Oct 2006
Exalead Search Engine Updates User Interface
18 October 2006 06:03 AM | Search
Engines| Permalink
Check
out Exalead search engine
and
their new look and new clean user interface. I'm
going to start testing the search results too. My
preliminary impression is very good.
Source: SearchGuild
Source: SearchGuild
|
Search Engine Sabotage?
17 October 2006 08:10 AM | Search
Engines| Permalink
Google
jealously guards and remolds the linking structure of
the web for it's own interests and profit. With
Google being so dependent on links to determine
ranking, would it not be in the interest of
competitor search engines, who rely less on linking
and more on on-page content to provide tools which
would help corrupt that linking structure in order to
bring Google down?
Just thinking.
Just thinking.
Link Building: Directories are Easy for Newbies to
Understand
17 October 2006 06:23 AM | SEO and
Marketing| Permalink
Why
does general directory submission persist as a link
building technique? Because it is easy for people
that want or need simple answers to understand.
"Submit your URL to these directories and it will be
alright." People want simple answers, when they have
to do the work themselves.
Also directory submission is for shy people, it's like put-the-package-on-the-front-step-ring-the-doorbell-and-run submission and, most newbie webmasters are shy because they are on unsure ground. There is none of the negotiation required for reciprocal link exchanges and having to converse via email with a real live human.
Also directory submission is for shy people, it's like put-the-package-on-the-front-step-ring-the-doorbell-and-run submission and, most newbie webmasters are shy because they are on unsure ground. There is none of the negotiation required for reciprocal link exchanges and having to converse via email with a real live human.
Concept: Instant Mobile Version of Web Pages
13 October 2006 06:26 PM | Internet and
Web|
Permalink
Let
me preface this by saying I am a rotten web designer
and barely know any HTML or XHTML and I have never
used Dreamweaver and I think the last version of
Frontpage I had was 2000. For all I know both
programs may already do what I describe below.
Most forums scripts generally automatically create "printer friendly" versions of the forums. These are usually graphics-lite versions of the forum threads. So that got me thinking - why couldn't Dreamweaver or Frontpage be programmed to pretty much automatically make a mobile friendly version of a web page? Or perhaps convert and mirror the whole site. Any such conversion might need some hand tweaking but on a static site that would not be too bad.
Most forums scripts generally automatically create "printer friendly" versions of the forums. These are usually graphics-lite versions of the forum threads. So that got me thinking - why couldn't Dreamweaver or Frontpage be programmed to pretty much automatically make a mobile friendly version of a web page? Or perhaps convert and mirror the whole site. Any such conversion might need some hand tweaking but on a static site that would not be too bad.
Where the Conversation is...
I've
decided I have to expand my
website promotion reading to encompass more
internet marketing with SEO as a subset of that.
It is very apparent to me that meaningful posts
about both marketing and SEO have
shifted away from the
forums and
to the blogs.
So I spent a few hours last night pruning and adding RSS feeds to Bloglines. I pruned out some search engine news blogs, I had too many of those all reporting the same news, but I kept a few voices I like and respect, especially those that not only report the news but give me thoughtful insight and commentary about what the SE news means. I also pruned out dead wood while keeping a bunch of SEO blogs I have always enjoyed. Now I'm adding marketing blogs and some SEO blogs and I'll see who sticks before I add them to the blogroll.
So I spent a few hours last night pruning and adding RSS feeds to Bloglines. I pruned out some search engine news blogs, I had too many of those all reporting the same news, but I kept a few voices I like and respect, especially those that not only report the news but give me thoughtful insight and commentary about what the SE news means. I also pruned out dead wood while keeping a bunch of SEO blogs I have always enjoyed. Now I'm adding marketing blogs and some SEO blogs and I'll see who sticks before I add them to the blogroll.
Is it Only About Search Engine Traffic?
11 October 2006 08:48 AM | SEO and
Marketing| Permalink
John Andrews asks
over at Threadwatch.org about SEO and The Curse of
Boredom.
This is something I have thought for some time. I have no illusions that the vast majority of traffic, comes via search engines, but IMO discussing the search engines and discussing SEO has become boring.
Now I am not an SEO and most of the webmasters I deal with are in the hobby categories launching science fiction, mystery, horror related websites. It seems to me that most of the webmasters in that audience have neither the time nor the desire to learn the increasingly more complicated art of SEO given the need to make a crawlable website. This is one of the main reasons MySpace is so popular.
So how do these hobby sites get traffic?
1. Links (exchanges, "affiliates", cliques, natural linking) - They have a vague understanding that links help in search engines but they know people do eventually click on links.
2. Webrings - Traffic from all sorts of webring hosts has slowed to a crawl these days but some traffic from very tightly defined rings is still important because other webmasters surf the rings so it can help in natural link development and the few visitors are pre qualified. However Webring.com is starting to go for a paid membership model which may well freeze out most webmasters.
3. Blog post links - blogs and CMS sites, RSS and the concept of constant content generation with links, is swiftly replacing the old static web page Geocities model of website. Includes link baiting.
4. Directories - once upon a time everybody knew what a web directory was. But a new generation of web users and webmasters is here who are totally ignorant that directories devoted to their topic even exist and that they can list their site in them. This is a marketing challenge for niche directory owners. With that said, a well run niche directory can generate some good traffic for sites listed.
5. Viral marketing - print your URL on your books, ebooks, print advertising, email signatures, etc.
6. Social networking - this is very similar to blogroll networking. It works because it is intuitive. The nice thing is it cuts Search engines out of the equation. The bad part is that, like blogging, it takes a lot of time. This is the area I think needs to be explored much more.
Search and Non-search traffic Combined?
I think the solution for hobby sites is going to be some sorts of combination of search engine traffic and non-search traffic (see above) working together. I am not sure what this will look like but I think it is what I want to return to talking about*, because talking about search engines alone is boring me to tears and is missing my target audience. See the demand for traffic is the constant, and if people do not, can not or will not learn how to get it from search engines they will either try other ways or give up.
Am I totally wrong, or am I right in thinking I (we) need to seriously explore web marketing by other means. Or maybe you are already there and know all about social network marketing?
* The truth is back in 1998 I used to talk about, explain and even publish a newsletter detailing most of the above methods back when search engines were not very good at finding or ranking websites. I later gave it up as search engines improved and seemed to sweep all other sources of website traffic away.
SEO has been changing reliably ever since I went solo, helping to keep back the boredom but I gotta say, innovation has sure slowed down and with this 2 horse race (Google and EveryOtherEngine). Things are feeling mighty stale.
This is something I have thought for some time. I have no illusions that the vast majority of traffic, comes via search engines, but IMO discussing the search engines and discussing SEO has become boring.
Now I am not an SEO and most of the webmasters I deal with are in the hobby categories launching science fiction, mystery, horror related websites. It seems to me that most of the webmasters in that audience have neither the time nor the desire to learn the increasingly more complicated art of SEO given the need to make a crawlable website. This is one of the main reasons MySpace is so popular.
So how do these hobby sites get traffic?
1. Links (exchanges, "affiliates", cliques, natural linking) - They have a vague understanding that links help in search engines but they know people do eventually click on links.
2. Webrings - Traffic from all sorts of webring hosts has slowed to a crawl these days but some traffic from very tightly defined rings is still important because other webmasters surf the rings so it can help in natural link development and the few visitors are pre qualified. However Webring.com is starting to go for a paid membership model which may well freeze out most webmasters.
3. Blog post links - blogs and CMS sites, RSS and the concept of constant content generation with links, is swiftly replacing the old static web page Geocities model of website. Includes link baiting.
4. Directories - once upon a time everybody knew what a web directory was. But a new generation of web users and webmasters is here who are totally ignorant that directories devoted to their topic even exist and that they can list their site in them. This is a marketing challenge for niche directory owners. With that said, a well run niche directory can generate some good traffic for sites listed.
5. Viral marketing - print your URL on your books, ebooks, print advertising, email signatures, etc.
6. Social networking - this is very similar to blogroll networking. It works because it is intuitive. The nice thing is it cuts Search engines out of the equation. The bad part is that, like blogging, it takes a lot of time. This is the area I think needs to be explored much more.
Search and Non-search traffic Combined?
I think the solution for hobby sites is going to be some sorts of combination of search engine traffic and non-search traffic (see above) working together. I am not sure what this will look like but I think it is what I want to return to talking about*, because talking about search engines alone is boring me to tears and is missing my target audience. See the demand for traffic is the constant, and if people do not, can not or will not learn how to get it from search engines they will either try other ways or give up.
Am I totally wrong, or am I right in thinking I (we) need to seriously explore web marketing by other means. Or maybe you are already there and know all about social network marketing?
* The truth is back in 1998 I used to talk about, explain and even publish a newsletter detailing most of the above methods back when search engines were not very good at finding or ranking websites. I later gave it up as search engines improved and seemed to sweep all other sources of website traffic away.
Testing: Please Ignore
I'm
testing something and I'm either going to really
screw up my template or figure out how this works.
Test sentence: I really like the movie Patton
it is one of the best biographical and war
movies of all time.
Okay here we go.
Test sentence: I really like the movie Patton
it is one of the best biographical and war
movies of all time.
Okay here we go.
Back Home
I'm back.
Since April I've been staying at my Father's house,
because of his illness, and just coming home to get
the mail and mow the lawn. Man, is this place dusty.
At least the furnace works.
Anyway being back means I can use my desktop computer again so I guess I better start blogging more often. But for now I better go to the store and buy some food and coffee for the morning.
Anyway being back means I can use my desktop computer again so I guess I better start blogging more often. But for now I better go to the store and buy some food and coffee for the morning.
