Google Base is another one of the hidden gems in Google’s magic box. You don’t hear about on a daily basis but it appears to provide a new way for publishers to distribute and promote content.

What is it?

Google Base is a free online database where you can post any information free of cost as long as it follows Google’s program policies. Products and services, recipes, classified ads, you can post almost anything you can think of. However it is a dream land for those who have a list of good stuff to sell and no forum to market.

How does it work?

It’s really very simple. Just open an account or use an existing account if you have one. Choose to submit a feed and look at the various options for feed types. If you already have an RSS feed for your product, you can submit this, but some information will still be missing, so it is advisable to construct a text file as per Google’s field pattern. This allows you to think and include keywords and key phrases for appropriate searches. After the content is ready, submit it.

What’s amazing is that you can register up to 10 data feeds in your Google Base account and almost one million items equally distributed between 10 feeds.

Google Base and SEO

Submitting your content to Google Base actually helps you get additional organic search engine traffic.

Algorithm for ranking Google Base products is more literal in Google Base. It is not as sophisticated as the algorithm for Google search. This should be taken into account while preparing your product feed. Points such as including factors relevant to your product especially the product name, model etc in your product title and description, become crucial. The keywords you are targeting should also appear in the title and description. The first 10- 15 words are quite significant, so must be used wisely. But beware; do not stuff the description with a whole lot of keywords as this could lead to your listing to be penalized.

Adding relevant images to your feed can increase your click-through rates. This is another important optimisation tip you can use. It will help you rank well in Google Base. Finally, Google product search uses seller ratings; customers leave feedback about their purchase experience with a company as on any online purchasing portal. So try and get as good a rating as possible as this will only positively impact your rating in Google Base.

Contributed By Shruti Kekre

Looking back at the setting year sets the tone for a year that promises a lot of excitement in the SEO industry and within the SEO team at Position2.

The year started with the entire Position2 team embarking on a challenging journey of developing products around the services that have evolved and matured over the past years. I have been a part of the conceptualization and development of three products for the SEO industry. Designed for agencies and end-users alike, these products promise to not just transform the way SEO is practiced as a discipline at Position2, but also provide a new process-driven perspective to an industry that still depends largely on individual skill and SEO expertise.

This re-engineering from SEO services to SEO products brought its own challenges and excitement. The change in outlook proved the most challenging. Piecing together of the little pieces that needed to come together and form each of the SEO products was a fascinating experience that will continue into 2010. The SEO team was often synonymous with heated debates, a charged atmosphere and the intensity of purpose. We also had celebrations for their own sake, team outings, pranks and a lot of light banter you associate with a team that believes in itself and depends on one another. It was fascinating for me to watch the team mature in this changing landscape and evolve into a formidable outfit, believing in itself and willing to take on the toughest of challenges.

Successes we saw on projects underlined the growth of the SEO team. My team takes a lot of pride in the work we do. The results achieved for Lyris and TRUSTe, two of the projects that have taken a lot of passion and involvement from the SEO team, have been the rewards of relentless hard work and commitment. The contribution of every team member isn’t always noticeable, but it has been the team work that has made every success possible.

The nervous anticipation with which every month’s reports were awaited, the impatient anticipation with which monthly plans were discussed and debated and the energy in everyday work are signs of a team that enjoys what it does, takes a lot of pride in its work and is hungry to raise the bar and back itself into growing into one of the (if not THE) best SEO team anywhere. Leading this team continues to give me a lot of pride as we collectively look forward to a new year.

The icing on the cake this year has been the affection and friendship of a few clients that we have worked closely with. The motivation levels of the team are heartening to watch when the work we do is received not just with appreciation, but a lot of genuine affection. For a team that loves what it does, no volume of business can match the fondness we have received this year from our clients.

The year wasn’t all sugar-sweet. The recession caused a few flutters; a few old colleagues moved on, there was the occasional (healthy) argument while the products were being developed and the pressures of performance in difficult economic conditions flowed as an under-current through the year. However, as the year draws to an end, the highs far outweigh the lows and the entire SEO team at Position2 looks forward to the oncoming year with anticipation and hope.

2010 promises a new era in SEO at Position2, as Website Calibrator and Organic Rank Optimizer evolve and emerge as SEO products. The year also promises growth, new challenges and new successes to achieve. As the captain of a winning team, I look forward to the rewards and challenges that the new year will bring.

And finally, for the benefit of those planning on an extended holiday season, we would like to extend the best wishes from the SEO team at Position2 to all our friends, associates, clients and colleagues. We also would like to wish one and all a 2010 full of excitement, enrichment, discovery and knowledge.

Contributed by Tushar Prabhu