Brisbane Search Engine Optimization » SEO « Training - Advice - Tools - Resources » text

Blogging with TextMate - Derek Punsalan - 5ThirtyOne

admin — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:05:03 +0000

Blogging with TextMate - Derek Punsalan - 5ThirtyOne
A personal site by Derek Punsalan sharing personal interests with technology, WordPress, design, and general geekery.

Yahoo “Glue Pages” Debut in the US

admin — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 21:05:05 +0000

Yahoo “Glue Pages” Debut in the US
Yesterday, Yahoo! launched a beta version of “Glue Pages”, a new search experience that adds media such as images, video and blogs to standard text results when typing a query. As of now, the new beta feature is limited to U.S. users, but it should be soon rolled out to other internationalized versions of the site.

Pages Indexed, Descriptions and Title Tags

admin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:06:11 +0000

Pages Indexed, Descriptions and Title Tags
How important is it to have a large number of indexed sites through Google? If so, how do we increase the number, and how do we edit what text appears under the link?

Election Tools from Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL

admin — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:05:14 +0000

Election Tools from Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and AOL

I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that election day is next Tuesday. Whether you’re observing or you’re breaking out the campaign gear for some hardcore get out the vote effors this weekend, here are some tools to help you keep up with the news and your efforts:

Google Earth

You can download a KML file that lets you search results from past elections, since 1980. The data is broken down and can show you how different regions of the country voted - even by county. I used to work as a political consultant, and let me tell you - this kind of data is heavily relied on. It’s a bit of a late release for campaigns, who already have this data. But it’s great for political junkies.

Google News

Trying to remember what a candidate said on an issue? Just type their name into Google News. If Google has indexed a quote by that person, it will appear on top of the search results in the one box.

Google Mobile

Want to know your precinct location? The Google Mobile team has created a special tool just for that purpose. Go to m.google.com/elections on your mobile phone, type in your address and you’ll be directed to your precinct.

The tool did not point me to early voting locations, which in my state are not the same as Election Day precinct locations.

As cool as that is, always verify with your local elections office. Google even helps you do that. They have a box where you enter your state’s abbreviation, and it will pull up relevant links to voting information.

Yahoo Elections Hub and Political Dashboard

Yahoo makes the most of its successful portal platforms with its Elections Hub and Political Dashboard. The dashboard is a super slick map showing the latest poll results. Hopefully they update it with real time results on election night. I can totally see myself keeping the dashboard open while watching results come in on the tv.

Microsoft Live Search xRank

xRank, Live Search’s buzz tool, has a politician section. It’s no surprise that the Rep and Dem presidential and vice presidential candidates take the top 4 spots today. The rest of the top 20 is filled with senate and gubernatorial races, with Hillary Clinton and George Bush thrown in for good measure.

MSN Election Live Q&A

Q&A is Live Search’s answer product, and over at the MSN Election Guide, you can find the Election Live Q&A. It’s pretty straightforward. You can ask and answer questions about the election in real time.

AOL Elections Toolbar

AOL has a toolbar for IE and Firefox that can keep you up to date with election news. If you like to surf the net while watching TV - this could be an ideal toolbar for you come Tuesday night.

Well, hopefully that’s enough to keep you busy and up to date.

Got any tools to share? Leave your suggestions in the comments.

Savvy Competitor Analysis and Keyword Research Your Competitors Aren't Doing

admin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:05:09 +0000

Savvy Competitor Analysis and Keyword Research Your Competitors Aren't Doing
First, let’s tackle competitive analysis. As an entrepreneur, you’re no doubt familiar with some of the conventional wisdom about how to handle competitors. Do your research. Check public records and disclosures about big name firms in your industry. Assess your goals, branding plans, and future efforts in the context of the presumptive goals of your industry rivals. Understand why customers choose competitors over your firm — both why they like your rivals and why they refuse to work with you.

Blogging Baghdad: The Untold Story - MSNBC.com

admin — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:05:27 +0000

Blogging Baghdad: The Untold Story - MSNBC.com
About this blog. Blogging Baghdad aims to provide a dynamic look at the story behind the story of covering the news in Iraq. Online entries – from text to video blogs – will

Using Robots.txt to Control Search Engines

admin — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:05:07 +0000

Using Robots.txt to Control Search Engines
Robots.txt is a text file you put on your site to tell search robots which pages you would like them not to visit. Robots.txt implements the Robots Exclusion Protocol, which allows you as a web manage…

Yahoo Begins Offline Advertising Campaign for Search

admin — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:05:19 +0000

Yahoo Begins Offline Advertising Campaign for Search

Yahoo is beginning an aggressive advertising campaign in order to get people to use it (again) for search.

Expect to see display ads (like the one below) and hear radio ads as the campaign unfolds.

The Yahoo Search blog posted a radio ad on its blog. It uses the concept of searching the web as a jungle and that users need Yahoo’s security measures to protect them from the dangerous and even wacky stuff on the web.

What do you think of the new advertising push by Yahoo? Leave your first impressions in the comments.

Why Keywords In Page Titles Are Important

admin — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:05:09 +0000

Why Keywords In Page Titles Are Important
It is highly recommended to use keywords in page titles themselves. This title tag is different from a Meta tag, but it’s worth considering it in relation to them. Whatever text one places in the titl…

Google’s “In Quotes” Search Helps the Spin Go Round and Round

admin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:05:06 +0000

Google’s “In Quotes” Search Helps the Spin Go Round and Round

Just in time for the debates (whenever they happen), Google has released a political search engine called “In Quotes.” The search engine helps people find what John McCain or Barack Obama have said about a variety of issues. (For elections in Canada, India, or the UK, see the drop-down menu in the top right hand corner.)

Sad but true, elections are often won and lost on one-liners, whether they be gaffes or zingers. Now, “In Quotes” will help passionate politicos perpetuate the sound bites fast and furious.

Interestingly enough, the “quotes” that appear on the front page are already soundbites culled by reporters. It would be a little more helpful if the search results provided excerpts from speeches posted on the candidates’ websites so that people could (finally) start investigating the context of what was said.