How to Speed up Search Engine Indexing

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It’s a common knowledge that nowadays users don’t only search for trusted sources of information but also for fresh content. That’s why the last couple of years, the Search engines have been working on how to speed up their indexing process. Few months ago, Google has announced the completion of their new indexing system called Caffeine which promises fresher results and faster indexation.

The truth is that comparing to the past, the indexing process has became much faster. Nevertheless lots of webmasters still face indexing problems either when they launch a new website or when they add new pages. In this article we will discuss 5 simple SEO techniques that can help you speed up the indexation of your website.

1. Add links on high traffic websites

The best thing you can do in such situations is to increase the number of links that point to your homepage or to the page that you want to index. The number of incoming links and the PageRank of the domain, affect directly both the total number of indexed pages of the website and the speed of indexation.

As a result by adding links from high traffic websites you can reduce the indexing time. This is because the more links a page receives, the greater the probabilities are to be indexed. So if you face indexing problems make sure you add your link in your blog, post a thread in a relevant forum, write press releases or articles that contain the link and submit them to several websites. Additionally social media can be handy tools in such situation, despite the fact that in most of the cases their links are nofollowed. Have in mind that even if the major search engines claim that they do not follow the nofollowed links, experiments have shown that not only they do follow them but also that they index the pages faster (Note that the fact that they follow them does not mean that they pass any link juice to them).

2. Use XML and HTML sitemaps

Theoretically Search Engines are able to extract the links of a page and follow them without needing your help. Nevertheless it is highly recommended to use XML or HTML sitemaps since it is proven that they can help the indexation process. After creating the XML sitemaps make sure you submit them to the Webmaster Consoles of the various search engines and include them in robots.txt. So make sure you keep your sitemaps up-to-date and resubmit them when you have major changes in your website.

3. Work on your Link Structure

As we saw in previous articles, link structure is extremely important for SEO because it can affect your rankings, the PageRank distribution and the indexation. Thus if you face indexing problems check your link structure and ensure that the not-indexed pages are linked properly from webpages that are as close as possible to the root (homepage). Also make sure that your site does not have duplicate content problems that could affect both the number of pages that get indexed and the average crawl period.

A good method to achieve the faster indexation of a new page is to add a link directly from your homepage. Finally if you want to increase the number of indexed pages, make sure you have a tree-like link structure in your website and that your important pages are no more than 3 clicks away from the home page (Three-click rule).

4. Change the crawl rate

Another way to decrease the indexing time in Google is to change the crawl rate from the Google Webmaster Tools Console. Setting the crawl rate to “faster” will allow Googlebot to crawl more pages but unfortunately it will also increase the generated traffic on your server. Of course since the maximum allowed crawl rate that you can set is roughly 1 request every 3-4 seconds (actually 0.5 requests per second + 2 seconds pause between requests), this should not cause serious problems for your server.

 

 

 

 

5. Use the available tools

The major search engines provide various tools that can help you manage your website. Bing provides you with the Bing Toolbox, Google supports the Google Webmaster Tools and Yahoo offers the Yahoo Site Explorer. In all the above consoles you can manage the indexation settings of your website and your submitted sitemaps. Make sure that you use all of them and that you regularly monitor your websites for warnings and errors. Also resubmit or ping search engine sitemap services when you make a significant amount of changes on your website. A good tool that can help you speed up this pinging process is the Site Submitter, nevertheless it is highly recommended that you use also the official tools of every search engine.

If you follow all the above tips and you still face indexing problems then you should check whether your website is banned from the search engines, if it is developed with search engine friendly techniques, whether you have enough domain authority to index the particular amount of pages or if you have made a serious SEO mistake (for example block the search engines by using robots.txt or meta-robots etc). A good way to detect such mistakes is to use the Web SEO Analysis tool which provides detailed diagnostics.  Finally most of the major search engines have special groups and forums where you can seek for help, so make sure you visit them and post your questions.

If you like this article, use the bookmark buttons on the top of the page and share it with other users.

Posted by bbriniotis on 30th of August, 2010 at 11:17

Social Media Optimisation For Seo – A 21St Century Marketing Strategy

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Facebook, Twitter, Digg and Buzz are just four of the main players at the forefront of the Social Media revolution and are gaining in popularity in each day not just for tech savvy individuals but for businesses as well. The popularity of Social Media sites for individuals is obvious, it enables them to share news, views and on a base level communicate without e-mailing or texting. For business the benefits aren’t quite as obvious but free advertising is probably the thing that encourages them to sign up in the first instance.
When a business sets up an account on a Social Media site they are in effect putting themselves, products and services in the shop window for all to see and although the vast majority of people would probably just glance at their profile and move on there are a small minority that will be interested and take note. The respect in which some these Social Media sites are held in by Google and co is also a contributory factor in a company setting up a profile and this is where a number of Search Engine Optimisation companies have seen a real opportunity to broaden the portfolio of services they offer.
Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is an ever evolving industry and experts in the field were quick to recognise the enhanced search rankings and overall web presence that effective Social Media optimisation could bring to a website. SMO in conjunction with a comprehensive SEO campaign can help website owners increase their inbound traffic significantly. Typically, the content on Social Media sites is constantly updated and if there is one thing that search engines like its fresh content and as a result will cache the site and the inbound link contained within more regularly which ultimately heightens the authority in which the site is regarded by Google and the like.
Many people dismiss the Social Media sites as a waste of time and trivial but this far from the truth especially in regard to enhancing a company’s online profile. Setting up and maintaining the Social Media pages for a company on a plethora of sites is generally very time consuming so it may be prudent to engage the services of an SEO company that specialise in SMO as an additional service.
by Andy Birt
Managing Director

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kaposlogisztika - Social Mention search http://ow.ly/13Gut

Searchlight Marketing Industry Advisor: How to Build Links Google Likes

Searchlight Marketing Industry Advisor
Tools, Tips & Trends for Your Online Success

December 7, 2009

In This Issue

The Open Directory Project

How to Submit to DMOZ

Selling Advantages for B2B Suppliers

Technical Writer for Hire

Dear Gabor,

The last few  issues reviewed changes you can make to your own site (the so-called on-page factors). Today, I discuss off-page factors that can affect your search engine visibility: link building.
While on-page factors can improve your results in a few days, incoming links are essential to maintaining search rankings long-term. The effect of a good link can often take several weeks, however, which is why I recommend link-building as on ongoing marketing and Web promotion strategy.
There IS one type of link that seems to kick in fairly quickly, and that's a link from Google's favorite directory.

The Open Directory Project aka DMOZ

Since Google drives about 63% of all Internet traffic, I tend to focus on them, but all search engines measure the quality of an incoming link in their search algorithm.
Google, however, places a lot of weight on

The Open Directory Project, or DMOZ, as it's commonly referred to in the industry.
The Open Directory Project is the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web. It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors.
Sites listed in DMOZ are used to populate Google's Index, as well as 400 other directories that use DMOZ data. Getting listed in this directory boosts your search engine rank because search engines know that if a site's been accepted, then it's undergone a hand review by a real human being.
In other words, a directory editor evaluated your site, determined it to be of good quality and listed it. Search engines don't get much more of a guarantee of site quality than that!

The Dos & Don'ts of DMOZ

The downside is that if your site is violating search engine guidelines, then the directory editor who reviews your site could flag your site as spam, seriously damaging your rankings.
With DMOZ, however, the editors are much more subjective. Remember, when you're submitting a site to a directory, you're asking someone to come to your site and manually review it for quality.
So make sure that your site is totally clean and compliant with search engine guidelines. Presenting a professional look and feel is equally important.
The most frequent complaint of site owners is that DMOZ will often use the directory title and description for your listing in the regular search results. And directories create pretty boring titles and descriptions, usually insisting that your title be your company name; no keywords allowed.
But there may be a hidden advantage for B2B suppliers.

Selling Advantages for B2B Suppliers

While most consumer sites are all about selling, research shows that B2B buyers and specifiers actually demand in-depth product information and descriptive content well before they decide to buy.
Because

DMOZ's submission guidelines require that you submit an objective description rather than one filled with promotional sales copy, this restriction will actually work in your favor. Your best strategy is to make sure your description is well-written and contains your most popular, active keywords.
Your ability to write clear, concise, technical copy leading to your Home page will work to entice your visitor to click through so that they can learn more. You've also satisfied the category editor.
While it takes time and effort to properly submit your site to DMOZ (and there's no guarantee that your site will be accepted), Google considers them to be a respected, authoritative and important site link. In essence, this is the definition of a high quality link.
This exercise also prepares you to craft a proper listing for other vertical directories that exist for your industry including local search directories like Yelp and Citysearch.

Technical Writer Who Knows SEO

As a professional Web communications specialist, I'm skilled at writing copy for both people and search engines. Most B2B Web sites I review are heavy-laden with industry jargon and broad terms like "systems integrators" when a Consumer Products Company buyer is looking for "material handling equipment."
Anyone researching vendors to solve a specific problem or gather information as their first step in the buying cycle will use key terms that are relevant to him or her.
That's why writing Web copy today requires not only a deep knowledge of search behavior, but also how to conduct effective keyword research that will turn more visitors into buyers.
To learn more about my

technical writing services and pricing, visit my Web site.

Web marketing evolves daily, and it's often impossible to keep pace unless you're immersed in the field like I am. If you have a question about any aspect of online marketing - from setting a budget for your pay-per-click campaign to keyword research - just drop me a line or give me a call. My phone consultation costs you nothing except time.
But, then again, if you believe as do I that time IS money, then maybe I can help save you both.
Until next time,

Nicolette Beard, Principal
Searchlight Marketing
Web Communications
SEO Strategies
nbeard@slmkt.com
713-419-1976

Size Really Does Matter - At Least When it Comes to Twitter

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Back in the days when newsletters first hit the Internet, they were usually published in text format because many email clients did not support HTML email just yet. One of the problems many publishers faced was long URL's being split in half and not being clickable to the reader. To solve this problem, shortening services started to spring up that would take a long URL and cut it down to a reasonable size.
With the popularity of Twitter and the confines of 140 characters, URL (link) shortening services are in high demand once again. When you have such a small amount of space to work with, no one wants a long URL cutting into that precious real estate.
There are a variety of shortening services to choose from, each having their own specific features and benefits. Most of them do work hand in hand with Twitter, allowing you to Tweet the link once it's been shortened. If you're an avid Twitter user this is a useful feature to have.
Some only provide a basic shortening service, but many allow you to view stats and metrics on your newly shortened links if you register. If you're doing any form of social media marketing, it's nice to be able to see if anyone's actually clicking on all the links you're sending out to the "Twitosphere", or posting on Facebook and other sites. Tracking will give you an indication that you're being heard and that people are actually paying attention to what you have to say.
Another important thing to look for is whether or not the shortening service uses 301 redirects. This is the most search engine friendly, and forces the search engine to look at the destination URL, not the domain of the shortening service itself. A 301 stands for a permanent move, not temporary. What this means is, you want the links you're sending out to be given acknowledgment by the search engines, not the shortening service itself. Make sense?
Many allow custom URL's, which allows you to use your name or company name in the links you create. This is great for branding purposes. Think of it as a vanity license plate. Instead of being just a regular URL it's your special creation.
Let's review a few options:
1) http://TweetBurner.com - A bare bones tracking service which allows you to shorten any link and then share it instantly with your Twitter followers or Friendfeed. Basic stat tracking is available so you can see how many people clicked on your link.

2) http://Cli.gs - A shortening service which includes full analytics. You can create links that include your brand in them. Free to use. It's easy to send your links to Twitter with one click.

3) http://Bit.ly - This is Twitter's default shortening service and used by Tweetdeck.com. It allows you to track performance of your links in real time. Easy to share generated links on Twitter, Facebook, even Gmail. It also offers many extra tools and plug-ins such as a browser bookmarklet and browser sidebar.
4) http://MyTwitterToolbar.com - Free to download and comes complete with a massive list of URL shorteners as well as over 50 Twitter tools. Also includes 100 Twitter tips.

5) http://www.TwitClicks.com - A fairly simple service that allows you to shorten a URL immediately and tweet it. Can also see complete stats. Detailed stats show percentage of browsers used and locations of those who clicked. Check out a short video on how to use it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1ScPeCd6X4.

6) http://www.ExpandMyUrl.com - This service takes a shortened link and gives you the true URL that it points to. Perfect for the paranoid individual who wants to know where the shortened link will send them.

7) http://www.TwitPwr.com - A short URL service which also includes analytics and stats. Their home page shows the top 25 users with the most TwitPwr and also a "hot URL" list of those URL's that get the most clicks. Free to use.

8) http://1link.in - A multiple link shortening service. Simply type in a list of links and get one link back for all. If you click on the newly shortened link it goes to a page showing details of what sites that link points to, and asks if you want to open them all. If you answer yes, multiple windows will open for each site.

9) http://Go2.me - A different type of link shortening and discussion service which creates shorter links which also contain a chat window to exchange comments with your readers. It's also easy to share on Twitter, Facebook or email with one click.
10) http://Tw.itter.me - You can customize the shortened link with your name or company name. From what I saw no stats are available.

11) http://budurl.com - Another popular service which shows you a real time view of your inbound clicks. This free service allows you to track up to 250 Budurl's. They provide 3 pay levels of service from $4.00 a month to $49.00 a month. There is a 21 day free tríal on any paid service. You can start out free and upgrade your account at any time.

12) http://Tr.Im - Trim those long URL's and instantly share them on Twitter. If you want stats, you'll need to register. Offers many different tools and extensions to make for easier sharing, such as a Firefox extension that allows you to view your tr.im stats and tweet your new links quickly.

13) http://short.ie - Keeps all your shortened links in one place. Tracks clicks and allows you to instantly share your list with friends. It can also be connected to your Twitter account for more features. Customization of URL's also available.

14) http://hootsuite.com - Not really a URL shortening service, but has the ability built-in. Hootsuite is a "Twitter Toolbox" loaded with features which are all free. They use ow.ly as their built in link shortener.

If you haven't tried a url shortening service, you'll want to find one that fits your needs and start to really utilize it in your marketing activities. Finding out who's clicking on your links, time of day, where they're from and other information will be very valuable in your ongoing efforts as an Internet Marketer.
Remember, when it comes to social media marketing T.M.I (too much information) is a good thing, unlike when your Aunt Ethel wants you to sit with her and go over every detail of her latest vacatíon [grin]. One is helpful, the other just downright painful.
By Merle (c) 2009 MerlesWorld.com

More accurate and faster than the speed of Google's new look!

Image by lukedbaker via Flickr

Google will not search pages, polished look, but the speed and the engine is found to build up again - in time to the development phase is expected to review the changes. Caffeine baptized in the name of the new Search Google for the usual Puritan, built on a Spartan look, which is clearly a good move for the mogul on the Internet - no need to continue to design, the important thing is the service speed and quality. The web is already found in the writings of the most important issues in conformity with a summary of the first detailed results of tests and interviews detailing the changes are real consequences.

They can be smarter already after reading the brilliant innovations in relation to Google, of course, what the average user is not necessarily required, since the outcome is usually the same as you are wont: a quick and easy searches, reliable hit rate. These experts, however, the company that there is still room for improvement, the two-year project (which is the Google File System, which covers the development of the GFS), the first slow to show results. These are clearly visible on the basis of the first tests of the new search engine in a number of kills, and provides more accurate, faster and it makes an average of about 0.2 seconds lefaragva most of the time required.

Particular attention is paid to the new sites on the Internet to index changes, which are also accelerated to seek more accurate, more effective. Although this almost every day to change, modify, the recent development in a comprehensive enough to give a specific name. The makers of the new engine is much more flexible and more power, opportunity predecessor, which was also recorded by the companies and then exploited when the search results will be sorted out. What users are happy to be that Google does not stand watching the competitors attempt, whether the presentation of a brand new search engine, or against a specific alliance.

The comScore survey, while interesting results have been published in which Google continues to be confident in leading the search market (the United States, 65 per cent share), but also show that the solutions are used to make a better turn to rival search engine company in service. Google is much more user loyalty, they are much less likely to use fanyalodnak the competition platform, and a month, almost twice as many searches are settled.

Search Dominates New Twitter Homepage

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This week Twitter proudly launched a new homepage. The redesign contains many new features, but the most prominent one, by far, is the search box.

Twitter says the new design is one effort the company is taking to help new users and people unfamiliar with the site better understand what the service offers. Aside from the sleek new color scheme, Twitter’s homepage also sports a new slogan. Instead of “What are you doing?” the new company slogan reads “Share and discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world.”

The redesign also includes “popular topics.” Formerly known as “trending topics,” the newly coined “popular topics” track the hottest topics by the minute, day, and week. The new design also offers Search Tips when a user searches for a specific item.

As mentioned above, the search box is the main feature on the page. Is this any indication that Twitter is taking steps to eventually become a search company? Only time will tell, but it is important to note that Twitter also recently announced a new search widget called Twitter 101.

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Twazzup: the best Twitter search service yet?

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Twitter may have been hit by yet another viral attack over the Easter weekend but its popularity shows no sign of decreasing in 2009. In fact, the way people tweet on the social network is becoming increasingly central to how web users become aware of breaking news today. So it's no wonder that the world of Twitter search engines is expanding by the week, and new entry Twazzup looks set to take the crown.
Back in February, bigmouthmedia SEO consultant R. Falconer wrote about how Twitter Search - a real time search engine that was recently integrated into the main Twitter site - could be the key to making the micro blogging service money. After all, a popular search engine paves the way to selling advertising - and that's just how Google, the world's most popular search engine, started out in 1998.
However, Twazzup, a new Twitter search engine that launched yesterday, seems to trump Twitter Search in almost every respect. For instance, much has been said about the general untidiness of the way in which Twitter Search results are presented. Users can see real time results, popular search trends and tweets in any language, but actually sorting through this list can be tiresome. Twazzup, on the other hand, separates its results in a much more meaningful fashion.
A search for Gordon Brown reveals real time tweets about the British Prime Minister along the left of the page in the same style as Twitter Search. But along the right, popular tweets are highlighted and a real time updated list of the most popular links on Twitter is revealed. What's more, a list of Top Trendmakers is revealed, a feature that could act as a helpful guide for newcomers to Twitter looking for people to follow.

Twazzup may seem like the most dynamic Twitter search engine at the moment, but it's not the only one trying to improve on the offerings of the official Twitter Search. Twitalyzer Search is a new concept which aims to measure the influence of particular Twitterers, in order to provide users with more authoritative results. According to the site, a Twitter member's influence in Twitter is measured through a range of variables, including relative reach (determined by the number of followers), relative authority (the number of times you are retweeted) and relative clout (how often you are referenced by others). This method of ranking Tweets is certainly a better way to sort through real time results without the use of a Google-like algorithm, but its usefulness still pales in comparison to Twazzup's advanced offerings.
Another site that wants to create waves is social search engine OneRiot. OneRiot's Twitter search function doesn't return relevant tweets, but instead links that are shared by Twitterers. But while this function may be useful for newshounds attempting to establish which news articles are the most popular with Twitter members, the results are virtually meaningless without the actual tweets beside them to compare.
Twazzup's innovative take on sorting through real time tweets appears to offer a service that's superior to its competitors. If it takes off, it could emerge as a serious contender against Google News, which last week made some concession towards the new appetite for real time results by launching a Google Trends-like article timeline for topic clusters, indicating the number of sources per story and when each was released.
Essentially, Twazzup has upped the ante for Twitter search engines - especially the officially integrated Twitter Search. In order to stay relevant and not risk losing its users, the search engine will need to incorporate some of the same multi-dimensional search functionality. Alternatively, Twitter could always offer Twazzup an acquisition deal and integrate the engine, in the same way Google bought YouTube in 2006, a service that was far more popular that Google Video. But since Twitter is struggling to monetise its activities, it looks like we may be waiting some time yet.

Thinking of Launching a Negative Keyword Campaign?

Before launching a negative keyword campaign, let’s make sure everyone understands what it is. First of all, here’s a little background information on keywords. Keywords are words that search engines use to search for relevant Web pages.
Negative keywords are used in keyword advertising to hinder ads from being shown when a search term contains the negative keywords.
As Google clarifies, negative keywords aren’t for everyone. People are accustomed to using keywords to drive traffic to their site, but as everyone knows, not all traffic is good traffic. This is where negative keywords come into the game.
If you are a retail company and want specific, targeted traffic, a negative keyword ad campaign is something you might want to consider. For instance, if you’re a company that only sells women’s clothing, you could put “men’s clothing” as a negative keyword.
Each of the search engines are different when it comes to their allotment of negative keywords. Google allows a maximum of 10,000 terms or phrases. Yahoo! allows 250 maximum terms or phrases. The total character count for all negative keywords for Microsoft cannot surpass 1,022 and no single keyword can go beyond 100 characters.
Being very specific and targeted is key to a successful negative keyword ad campaign. There are several tools available to help you in this effort. Google offers several tools such as Google Keyword Tool, Google Suggest, and Google Product Search. WordTracker is another tool that helps you to filter that unwanted traffic. Ken Jurina (as seen in the above WPN video from PubCon 2008) and the Epiar crew recently announced a new negative keyword service that uses their proprietary keyword research application to generate a prioritized negative keyword list.

Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn | Guy Kawasaki

Image via CrunchBase

by:Mario Sundar
When Guy Kawasaki blogged about the Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn, LinkedIn had 8.5 million users in 130 industries. Since then we’ve grown to over 12 million users covering 147 industries, but many of Guy’s suggestions on using LinkedIn (see below), still remain a great way for professionals to strengthen their online brand reputation and leverage their professional network. Happy Reading!

1. Increase your visibility.
   By adding connections, you increase the likelihood that people will see your profile first when they’re searching for someone to hire or do business with. In addition to appearing at the top of search results  (which is a major plus if you’re one of the 52,000 product managers on LinkedIn), people would much rather work with people who their friends know and trust.
   
2. Improve your connectability.
   Most new users put only their current company in their profile. By doing so, they severely limit their ability to connect with people. You should fill out your profile like it’s an executive bio, so include
   past companies, education, affiliations, and activities.
   You can also include a link to your profile as part of an email signature. The added benefit is that the link enables people to see all your credentials, which would be awkward if not downright strange, as
   an attachment.
   
3. Improve your Google PageRank.
   LinkedIn allows you to make your profile information available for search engines to index. Since LinkedIn profiles receive a fairly high PageRank in Google, this is a good way to influence what people see when they search for you.
   To do this, create a public profile and select “Full View.” Also, instead of using the default URL, customize your public profile’s URL to be your actual name. To strengthen the visibility of this page in
   search engines, use this link in various places on the web> For example, when you comment in a blog, include a link to your profile in your signature.
   
4. Enhance your search engine results.
   In addition to your name, you can also promote your blog or website to search engines like Google and Yahoo! Your LinkedIn profile allows you to publicize websites. There are a few pre-selected categories like “My Website,” “My Company,” etc.
   If you select “Other” you can modify the name of the link. If you’re linking to your personal blog, include your name or descriptive terms in the link, and voila! instant search-engine optimization for your site. To make this work, be sure your public profile setting is set to “Full View.”
   
5. Perform blind, “reverse,” and company reference checks.
   LinkedIn’s reference check tool to input a company name and the years the person worked at the company to search for references. Your search will find the people who worked at the company during the same time period. Since references provided by a candidate will generally be glowing, this is a good way to get more balanced data.
   Companies will typically check your references before hiring you, but have you ever thought of checking your prospective manager’s references? Most interviewees don’t have the audacity to ask a
   potential boss for references, but with LinkedIn you have a way to scope her out.
   You can also check up on the company itself by finding the person who used to have the job that you’re interviewing for. Do this by searching for job title and company, but be sure to uncheck “Current titles only.” By contacting people who used to hold the position, you can get the inside scoop on the job, manager and growth potential.
   By the way, if using LinkedIn in these ways becomes a common practice, we’re apt to see more truthful resumes. There’s nothing more amusing than to find out that the candidate who claims to have caused some huge success was a total bozo who was just along for the ride.
   
6. Increase the relevancy of your job search.
   Use LinkedIn’s advanced search to find people with educational and work experience like yours to see where they work. For example, a programmer would use search keywords such as “Ruby on Rails,” “C++,” “Python,” “Java,” and “evangelist” to find out where other programmers with these skills work.
   
7. Make your interview go smoother.
   You can use LinkedIn to find the people that you’re meeting. Knowing that you went to the same school, plays hockey, or shares acquaintances is a lot better than an awkward silence after, “I’m doing fine, thank you.”
   
8. Gauge the health of a company.
   Perform an advanced search for company name and uncheck the “Current Companies Only” box. This will enable you to scrutinize the rate of turnover and whether key people are abandoning ship. Former employees usually give more candid opinions about a company’s prospects than someone who’s still on board.
   
9. Gauge the health of an industry.
   If you’re thinking of investing or working in a sector, use LinkedIn to find people who worked for competitors—or even better, companies who failed. For example, suppose you wanted to build a next generation online pet store, you’d probably learn a lot from speaking with former Pets.com or WebVan employees.
   
10. Track startups.
    You can see people in your network who are initiating new startups by doing an advanced search for a range of keywords such as “stealth” or “new startup.” Apply the “Sort By” filter to “Degrees away from you” in order to see the people closest to you first. [Republished from: Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn via "How to Change the World" -- Guy Kawasaki's blog]
    

Guy is known for bringing the concept of technology evangelism to the masses through his pioneering work at Apple’s Macintosh group. In addition to blogging the above post earlier this year, he has also blogged on topics ranging from LinkedIn Profile Extreme Makeover to LinkedIn and the Art of avoiding an Asshole Boss. [Source: Guy Kawasaki's weblog -- How to Change the World]

Increase Site Traffic Easily And Affordably

Image by Coneee via Flickr

 By Giorgos Kontopoulos
Many people doing business online have great websites but don't seem to be selling anything. Their products or services are top-notch, and their looks both professional and unique. So why aren't they making any money? The issue is that it really doesn't matter how amazing your website is if no one ever sees it.
Here are 45 ways you can increase your website traffic easily and affordably.1. Create your site with search engines in mind. Most people who look up something on the internet do so by using a search engine. Use words and phrases related to your business throughout your site.
2. Blog about your site. Even if you don't have a dedicated blog for your website, mention it in your personal blog. You might even make multiple blogs-a personal one, a business one, etc.
3. Update these blogs on a regular basis (at least once a week).
4. Tag your blogs on sites like http://del.icio.us and www.technorati.com.
5. Use social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook to advertise your website.
6. Put your website address in your email signature.
7. Put your website in the signature area of any forum you post on regularly, especially if the forum is related to your service or product.
8. Add an RSS feed to your website news section or your website blog.

9. Watch for any grammar/spelling errors on your website. No one will stick around your site if it has obvious (and avoidable) errors on it. Proofread!
10. Likewise, make certain all the links on your website work.
11. Look at what kind of navigation tools you are using on your site. Some may not work with every web browser.
12. Write good articles and press releases about your website. The goal here is to get keywords into the article that will send people to your site.
13. List your website at DMOZ ( http://dmoz.org).
14. Review products on epinion.com and other review sites that are similar to yours.
15. Post comments on other blogs and websites that discuss products or services similar to yours. Be sure to include your website if there is space for a URL.
16. Put up business-related photos on sites like Flickr and tag them with your website address.
17. Make comments on blogs related to your website, and encourage people to comment on your blog.
Continue reading this article.

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About the Author:
Giorgos Kontopoulos is a web consultant from Greece. He is one of the authors of GeoLand.org where he can often be found blogging about issues related to web development and search engine optimization.

What is it: Sphinn?

Image by egoodman via Flickr

Sphinn is a social site for search and interactive marketers. It's designed to allow you to share and discover news stories, read and take part in discussions, discover events of interest and network with others. Here's a summary of how to get started:

• Read News & Discussions: The Hot Topics area of Sphinn is what you'll see by default when you come into the site. That's why the little Hot Topics "tab" will be colored green. This area shows you news stories submitted to Sphinn and discussions within the site that have been voted the most active recently by the Sphinn community. If you're busy and want to know what's hot, Hot Topics delivers this to you at a glance. You can even get information sent to you via email or news feed.
• Share News: Read a news story you want to share with others? Use the Submit Topics tab to enter the story's URL, and then your submission will appear within the New Topics area of Sphinn. If enough people "Sphinn" it, the story might move into the Hot Topics area. Submit stories that got "hot" on a regular basis, and you could appear as one of the top Sphinners. To submit, you have to be come a member. It's free and easy -- takes only a few seconds and an email address. Sign-up here.
• Start Discussions: Want to talk about something relating to internet or search engine marketing? Also use the Submit Topics tag, give your topic a title and start the discussion off with your post. Others can then add their comments to what you've said, and you can respond in turn. Like news stories, new discussions show up within the New Topics area and move to the Hot Topics area if enough members Sphinn them.
• Network: Looking to meet other online marketers? Sphinn makes it easy. Submit interesting stories or make important points in discussions, and people might decide to stalk you. Don't worry -- stalking's a good thing at Sphinn! It means someone's interested in following what you're doing here. You can view all your stalkers at any time (and choose to share this with the public, if you want). Find some of them interesting? Stalk them back, and that turns them into friends at Sphinn. The Network page is where you can search for people in addition to finding them through news stories and discussions.
• Find Events: Made some friends online that you'd like to meet in person? There's always plenty of in-person events going on related to search and interactive marketing. Use the Events Calendar to see what's coming up. You can also associate yourself with an event, so that others know you'll be going. Or check out those already saying they'll be there!

That's the fast overview of Sphinn. There's more you can do, such as drill-down to find news and discussions in particular categories of interest (such as Google AdWords or SEO), and the help area will explain more details about Sphinn to you. There are also tools you can use to bookmark stories to Sphinn or place a Sphinn button your marketing site, so that your readers can share your content with the Sphinn community.
Aside from the community itself, Sphinn has a staff of administrators and moderators to watch over things. You'll find them listed here on our staff page. Need to contact someone about an issue? Use the contact page.
By the way, Sphinn is part of the Third Door Media network. Be sure to check out our other sites for search marketers:

• Search Engine Land: A hub for news and information about search engine marketing, optimization and how search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Live.com and Ask.com work for searchers.
• Search Marketing Now: SMN webcasts combine the most authoritative and actionable education about search engine marketing issues with the convenience of attending online
• Search Marketing Expo: SMX is our search marketing conference and expo offering education and networking in locations in the US and Europe throughout the year.

Finally, why Sphinn? We liked the idea of a place where marketers could put their own spin on news by commenting on stories or having discussions. But spin.com was taken, as was spinn.com and sphinnn.com was a N too far, we felt. So we went with sphinn.com, pronouncing it "sp-hinn."

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