Last summer, Google was testing many new technologies that are now a regular part of search results, such as Google Profiles. They had been very aggressive in adding video and images into results as well. This meant that in addition to the ten links, there were video, image, map and profile results that were all in the mix.

Google then backed away from so aggressively integrating those results into search results, and has been slowly refining and redefining their layout.

• Changed the width of the results so that instead of 100% browser width, results now have a maximum width. Many people believe that this is to increase click-through rates for the sponsored results.
• Added real-time search results (“Latest results from…”) from Twitter and news websites after they brokered a deal to access Twitter data
• Added weather, sports results, and other “factual” results above organic results
• Increased the width of the “OneBox”

There have been many changes over the past year, and many more will come.

Images return in “Denver SEO” search results

Google shows images for the search Denver SEO...is that what users are wanting?

During that span of time last year, images were shown for the query “Denver SEO,” but since then have disappeared.  Now, they are back, and given a prominent location in the search results (currently between position 3 and 4).When a user searches for Denver SEO, why would they want an image? The only explanation I can think of is that SEOs may be clicking on their own image results to artificially give weight and relevance to something that I believe isn’t hugely relevant.

What’s even more interesting is that some of the images don’t even have alt text or title attributes that Google would read to know what the image is about. Thus, Google is simply inferring that the images are relevant based on the surrounding content and the name of the image file itself.

Analysis of shown images

The first two images shown are from the same page and are right next to each other on the page. They have the same alt text, and virtually the same title attribute.
<img src="images/denver-seo-local-company2.jpg" title="Denver SEO Company Image" alt="Denver SEO Company Image">
<img src="images/denver-seo-local-company1.jpg" title="Denver SEO Companies Image" alt="Denver SEO Company Image">

The next image is from the Katz Web Services website and has alt and title attributes.
<img src="images/seo-chart.gif" alt="Denver SEO Results" title="You want SEO results? You need a great SEO company with a background in code, design, and thinking outside the box." width="460" height="309"/>

The fourth image is from HighPoint SEO and has relevant alt and title attributes.
<img title="Denver SEO - 2009 in Review" src="http://highpointseo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Denver-SEO-2009-in-Review.JPG" alt="2009 was a Big Year for HighPoint SEO" width="341" height="352" />

The last image has no alt or title tag, and is from New Media Denver.
<img src="http://www.newmediadenver.com/images/SEO-special.gif">

What is the take-away?

I believe the moral of the story is that alt and title tags help get images properly indexed by Google, but that surrounding content and image file names are most important.

What are your thoughts?

Iniquitous has been making lots of moves in the Denver SEO rankings lately.  I’m going to show that they have achieved this rank using black-hat SEO methods.

Local Search SEO Spam

Iniquitous has been moving up a lot, especially in local search results in the Google OneBox map results. They seem to be everywhere…but not all with the same listing.

Doing a little research on Google Local, I got to this page of all their listings. Guess what? They have ELEVEN (11) listings. I am frustrated at Google for not doing a better job of such blatant spam. They have used 11 different business names for their listings. Check this out:

1. Iniquitous‎
2. Search Engine Optimization Denver by Iniquitous‎
3. Web Design Denver by Iniquitous
4. Denver Web Design by Iniquitous‎
5. Denver Internet Marketing‎
6. Search Engine Marketing Denver‎
7. Call for your Denver Company HERE‎
8. Denver SEO Company‎
9. Denver Web Design‎
10. Colorado Search Engine Optimization‎
11. Denver SEO Company‎

Most of those list the same address, and all of them (except for their honest business listing) are spam. This kind of irresponsible SEOing sucks. But wait, there’s more!

Spammy Duplicate Content Websites

Google says that they’ve made big strides in preventing duplicate website content from ranking well, and that their anti-spam efforts have been very successful.  Anyone working in SEO knows that Google is still behind the ball.

Some SEO companies decide that until Google catches up, they will spam the hell out of them. That’s what Iniquitous has chosen to do.

Iniquitous has two main domains:

1. search-engine-optimization-denver.com
2. thisisiniquitous.com

They are identical websites, except for two factors: the main navigation anchor text, and the <title> tag.  Let’s take a look:

1. Web Development
   • Navigation Link Text:
     1. Web Development
     2. Denver Web Development
   • Page Title:
     1. Denver Web Development by Iniquitous-Denver Web Design-Logo Design Denver-Boulder Web Design
     2. Denver Website Development-Denver SEO-Web Development Denver, Colorado
   • Page Content: Identical
   • URL: Identical (denver-web-development.html)
   • Sidebar Content: Additional sidebar widget on thisisiniquitous.com website.
2. SEO
   • Navigation Link Text:
     1. Search Engine Optimization
     2. Denver SEO
   • Page Title:
     1. Search Engine Optimization Denver-Denver SEO-Colorado SEO-Boulder SEO-SEM Denver
     2. Denver Search Engine Optimization Company-SEO Denver, Colorado-SEM Denver
   • Page Content: Identical
   • URL: Identical (denver-search-engine-optimization.html)
   • Sidebar Content: Left widget adds a picture, right sidebar adds a widget explaining Organic vs. PPC

How can they get away with this?

There are two websites that are virtually identical, and Google is treating them separately. Furthermore, one of the domains has three hyphens in it and a very long domain name (two indicators of spammy websites), and still the site is allowed to have value (the spammy duplicate site has PR2, the main site PR3). Google, WTF?

What is equally frustrating about this SEO company is that they don’t understand: what they are doing will come back to kick them in the ass.

SEO Best Practice: Don’t Endanger Your Clients’ Websites

If you’re cheating, the good times won’t last

What Iniquitous is doing may be helping them in the short term: they have started to climb into the top 10 for Denver SEO, and are doing very well…for now. When you are trying to cheat a system — blatantly and without showing respect of Google — Google and other search engines will come down hard on your website and the websites associated with your website. When Google finds a SEO company using these tactics, they make sure the web properties are punished, and they will try and find out what other sites you’ve developed. That means that they are endangering their SEO clients.

Walk the line. Learn the ropes. Be respectful of the process. But don’t cheat…it pisses me off and it will kick you in the ass.

I welcome all responses, including official responses from Iniquitous.