Google Thinks I'm a Webmaster. Yeah Right.

I thought I knew quite a bit about computers and technology. Then came my latest assignment in my Digital Marketing Communications class at West Virginia University, Web Analytics and Search Engine Optimization. The assignment seemed easy enough: register our blogs on Google. Got it. Then experiment with first anchor text counts. Huh? I know this is a graduate level course but when it comes to what amounts to basic computer programming I need a primer, and when I say primer, I mean step-by-step instructions.

After reading the assigned reading at http://www.seomoz.org/blog/results-of-google-experimentation-only-the-first-anchor-text-counts, I was left more confused than ever. For example, step three in tracking a fictitious Web site tells you to: Create 6 pages on the site, the homepage (A) with two links to pages (B) and (C), pages (D) and (E) - both linked to by page (B) - and page (F) linked to from page (C). It's important to make sure that (B) is the first link on the homepage (A) and (C) is the second link (Fishkin, 2008). Now consider I’ve never had any training or experience like this. So what is a researcher and writer to do? Well Google it, of course!

My search for “how to register a domain name with Google” first led me to multiple sites that wanted me to pay to register my blog. I’m a college student, remember? So I continued my search for a way to register my blog for free. And here comes the funny part. I didn’t find anything right away on Google but a search on Bing returned an eHow article that walked me through it. The instructions were simplistic, but specific, exactly what I needed.

1. Go to Google.

2. Visit the "Submit Your Content" page at Google.com. Click on "Submit a URL" located in the "Here's How to Get Started" box in the upper right corner.

3. Enter the name of your URL. Copy the captcha code. The "captcha code" refers to the funny-looking characters in the box that you must copy into another box. This ensures that people, not software, submits URLs. Software can't read these captcha codes, so this ensures that a human is submitting the site.

The eHow article also include a handy tip box that listed things needed before beginning, including a Google account and the URL of my blog.

I’m proud to say that after days, and when I say days I mean multiple days, of struggling to figure out what exactly I was supposed to do, I successfully registered my blog with Google with the help of that eHow article. And Google now thinks I’m a webmaster! Take a look at this screen grab capture that says it’s providing information for webmasters.

I can tell you that both the webmaster and assistant webmaster at the West Virginia Department of Education felt a chill run down their spines at the thought. They can rest assured that their jobs are safe.

References:

Ehow.com. Retrieved February 7, 2010, from http://www.ehow.com/how_4761630_register-domain-name-google.html.

Fishkin, R. (2008, March 16). Results of Google Experimentation - Only the First Anchor Text Counts. Retrieved February 7, 2010, from http://www.seomoz.org/blog/results-of-google-experimentation-only-the-first-anchor-text-counts.