5 Ways to Beat Your Competitors at SEO in 2013

Nowadays, among the sinuous waves of like-minded online sites, it is an ardent job to make your presence felt. It is amazing how even rare and distinct niches have too many contenders vying for the top spot. It can be assumed that each one; or at least, most of them, is aware of the potency of SEO and the key principles (content and keyword experimentation are on priority). Yet, there are a few ways to overshadow your competitors at SEO. Here are 5 of them:

1. Be knowledgeable about what they miss - Your niche may have a fundamental upheaval coming up. It is like stocks and indices; if you know whether they will fall or rise, you can make a fortune. For instance, a neglected location may suddenly get very viable in future if an industry or an engineering college is being set there (for services site). Choose your meta-tags with cautious research and be aware of the areas your competitors have ignored.

2. Be discrete - it is foolhardy to follow the footsteps of a successful competitor with a blindfold. The other site may have anticipated a few right notes, but there is every chance that he has overstuffed his streams with garbage on separate fronts. Reference and analysis of the competing site at SEO is only to find out its high and low points; and then working accordingly. Horse may be expensive; but its hooves won't gain you too many corns!

3. Buy and apply software - It is viable to use credible software and Google Analytical Tools for the gradation of your site. One such software that gives you an exact analysis of how exact keywords are faring vis-à-vis related keywords would be immensely helpful. Your sequential work should be on the integration of these keywords until you chance upon the exact success formula. Be pro-active; don't settle down with a pre-conceived theory that your competitor is ahead of you on every count.

4. Competitor's SEO activities - Nowadays search engines, especially Google, have got quite smart and probing. Using techniques directly in violation with Google Guidelines can fast gain you a reservation in the sandbox. Check your SEO's sites and give special credence if there are sudden quick changes. Of course, vitalities like quick navigation and neat front page are a must. Analyze the essentials that are gaining your competitor special brownie points. Make a detailed reading of how your competitor goes around link baits, content marketing and the accumulation of press releases. Keep a suggestive yet compact tone in your content.

5. Mobile optimization - Nowadays, most sites are getting mobile optimization for the simple fact that many visitors are connecting and visiting via phones. Awareness about certain factors is a must here. Flash sites don't appear too schematically on Androids and mobile apps; thus keep your site clutter-free; and with minimum graphics and images. On a different platter, work on your link building and meta-tags (that is important).

These technicalities will help you sail over and ahead of your competitors at SEO, and by extent, in online business.

Shah Syed is an Internet Marketing consultant working at Marketeer Singapore providing Internet Marketing and Web Design Services in Singapore.

Update on Negative SEO Attacks and Google's Disavow Tool

In the last article when we talked about the effects of Negative SEO, we made a point that there was no real way to prevent or stop link attacks if you were being targeted by negative SEO. We gave a few tricks of the trade to introduce ways to prevent or stem an attack by combating the links directly and releasing great and regularly updated content which would link back to your site. However, having done some further research on negative SEO and with Google taking active steps to combat it, we have been experimenting with the new Disavow Links tool.

On the 16/10/2012 Google announced the arrival of this new tool to assist with the problem of negative SEO. In a nutshell, the disavow tool helps by erasing the connection between the offending website and your own site, allowing poor quality links to be discounted when Google indexes.

However, Google is not simply offering a quick fix to those wanting to reverse the effects of poor link building practices in the past, as they have made it clear that all possible action needs to be taken before the disavow tool is used. In essence, it is a last resort. The website owner should try and remove the links manually in the first instance, as it has been mentioned that notes are needed when using the disavow tool and evidence of removal attempts must be seen. It is only when Google can see that the account holder is trying to act upon the link removals that it will allow the request for the Disavow tool to be implemented.

At this point in time nobody fully knows the effectiveness of the disavow tool but we recommend that everyone wanting to jump on the band wagon doesn't at this stage. The potential effects it could have on the removal of links mean that it may well cause damage to your SEO if not used properly, or if you become particularly 'trigger happy' with the tool. For the time being, we would only recommend that you use the tool if:

- You're a victim of negative SEO and have evidence enough to support this

- You have received a Google Warning for breaching their guidelines

- You have used poor link building practices previously and you have been hit by the Penguin Update

If your website has been affected by one of these scenarios then you may find that using the tool will improve the state of the SEO. But be warned! With it being a new tool, it should be used with caution!

For more information on the Google Disavow Links tool, or alternative ways to remove bad links feel free to get in touch with a member of our team at www.redcowmedia.co.uk