Mistakes To Avoid With Website Optimization

If your website is not listed in the top of the search engine rankings, then it is more than likely your main goal to make sure that it gets there and subsequently stays there. However, you need to be sure that you follow some basic guidelines as you start to outfit your website with the proper SEO or search engine optimization tools and promote web linking. After all, there can actually be too much of a good thing and the last thing you want is to see your website taking a major hit in terms of rankings. Keeping in mind some of the common mistakes that people make along the way should help you to keep your website on track and climbing the ranks.

To begin with, you always want to make sure that you have unique and fresh information on your website at all times. You already know that keyword content is a great way to help optimize your website and bring you up in the rankings with the search engines. However, where many website owners will run into a brick wall is when they have a hard time filling their website with new and exciting blogs or articles. Using recycled information from other sources on the Internet is a sure fire way to get your website knocked down a few pegs in the search engine rankings. If you have a difficult time working website optimization and getting your site filled with great content, you could always enlist the help of writers to get you there.

Did you realize that website optimization does not end with SEO tools and banner ads? If you want to keep visitors coming back to your website, then you may want to think of giving them an outlet to post their comments and opinions in an area such as your blog. Many website owners will hold a certain amount of communication with their visitors and/or customers which will in turn lead to a good reputation and a feeling that you care about their dedication to your website. Not providing such an outlet for conversation could end up being a downfall.

Finally, never fall into any of the scams that are out there when it comes to website optimization. Just because a company swears that they can drive traffic to your site for a low, low price never means that you should take their word for it. Unfortunately, there are many website owners out there who will fall victim to such scams. It is better off to stick with what you know or do your research on reputable companies who deal with website optimization and valuable SEO.

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Google: Page Speed May Become a Ranking Factor in 2010

Over the course of 2009, a consistent theme that Google has been involved with is that of speed. In announcement after announcement, Google has talked about the importance of speed on the web, and how the company wants to do everything it can to make the web a faster place. Has it occurred to you that how fast your page loads may have a direct effect on how your site ranks in Google?

Don't worry, it hasn't had an impact...yet. In an interview with WebProNews, Google's Matt Cutts told us that speed may soon be a ranking factor.

"Historically, we haven't had to use it in our search rankings, but a lot of people within Google think that the web should be fast," says Cutts. "It should be a good experience, and so it's sort of fair to say that if you're a fast site, maybe you should get a little bit of a bonus. If you really have an awfully slow site, then maybe users don't want that as much."

"I think a lot of people in 2010 are going to be thinking more about 'how do I have my site be fast,' how do I have it be rich without writing a bunch of custom javascript?'" he says.

I would say that based on Matt's comments it is probably fair to assume that Google will indeed begin taking page speed into consideration as a ranking factor, although he doesn't come right out and say that they definitely will. That said, making your site faster is going to benefit your users and possibly your sales anyway, so you might as well start optimizing it for speed anyway. Then if Google really does start using this as a ranking factor, you will have a head start on boosting your rankings.

Google has generally been pretty good at providing webmasters with tools they can use to help optimize their sites and potentially boost rankings and conversions. Google recently announced a Site Speed site, which provides webmasters with even more resources specifically aimed at speeding up their pages. Some of these, such as Page Speed and Closure tools come from Google itself. But there are a number of tools Google points you to from other developers as well.

If you're serious about wanting your site to perform better in search engines, and you haven't given much thought to load times and such, it's time to readjust your way of thinking. Caffeine increases the speed at which Google can index content. Wouldn't it make sense if your site helped the process along?

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Microsoft and Yahoo finally strike a deal

It has been announced today that Microsoft and Yahoo! have finally struck a deal that will help them challenge Google's dominance online after several bids by Microsoft to takeover Yahoo! were knocked back in 2008.

The ten-year deal means that Microsoft's Bing search engine will power the Yahoo! website and that Yahoo! will in turn become the advertising sales team for Microsoft's online offering. Part of the deal is that Yahoo! gets to keep 88% of the revenue from all search ad sales on its site for the first five years of the deal. They will also have the right to sell adverts on some Microsoft sites.

This could be good news for both companies, with their individual market shares lagging far behind Google's with Yahoo! also struggling to turn a profit in recent years. The union will give the two companies a market share of around 30% in the US, offering a much larger audience for Bing. However, whilst the deal may be good news for some, it has been announced that job losses are to be expected at Yahoo! with some staff transferring to Microsoft and others being made redundant.

There is certainly great potential for this deal to beneficial for both the companies and for users, as their union could be much greater than the sum of its parts. Microsoft could potentially generate much higher advertising revenues if they can attract a greater audience and of course, if they can get the advertisers on side. If this revenue helps to drive innovation and advancements then this could be a good thing for everyone involved (except Google) but only time will tell how effective this link-up will be.

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Good News for Web Writers: Internet Use on the Upswing. (Anyone Surprised?)

The current state of economic uncertainty has recently monopolized the bulk of online and offline media coverage. We've been following one aspect of this storyline quite closely: the demise of traditional print media. While it's tempting to focus on this alone, it's also interesting to look at how the Internet is taking the place of print media as the new global standard for communication.

A recent Gallup poll run by Gallup.com has confirmed that use of the Internet has almost doubled over the past five years. The results show that 48% of Americans now use the Internet for more than an hour each day, a staggering increase from 26% in 2002. Not only that, but it seems that the demographics of Internet users are changing. According to the same study, gaps in Internet use between formerly infrequent users, like non-working, unmarried and post-graduate users, boast double-digit gains with an increase by 13% of the non-working demographic, 10% of unmarried and 12% of post-graduates, all between 2007 and 2008.

On a global scale there has been an increase in Internet use. In 1995, a mere 0.4% of the world population reported using the Internet. Now, according to statistics reported by Internet World Stats, an estimated 23.3% of the population uses the Internet on a regular basis; a trajectory that will likely only rise over time.

In short, while communication tools such as newspapers, magazines and print media may be facing serious challenges, the Internet continues to flourish. Good news indeed for journalists and writers everywhere who are making the transition to writing for the web.

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Google's Home Page Redesign: Less Is More

New design is meant to reduce what Google calls distractions to those who want to get right to searching.

Google unveiled a new design for its home page that emphasizes an even more stripped-down look when users first visit the site.

Essentially the new spartan design that rolled out Wednesday is focused on search. It shows the Google logo, the search entry box, the familiar "Google Search" and "I'm Feeling Lucky" buttons -- and nothing else.

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) said in a blog post that this minimalist approach is designed to give the vast majority of people that visit the Google home just what they want: a clear, uncluttered path to search.

Of course, Google has always maintained a pretty barebones home page, but several other elements have been added in recent years.

Google hasn't actually ditched any of them, as it turns out. Those other elements now come into focus only if you move your computer mouse anywhere on the page. For example, the simple text links to Google's advertising programs, to "About Google," and the company's privacy notice now resolve on the screen below the search bar if you do anything other than type in a search query.

Other standard links to Images, Videos, Maps, News, Gail, and Shopping also similarly fade in at the top of the screen. "Since most users who are interested in clicking over to a different application generally do move the mouse when they arrive, the 'fade-in' is an elegant solution that provides options to those who want them, but removes distractions for the user intent on searching," Google said in a blog post.

As is its standard practice, Google ran a number of tests of the new format over the last several months, putting out different live versions and measuring how users responded. In all, Google said it did 10 variations of the fade-in. The worst performer had been one that hid the search buttons until the fade-in completed.

Surprisingly, Google said the version it settled on was positive to neutral on all key metrics except "call to action."

Although it averaged out to only milliseconds of delay, Google said users were a bit slower to enter their search queries with the new fade-in design. For a company known to be fanatically focused on site speed, this was a concern for Google, but in the end, it chalked up the delay to users adjusting to the new look.

"Then, we realized: we want users to notice this change... and it does take time to notice something (though in this case, only milliseconds!). Our goal then became to understand whether or not over time the users began to use the homepage even more efficiently than the control group and, sure enough, that was the trend we observed," Google said in the blog post, which was co-written by Marissa Mayer, Google's high-profile vice president of search products and user experience.

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Web could run out of addresses next year, warn web experts

Businesses urgently need to upgrade to IPv6, a new version of the internet's addressing protocol that will hugely increase the number of available addresses.

A survey, conducted by the European Commission, found that few companies are prepared for the switch from the current naming protocol, IPv4, to the new regime, IPv6. Web experts have warned that we could run out of internet addresses within the next two years unless more companies migrate to the new platform.

The IPv4 and IPv6 protocols refer to the way in which web addresses are created and assigned. Each website has a unique IP address, represented by a string of numbers, such as 192.168.1.1, which are then given a user-friendly web address, such as telegraph.co.uk, to make them easier to remember.

The IPv4 protocol uses 32-bit addresses, which enables the web to support around 4.3 billion unique addresses. By contrast, IPv6 uses 128-bit web addresses, creating billions of possible new web addresses - experts estimate it could assign a unique address for every blade of grass on the planet.

The EC survey found that of the 610 government, educational and other industry organisations questioned across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, just 17 per cent have upgraded to IPv6. The Commission has warned that the timely deployment of the protocol is vital to the growth and stability of the internet.

"In the last 10 years, the internet has become hugely important worldwide from a socio-economic perspective," said Detlef Eckert, a director in the Commission's information society and media directorate-general. "Only by ensuring that all devices connected to the internet are compatible with IPv6 can we stay connected and safeguard sustainable growth of the internet and the global digital economy, now and in the years to come."

"We'll be down to our last tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of web addresses by the end of next year," warned Sam Pickles, lead enterprise engineer of F5 Networks. "New companies looking to establish a presence on the internet will have no option but to adopt the IPv6 address format. Many government and military organisations worldwide have adopted IPv6 for their internal systems already, and its adoption by companies, and eventually home users, is virtually certain."

Switching to IPv6 is relatively straightforward, said Pickles, but will require significant investment from companies and internet service providers.

"Some additional spending will be required to migrate to the new addressing format, and ensure that systems using the old IPv4 format can interface with new IPv6 networks," he said. "Initial installation of new equipment will most likely affect systems at the edge of the corporate network, interfacing with the internet, such as routers and firewalls."

The move to the IPv6 protocol will also necessitate some changes to domestic set-ups, said Pickles, but it should be a relatively straightforward process. "Consumers will eventually also need to replace equipment in the home, although this is likely to be introduced by ISPs in gradual stages," he said. "The most likely device needing replacement initially will be the home broadband router, connected to the phone line."

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Tips for Creating a Viral Newsletter

Getting readers to click on your email newsletter is tough enough. Encouraging them to forward it to their friends, family, and anyone else they know is even tougher. So, how do you create a viral newsletter? Here are some suggestions.

Call to Action -- twice. It's important to create two calls to action in each mailer you send, assuming you want it to be forwarded. First, many online newsletter services place a generic "Forward to a Friend" graphic at the top of everything you mail out. This is critically important, as it's a graphic that appears above the fold and is one of the first images that a recipient sees.

Second, include a footer graphic that says something to the effect of, "Know Someone Who'd Like to See This? Send to a Friend!" It's important that this image stands out, so design it using a color that's completely different from the rest of your template. Additionally, you could animate it to draw even more attention.

Aside from your header, which lets the reader know what they're receiving, the "Send to a Friend" graphic is the most important image in your electronic newsletter.

Motivate, motivate, motivate. You've seen offers like "10% off when you forward this to five people" and "Referrals receive 50% off their first order" before. They're memorable because they really work. However, it's important to track referrals so that you can match your rewards to names and email addresses. In addition, you'll be able to identify which readers are forwarding your emails and then target them appropriately. This requires a backend that can track forwards, so be sure you have this feature in place before you begin marketing.

Again, creating an image or placing text in the newsletter alerting readers to the promotion is absolutely crucial to its success. However, be sure your instructions are clear and use as few words as possible. Additionally, your image should reinforce the forwarding concept.

Remember: Simplicity breeds success. When you ask your readers to dish out sensitive information like the emails of their friends and family, make it as simple as possible for them to do so. Ideally, all a person needs to give you is their friend's email address. That's all you really need, to send them a copy of your newsletter. Asking for full names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and other private information is a sure-fire way to ensure that no one forwards your email.

In addition, keep your directions as short as possible ("Type the email addresses of your friends and family here" would do well) and include between five and ten spots for new emails to be entered.

Timing is everything. If you regularly send out breaking news or exclusive content, include a forwarding link next to the news story. Here, the placement of the link is key. Just put it next to your headline and watch the forwards pour in. Many people are accustomed to seeing this feature on a Website, but it's very rarely found in newsletters.

Dare to be different. Don't think just because you're tied down to a newsletter template means that you have to be boring. Jazz up the subject line, story headlines, and images to make your readers want to forward your newsletter. Some of the top viral videos are wacky in nature, so don't be afraid to do the same in your newsletter. There's a fine line between being creative and being unprofessional, but don't be afraid to think outside of the box and be a little bit different when you create your newsletter content.

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Facebook and MySpace could get content panic button

Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace could soon be emblazoned with a panic button that will allow users to flag inappropriate content.

The suggestion is part of a host of new online standards from government adviser Tanya Byron and is currently under consideration from around 140 sites and companies across the UK.

The panic button, which is already being employed by Bebo, would allow children to report offensive material as part of new measures also aimed at giving greater control on what their younger ones can access online.

The new standards, set to be officially unveiled on Tuesday, will be completely voluntary for companies looking to opt in.

While we can't see your average 15-year-old lad hitting the panic button and restricting his YouPorn access, it's sure to prove a handy tool in shutting down online predators with IM services, chatrooms and forums a particular target

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The importance of carefully briefing your web developer

I'm sitting here with my head in my hands, two years work in a dusty pile, everything undone. Not as bad as it sounds but when a new developer comes along, reproduces an "exact copy" of the original site, but doesn't populate any of the Meta Tiles, Descriptions or Keywords - then changes the naming conventions in the URL structures so half the internal links are now broken, and produces canonical pages by configuring the www's and non-www's to be both hosted instead of redirecting. I have to say, it is, at least, a significantly demoralising prospect to have to recover basic old ground.

Whilst ultimately easily fixed, it never ceases to amaze me how developers repeatedly demonstrate how little they understand search. In this vein I thought instead of ranting I'd cover some basics of SEO when changing developers, hosting or design.

• When setting up hosting, any alias' or canonicals (non-www's) redirect to the primary domain -do not host and point to the local hosting file.
• Ensure if you are changing a URL structure, you configure a 301 redirect for every page changed, or better still keep the old convention if you can.
• Always ensure you have unique, relevant Meta Titles, Meta Descriptions and Meta Keywords on every page.

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Yahoo Hosting Customers' Threatened By Attempts to Hijack Websites

December 10, 2009 - (HOSTSEARCH.COM) - The customer protection company for online businesses, Trusteer, today issued a security advisory that warns the customers of website hosting companies, including yahoo.com, against a new phishing attack aimed at stealing their content management system log-in credentials. The e-mails discovered by Trusteer appear to be from Yahoo.com (and other website hosting firms) and ask website owners to confirm their cPanel/FTP account information. Using this information, criminals are uploading look-a-like bank website pages to steal funds.

cPanel is a very popular CMS (Content Management System), used by many leading hosting providers, including Yahoo. It is used to perform website operations, including FTP account control and setup, which can be used to upload content to the cPanel-managed web site. Over the past few days, Trusteer's security monitoring service has detected a phishing email campaign targeting owners of cPanel-based sites at various hosting providers. The attack is designed to harvest the FTP credentials of site owners, using cPanel-oriented messaging. The full report is available at: http://www.trusteer.com/files/cPanel-FTP-Phishing-advisory.pdf

"The ability to upload arbitrary content into relatively small and less popular sites may seem un-interesting fraud-wise," said Amit Klein CTO of Trusteer and head of the company's research organization. "However, evidence we have collected over the past few months connects cPanel-driven sites to online banking fraud. By stealing cPanel login credentials, criminals do not need to use hacking tools to upload content to a website, and therefore can avoid detection until after they have siphoned funds from consumer and business banking accounts."

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Personalized Search - the New Norm for Google

Google have made an announcement which has immense implications for search. They are now rolling out personalised search for everyone, regardless of whether they have been logged into Google recently or not. Here is their example:

For example, since I always search for [recipes] and often click on results from epicurious.com, Google might rank epicurious.com higher on the results page the next time I look for recipes.

This has created in immense amount of discussion around the web and opinion is divided as to whether this is a good or bad thing. Regardless of the positive or negative (and I think that apart from privacy concerns, it is positive) there are a large number of things that are important affecting SEO moving forward. Here are some:

You no longer need to be logged in to get personalized results

Previously, Google did play with personalized results, but only when users were logged in, Now, they will use cookies to storre results, which means they will use these cookies regardless of your logged in status.

Ranking reports become even less meaningful

If you use a computer to look at ranking reports, this is even less appropriate. Already, universal search dramatically changed the results based on a large number of factors. Now, however, if you use your own computer to start running these sorts of reports, your own results will be impaired by your own history.

Looking at non-personalized results means deleting Cookies

For more information on seeing non-personlaized results, You are being asked to go through the process listed here. However, this will only work at the point at which you want to see the results.

How can we turn this into a positive?

If we do not react, it is probable that big brands increase in this environment and smaller brands decrease, but there are several ways in which one might adopt new strategies that would help in this new paradign. The new strategies should help to get users to engage in with the site in a non-commercial capacity - for example by prviding free and useful tools like Receptional's SEO tools. Having users register with your RSS feeds and sign up to things that you offer will be evry useful. Potentially, iframes might make a bit of a comback! That way, a small part of your site might get viewed in someone else's context. Assuming your prospect ise signed into Google or uses Chrome, or one of the other myriad of ways in which their habits might be personalised by Google, this might increase the chances of your site appearing in their search results in the near future.

Essentially, the white hat strategy should be to engage with the user at least once through brand, to dramatically increase your chances of being seen in organic results. I already see dozens of new black hat tricks on the horizon, although I am also sure Google will be quick to close these down.

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