While it is uncertain how much longer (or to what level) Google is and will be using their PageRank algorithm, Google has updated PageRank on some of its servers just before the new year.

RESOLUTION: get top rankings...everywhere!

How credible is a news source that puts out press releases as if they are news. "Macon Area Online is now ranked # 5 at Yahoo and # 6 at Google under searches for Macon and is getting over 20,000 hits per day!" There are two things that are entirely wrong with this crap news.

1.) this crap message got syndicated all over the web through Moveover feeds
2.) on top of being a crappy PR article, Google powers Yahoo so them announcing different rankings is rather...um...stupid

later they continue with "If you are looking to take advantage of the fastest growing and most powerful marketing tool in the world, call us at 478-474-3482."

Now that statement is a bit unclear. Are we to assume Macon Online is this marketing tool? If this tool is Google, then why would we call Macon Online? Perhaps the author makes a fundamental attribution error and assumes we are as dumb as he is.

they just rolled past 1,000,000 messages at Webmaster World

So I have a couple websites with AdSense ads on them. In the past I have just thrown the ads up there, and let the results kinda happen. This is rather foolish, so I decided while I only have a few sites with ads it would be a good idea to test different ad layouts and locations.

Some people think they should plaster the AdSense ads right at the begining of the screen. I honestly think there is no written rule that works on the entire web, but the ads should not be disruptive.

One of my websites is about an informational topic relating to psychology. Off the start I just threw the ads up there, and they probably were rather disruptive. I then moved them ... and moved them again. Right now I have them primarily placed at the end of the content on that website.

When I created that website the goal was to help and inform, not to make money. Now that the ads are at the end of the content I get to increase my permission asset with my readers before they buy clicking on an AdSense ad...I am certain I will do better at all goals.

Today has been one of my better click through rates since I joined the program... I suppose marketing just makes sense if I just accept common sense and feedback...Its worth it to use a little sense when thinking about where to place my AdSense.

So I finally wrote my SEO book that i was promising to give away on Christmas. Currently it is a 24 page HTML document you can view for a limited time by clicking here.

I also added a reference index in the last day...I may place it in PDF format...what do you think?

thanks
aaron

In the most recent issue of the Jimworld Gazette John Cokos states that he believes the recent Google algorithm shift may be due to the need to reinvent the algorithm wheel.

The PageRank patent is owned by Stanford. With that tie it may be hard for Google to go public without having to donate a large portion of future profits to the college. Some think Google is inventing an algorithm which replaces PageRank...With the recent changes this is rather plausible story, but only time will tell.

Recently Skaffe and GoGuides split ownership. Many have speculated that neither directory will be able to exist with split resources.

Today I submitted a friends website (Paradise Maui) to Skaffe and today I got an email reply stating the submission was accepted to the category I submitted using the exact text I submitted it with.

With the frustration many other directories offer, (such as DMOZ) this is an exceptionally refreshing approach, which forces me to give free advertising to Skaffe! You can submit your site either by becoming an editor or paying a one time $39.99 fee to have your site reviewed. 4 out of every 24 hours will also have a limited time free review open!

Ok so we all need to have a little fun now and then. As I stated earlier I have been trying out some of the directory script software.

Here is a fully functional tounge in cheek directory I titled "Black Hat SEO"

Thanks Bob for telling me the origin of tounge in cheek.

There are literally a ton of websites out there selling text links. From newspapers to newsless papers. Here are a couple of the networks which aim to undermine the ability of search engines to rank websites based primarily on link popularity.

http://www.pradnetwork.com - network with a 50% payout and links starting as cheap as $29.00 a month for PR4

http://www.linkadage.com - online link auction

I see the appeals these networks have. If I could get $15/page per month X multiple thousands of pages I control...I would be making a ton of money.

There are more elequent ways to buy links than blind auctions or blind sales. Given these prices some directories are exceptionally appealing!

How ironic is it when a person spams you to tell you they have a high quality non opt in list that they want to sell you the rights to?
How stupid woud you have to be to buy these rights?
Dear Sirs,

I am intersted in promoting your products & services as an affiliate,
because I have necessary means to hit your target audience! I maintain a
fantastic b2b email list which allows me to contact the directors & the
executives of business websites (over 24,000) and also businesses advertising on pay-per-click search engines (over 17,000).

However: this list is NOT opt-in. At the same time it is of a very high
quality and its use could bring many clients to your company.

Lets think over this opportunity together and I'm sure we'll find a secure
way to make use of this exclusive data.

Please email me to info@ppcexperience.net (instead of
replying to this message).

Sincerely,
Alen Leraux | PPCXP Inc.

So I try to subscribe to a ton of information so I can learn as much as possible.
I probably read close to a hundred pages of text in one form or another...about every day.

It is rather quick that I loose interest in a news source after it prints blatently wrong information. In the lastest issue of About AdSense (#9) they offered a Q and A with the following information:

"Question #5: I recently noticed there was an AdSense ad with a phone number in it (toll free #) as one of the AdWords on my site. This did not make me very happy, since if someone calls, I don't get paid anything. Is this common and what should I do (if anything)?

Answer: This isn't common. Nonetheless, we recommend you email Google and let them know the details. They will almost certainly notify the advertiser that this is inappropriate and disallow that ad."

When you read this it sounds like it is pertinent information. It sounds like truth from an authority. I know it is wrong because I actually did ask Google this quesiton in the past. It is ok to have a phone # in the ad.

If you do want to block ads with phone numbers in them you can specify the ad and block it in your AdSense settings. Its pretty rare that an ad is so compelling that people are just going to call without seeking any further information from the listed site.

The moral of this post is that name or ranking alone should not mean the information is correct. Trusted sources keep being mentioned over and over again by other trusted sources. SearchEngineWach, SearchEngineGuide, Clickz, Internet.com, Marketing Wonk... those are the types of resources that I read and know I am reading news.

Join AdSense!

In an email from Google I was told "Google AdSense is excited to announce the introduction of expanded language support for AdSense publishers. This expansion includes dedicated email support and account pages in French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. New applications for the AdSense program may be submitted in any of these five languages or in English, and AdSense ad code can be placed on pages with content in any of these languages, provided that those pages comply with our program policies and Terms and Conditions."

Its not a new keyword tool, but I figure I should point out good things here and there to make my blog have different news than "every other SEO blog."

While server logs are one of the best ways to verify top placement you can also check your keyword placement using tools such as the one provided by Digital Point.

It requires the use of a free Google API license code, but is efficient for checking keyword ranking changes of a bunch of sites/pages quickly.

New Google Beta Program for book search is released. The new Google technology is nowhere near as comprehensive as that provided by Amazon. Read more from SearchEngineWatch.

By far and away this is my favorite discussion list on the web. I believe it is against the terms of service for me to post stuff from the list, but I hope it is ok to post my own post.

Andrew Goodman (I search moderator) is one of my favorite people in the search engine marketing field, and last week he had a compelling 2,800 word post about the recent Google algorithm shift. I find Marketing Wonk has good stuff every day. If you would like you can subscribe to I search for less than $10 a month.
Here was my response to his amazing post:
I got thinking about it, and Google is actually better in my own eyes for the change they made. I have been playing on the web less than a year and I was already up to #6 for "search engine marketing."

I know a decent amount, but there are tons more people who have seen major shifts in the past, with tons more experience. Any company that relies on a third party to decide the fate of their own best interests is not positioning itself correctly.

In that statement I am talking about how

1.) It was extremely easy to manipulate Google
2.) Google now relies on DMOZ
3.) some people hire SEO firms who rely exclusively on Google

Many people leave themselves completely ignorant to the internet where there are communities that would eat up their knowledge if they just shared a bit of it. My own website was not getting a ton of traffic, but as I lost one of my best key words my traffic actually went up. I wrote articles about the change to the Google algorithm as I learned about it. I got tons of feedback and got to help a bunch of people.

The internet makes testing very easy. It also made making profits and laziness very easy. In the end it just depends on which sandwich we choose to throw in
our lunchbox! (peanut butter is the best)

aaron wall
http://www.searchmarketing.info

MODERATOR RESPONSE:
...................

No, second best. Tuna is the best.

Time recently came out with a new article called Search And Destroy which I did not enjoy.

In my eyes it was apparent the writers knew nothing about search. Listed are a couple quotes which show what I am talking about.

"Should they be allowed to push the websites of their own businesses to the top of the stack? Could a search engine suppress the website of a political party with which its CEO disagreed?"

If it was know that this was happening people would quit using the search engine. Politics are frequently fed by greedy companies who can afford to waste money anyway...as noted on this very site yesterday. The largest drug companies have already started to control ads anyway.

"But when the competition gets stiff and Page has to answer to his shareholders, integrity may be a luxury Google can no longer afford."

I certainly think it will be hard to balance, but there is no way that going public will imediately cause them to loose all of their business ideals which made them a success.

Why you should know a little about Pay Per Click I tend to put things together in my head sometimes. I recently saw some anti Howard Dean marketing attempting to link him to Osama Bin Laden. I also saw that the first week of ads costed $230,000.

My curiosity was then sparked by the recent situation with Sadam. I looked and saw nobody was paying for "Sadam Captured" on Overture yet, and there was only 1 ad displayed for "Sadam Captured" on Google AdWords.

Those people wasting all that money on mass media could be buying ads at a way cheaper rate... (which leads me to believe they are funded by a rich special interest group).

Of the three ads on Google for the word "Saddam" one of them was for a penis patch. Surely some other companies could be profiting off of this search.

Many strong businesses can be designed around ideas in which the marketing is integrated with a product that can be produced on the fly. That is why I recommend that you should know at least a small amount about pay per click even if you outsource it. Here are some of my tips, and my favorite search engine marketing report.
Google AdWords Tips
Pay Per Click Tips
21 Techniques to Maximize your ROI on Google AdWords ($69)

I do not try to perform much pay per click search engine marketing myself, but here is a list of some of the best in the business and a few friends who do.

As if loosing MSN was not bad enough, Looksmart announced that Sprinks and Inktomi do not have plans to renew their contracts either.

I offer a wide array of search optimization services. Generally I am consultant for most people who hire me, but I also can provide search engine optimization services to a few customers at any given time. These are my general areas of expertise

• Copy Optimization: Your copy should read well to the human eye and search engines. If it does not I can help you structure your pages for both.

• Link Generation: To compete for competitive terms you will need to have many incomming links. I will set up your linking program for you.

If you have any questions about improving your website, feel free to email me @ aaron@search-marketing.info or call me at (401)207-1945

Privacy Policy

Ah Ha rebrands itself as Enance Interactive. The new website is located at http://www.enhance.com/

Try a free $10 bid credit signup bonus for trying out the new Enhance Interactive pay per click search engine.

A few things about Google:

PageRank was updated today :)
I have a couple articles about the Google Update.
Part 1
Part 2

Danny Sullivan has created a Florida Update Resource Center

About a month after a management shakeout, GoGuides is on sale to the highest bidder.

On their home page it reads "Notice: GoGuides.Org is for sale! If you think you have what it takes to run one of the fastest growing and most popular human edited directories on the net then this opportunity is for you. Offers will be accepted till 12-3-03. If the minimum reserve price is not met the directory will not be sold. If the directory is sold the buyer must agree to continue running all advertisement, all listings, and agree to continue developing this directory as a spam free community. Minimum Bid Price: $10,000.00 US Dollars. All offers must accompany a 20% down payment of the bid amount via paypal to be considered legitimate. For more information contact us at teamsupport@goguides.org with your offered bid."

Also this is a continuation of my old school blog that was part of my other site. To it, this blog pays homage.