| LED Digest 2328: The In's and Out's of Linking |
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================================================== The LED Digest Moderated Discussion List "Effective Online Advertising, Since 1997" Data > Information > Knowledge > Wisdom pair Networks: The LED's Web Host Hosting and Domain Registration from a Trusted Leader pair.com for Hosting | pairNIC.com for Domains ================================================== List Moderator: Published by: Adam Audette LED Digest adam, led-digest.com http://www.led-digest.com .............................................. January 18, 2007 Issue no. 2328 .............................................. .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ==== CONTINUING ================= --== Incoming Links from Virtual Domains ==-- ~ Jill Whalen "They wouldn't cause problems." ~ Ravi Jayagopal "That is definitely going to be an issue." ~ Michael Martinez "The links may or may not help depending..." --== Saving Design Costs ==-- ~ George Forder "Fixed contracts ask you to guess too many things and invariably something suffers." ~ Peter D'Aprix "...it was always part of the design process to produce 'story boards' or 'comps'..." ~ Beth Earle "The biggest thing is to find a web firm you trust." --== An SEO Guide - is it Possible? ==-- ~ Jim Novo "Here's a pretty good start to a basic SEO guide..." ~ Ian Faulkner "[Here's an article with] a great deal of points that concern the SEO guide." --== Online Marketing for Classical Musicians ==-- ~ David Spahr "This is an explosion of imagination right before our eyes!" ======== CONTINUING =============================== From: Jill Whalen Subject: Incoming links > [A client has] a lot of incoming links that come > from sites that all have the same IP address! > Does anyone think that this could cause > problems from Google? - Dave Roberts, LED Digest 2327 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1714/55/ They wouldn't cause problems. Worst that would happen is they may not all count towards the page's overall link popularity. No biggie. Jill Whalen High Rankings Helping Sites to Be the Best They Can Be! www.highrankings.com -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Ravi Jayagopal Subject: Incoming links Dave, That is definitely going to be an issue. Nothing may happen right away, but "soon" Google's algorithm will get to it, and the site will end up getting banned, or may even just fall big time in the rankings, and/or lose it's current PageRank as well. This "soon" could be as soon as a few weeks, or if the site owner is lucky, it may be a few months, but getting banned is as certain as death and taxes :-) Ravi Jayagopal More SEO tips @ http://www.ravisrants.com -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Michael Martinez Subject: Incoming links > The PRs of the sites for these incoming > links range from 0 (most of them) to 3 or > 4 for maybe 1 out of ten. - Dave Roberts, LED Digest 2327 Toolbar PR is an irrelevant, useless, meaningless waste of time. Pay no attention to it. As far as Google is concerned, it's not a matter of where the sites are hosted as what the sites are actually doing that matters. The links may or may not help depending (in part) on: 1) Whether Google thinks the client site is "excessively reciprocating" 2) Whether Google thinks any of the incoming sites are selling links 3) Whether Google thinks a majority of the client's *outbound* links are to obviously bad neighborhoods 4) Whether Google thinks a majority of any of the other sites' *outbound* links are to bad neighborhoods 5) Whether Google thinks any of the other sites are otherwise violating Google's Webmaster guidelines 6) Whether Google thinks the client site is violating Google's Webmaster guidelines Michael Martinez http://seo-theory.blogspot.com/ -------- new post - new topic -------- From: George Forder Subject: Design costs Continuing from... > I think you are asking yourselves to do > the impossible by working to a specific > contract amount. - Peggy Deras, LED Digest 2327 I hope I didn't read this on this list and merely rehashing it, but one of the things which struck me early on when web building is the following saying: "You can have a great site, you can have a cheap site, you can have a quick site, but; you can only have two of those at the same time." Fixed contracts ask you to guess too many things and invariably something suffers. I don't know the answer, but telling clients the above usually makes them face reality and breaks the ice, and even helps them focus on their own specific needs, budgets and time constraints. George Forder www.spindrift.co.za -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Peter D'Aprix Subject: Design costs RE Client wanting to see and approve site design. As anyone who has had a good graphic design education knows, it was always part of the design process to produce "story boards" or "comps" for the client to see before any production design was started. This is still true in advertising agencies today. These were and are presented showing two or more graphic design approaches before the project is moved on into the actual design process. A client sure does not want to put a lot of money into anything on blind faith, and who can blame them? This "conception" part of the project was and is part of the estimate for a job and usually fixed in advance at "so many variations" and "so many modifications". This gives the client input as to whether they think you are on the right path and whether they like the "look and feel" as well as the functionality of what you are doing. Once the "comp" stage is agreed upon, they have had their input and you have had your opportunity to defend the reasons why you think the project should be done in a certain way especially if it runs counter to what the client thinks they want; then everyone can relax and the project goes into the production phase on a sound and mutually agreed upon fashion. As a photographer, I often shot many photos just for the "comps" before we actually shot for the authorized project. Usually these were shot for a reduced fee if I had an ongoing relationship with the designer. Today, I use this approach, if slightly modified, for web design often coming up with two or three rough visuals and approaches that seem, at least to my mind, to address the goals of the client. But I never offer a variation I cannot be happy with myself. These offerings will inevitably become modified by all parties, but the end result is that you have "partnered" with your client and included them in the process. They, after all, are the ones writing the check. But all of this needs to be priced and made part of the budget. Peter D'Aprix Visual Communications http://peterdaprix.com -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Beth Ann Earle Subject: Design costs > Is it really just a case of you pay your money, trust the seat > of your pants as things evolve then hope for the best? - Jim Gatton, LED Digest 2327 No, Jim. I don't think so. It's more a case of just do a lot of research and trust your instincts -- don't overthink!! (Not that it seems that you overthink ... Pilot Fish just has number of clients who do). The biggest thing is to find a web firm you trust. In your case, it sounds like you might want an outfit that can do design, marketing (with SEO thrown in) and site construction all in one. Here are some other tips: 1. If you like doing business locally, visit your local chamber of commerce's web site -- are there web firms listed on there? Check out their sites -- do you like the examples of their work? Call them and ask for references. If there aren't web firms listed on the chamber web site, just click on the links that are there and see if you like any of the sites you land on. If so, give the owner a call and see who did their web site and how they feel about that vendor. 2. Don't overanalyze a site when you're trying to decide if you like it. Most research seems to indicate that you only have a few seconds to grab a site visitor's attention, soooo ... how do you feel after a quick look at the home page? Do you know what the company does? Does it feel like a company you'd want to do business with? You should take less than a minute to look at the home page and answer these questions (a. because that's what your site visitors most likely will do, and b. because you don't need/want to waste a lot of time on this exercise). 3. Read the article that Veronica Yuill cited in the LED Digest 2326: www.jeffcroft.com/2006/nov/13/bring-me-problems-not-solutions ... this should give you a little insight into how (or how not to?) communicate your needs to your new web vendor. Lastly, once you find a company that you feel you can trust -- trust them!! Don't second-guess, don't do the opposite of what they say. Of course, if you start getting a really bad feeling in your gut, you should listen to that. But why in the heck does anyone hire a company to do work for them and then not follow their recommendations?? (Builder: "It turns out the lot you selected is all quicksand; we need to build your new home elsewhere." Homeowner-to-be: "Well, you are the expert, and I hired you because of the great recommendations my friends gave you, but I really feel that I have to insist that we put the house here, because once my new home is built, when I look out the kitchen window and crane my neck just right and sqeeze one eye shut, I'll be able to see the shoreline about 100 yards from the ocean, and I really want to be able to tell my friends and coworkers that my new house has an oceanview.") Good luck!! Beth Earle www.pilotfishseo.com P.S. Jim -- The warning you have at the bottom of the home page is great: "Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or any other debt secured on it." Hope your site visitors take it to heart! -------- new post - new topic -------- From: Jim Novo Subject: SEO guide Here's a pretty good start to a basic SEO Guide, could be used as a "backbone" for further discussion: http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3624560 Jim Novo http://www.jimnovo.com jim, jimnovo.com <Moderator Comment> By the way - great tool referenced in the article above (thanks Jim): Keyword cloud / density generator: http://www.webconfs.com/keyword-density-checker.php -adam -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Ian Faulkner Subject: SEO guide Hi there Adam, Well as far as I am concerned I certainly fit into the "not true experts" category and Willy my reluctant mentor would say "you're not even a false expert", n'est pas Willy! However who needs to be anything other than serendipity when you can find the following on the web. I have no connection with "Medium Blue" but I thought there was a great deal of points that concern the SEO guide. ------------------------- "The following is the first of a three-part series that provides a list of questions to help you to determine if the company you are considering is deserving of your trust. Ask your potential search engine optimization company the following: "Do you show search engines anything that a visitor does not see?" "Do you create pages, either on my server or somewhere else, that are not built in to the navigation of my site?" "What is your link building methodology? Is it automated, and do you target reciprocal links?" "Do you use hidden text or hidden links?" "Have you ever gotten a client's site penalized? If so, when was the last time?" "Do you require that I make changes to my Web site content?" "Will you be adding additional pages to my Web site?" "What will you be doing besides working on my site directly?" "Will you be adding additional pages and targeting additional keyphrases over time?" "Can you give me references and case studies?" Source: http://www.mediumblue.com/newsletters/optimization-company.html ------------------------- Keep up the good work. Now back to lurking, Ian Faulkner (France) -------- new post - new topic -------- ["Internet Marketing for Classical Music" - this thread has been a bit disjointed, which is a shame because it's a refreshing topic; you can track it as follows: issues 2307-2309 started it off: http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1399/55/ http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1403/55/ http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1405/55/ Brett Simpson rekindled it in issue 2322: http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1703/55/ ... and David Spahr keeps the flame alive. -ed] -------------------- From: David Spahr Subject: Marketing Classical Music > ... the problem is you can't compete with pure Classical > Music, as every kid (including college students in Korea) > has to turn it into a 4/4 time rock and roll piece! - Brett Simpson, LED Digest 2322 In my original comments I did issue a bit of a disclaimer saying it was not traditional. I was sure that purists would gnash their teeth. I noted it as much for that fact that it was the fifth most viewed of all time with over 12 million views. It was written in 1800. The fact that a 22 year old college student could do this from his bedroom in Korea is a wonder in itself. Also, his virtuosity is unassailable. Purists can gnash away and say YouTube is no good and click away. I love YouTube and never cease to be amazed at what is on there. Neither of you could have looked very closely. The first search I ran looking for classical music was "Dvorak". I found plenty. I had a most enjoyable morning doing this. Check out the following examples on the first page. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPQ5rkmV85k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmkAMaAC-nQ Searching any composer's name brings up plenty of good results. You can argue over how many eyeballs it gets, but some is better than none for the naysayers. I enjoyed Bach classical piano performances by a talented teenager from Finland. He sees the value! He could put the links to his performances on his college applications. Etc. This is an explosion of imagination right before our eyes! If you have talent and imagination...... Dang, it's free too! Virtually anyone can be a filmmaker and be seen almost instantly. My 14 year old does it. For all the non purists out there, Art Tatum's improvisation of Dvorak's Humouresque is unbelievable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNp-ldlnf5s not to mention http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzj6Q61h3oA It should start your day with a smile. Attention spans will be increased. Enjoy. David Spahr * Stereoviews.com * Antique-Photography.com ------------------------------------------------------- The LED Digest is sponsored by pair Networks: pair.com for Hosting | pairNIC.com for Domains The Archives: http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/126/120/ Subscribe: http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/52/77/ Unsubscribe, Change Email, or Hold / Resume Delivery: http://www.led-digest.com/content/category/4/17/86/ (c) Copyright 1995-2007 Orange Wheel, LLC. All Rights Reserved. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." - Charlie Parker |
