Adsense-is-for-Everyone

Adsense is for Everyone

When Google's AdSense appeared, there were a lot of people who doubted Google's idea would be marketable and actually generate any profits. Yet as we stand here today it's probably the most well known pay per click venture in the world.

Yes, all those nay sayers ended up eating their own words in the end. And that is because the folks at Google never go and do something without assessing whether or not it will be profitable, or exactly how profitable it is.

But of course, as you might very well know, AdSense isn't just profitable for Google. It's also profitable for the people who advertise via AdWords and very profitable for publishers who use it to make earnings which are sometimes just enormous.

So one must ask himself why this is such a good deal for everybody. And the question in itself is very justified because you hardly ever come across something that's profitable for everyone in the chain. So why would AdSense be any different.

Well, AdSense is where it stands today, giving benefits for everybody in the game because it exploits a gap in the Internet's advertising model.

You see, the Internet is a very interactive environment, and its interactions come from the people who are browsing. They choose whether or not to follow a certain link and the term "navigating" is probably the most precise one at describing this situation.

So AdSense is great because it links together buyers and sellers. Yes, you have to hand it out to Google for a brilliant idea. They know there are people out there that want to buy stuff and people who want to sell them what they're interested in. And Google AdSense helps members of the two categories find each other.

It works for the visitors, because the model is very transparent. You don't see a huge graphic banner which tries to lure you into buying something. You just see a few words. And if you like what you see you can just click it. It works because visitors don't have that feeling of someone trying to lure them into spending money. Ironically, however, they're wrong.

It works for the AdWords advertisers because their ads go everywhere. Not only will they find themselves listed in Google's search which gets gazillions of hits per day, up front without working as much for SEO and waiting so much.

Their ads can reach any website that deals with anything similar to what they're trying to sell. Now you must realize they could never pull of such great advertising by themselves. And that brings us to the thing that makes Google's AdSense a publisher's best friend.

It comes from the fact that the ads are contextual, that they somehow related to the keywords you deal with on your page. Because people or on your site, which deals with a certain topic, you already know they're interested in that topic.

But, hey, wait a minute, Google knows some companies which want to sell your visitors something related to their topic. Google wants your visitors, you want Google's advertisers and the visitors just want to buy stuff. And that is the essence of what makes AdSense a great deal for everybody.

This is by far the most profitable hook-up deal you're ever going to see anywhere on the Internet.

So you have to appreciate Google for realizing a killer deal. You have to appreciate how well thought out, yet simple this scheme really is. Sure, in practice it has a few quirks but those are minor and, up to this point everyone seems to be enjoying Google's AdSense.

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Confessions and Tips from a Top Web Hosting Salesman

Have you ever gone car shopping with a former car salesperson? Their industry and sales knowledge is powerful information vital to the average buyer. Gaining their street smarts and savvy gives the buyer an edge. This "edge" can be the difference between getting good value and being taken advantage of.

As a former top web hosting salesman, I have decided to come forward and shed some light on the industry. The rapidly growing world of web hosting, domain names, and basic web design is still a mystery to many interested people. My intent is to help you understand basic "do's and don'ts" in order to help you make a better more-informed decision.

When I got into this business several years ago a close friend if mine had paid $35 for a domain name and had monthly expenses of $20 for simple hosting. By quickly checking the domain name I discovered it was in the hosting company's name and not the actual owner of the website! I also quickly realized that this $275 annual expense was available at less than $100.

Not controlling your domain name can become a huge problem to website owners even though it is the smallest annual expense. You can be "held hostage" by hosting companies who control your domain name. This is how they keep you paying more than you should monthly, because you cannot leave! Make sure you are dealing with a reputable reseller or actual Registrar when you buy your domain name. Also consider buying the name for 5 or 10 years for $40-$80. If your email address changes or the credit card expiration changes, you can accidentally lose the name and have fines of $200 to get it back. Be wary of free domains and free web hosting, as you still get what you pay for. For more info on the subject refer to DomainInformer.

Not having the username and passwords to access the web hosting accounts is another huge mistake many buyers make. If your web designer turns up missing, and you cannot gain access to the files you bought and paid for, then you cannot leave that web host. This is the most common problem I encountered in my selling names, sites, and design! By the time you realize you are over-paying, you are frustrated because you are powerless. Do not trust anyone to keep this information for you. The relationship may change and you will be glad you are independent, informed, and in control of the situation.

Finally you also need to keep a copy of the files on your hard drive and/or backed up on a CD. This way if the web host loses the files or your designer is MIA you have a backup plan. Be sure the domain name is registered with you as the administrative contact, and that you have all username/password combinations for names and hosting accounts.

When you are a prospect everyone acts professionally, but what about after you are a customer? To be really comfortable with your web host make sure they give a 30-day money back guarantee. Load the files and see what kind of performance and customer service you get for a few weeks. If they promised 24/7 customer care on the 3rd ring and you are getting voice mail or being on hold for 15 minutes... you will be free to leave!

Web hosting is simply space in a computer where your html documents and jpeg. images are stored. Good web design allows for easy navigation through the written words and the pictures you want the world to view. What you need to be concerned with is the speed with which your website loads and the amount of uptime your host claims to give. When traffic is a heavy a slow loading website will frustrate interested viewers, and cause them to leave. In addition the host needs a backup plan for power and Internet connectivity. Many top hosts claim 99+% uptime year round. Get details about top hosts at HostReview.com.

Things to consider when buying web space are as follows: Will you utilize a database for a dynamic searchable site? Are you going to have a store, selling products online in a shopping cart? Are you going to have Unix or Windows based hosting? Do you need a secure site (static IP) needed to enter sensitive information like social security or credit card numbers safely? How much space do you need for large audio and video files, versus pictures and text only? And what is the difference between shared and dedicated hosting?

To answer all the above simply I will paint some broad stokes below. More knowledge about technical info can be found at WebKnowHow.net People are unclear on the differences between shared and dedicated hosting. Most everyone starts with shared hosting as it is more affordable and works fine. In a shared hosting environment, the computer space is sliced up and "shared" among many small sites. Shared hosting ranges from a few dollars a month for a simple site to as much as $30-50/mo if you are selling online. Dedicated hosting usually begins at $59 and can easily reach $200/mo. and more.

If your site ever gets really popular and/or you have many transactions happening you to will move to a dedicated server. Dedicated meaning that all of that computer's resources are allocated to you alone. If you do not know how to configure the server then you will need technical assistance in the form of an IT employee.

This technical expert will monitor the data center operations; of your hosting company to make sure data is backed up and protected by firewalls. Firewalls protect your computer from being "hacked" into unauthorized people. Another option you may consider is an emerging trend known as "managed dedicated servers". The host helps to manage the servers daily operation, in order to help the novice operator.

Both shared and dedicated hosting requires a decision between Unix and Windows. This has been compared with people's preference to Ford or Chevrolet. Some people grow up and get used to one and prefer it for some reason. Others know both and utilize what will be best in each situation.

From the viewer's perspective, both Unix and Windows look the same. If you are going to use ASP (Active Server Pages) you will need Windows. Unix utilizes PHP instead of ASP, and is generally more stable and affordable. This is because the license fees paid to Microsoft increase the hosting company's overhead and they pass that on to the consumer.

Many PC users have Front Page design software from Microsoft included as a gift in their original purchase. Unix hosting now includes front-page support for well under $10/mo. So you can utilize design software you already have, and host for under $100 per year.

Dreamweaver is the other popular design software program you should investigate if you are thinking about doing website design. Be wary of friends or relatives who will do the design for free. If they are gainfully employed, the tasks that they are paid for will take priority, which places unnecessary strains on the relationship. More info on web design and search engine optimization can be found at PromotionWorld.com /.

We also need to understand the relationship between the static IP address, using a database, and using eCommerce features to sell products online. IP addresses help identify where the actual end user is located physically. This is important if we need to locate to the original sender of a message or a live user creating havoc on the Internet.

Many of us have bought an airline ticket online by now. You may have noticed the screen that alerts you to the fact your connection is secure. This secure certificate assures a computer user that it is safe to enter credit card info and buy without fear of someone intercepting your sensitive data.

The static IP allows authorities and credit card processors to track storeowners and their computers to insure 100% honesty. Most shared web hosting sites share IP addresses as well. This is fine for a simple informational website with just pictures and text.

Dynamic sites are capable of storing your name and user profiles at an initial visit. This allows the site to "recognize" you on a subsequent visit and quickly load the profile for instant access. Dynamic sites also search for products or names in the company's stored database. Searching for different items quickly and the site saving all your personal information, is a direct benefit of a database.

Most initial sites will not use static IPs or databases unless you are going to be selling online. These stores are referred to as eCommerce web hosting and are the most expensive of all. Monthly charges can easily exceed $50/mo when you consider all expenses of the static IP, payment gateway, merchant account, and shopping cart.

Buyers add items to their "shopping cart"; it totals shipping and taxes and charges your card. Merchant account banks process your buyer's online purchase, charging 2-3% fee total to send money to your bank. You are then free to ship the product they bought.

My personal website has lots of pictures and text, yet is barely over 50 MB in size. 1 GB (1000MB) of storage, now is available for $10/mo, and has 20 times the storage I need. Large video files such as streaming video and audio are the largest users of space. 200MB and 10 email addresses are going to be as much as many small sites will ever need. Often of you prepay the year you can get a free month or the setup fees waived. Also find a host who pays you to refer friends, and you can get free months that way.

I hope this information helps you better understand the power of the Internet. We are all connected through this World Wide Web, and it is your right to benefit in every way possible. Come on, jump in, the water's fine...

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Is Google in Trouble Facing Bankruptcy

[NEW YORK - Wednesday] - by Devon Melk. Rumors are now running amok that the 2nd most powerful website on the entire Worldwide-Web may file BANKRUPTCY, with the deadline set for this December; being the date of both discharge and dissolution in a Federal Court of Law.

This would come as a SHOCK to investors and "Googlers" alike who both profit and benefit from the use of the World's largest and most powerful search engine which receives far in excess of 100 MILLION unique daily visitors and well over 300 million individual searches daily - making it perhaps the single most valuable public data resource as an "information bank" online the world over.

But is the rumor true or false?

The origin of the rumor occurred when some savvy Internet marketers began making statements that they had heard "insiders' talk" that the company (now publicly traded since April 30, 2004, just over 3 years ago) may face financial disaster with the release of a "new system" that would allow advertisers to get their otherwise pay-per-click (PPC) advertising completely free.

This, of course, would naturally lead directly (like a domino- effect) to the collapse of Google's sibling program AdSense; as its only revenue comes from the direct sales of AdWords "clicks."

The "new system" in question and responsible for the controversy over getting AdWords pay-per-clicks free is that developed by Dr Jon Cohen of New York City, New York (now retired) who discovered a simple, yet effective means, for getting Google PPC ads without having to suffer the costs involved.

The retired New York doctor and native has a publicly disclosed net worth now in excess of $70 million [US], having generated well over $377 million in product sales from sixteen (16) separate online businesses within just nine

(9) years since first venturing online in 1998 (about the same time as Google was founded).

It is estimated by company insiders and leading financial analysts that the

"good doctor" (as he's called by "all who know him") has purportedly saved well over $93 million (some estimates suggest closer to $136 million) in otherwise paid advertising at Google and the other major players in the PPC targeted-search arena online - including Yahoo, MSN, AskJeeves, AllTheWeb.com, HotBot, AltaVista, Lycos and Netscape, just to name a few.

The "secret" became available to the general masses last April, and its very release caused such a major sweeping stir among the community of Internet-marketers, affiliate-marketers, webmasters, ecommerce company owners and surfers alike that the site quickly rose to break the top most visited 1,000 websites on the entire planet briefly; and as can be seen here:

/39lnjn (Alexa data on this!)

When asked if the "secret" would somehow ruin Google, Dr Cohen revealed almost cryptically that it actually would bring about just the opposite effect, and "stimulate" even more business volume for the virtual giant.

Many people were dismayed to find that Google itself is deliberately allowing the purchase of 100,000's of PPC ads offering the secret system to the general public -- which indicates to most observers that either they [Google] haven't caught it, or they simply feel that it somehow is not a threat to their continued operation.

For anyone's inspection factual and hard evidence supporting this can be seen by simply looking to the right-hand column when doing a search for

"get google ads free" (specifically in quotation marks) at Google.com under the "Sponsored Links" section.

Or take this direct and instant SHORTCUT:

/2ctu6j

You can also see nearly 100,000 specific results in the "organic" fields index located in the center and which occupies the bulk of the results pages.

One would think that if Google felt threatened by such a release as this earth-shaking "secret" is, they would hardly allow for either paid-ads or organic content to make the top searches regarding it.

However, evidence supports to the contrary - and this being the case now for a full six (6) months.

Mysteriously, within just two (2) hours of its initial release last April, Google itself actually did in fact 'pause' the parent firm's attempts at advertising the new system using PPCs on their search engine - only, however, to release the hold after a Review Team consisting of some of Google's top executives completed performing an in-depth investigation and made the determination to ALLOW the ads to run.

The secret system was recently revised however to include "major new content" and "more exhaustive instructions," and is now available at its Home Site:

/freegoogle

The most important addition is that of a so-called "string of code"

(tech-talk for some HTML) that can be added to any webpage(s) that instantly causes the elimination of the page owner's AdWords costs right away.

Even a "live" woman spokes-representative ("Rachel") has been added to the site, and who appears to literally walk out onto the webpage and talk to visitors and explain a bit more how the mysterious new breakthrough system works.

Since the addition of this new "live" spokes-woman has now appeared at the site, company Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Mr Todd Coutrin states that "sales for the system have skyrocketed above 2,430% suddenly and with no limit in sight."

Coutrin continues: "With the newest revision now in place, plus all the additions added, affiliates for the new system can expect to earn even more than ever before!" (Note: Affiliates make up the bulk of the firm's sales generation.)

The refund rate for the new revised version of the secret (named V5.1) has dropped to less than half of what it was before the newer version's release; meaning it's now even more readily-received and put to use than ever before

(perhaps in large part to the newer simplicity of application) - now making it the safest and one of the best resellers for the networks of affiliate marketers who earn their revenues from the reselling of other electronic publishers' stock and digital product lines.

When asked, Google company representatives stated matter-of-factly that the rumors of bankruptcy for the ecommerce giant are simply not true, and that the rumor millings are in fact simply the result of "panics" brought on by the usual hysteria associated with anything large, new or revolutionary - or in this case, all three.

Attempts to contact both Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the former Stanford University students who founded Google in 1998, to request comment were unsuccessful.

Again, Google itself seems to be the biggest supporter of the "new system" as it's allowing more and more advertisers to promote the new system on its search engine before over 100 million daily searches and surfers.

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T Shirt Designers Say Black Icons Are Cool

Whats hip in t-shirt design, you ask? T-shirt designers say nothings cooler than Black Icons. Yes, they mean African American Pop Iconsvisionaries, entertainers, athletes, and activists. And why are t-shirts with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Richard Pryor, George Clinton, and Martin Luther King Junior all the rage? Because these brothers are cool.real cool. Is it the color of their skin? Is it their fame? Is it their struggle? Is it what theyve accomplished? Its all of that, but most of all its because theyre all leaders in their own right. And people, regardless of race, respect and admire people who take charge. And if youre a brother in charge, well then more power to ya.

Some fashion critics say its also the Hip Hop movement thats bringing famous brothers and sisters to the fashion forefront. Recent polls show that Hip Hop gear is the most popular attire for American kids in their early teens to mid-twenties. Thanks to Hip Hop pioneers like Russell Simmons, chairman & CEO of Rush Communications, which founded Def Jam Recordings and Phat Farm Clothing and Sean P-Diddy Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Entertainment and Sean John Clothing, the Hip Hop lifestyle has gone mainstream. Kids and young adults from all over the world are embracing the music, clothing, and swaggerous way of living that is Hip Hop.

So whos wearing black icon tees? Everyonefrom the girl next door to the biggest names in entertainment and sportsRappers, Singers, Actors, Athletes, street kids, and even silver spooners are repping their favorite black icon.

P. Diddy has been sporting t-shirts embellished with images of his friend and rap prodigy the late Notorious BIG, since shortly after his death. Diddy has also been known to wear other late greats such as Marvin Gaye and Jam Master Jay. Rappers The Game and Snoop Dogg have been photographed wearing their West Coast mentor and friend Tupac Shakur. Producer, songwriter Wyclef Jean has been spotted wearing Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King Junior, and Dr. Malcolm X Shabazz.

Kids all over America are wearing black iconsblack inner city youth and white suburbanites alike. The fad which started in the streets probably made it to the burbs by way of television through music videos and other forms of entertainment.

In a predominantly white middle school in New Jersey one student has came up with an interesting class project for black history month. He has proposed that on the first Friday in February everyone in his history class wear a t-shirt embellished with a black icon. They will get partial credit for participating in the project, but will be graded on how well they deliver a biographical speech about the icon they are wearing.

Whos popular? O.K., so now youre wondering if it is cool to wear any old black icon on your chest. Well, the answer is yes, but in case you dont want to chance it, here is a list of some of the more popular black icon tees.

Music: Bob Marley, Ray Charles, Aaliyah, Jimi Hendrix, Rick James, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Miles Davis, Tupac. Sports: Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, Don King, Dr. J., 1968 Olympic Protest, Jim Brown. Activists: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks. T.V. & Movie Personalities: Richard Pryor, Red Foxx as Fred Sanford, Jimmy Walker as JJ, Fred Berry as Rerun, Fat Albert.

How much do the cost and where are they sold? These shirts usually cost between $12 on the very low end to $30 on the high end. But the average price for a quality tee shirt is about 20 bucks. Youll find these shirts just about anywhere you look. Huge department stores like Target and Wal*Mart carry them, but the cooler, more original shirts can be found in the small boutique type apparel stores in most major cities or on the Internet.

Copyright 2006 Anthony Palladino

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Adsense-is-for-Everyone

Adsense is for Everyone

When Google's AdSense appeared, there were a lot of people who doubted Google's idea would be marketable and actually generate any profits. Yet as we stand here today it's probably the most well known pay per click venture in the world.

Yes, all those nay sayers ended up eating their own words in the end. And that is because the folks at Google never go and do something without assessing whether or not it will be profitable, or exactly how profitable it is.

But of course, as you might very well know, AdSense isn't just profitable for Google. It's also profitable for the people who advertise via AdWords and very profitable for publishers who use it to make earnings which are sometimes just enormous.

So one must ask himself why this is such a good deal for everybody. And the question in itself is very justified because you hardly ever come across something that's profitable for everyone in the chain. So why would AdSense be any different.

Well, AdSense is where it stands today, giving benefits for everybody in the game because it exploits a gap in the Internet's advertising model.

You see, the Internet is a very interactive environment, and its interactions come from the people who are browsing. They choose whether or not to follow a certain link and the term "navigating" is probably the most precise one at describing this situation.

So AdSense is great because it links together buyers and sellers. Yes, you have to hand it out to Google for a brilliant idea. They know there are people out there that want to buy stuff and people who want to sell them what they're interested in. And Google AdSense helps members of the two categories find each other.

It works for the visitors, because the model is very transparent. You don't see a huge graphic banner which tries to lure you into buying something. You just see a few words. And if you like what you see you can just click it. It works because visitors don't have that feeling of someone trying to lure them into spending money. Ironically, however, they're wrong.

It works for the AdWords advertisers because their ads go everywhere. Not only will they find themselves listed in Google's search which gets gazillions of hits per day, up front without working as much for SEO and waiting so much.

Their ads can reach any website that deals with anything similar to what they're trying to sell. Now you must realize they could never pull of such great advertising by themselves. And that brings us to the thing that makes Google's AdSense a publisher's best friend.

It comes from the fact that the ads are contextual, that they somehow related to the keywords you deal with on your page. Because people or on your site, which deals with a certain topic, you already know they're interested in that topic.

But, hey, wait a minute, Google knows some companies which want to sell your visitors something related to their topic. Google wants your visitors, you want Google's advertisers and the visitors just want to buy stuff. And that is the essence of what makes AdSense a great deal for everybody.

This is by far the most profitable hook-up deal you're ever going to see anywhere on the Internet.

So you have to appreciate Google for realizing a killer deal. You have to appreciate how well thought out, yet simple this scheme really is. Sure, in practice it has a few quirks but those are minor and, up to this point everyone seems to be enjoying Google's AdSense.

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Adsense-Alternatives-1

Adsense Alternatives

Many people have started using Google's AdSense program, but there are some who find it a bit too uncertain or simply not suiting their own requirements from an ad program.

But thankfully for such people, there are many alternatives to AdSense which attempt to alleviate some of its shortcomings. Here is a list of the most noteworthy ones from the lot with a description concerning each one.

AllFeeds (/?action=publishers)

AllFeeds has a great pool of online advertisers to choose from. It also features many display formats that you can choose from. These include banners, buttons, XML feeds, DHTML pop-ups and so on. It also features real time reporting of your ad status. The site will mail a check every month, provided that you earn more then $25.00, while rolling over earnings for the next month if you don't. Another interesting thing about AllFeeds is that it integrates with Google AdSense, maximizing your earnings with AdSense.

MarketBanker (/mb/sell.php)

MarketBanker allows you the unique possiblity to set the pricing for your site. It also allows you to allow or reject any link that appears on your site (although AdSense itself does a very good job of this as well, with URL filters) There's also a statistics section which will allow you to see how well your site is doing. The ads are small just like AdSense's and they're just as easy to set up. Also, registration for MarketBanker is free.

BidClix ( /PubTop.html)

BidClix is different because it has advertisers compete for clicks on your site, which in turn is meant to generate the highest possible profits for your page. It also has a very large pool of advertisers which ensure there are plenty of people to choose your site. However, it does require more polish on site contents then AdSense. As most sites, real time statistics are available and its very easy to get started with this service, but it's also very flexible.

Chitika (/index.php?option=RealContext:+Contextual+Targeting+Engine)

RealContext uses Artificial intelligence to retrieve the most relevant ads for your page. And there's an extra feature which makes RealContext unique as well. Keywords are selected based upon which previous selections payed off and which didn't. That means there's a constant feedback process that ensures you gain better revenue from your ads. It also supports blocking certain adds and child-safe filtering and many more options.

AdHearus (/webmaster.php)

AdHearus is a very feature-packed contextual ad provider. As with AdSense, advertisements are targeted but it doesn't stop here at all. The ads are very flexible, you can select from text-ads, banners, rectangles, pop-ups, pop-unders or skyscrapers. You can also display your own ads, through rotation, both on your site and on other affiliate sites, which makes AdHearus a hybrid with conventional advertising technologies. There's a very comprehensive on-line real time reporting feature and, as usual with such services, starting out is free and it's a breeze.

AffiliateSensor (/)

AffiliateSensor has highly customizable ad blocks, which you can make for yourself with an easy to use on-line interface. You also get realtime reporting with clicks-by-domain, page and refferer. There's integration with Google AdSense as well, through the google_alternate_ad_url so AffiliateSensor can be used as a substitute for Google PSA's (Public Service Ads).

Kanoodle Bright Ads (/about/brightads.cool)

Kanoodle's offering allows publishers to get ads related to topics or segments, and not the traditional keyword oriented ads. The site also groups publisher sites with advertisers by hand to ensure high-revenue generating ads. And speaking of revenue, the amount of money you receive is a clear 50% share of the amount of money Kanoodle recieves for an advertiser.

TargetPoint ()

TargetPoint is oriented more towards content publishers. It offers full control over the look the ads, statistics over your site's overall performance and better revenue. It's free to register and you earn a guaranteed 60% of the total revenue. You can get payed with Paypal of Bank checks and (most times) wire transfers as well.

Clicksor ()

Clicksor will earn you as much as 60% from the amount of money your website produces. What you get is about the same as AdSense, there are targeted text ads, you can view the revenues from your website in real time. You can receive money via PayPal or through a check every two weeks, provided that you have earned more then $50. If you haven't made that much, your earning roll over to the next period

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Searching Past To Present

Im 30 years old and have been online ever sense the old commodore 64. When I first started surfing the net on my brand new Compaq, I used yahoo to get me where I was going. Then, I found Google. Google has been there for me ever since. I loved the way its clean interface would load up minutes quicker then yahoo on my 56k dial up line. I loved the way it seemed to pick out the sites I was looking for. Google would reign supreme for some years (at least to me).

In recent months with the search engine wars swinging into full effect we have seen many changes in all of them. MSN and yahoo wanting to become more like Google while Google tries to become more like them. Google has released many new products, some good others not so good. They wowed us with Google map. They gave us another option with G-mail. They tried to make buying retail easier, with Google local search. This would have been a great way to start things except they didnt stop there. Now, G-mail has been hacked (they have since fixed the security of the mail system). Google analytics was the big talk of the town being able to show web site stats in real time. Real time? When it first came out Google analytics did not update real time instead it took 72 hours. Even now Google analytics only updates once a day and is no longer accepting new accounts. Another amazing product released to early? There were a couple other bombs release by Google as well.

The only real product that was working correctly and had the most value to me was Google the search engine. Guess what? Jagger. We watched part one wipe thousands of web sites out. We watched part 2 and 3 in fear. We waited for the fluctuations to stop then we were told we would see minor flux for some time. No longer does Google pull up the type of sites Im used to using. Content has always been king with links coming in second place. Now you can do a search and the site in #1 can have little or no content, no back links and a mess of images with no alt tags. How is this type of site relevant? Content is king right? It may be for the other search engines but with the results you get from Google this cant be true with them anymore. There has been a lot of talk that they will fix it but that they will wait till after the holidays so they can take the pay per click money that site owners volunteer. Whatever the case may be, Google looks to be spreading itself to thin and in the middle of this expansion doing an update that seemed to pull the relevant searches out of the SERPS.

Google reigned undefeated for a long time. Even Kings have to pass the Crown down the line eventually. The big question will be, if Google doesnt straighten their act up, who will end up wearing the Crown of the search engine wars? Yahoo? MSN?? Wikipedia??? Only time will tell on this one.

Here at Blackwood Productions we handle search engine optimization, Copywriting, web design, article writing /submissions and more. The holidays are coming and the time to be seen on the major search engines is now, so you can get that Christmas rush. If you own a site and it is not being seen and you dont know enough about search engine optimization we are ready to serve you.

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Jagger Google Analytics and the Future of Search SEO

Two big things have just happened in Google-land: Jagger and Google Analytics. Together, these two events may have changed the face of search forever.

Jagger

First, let's discuss Jagger... Just like hurricanes, Google updates have names. (A Google update is a change to the way Google determines its rankings. Google makes these changes periodically, and they're universally feared because they can impact dramatically on a website's ranking.) The latest update is called Jagger, and it has search engine optimizers (SEOs) all around the world in a state of panic.

Why was Jagger such a fearful update? Simple... With Jagger, Google once again outsmarted huge numbers of SEOs. You see, many/most SEOs spend their time (and their clients' money) trying to trick Google into thinking that their websites are more relevant and important than they really are. They do this mostly by swapping links, buying cheap links, and placing links on free directories. While there's nothing wrong with these sorts of links (i.e. they're not considered 'black-hat'), they don't really show that the site is relevant or important. All they really show is that the site owner has made a deal with another site owner. In these deals, the incentive for the linking site owner is a reciprocal link, money, or increased link volume. Google much prefers it when the linking site adds the link simply to enhance the value of their content or to increase their own credibility and authority.

In other words, Google wants its search results to contain relevant, important sites, not sites that merely appear to be relevant and important. To this end, Google invests millions of dollars and employs the world's smartest mathematicians to create algorithms which identify sites that are trying to trick them. And that's exactly what Jagger did; and when it found those sites, it simply adjusted their ranking to more accurately reflect their true importance. (Unfortunately, it also demoted some sites which actually deserve a high ranking. It is hoped that these mistakes will be ironed out with future minor updates, but that's a topic for another article...)

From a technical standpoint, Jagger was well described by Ken Webster in his article, 'Google's Jagger Update - Dust Begins To Settle?' - /topnews/topnews/Jagger . To summarize, Jagger:

1) Increased importance placed on IBL (Inbound Links) Relevancy?

2) Increased importance placed on OBL (Outbound Links) Relevancy?

3) Promotion of relevant Niche Directories (related to #1 & #2)?

4) More weight thrown back to PR @ top domain?

5) Increased importance on AdSense placement relevancy?

6) Possible introduction of CSS Spam filtering?

7) Overall Blog demotions?

8) New and unresolved "canonical" issues?

Some more interesting effects were reported by WG Moore (/archives/2005/nov/9.html) who runs a number of test sites for SEO purposes. By monitoring the links to his test sites as reported by Google, he established that:

"all reciprocal links had vanished. We think that this is because Google is down-grading or eliminating reciprocal links as a measure of popularity. This does make sense, actually. Reciprocal links are a method of falsifying popularity. Sort of a cheap method of buying a link, if you want to think of it that way... During the second week of the Jagger Update, a few of our reciprocal links did come back up. However, we also noticed that these were from places where we had highly relevant content. They came from articles where we discussed our area of expertise: Web Analytics, or from forums where we had relevant threads. So we feel that these links came back because of content, not linking.

The other group that came back up was one-way inbound text links, regardless of the originating web site. These links also had strong relevance to our web analytics business. In other words, they contained keywords and/or phrases related to our site and its business."

In short, Jagger undid the hard work of thousands - if not millions - of people! As a result, hard-won high rankings and revenues plummeted.

Interestingly, article PR (article submission) came through Jagger seemingly unscathed. My SEO copywriting website , for example, went from no.4 to no.1 worldwide for "copywriter", and I've employed article PR almost exclusively. Whether it was promoted or the sites around it were demoted, one thing is clear: article PR is one of the best ways to obtain a high ranking.

Google Analytics

The second monumental event to occur recently was Google Analytics - /analytics/index.html . Google Analytics is a free web-stats solution which not only reports all the regular site stats, but also integrates directly with Google AdWords giving webmasters and insight into the ROI of their pay-per-click ads. According to Google, " Google Analytics tells you everything you want to know about how your visitors found you and how they interact with your site."

Why is this such a landmark move? Because for the first time ever, Google will have access to your real web stats. And these stats will be far more accurate than those provided by Alexa - Furthermore, Google's privacy statement says: " We may also use personal information for auditing, research and analysis to operate and improve Google technologies and services." - /intl/en/privacy.html . Now let's put two and two together:

1) Google is 'giving' every webmaster in the world free access to quality web-stats.

2) Millions of webmasters will accept this 'gift', if only because it integrates directly with their Google AdWords campaigns.

3) Google will then have full access to the actual web stats of millions of commercial websites.

4) Google will have the right to use these stats to develop new technologies.

5) What's the next logical step? Google will use these statistics to help determine its rankings, of course!

It should come as no surprise. It's been on the cards - and frequently discussed - for a long time. For example, Jayde Online CEO, Mel Strocen, recently published an article on this very topic, ' The Future of WebSite Ranking' - /articles/Search-Engines/The-Future-of-WebSite-Ranking.html . She quite rightly asserts that:

"Google's "democratic" vision of the Web will never be achieved by manipulating algorithm criteria based on content. It will only be achieved by factoring in what is important to people, and people will always remain the best judge of what that is. The true challenge for search engines in the future is how to incorporate web searcher input and preferences into their ranking algorithms."

In fact, the Jayde Online network already owns and operates a search engine, ExactSeek () which incorporates user popularity statistics in its rankings.

The Future of Search & SEO

To date, ExactSeek is the only search engine which uses visitor stats as criteria for its rankings. But Google isn't far behind. We all know that Google specializes in taking a good idea and implementing and adapting it brilliantly. This is exactly what we'll see in this case. By combining link popularity and user popularity statistics, Google will be the only major search engine to consider both what other sites think of your website and what your visitors think of your website. And because they have the most advanced algorithms for assessing link popularity, and will soon have access to the farthest reaching, most accurate web stats to assess user popularity, its competitors will be a long time catching up.

So if that's the future of search, what's the future of SEO? The future of SEO is undoubtedly one where:

one-way text links from relevant pages continue to be the most valuable links

reciprocal linking continue to decline

the 'shotgun' approach to link buying declines

mass email link requests decline

free directory submission declines

niche directory submission increases

article PR (article submission) increases

article submission sites (e.g. EzineArticles, GoArticles, and ArticleBlast) play a much bigger and more important role in helping online publishers locate quality articles (due to the increasing article volume)

user popularity is just as important as link popularity, which means:

o the quality of article PR improves in order to increase site traffic, credibility, and loyalty

o the quality of website content improves in order to convert traffic and encourage repeat visits

Clearly, the choices for SEOs will be pretty much limited to paying for links at niche sites and/or engaging in article PR. Being an SEO copywriter, I may be a little biased, but for mine, article PR is the hands-down winner in this comparison:

It satisfies Google's criteria for relevance and importance. Linking site owners include your article and link because, in doing so, their site becomes more useful to visitors, and their business gains credibility and authority.

It generates hundreds of free links quickly enough to make it worth your while, but not so quickly as to raise red flags at Google (in the form of link dampening).

Links are permanent and you don't have to pay to keep them there.

You get a lot of qualified referred traffic who already trust you and your expertise. This satisfies Google's visitor popularity criteria, while at the same time bringing you a lot of extra customers.

(For more information on article PR, read ' How to Top Google with Article PR' - /SEO_Article_Submission.shtml .)

Conclusion

The lesson from Jagger is, don't try and trick Google! They've got more money and more brains than virtually any company in the world. It'll only end in tears! Don't spend time and money trying to make your site look important and relevant. Instead, spend that time and money actually making it important and relevant! Content - the real content behind the optimization - is the answer. After all, whether it's an article or a web page, it's the content that keeps 'eyes on paper', and that's what it's all about.

Happy optimizing!

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Gbuy Much Ado About Nothing

Every month, it seems, a major company stares down the barrel of Google's brand recognition gun. The company of the month right now happens to be PayPal. The Wall Street Journal published an article on Ebay's Jeff Jordan's preparations for Gbuy, the so called PayPal killer (PayPal is owned by Ebay). Many news sources and blogs are anticipating Gbuy to quickly become a PayPal killer given Google's huge brand name recognition and reach with consumers.

But the whole PayPal killing talk is really much ado about nothing. I have no doubt whatsoever that Google will release Gbuy, but I do have significant doubts as to whether it will actually replace PayPal as many merchant's payment processor of choice. Given Google's recent releases, and given how PayPal has positioned itself in the marketplace, I would not be surprised of Gbuy proves itself to be a significant flop considering all the attention it has been given.

PayPal's Vulnerability

Jeff Jordan of Ebay has every right to be scared, however. Executives have a history of losing their dignity and control when they feel pressured by Google. Steve Ballmer is well known for his professional wrestling-like tirade in which he sent chairs flying and cursed the name of Google, and Yahoo is not much better having publicly given up its quest for search dominance, which in effect was Yahoo executives crying Uncle! with the hope that they could finally focus on something that they could actually excel in.

Professional wrestling rant's aside, Jeff Jordan does have reason to be worried. PayPal, unlike Yahoo and Microsoft, is much more vulnerable to a direct attack from Google. The history of PayPal is filled with trouble with CEO's, run-ins with the mafia, and pressure from an Attorney General. This article, however, is not the place for a lesson on the history of PayPal (a book was written for that), regardless of how fascinating it might be.

Article Tip

Did you know that PayPal is one of the few companies with a single letter domain name? Check it out: X.com

The problem with PayPal is that it has not solidified itself in any other market besides the payment option of eBay merchants. The result is that many website owners view PayPal as a 'cheap' option. Furthermore, even though PayPal does allow non-members to purchase items through their system, it is not as easy as many merchant's would like. Many of the problems of PayPal were actually discussed on the forums a while ago.

These problems open up a vulnerability for PayPal. If Google releases a product that improves on the downfalls of PayPal in much the same way that they were able to revolutionize online maps, then PayPal should be worried. Google does have a knack for making web applications that make existing applications look outdated and simplistic.

Why Gbuy Will Not Kill PayPal

Experts have been predicting the wild success of Google in many different industries for some time. When Froogle was released it was thought by many to be a major threat to Amazon.com. Although Gmail has been a success, there have been no reports of Yahoo Mail suffering significant attrition (in fact the buzz over the new Yahoo Mail interface shows just how much interest there is in Yahoo Mail). And although Google News is a highly useful service, it is hardly considered the default news service for most web users.

The fact is, the past few Google releases have been relative failures. Google admitted that they screwed up with their video service (the Apple iPod Video is much more successful and sets the bar much higher than Google is currently meeting). Google Reader was met with a collective 'ho-hum' from the webmaster community (as was Google Pack), and even though Google Sitemaps may be useful, it is still under used. Google Analytics still is not able to accommodate mass signups, and the buzz over analytics has also declined significantly since its release.

Really, if we were to look at Google's recent releases, the only relatively successful releases have been Google's Search (obviously), Adwords and Adsense (also obvious), Google Maps, and Gmail. The fact is, with the exception of Adwords and Adsense, Google has not been very successful in launching commercial products.

Google's Lack of Simplicity for 'Everyday' Users

The problem with most of Google's recent releases has been its lack of simplicity. Google's initial success in search was powered by the extreme simplicity they brought to the process. All the user saw was a search box and search results. What could be more simple? On top of that, search results were stunningly accurate compared to the other results available.

Although Adwords is confusing to many website owners, Adsense also carries the trait of being extraordinarily simple. Add in the benefit of being able to make a significant income from Adsense and it is no wonder that Google has a firm hold on the contextual ad market. For potential advertisers there is no greater reach than Google Adwords.

Yet most of Google's recent releases have either lacked the simplicity that made them the choice for every day users or offer no significant advantages over existing products. If PayPal is genuinely going to be threated by Gbuy, then Google is going to have to perfect the simplicity that PayPal has capitalized on.

Gbuy - Finding a Niche Among Website Owners

A few years back when K-Mart filed for bankruptcy, I remember listening to an analysis which looked at the reasons why K-Mart was having difficulty. The analyst explained how there were three major players in the mega-stores: Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target. Wal-Mart had successfully positioned itself as the price-leader out of the three mega-stores while Target, although still inexpensive, positioned itself as slightly more expensive, but higher quality. K-Mart, in this environment, lacked an identity to shoppers.

Gbuy could very well fall into the same problem. PayPal has done a great job in solidifying itself as the payment solution of choice for millions of Ebay merchants. In addition, thousands of other website owners have chosen to at least add PayPal as a payment option on their website due to its extreme simplicity for those who have PayPal accounts.

In a best case scenario Gbuy could really only hope to fit in as an alternate payment system to those who have already established how users are supposed to pay for their goods. In all reality, though, the market is crowded, and Ebay users will likely continue to use the integrated, easy to use PayPal over any new-commer - especially of Google fails to make a relatively simple product.

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Are Reciprocal Links Dead

Are Reciprocal Links Dead?

If the current indications are correct we may be looking at the end of reciprocal linking as a method of building rank and link popularity, at least as far as Google is concerned.

The latest Google Dance, nicknamed Jagger, has caused major concern by those suffering loss of position on the top ranks of the search engines listings. So we decided to take a close look at what is happening and see what we could learn.

We have a few small websites that have a limited number of links. These sites are used mostly for research and testing of our primary business in Web Analytics. By analyzing these sites, we were able to quickly get an idea of what is happening in Googles Jagger Update, which is still in progress at the time of this writing.

By using our web analytics tools, we were able to look at the history of visits by the bots and the links to these small sites. We had to go back as far as January in order to build a picture of Googles actions. Our software also allows us to look at all links from the SEs, not just those shown by using the browsers link: command. G only reports some of the links to your site, not all.

Here is what we have seen:

Like many other sites, we noticed a sharp drop in rank in our test sites around the first of July. They lost about 40% of their previous link popularity and moved down sharply in rank. Also, duplicate links on a single site disappeared. We now only showed one link from each linking site.

As Jagger started, unlike many others we have seen complain about Gs actions and timing, our sites stayed rather stable. Evidently they had already suffered their major losses. However, there was a small increase in the number of links. This caught our attention. We had expected that, like many others, we would experience further disruptions to our link structure.

But when we examined these links, we were surprised to see that not one of them had been listed with Google a few weeks earlier. Not one. Our research showed that these links had been live in Gs archive, but none had shown up publicly before now. It appeared that there was some sort of aging process taking place, but this may just be coincidental. It is more likely that older links disappeared because the host site was lost in the shuffle and our links no longer appeared relevant.

The other thing we noticed was that not one of these new links was listed on our reciprocal links pages. In other words, all reciprocal links had vanished. We think that this is because G is down-grading or eliminating reciprocal links as a measure of popularity. This does make sense, actually. Reciprocal links are a method of falsifying popularity. Sort of a cheap method of buying a link, if you want to think of it that way.

If your web sites have suffered from the latest dance, you may want to take a look at the type and source of your links. If they are mostly from link exchanges, you are probably looking at the reason for your move down the list on the search engines.

During the second week of the Jagger Update, a few of our reciprocal links did come back up. However, we also noticed that these were from places where we had highly relevant content. They came from articles where we discussed our area of expertise: Web Analytics, or from forums where we had relevant threads. So we feel that these links came back because of content, not linking.

The other group that came back up was one-way inbound text links, regardless of the originating web site. These links also had strong relevance to our web analytics business. In other words, they contained keywords and/or phrases related to our site and its business.

This research has us now re-evaluating our linking strategy. We urge others to do the same.

We are now concentrating only on building strong one-way inbound links. We are focusing on publicity, articles, directories, and other direct methods of building our image and consumer awareness.

In addition, we are also looking for associated but non competing firms like web developers, Search Engine Marketers, SEOs, web site owners and designers to partner with us to build direct business relationships and the resulting inbound links. This strategy may not be the fastest method of building links, but we feel it is rock solid and within the spirit of good business practices. The best thing is that it is search engine independent.

We will no longer worry about chasing (or beating) the search engines and their ever changing algorithms. That is a fools game we are sure to lose.

Instead, we will focus on building rock solid links and popularity with the group that counts: our customers. By focusing on beating our competition and providing a top quality product, plenty of educational information and relevant content, we are sure to move up and stay at the top of the search engine rankings.

Its something to think about.

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10 Tips To Keep Visitors On Your Site Longer And Increase Conversions

There are a number of ways to get visitors to your website but what can you do to keep them there? Below we are going to discuss 10 things you can implement to make your visitors stick around.

The number of visitors who land on a site and quickly move on is called the bounce rate. Most websites that have a high bounce rate are not currently using these techniques or have no clue as to what their market really wants and needs.

Here are 10 proven tips to keep visitors on your site longer.

1. Teach your visitors something. Visitors don't want loads of hype, they want to learn and increase their knowledge of your product or industry so they can make an informed decision.

Provide informational content about your product or services. Teach your visitors and this will help them create a good opinion about your site.

2. Keep the navigation simple. Navigation links should be large and clearly labeled. Have you ever been to a cultural restaurant but couldn't tell the men's restroom from the women's? While you may think themed titles are cute, your visitors may become confused and end up leaving your website. If in doubt, always go with the more common title.

3. Keep your content updated. Try to update times, dates, and news articles as much as possible. You don't want your website to sound like it was published in the stone age do you? If you're running an information based site than it is important to consistently add fresh and unique content.

4. Add a blog. Blogs can be added to your site with a few clicks if your web host includes the option within your hosting package. If not, you can always start a free blog at Blogger.com or Wordpress.com and link it back to your website.

Blogs are an easy way to add new content. It's a great way to add user-generated content and it's a amazing way to build a dedicated group of visitors who visit your blog everyday. Since blogs create interaction with your visitors it also builds trust and creates the feel that there is actually someone on the other side of the website.

Blogs that offer quality content always carry a loyal group of followers and often create a hefty income.

5. List and describe product benefits. Most site owners describe the product's features, example: Rubber coated speaker, 2-ohm total impedance , etc., Your visitors don't purchase features, they purchase the benefits that the product or service will provide for them. Is your product a time saver? Is it easier to use than most competing products? Make sure you describe how the product will make the visitors life more productive, more fun, easier, or better.

6. Provide product pictures and related images. People like to visualize things. Ever wonder where day dreaming came from? Websites with relevant images help stimulate the visitors emotions and emotions drive sales. Remember a picture is worth 1,000 words.

7. Make sure your visitor knows their purchase is secure. More than one-half of all buyers won't buy online because they're afraid of getting scammed.

Proudly display signs of trust like BBB Online and Verisign logos. Make sure your visitors know your site is secure or most will not feel comfortable making the purchase.

8. Make sure your informational content is accurate. Your visitors will stick around to read your message especially when you back it up with references and third party awards.

9. Ask for site feedback. Provide your visitor with a way of leaving feedback for you and other readers.

Testimonials are a powerful tool because they give your product credibility from a third party. Testimonials can be a trust builder, especially if you provide a reference (phone number, email address, ect. ) for them to contact the user that gave the testimonial. Most of the time your visitors will not contact the person that gave the testimonial but it helps build trust and provides a more authentic feel.

10. Test and Tweak. Not every site will be a home run the first time it steps to the plate. Use tools like Google Analytics to determine what makes your visitors stick around and what makes them "bounce". You then proceed to build on the good and drop the bad.

Tweaking your website will improve the performance of your sales funnel and link popularity over time. The difference between a site that generates 100% ROI (return-on-investment) and 500% ROI is usually a matter of split testing and tweaking.

Successful sites keep their visitors interested with easy-to-find information that fulfills the visitors wants and needs. That is what separates the beauty from the beast.

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Ten Things That Loose You Credibility As Web Designers.

1) A hit counter

Is it 1998? Why do you need one? Many clients want some way to track their visitors or see how many unique visits they have. Do them a favor and don't use a CGI or visible hot counter. The world uses invisible tracking now. Google analytics is free and incredibly useful. Give them access to that. Educate your client if this is a problem. You're the web designer.

2) Black backgrounds

Black backgrounds can be pulled off really only by professional designers. If you are one, great for you, if not, stick to white or a brighter color. And for the love of God, don't place a dark text on a dark background. Use your common sense. Educate your client if this is a problem. You're the web designer.

3) Background Music

If I want to listen to music, I have my own, and I have my own player. Visitors to a website are there for a reason. To find what they are looking for. Do not intrude on that. Your job is to make that information available and present it in the most appealing way. You are a web designer, not a DJ. If I

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Social Bookmark Traffic - Is It Useful

In the very recent past, a friend of mine [Kate] was lucky enough to get her website listed (bookmarked) on Digg, a very popular social bookmark site. With her permission, I was given an excellent chance to overlook and analyze the traffic generated from these types of sites. Read on to discover the pro's and con's of social media site traffic, and how it could be utilised in your own website or online marketing efforts.

Firstly, it should be said that any sort of internet traffic, should not be considered useless. Visitors to your site should all be welcomed, as any visitor is a good thing. In saying that, however, it should be noted that traffic in all its greatness, is not created equally. Great differences become apparent when you start to analyze its source. The purpose of this article, is to take a much closer look at the traffic generated from social bookmarking, from the perspective of internet marketing.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 2 years, you'd notice a very big trend on the web--social bookmark and media websites have become "all that" on the web. Slashdot, Stumbleupon, Digg; any of these popular sites sound familiar?

This is where a lot of social bookmark traffic will originate from. In essence, these sites are driven and "controlled" by the users. Users or members choose which content they want to bookmark, and this will lead into viewing and discussing of said bookmarked content. Sites such as these are immensely popular, and flow traffic that the average website owner can only ever imagine having. Thats a lot of traffic, isn't it? But is it really useful?

All this traffic and hype must be a good thing, right? But is it really worth your time? Should you integrate active promotion to these types of social media websites? What about concentrating all your online marketing strategies on these types of sites? The question more at point is, what are the real pro's and con's of getting your website listed on the front page of sites like Stumbleupon or Digg?

As a website owner myself, I wanted answers, and I wanted them quickly. In addition, I wondered if utilising these sites could benefit me; i.e, could they help me generate more income online?

Recently, my friends listing on Digg enabled me to have a upclose look at these sites, and the effects they brought to a website owner. This was a chance for a first-hand, upclose study; I was not about to pass this up.

However, this didn't happen by chance. Kate took the action of placing the free "Addthis.com" bookmark to all her pages. You can also do this quite easily. Using this simple bookmark "button", you can start to attract these sites. However, be warned; a site featured on the front page of social media sites can almost instantly generate 100,000's of visitors to your website; this in essence is enough traffic that it may overload your server. Not good!

So be careful; active promotion to these social bookmark sites should only be taken upon if your servers or web hosting company can withstand the sudden influx of traffic.

With Kate's permission, I utilised Google Analytics and started to analyze these types of visitors and social bookmark traffic generated. Interestingly enough, some very important factors were realised. The Majority of this traffic will:

- Simply bounce back.

- Very few visitors will stay on your site; even for a short period of time.

- Very few visitors will actually go into the depths of your site.

- If you have a newsletter or similar, you'll notice that very few sign-up for these.

- If you utilise any type of marketing follow-ups, etc, very few will enter.

(In saying this, an unknown variable is the content of your site. Is it well written? Does it perform well? Is it useful or attractive to the visitor?)

Traffic from these sites does pose a very common problem, however; its temporary traffic, to say the least. The mass amount of traffic generated will usually only last a few days at most, that is, until your listing or bookmark is removed from the front page. Most of these visitors will rarely remain on your website for long, and the majority leave within seconds. In saying that, you may have a few sign-up's to your newsletter or Ezine, or visitors that explore your site. But keep in mind, this number will not be very high.

Social media site traffic can be likened to customers in the drive-thru sections of fast food restaurants; they come and go as quick as they came. The visitors will basically view your content, and before you know it, have already left, surfing back to the main site to venture onto the next item or listing. Social bookmark traffic will always behave differently, to a large extent, when compared to organic search engine traffic, or your newsletter traffic, for instance. Very differently.

Visitors from Kate's article posts will generally add up to 50 to a 100 new sign-ups a day; much different when compared to social bookmark traffic. In addition, readers and visitors to her articles are actually interested in her content, and therefore have been previously exposed to similiar content upon reaching her website. So in this case, there was no comparison.

The choice of traffic will always lay in the visitors generated from search engines, atleast when comparing to the traffic from social bookmarking sites. A question still remains, however-- is social bookmark traffic really all that useless?

Firstly, as previously mentioned, you need to remember that no traffic should be considered useless. Any type of visitor to your website should be counted as a good thing. Any website owner should realise that getting traffic and visitors to your website is a must; otherwise its game over.

When someone searches for a particular term in a search engine, and they end up at your website, this means that your visitor is there because you have what they're looking for. This type of traffic is essential to your website. Visitors like these are considered to be "targeted traffic"; that is, they're more likely to read your pitch-page, overlook your information, sign-up to a newsletter, or even buy a product. Additionally, they may also become repeat visitors. Traffic like this is ideal. These are the types of visitors you really want.

However, its not all bad news. Social media or bookmark sites do have a bright side.

How would you like the possibility of your website gaining exposure to millions of people? Sounds good, doesn't it? Even though you may not get sales, for instance, this traffic can assist in getting your websites name out there; branding it, creating a buzz.

If your website appeals to a more mass market, then you are even more in luck. Social bookmark traffic in this case can be an excellent source of traffic and visitors.

Social sites such as these also have another added bonus; gaining a link on high PR7 and PR8 websites, with high traffic flow, can't hurt your search engine rankings. After your website is featured on a social media site such as Digg, your link can also appear on a large number of secondary websites on the web, as much as 1000 or more. Much of this traffic will also be using the Firefox web browser, which is embedded with the Alexa toolbar-- what does this do for you? Your Alexa traffic rank will be improved. As much as 50% of the visitors hitting Kate's website we're running the Firefox browser.

Something worth pointing out, is that the traffic generated from Stumbleupon was much different. Longer stay durations were the common thing in this traffic, that is, this traffic behaved more like organic traffic. This could possibly be attributed to the fact that Stumbleupon is a higher quality site, and this was reflected from the higher quality of the visitors originating from there. This also made me come to the realisation that not all social media/bookmark traffic can be measured with the same stick. This experience also pointed me out to something important; the content featured on Kate's website is geared towards targeted visitors from search engines and articles, and is generally not suited to the mainstream net-surfer.

An idea to better take advantage of this type of traffic, is to gear your website and its content to more mainstream internet users. Whether or not this enables you to achieve a greater level of success, is largely dependant on what you offer and how it is offered. Another unknown variable, unfortunately.

In the near future, I hope to gain the chance to further study social bookmark traffic, and its long-term effects on websites. In specific, the effect it would have on keyword rankings and link popularity rankings in search engines; only then can I come to any type of real judgements. However, for now, my mind is being kept open, and the idea is being tossed up as to whether social media and bookmark traffic is actually worth the time or the effort. Is the time taken away from your usual day-to-day marketing efforts worth it?

Guess there is only one way to find out, really.

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How To Make Money Blogging - 10 Step Solution

Firstly, we all want to know How to Make Money Online, and one of the best ways I have found is by creating blogs. In this article I intend to show you how you too can learn How to Make Money Blogging by telling you how combining the techniques I have gathered from across the web helps to make me $$$ every day. Secondly, I am not trying to sell you my latest "Get Rich Quick" scheme because I don't have one. Each eBook you read will have a wealth of information within them which will, without a doubt help you to discover the secrets of How to Make Money Online. I am only going to tell you which ones out of the 100's available you SHOULD read if you too want to make lots of money.

I use a 10 step guide to setting up and starting all of my blogs.

I will give you a list of the top 10 resources later that I use and recommend to everyone who is serious about making lots of money online. One of the vital aspects people seem to miss out when they first get into blogging is the fact that their blog must contain information that people want to read.

Many bloggers are looking through closed eyes in this regard and if you browse through 50 blogs you will notice that most will tell you they know How to Make Money with Blogs when really all they tell you is where they went on their vacation or how many cars they have.

Are you ready to learn How to Make Money Blogging?

If the answer is YES then read on and start to make money with your blog. I am not here to tell you how to write your blog, that's up to you, but what I am about to tell you is the 10 things I use to make money on the internet. You can choose to use these techniques or not, that's your prerogative.

Step 1 - Finding a Topic

Turn off your computer, grab a pen and some paper and sit somewhere you can relax but also stay focused (if you are just starting out this step can be a pain because we all want to know How to Make Money Online and we want to know how to make it NOW). Think of a topic you are interested in and write it down (this helps because you will be more committed to trying instead of giving up in a day or two) and also make sure it is something other people are interested in too. A couple of ways I use to think of a topic is by using MetaSpy to find out what people are searching for, Ask IQ to find what's popular and VRE Toolbar to find out how many people search for the topic (this is also useful later on to get traffic). Write down your top five keywords, you will want to use them later in your blog.

Step 2 - Create Your Blog

Find and create your blog online. I like to use Blogger but other popular Blog platforms are Wordpress and Movable Type. You can find all the help in the program you use to get information when setting up the blog. Create your content, make it original, and make it informative. This is one of the main keys to learn How to Make Money with Blogs. You need to include the keywords you wrote down in Step 1 in the content of your blog. Try not to overuse these as it sends out bad signals to the search engines, and this is 100% not what you want.

Step 3 - Go Google

Sign up for Google Adsense and insert the code in the margin of your blog. You can customize your ads in many ways, such as including text links or image links. I prefer the text links only, as they are easier to blend in with your blog and don't take the focus away from the information. Google Adsense will probably not make you a millionaire but it is an instant way of generating a small amount of money.

If you want to track where your visitors are coming from with regards to direct hits or from search engine results then I would suggest you use Google Analytics and again you can get all the help you need setting that up from within the program.

You will also want to add your URL to Google's index.

Step 4 - Find Something to Sell

If you don't want to sell anything and are happy with the income Google Adsense is bringing in then you can skip this step. If you want to maximize your income and truly learn How to Make Money with Blogs you will want to find an affiliate program to join. A couple of affiliate programs I would suggest are ClickBank and Commission Junction. You can sell anything from office furniture, pet supplies, movies and clothing to PC games, Dieting tips and Audio software.

Whatever program you join will give you help inserting the code you will need to insert into your blog, but be sure you do this correctly or you WILL NOT earn money from your visitors. If you do not know how to edit HTML, W3Schools HTML tutorial is a great place to start.

Step 5 - Social Bookmarking

There is no better advertising than word of mouth, but the next best thing is social bookmarking. You will want to make things easier for people to do this. Social bookmarking sites I use and recommend are OnlyWire and SocialMarker and they are used for people to share their bookmarks or websites that they have liked with other people in their online community.

I would not suggest you add your own links to these services, but provide visitors to your website the ability to do so.

Step 6 - Write an Article

Whether your blog is about a specific product, for example a certain MP3 Player you are promoting, or just about giving people information, I would suggest you to write an article or a review of it. Most article directories require articles of 500 words and over so I would use this as a rule when writing to ensure your article is published.

Submit your article to any of the 100's which are out there. I personally use a few of the Top Article directories such as EzineArticles, Article Dashboard, Amazines.com, isnare and SearchWarp. I also use a nifty piece of software called Article Submitter which will submit your articles to over 600 article directories, which saves you lots of time and leaves you to focus on writing your blogs.

Step 7 - Ping The Hell Out Of It

Every time you add new information to your blog, you want to let the blog directories know about it, this is known as pinging. Some Blog providers automatically send out pings when you update, but to be on the safe side you will want to do this manually too. ONLY PING WHEN YOU UPDATE.

There are a couple of Ping sites I use which will send a ping to multiple blog directories at the same time. PingMyBlog would be my first port of call and then if for some reason that site is down I would use Ping-o-matic. Remember, to only ping when you update or you could get blacklisted, and that is bad.

Step 8 - Yahoo! Answers and Forums

One of the easiest ways to get targeted visitors to your blog is to make use of the people you want to target. I would suggest you sign up to at LEAST one forum in the topic you are writing about, and don't just go straight in there and start posting comments for people to look at your blog, they won't.

The secret is to add the link to your blog in your signature and actively become a member of the forum, posting relevant topics and starting debates within them. The more you post, the more your link will show, and if you provide someone with good info the chances are higher they will click your link.

Yahoo! Answers is along the same lines as forums but the beauty of this is it's viewed by thousands of visitors each day. If you don't already have a Yahoo! account get one and then login and search for questions relating to the topic of your blog and answer them well. You can then insert the link to your blog and as with the forums, if you answer well you may have not only earned yourself a point or two on Yahoo!, but also earned a visitor to your blog.

Step 9 - Update Your Blog

This can be by several means, one is to add new reviews or content to your blog, and if you are going to do this I suggest updating every couple of days. This helps to keep the search engines happy as they love to see new and original content.

Another way of updating your blog and keeping the content fresh is to add RSS feeds to it. Make sure the feeds are relevant to your blog and provide visitors with helpful information. Visitors to a World of Warcraft blog don't want to read feeds about knitting, or do they?

Step 10 - More, More, More

Repeat steps 1 - 10, this is the only way How to Make Money Blogging.

Step 11 - A Bonus Step

If you have your own product or newsletter, give your visitors an easy way to sign up to receive updates or information. This helps you to contact the visitor again with more great info or products you wish to sell.

How to Make Money Online is easy if you follow the above steps.

Some important things to remember so you don't get disheartened with your blog is the fact that you will not become a millionaire overnight, it takes hard work and a lot of effort. If you are really serious about learning How to Make Money with Blogs then stick with it and eventually you will have an Ah-Ha moment. This is when things start to work and you think to yourself Ah-Ha, that's how they do it. Your moment could be sooner than you think.

My Top 10 resources I use and recommend are:

1. Rob Benwell's Blogging to The Bank 2.0

2. Wordpress Goldmine

3. Rob Atherton's Building A Blog Empire For Profit

4. The Blog Challenge

5. Hinge Marketing Magic

6. Blogging For Riches - Complete Video Tutorial

7. Social Bookmarking Demon

8. Adsense Inbox

9. Wordpress SEO Sniper

10. RSS, Blogs and Syndication...

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OGGA-Google-Analytics-and-Google-AdWords

Google Analytics and Google AdWords

Google provides a quick, effective and hassle-free way for merchants to advertise their products and services in the Internet through Google AdSense, a cost-per click and cost-per impression advertising service, where ads are displayed along search and content sites and search results done in the Google network. Merchants will be charged when online users click on the ads that are shown. Keywords are chosen in which the ads will appear, and the merchants will specify on how much they are willing to shell out for each click.

There are various benefits that advertisers can get from utilizing Google AdWords. Unlike other online advertising channels, AdWords enables the advertiser to do away with deadlines and contracts. Google's kind of advertising does not ask prepayment and packages. It is by this method that merchants can manage their advertising campaigns with their preferred performance metrics.

The service gives maximum exposure for advertisers due to the sheer number of visitors acquired by the various sites included in the Google network. Advertisements are displayed along search and content sites and products in audience comprising about 80% Internet users in the U.S. Ads appear beside search results or occupying a space in a results page a user navigates through to get to a site directory.

Google's own electronic mail service, Gmail, also features the ads.

To make the service more advantageous for advertisers, AdWords has integrated with Google Analytics. Google Analytics informs advertisers information such as the channels to which online visitors located their ads and the manner they react and interact with the site. The service enables merchants gain more visitors to their pages. Google Analytics also monitors the activities of merchants that are not related to AdWords, without any charge at all. With Analytics, one can create marketing campaigns that are target-centered and ROI-driven.

The initial announcement that Google is offering this service alongside AdWords has caused a considerable buzz among users. Advertisers have been on their toes deciding whether or not to avail of the new product. A lot of users have started to investigate what sets Google Analytics apart from other analytics companies such as WebTrends and Coremetrics. The tool got so in demand that Google has to temporarily stop interested parties from registering. By the time they decided to do so, over 200,000 accounts have been created.

The service is free for those sites that attract 5 million or less page views. For those sites that garner more views, it is necessary to register for a Google AdWords account. Registration is fast, it takes about only seven minutes to do so (less if the advertiser already has a Gmail email account.) The Help option is functional enough, and the system is available in multiple languages. Plus, Google placed importance in protecting the corporate data of each account, knowing that data regarding web analytics is extremely delicate.

Google Analytics became so popular in its initial launch due to several reasons: First, the fact that Google, a cyberspace giant, is offering it for free. Costs only occurs when the page starts to attract more than 5 million page views. The service is highly functional and has good features, which are more advanced than other analytics tools. Operations like Javascript and Flash events, PDF downloads can be tracked. Though there are doubts that Google will gain advantage from their offer to monitor outside ventures of the merchants, the company stresses otherwise.

Admittedly, some problems came up for Google due to the immense popularity of the service. It took almost a whole day or more for some data to load into the interface of Google Analytics, in fact some data takes more. There are also some difficulties with support infrastructure.

For those who are considering availing of the service, there are some possible concerns that need to be considered, that stems from it being a live or tag-based reporting software. The main issue with tools such as Google Analytics is that downloaded data like audio and video files and PDF may not thoroughly monitored.

Google Analytics is one channel for Google to take care of their advertisers and any other marketer who wishes to make good quality material on the web. The service is capable of delivering high-end web analytics to advertisers, and its integration with AdWords provides timesaving benefits.

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A Blank Canvas A brief consideration of Modern Design

Modern Design was born at the turn of the 20th century. But as design does, this movement acquired from its predecessors, namely the Bauhaus and International styles. Bauhaus was an architectural school founded in 1918. The faculty and students of the school would develop a style of architecture that favored simplicity and the integration of technology. International Style became the term used once the ideas of the Bauhaus began to catch on around the world. Swiss architect, Le Corbusier and his idea of an open interior became the basis of International and eventually Modern design.

The philosophy of why the modern style was originated is open to a debate that will never be resolved. The advancements of the Industrial Revolution in mid 19th century brought about innovations in technology and new building materials. Sleek and clean lines were easily presented with the glass, steel, and concrete that became highly available through the mass production of the 20th century. Some insist on the direct correlation with the eclectic art movements of the time, Expressionism, Fauvism, and so on. The idea of progress and the socio-political revolutions of the early 20th century were surely making an impact as well. Whatever the foundation of this Modern movement, we know that it was a time of inspiration and change, remarkable enough to endure through to the present.

Let us examine Modern Design as it stands today in its most prevalent form--the interior. Open any home magazine or journal from the last five years and I feel quite confident in saying most articles center around the modernizing of the home. Whether it be color, accessories, lighting, etc., designers today are constantly enquired as to what looks chic, and today, modern is chic.

The open plan that Le Corbusier derived remains the source of Modern design. The floor plans of mod homes are sparsely furnished. Simplicity and lack of ornamentation compliment the look, as the progress of design has become 'less is more'. Consider computers, televisions, cell phones, and even the automobiles of today. Every few months, something smaller and more streamlined is released. This constant simplifying of technology is no coincidence, it is convenience. With the progress and technology of the 20th century came the consequence of a much faster paced life. The direct response to this and rightly so, was the need for convenience. In the interior, this convenience lies in the lack of disarray and congestion and more in modular furnishing--straight lined and simple. Hence, less is more.

Walls are treated as a background to your open plan. White, black, brown, gray, beige, and chrome are characteristic on the walls of a very modern home. Originally, primary colors (reds, yellows, blues) were used in accessories and artwork to add a splash of color here and there. More recently, natural themes have been incorporated--cool greens and blues. The great thing about modern style is that if you begin with a sparse background, any color can be incorporated in moderation.

Flooring consists of natural elements. Wood planking, bamboo for example, is most common. Brick, stone, and tile are used to again keep the surroundings somewhat of a blank canvas. Rugs are used to paint that canvas. They come in infinite sizes, shapes, colors and designs, and can be used to personalize and soften a stark space.

Industrial style lighting works very well with ultra modern homes. Track lighting, spot lighting, and recessed cans are probably the most popular forms. Floor and table lamps can add a personal touch as well. Lighting options are as immense as rugs. And by no means does lighting have to be the most expensive aspect of design.

Accents and furnishings are by far the most interesting aspect of the modern style. I believe this to be true because there is no sort of outline for them. These are things of your choice. Almost anything can be incorporated. Pull colors from your rug, your artwork, or simply add colors through these modern oil paintings. If there is any sort of rule at all in modern design, it is to use decorative items sparsely.

But then, are there any rules in design, really? There are frameworks, yes. But they have always been debated and never decided. Modern designers and architects have continuously argued the philosophy of design. The most intriguing part of modern style is first personal opinion, and second, personal philosophy. Mine is to use these frameworks for what they are, a blank canvas--paint as you will. Be eclectic, be interesting, be colorful, but most of all, be unique. Isn't that the modern way?

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How to win new graphic design clients and keep old ones coming back

Everybody likes to see big fat pay cheques coming in, hell some of us even deserve them from time to time but what makes a client keep handing over the readies over and over again and how can you as a lowly graphic designer among a sea of equally unidentifiable no-marks hope to secure new graphic design or website design contracts? Best read on my friends as we give you the insider knowledge to equip you in this never ending rat race to swindle your fellow man

A winning smile costs nothing

Think back over the last week or so and see if you can remember anyone giving you the time of day in the street, a simple 'good morning' or a cheery smile from a beautiful stranger as you go about your daily routine. It didn't happen did it? Why? Because you've got a face like a bag of spanners, you're walking around as miserable as sin and you're giving off bad vibes. In short your whole lousy operation stinks. So how do we turn this around? Next time you have a new client down to the office for a meeting, go up to them and plant a big sloppy kiss on their forehead. You never know they might turn around and sign that big 5 figure sum graphic design contract.

It's not all about the money

Sometimes, the old adage 'a dog is for life - not just for christmas' rings chillingly true. If you've ever considered or contemplated suicide based on the fact your clients have been leaving in droves and the only regular graphic design job you've secured in the last 3 months is a flyer design for 'disco Stu's' 70's night down at the church hall - on a wednesday night, then it's high time you looked at yourself square in the mirror and worked out why. Bad breath? Crooked teeth? Inability to stop yourself scratching your privates in public? No, the real reason your clients are leaving you high and dry is because you're too mean. Throw in a few freebies, offer to cook your client a lovely lasagna dinner for two, buy them a kinder surprise. Anything to curry favour that isn't going to break the bank is worth its weight in gold. And that's a fact, fact fans!

Dress to impress

Anyone who was anyone in the eighties will remember 'power dressing'. 6 inch stiletto heels, shoulder pads set to stun and low cut tops with peep hole bras. By and large businessmen today are reluctant to go back to cross dressing in order to win that all important contract and prefer to go along the tried and tested route of wearing dull grey slacks and loafers. Remember Elton John didn't get where he is today by dressing like the boy next door.

Brainstorm until you haemorrage

If you can't work out why you're losing money hand over fist and your client base has dried up to a thin wafer like crust, get your team involved and crack some skulls! Sometimes the best people to tell you where you're going wrong are your terrified and hate filled staff. Jim over in scanning has been sat there feeding off his resentment for not fulfilling his life for the last 10 years. Use him - he's got a brain up there hasn't he? Margaret the lady who comes by the office to sell sandwiches - again, could she be put to better use sat in the spare room paid to think up a marketing strategy to win over your rivals clients? If not think and think again until it hurts. Remember its your ass on the line here. Above all remember 'skull cracking' is fun and if a few eggs get broken in the process, hey that's life in the fast lane buddy.

Delegate, don't vegetate

We've all done it at some stage. Tried to cope when our world is falling apart, attempting to juggle the accounts, the graphic design work you have in and trying to bone up on web design for beginners in order to make ends meat. Here's a tip. Don't bother. That's right you heard. Research has shown that the best way to overcome a problem or situation is to sleep on it. If you've just about had a basin full its time to hit the sack and forget about it. Take it easy, kick back and have a beer. Feels good doesn't it. Don't forget to always have someone on hand who can cut the slack when you've lost the plot. A right hand man is someone to offload problems onto at a moments notice and then slink back to your chair safe in the knowledge he probably isn't going to quit his job any time soon what with a new baby at home and a mortgage hanging over his shoulders. Too many graphic design managers just do't know when to distribute the work. Remember the immortal words of Homer Simp son 'If a jobs worth doing well, don't bother"

Right, you're now armed with some invaluable insider information to get things back on track. Don't screw up and you'll do just fine. Now get out there and nail that son of a gun.

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