Website Design Network Blog
Jan 10

Want to Personalize Google Search Results?

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W.D.Price

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Last month, Google launched SearchWiki, its controversial wiki that lets you personalize search results. With SearchWiki, you can promote the Google Web search results you like and remove the ones you don’t. Not only that, you can also add notes or comments to any result page. The tailored results are saved to your Google account and are available to you whenever you want. Of course, your changes affect only your own searches

Wondering how useful SearchWiki is? Well, according to Google’s Official Blog, there could be a number of uses. For instance, if you are fond of hiking but the map site you use to plan your hiking trips always appears fourth or fifth in the Google search results, you can promote it to the top. So, the next time you want to go on a hike, you can find your favorite map site easily. Similarly, if you stumble across a new site and like it, you could add a note on why you think the site is useful. Another time you come across the site in search results, you will know immediately how or when it can be used without needing to explore it again. The idea is to tailor Google search results in such a way that they best meet your requirements.

To use Google SearchWiki, you just need to be logged in to your Google account when you perform a search. In the search results, SearchWiki automatically displays three options next to each search result – an up arrow to promote the result, a cross to remove link from the result page, and a comment option to add public comments on a result. You can also see what other people think of the results of a particular search. To do so, just scroll to the bottom and click the See all notes for this SearchWiki link.

Google is still experimenting with SearchWiki. Just this week, it added sound to SearchWiki. Now every time you remove a result, hear a cute sound played along with a simple animation of the result disappearing into a cloud of dust!….oh yay what next?

your ads here (468x60) - after 1st post.

Oct 20

Polish Your SEO Skills

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W.D.Price

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OK we are back on track this week and hot on the tail of the SEO article….. here are a few more SEO tips.

 

Even the most experienced Internet marketers need to take time off to polish their search engine optimization (SEO) skills and sharpen their SEO tools. So here are a few points you ought to keep in mind if you intend to make it big in the SEO league:

Build your site around a subject that you are passionate about. Success doesn’t come overnight in SEO. So it’s important to choose a subject that you will enjoy working for quite some time.

 

Instead of competing for an overused term, find a smaller niche market and try to dominate it. For at least six months, focus your efforts on strengthening your presence in that niche instead of analyzing every keyword movement.

 

If your page rankings are showing a downward trend, use various free SEO tools available on the Web to experiment with keyword variations, perform SEO tests, and record results.

 

While SEO is important, it cannot ever replace quality content. If your Web site has poor or dull content, no amount of SEO research can compensate for it. So, write stimulating and captivating content. Even if your subject is not unique, try to write it from your unique perspective. Then promote that your content on relevant quality Web sites to generate natural back links. This is the best way to gain ranking in Google’s search results.

 

While selecting the topics on which to post, resist from choosing the ones that focus on the most popular and competitive keywords. It is easier to get traffic by posting on 50 noncompetitive keywords than by posting on a single highly competitive keyword.

 

Do not be afraid of providing links to relevant, quality Web sites. The links will add value to your page by offering relevant options. Any loss in traffic caused by these links is compensated by the better rank you gain due to the increased value of your Web pages.

 

Finally, avoid buying links and spamming forums for the sole purpose of increasing your organic rank on Google. You’ll get better value for your time and money by putting in those efforts in producing quality content for your Web site.

Sep 28

About Time… Privacy Now Not Later

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This is defiantly a step in the right direction…Are you worried about how your browsing and search data is being used by companies? Here’s some relief for you. In a recent announcement, AT&T the largest telecom company in the US has pledged to protect Internet user privacy in any online behavioral advertising program it launches. What’s more AT&T has also requested other companies to do the same.

 

In the announcement made on September 25th, Dorothy Attwood, Chief Privacy Officer, AT&T, called on all companies that track and collect Internet usage data to give Web users more control over how their online activity data is tracked, collected, and used. Although AT&T has no immediate plans to offer online behavioral advertising, it believes any such program should take users’ consent in advance and give them significant control over collection and use of their surfing data for online advertising purposes.

 

AT&T has been in talks with consumers over the past several months to understand their expectations from any company using their online information. Based on the inputs from these talks, AT&T has come up with the following simple principles that it will uphold in the design of any online behavioral advertising program they may deliver in the future.

 

  • AT&T will take permission from its customers before collecting and using their information for online behavioral advertising.
  • It will share information with customers about the kind of data it would collect and use for its program.

  • Customers will be allowed to opt out of an AT&T online behavioral advertising program whenever they wish.

  • AT&T will protect customer identity, irrespective of customer decision about being part of a behavioral advertising campaign.

Attwood further said that while this pledge represented AT&T’s commitment, other companies with access to information about online users should adopt similar commitments to transparency, customer control, and privacy.

 

Top marks… and not before time.

Sep 16

Website Design Network Blog › Create New Post — WordPress

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Website Design Network Blog › Create New Post — WordPress

Sep 16

Ad this up…Invest in Search Ads for Better Returns

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As the US economy worsens, big companies are lowering their expenditure on online display advertisements. Instead, the weakening economy seems to be triggering a shift toward performance-based advertising, such as search advertising. The targeted approach of search advertising makes it a safer bet than display ads.

According to Imran Khan, the Internet analyst for JP Morgan, markets are becoming more conservative with their advertisement budget and expenditure. Therefore, JP Morgan is dropping its 2008 estimate for US display ad market to $8.2 billion from $8.6 billion. This still represents a healthy 14% year-over-year growth, but is much lower than the initial announcement of 20% growth. For 2009, JP Morgan has lowered its projected display forecast from $10.0 billion to $9.4 billion. On the other hand, the scenario seems much brighter for search ad.

Although the overall advertisement budget has tightened, the market shift towards performance-based ads bodes well for search ads. JP Morgan estimates that search ads will see a growth of 27% this year and 26% year-over-year growth in 2009. JP Morgan’s estimates are comparable to the recent downward revisions made by other forecasters, such as Magna’s Bob Coen and Lehman Brothers’ Doug Anmuth.

The main beneficiary of the widening gap between search and display ad spends is, of course, Google. Google is the undisputed leader of the simple, plain text search ads with a 70% hold on the search market. Yahoo and Microsoft, who were banking on flashier display ads, to catch up with Google stand to lose most from the lowering fortunes of display ads. According to research firm eMarketer, search ads’ share of total online ad revenues is expected to rise to 42% by the end of 2008, up from last year’s 40% share. On the other hand, the share of display ads is expected to remain at 21% of all online advertisement spend this year.

I think I might go blow the dust off the old ad server.

Sep 09

Europe – The New Destination for Online Companies

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Haven’t figured it out yet? There are still companies out there that have not adopted an internet presence or if they have, they have not realised the potential of the internet yet. Figure this then…. If you are planning to expand your online business to new regions next year, Europe is possibly your best bet.

 

According to a comScore report released recently, the total number of Internet users in Europe soared to more than 240 million visitors in June 2008, as compared to 190 million in the United States. This indicates a growth of more than 8% in the past year in Europe. Among the European nations, Russia has the fastest growing Internet population with a growth rate of 27% in the past year. Other strong contenders for the fastest growing Internet nation in the continent are France (up 21%) and Spain (up 15%).

 

Although Russia has the fastest growth rate, it is not the leader if you go by the total Internet population in the country. Germany ranks first in this comparison with a total of 34.9 million visitors, closely followed by United Kingdom, which has 34.8 million visitors. Russia, in comparison, is at a modest 17.4 million visitors.

 

Looking at the data from another point of view, Russia seems a good bet for long term investment. Currently, it ranks near the bottom in terms of Internet penetration with only 14 percent of the total population online. But that indicates a lot of potential for long-term growth. According to the data, the top 5 countries in terms of Internet penetration were Netherlands (82%), Denmark (77%), Sweden and Norway (76%), and Finland (69%)….Helloooo its time to catch the train.

 

Keep in mind though, just focusing on the Internet penetration figures can be a little misleading if you do not take into account a country’s total population. For example, although Denmark has 77% penetration, its market base is actually quite small as it has only 3.4 million total Internet visitors as compared to Russia’s 17.4 million visitors. Therefore, a country with a high penetration figure need not necessarily indicate a huge market.

Aug 30

Social Networking Goes Boom Boom

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W.D.PriceLooking for another way to promote your business and websites? Maybe you have thought about but not yet tried social networking. Well it is high time you bought a ticket on this ride.

 

Social networking might just be your best bet for marketing your online business if a recent report from comScore Inc is any indication. According to the study released on Aug 12, 2008, the number of in new users in social networking sites is growing rapidly in regions around the world, although it seems to be leveling off in North America. During the past year, the number of social networkers has grown by 25% globally as compared to a much smaller growth of 9% for North America.

 

The study takes into account unique visitors, aged 15 and above, who access social networking sites from home and work locations. The Middle East-Africa region (up by 66%), Europe (up by 35%), Latin America (up by 33%), and Asia Pacific (up by 23%) have all grown at above average rates. The main reason for the low growth rate in North America is that social networking is reaching a point of maturity in the region.

 

This growth is mirrored in growth rates of leading social networking sites like Facebook and Orkut. Facebook, which ascended the social networking throne in April 2008, has seen an unprecedented 153% growth in its global user base during the past year. Facebook has made concentrated efforts to increase its relevance to local markets by launching natural language interfaces in several markets. Other social networking sites, such as Hi5 (up by 100%), Orkut (up by 41%), and Bebo (up by 32%) have also demonstrated resounding growth in the global market. The only exception seems to be MySpace whose user base has increased by just 3% in the past year. The only area in which MySpace seems to be retaining its upper hand is music, with most bands in the U.S having MySpace pages and also previewing their new albums on MySpace.

 

Take a look at the line up of social network websites including figures for registared users visit this list. Now take a look at some of the newer social networking websites.

 

All in all, if you want to promote your business worldwide, social networking seems to be a promising option for the next year or so.

Aug 23

Google SEO Hogwash

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You must have seen the ads where you can get a number one ranking on Google guaranteed. I’ve already said this and I’m saying it again. If you believe this claim to be true get this in writing. Yes…. a signed statement with all costs involved and include the keywords that will be used to get that number one position. Also a date that this is to be achieved by.

 

Is it possible for a new website, with a new domain name to hit the number one slot in Google’s SERP’s after a couple weeks or even months? or for that matter any other large search engine like Baidu (leading Chinese search engine) or Yahoo etc etc.

 

See what you make of this example. So you want your new florist/business website to feature number one in Google for your keyword “florist (your city/location)” or perhaps “(your city/location)” florist……. of course you do and so does the other new florist down the road.

 

Everyone hates a queue jumper but on the Internet many feel it is their right to have their new website and domain ahead of the rest of the hard working individuals/webmasters that have spent a lot of time, money, meticulous tweaking and experimenting to get them to where they are.

 

Why should you jump the queue? You are just starting out. Building your business is supposed to take time and you are the new kid on the Internet block….. grow up first, gain some respect, not game some respect like most seem to want to.

 

When you do a Google or Baidu search do you really want to visit a website that is of little value to what you are searching for… no I thought not.

 

Yes your SEO experts (mostly self proclaimed) will take your money and give your website a top ranking in Google for the search term “tsirolf (your city/location)” if you didn’t pick up on that that is florist spelled back to front… not much competition here. Yes it’s Google SEO hogwash.

 

Sorry…. what’s the point in being number one in the SERP’s for search term that has little or no relevance to the main keyword florist. I don’t think you need much of a brain or in fact SEO knowledge to be able to get a top ranking for an obscure word.

 

Let’s call a spade a spade. There is a lot of SEO misinformation on the web today. Material that is less than up-to-date is plentiful and there is also a vast amount of out of date PLR (private label rights) articles that litter the Internet. Why do they do this, some may be asking .. to create back links for their websites. Do they care that the information is not current. No they just want backlinks. I’m not saying here that article marketing is not a great strategy but some of these people do not care that the information is completely out dated.

 

So am I an SEO expert?….you bet your boots I am and I’m not going to promise you what can not be delivered. Do I want a number one position in search engines for my website and yours?…. you bet. We are living in the real world here and you and I both have some work to do if we are going to get that number #1 slot….. but it is not going to happen overnight.

Aug 18

Socialthing! – AOL’s Latest Acquisition

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Despite cutbacks and layoffs, AOL has gone ahead with the acquisition of Socialthing, the new social aggregation site. On August 14, Socialthing’s CEO and cofounder Matt Galligan confirmed on the official blog that they are being acquired by AOL. Socialthing makes it easy for you to see what your friends are up to in their digital lives. Socialthing puts together news from every social networking site you use in one place.

 

Socialthing is often compared to FriendFeed, which is perhaps its biggest competitor. In FriendFeed, you create your account and add all of your independent feeds from various services, such as Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter. FriendFeed then aggregates your friends’ feeds into a concise stream. Socialthing works on similar lines but currently supports fewer services than FriendFeed. However, as Socialthing is still in private beta, expectations are that new services will start becoming available quickly.

 

Socialthing is easier to use than FriendFeed. While FriendFeed requires you to create and maintain your own list of friends, Socialthing automatically detects your friends on the social services to which you belong. What’s more it keeps updating your friend list based on any new friends you acquire on other social sites. This makes it much easier for you to get an overview of what your friends are doing on the Internet.

 

Only time will tell who will benefit more from the acquisition – Socialthing or AOL. To Socialthing, the AOL acquisition means freedom from worries about finances and adequate infrastructure. The acquisition also gives Socialthing an opportunity to integrate other AOL products. For AOL, the acquisition can lead to a change in its dull and stuffy image.

 

Meanwhile, if you want to see everything that’s going on with your friends in all the sites you use, request an invite by signing up for Socialthing’s mailing list!

Aug 13

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