Common Forum Questions & Answers:1) Q: What is the ‘Google Dance’A: The ‘Google Dance’ is what the monthly update is commonly called. It refers to the update process that is visible in the index. The update takes about a week to complete and during that time you will see the listings vary wildly from new data to old while positions will jump up and down (and sometimes completely out) in a SERP as well.
2) Q: When does Google update?A: Google has a standard monthly update which generally occurs at the end of every month. The data for this update is gathered during the preceding weeks. Google has been known to delay updates (or process them sooner than expected) when the mood strikes. Chances are delays are due to new algorithms being implemented and tested.
3) Q: What is “Everflux, Freshbot, Freshcrawl”A: Everflux is when the SERPs appear to change (sites move up and down) while the update is NOT in effect. This is brought about by the Freshbot (or Freshcrawl) and is Googles way of ensuring that their data is the ‘freshest’ on the web. When the phenomena first occurred it was identifiable by the word ‘Fresh!’ and a date appearing on the last line of your listing between the URL and the ‘Cached’ link. The addition of ‘Fresh!’ the word was misleading to the public at large as it appeared to be a comment on the quality of the data not the recency of the crawl (which was what it was) so the word was quickly removed but the date remains. When you see this date attached to your listing you know that it is the product of a ‘Fresh crawl’ or ‘Everflux’. What does this do for you? This enables Google to present the most recent version of your site in their listings and can cause your listing to move up or down in the SERPs. This is not a permanent change of your information within their database and if your site is not re-crawled by the ‘freshbot’ any changes associated with this crawl will fall out in approximately 48hrs. If your site is new to Google and is crawled by the ‘freshbot’
Note: there is no official bot called ‘freshbot’ it is a term used in forums to describe the googlebot that affects these specific changes within SERPs so don’t email them for information regarding the ‘freshbot’ as they will respond that it doesn’t exist! (because it doesn’t)4) Q: When will Google spider my site and how can I tell?
Q: What is googlebot?A: Googlebot (Google’s spider) finds sites by following links from other sites. The more links to your site they find the the chance of Googlebot finding you. They also follow links from their addurl form, but prefer to find links to you instead. You can check to see if/when Googlebot has visited by reviewing your site’s logs located on your server. When Googlebot visits you will see a reference to ‘The little robot that google.com sends out to spider website content GoogleBot’ or ‘crawler12.googlebot.com’ or something similar. They announce who they are. For more on locating and viewing your server logs you need to speak to your hosting company. Many common website statistics (site stats) programs will gather this information and present an easy to read report for you.
5) Q: What is PageRank?A: PageRank is Google’s method of ranking web pages. Google basically counts the number of incoming links to your web PAGE and (considers various other factors) to determine the importance of your web page and where it should rank. Keep in mind that this is only one factor in ranking.
6) Q: Will Google index my (asp, php, html, xml, etc) site?A: Probably. Here is a list of what Google indexes as of 9/12/02 (from Google.com):
http://www.google.com/corporate/facts.htmlhttp://www.google.com/webmasters/facts.htmlHyperText Markup Language (html, pdf, asp, jsp, hdml, shtml, xml, cfml)
Adobe Portable Document Format (pdf)
Adobe PostScript (ps)
Lotus 1-2-3 (wk1, wk2, wk3, wk4, wk5, wki, wks, wku)
Lotus WordPro (lwp)
MacWrite (mw)
Microsoft Excel (xls)
Microsoft PowerPoint (ppt)
Microsoft Word (doc)
Microsoft Works (wks, wps, wdb)
Microsoft Write (wri)
Rich Text Format (rtf)
Text (ans, txt)
Images
Usenet messages
7) Q: I reported spam I found in Google, why is it still there?A: Google does not remove spam just because it was reported. They review the report as soon as they can to determine if it really is spam (imagine, what would you do if it was that easy and your competitor got you removed). If it is particularly bad they may manually remove the offensive site or page but they do try and avoid this when ever possible. If it is not then the site or page will most likely become test material for new filter tweaks. Google always prefer to adjust their filters and algorithms to catch spam.
[Common listing description questions]- Can I change my description?
- What is my description?
- That’s not the description I wanted!
A: The description Google provides with your listing is comprised of what they call Snippets. Snippets are created by taking the searched term and pulling that, along with the surrounding text, from your text data on your page. This Snippet is variable and changes with the search term.
If your site/url has an ODP/DMOZ listing then Google will list the ODP description below the Snippet, indicated by the word ‘Description:’ preceding it. The only way to alter this is by getting your ODP description altered.
9) What are internal links, external links, backlinks?A: Internal links are links to your own site from withing your own site. External links are links to your site from someone else’s site. Backlinks describes the links that Google shows as counting towards your site. Via the Google ToolBar there is a button that states “Backward Links” which when clicked is supposed to show you sites linking to the page your browser is currently viewing. Note that this button does not show all links indexed or credited to your site. Common belief is that it only shows links with a PR4 or above and that it also only shows 1/2 of the links credited to your site/page.
10) What do links have to do with Google?A: Links, internal and external, help Googlebot find the pages within your site so that it can index them. Links also count, to various degrees depending on the link, towards your PageRank.
11) What is proxy.google.com ?A: Google offers wireless services for several devices and go so far as to convert your html site for viewers using wireless appliances (such as cell phones and pda’s).
Google Wireless,
wireless user guide.
Xbox 360 joins with Facebook & Twitter18 10 2009 I have to admit that when I am not working on social media strategies, surfing the web or looking into social media platforms, I am a fan of the xbox 360. I love sitting with a beer and playing some Halo or even downloading a movie with my friends and just doing nothing. Now as some of you know by now, as of last week Oct 11th. Facebook took over the number 2 spot from yahoo. I myself was thrilled, to see a platform such as facebook take over big bad yahoo, It put a smile on my face.
Well as the title topic points out. I turned on my Xbox and was surfing marketplace and saw that Microsoft is in the beta mode of combining with facebook and twitter and soon will offer both o these platforms on xbox live. You can go onto your xbox live marketplace and check out the cool new option that will soon be available; imagining being able to tweet and stay in contact with your friends on your xbox console. Xbox live also gives you a link to go to on the net and become part of this beta experience. I myself dont have that much time to be involved in this experience, but applaud microsoft for staying innovative and constantly taking advantage of social media technology and recognizing the potential, the influence and marketing capabilities that come with this huge step.
Good job Microsoft!!!
Do I really need Social Media Marketing?13 10 2009 You may be asking yourself..what is the big deal over social media marketing? Why are so many businesses turning away from traditional marketing and dwelling into this new and exciting form of marketing. Well thanks to the amazing group of guys at NIELSEN. I have compiled a list of interesting facts that should answer all your questions.
The Popularity of online social networking and video content is deepening web users’ engagement with the internet and is causing a dramatic shift in the global online landscape – both for consumers and for advertisers. Since 2003, the interests of the average online user have shifted significantly, evolving from use of “short-tail” portal-oriented browsing sites – such as shopping directories, guides and internet tools – to sites that contain more specialized “long-tail” content geared to specific and interactive user interests.This change is manifested by the fact that video and social networking sites are the two fastest growing categories in 2009, and will necessitate new ways of thinking about online marketing.
Major highlights from the Global Online Media online landscape report (I got from the guys at NIELSEN…thanks) regarding online video and social networks:
- The number of American users frequenting online video destinations has climbed 339% since 2003. The unique audience for online video surpassed that of email in November 2007.
Time spent on video sites has shot up almost 2,000% over the same period. - In the past year, unique viewers of online video grew 10%, the number of streams grew 41%, the streams per user grew 27% and the total minutes engaged with online video grew 71%.
- There are 87% more online social media users now than in 2003, with 883% more time devoted to those sites.
- In the past year, time spent on social networking sites has surged 73%.
- In February 2009, social network usage exceeded web-based e-mail usage for the first time:
So where is traditional/online advertising in this picture? With the global recession in full swing, online display advertising has plateaued at 20% of total online ad spend in the US. Not surprisingly, online advertising by financial services, automobile and retail companies has declined steeply as a result of ongoing troubles in those industries
On the other hand, several key industries that historically spend significant amounts on advertising – such as healthcare, consumer products and telecommunications – appear to be moving even more spending online.
As a result, though online advertising appears to have lost some of its “favored child status,” the longer-term prospects for global online advertising when the recession abates are brighter, suggesting several reasons why online advertising will continue to be critical:
- Led by social media, search and video, the internet’s share of total ad spend will continue its steady upward trend as global economies emerge from the current recession.
- Given the increased focus on digital marketing by leading packaged goods companies, the internet’s share of commerce will continue to rise as well.
- Marketers are being forced to adapt to social networking capabilities. In the age of Twitter, feedback barriers have all but disappeared, creating a near friction-free environment for playing back brand experience, campaign reactions or brand events.
- The growing use of the mobile web is supporting increasing consumer engagement with web content, in more places and at more times. Some 30% of U.S. mobile subscribers recalled seeing some form of advertising while using their mobile phones, up from 18% one year prior.
The internet remains a place of continuing innovation, with users finding new ways to integrate online usage into their daily lives.In recent years the Internet has changed dramatically as people seek more personalized relationships online. In particular, time spent on social networks and video sites has increased astronomically. Advertisers are starting to positively re-assess the value of the online experience and create more meaningful relationships with consumers.
The Nielsen report which is freely posted on their site (thanks again!) spots trends in a multitude of countries on several continents, also noted that advertisers are increasingly starting to look at their media mix more holistically than ever before.
Let’s face it, the world of social media marketing is here to stay, swimming against the current in this situation would be economic suicide, the tides of change are upon and it is up to us a business owners, corporations and entrepreneurs to ask ourselves not just questions like “do I need social media marketing?” But instead ask yourself, “how am I going to get myself a piece of that big social media pie before it’s all eaten up.”
If you have any other questions on social media marketing and how you can take this information and integrate it into your business strategy, then visit us at
www.businessinmotion.weebly.comStats of social media marketing
25 09 2009
Just some quick stats of social media marketing for all of you out there.
Thanks to compete.com for letting me use this invaluable piece of information.
150 million people around the world are now actively using Facebook and almost half of them are using Facebook every day. This includes people in every continent—even Antarctica. If Facebook were a country, it would be the eighth most populated in the world, just ahead of Japan, Russia and Nigeria. Facebook is used in more than 35 different languages and 170 countries and territories.
Inside Facebook says: “the number of Americans over 35, 45, and 55 on Facebook is growing fast. In the last 60 days alone, the number of people over 35 has nearly doubled
Facebook dominates US visitors over MySpace: “Facebook pulled in 70.278 million unique visitors in the states, compared to MySpace’s 70.237 million,
That made Facebook the most popular site in the U.S., in terms of visitors.
LinkedIn“the site’s traffic is up in the recession. It hit 36 million members last Monday and is adding them at a rate of about one member per second. According to ComScore, it’s gone from about 3.6 million unique monthly visitors a year ago to 7.7 million today
MySpace76 million members in MySpace US, with a U.S. growth rate of 0.8% per month
“The average MySpace user now spends 266 minutes (4.4 hours) on the site every month; a 5% increase over last month and a +31% increase year over year. MySpace says its users spend nearly 100 minutes more per visitor than the closest competitor.”
TwitterAccording to Compete, the growth rate for Twitter was 752%, for a total of 4.43 million unique visitors in December 2008, in the start of 2008, Twitter had only around 500,000 unique monthly visitors.
Lots of stats here: 11% of online adults use Twitter or update their status online
Quantcast data on Twitter indicates that Twitter.com is a top 500 site that reaches over 4.1 million U.S. monthly people. The site attracts a more educated, slightly more female than male, young adult audience
“In February, 4 million people in the U.S. visited the site, up from 2.6 million the month before, according to the latest data from comScore. That represents a 55 percent month-over-month growth rate, compared to 33 percent growth in each of the two months prior.”
XingXing has 6.5 million users, many of which have paid accountsMicrosoft: Live, Hotmail, MessengerNumber of active WL IDs: More than 500 million active Windows Live Ids. Number of Hotmail Users: More than 375 million active accounts worldwide. Number of Messenger Users: More than 320 million active accounts worldwide.
If you have any other questions about social media marketing and how to use any of this information to your advanatage, then visit us at
www.businessinmotion.weebly.com and let us get you into motion!
Billboard vs blogging25 09 2009 Look at the transformation of communication and mass media. Physical objects such as the billboard were once one of the most effective ways to be seen by the masses. Extremely big, very visual and with a huge message. “Come here, save big, great value!” those were the messages of the past.
But take out the size, the sometime “ideal” location and what do you have. A big object in the sky that really doesn’t tell the consumer to much about you, your company or your product.
The way we communicate in this century is changing at a faster pace then most would like to admit. While the baby boomers of last century still hold tight to their billboards, yellow pages and newspaper ads. The days of billboard marketing (as I like to call it) are slowly coming to an end. The consumer of today needs more substance and easier better ways to find out information. Anyone can look into the sky as they drive down the road and see an advertisement. But that’s as deep as it gets.
Blogging on the other hand is in my opinion a better more effective way to market your product. It allows the seller to address his target market in a very personal way, informing them about every aspect of their product and also allowing comment and testimonial from consumers.
Blogging accomplishes what a one line catch phrase billboard can’t. It puts the reputation of the sellers directly in the hands of the consumer by making their words accountable.
Billboard marketing and other forms of traditional marketing are in my opinion worn out and out of date. The days of social media marketing are upon us. And the faster that entrepreneurs and other businesses get involved the easier the transition would be for the rest of the world.
If you want to learn how to make the world of social media marketing work for you then visit us on our website at
www.businessinmotion.weebly.com and find out how we can get your business into motion!
Changes in time and marketing 15 09 2009
Consider how technology has changed they way business owners and corporations market themselves and their products or services. In the 60’s 70’s the 80’s and even into the mid 90’s the methods were the same, Not because we all thought the same, but because of the limitations that we live in always hindered how we could market ourselves and what we wanted to offer the world.
And now we are well into the new century-The age of the internet and the endless possibilities that it offers. And what astonishes and confuses me is that even though marketing has changed drastically over the years, the way that business owners and corporations market themselves have yet to catch up or even get a hint of the times.
Traditional marketing in some ways is almost like the stone age of man. How can you think of publishing a add in a newspaper especially when you hear on the news or read online(better forms of media in my opinion) that most of them are going bankrupt, or going to online print only. Granted I like to read the newspaper, I am a huge fan of sitting at my table, drinking a coffee and reading the paper.
Handing out flyers on car windshields and door knobs is another form of marketing that costs the business owner more then it brings in. I was at the store the other day and watch a women take the flyer that was on her windshield and throw it on the ground as she got into her car and drove away. We all have to admit that we are guilty of the same infraction.
Those are just some of the thoughts and ways that we as owners have to steer ourselves away from. Traditional marketing still has roots in this economy, but those roots are lessening. The age of information that we live in makes traditional marketing even harder to follow. Honestly ask yourself when was the last time you looked in the yellow pages ( not online) or the newspaper for a business ad or a place to fix your car or a deal going on. I personally sit down and look online for what I want or need. My wife does the same.
The technology of today makes it so much easier for people to look up, research and reference a company, corporation, even a person. We as business owners need to recgonize that the times have changed, as well as the power and convience of the internet and learn how this technology can increase our visiblity beyond what traditional marketing can do for us, or even offer and that they fall hand in hand. The increase in online technology not only benefits the worlds markets, but it also makes it easier for individuals to seek out, research and reference a business, its owner-employees and even a person.
We need to think outside of the box. If you need help making this happen, then let business in motion show you how social media marketing can help improve your online visibility, attract new customers and maintan solid customer relations.
www.businessinmotion.weebly.com
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