, creator of DIG™ (Digital Information Governance), and owner and CEO of EWR Digital. He helps energy and industrial leaders win visibility in AI search (GEO and AEO), is President of ModalPoint and CMO of the Oil & Gas Global Network, hosts The Best SEO Podcast, and has authored eight books including LLM Visibility. More about Matthew Bertram.
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