View Full Version : Researching SEO Competitors & Their Clients
john@kapoo
07-05-2007, 10:23 PM
Hi all
I've just been given a task by the marketing department, which I should be making a transition to from my current department of the company I work for and I could really do with some input from you guys!
The project I have been given is this: Research our SEM competitors and what high PR directories they use on their clients and see if there is any common directories that keep appearing across SEO companies and their clients.
The way I have been told to research this is using the simple term in Google of link:www.domain.com for each one of the SEM companies clients.
What I would like to know is the following:
Surely other methods should be used for finding the 'best' directories to list in? I do think it is important that competition is monitored, but should we just be using Google SE 'link:' to do this?
I would of thought time spent would of been better placed in simply researching directories to find the best ones (as per this thread: http://www.webproworld.com/search-engine-optimization-forum/12730-list-high-ranking-directories-indices.html) - not only the most obvious, but directories that would be more keyed in to our clients perspective/niche?
Any advice would be appreciated so much as I have my own work to do as well as this other departments work, so didn't really want to start this project until I have some feedback from you guys as there is only 24hrs in any one given day, unfortunately! ;)
Thank you
John
incrediblehelp
07-06-2007, 12:21 AM
Check out this thread at SEOmoz:
SEOmoz | Long List of Link Searches (http://www.seomoz.org/blog/long-list-of-link-searches)
The way I have been told to research this is using the simple term in Google of link:www.domain.com for each one of the SEM companies clients.
In case you don't know, Google does not show a full list of inbound links in its results. To see more you might want to give Yahoo! (Yahoo! Site Explorer (http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com)) a try using the same link: operator. For example, I've just tried a random site on Google and it showed only 12 links whereas the same site on Yahoo! showed 55 links.
dburdon
07-06-2007, 05:47 PM
John,
Im not sure where you got the idea that SEO is all about directories. If you're working for a serious SEO business you need to think well beyond that.
Anyhow, I'd recommend the SEOpen toolbar. This will give you good background SEO info on any site you care to investigate.
Matteo
07-06-2007, 06:07 PM
John,
Im not sure where you got the idea that SEO is all about directories. If you're working for a serious SEO business you need to think well beyond that.
Searching out your competition's directory inclusions is a valid and good use of research time. Granted it is but one of many aspects that should be looked at. But when all other SEO concerns are equal.....he who has the best linking strategy wins.
SemAdvance
07-06-2007, 06:35 PM
Searching out your competition's directory inclusions is a valid and good use of research time. Granted it is but one of many aspects that should be looked at. But when all other SEO concerns are equal.....he who has the best linking strategy wins.
Not much of a strategy ...links from directories......
Directories for the most part are a dime a dozen... they are not typically relevant to most websites unless they are directories as well... and as such have little if any power to boost a sites search rankings, and in all actuality probably a waste of time and resources to research.
If the directory requires a link back then the value is diluted even further.
100 parts to the algorithm....those of us who solve the most parts,
Win!!
Peace
briguy
07-06-2007, 07:23 PM
If I can add my "two cents" to this thread..I have been using "google alerts"
Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/alerts) to keep up to date on things like my "keywords" "competition" and my sites!
It is one of the tools that I use but my favorite "free tool"!
john@kapoo
07-06-2007, 09:23 PM
John,
Im not sure where you got the idea that SEO is all about directories. If you're working for a serious SEO business you need to think well beyond that.
Anyhow, I'd recommend the SEOpen toolbar. This will give you good background SEO info on any site you care to investigate.
No dburdon, you miss understand me. I do not, or nor does the company I work for think that it is "all about directories", however, it is a fundamental block in the larger aspect of things that we need better research on. Thanks.
And thanks to everyone else for their input. SEOmoz - First time I've heard about this site, but the info on 'Directory Search Terms' is priceless for this current research I am completing. Cheers.
mjtaylor
07-07-2007, 10:29 AM
No dburdon, you miss understand me. I do not, or nor does the company I work for think that it is "all about directories", however, it is a fundamental block in the larger aspect of things that we need better research on. Thanks.
And thanks to everyone else for their input. SEOmoz - First time I've heard about this site, but the info on 'Directory Search Terms' is priceless for this current research I am completing. Cheers. (Emphasis added)
We are often very quick to misunderstand one another on forums. If someone asks a specific question, the implication is not that their entire focus in on the topic; *just* the focus of the question. Ignorance on a point is not indicative of ignorance on anything else.
This dash to correct something that is not apparently in need of correction stems, perhaps, from a desire to help or, perhaps, from a desire to promote a pet peeve. I, for example, am always piqued by any implication that we put visitors first over SEO and can be counted on to lobby for equal rights for all site visitors.
Lots of good info here, especially that link to SEOmoz ... I hadn't visited that site for a while, and that particular post was *very* informative. If anyone else reading this thread is interested in link building and hasn't yet read that post, I second that IncrediblyHelpful suggestion.
Cheers, MJ