Insider Marketing Tips

Reading on a few Webmaster forums there are quite a few threads discussing “How to Get PR Reinstatement” back onto sites, in particular directories.

Directories have taken quite a big hit in the Toolbar PageRank updates over the last 18 months, with even the big name directories losing the the little green bar. Why? Google is combating Paid Links, there is even a link at the Google Webmaster Tools for reporting sites known to be buying or selling links.

It seems paid directories are considered to be selling links. That in itself is open to debate as quality directories do charge for reviews, now provided editorial reviews by directory editors are done, to me the charge is for the editors time to conduct a review not for a listing link.

If your directory has taken a PR Hit do not despair as Google also gives you a chance for PR reinstatement. Login to Google Webmaster Tools and find the link on the right hand side named “Request Reconsideration”.

Select the site in question and put forward your case for reconsideration. I suggest you read the Quality Guidelines and comb your site for any possible breaches of the guidelines and fix them up. When arguing your case put forward any discrepancies you think your site was breaching and explain what you have done fix the problems.

Allow up to 2 weeks for results, if nothing, comb your site again for problems and breaches of Google’s quality guidelines, fix the problems and submit another request. It did take me 2 requests for PR reinstatement for Searchbuster Directory.

Another technique put forward by Mikey1090 at Digital Point Forums is to get Google’s internet police attention by posting your story to the Google Webmaster Help Group. It may attract the right attention. I haven’t tried this personally but see no reason not to give it a go.

Web Developer & Directory Owner of Searchbuster Web Directory

Bless Google – you cannot help but feel a tinge of gratitude toward the search engine giant as it attempts to guide us in our search engine optimization to ensure that our content is relevant and stays that way. Though we still need to remind ourselves that that the majority of Google is still limited to a box with a processor, some memory and storage space. And like all things that work in a logical fashion, it requires us to stay within a specific category.

Welcome To The Industry

If you’ve done your reading regarding SEO, then you’ll know that link building should preferably be kept within the industry. This means that if you’re an architect, the it would be advisable to rather seek out links from other architects or entities within the design and construction industry than, say, a toy company. The reason for this is that Google attempts to provide its users with the information they want in the quickest possible way – if Google can’t do it, it stands to lose out on business.

But search engines aside for a while, why should you stick to a specific industry if you run a normal website? It is your creation after all and seeing as you paid for it, you can do pretty much whatever you please with it.

True. But consider the average visitor that happens onto your site. What will they think when they see a portion of the website dedicated to the self-assembly of an engine for a 1935 Auburn 851 Speedster, and the other bit to your wife’s Begonias. Although an extreme example, it does serve to illustrate one point: websites that stay within the industry have a better chance of gaining the average visitor’s trust – the golden commodity of the internet – than one that tries to sell a variety of products or services on the internet.

Google knows this, which is why it encourages the web community to not only provide single-industry relevant content but to ensure that our link building activities apply to our trade. Posting unwanted links to unrelated websites, blog posts or forums could affect a website in a negative way.

In conclusion, suffice it to say that industry relevance will be a determining factor in the success of any website on the internet that relies on search engines to drive traffic towards it. Straying from the path could not only ensure that your rankings drop, but that you get penalized as well.

K S Raju a well profounded writer who specializes in writing articles on Effective Contextual Link building and also tells you how to Improve seo rankings with various seo link building service.