| LED Digest 2338: Getting Creative with Typed-in URLs |
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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 .............................................. February 1, 2007 Issue no. 2338 .............................................. .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ===== NEW ======================= --== Profiting from Typed-in Domains ==-- ~ Dale L. "At this point I have already made back my investment with AdSense..." ==== CONTINUING ================= --== Google's Daily Data Refresh ==-- ~ Kevin Condon "I will now go and change things rather drastically..." --== European Sales ==-- ~ James Miller "Confirming UK addresses is very easy..." --== Domain Name Hoarding ==-- ~ David Yancey "...this has become a phenomenally large if relative under-the-radar sub-industry." --== Presenting a Trustworthy Image ==-- ~ John Smart "I am experiencing huge problems at the moment dealing with GEO trust..." --== A SEO Guide - is it Possible? ==-- ~ Shaun Johnston "SEO has ceased to be effective in my marketplace." ~ Reg Charie "...there is no reason to delve into all sorts of theories and methods..." ========== NEW =================================== From: Dale L. Subject: How to Profit on Mistakes in Advertising with Domains Greetings, First post to this list. I hope this little story might be of interest to the folks on this list. Of course, by telling all about this, I might be shooting myself in the foot. To start off, a question. How many people here when they see or hear a domain mentioned as part of the story line in a TV show or commercial? Well I occasionally do. A few weeks ago I saw a TV commercial with a story line about a woman being invited to move to AZ with her son and daughter-in-law for her health. The woman goes on to describe how she needs a first class mover for her cats. Dissolve to a computer screen showing MSN Search, someone types in a phrase to the effect of "first class cat movers" with the result (in large type) of "catmovers.com" After seeing that the domain was available, I quickly registered it (as well as the .net) and threw up a blog site with a few articles about cats with links to cat rescue sites. During the time between registering the domain and getting content up, checking my logs I noticed visitors from at least 3 US states and a couple of different AOL users. At this point I have already made back my investment with Google AdSense ads on the site. Of course I imagine Microsoft wouldn't be happy to find out that a competitor's search is being promoted on a site featured in their ad. Have to wonder what would happen to the ad executive that didn't bother to check that the domain featured in their produced spot wasn't owned by the company they were developing the spot for if found out. Dale L. ======== CONTINUING =============================== From: Kevin Condon Subject: Data refresh > As I check Google today, it shows a cache date of January > 21 for your root URL, so Google is not grabbing your page > on a daily basis... Here are some things to consider: - Michael Martinez, LED Digest 2337 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1731/55/ I would like to thank Michael for the time he spent investigating my Google demise. I should have checked the cache date! But the fact was at the time of the cache, 21st January, our site was riding high and then for the next 3 days. On the 25th it dropped somewhat and now it is dropping like a stone to the Titanic. However on the positive side Michael imparted some good advice which I will follow. In the meantime I looked at his blog [ http://seo-theory.blogspot.com/2007/01/when-seo-disaster-strikes.html l ] and it said the five reasons for dramatic drops is: 1. I got lazy and this is what I deserve 2. Someone found my little golden query 3. The search engine changed something 4. Hm, maybe I miscoded something 5. This must be a glitch and all I have to do is wait I think I am guilty of 1. I suspect 4 is the key but I am hoping it is 5. Notwithstanding, Michael has liberated me! I will now go and change things rather drastically - after 5 years, Jazzles deserves a serious update, I having nothing to lose. In the meantime, I have taken the cached paged so apart from the save date and an offer code, it is exactly the same as it was on the 21st. But I am not betting it is a glitch! Sincerely Kevin Condon www.jazzles.com -------- new post - new topic -------- From: James Miller Subject: European sales Confirming UK addresses is very easy as UK post codes generally only cover about a dozen houses. Many legitimate businesses also have their own post code. 1. Go to www.royalmail.com and they have an almost free postcode finder, that you can use to check addresses. I say almost-free as you can only do so many free checks a day. 2. Go to www.google.co.uk and type the post code in quotes into Google searching the UK only. Try it with "CB8 9LU" which is my postcode. 3. Go to www.multimap.co.uk and type the post code in to get a map. In most cases this will give you enough evidence to find a crook. I had a scam supposedly from The National Lottery, PO Box 1010, Liverpool L70 1NL. I typed the postcode into the Royal Mail and they didn't know it. The Royal Mail post code finder is very up to date. Also try out CB8 8NP, which is the post code of my bank. You will find that it not only gives the address, but the name of the Bank. Thus, if you have a business address, it often checks directly. I also think that the Royal Mail doesn't give out a post code without checking the building or company physically. Hope all this helps. James Miller www.daisy.co.uk -------- new post - new topic -------- From: David Yancey Subject: Domain hoarders A belated best wishes for a prosperous 2007 to Adam and all my LED pals, and a hearty "Happy Tenth" to LED and the Audettes, too! I've not posted in a few months, but watch LED every day, and, thankfully, helpful folks like Chris Nielsen and Mike Martinez in #2337 ( http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1731/55/ ) are still patiently answering questions and providing calm, qualified, and clearly reasoned advice -- for the lowest possible price, too! Thanks to the pros and other positive participants who make up the LED community, I'm confident we can all look forward to at least another ten years of excellent posting, which my occasional ultra-lengthy posts will hopefully not slow down too much... Chris's post in #2337 really got my attention. It is full of cogent counsel, and sets the bar even higher for all of us who try to write as advisers to others. Secondly, I hold hundreds of domains intended for various projects, and am approached frequently about selling one, or decide we don't need one and thus need to find a potential buyer, so the topic is close to home. As to Marsha Kopan's (and many others, as Chris reminds us) problem, let me add one other suggestion to consider. If the current registration holder refuses to sell the registration for a reasonable amount, it *may* be possible to structure an arrangement where your organization in effect leases the name for an agreed period and annual amount, with an option to buy the other party out at the end of the lease. I'm certainly not recommending this potentially messy solution, but as a last resort *in the specific case where your hijacked domain has established traffic value and SE recognition value*, it may the only feasible lower cost answer. As to reaching agreement on the "market value" of a given name, in my experience that is a futile discussion. Most registrants see "value" as the annual cost of maintaining the registration, period. They don't readily calculate the probable effect that a particular name can or will have on the underlying web publication or e-business. In my experience, in fact, most people, including those in some very large web industry organizations, still cannot get their mind around the true future value of a commercially attractive name. The notion that a name like business.com could be valued six or was it seven years ago for US$7 million still is inconceivable to most. So, if you are the seller of such a name, you can forget finding a qualified buyer who will share your vision of its potential commercial value. If you hope to buy such a name, you can expect a serious case of sticker shock, especially once you begin to realize what that name can potentially do for a business other than your own. Chris mentions also the domain parking industry. Thanks to PPC search, this has become a phenomenally large if relative under-the-radar sub-industry. It means that, now, a very large number of potentially commercial and even marginally useful names have simply been registered and parked to make a piddling amount of search income. This is both bad news and good news for those seeking a new domain name. It's bad because (in my own experience) I now find about 2/3 of the names I query are taken and parked. But you *may* find that the name is for sale at a price of a few hundred US dollars. That will seem high to someone who knows that the underlying registration costs only a few dollars per year -- but it may seem like a reasonable sum to a business who absolutely must have that particular name for its brand or publication. Cheers to all LEDers. David Yancey http://www.tootoographic.com -------- new post - new topic -------- From: John Smart Subject: Trust I am experiencing huge problems at the moment dealing with GEO trust -- the company we use for SSL (or should I say "used"?) My client wanted to renew his SSL back at the start of December, so I went through the process, and heard nothing. Apparently if a sale fails, it is up to the customer to chase the seller. After much back-and-forth, my client has repeatedly faxed his business license to GEO Trust (again, this is a renewal, not a new order) and has been told on one occasion that everything is in good order. Now Geo trust is taking the stand that he needs to fill in this template they have, print it on his letterhead and fax it in. First of all, how is a letter head proof of business? Give me Word and 3 minutes and I will give you a letterhead! But, my client has not received this template so cannot supply. He is an ecommerce site that collects CC #'s so he needs a valid SSL. If I really threaten GEO Trust, then I get a phone call the next morning telling me all is fine now if my client just faxes in the template. I have asked repeatedly that they send me the template -- given that my client is not getting it from them. I have heard nothing since Thursday of last week. We have several clients with Cert's = we don't sell hundreds of them, but a sale is a sale. I know I will never spend another penny with GEO Trust. Which leads me to& Who is a good Cert? Go daddy is cheap, but regular readers will probably be aware of my unfavorable view of Go Daddy, so how is good? I want it all, of course, cheap, reliable, awesome customer service, and a free LCD TV with every completed order (the last one, whilst welcome, is not expected!) Any suggestions? Who to use, who to avoid? John Smart InternetDesign.com - A Human Touch in a Digital World -------- new post - new topic -------- From: Shaun Johnston Subject: SEO guide > Except in specific, very technical situations, any SEO advice > that attempts to over-complicate SEO work is advice that is > probably wasting someone's time and money, if they follow it. - Dirk Johnson, LED Digest 2331 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/1720/55/ I design and host websites for inns and B&Bs. They depend on the web for customers, but have very little spare cash for marketing. SEO has become a problem for them -- do it, or not? Spend the money to get "free" visits from the search engines, or on buying visits from directories? Visits "cost" about 25-40 cents from directories. Say, 3 to a dollar. For $2400 they could get 7200 website visits. Or --- One of my ex-customers is instead paying for the following SEO service: ---------------------------- Platinum Plan Cost: $2400.00 Optimization includes: Optimization Consulting and Research of 5 Pages Key Phrase Research to Target Your Potential Customers Meta Tag Key Phrase Placement Consulting of Front Page Text and site links Correcting of Robot Tags Domain Page Level Adjustment, (if needed) Consultation for re-optimization, (if needed) 12 Submissions for all optimized pages to the major search engines 12 Submission Summary Reports Bi-Monthly ranking and customer service review of site *Additional Pages Optimized and Submitted - $400.00 Per Page *Reciprocating Links Management - $800.00 *Additional Cost of $19.95/Month Will Be Billed Through Links Manager ---------------------------- To me, all that's worthwhile here seems like something you do in about an hour as part of design or hosting. Am I wrong? This is particularly so in my field where no lodgings at all get in the first three pages of results for their main keyword -- their town name. Most visits to their sites are from people putting the lodging name in the engine as a quick route to their web site. SEO has ceased to be effective in my marketplace. I publish a tips sheet for my universe of lodgings. I am wondering if I should warn them about SEO abuse. Or is the above standard? How much do you charge for domain page level adjustment? Shaun Johnston -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Reg Charie Subject: SEO guide > Describing the essential basics of good SEO advice can > be summarized in about 30 pages of detailed explanation... > effective SEO work is not rocket science... Nor does it require > endless hours of immersion the SEO world... - Dirk Johnson, LED Digest 2331 I have to agree most strongly with Dirk. I have the same experience with client's sites and SEO. If you design for ease of use and to answer the visitors search immediately, there is no reason to delve into all sorts of theories and methods that only add costs the client must foot. I have the start of a SEO "white paper" on my site ( http://dotcom-productions.com/cms/index.php?cPath=69_73 ) that features my thinking on the subject. Basically: - Do your keyword research. - Apply your keywords properly. - Avoid "tricks" to rank better. - Design for visitors. - Track your results. Thank You, Reg Charie www.dotcom-productions.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. 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