LookupPage Blog | Professional Web Presence and Visibility

Low Cost Link Building Techniques

Keyword management, strong title selection, and good semantic tagging will only get your site so far in

terms of search engine results. Ultimately, the cornerstone of any good search engine strategy is link building – strong and topical inbound links to your site from other high-relevance sites will do wonders for your search engine placement across all of your keywords. There are many different ways to gain inbound links, and many of the most effective are actually free or cost very little. These are a few of the easiest, and most effective, way to build your links.

Commenting on Other Blogs and Forums

One of the easiest ways to garner links without spending a penny is to simply become active on other blogs and forums that are topical to your subject. Whenever you leave a comment on a blog you should have the option to include a URL, which will point to your site from every comment you leave. In forum posting you will be able to include a signature, which can feature a link to your site. In both of these cases, take care not to be seen as a spammer – make topical responses to the posts or threads, and don’t actively promote your site, just let the link sit there.

Registering for Pages

There are countless sites out there which allow you to create a profile that can include a link to your site. Many of these sites, such as Facebook, Flickr, or LinkedIn, are free, and also have high search engine relevance. Others, such as LookupPage, are built specifically to improve your search engine ranking. These pages act not only as a source of inbound links to your page, but also as reputation management pages, allowing you to create another node in search engine results with content about your brand that you control. 

Including a Blogroll

Other blogs can be a great source of inbound links, as they can be highly topical, and often hold quite a bit of sway with search engines like Google. A blogroll, which generally sits in the sidebar of your blog, allows you to link to blogs you like or have a relationship with. These blogs, in turn, will link back to your site. There are services available which can help put you in touch with good blog matches, or you can simply contact the operators of blogs you think would be a good fit and offer to trade links on one another’s blogrolls.

Writing Guest Posts

One excellent way to get an inbound link from a higher-profile blog or informational site is to contribute a feature to that site. This will give you the opportunity to write in your area of expertise, demonstrating to their readers why they might want to visit your site, but will also give you a valuable inbound link. Even once your feature is off of the front page and buried deep in the archives, the inbound link will remain, and continue to help with your search engine relevance.

Can Google Suggest be Modified?

Google search is constantly changing. It seems this time around, Google does not share the information with the end user in the same fashion as it did in the past. Let us start with the obvious, conducting a search for the term “Tony Blair” on Google.co.uk and on Google.com yields different Google Suggest results. That is actually understandable but one thing that is slowly being phased out is letting the user know just how many results there are for every suggested term. Searching on Google.co.uk will still inform you how many results there are for each suggestion, but Google.com only lists the top ten suggestions without sharing any metrics.

Why is it an issue if Google does not share the metrics with the users? 

Analyzing metrics can often lead to improved performance. If people knew how many indexed pages on Google have a chance of “earning” a Google Suggest spot, than they would try to manipulate these results for personal gain. Google is trying to avoid that but by doing so is eliminating an informative metric from ordinary users. The fact that this metric was available and might not be in the future reduces the quality of the search that people can conduct using Google.

How does Google Suggest affect online reputation?

When searching the term “Tony Blair “Google Suggest picks ten options it deems relevant for the time. Once again, there is no real way to know how Google decides what is relevant at any point in time. It is likely that recent queries as well as trending topics on major blogs and news services have an influence on what is suggested. but the bottom line is only Google knows what exactly dictates what is included in Google Suggest and what does not. Recent searches that we have conducted on both Google.co.uk and Google.com for “Tony Blair” brought negative suggestions along with positive ones. A negative suggestion that appeared on both was the word “antichrist”.

If a high school student is researching the former Prime Minister of the UK for a school report and clicks on Google Suggested results for “Tony Blair the antichrist” there is a chance that these results would rank even higher on future searches, this can have a negative effect on Blair’s online reputation. Blair is certainly not alone in this predicament; Google suggestions for Tiger Woods  are mostly negative nowadays as well. 

Google Hands Out Online Reputation Advice

In a recent blog post on the official Google blog, a blogger was addressing her issues with a photo of that she does not like and that has been posted online years ago and now comes up on image search for her name. We recently addressed how to remove embarrassing images from Google search, and what we suggested is in line with what Google is offering.

The blogger who was writing the piece and discussing what is essentially an online reputation problem is a Google employee . What is unique about the situation is that up to this point, Google did not officially discuss their policy with regards to people proactively handling and improving their reputation on the web. This is news because no one outside of Google really knew where they stood on the issue of online reputation management.

Google essentially says that if a professional or a business cannot have a negative result removed by contacting the webmaster of the site or appeasing a disgruntled client that wishes to harm the reputation of the business, then he or she should create positive results on the web for themselves. These results would come up on search and eventually (and hopefully) will cause the negative result to rank lower.

In the past, we have discussed many ways in which businesses and professionals can achieve better web visibility and control their Google CV. Google is reinforcing these ideas by telling people to be proactive when it comes to their online image. Google recommends countering negative results with positive ones. Some of the reputation tips include asking satisfied customers to reply to negative criticism online and creating an online profile with links to a company website over all improving the ranking for both results.  LookupPage is a great option for improving the web visibility of a professional or a business, and you can check out the LookupPage premium solutions which guarantee first page results on Google, the world’s most popular search engine.

Update Your Professional Image and Logo on LookupPage and Gain Traffic

In online branding, we spend an extraordinary amount of time trying to send the right message. It is imperative for both businesses and professionals to position themselves online as an authority in their field of choice. When attempting to establish credibility online we often focus more on content and less on the very first impression we make. When executives need to choose one professional over another and the candidates are not physically in front of them, they often go back to each candidate's Google results in order to compare and contrast.

An appropriate photo, along with a business logo, contributes significantly to the first impression that is made over the internet. When researching a professional on the web people initially look for an image and a short bio. The fact of the matter is that a picture is worth a thousands words and in the world of online branding it is no different.

A professional image should be exactly that, a photo, preferably a headshot that is fitting for the profession. The idea is for the picture to present the subject in a natural and confident manner. This image is important because it will be associated with any interaction the professional will be making online.

In addition to a professional photo, a business logo is essential because it is an additional visual aid that helps formulate a professional image. An enhanced profile that has both a professional photo and a logo looks more professional and is more likely to create a positive response. Not including a business logo on a professional profile can be perceived as lack of attention to detail, equivalent to a business card with no logo. Ehud Furman's LookupPage is a great example of a page that has both a professional photo and a business logo.

LookupPage Pro subscribers have the distinct advantage of presenting a professional photo and a business logo on their LookupPage. Pro members also enjoy top rankings on the LookupPage Directory where their logo shows up as well, increasing their traffic significantly.

To update your professional image and upload a business logo:

1. Signup / Login to your account
2. For uploading a professional image, click update "My Personal Details". 
3. For uploading a business logo, click update "My Business details". 
4. Choose a file to upload and click save. 

If you are a Pro user, add a link to your business website which will be associated with your business logo. 

In The Google Era, Your Google CV Is As Important As Your Personal CV

The internet and more specifically Google, has turned into the most popular source of information in the Western world for a number of reasons. Most of us own a computer or a smart phone that could take a query and answer it in seconds, accordingly convenience is a top reason. We no longer have to walk to the library to look something up or call the movie theater for show times we simply search online. The reason searching online is so effective is because it also provides us with accurate information in most cases. As perceptive Internet users, we are becoming better at separating the good and mostly accurate content we find from the junk.

Because search engines constantly index new material on the web, we keep turning to them in the hopes of finding the most relevant information out there. We search potential dates and employers to get an initial understanding of whom we are dealing with and so does everyone else.  

People work hard to present themselves in the most professional way possible on resumes. Employers however, often turn to the internet in order to search for things people would leave out of a resume. An online background check could either validate the claims made on the resume or at times expose the potential employer to a side of the applicant that he or she did not want to present.

People do not fully realize that they have control over their Google CV. “Googling” yourself is no longer the act of vanity but a personal responsibility one has to accept in order to tackle any negative results that may come up. Creating a LookupPage with background information about you could easily become a positive result an employer would find at the top of Google and other major search engines.  

Optimize Your Website for Google Triple Listing

 
Triple indented listings are multiple results from the same website on a search engine results page. They are usually associated with internal linking done well and the optimization of several of your site pages for the same search term. Until now you could only get double listings or multiple Google Sitelinks for your website. Recently a few triple indented listings have been spotted on Google results (They must be experimenting with that feature). This is a big deal because it essentially allows one website to show up on about a third of the results page and is a step before being approved for Sitelinks.

Here is an example of triple listing we spotted a few days ago for the LookupPage Blog:

 

This is big news for online reputation management, since many businesses and professionals would love to have this kind of exposure on organic search. But how does a website reach these results?  It takes both skill and patience. Being able to get the initial page indexed on the search engine is a great start. Writing additional content that deals with the same topic on several of your site pages and linking these pages increases the likelihood that the search engine will bundle the pages together.

Using LookupPage can also certainly help a business or a professional create multiple listings on search engines and establish a better Google CV.

Are Google Background Checks Fundamentally Fair?

You can call it the Google background check revolution and it’s happening right now worldwide. We are all somewhat familiar with this new form of background check that is putting our core philosophies to the test. Can we actively permit information which is often unreliable, contextual, and circumstantial to play a prevailing and decisive role in areas such as federal government, recruitment agencies, employers, colleagues,future employees, business, immigration, and justice departments? It is hard to resist the temptation of using the world’s leading search engine to search for information that would have normally involved human factors for decision making.  When we start using search results that are based on algorithms to substitute for our own cognitive processes in essential every day processes, then it starts to blur the line between human vs. machine.  The ethicality of Google checks which are doing more than just raising questions, are also starting to challenge the very core of issues such as ethics, rhetoric, aesthetics, privacy, and authorship.

For those of us who are self-assured that the web will find nothing to ‘testify’ against us on a professional, academic, or personal level, then think again. While the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs an applicant’s rights when scrutinized by consumer reporting agencies, many others are left unprotected such as illegal immigrants that are screened by businesses, or future employees who are never given a fair chance because of circumstantial information found on the web, or how Facebook is being used by employers to search an applicants background, or how law enforcements turn to social networks for incriminating information such as credit checks, criminal background checks and more. Recently, a three-panel judge ruled that it was okay to use a Google background check to rule against a previous federal employee. The list does not end here, and along with it are countless issues that are reforming the way we define our individual rights, privacy, and censorship.  The rules of how to use Google as a background check tool yet to be decided.

While we cannot always protect ourselves from public scrutiny or criticism, you can be sure of one thing - that there are effective means to ensure that you put your best foot forward in every situation.  At LookupPage we are focused on helping your promote yourself the right way on the web. We understand how information on the web can be disingenuous and misleading, and when it comes to your name or professional reputation, there are no chances to be taken. Your name and the information associated with it can either open doors of opportunities on many different levels of success, or it leave us blemished.  At LookupPage, we make your name uniquely yours and help you stay one step ahead at all times.

Are We Really Cognitively Biased?

Many may argue that our exposure to the infinite amount of information on the web has the ability to make us a more a more knowledgeable, understanding, tolerant, educated, and coherent society.  But is that really true?  How does all of this available information, which is expanding at exponential rates, really affect us and our understanding of the world around us?  We are faced with the mounting challenge of categorizing, sorting, and organizing all this information so we can make some sense of it all so that generations to come can learn from it.  Google may be the universal leader in organizing information on the web – but that doesn’t necessarily lead to a universal understanding.

The growing question is:  Does all of this abundant information really change our views and preconceived notions?   Interestingly enough, the Centre for Health Informatics from the University of New South Wales researched if people experience cognitive biases while searching for information (in this specific case, medical information), and the results were quite astonishing.  The research indicated that people indeed do experience anchoring (maintaining your prior personal beliefs), exposure and order biases while searching for information.  Furthermore, these biases do influence the quality of decision making during and after the use of information retrieval systems.  With that said, the implications of this study are compelling as it demonstrates that while we may be often drowning in a surplus of information out there, we still maintain our cognitive integrity and are not so vulnerable to taking on different perspectives on any given issue. 

So if we are biased when it comes to medical information, can we expand it to a broader spectrum and say that in other areas such as politics, business, primary education, or even day to day life – we also experience a form of cognitive biases?  For now, we cannot quite say – but surely someone will research this in the future, and it would be interesting to see its results.

With all that said, we are all familiar with the phrase:  “First impressions are lasting impressions”.  Perhaps now, we can say that this old wives tale has some empirical validity to it.  When we meet people in person, it’s easier to form first impressions – which usually do form lasting impressions.  We can create or damper business opportunities based on the way others perceive us in the first few seconds of meeting us.  When was the last time you thought of the “impression” you leave on the web?  Can you really be so confident that when someone searches your name, they will have a positive lasting impression?  At LookupPage, we bear this very principle in mind – and that’s why we are confident that once you create your personal LookupPage, you won’t have to worry your about reputation on the web.   Think of your page, as your personal business card that goes everywhere on the web when someone searches your name.

Is Vanity Searching Really in Vain?

How familiar are you with the following popularized neologisms?
Self-searching, vanity searching, ego-googling, auto-googling, self-googling, and googling yourself.

Let’s assume that at one point or another, you have come across these phrases on the web.  The truth is, we hear about them so much, but what does it all really mean?  What can we understand from the context and phrasing of these words? 

Interestingly, according to the Digital Footprints Study by Pew Internet & American Life Project, 42% of people acknowledge that they have googled themselves at one point or another and are aware of their digital footprint on the web.  But we’re not the only ones who google our names, which raises the question – what do others see about you on the web?  The same study showed that 37% of people search for information about a person’s professional background, making it the second most popular search criteria on the web.

With so many people searching information about other individuals, and us googling our own names - how many people are actually taking the first steps to creating a permanent place on the web?  The answer:  few.   The Digital Footprints Study indicated that only 3% of people monitor their online presence regularly. 

Perhaps now, it’s easier to understand the phrase ‘vanity-searching’ which seems more appropriately suited to a type of search that returns results that are not representative and relevant to who you really are. With this very principle in mind, LookupPage was created to provide you with a tool that helps you promote your name on the web when it’s being searched, and manage the information people see about you.

In today’s world where everyone is vying for a permanent place on the web to brand themselves, it’s easy to understand that your main priority is to look for something simple to do the job.  That’s what LookupPage is aimed at doing.   We pride ourselves on helping business and individuals make the most out of their name with a simple 3 step registration process.   

After you create your LookupPage, you’ll say goodbye to vanity searching and welcome to your new web presence.