Top 10 Most Popular Social Networking Websites

Social Networking website are the part of social and business network expansion which includes personal, business, and professional network. The one and only network which is designed to connect one or more people from any country or place virtually. it is also a part of business expansion because with the help of social media platform people can promote their business online and reach thousand of customers with one click. There are the list of social networking websites with their estimated monthly traffic and worth of the websites as follows:

Facebook :
Estimated Unique Visitors Monthly - 14,100,000,000

Estimated Worth - $ 59,325,166,125
Alexa Global Rank : 3
Last Updated On 2-Oct-16
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Twitter:
Estimated Unique Visitors Monthly - 3,000,000,000
Estimated Worth - $ 5,500,000,000
Alexa Global Rank : 9
Last Updated On 2-Oct-16
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YouTube:
Estimated Unique Visitors Monthly - 19,200,000,000
Estimated Worth - $ 102,650,332,250
Alexa Global Rank : 2
Last Updated On 2-Oct-16

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LinkedIn:
Estimated Unique Visitors Monthly - 2,868,131,880
Estimated Worth - $ 4,780,000,000
Alexa Global Rank : 14
Last Updated On 2-Oct-16

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Pinterest:  

Estimated Unique Visitors Monthly - 2,314,285,710
Estimated Worth - $ 3,707,500,000
Alexa Global Rank : 35
Last Updated On 2-Oct-16

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Google Plus:
Estimated Unique Visitors Monthly - 20,100,000,000
Estimated Worth - $ 102,650,332,250
Alexa Global Rank : 1
Last Updated On 2-Oct-16

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Tumblr:
Estimated Unique Visitors Monthly - 2,050,549,440
Estimated Worth - $ 3,295,000,000
Alexa Global Rank : 45
Last Updated On 2-Oct-16

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Vkontakte:

Estimated Unique Visitors Monthly - 2,815,384,620
Estimated Worth - $ 4,670,000,000
Alexa Global Rank : 16
Last Updated On 2-Oct-16

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Flickr:

Estimated Unique Visitors Monthly - 452,400,000
Estimated Worth - $ 877,000,000
Alexa Global Rank : 223
Last Updated On 2-Oct-16

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Instagram:

Estimated Unique Visitors Monthly - 2,841,758,250
Estimated Worth - $ 4,720,000,000
Alexa Global Rank : 15
Last Updated On 2-Oct-16

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Https Websites Flatter Ranking Factor

According to Google HTTPS opposed to HTTP websites is flattering the ranking factor. In a major shift, Google has made it official that it is rewarding websites using the HTTPS with a better ranking in the internet searches. In the last few months, Google has been running trials and errors to test the use of secure connections as an indicator in the ranking algorithms. The Google webmaster trends analysts Zineb Ait Ba hajji and Gary Illyes have written in a blog that they have seen positive results and hence they have started using HTTPS as a signal for better ranking.

Apparently, it is a lightweight signal and affects less than 1% of international queries. It also carries less weight age than other indicators as good quality content. Meanwhile, the analysts have decided to give webmasters more time to switch to HTTPS. However, time will tell if this parameter will be strengthened as Google plans to encourage all website owners to move to HTTPS from HTTP for safety reasons.

What is Https?

Https stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure. It is a version of the well-known http that helps transfer website pages over the internet. The S adds a level of security through data encryption. If your website supports https, the URL will be Domain. Browsers will add a padlock icon and highlight the address bar in green.

How HTTPS Affects Ranking

A few years back, Google made the announcement that website speed will be taken as a ranking indicator in the search algorithm. Consequently, a number of websites rushed to enhance their loading time. While users appreciated the improvement of speed, no one noted the direct effect it had on rankings.

Page speed is known as a modifier. If 2 web pages have relevant scores and similar quality, the deciding factor in ranking by Google is done on the basis of which page loads faster. Similarly, https looks like a modifier. 99% of searches take place whiteout even looking at https, but in those instances if the webpages are otherwise equal, the https factor might give you the edge.

In the help files, Google talks about the best methods to set up https, such as allowing search engines to see a website as secure by following the tips given below:

1. Redirect your users as well as search engines to https resource or page with the server side 301 http redirects.
2. Use qualified URLs as resources on the secure domain
3. Use protocol relevant URLs for other domains or upgrade your website links for directly linking to the https resource
4. Use a server which supports HSTS HTTP Strict Transport Security and make it enabled

In case or any queries or concerns, Google directs people to Webmaster Help Forums. The search for https in the forums pulls several conversations that take place already on the issue. In the future weeks, Google will publish the best practices in detail. Let’s watch out and keep our fingers crossed until then.

Does Page Rank Matter Anymore In SEO

In layman’s terms, the Page Rank or the PR is simply a number which is used by Google in order to determine how much weight a website carries. The PR can be anything between values of 0 to 9. A website with a better page ranking will have a higher number assigned to it.

Does It Matter?

If a website has a PR of 1, it will be quite easy to get it to a PR of 3. However getting a website with a PR of 5 to a PR of 8 will be difficult. According to numerous experts, the current Page Rank of all websites are no longer accurate. This means that Page Rank is not important anymore. Google usually used to update the Page Rank of websites on a regular basis. The updates are no longer performed by Google which leads to the current Page Rank of all websites becoming terribly inaccurate and outdated.

Why Has Page Rank Become Inconsequential?

There are quite a few reasons behind the diminished importance of Page Rank nowadays.

Purchase of Domains

Bidding for domains is a very lucrative business. It is something that most internet marketers will be familiar with. It is actually possible to get a very good domain by purchasing it for a reasonable amount of money. Sometimes, it is possible to a domain with a Page Rank greater than 5. Google already knows about this and they do not like it. By purchasing a domain with a better PR, it was easy to become one of the better sites in Google rankings. In order to prevent such questionable and manipulative practices, Google has decreased the importance it used to place on PR.

Website Flipping

Website flipping is another very popular business in the internet. An internet marketer would create a website and build it properly so that it manages to get a good PR. Once the website reaches targeted Page Rank, the website could have been sold for a good profit. Although such a business is not illegal in anyway, it is not something that Google likes. This is another reason that Google has stopped paying attention to Page Rank.

Changes in Search Results Display

Earlier, the Page Rank of the website would determine how high the website would be ranked in a search results page. However, this is no longer the case. Now a lot of websites with a lower PR gets the same search ranking or even better ranking than the websites with higher PR. This showcases the fact that Google is continuously decreasing the importance it used to place on PR.

Increase In Paid Advertising

The websites which spend money on Google Adwords will always show up at the top of a search results page. If Page Rank was still considered by Google, such a result would not have been possible. Google cannot be blamed for this particular change as they need to make money. Google earns the majority of its revenue through the AdWords.

Updates in Page Rank

Google is no longer updating the Page Rank of the websites. Even if it is updating the PR, the process seems to be excruciatingly slow. If Google actually used Page Rank anymore, it would have kept updating it on a more consistent and regular basis.

The New Rules of SEO Copywriting After Hummingbird Launch

The recent overhaul by Google of its entire search algorithm with Hummingbird is a big step in the area of SEO copywriting. Freelance writers and marketing departments will now have room to manoeuvre in their SEO content at ease. The Hummingbird update is basically an optimization that allows writers and promoters to produce well written and quality content without the fear of compromising search engine optimization. It generally relies on the depth, creativity and relevance of the content to rank the websites on Google’s search results. It is comprehensively dependent on Google’s algorithm practices. 

Before Hummingbird, SEO copywriting generally relied on the concentration and maximization of keywords. This is however not the case when it comes to Hummingbird. It advocates quality over fluff and aims to reflect only websites that focus on users’ interests on its search results. These are the ingredients that will propel the page's ranking as websites establish the quality of their content. It is an incredible transformation for enhanced search dynamics that will benefit both websites and users in the long run.

The update will expect the user to search in ways such as:

1. Making inquiries using conversation searches.

Websites should shift its content’s focus to answer questions instead of writing a Wikipedia-style page. For example, users will now make searches such as “How do I cook a poached egg?”

2. Making searches while one is on the move (also known as Mobile search).

3. Makes anticipations on what the user is looking for even before the search strings finish.

This increases the speed of delivering the information. This could also aid the user in being accurate with his or her searches.

The above mentioned steps bring about new changes in the copy writing process which will definitely help in developing unique niches in content development. This algorithm is also a huge stride in real speech integration, a case where search engines generate results by processing several conversation queries.

In Hummingbird, keywords and key phrases are still a fundamental strategic tool. However, the writer also has to find other interesting methods so as to redefine the keywords and use them in other meaningful ways. The content must also move beyond the keyword constraints that stifle the writer’s creativity. This will help your content in communicating precise and in-depth knowledge on the particular area and topic. 

The advancement in technology has pampered us so much that we want everything to be swift and accurate. Existence of a plethora of websites in a particular niche means that readers are spoilt for choice and can easily distinguish quality from junk. Good content gets the readers’ attention and puts the point across in a palatable manner. Numbers will always grab the attention of readers and so will the styling of the words. The use of power words such as “guarantee”, “easy”, “free” and “quick” will also capture the attention of readers. If the content has sentence structures that are messy and in congruent, your search engine ranking could be penalized. In conclusion, Hummingbird simply makes your SEO easier and improves your rankings.

5 Reasons Why Social Media Optimization Matters for SEO

2014 is going to be a big year for Social Media Optimization. Changes in how technology functions are now more closely correlated with how users search for information. This synthesis between users and computers is going to impact how websites should be optimized with social media moving forward. Here are five reasons why social media optimization matters. 

1.  Content

Content has always been a key, but with significant changes to how the Google algorithm functions, and Google's announcement at the end of last year that it will no longer announce updates, content is going to bear more importance in website optimization. Sites that previously focused on brief, keyword laden content to generate rank may now be usurped for longer, more in-depth content with similar keyword densities. A site's ability to allow its users to post an entry or article on Facebook, or tweet it on Twitter, is going to be pivotal in terms of social media optimization. 

2. Mobility

From smart phones to tablets, social media consumes a majority of most data plans nowadays. Optimization efforts that fail to integrate a social media bridge over former, more traditional optimization methods will, in many cases, be completely missing a vast majority of their target audience. 

3. Utilization

In addition to a shift in what users are searching for, there has been a shift in how users are searching for them. Voice searches in everyday language are exceeding well thought-out, typed keyword searches at a remarkably increasing rate. Now that technology has reached a point where it can process these changes, sites need to be able to reflect and meet that need. 

4. Community

It has been observed recently that there is more cache in building a locally-based community rather than mechanizing keyword automation. Local reviews on Yelp, re-posts on Facebook, and re-Tweets on Twitter are becoming the new gold standard for website promotion. With the previously mentioned Google changes in place, websites may find that they are getting more focused lead generation from their home-spun community endorsements than they are from their bigger budget advertising. 

5. Interactivity

Once a site has been optimized for the preceding factors, it becomes obvious that the site also needs to be an entertaining, interactive place for its community to visit over and over again. The experiences of its community become paramount in the site's overall attractiveness. While content was once the sole focus of website optimization, it is imperative to have a broader reach into how websites are optimized in accordance to what the new social media demands. A more holistic approach to optimization, and more specifically, social media optimization, needs to been reflected.