- ISBN13: 9780789738318
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Groundbreaking New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
“Rebecca’s book is chapter-by-chapter gold for anyone who needs to know how we find information on the Web.”
Kevin M. Ryan, Motivity Marketing, Inc., and Chairman of Search Engine Strategies Advisory Board
In this book, leading search optimization expert Rebecca Lieb brings together more than 50 absolutely crucial facts and insights choice-makers must know to drive more web traffic through better search engine placement. The Truth About Search Engine Optimization doesn’t deliver abstract theory: it delivers quick, bite-size, just-the-facts information and plain-English explanations that executives, choice-makers, and even small business owners can really use, no matter what kind of sites you’re running, or what your goals are.
You will learn how to set realistic goals for search optimization… attract qualified traffic, not just “any” site visitors… incorporate search engine optimization into both new sites and redesigns… write for users… implement search-friendly content management… avoid problems with rich content technologies such as Flash and AJAX… make metatags that really work… use public relations, blogging, and other techniques to drive traffic… budget and manage search optimization projects… and much more.
This book reveals 51 PROVEN SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES and bite-size, simple-to-use advice that gets results including
- The truth about page rankings
- The truth about best SEO practices and SEO no-no’s
- The truth about link like, keywords, and tags
Introduction vii
Foreword by Fredrick Marckini ix
Part I: The Basics of Search
Truth 1: Getting noticed by spiders, robots, and crawlers 1
Truth 2: Learn to do the Google dance 5
Truth 3: It’s not about traffic–it’s about qualified traffic 9
Truth 4: Your reputation is on the line 13
Part II: The Truth About Being Site-Specific
Truth 5: SEO is an ongoing project, not set-it-and-forget-it 17
Truth 6: SEO is not an afterthought 21
Truth 7: SEO results aren’t immediate or lasting 25
Truth 8: You don’t have a homepage anymore 29
Truth 9: Reckon like a publisher, even if you’re not 33
Truth 10: Site and page design count 37
Truth 11: Write for users and search engines will follow 41
Truth 12: Keywords are key 45
Truth 13: Use analytics and keyword research tools 49
Truth 14: Site stats share the terrible news, too 53
Truth 15: Reckon twice about hot new technologies 57
Truth 16: Content management systems matter–a lot 67
Part III: Tag, You’re It!
Truth 17: What’s in a title? Everything… 65
Truth 18: The relative importance of meta tags 71
Truth 19: Tag images, audio, video, and other media 75
Part IV: The Truth About Links
Truth 20: Some links are more equal than others 79
Truth 21: Building links through online directories 83
Truth 22: Using SEO PR as a link strategy 87
Truth 23: The jury is out on paid links 91
Truth 24: Share and share alike: Reciprocal linking 95
Truth 25: Ads are links, too 99
Truth 26: Build your site in a excellent neighborhood 103
Truth 27: Blogs are a terrific link strategy 107
Truth 28: Putting the kibosh on link like with nofollow links 111
Part V: You Call That a Search Engine?
Truth 29: Search is going vertical 115
Truth 30: Everyone is local somewhere 119
Truth 31: Get listed to get vertical 125
Truth 32: Optimize off-site searches 129
Truth 33: Universal search and personalized search 133
Part VI: Get a Social Life
Truth 34: Blogs are built for SEO 137
Truth 35: RSS feeds “feed” SEO efforts 141
Truth 36: Users will make content for you 145
Truth 37: Tag images, video, links, and other media 149
Part VII: Search Ranking
Truth 38: Being #1 ain’t what it used to be 153
Truth 39: Don’t live and die by PageRank 157
Truth 40: Wag the long tail 161
Part VIII: The Truth About SEO Management
Truth 41: In-house or outsource? 165
Truth 42: Hiring a fantastic search professional 169
Truth 43: Fantastic SEOs sweat the small stuff 173
Part IX: Don’t Be Evil
Truth 44: Beware blackhat SEO 177
Truth 45: Search engines frown on keyword stuffing and spam 181
Truth 46: Don’t cultivate link farms 185
Truth 47: It’s very hard to get unbanned 189
Truth 48: Moving to a new domain is stressful 193
Part X: Going Beyond
Truth 49: Global SEO 197
Truth 50: Mobile SEO is more vital than ever 201
Truth 51: Sometimes you don’t want to be found 205
About the Author 208
Note: Appendix A is available for free and located online at www.informit.com/title/9780321534071.
The Truth About Search Engine Optimization
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Alfa Guy 11.04.09 at 12:52 pm
I seem to be at odds with the majority of reviews of this book. The book is practically useless with small to no specific information presented. Yes, the author does mention that the META tag keywords is not necessary, and that titles should be no longer than 60 chars to match Google, but for the most part the book is a litany of vague generalities that could be better summarized on a two page White Paper. An index may have helped, but there is none.
The book’s Appendix A sounds very helpful, but is available only online. In the book the appendix advertises a “number of free tools” but it doesn’t exist. Entering the URL redirects you to a page where you can buy another copy, register, etc. Thinking the Appendix may be avaiable to registered users I tried that. But after filling in all the required fields and clicking the “Just Register” button the site insisted that all 14 marketing questions such as “What is your Gender? be completed” There seems to be no way to simply Register so I simply left.
I recommend avoiding this book if you’re serious about SEO.
Rating: 1 / 5
E. Herrera 11.04.09 at 3:27 pm
Just finished reading this, and I have to say I’m a small annoyed. I’ve been building websites and doing SEO work for several years now, so this isn’t the first book I’ve read. But you need to stay updated, and see what’s new…
Apparently nothing is new. If you’ve read one book on SEO, this book won’t help you. I don’t really know who this book is for…
If you’ve read an SEO book before:
You won’t find new information here. Just a rehash of everything you’ve already read and implemented on your own sites. Lots of filler. Pages start to drag on. It’s only 208 pages and could be edited down to 120.
If you’ve never read an SEO book before:
You’ll get a thorough overview of what SEO is, BUT you’re going to have to buy another book to show you how to do it. This talks about SEO. Tells you what might be a excellent thought. But it won’t show you how to do it. It’s not a how-to book as other reviews have mentioned.
So who’s this book for? Not for me that’s for sure.
Rating: 3 / 5
JustADesigner 11.04.09 at 6:09 pm
As most people searching for SEO books, I was looking for the most up-to-date book possible. Even though this book claims to be 1st printed Feb 2009 the text references outdated “current events.” Refers a few times to the “new” Indiana Jones movie and news about George W. Bush. Also refers to “Macromedia” Flash, but I reckon that was just a lack of software knowledge.
Don’t get me incorrect I learned a lot… A LOT!, but I question if some of this content is already outdated. Algorithms are always changing.
Rating: 3 / 5
S. Dollar 11.04.09 at 7:37 pm
Now more than ever, mastery of the myriad manifestations of search is essential for a thriving existence online, whether you’re a marketing wizard with a six-figure paycheck (pleased you) or a lowly, over-caffeinated blogger trying to crack the secret formula to glorious triumph on the Interwebs (hello neighbor). For the past decade, Rebecca Lieb has been one of the savviest journalists tracking every tremor of the Googlesphere, and here she shares her seasoned expertise in a step-by-step guide to effective SEO. Clear, straightforward, thorough and witty, Lieb reveals everything you ever needed to know about search, and then some, with extensive practical examples and informal Web history lessons. It’s a can-do classic that belongs beside every laptop.
Rating: 5 / 5
Joe Aigner 11.04.09 at 9:20 pm
Rebecca Lieb, a writer, author, editor, digital content and SEO consultant, has been a part of the rise in digital technology for over eight years. Rebecca was the vice president and editor-in-chief for the largest source of internet marketing and advertising news, opinion and commentary resources in the world at SearchEngineWatch.com. She breaks down what SEO is, how it works and how you can influence the organic results the search engines provides to the user.
The book consists of 51 different truths about search optimization process, common misconceptions, tricks to help your website receive more traffic and even how to improve your page rank. These 51 truths are subdivided into ten categories:
1. The Basics of Search
2. The Truth About Being Site-Specific
3. Tag, You’re It!
4. The Truths About Links
5. You Call That a Search Engine
6. Get a Social Life
7. Search Ranking
8. The Truth About SEO Management
9. Don’t Be Evil
10. Going Beyond
This is an simple read that can be used by anyone from small startup companies with a website trying to gain recognition, or the huge multibillion dollar corporations, the same concepts and truths apply to any website on the internet. There are some common themes that show up consistently throughout the book and they are emphasized many times per section. Some of the same concepts that are repeated are helping the visibility of your website to the general public. You should place common keywords that the general public would use to find your site in the first 300 words to make your site appear higher in the organic search. Also, you want to attract spiders and robots to your site, and to do so have reliable and qualified links both inbound and outbound, as well as making constant revisions and updating your content on a regular basis.
“SEO is the foundation, the bedrock of online marketing”. With technology becoming increasingly vital in the world today, businesses have taken their marketing to the next level by having online site to further promote their business. Online marketing has recently become a priority for many businesses large and small; in order to succeed online you must be visible to the public, so search engine optimization is now a staple in the online marketing departments of today. People searching for a business or service online will either find you or your competitor, so the more visible you are the higher your traffic will be.
Search engine optimization is an ongoing process that has no end. There are ways you can influence where you show up in large search engines like Google and Yahoo! but there are no guarantees that you will make it to number one on the organic search results. There are many tips and tricks that will positively influence your chances of getting found, but there are no guarantees when it comes to SEO, just diligent, and consistent hard work.
I am new to the scene of online marketing and thoroughly loved this book. I learned the basics of how search engines find and distinguish sites from the millions of different sites out there, and how to get my site near the top of the search results. I would give this book a 9.5 out of ten, the only flaw to the book is that it could be more recent, because the book gives examples from the “new” Indiana Jones movies and George Bush as the current president. It says that SEO is constantly changing and evolving into something different, so when dated examples are in the book some of the tricks may be a small behind the times.
Rating: 5 / 5