Google Correctly Counting Links With Tracking Information

A major SEO rule has a cool solution thanks to Google. I am not sure how public this is, but I have not heard anyone talking about it. Tracking URLs cause problems when it comes to passing link value (part of all the major Search Engine’s algorithms today). Sometimes these tracking URLs use a third party redirect. Sometimes they just put a variety of variable strings at the end of the URL (www.domain.com/?ref=52&site=linkingdomain.com). With the help of Time For Learning, a Homeschool Curriculum Provider, we found that inbound links using standard Google Analytics tracking are being counted correctly as backlinks. This was verified through Google Webmaster Tools.

Historically, a tracking code like “?ref=52&site=linkingdomain.com” may be for tracking, but it could also be part of a dynamic Web site. That code may be a query string that helps populate the page with content.

Google Analytics tracking uses very defined variables in their tracking URLs. It makes perfect sense that Google could correctly recognize those variables and appropriately pass “link juice” to the root link.

I Love Disney World's Marketing!

When I first heard about the Disney World promotion about getting in free on your birthday, I was in complete awe! Imagine the amazing data the collect at probably $0 expense. If you come on your birthday to take advantage of the deal, you are probably not coming alone. You may be staying on property. You will definitely be eating in the park and buying keepsakes. That $75 waived fee probably equals $500 in profit! (or more)

Today I received an email about my 2009 Laratro Family Vacation (that was the title...). It was very well put together and even requests joining their SMS for a promotion "texting MAGIC to DISNEY (347639)". Again, I love it! I already get emails from them, now I may start getting text messages. I am a Disney nut. My 2 year old has already been too many times to mention. It is nice to escape to the happiest place on earth once in a while, probably in more so right now when the world around us is a bit gloomy.

Back to the free entry on your birthday... Imagine getting a personal email from Disney every year inviting you back (free or not). Very cool.

Now if they could just get a Web based system for ride time updates via your mobile device (I did hear this was coming).

Why Don't The SuperBowl Advertisers Get Online?

Here are my winners for great commercials that drove users online:
Godaddy
Monster
MSN / Hulu

This is about it from what I remember (and I only had one beer). $3,000,000.00 for a 30 second spot and the advertisers do not think they should drive traffic to their Web sites? I don't get it. I will be checking out those Godaddy videos (BTW, they even mentioned they were not rated). I may try to submit to that new NFL job that Monster created. And I know I can go to Hulu to watch all the commercials again. Great job guys, your commercials were a success!

I like Clydesdale horses and all, but what is Anheuser-Busch could collect 10 million email addresses instead of prancing horses around?

Giant Google "this site may harm your computer" bug?

Lisa Buyer just called me and let me know about a very scary Google Bug. Check out the screenshot. Hopefully this gets fixed pretty quickly. Matt's blog is one of my favorite sites.

Cash4Gold, Cockeyed Blog, and Me!

I thought I was going to take a Friday off at the end of the month for a little break before an adventurous couple of months. Next week I am teaching a Search Engine Optimization course at Nova Southeastern University. The following week I am presenting at SMX Santa Clara. March will bring me a second son! And… Pubcon Austin!!! Woohoo.

I get back from fishing this morning (did nail 3 dolphin before the cold front swept in) and see all these tweets and emails about my name in a Cockeyed Blog post. Matt Cutts brought it to the world’s attention with a little Tweet. It is only going to get bigger after Cash4Gold’s Superbowl commercial (remember when Godaddy was not a household name).

I had the opportunity to work for Cash4Gold for about 11 months. It was a great engagement. I really learned a lot about working with a company that had exponential growth. That had a great management team and it was always both fun and challenging work with them on a day to day basis. I am no longer a vendor for Cash4Gold, they have moved on to a company that can better service their needs.

One of the projects I was working on for them was a Reputation Management campaign. They get a bad rep. Cash4Gold does not give the highest payout for gold, but they are the most reliable company to work with for this type of transaction. The sheer volume is amazing but lends itself to a proportional number of complaints. There are also devious competitors utilizing tactics that would make porn and Viagra marketers cringe. At one point competitors were using the title “Official Cash4Gold Site” in the PPC ads before the trademark was registered. (Seriously!)

Cash4Gold made a concerted effort to make client satisfaction goal number one. They reached out to unsatisfied customers and tried to rectify the problems. They joined the RipoffReport Advocacy program and went through rigorous work with them to meet their quality standards and customer service standards (sorry, there was no bribe).

I personally reached out to the Cockeyed Blog to see if there was something we could do for him to have him take down the post or massage it a little to reduce it’s rank on the branded search. I never heard back, so I assumed that was the end of it. Well that changed this morning. My emails about this subject have been made public. I still stand behind them. I did not hide behind an alias. I offered to discuss it on the phone to find a solution. I even offered donating to a charity in the Blog’s name. That ranking is pretty powerful and I tried a stand up approach. I completely respect the Cockeyed Blog’s reasoning for not taking it down, so we move on.

There are plenty of “Not So Nice” ways to do reputation management. There are tons of blackhat tactics… I am long removed from anything like that. (Although one of my original claims to fame was being personally named on Inktomi’s leaked Blackhat list.) I have a strong reputation in the Industry and would still pursue a personal approach any day to resolving a lackluster situation.

If you are interested in any Search Engine Optimization services where you get to work directly with the expert, please send me an email and we can open a dialog! jlaratro@tandem-interactive.com.

Best Wishes for Cash4Gold and their Superbowl Commercial. I hope it is a hit guys!

Reputation Management Speech at ShoptoEarn Leadership Conference

I had the pleasure and honor of speaking about reputation management and social media marketing for the ShoptoEarn leadership conference at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center this past weekend. I am part of the The Buyer Group's team and certainly a member of the Shop to Earn / Shop to Earth family. This was certainly one of my largest crowds! It was truly amazing to see the caliber of people in the room. I could smell success as soon as I walked in the door. This was an energized crowd that is thriving in a down economy by working with Shop to Earn. It was a great experience and I look forward to doing more intensive workshops / seminars / and training on how we can utilize reputation management and social media to evangelize the Shop to Earn opportunity!

Harmony One Channel Icons / Graphics

Santa left me a Logitech Harmony One Remote for Christmas. After about an hour I had my entire entertainment system setup and tuned on it. the "help" feature was a big selling point for me to assist my Wife when I was not home.

Then I wanted wanted to get fancy and setup icons for my favorite channels. After a little research, I found an amazing and free Web site for Harmony One Icons. Great work! I setup some of my favorites (DisneyHD for Joey, HBOHD SciFiHD Paladium CMT for me, and Vh1 for my Wife.