Audio Interview with Matt Cutts

• Posted by Badi Jones on December 6th, 2005 - Comment on this Post »

This is really interesting. An Audio interview with Matt Cutts (link down) by Ms. Write (Sarah MacKay).

Here are some notes I took while listening:

Number 1 mistake made by webmasters.

Optimizing for only one keyword or phrase.

Instead you should?

Dont optimize for only one word or one phrase.

use synonyms, plurals vs singular. Be creative in finding other words people could use to find your site with Google.

Duplicate Content
Don’t worry about:

you have different TLDs (Top Level Domains) .com , .net, and .de

Content in a different language

A printable version of the same content

Saying things in different ways is okay

Do Worry about:

multipel repeated sentences

copy and paste exact same page

several websites with same content, (Different domain names, not TLDs)

Sandbox
How long does the Sandbox last?

No set ammount of time. Depends on the sort of site, and the keywords.

How can the Sandbox be avoided?

Avoid the Sandbox by starting out with small niche. Then build outward.

Build reputation.

Reputation**

Mom and pop sites can take time, but then reiterates…Start with small niche. Don’t try to start with competitive phrases. It is very difficult.

Dealing with SEO Companies

Ask for references

Look out for Cold Calling, Guarantees, doorway pages, Hallway pages, redirects, etc

Look for reputation

Make sure you understand what is being done. You are responsible, not the SEO company.

Re inclusion request
time period of penalty varies for the offense

hidden text 30-90 days

worse = more severe

Is there a point of no return where you should just give up and start over? (are any sites beyond repair?)
No.

Share This

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!