The Maine SEO Blog

Google AdWords Keyword Tool

It’s not specifically for AdWords users, and it gives you probably the most accurate data for Google keyword queries and competition, as well as related keywords and phrases.

Yahoo Site Explorer

To date, Yahoo’s Site Explorer gives the most accurate picture of what websites are linking to yours.

Since Yahoo will soon begin incorporating Bing’s search results, Yahoo Site Explorer may not exist for much longer; so here are two other sources that work just as well (and arguably even better):

More recently, I’ve discovered another great site for tracking incoming links: Majestic SEO. Without logging in, you can check one website’s backlinks. By subscribing (for free), you can compare up to five different domains against one another.

This week, SEOmoz launched their brand new Open Site Explorer, what could be the eventual replacement to Yahoo Site Explorer. Those with PRO membership will have unlimited access, and for the next 24 hours, SEOmoz is offering a free trial for everyone!

Google Analytics

I talk about Analytics relentlessly, but the thing is…you’re not going to get a better Analytics system for free. And you need Analytics, so the choice is logical.

There are thousands of tools out there – from tools for checking PageRank, to checking cache dates, to checking keyword density. They’re all great. Like I said, these are just the three you can’t live without.

Nicki Hicks
Hey – these tools are all search engine-owned!

SEOQuake

I’ve been using the SEOQuake toolbar for a while now. It’s a gem for any search geek: the ability to quickly see statistics in the search results, from PageRank to indexed pages in Google v. Bing, from incoming links to Alexa rank.

You can also dig a little deeper by getting more information about the site you’re currently visiting; which is a nice one-stop shop for getting any of your basic need-to-know information for client statistics. Here’s a screen capture of what that looks like:

Aside from the SEOQuake Toolbar, the SEOQuake Toolbar also has two products for statistics: SEOPivot and SemRush.

SEOPivot

SEOPivot is essentially designed to show you the potential of ranking for certain keywords for particular pages on your website. For example, a post I did on GetListed.org and Local Search currently ranks #152 for “live local search”, a search term with a potential volume of 1,362 visitors if the post were ranking #1.

SEOPivot reminds me a lot of Google Webmaster Tools’ top search queries. Here are Maine SEO’s top 10 queries in Webmaster Tools:

Very similar, but I will say that SEOPivot offers two added benefits above and beyond Webmaster Tools’ top search queries.

1. The potential traffic you could receive if you were #1. While it isn’t a perfect number, it is interesting if nothing else.
2. More importantly, the average search volume. How many people are searching for this keyword a month? (In other words, is it even worth trying to optimize for?

All in all, SEOPivot will give you some interesting information about where your pages could rank – and you can query 10 websites a day for free, with 5 keywords per site. Want more than that? You’ll have to pay a little.

SemRush

The other SEOQuake tool, SemRush, gives a little more insight. Like SEOPivot, you are still served up keywords from your site, where they currently rank, search volume, and the URL. The benefit here comes in the form of some really great AdWords data, should you be using it, including CPC and competition.

Like SEOPivot, you can get several free reports, but have to pay if you want more than that.

All in all…

SEOQuake remains my favorite, although if you want some interesting statistics about where some of your keywords stand (sometimes keywords you never even thought to rank for), SEOPivot and/or SemRush are for you!

Nicki Hicks
SEO Tool Afficiando

As a rule of thumb, I don’t pay attention to Alexa rankings. Primarily, it’s because we deal with mostly small business, so their rankings aren’t going to land them under the 100,000 range. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

What does the Alexa ranking mean? Alexa measures your traffic (and popularity) by way of their toolbar (not unlike Keyword Discovery), and measures your site accordingly. The lower the number, the better. To give some perspective, the Maine SEO blog’s Alexa ranking is 1,051,645. Flyte has an Alexa rank of 140,350; CNN’s is 52, Google’s is 1.

Alexa also provides some Google Analytics-esque statistics which aren’t nearly as accurate, including: pageviews, bounce %, time on site, and incoming links.

I don’t suggest using Alexa because you can get more relevant statistics using tools like Google Analytics and Yahoo Site Explorer.

However, Alexa can be helpful if you’re comparing several large websites. Alexa makes it easy to compare popular websites to gain some quick insight on their differences:

And if you absolutely insist on using it…

• Remember that, like most search stat tools, these numbers are relative
• Realize that you can get far more accurate statistics using your Analytics
• Recognize Alexa rank is not unlike PageRank: where it’s easy to become too focused on where you are today compared to yesterday

Nicki Hicks
SEO Stat Scrutinizer – try saying that five times fast

More and more, we’re using WordPress here at flyte as our CMS of choice.  Not only is it an easy platform for our clients to learn to use and update themselves, but it’s also incredibly search engine friendly.

As always, there are way to increase search visibility even further.  With WordPress, that way is by adding SEO Plugins.  WordPress has an extensive collection of such plugins, but I thought I’d take a look at two: one for the WP beginner, and another for the more advanced WP user.

For WordPress Beginners: All In One SEO Pack

• Quickly and easily change title, meta-description, and keywords for your homepage, specific pages, or posts
• Edit your title formats on your homepage, specific pages, posts, archive pages, category pages, etc. (Making them “Page Title – Blog Title” vs. “Page Title”)

For the Advanced WP User: HeadSpace

• Everything from the All in One SEO Pack, including the option to import and support All in One SEO (as well as other related plugins), PLUS….
• Ability to more easily add (without getting messy with HTML) Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools
• Add cool tools and tracking devices, like CrazyEgg

Nicki Hicks
Plugins with something for everyone

There are tons of great blogs, forums, and sites that offer the latest and greatest SEO news.  But even if you were to spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week reading, you couldn’t keep up with all of them.  So, I offer my list: of those I believe offer the widest range of information to keep you in the know.

“News” Sites

1. Search Engine Roundtable – my all time favorite SEO news source.  Not only do they live blog for major conferences and seminars, as well as just about every major happening in the Search world, but all of the articles are remarkably short, sweet, and concise!
2. Search Engine Land – with longer articles than SE Roundtable; also the company behind SMX conferences.

Blogs

1. Matt Cutts’ blog – a must for some more in depth tips and tricks from a Google insider.
2. SEOBook blog – all things SEO by guru Aaron Wall.

Forums

1. High Rankings forum – generally speaking, I’m not a forum user; simply because of the time it takes to get caught up on threads.  However, High Rankings is the one I like the most – and forums are great for when you need a technical question answered fast!

What are your favorite sites/blogs/forums?

Nicki Hicks
“These are a few of my favorite things”