DoFollow links and NoFollow links are the two options for adding links to anchor texts. Links are important because they lead to search engine optimization, or SEO. SEO is important because:

1)      Your page will appear on the fact page of Google’s results list. This increases your visibility.

2)      Most web surfers only consider the results on the first page of the results list. This means you will get more hits and consequently, more money.

Although many people do not consider the difference to be significant, the two options have several differences worth noting. Knowing these differences will help you choose the option that is best suited for your specific situation.

Difference between DoFollow and NoFollow Links

1)      With a DoFollow link, your website will receive the vote of the webmaster and this will increase your ranking. With a NoFollow link, you get no vote and so your ranking will not change.

2)      NoFollow links do not have unrelated ads to weblogs and other forums while DoFollow links does. DoFollow links are considered to be a dirty tactic, just as bad as spamming. The NoFollow attribute was developed by Google to fight DoFollow links. With DoFollow links, there is a risk that your whole site, or a single page, may be filtered out.

3)      You can use NoFollow links with large sites such as google.com, digg.com, and cnn.com. This is because these sites are already popular and nothing you do can break them.

4)      Most forum owners allow DoFollow links in the signature and add NoFollow links in the post body.

5)      NoFollow links are popular with bloggers because they add to the value of the blog. This is because search engines love fresh content and comments are one source of such content. Bloggers opt for NoFollow links because they know they can attract visitors if the visitors can benefit from the commenting.

You can determine the link you have by checking the page source or through Firefox add-ons such as Status Search.

Search engine optimization is important because:

• Most people consider what is on the first page of Google’s results list to be better than what is on other pages, although this is not always true.

• The higher the rank, the higher the chances that people will click on your website or blog.

• Most web users are usually too lazy to search for results outside the first page of the results list.

• With a high page rank, you will attract quality links.

All these factors will help you get more hits and consequently, you will make more money.

In recent years, Google has changed its algorithms to keep off people who over-optimize to get a higher ranking.

How do you know you have been penalized?

Google can penalize you for a single page or it can penalize your whole website. The plan of action for the two penalties is different.

1)      If your rank drops on almost all your keywords but you have a page that is still ranked, then Google is penalizing your pages.

2)      If you search for your website with keywords or key phrases that only your website has and you are still ranking low, this is an indication that Google has penalized the complete site.

How Google is Penalizing People for Over-Optimization

Google has several penalty filters and it filters out over-optimized websites or pages every 2 to 3 weeks. The more you have over-optimized, the more the ‘penalty points’ you will get and the lower you will rank.

Some search engine optimization techniques will get your ranking dropped by Google. You should therefore avoid techniques such as putting keywords in META tags, img titles, H1 tags, and link anchor text.

Google penalizes you slowly, with a drop of 5 to 10 spots, then about 30 spot, and then about 100 spots.

Freelance writing is a good way to make money. You can do it part-time or full-time. You can freelance for editorials such as newspapers and magazines. All you need is a mastery of the language and accurate sources.

Tips on how to secure a good paying freelance job

1)     Visit freelance writing websites and apply. There are many such websites and the requirements are only mastery of the language and in some cases, a sample of what you can do. However, be weary of scams. Avoid websites where you are required to pay to get the job. You can also get the job directly from consumers.

2)      Post any articles you may have written in websites such as Craigslist.org. Those searching for freelance writers usually go to such websites. Post your work in as many websites as possible.

3)     Post your resume on the perspective section of the Google site. Many people searching for freelance writers usually search in this segment. One the Google site, visit the trends segment to find out who is hiring. To maximize your profits, measure these hiring trends.

4)     The best way to secure employment is to visit the companies that are hiring. Try to secure an interview with the human resource personnel or even the directory. Talk to newly hired applicants for tips on how they secured their employment.

5)     Register with Elance website. You will be able to place bids on writing jobs.

6)     The bidding process takes between 3 and 12 days and the pay is about $3 for every 500 words.

When you get the job, try to produce high quality work to prevent getting fired. There are many freelance writers and it is easy to get fired. Do research on different writing styles and read widely to increase your mastery of the language.

Many search engine optimization companies are offering packages focusing on a specified number of search terms and links for a specified amount of money each month. However, think twice before going for such companies.

Why should you consider more than the attractive packages?

Search engine optimization is a sport and not a science. For success, you need a strategy that will balance several parameters. The strategy should be flexible, meaning it should take into account what others are doing. Search engine optimization involves competing against people with the same search terms. This means there is no specific package is guaranteed to bring success.

Disadvantages of packages

1)      Packages limit the number of search terms. For success in SEO, it is important to change search phrases regularly because you will need to target different age groups and people speaking different languages. Success in SEO will only come if you can identify a potential keyword or key phrase winner and go after it.

2)      Packages are products and as such, there is no teamwork. Products are not flexible and there is no success in SEO without flexibility since it is a game with many players.

3)      With a package, you will miss the best links. This is because the best links are the unpredictable ones such as the ones using social networking. Companies offering packages are unlikely to invest in such links. Getting low-quality links might be harmful to your business.

4)      It is near impossible to determine the best package for your specific needs.

5)      At the end of each month, new links will be created. The rush means there is a risk of creating low-quality links.

6)      Link building is based on PageRank. This means there is need to constantly monitor the search phrases. It is not possible to get this flexibility with a package.

Below you’ll find my top tips of resources and that will help you improve and track the performance of your website. They are easy to implement and will assist website promotion work performed by an individual or an SEO company.

- Google Webmaster tools to improve traffic

- Analyze your visitors and keyword search through Google Analytics

- Track search engine result placement for your keyword and URL

- Check your web page in different screen resolutions

- Check your site load time and fix if it is too slow

- Find out how search engine spiders look at your site

- Find insight of your website keyword search terms and location, target your  business accordingly

- Get quick traffic and cost estimates on your keywords for sponsored listings

-  Measure your ROI from SEO, PPC and conversion rates