Freetimers Web Marketing - Glossary

Google's version of Pay Per Click

Google's website analysis service, a free and pwerful website statistics and anylysis package with a friendly graphical interface and some very useful ratios and other site performance features.

For the last several years Google has been penalising websites which it deems are undertaking unacceptable practices designed to mislead users or to manipulate the results of its search algorithm.  At one point it has been measured at the rate of 60,000 websites per month.  There are two main kinds of penalty, algorithmic and manual.  An algorithmic penalty can range from very mild to severe, resulting in the loss of some ranking positions, and can result from Google simply changing the weightings of various factors in the algorithm.  Usually these can be rectified by fixing the issues that caused the problem with Google.  Manual penalties can range from losses of rank position for single keyword phrases, to across-the-board losses of 50 place (so from position 6 to 56), to complete bans from Google.  Manual penalties can sometimes be recovered from however it is arguable that a site receiving a manual penalty may always be tainted from that point forward.

Google's online business directory, showing local businesses relevant to the search made and based upon the viewer's location and/or IP address.  It has gone through much evolution and while it is currently free to businesses, it is widely expected to eventually  become chargable.

Formerly known as 'Google Base' and free of charge, this is Google's shopping platform and now works on a 'pay per click' basis.  If a website wishes to include its products in Google Shopping, it must provide Google with either a CSV or feed of the products to be added, and in the process meet a number of Google requirements.  Once approved Google will display your products but on click through the shopper will be directed to the relevant product page on the provider's website.