Question: Does Good CSS Help SEO?

Posted on 25. Jan, 2010 by Jordan Kettner in Ask Jordan, Search Engine Optimization

Here is an interesting question from Paul in California.

Does CSS have any effect on SEO?

-Paul, CA

Good question Paul,

The short answer is yes, but it is quite minimal. About a month ago Google added a page speed analyzer into Google Webmaster Tools which is a signal that page load time is about to become a part of the Google algorithm.

It is also important from a browser compatibility point of view. It is always a good idea to make sure that your website is up to par with current XHTML standards.

How Do I Optimize My Site For Long Tail Keywords?

Posted on 12. Jan, 2010 by Jordan Kettner in Ask Jordan

How Do I Optimize My Site For Long Tail Keywords?

- James – Portland, OR

Hi James,

Good question, most of the time long tail keyword optimization will occur naturally with a content development strategy. It is important to always be adding articles and blog posts to your website. I have found that if you write articles for your customers, the search engines will soon follow.

What are your competitors doing?

What are they writing about?

You don’t have to start with allocating a ton of resources toward content development. Start with a single post a week, and you can increase the frequency over time.

I hope this answers your question,

If you need anything else, please Ask Jordan.

Commenting System – ASK JORDAN

Posted on 10. Jan, 2010 by Jordan Kettner in Ask Jordan

I am looking to install a universal ID system on my websites. I want to have a commenting system for all videos/articles, a forum, and it needs to integrate with amember for the subscription stuff. What would work?

- Tom, USA

Hi Tom,

There are a couple of different options that you have…

  1. Wordpress – This is what I use as an engine for my entire website. It allows member and non-members to comment on any page that you wish to allow comments. For each page there is simply a check box for you to allow/disallow comments.
  2. Disqus – Disqus can be used on any website, it allows people to comment on your website using their Facebook or Twitter profiles as login information.
  3. PowerReviews - This is a great solution for eCommerce sites to allow members to add product reviews to their site

Does this answer your question? If you want you can email me your site address and I’ll do my best to help you out further.

Have any questions? Ask Jordan.

Duplicate Content Question

Posted on 28. Dec, 2009 by Jordan Kettner in Ask Jordan

Question

If I syndicate my press release through PRweb.com for exposure and backlinks would I get flagged for duplicate content?

Mark S. – Seattle, WA

Answer

Hi Mark,

Good question, there is a lot of mis-understanding around duplicate content. Here are some common myths.

  • Myth #1 – Syndicating Content Is Bad For SEO - Syndicating content can be a very powerful strategy for pushing your content to the public. It is important that you always include a link to the original press release or article when you send it to sites like PRWeb.com.
  • Myth #2 – Google Penalizes Duplicate Content – Google does not actually penalize duplicate content. They will search to find the most authoritative source and display it in the SERP. They simply do not want to display duplicate listings on their results pages. If you are getting out ranked with your own content, think of it as a good thing. Your article is probably getting displayed higher in the search engines than your site would normally be able to rank. As long as you have a link back to your site, it will still benefit you in the long run, and Google will eventually recognize you as the original source and give you a better ranking.

You do not need to worry about getting black listed or anything like that because of syndicating your content. Just make sure that you always include a link back to the original article.