Read This! — May 2012

May 1st, 2012 by Search Influence Alumni

As always, we’re proud to feature best-of-the-web stories and practical advice for competing online in our monthly Read This! feature. Check out May’s offerings after the jump!

• 6 Ways to Boost Your Rankings Using Google Authorship google authorship

Are you using Google Authorship to get your face in the SERPs and increase your authority? If not, you should look into utilizing this handy feature, which links your G+ account with blog posts you’ve authored. Check out this Search Engine Watch post on six ways to capitalize on your newfound notoriety.

• Mobile Navigation Design & Tutorial

If you’re in the process of trying to get your site mobile-friendly, you know that intuitive navigation in such a compressed space is one of the most challenging pieces of the puzzle. Courtesy of Web Designer Wall, here’s some top-notch practical advice on how make all your content available to surfers, with examples from real mobile sites.

• The Layout of Your Discount Page Will Affect Your Sales

Your site’s layout plays a big part in consumer reaction, and the power of the discount is a mighty one when wisely deployed. Learn about the interplay of the two in this useful tutorial from Practical SEO.

• Social Shares: The New Link Building

The social Web is ever-growing, and crafting widely-shared content can promote your brand and increase your authority by leaps and bounds. Ultimately, the best way is the old-fashioned one — invest energy into meeting new people, interacting with your network and making things that are just plain good — and this article offers some web-savvy ways to get the most out of your efforts.

• Why Website Owners Should Be Using Pinterest

New visually-based sharing engine Pinterest is hot, hot, hot right now. In just a handful of months it’s exploded with both an increased userbase and brand-new features, and its potential for growing your brand is sky-high. Michael Gray takes us through some potential applications, including how you can use Pinterest to walk a mile in your customers’ shoes.