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"HEO - or, Human Engine Optimization. Websites optimized for you and me." 2007-07-20 11:05:00 There are currently an estimated 6 billion users on the internet in our day and age.* Practically 99% of the entire world population is online. Sharing pictures, posting to blogs, meeting friends, downloading music, and whatever else it is people do online.Today I would like to talk about the most important of all of those 6 billion users - you. You are number one out of 6 billion users, and that makes you pretty important. Yes you. Reading this right this very second, I'm talking to you.Out of the billions of websites on the internet, none are more important than the ones you like - because, remember, you are user number one out of 6 billion. Nothing is more important than what you say. And there is nothing cooler than what you bookmark through your browser or through social bookmarking sites - such as Delicious, Digg, or StumbleUpon.But why is it that the websites you like are the best ones in the entire world? Because you think they are. That's why.Let me explain.I call it HEO - Read more:Engine
, Optimization
, Websites
"If you're not on the bandwagon yet, you should seriously consider hopping on right about now." 2007-07-19 10:00:00 Search engine optimization (or SEO) is a growing field, not a dying one as others would have you believe. In-fact, I would even say that search engine optimization is still in it's crawling phase, and we're going to see a lot of changes and growth in the field within the next 15 years. If you're not on the bandwagon yet, you should seriously consider hopping
on right about now.Every business that has the power to be online is quickly discovering the power of optimizing for search engines like Google and Yahoo. Even major corporations are beginning to realize the power of search engines and - even though they hardly need it - they are optimizing themselves online to reap the benefits associated with the number one spot on a Google, Yahoo, or MSN search. We're talking giant fortune companies, the ones with millions of millions of dollars invested in their websites, getting interested in optimization.When giant companies, who gained billions of links over the past thirty years - witho
"Your blog is like your body. If you fill it with loads of crap, it won't work very well." 2007-07-18 10:41:00 There are too many bloggers out there who are writing crap and trying to get away with it. They don't understand that piling junk into their blog isn't going to help their blog be healthy. Just because you can write, doesn't mean you can write well - and it doesn't mean anyone will be interested. For the sake of potential readers, don't be a junk food blogger.Your blog is like your body. If you fill it with loads of crap, it won't work very well. But if you take the time and energy to fill it with good, wholesome things, it will work beautifully.It's simple to write content. Anyone can do it. I spend a few days a week writing up articles for Internet Hunger, and I post new content every weekday. But I do my best to make sure the content is good, interesting, and wholesome. And that's where the line needs to be drawn. It's great if you can come up with content, but don't post it unless you're sure it's got potential.Bloggers who devote time to their writings - inspecting for
"Sphinn.com is basically a popularity contest." 2007-07-17 10:34:00 Social media websites are driving the internet forward. Websites like Digg, Facebook, and Netscape are helping people meet, communicate, and be-friend one another. Not only are address books filling up through these online connections, but these social media sites allow the internet to be funneled into an easy-to-use website. Giving just about anybody access to the best in news, entertainment, and almost anything else you can imagine.That's why search engine marketeers and optimizers rejoiced this past week, as Danny Sullivan launched a social media site specifically for innovative, online marketers. It's called Sphinn - pronounced however you feel comfortable pronouncing it. Amidst the excitement of this new portal for internet marketers, a lot of people didn't seem to notice that Sphinn isn't all it's cracked up to be - yet. As is, Sphinn.com is basically a popularity contest.Anybody who is anybody in internet marketing is either using Sphinn already, or is in the process of
"Instead of trying to show off your mad skills, focus on simplicity and you will be greatly rewarded." 2007-07-16 11:07:00 A lot of new - or inexperienced - web designers like to show of their skills and make their websites fairly complicated, a mistake you probably do as well. By adding unnecessary technologies to a web page, creating a complicated navigation system, and simply having elements that are completely useless, your website could be losing a lot of valuable visitors every day.By simplifying your website, your viewers have quick access to the information they need, your website becomes much easier to manage and update, and search engines will post your website more accurately and fully. All of these benefits can be achieved by avoiding the fluff of website design. Instead
of trying to show off your mad skills, focus on simplicity and you will be greatly rewarded
.The first thing you should do is review the technology used on your website. You should be able to do everything you need to using only two or three technologies. If your website is using XHTML, CSS, AJAX, Flash, and JavaScript to achiev
"The President of the United States of America was killed today, you could be a suspect." 2007-07-13 10:25:00 Within the first 10 seconds of visiting a website, visitors decide whether or not the website is worth their time. Webmasters have only a few options to make visitors interested in staying on their website for longer than a few seconds. I call this the "so what?" effect.A great tactic for making visitors care - or feel obligated to stay on your website for a duration of time - is addressing the "so what" effect. Obviously, you could lie and say "the President
of the UnitedStates
of America
was killed today, you could be a suspect
." to get attention. But once you got your visitors attention you would have to confess that you lied to them (unless, of course, the President really was killed and your visitors could be suspects), risking the loss of hundreds of loyal visitors. So, here is one way you can make your website pass the "so what" effect and keep visitors interested longer than 10 seconds.Make your visitors feel important.Most websites that offer services, valuable information, o
"Valuable tips for any link lover, as I have learned from experience." 2007-07-12 11:39:00 One of the most crucial - and beneficial - strategies to promoting a website is linking. While there are hundreds of ways to obtain links, one method has remained strong since internet marketing began. Of course, I'm talking about manually tracking down, working with, and obtaining links.Yet, despite how simple manually working with links sounds, it can be a daunting task. So I've come up with a few tips and tricks on how to make a link building campaign less stressful. Some of these may seem obvious, but are easy to forget. And all of these are valuable tips for any link lover
, as I have learned from personal experience
.When communicating, be human. When writing an e-mail to a webmaster, be human. You want to keep things formal, but don't sound like a robot. Act as if you were e-mailing an old friend, comment on features of their website that you admire, avoid using terms such as "link exchange." And, above all, be friendly. If you can create a connection between yourself and the p
"It isn't about tricks. It is about good structure and good writing practices." 2007-07-11 12:09:00 I recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat about the future of the internet with talented author and professional speaker James Huggins. James is a professional speaker on technology, ebusiness, and other technology related topics. He's also a technologist with more than 30 years of information technology experience. He runs a personal website over at jamesshuggins.com, where you can read more about him and the things he has been doing for technology over the past few years.When I first got in contact with James, I was interested in his philosophy on link trading. He's got an entire page devoted to link exchanges. "I believe that if a site truly wishes to benefit its own visitors, then it should link to another site, if, and only if, that link would benefit its visitors," says James.While planning for links, keeping your focus on your visitors while working on your website - rather than focusing on search engine results - has its clear benefits. And by keeping your visitors Read more:tricks
, writing
"If you wear a swimming suit to the party - instead of a business suit - you'll make more sales." 2007-07-10 12:18:00 The internet, as we know it, is quickly becoming one giant pool party. If you wear a swimming suit to the party - instead of a business suit - you'll make more sales.The pool party, or as it is commonly referred to, the internet, was created for one reason: to help people meet and connect. Now, in the year 2007, we are seeing connections from all over the world. These "social media websites" are springing up left and right. Connecting people from Spain with others from Russia. Citizens of Asia or India can video chat, e-mail, and send documents to people in Canada or Tonga. And the world is picking up on this social interaction - almost everyone who owns a computer is socializing through the internet. The pool party is growing every day.There's a valuable marketing strategy here, but there are millions of webmasters who aren't getting involved with it - despite the fact that it's easy to do.The strategy I'm referring to is interaction.Of course, any website that wants to sell some
"The top five ways to grab attention and make a good first impression with your homepage." 2007-07-23 10:10:00 The average online user spends anywhere from five seconds to 15 seconds to get an impression about a homepage that is new to them. Most of the time a user will determine that a website is useless to them by the content on the single page, and leave - never to return.I don't want that to happen to your website, I want your website to be successful. Besides, losing any visitors is losing something valuable. So here is a quick list of the top five ways to grab attention
and make a good first impression with your homepage.Following these simple guidelines will not only ensure visitors to your homepage stay longer than 15 seconds, these methods will also create a lasting, good impression with your visitors.Keep the focus on a single goal. Whatever the goal of your website is, that is what the focus of your homepage should be on. No matter what type of content you want on your homepage, if it isn't related - somehow - to your goal, it's pointless. Your viewers are going to be - most likel
"The most effective way to get your website to the top of the search results pages." 2007-07-25 15:43:00 Search engine optimization is big. You can easily optimize your website
, and reap the benefits by doing so, right now.Because so much web traffic is being sent from - and to - search engines, the benefits of your website being on the top of search results
page is huge. I've found the most effective
way to get your website to the top of the search results pages (or SERP for Search Engine Results Page) for any keyword you want. And I'm going to tell you that method right now. You won't have to pay a penny for this information, and I can guarantee it will increase your website's rank. The key to SEO is...Produce quality content on each page of your website.Now get to it.
"Give me two minutes of your time and I'll give your website more business." 2007-07-24 12:47:00 Do you want to know the secret to getting thousands of visitors to your website
daily? The secret to making 10 times more sales? The secret to making your website into one of the most well known? I'm going to tell you what that secret is. I'm going to give you the secret that can get you everything mentioned above, and more. Give me two minutes
of your time and I'll give your website more business - or, at least, the secret to getting more business for your website.The secret is a mixture of two valuable aspects of your life: time and communication.No, you didn't read that wrong. Simply having some spare time and communicating can get you thousands of extra visitors, make you 10 times more sales, and make your website one that will be referred to for years to come. But it's only a collaboration of both time and communication that will make your website truly successful - whatever your website's purpose is.The easiest, and most effective, way to market yourself is by communicatin
"Everything you thought about online marketing is completely wrong." 2007-07-27 15:46:00 The field of search engine optimization is always changing, and that's what makes it exciting. Yet, the same changes that make search engine optimization exciting, make it a struggle to work with. If your business is shying away from optimization, you're losing valuable customers.Search algorithms used by the major search engines are being tweaked randomly - and the rate at which they change is rapidly becoming smaller. Updates to the webmaster guidelines are made more frequently with each passing day. The rules of SEO change on a weekly basis. The strategies and approaches towards search engine optimization are not set in stone, and their benefits can change without notice. What you think you know one day could be completely
different the next.Weeks worth of work could "go to waste" in an instant. One minute your website is on top of every search engine in the world, the next minute your website can't even be found and everything you thought
about online
marketing is completely wro Read more:Everything
"Websites like SEOmoz and LifeHack don't focus on giving their visitors a good experience - you shouldn't either." 2007-07-30 12:11:00 Do you want your visitors to go away from your website thinking, "That was a really good experience
."? If your visitors have a good experience at your website, they're more likely to come back again and again.Why not give your visitors a great experience instead? It's fairly easy to turn a website that offers a good browsing experience into a website that offers a great browsing experience. All you have to do is give your visitors what they're looking for, and then you give them more.Websites
like SEOmoz and LifeHack don't focus on giving their visitors a good experience - you shouldn't either
. Instead of focusing on giving visitors a good website experience, SEOmoz and LifeHack give their visitors a great experience by having the things a typical visitor would look for on their website, and then giving them more.Once someone finds themselves at the SEOmoz site, for example, they have the option to look around at all of the typical search engine optimization firm options - types o
"Nobody seems to realize that the Unavailable_After tag is the new sliced bread." 2007-08-02 14:59:00 Google announced last Friday that they have created a new meta tag for webmasters to use with the Google bots. The tag is properly named "Unavailable_After" and it allows web masters to set a date and time when a specific web page will no longer appear in the Google search results. There has been quite a bit of talk among SEOs regarding the tag and I'm surprised it has gotten such attention.The typical response from both SEOs and webmasters is that the new meta tag is practically useless.To anybody who thinks they have an idea of what the "unavailable_after" tag is, or isn't, I say: phooey. Nobody
seems to realize that the "Unavailable_After" tag is the new sliced bread.When Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the bread slicing machine back in 1912, bakers told him it was useless. They told him that the sliced bread would go stale too quickly and that the bread slicing machine basically served no purpose.Here we are, 95 years later, and you can't walk into a gas station, a grocery sto
"Hamburger advertisements are a major reason why the internet appeals to you and me." 2007-08-01 10:20:00 Have you ever seen an advertisement for a hamburger or similar food product and thought to yourself "That looks good, I think I'll get that"? Have you gone and bought the hamburger after looking at the advertisement? Have you then realized that, despite what you originally believed, the actual hamburger looks nothing like the hamburger being advertised? Hamburger
advertisements are a major reason why the internet appeals to you and me.Let me explain.Advertisers know that, in order to sell their product, they have to make their product appeal to the masses. For the example of a hamburger: advertisers hire professional photographers, who use professional lighting to take shots from special angles. The advertisers spend hours putting together a simple hamburger - though, in the real world, it would take 35 seconds to slop together. They create the perfect product to be advertised.It's not cheating, but it's not quite the truth. The surprising thing is that you and I don't care. We see
"Rand Fishkin speaks out about himself, the future of search engine optimization, Seattle, and ice cream." 2007-08-03 10:14:00 Search engine optimization king and devourer of good ice cream, Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz, was kind enough to take five minutes out of his hectic work life last week to answer some questions with Internet Hunger. Here, Rand Fishkin speaks out about himself, the future of search engine optimization, Seattle
, and ice cream.Rand is the CEO and co-founder of Seattle based SEOmoz. Proclaimed as "the major authority on SEO, Social Media, Humor, and tips on running an SEO agency" by Search Engine Journal, SEOmoz is one of the leading online optimization and marketing firms in the world. Here's what Mr. Fishkin had to say:Â Internet Hunger: To start things off, really quickly, who are you?Rand: Who am I? I assume you mean in the professional sense rather than the philosophical one. I'm the head of a small company, focused on providing services and community to people in the search marketing field. I've been a consultant on everything from web design to usability to information architecture wit
"Say goodbye to CNN and FOX News. It's time for a better news source: you." 2007-08-08 11:48:00 Do you like to be up-to-date on the latest happenings? How about being informed of the latest in technological advancements? Do you like to know what's going on around the world? If you like news, say goodbye to CNN
and FOX News
. It's time for a better
news source: you.As the internet expands and you and I start to network ourselves across the web through websites like Myspace, Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, etc. a unique thing is happening: we're reducing the worth of traditional news media like CNN and Fox News. Major newspapers are slowly, but surely, becoming obsolete.Professional journalists and reporters are losing their jobs, or scrambling to get a decent story. But the problem with the old news networks is still around, and it will be their downfall within the next few years.I'm talking about bias and useless news.How many times have you turned on the television or opened the local newspaper to find reports on practically nothing? Do you know of a TV news station that has an e
"What social media sites can offer you - other than links - that you might be overlooking." 2007-08-07 11:01:00 A lot of webmasters and search engine optimizers don't realize the full power of social media
websites. If you're like a lot of online users, you figure social media sites like Digg and Netscape are a great place to get exposure and a some great traffic. Let me tell you what social media sites can offer you - other than links
- that you might be overlooking.Back in July a new social media website called Sphinn was released. Sphinn is a social site for search engine optimizers and marketers, with a huge focus on search engine related news and articles. There hasn't been any big SEO and online marketing community driven sites like Sphinn, so a lot of big names were quick to jump on board. If you haven't already, take a look around and register over at Sphinn.On July 17th I wrote a post about how "Sphinn.com is basically a popularity contest", which made it to the front page of Sphinn and is currently residing in the "Greatest Hits" archive of the site.The purpose of the article was n
"Resources so valuable, your website will never be the same." 2007-08-06 03:40:00 You need to get the best out of your website
or blog. Let's be honest, it's not easy. However, I have found some great online tools for webmasters and bloggers that aren't widely known, but are so useful that you'd be making a mistake if you didn't check them out. Resources
so valuable, your website will never be the same.Crazyegg - Visualization of your site visitors.Crazyegg is an unbelievably great resource for webmasters. Crazyegg allows you to visually see stats on your website. You can see where your visitors are clicking - or not clicking - as well as where hits are coming from, search phrases, what browsers your visitors are using, and more.Serph - Track buzz around the web.Serph is a search engine that lets you find what people are saying about a specific topic (you, your business, your blog) on the web. Great for looking up the latest buzz around the internet, brought to you by the same people who made Crazyegg.McDar Keyword Analysis Tool - Google keyword ranking analysi
"The days of typical websites are no more, say hello to the digital experience." 2007-08-10 10:25:00 Have you heard of web 2.0? It came suddenly in the middle of the night, and even web professionals aren't quite sure what it is. You should know exactly what it is, because it can turn your website from a simple website, into something much, much more.Web 2.0 means that typical websites are becoming obsolete.Websites are now more than just online shops, forums, and digital hubs. Websites that create emotions, capture attention, and activate senses in the mind, are creating an experience
for visitors. The days of typical websites are no more, say hello to the digital experience.Good writing creates emotions through words.Never has the ability to write well had an impact on such a wide population. Having the ability to write well on your website, blog, forum posts, or even your Twitter account, is crucial to your website's success. Your choice of words and your use of proper grammar affects your readers experience when they visit your website.When you use confident words on your websit
"Google isn't just a search engine, it's a business. If you forget that, you're setting yourself up." 2007-08-09 02:21:00 64% of all searches done on the internet are through Google
.* That's more than half of all searches online, making Google a colossal search engine. But Google isn't just a search engine, it's a business. If you forget that, you're setting yourself up.A corporation that is not only viewed as one of the greatest search engines, but also as one of the most significant, well-run, outgoing businesses in the world. How many times have you used Google to search for something online? My guess is, a lot.Because of Google's success and exemplary reputation, they released some guidelines for webmasters to follow.And this is where trouble for you begins.In the webmaster guidelines, Google states: "Don't participate in link schemes designed to increase your site's ranking [in the search engine result pages] or PageRank." To extend on the webmaster guidelines about avoiding link schemes, Google software engineer Matt Cutts made a post on his personal blog about reporting paid links (scroll d
"If you socialize through the internet you're putting your life, and your possessions, at risk." 2007-08-14 11:00:00 Do you have a Facebook account? What about a Myspace page? A Twitter profile? A personal blog? Do you enjoy telling your family and friends what you're doing through online media? If you socialize through the internet you're putting your life, and your possessions, at risk.Users of social services like Twitter and Pownce are telling friends and family what they're doing as they are doing it. Blog owners write about travel arrangements and vacation plans. People are sharing information seamlessly through the internet for family and friends.But they're also sharing private information with complete strangers. Strangers who could easily take advantage of the knowledge the internet gives to them, robbing a web user blind, or worse.Twitter users are often posting about their daily schedules - that's what Twitter is for. Friends like to know when friends are getting off work. Family wants to know when other family members are heading over for a game of cards. If a thieve, however, was t
"This monstrous mistake in your writing is costing you visitors, clients, money, and even friends." 2007-08-17 11:38:00 If you're like most webmasters or bloggers you are not writing
correctly on your site. And this monstrous
mistake in your writing is costing you visitors, clients, money, and even friends.There's an easy solution to this mistake, and I want you to take charge of it today.The mistake in your writing that I'm talking about is, simply, calling your audience into action. It doesn't matter if you use great grammar, and all of your punctuation marks are right in place, and the layout of your text is appealing. If you're not willing to make your site visitors take and use the information you write then you are wasting your time.It doesn't matter if you're a blogger, a business site owner, or run a personal website of your own. Even if you're just blogging about your personal life, having your visitors take action on something is going to change the way people think about your website.When you simply write, for the sake of writing - or informing others, you're not doing anyone a favor
"The top five and a half ways to decrease traffic to your blog." 2007-08-16 11:12:00 Are you tired of reading the same old boring article about how to get more traffic
to your blog? All of the articles about getting more visitors for your blog provide the same information over and over again. They aren't offering anything new.Well, I am tired of reading the same old articles, and you should be too. So I decided to create a list of my own, the top five and a half ways to decrease traffic to your blog.By using these methods you are certain to not only lose traffic to your blog, but also destroy any chance at all of your blog going anywhere in a market.1. Use boring, random titles and tags for your posts.If you don't want a lot of traffic coming to your blog, a great start is by using boring and random titles and tags for each of your posts.By making your titles bland and boring, visitors won't be intrigued and will most likely not read any of your articles. Titles such as "A list about blog stuff," or "I like summer," are sure to not interest many visitors. You are pr
"What makes up a good man, is what will make your website great. 2007-08-15 11:00:00 When it comes to great website
design, the cliché of what a woman wants in a man comes to mind.It's ironic how the idealistic attributes of a good man are similar to those of a great website. You could even say that, what makes
up a good man, is what will make your website great. I discovered that these points don't only pertain to designing a website for women, they should be considered whenever creating a website in general. This is definitely a valuable resource you won't want to miss.If you follow these points, your website design will not fail.Mysterious.Women like their men to be mysterious, but not in a "I'm a spy, can't say a word" type of way.When women say mysterious, they really mean quiet for most of the time. Like your website visitors, women don't want to sit and listen to you go on and on about your pet goldfish (unless, of course, your website is all about your goldfish). Your website should be mysterious by limiting the use of words and, instead, showing more ac
"If you stop working, and focus on anything but work, you'll get more done. Really." 2007-08-21 10:56:00 It's one of the biggest kept secrets in the world. Yet you have problem heard it before. It is the answer to a lot of problems, and anyone can do it. It doesn't cost a penny and yet, it can help you make millions. Are you ready for this incredible secret? Because I'm going to tell you - right now - what it is. The secret is to stop.Right now. Whatever major project you're worrying about, whatever big presentation you have due, whatever it is that you are working
on: just stop. If you stop working, and focus on anything
but work, you'll get more done. Really. Here's how:When your mind becomes focused on one task - or one project - it begins to only see things from one perspective. While working on one website, or one aspect of a website, your mind will only see things from that perspective. You'll be, in a way, bias in your own thinking. It happens to everyone, it's human nature.Try to remember a time when you were focusing on something - a homework assignment, a strategy for yo
"Your website is just like every other one. Boring and unoriginal. Here's how to change that." 2007-08-20 10:55:00 Is your website
pathetic? Chances are, your website is just like every
other one. Boring and unoriginal. Here's how to change that.The internet is full of websites that are just like yours. What makes yours original? What makes you think your website is going to stand out in the crowd? What makes your website memorable?Too often we get caught up with the changing tide of the internet. What is popular at the time is what we decide we should follow.Major businesses become obsessed with the idea that they need to maintain that "professional" appeal to their online visitors if they want to make a sale. Bloggers feel obligated to follow a strict layout or content form in order to get readers. Designers focus on looking modern and accessible.And, while these tactics are useful at times, they're not breaking the mold. They're boring and unoriginal. They're the reason your website is pathetic.So how do you change your website from being a pathetic clone into an innovative, trend setter? Yo
"If you become interested in others, they will become interested in you." 2007-08-24 12:49:00 Are you making the most of marketing through online social interaction?One of the most appealing aspects of the internet is marketing. There are literally hundreds of thousands of different ways you can sell your services/website/self over the internet. Many techniques are free - or very fairly prices - and every single technique offers countless rewards.Online forums are one marketing method used by many. It's a method that you should be doing for your website or company - if you aren't already. Here are a few tips for how to reap the most benefits from online forums.The first step to marketing yourself on a forum is becoming a valuable part of the community. Thanks to Google, becoming a valuable part of any community is extremely easy. A valuable person in any community has a lot to offer; they provide helpful advice, friendly opinions, and try to boost the overall feel of the community. In order to provide helpful advice, use search engines and time. If somebody asks a question yo
"Take a revolutionary - yet debatable - approach to content management, use Twitter." 2007-08-22 17:08:00 Managing content on a website is important. Making sure your website is updated regularly to keep your visitors coming back is vital to your website's success.You could spend money on a content management system for your website, or you could take a revolutionary - yet debatable - approach to content management, use Twitter
.If you don't know, Twitter is a "global community of friends and strangers" that allows users to post small, 140 character updates to a personalized account (eg. twitter.com/yourname). Updates can be made via the web, cellphone, or from an instant messaging service.How can you use Twitter to your personal website's advantage? It's extremely simple. Here's how:You'll need a Twitter account. If you don't have one yet, sign-up for an account. It's free, easy, and doesn't require a handful of information. I would recommend signing up with a username and information related directly to your website. While the Twitter page you get won't be very important to your
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