While cruising Google Reader I noted some great articles and tips that you shouldn’t miss. Have a great read and an excellent weekend!

• Google’s Matt Cutts gives tips on what page extensions Google does not index. In summary, don’t expect Google to index .exe extensions or URLs that end with a “.O” such as “www.xyzname.com/web2.0″; although Matt did note that the “.O” extension is being re-evaluated and tested for less troublesome indexing by Google.
• Robert X. Cringely wrote a great article on a “Microsoft-killer” strategy that he believes Apple is putting into play based on the new MobileMe service coming soon. Here is an excerpt:

  “Microsoft’s success is based on two products and only two products — Windows and Office. Microsoft is obsessed with the idea that Google will undermine one or both of those monopolies through Google Apps. This is all Steve Ballmer thinks about and is what made him so eager to spend $40+ billion for Yahoo. But what if the real threat isn’t Google at all, but Apple?” … Read more…

Last night I uploaded a new article to Search Engine Guide on 4Q which is an excellent free survey tool you can easily add to your website in order to improve the website and your marketing intelligence.

The scivy on 4Q can be found in my exclusive Search Engine Guide article: Free Survey Tool Fuels Marketing Insight.

Marketing Sherpa is my favorite site for catching up on the latest case studies on user behavior online; followed by another excellent publication called Alertbox. Marketing Sherpa’s latest article does us all a service by illustrating how important it can be to have more transparent pricing for prospects visiting your website.

First ask yourself the question that Marketing Sherpa asked its respondents:

“Can you recall a technology/business purchase where a vendor got the sale (or the inside track) because they were more open than other vendors?”

The response (see the larger image):

Read more…

In follow-up to my most recent posting I just completed my article on How to Simply Create Your Own Mobile Website and it is now posted exclusively at my favourite search engine resource; Search Engine Guide.

Here is the introductory paragraph for a little taster:

“Mobile web browsing is gaining popularity and acceptance thanks to the extensive proliferation of iPhones and other mobile appliances with surf-friendly interfaces. As a result it is becoming more and more important to offer a mobile-friendly alternative to your current website. The reality is, however, that many website owners seem to have no inclination to spend money on a medium that (as far as they know) is unproven and could generate zero income. Fortunately there is a way for every website owner to create an alternative to their website and not only is it exceedingly simple but it is FREE. Now no one has an excuse to ignore this growing medium!”

Continue reading…

In the past I have written articles about the growing importance of creating a mobile website. I am currently in the process of creating yet another article with an update on the basic methods of creating a mobile website based on StepForth’s own work so that hopefully more people will take the time to do so. During my writing I came up with some burning questions:

1. Once I have a website how do I ensure mobile users find it? The obvious answer was a redirection of some sort but what kind?
2. Is there a simple answer to the most popular programming languages online? Read more…

This morning I arrived at my desk to find a very welcome message from my friend and colleague Eric Lander. Apparently Google made a colossal boo-boo and exposed the quality score and max bids for some advertisements. As far as I know this is a first. Check out Eric’s article at Search Engine Journal.

Below is one of the screenshots of the leak from Eric’s article

Yesterday Danny Sullivan published an article over at Search Engine Land discussing Google Universal Search. In his article he discusses how Universal Search has evolved in the short time since it debuted last year.

Today Universal Search results are displayed based mostly on relevance and blended in with the natural search results. While it is very common for news, images, and other vertical search results to be displayed at the top of the page, more and more cases are being found with these being injected, or blended, right into the midst of things (for example in the #4 or #5 position, based entirely on relevance).

Universal Search does not only display results based on Google news, but also looks at videos, images, maps, and other search relevant results from Google’s various vertical search listings.

Danny goes into significant detail in outlining various examples including screen shots, showing how Local, Image, News, and Video results are blended into the normal results pages. While today we are seeing many of these verticals blended in, Video search is the most consistent. This is no surprise given that Video is appearing everywhere these days, and accounts for a large part of total internet uses (an estimated 3 billion video’s were watched in November on Google properties alone).

If you are interested in how Universal search has, and will continue to evolve over at Google, be sure to catch Danny’s Article, Google Universal Search: 2008 Edition.

Here are some of the interesting articles and posts I came across today… it is a bit of a content spread

• If you use Twitter and you like it tell Shoemoney why!
  Popular blogger Shoemoney is just not that sure why anyone wants to use Twitter. I put my two cents in, why not you?
• Yahoo soft-launches lifecasting service
  The scivvy on a new service leaked from Yahoo that will be based on personal live broadcasting of video.
• 2007 US Internet Year Stats Released by comScore
• Weekly Digest of the Social Networking Space: Jan 30, 2008
  Jeremiah Owyang creates this nice overview of the social media landscape on a weekly basis.
• Middle East and Asia Lose Internet Access After Cable Fails
  Oh my… need I say more?

In the course of my day I come across a load of great articles or news posts that I often don’t have time to read. Sometimes I even do read them but forget to share the wealth. In addition, my Twitter feed is chalk full of article suggestions and tips from great minds; unfortunately I don’t do a good job of noting them yet. Here are a few links and tips I have come across today, I will try to do this more often:

• Microsoft adCenter To Power Ads On Wall Street Journal Digital Network
• Handling a Domain Name Dispute Without a Lawyer – when the big guys try to crush you with their legal teams because they don’t like your domain… what do you do? WebmasterWorld users weigh in.
• No Recession for Link Building – link building guru Eric Ward weighs in on the world of link building and how to adapt during any 2008 recession
• Free Social Media Measurement Webinar this Thursday: Jeremiah Owyang has put together a webinar “on Social Media Measurement How to Listen Effectively and Engage in the Conversation this Thursday at 12:30 EST/9:30PST with Glenn Fannick, Product Development Manager at Dow Jones.” This is likely to be a very interesting webinar which I highly recommend listening in on.
• Hey Rand, Do You Mean Siloing?: Lisa Barone wrote this great article on the theme-based approach to designing and optimizing a website (what Bruce Clay calls “content siloing”). It isn’t a new concept by any means but it is worth a read if you are unfamiliar with theme-based optimization.

I am pleased to say, although I am a little late finding out, that my article “How Glossaries and FAQs Can Improve Search Engine Rankings” was nominated for a SEMMY (Search EMMY). I wish I had known sooner so that I could have spread the news earlier but just the same I feel honored; it is nice when work gets a little link love and additional attention.

By the way, Matt McGee deserves a big thanks. Creating the SEMMY’s is a brilliant way to acknowledge all of the writers out there that work hard to produce quality content. Thank you for your hard work and vision.