August Search Engine News From
www.searchengine-news.com
Google - Link Command Usefulness Fading - The standard method for checking incoming links to a site has always been to enter link:http://www.domain.com into the search field. Unfortunately, however, during the month of July we noticed that the command has been rendered far less useful than was previously the case on Google. ... Anyway, to get more accurate link counts, we suggest that you run the same search over at Yahoo. That will give you a pretty good idea of how many backlinks a site has. And, when you compare the difference between Google's backlink results and Yahoo's, you'll see how obvious it is that Google isn't reporting all the incoming links they know about.
New Browse by Name feature in the Google Toolbar - Google added a < I>Browse by Name feature in their toolbar. The idea is to enable a user to type a keyword into the Internet Explorer (IE) address field and be connected to the appropriate web site.
Overture - Launches New Search Optimizer - July 27th Overture announced the launch of their Search Optimizer campaign management product. Overall, the service is geared towards larger advertisers or companies managing large campaigns.
Ask Jeeves / Teoma - Ask Jeeves announced on July 26th that they will be extending their AdWords deal with Google through 2007.
MSN - MSN recently announced they will no longer display the Site Match listings that were previously provided by Yahoo via Overture.
ODP / DMOZ - No changes to report for the past 30 days at ODP.
Yahoo - We've received a number of reports complaining that Yahoo isn't listing all the pages within a site via their free index. If you're experiencing the same problem, it might be little consolation to learn you aren't alone.
Keep Your Site Fresh to Rank Higher! From
1. According to Google (http://www.richswebdesign.com/news34.shtml#10g ), keeping your site's content fresh is one of the top ways to improve your rankings!
2. According to www/SearchEngineNews.com - Oct. 2003 - (http://www.richswebdesign.com/news16.shtml#10a) – Sites that frequently update their page content seem to appear more often in the top 10 of popular search phrases.
3. According to www/SearchEngineNews.com - July 2003 (http://www.richswebdesign.com/news31.shtml#7a ) - Many sites are still suffering from loss of ranking or intermittent disappearance. ...The most likely cause, especially if your site is somewhat new, is that it has been dropped from the "fresh sites" part of the index.
What does this mean to you? Simply, keep your content FRESH and UP-TO-DATE! ... Not just once a month, but constantly!! - ( http://www.richswebdesign.com/googledance.shtml ) But if you do NOT want high rankings and you do NOT want visitors to visit your site on a regular basis, keep the information that represents your business stale and stagnant.
A web site can be one of the most effective and dynamic tool in presenting your business to the public. How does your business look? Would you purchase items or services from your own web site?
Law May Curb Cell Phone Camera Use From
Mark S. Sullivan, Medill News Service - Friday, July 23, 2004
Federal Video Voyeurism Prevention Act aims to protect privacy in public places.
WASHINGTON -- Cell phone camera voyeurism will soon be a federal offense if the Video Voyeurism Prevention Act of 2004 continues its nearly unopposed march through Congress.
The bill, designed to protect people's privacy from prying camera phones, needs only to pass the House of Representatives and to be signed by the president to become law. While Congress didn't consider it before recessing this week, proponents say chances are good the bill could pass this year.
Still, cell phone manufacturers, while not actively opposing it, are quietly skeptical of laws that criminalize cell phone camera snooping. ...
Privacy in Public - The Video Voyeurism Prevention Act prohibits photographing or videotaping a naked person without his or her consent in any place where there can be "a reasonable expectation of privacy." Punishment would include fines of up to $100,000 or up to a year in prison, or both. ...
Industry Skeptical - Cell phone vendors say such a law may be hard to enforce at best, and may even be a deterrent to promising technology.
"I think it will just create a false sense of security," says Keith Nowak, Nokia media relations manager. "If somebody wants to do something illicit, they will always find a way to bypass the law." ...
To read the entire article, go here!
Dell wants to teach Web surfers a security lesson From
 on Tuesday unveiled a plan to educate its customers on how to protect their computers from an onslaught of spyware, adware and viruses.
Spyware programs keep a tab on a user's Internet activity and gather personal information from a computer--without the user's knowledge. Dell said nearly 20 percent of the calls received by its consumer desktop technical support team relate to spyware and virus problems. Malicious-software incidents are increasing in number, as more consumers begin using broadband and wireless access--which is always connected to the Internet.
The computer maker has also set up a new PC Security site to help customers identify online security threats and ways to handle them. The Web site also features antivirus and antispyware products as well as links to partner sites. Dell also said it would work with a consumer education group, the Internet Education Foundation, to help its customers. ...
Following Tuesday's announcement, Dell plans to further educate its customers about security and to later beef up the capabilities of its PCs in order to combat spam, spyware and pop-up ads using new software. ...
However, Dell also intends to add more specialized help desk phone support cues for assisting customers in tasks such as setting up networks and troubleshooting printers.
For the entire article, go HERE!
"Seven Things You Must Know to Increase Conversions!" From
1. First, get clear on your website goals. - What exactly does your site offer? Do you want visitors to request information? Download a demo? Buy a product? Begin by getting clear on the specific actions you want visitors to take on your website and design your web site to funnel visitors towards these actions.
Think about every opportunity that you have to fulfill a visitor's need, whether that need be for a product or a service or for information. Each of these opportunities is a conversion point - an opportunity to make an online sale or to request visitor information and create a new lead. ...
2. Attract buyers, not visitors. - Many marketers put a great deal of effort into attracting the largest number of visitors possible to their site. You could end up losing money on pay-per-click campaigns if you follow this strategy. What you really want are the visitors who are most likely to convert - those who are actively looking for exactly what you have to offer. ...
3. Make a promise. - What you say in your search ad is often as important as a high search engine ranking. Make a promise and use the search keywords in your promise. If the keyword is "hot tub': promise "Order today, enjoy your new hot tub tomorrow. Free fast shipping:' If the keyword is "best price BrandX': promise "We'll beat any price on a new BrandX'_ ...
4. Deliver on your promise - quickly. - OK, you've attracted your visitor. What do they find when they get to your site? Be careful- your home page might be the single largest obstacle to conversion. According to Catherine Seda, author of Search Engine Advertising: Buying Your Way to the Top to Increase Sales:
"Do not, I repeat do not, send search engine users to your home page without a very convincing reason...lf online consumers use a search engine to direct them to a topic but don't see it addressed on the web page they visit, they'll abandon that site:' ...
5. Offer multiple options for conversion. - Don't underestimate the usefulness - to both you and your visitor - of providing different conversion options and paths on your website and e-mail blasts. Even if your focus is e-commerce, try adding lead-generation activities such as Contact Me or Sign up for Newsletter links on your landing pages. Many visitors who don't buy on their first visit will sign up for a newsletter. You'll have the opportunity to convert these visitors later via newsletter promotions. ...
6. Conversion - make it painless. - You've attracted your customer, they've filled their shopping cart or they have agreed to provide information about themselves. Moving quickly past the transaction to the 'Thank you and enjoy!" page will increase conversions. If your conversion is a registration, auto-fill in the form as much as possible. For sales transaction! Show the buyer exactly where they are in the checkout process each step of the way. ...
7 . Test, test, test - Boosting conversions on your site is an ongoing process of testing and refining. As you implement changes, you'll be able to use your web analytics software to see how you are doing. Urchin is the perfect tool to help you find out:
Which search engines and search keywords deliver the visitors most likely to convert. . Which email blasts and other campaigns deliver the visitors most likely to convert. . Which copy works best.
Which landing pages and web content work best.
Average click value and how much you should spend on each keyword.
Revenue and ROI for each campaign, referral source, and keyword
Where visitors prematurely leave your site.
And much, much more.
Get started and Good Luck!
For the full article, GO HERE, or to www.Urchin.com.
"Common Mistakes: Home Page Design" From
What pitfalls should companies avoid on their Web, Intranet or portal home pages?
The home page of a Web site, Intranet or portal is the most important page. It should tell site visitors, what they can do precisely deeper in the site or at least inform them, what they may be able to expect. However, in most cases, the home page is just a compromise to satisfy internal politics and neglecting site visitors' needs. To set up an effective home page that matches corporate objectives and user's expectations the following pitfalls should be avoided:
1) Too much information instead of links: Many home pages provide detailed information such as complete news, company description, etc. or are overloaded with images. Site visitors do not want to read information on the home page nor guessing what might be hidden behind an image. They want to find a link to start navigating to the information, which they came for...
2) Animations / animated links: Even though that usability research clearly shows that animations such as rotating banners, animated text, etc. distracts site visitors, it is still used on many business sites. In most cases, marketing managers request Web designer to implement animations although designers know that animations are more destructive than increasing site effectiveness...
3) Not telling what site users can do on the site: Site visitors do not go unintentionally to a Web site. They have a specific action in mind such as finding pricing information, applying for a job, downloading the annual report, etc. Using action verbs such as download, apply, compare, discover, etc. facilitates site visitors to find immediately the link to start their scenario. ...
4) Missing the home page basics: There are a few usability practices, which Web designer should implement on the home page such as:
Home page length less than two screens at a resolution of 800x600, best would be to fit within one screen. Place strategic links on the first screen (upper half of the home page, if the home page exceeds one screen), as site visitors generally do not scroll on navigation pages and hence would miss the important links.
Links to site support tools such as site map or site search. About 30 percent of site visitors prefer finding their information using site search. Therefore it is crucial that Web sites provide search functionality (e.g. the search box) directly from the home page.
Link to privacy policy from the text navigation at the bottom and link to the company profile (navigation bar and text navigation bar).
Company logo available in the upper left corner. However, it should not provide an active link on the home page but from any other pages within the site.
Navigation consistency with the rest of the site. Ensure that the navigation on the home page is consistent with the rest of the site to avoid user confusion.
For the entire article, go HERE!
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Rich@RichsWebDesign.com
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