Search Engine Optimization Purpose of Pinging-in plain English

I get asked occasionally from Search Engine Optimization clients about my recommendation that they “ping” Google after each addition of content to their site. “Why do I need to do that after each post or page?” “How do I do it?’

With WordPress as your blogging platform or website CMS, pinging could not be simpler, but first the WHYs… Let’s start with the obvious ones. It get’s your site indexed in Google and other search engines quickly. Simple as that. Many’s the time that I have optimised a post for search engines and published it, followed by a “ping” and the page was indexed almost immediately and post ranked in Google almost that fast.

It is eery the first time you do it. Magical the second time. Downright addictive after that.

But there is a better reason. You may have heard of “scraper sites” – -sites that “scrape” your post and then put it on your blog. Here’s a test: Put a post up on your blog and wait for a couple of weeks. Go to copyscape and SEE where it has gone on the web. You will see at least a couple of copies of it floating around.

Search engines’ only way to determine WHOM to credit with the original ownership of the page is the first one that they have found (or indexed). Being first helps assure your ownership. You would be surprised how quickly other sites grab your content.

There are the WHYs…a couple of pretty doggone good Search Engine Optimization reasons to “ping” after each post. Fortunately in WordPress, the how is a piece of cake. I use a plugin called Sitemap Generator that generates a new sitemap (taking into account my latest post) AND it pings all in one step. This gives me everything I need in one click of the button. Download the plugin and install it in the usual way, with the files under Content – Plugins. Activate it and you are SET.

First, I finish the post and publish it. Then I go to the OPTIONS menu in WordPress. After activation, there will be a menu item under options called “Sitemap”. Click on that and click the “Manual Rebuild” button.

Pretty simple huh?

Posting to your blog or adding pages to your website should be a process of lather-rinse-repeat. Post great content – Publish – Ping.

For other practical insights on how to Simply and Effectively get to where you want to be on the search engines with a WordPress blog or WordPress based Website, feel free to contact us. The form on the upper right hand corner of this page will work just fine.

Thoughts from others on pinging?

Yahoo lays off hundreds, the librarian wins again.

With the news breaking this morning that Yahoo will reportedly layoff hundreds in an effort at retaining profitability. WOW. What caused this, in an industry that is generating a stagggering increase year after year in advertising revenue? How can you have layoffs in such a great environment?

Here’s my take:

This is a CLASSIC example of a large company losing focus. I mean sure, we are a search engine, but we are a portal, I mean, but we are free email, I mean  but we are all about connecting people. WHAT?? They didn’t really WIN at any of those other things before attempting to expand.

Meanwhile, the librarian (Google), has focused primarily on being a search engine. Look at their website. (Yeah, that’s all Google is is a website…but they have become a VERB…you Google something.) Their interface is clean and simple. Want something? Google it. We’ll give it to you FASTER and MORE RELEVANT. Spot on what you need and when you need it.

Meanwhile Yahoo has been beleiving the hype of their own marketing campaigns that 2nd place is good enough. It isn’t in today’s internet.

But you say, well…Google has added many other companies as well (YouTube, etc.). They puchased DOMINANT entities that have created VALUE that have SYNERGY with their MAIN focus –being a search engine. Subtle, but critical difference.

FOCUS is the key. Google, as librarian to the world has succeeded in providing the best and most relevant answers to Title, Subject and Author related queries and has won the hearts and minds of consumers in the process.

Yahoo is neither a great librarian, nor a great email platform, etc, etc…Jack of all trades and master of none.

There’s a lesson to be learned there with online marketing. Focus. Focus. Focus. Find a niche and DOMINATE it. Just my opinion.

SOUTHERN INDIANA WEBSITE and Search Engine Optimization SALE!

Southern Indiana Web Works is going to grow in 2008! More importantly, our goal is to grow with LOCAL websites. One of the ways to get more people to try our great websites, blogs, forums, hosting, SEO and all the other great services we offer is to lower the price!

 From now until Valentine’s Day, we will be offering the following:

Basic Websites for Southern Indiana Small Businesses:     $400

Basic Hosting:                                                                            FREE with website purchase

Upgraded Hosting: (call us and ask if you need this)           $20 per month

Basic SEO Phone Consultation (first half hour):                   FREE

Custom SEO Consultation:                                                       $75.00 per hour

Custom Website Development Hours:                                  $75.00 per hour

(custom SEO Consultation and Website development must be purchased by Valentine’s day to get this credit…). You can use them WHENEVER you want, but they MUST be purchased BEFORE Valentine’s or they are at our usual price.

To answer a couple of questions before they get asked…Yes the websites are for Southern Indiana locally (OK–we’ll do the same thing for Louisville…if you insist–grin).  Yes, hosting is FREE for those websites, but that is limited and some websites may need to go to upgraded hosting. Contact us and we will let you know.

Custom SEO consulting and Website development do NOT just apply to Southern Indiana, but must be PURCHASED in advance.

Happy 2008!