Google is the top used search engine, which means it’s also an important asset for search engine optimization professionals to use. Fortunately, Google doesn’t leave SEO experts in the dark. Here are some of the most useful SEO tools that Google offers that will help you in your SEO endeavors.

1.    Matt Cutts Blog. Cutts writes about Google of course, but he also includes posts about SEO including the Google algorithm for search.
2.    The Google Blog. This more general blog talks about “insights from Googlers into our products, technology, and the Google culture.” This is a great read for staying on top of what Google and the people using the search engine like and find helpful.
3.    Google Ad Planner. This free media-planning tool can help refine your online advertising, potentially saving you money in the short and long term.
4.    Google Dance Tool. This tool allows you to ping three Google data centers to see if Google is updating their search algorithm. It’s a great way to stay up-to-date with the changes that are being made.
5.    Google Search Appliance. This is integrated hardware and software that allows businesses to have the productivity-enhancing power of Google search within their own sites.

These five tools are just the tip of the iceberg as well. If you are involved in SEO in any sense of the word jump into Google’s site and have a look around. You just may be surprised to find out how much is there that can help you.

SEO’s and webmasters watched their computer screens with baited breath Tuesday afternoon (on the east coast, anyway) through a long press conference to download the latest revolution in web browsers from your friends at… none other than Google.

Google Chrome is now open source… and open to the public. Cool things about G-Chrome:

• The Incognito Window
• Really fast browsing
• Use of exsisting browser technology
• Search integration into the Omnibox

The fact that it lacks a file toolbar will no doubt confuse most regular internet users. Can speed alone cause the majority of Internet Explorer users to get over the potential confusion of a browser without a file bar?

Chrome also seems to have a hodgepodge of the best things from each major web browser out there… along with a smattering of improvements.

So, if the only major benefit most common internet users are going to get from Chrome is faster browsing, then what was the point of the G-team putting this product out? Simple… MORE SEARCHES! Faster browser – more searches. Faster search – more searches.

And at Google, more searches = more $.

Of course, there could always be another motive for why Google put out Chrome. As I mentioned earlier, one of the coolest things about Chrome is Incognito mode, which basically allows you to hide a screen’s content (and any notation of you visiting a site) behind a normal web browser window.

At the same time, that doesn’t mean no one will know what you’re looking at on the internet. ProspectMX, a Pennsylvania internet marketing company, has created a “Chrome Comic” that explains the real reason behind the development of what is sure to become known as “pRon mode.” Check it out.

Getting your web site listed on directories can be good for search engine optimization (SEO), while increasing direct traffic at the same time. However, not all directories are SEO friendly. When you need to determine if a site can be used for this purpose, please refer to the following SEO Friendly Directory Checklist:

- Do the directory’s links go directly to web sites? Look at one of the categories and see if (point at a link while looking at the status bar) the links go to a redirection/tracking page or directly to the sites they refer to. Directories with direct links are SEO friendly, as search engines can easily identify these links and their destination.

- Does the directory have a Google PageRank level of at least one? You can check this by entering its URL in a web site like checkpr.org. Directories with no/zero PageRank are either too new/obscure to affect SEO, or have been penalized by Google for allowing too much “link spam”. Be careful not to use “FFA” link sites or directories full of miscategorized pages.

- Are web site names used as the titles (anchor text) for links? It is more SEO friendly when directories use the title (or other relevant words) in the text of their links, rather than using a URL, an image, or a generic phrase like “Click Here”. However, gaining links with less desirable anchor text still benefits SEO efforts, just not as much.

- Does the directory not require a reciprocal link? Some directories demand a reciprocal link in return for approval, while others make it optional or don’t ask for it. It is better to gain listings on directories that don’t require reciprocal linking; generally, one-way inbound links to your web site provide greater SEO benefits.

- Is it possible for search engine “spiders” (a.k.a. “robots”) to navigate/crawl the directory and find your link? The majority of directories are search spider friendly. However, if the site can only be navigated using animated/javascript menus (and there is no alternative method like a Site Map), this could be a problem.

There are far too many SEO friendly directories to list here, but they include Yahoo! Directory, URLdirectory.org, DMOZ.org, WebWorldIndex.com, and FreeWebsiteDirectory.com. It is especially important to be listed on DMOZ.org; not only does DMOZ/ODP have an impact upon SEO, but it also provides some of the results for many small search engines.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is an effective way to increase website traffic. As with any promotional technique, there are certain mistakes which people should be careful to avoid in SEO. Here is a list of some of the more common mistakes.

1. Paying for a website submission service which claims to submit your site to hundreds of thousands (or millions) of directories and/or search engines: These “directories” are typically long link pages that don’t manually screen their links; they offer no SEO benefit or cause your website to be penalized by search engines. It is best to avoid submission services of this type. However, services which submit sites to dozens or hundreds of directories are often legitimate.

2. Buying links from completely unrelated websites is another one of the common mistakes. While purchasing links on sites about similar topics can be good for search engine optimization, other links offer less or possibly no benefit. Particularly with regard to Google, they might be detected as paid links and additionally penalized. Either way, links on sites about relevant subjects are usually better for SEO and less risky. It is also preferable to buy a few high-quality links than to purchase many of low quality.

3. Completely designing a website and then thinking about SEO: Some web designers and site owners lack understanding of SEO, so they create the designs and content of websites without any thought to it. Only when there are too few hits do they realize the need for SEO. These mistakes can lead to a lot of wasted time and money. It is better to avoid this by taking SEO into account during the initial design process, obtain search optimized content for the site, and start SEO promotional efforts from the beginning.

4. Using manipulative techniques like redirecting one web page to another unrelated page, or putting lots of keywords at the end of the page in very small text: Methods like these may provide some temporary SEO benefits to the website operator, but search engines eventually recognize and crack down on them. When this happens, the search result rankings of websites using such methods are often penalized. It is better avoid these mistakes and instead put effort into long-term, legitimate techniques.

Other possible mistakes to avoid include trading links with disreputable sites, submitting individual pages of a site to search engines or directories, and using repetitious phrases in the site’s META tags.