Thursday, June 28, 2012
Overlook Mansion Little Falls Website SEO
In my spare time, I've been busy building a new website. It's for the Overlook Mansion in Little Falls, New York. It is a very historic building that was built in 1889 for entrepreneur David Hamlin Burrell who made many contributions to the dairy industry. The site is available at www.overlookmansion.com. There is a lot of work to still be done on it, but the general layout is up along with a contact form. Next on the list is to add a photo gallery.
The site has only been up a few weeks, but it is already ranking on Google on page 1 for the site's keywords. The site even has a link from a third party article already. I have to do a little bit more link building from a couple of forums that discuss the Overlook Mansion. It's a good thing I've gained some useful search engine optimization (SEO) knowledge over the years. Ranking a new website on the first page in Google can be a daunting task.
There is a lot of SEO information available on the internet. There is always something new to learn. Search engines tend to revamp their search algorithms every now and then. I really haven't learned the specifics of how search engines rank websites. I just follow the basics of choosing keywords relevant to the topic of the website. It's good to choose keywords with low competition, if possible. It's also good to link to the site from third party websites, but only if the content of the third party site is relevant to the topic of your website.
If you have a website that needs help raising it's search engine rank, but don't have the time to do it yourself, it might be a good idea to hire someone who specializes in SEO, such as AdvantageMarketing. They can help you achieve top rankings on all of the major search engines.
If you are interested in learning a few SEO tips on your own, you might want to check out http://www.seomoz.org/learn-seo. They have a good checklist of some steps to follow when optimizing your website.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Hiking info
Thanks for the guest post by Esteban Vinson
My friends and I love to hike as often as we can get away. We mostly stay in Georgia, but occasionally we will get a longer span of time and go exploring in another state. I am usually the event planner, coordinating the travel plans, sight-seeing, and lodging for the trip. While I have some research for the best locations though several sources, I also enjoy watching the travel stations on Direct TV. These shows offer advice on not only where to go , but the best time to go places to stay and local attractions and restaurants. The national park websites are also full of travel information. These website have hiking maps and sometimes a brief description of the hikes. It is always good to know if the hike is easy, moderate or strenuous as well as the altitude increase. Several hiking websites help determine where to go and which hike are best suited for the group as well. We have been very fortunate to find clean, safe , comfortable lodging at a price we can afford and plan to continue hiking as long as we are able.
My friends and I love to hike as often as we can get away. We mostly stay in Georgia, but occasionally we will get a longer span of time and go exploring in another state. I am usually the event planner, coordinating the travel plans, sight-seeing, and lodging for the trip. While I have some research for the best locations though several sources, I also enjoy watching the travel stations on Direct TV. These shows offer advice on not only where to go , but the best time to go places to stay and local attractions and restaurants. The national park websites are also full of travel information. These website have hiking maps and sometimes a brief description of the hikes. It is always good to know if the hike is easy, moderate or strenuous as well as the altitude increase. Several hiking websites help determine where to go and which hike are best suited for the group as well. We have been very fortunate to find clean, safe , comfortable lodging at a price we can afford and plan to continue hiking as long as we are able.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Social Media Marketing GetGlue.com Review
Social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+, are great for spreading the word about your website or business. There are a ton of smaller, lesser known social media sites too. I haven't joined too many of them as I just don't have the time to keep up with all of them. There is one lesser known social media site that is really cool. It's called GetGlue.com. Basically, whenever you are reading a book, watching television, listening to music, or just doing something, you login and check-in to whatever activity you are doing. Each book, tv show, movie, etc. has it's own stream, so when you check-in, you can connect with others who are also reading that book or watching that tv show or movie. Your check-in stream can also be connected to your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts, so that when you post in GetGlue, your post shows up in your Facebook and/or Twitter stream.
There is also a running tally of how many are doing a given activity at any one time. It is great for soap operas. Especially since network honchos think nobody watches soap operas anymore.
The twist to GetGlue.com is, everytime you check-in, there is a possibility you may unlock a sticker. Yeah a sticker! General Hospital has tons of stickers. As your number of check-ins increases, you unlock a hierarchy of stickers. It's very cool. Special shows like the Super Bowl, Oscars and Academy Awards even had stickers for viewers to unlock. Once you have unlocked 20 stickers, you can get physical copies of them mailed to you. I've unlocked 20 stickers, but am waiting to unlock the die-hard General Hospital sticker before I have them mailed to me, which won't be much longer.
GetGlue even has an app for the Android, and I'm sure there is probably an app for the iPhone too.
I highly recommend adding GetGlue.com to your list of social media sites.
More Social Media Marketing
There is also a running tally of how many are doing a given activity at any one time. It is great for soap operas. Especially since network honchos think nobody watches soap operas anymore.
The twist to GetGlue.com is, everytime you check-in, there is a possibility you may unlock a sticker. Yeah a sticker! General Hospital has tons of stickers. As your number of check-ins increases, you unlock a hierarchy of stickers. It's very cool. Special shows like the Super Bowl, Oscars and Academy Awards even had stickers for viewers to unlock. Once you have unlocked 20 stickers, you can get physical copies of them mailed to you. I've unlocked 20 stickers, but am waiting to unlock the die-hard General Hospital sticker before I have them mailed to me, which won't be much longer.
GetGlue even has an app for the Android, and I'm sure there is probably an app for the iPhone too.
I highly recommend adding GetGlue.com to your list of social media sites.
More Social Media Marketing
Monday, February 27, 2012
bonus check
Post contributed by Leonard Phelps
I got a little bonus check at work for finishing a project before the deadline. I wasn’t exprecting to get it, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Lord knows I’ve got plenty of bills I could put this money toward, but I’m actually thinking about getting internet at home with the check. I’ve been looking at all the satellite internet deals and it seems like a great time to do it! I’ve been wanting it for so long, and this might just be my chance when I finally have a little extra cash. I think in the end it would probably end up saving me money to get internet at home, actually. I spend so much extra gas money going to and from the library to use the computer, and that would be money put back into my pocket if I had access at home. Also, I could pay my bills online, which would save me money on stamps. I know that’s not that much money, but hey, every penny counts, right?
I got a little bonus check at work for finishing a project before the deadline. I wasn’t exprecting to get it, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Lord knows I’ve got plenty of bills I could put this money toward, but I’m actually thinking about getting internet at home with the check. I’ve been looking at all the satellite internet deals and it seems like a great time to do it! I’ve been wanting it for so long, and this might just be my chance when I finally have a little extra cash. I think in the end it would probably end up saving me money to get internet at home, actually. I spend so much extra gas money going to and from the library to use the computer, and that would be money put back into my pocket if I had access at home. Also, I could pay my bills online, which would save me money on stamps. I know that’s not that much money, but hey, every penny counts, right?
Search Engine Optimization Schema.org
On my to do list is to learn about Schema.org and it's microdata schema. According to an article in the February 2012 issue of Website Magazine, in June 2011, the major search engines, Google, Yahoo! and Bing, created Schema.org as a unified way of consistently using structured data all across the web. The schema allows webmasters to add microdata to HTML tags. For example, if you have a header in your website that says People, you can add a tag to the HTML to tell exactly what People means, such as humans or a magazine type. Within each broad category, you can define more details. For example, for a movie, you can define properties such as director name, producer and production company.
This is a really great feature for search engine users as it helps give more accurate search engine results. For example, if you are looking for a recipe using black eyed peas, you will probably also get a bunch of results relevant to the band called Black Eyed Peas. If you are doing a search for information on the band Black Eyed Peas, you might also get results relevant to the food black eyed peas. If websites use microdata to give specific details on what exactly the words Black Eyed Peas refer to, a band or food, search engines can use that information when they crawl the website, and then use that detailed information to present the websites that more closely match what you are searching for.
Schema.org is not good for webmasters, if they don't use it, since their search engine rankings might actually be lowered. Websites using schema.org's microdata will be easier to classify and more likely to find their target audience.
Schema.org's microdata uses four main attribute tags. The first is itemscope. It is used on a "div" element to identify that the div's children elements will contain information about "something".
The second attribute is itemprop. It defines the item's value attributes. Each itemprop tag contains specific information about "something", such as name, price, description, availability, etc.
The third attribute is itemtype. This sets a url to where schema.org defines the attributes for the "something" you are giving information about, such as itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" or itemtype ="http://schema.org/Movie".
The fourth main attribute is the itemid tag. This sets a unique identifier for a given item.
It sounds to me like schema.org's metadata is going to be a necessary search engine optimization technique for all websites to use, if they are trying to achieve a top search engine result ranking. I know I will be working on adding it to my magazine back issues website.
If you hire professionals to optimize your website, such as Inbound interactive, Calgary SEO experts, make sure they have schema.org's microdata in their bag of tricks to get your website listed at the top of search engine results.
This is a really great feature for search engine users as it helps give more accurate search engine results. For example, if you are looking for a recipe using black eyed peas, you will probably also get a bunch of results relevant to the band called Black Eyed Peas. If you are doing a search for information on the band Black Eyed Peas, you might also get results relevant to the food black eyed peas. If websites use microdata to give specific details on what exactly the words Black Eyed Peas refer to, a band or food, search engines can use that information when they crawl the website, and then use that detailed information to present the websites that more closely match what you are searching for.
Schema.org is not good for webmasters, if they don't use it, since their search engine rankings might actually be lowered. Websites using schema.org's microdata will be easier to classify and more likely to find their target audience.
Schema.org's microdata uses four main attribute tags. The first is itemscope. It is used on a "div" element to identify that the div's children elements will contain information about "something".
The second attribute is itemprop. It defines the item's value attributes. Each itemprop tag contains specific information about "something", such as name, price, description, availability, etc.
The third attribute is itemtype. This sets a url to where schema.org defines the attributes for the "something" you are giving information about, such as itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" or itemtype ="http://schema.org/Movie".
The fourth main attribute is the itemid tag. This sets a unique identifier for a given item.
It sounds to me like schema.org's metadata is going to be a necessary search engine optimization technique for all websites to use, if they are trying to achieve a top search engine result ranking. I know I will be working on adding it to my magazine back issues website.
If you hire professionals to optimize your website, such as Inbound interactive, Calgary SEO experts, make sure they have schema.org's microdata in their bag of tricks to get your website listed at the top of search engine results.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Bro's Advice
Guest post written by Christine Duncan
My brother told me about http://www.tvbydirect.com/ for satellite so I took a look at it to see if it would work for my family. My kids are watching more and more TV as they’re getting older and though I used to worry about it I’m now feeling a lot better about the fact that there are some exclusively educational channels that I can leave on and not worry too much about whether or not they’re getting content they shouldn’t. I think it’s great there are shows on TV nowadays besides Sesame Street that are dedicated to teaching our children lessons and numbers and things like that because I can’t always be on top of them all the time and I don’t worry about whether or not they’re not seeing the right stuff. Before I became a stay at home mom I was really worried that I would get bored but as it turns out I’ve been busier staying home with these kids than I ever was when I was part of the working world!
My brother told me about http://www.tvbydirect.com/ for satellite so I took a look at it to see if it would work for my family. My kids are watching more and more TV as they’re getting older and though I used to worry about it I’m now feeling a lot better about the fact that there are some exclusively educational channels that I can leave on and not worry too much about whether or not they’re getting content they shouldn’t. I think it’s great there are shows on TV nowadays besides Sesame Street that are dedicated to teaching our children lessons and numbers and things like that because I can’t always be on top of them all the time and I don’t worry about whether or not they’re not seeing the right stuff. Before I became a stay at home mom I was really worried that I would get bored but as it turns out I’ve been busier staying home with these kids than I ever was when I was part of the working world!
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Lanny Forrester Golf
Here in upstate New York it finally feels like winter! I'm not really a big fan of winter, but the snow on the trees after a fresh snowfall is very pretty. We have been lucky so far. Up until a few days ago, we just had a dusting of snow once or twice. The temperatures have been very mild. A few weeks ago the temperature was even in the high 50's.
That all changed this week. Winter came roaring in with a few inches of snow and temperatures down to a low of about 9F. Although temperatures are supposed to slowly increase to a high of 42F on Saturday.
When I was younger I used to love going cross country skiing. I haven't been in at least eight years. My skis are now 24 years old, so I should really buy new ones if I ever decide to take up cross country skiing again.
Another winter sport I used to like is snowmobiling. I have an old Polaris XLT snowmobile. It is about 17 years old. Someday when the boys are older I may buy a new one. Registering and insuring a snowmobile costs about $100 per year. It's pretty expensive when you only ride once or twice.
I'm not really interested in any other sports. There is a very popular, small golf course up the road from where I live. My oldest son wants to learn how to golf, so maybe in a few years, we will give golfing a try. A lot of people I know love to golf. The boys father bought a golf video game that the boys enjoy playing. A Facebook member named Lanny Forrester enjoys playing golf. He would probably be able to give me a few golfing pointers.
The way this winter has been so mild this year, golfers were still golfing at the golf course up the road until mid November. I'm really hoping winter ends early too. I'm sure golfers would agree.
That all changed this week. Winter came roaring in with a few inches of snow and temperatures down to a low of about 9F. Although temperatures are supposed to slowly increase to a high of 42F on Saturday.
When I was younger I used to love going cross country skiing. I haven't been in at least eight years. My skis are now 24 years old, so I should really buy new ones if I ever decide to take up cross country skiing again.
Another winter sport I used to like is snowmobiling. I have an old Polaris XLT snowmobile. It is about 17 years old. Someday when the boys are older I may buy a new one. Registering and insuring a snowmobile costs about $100 per year. It's pretty expensive when you only ride once or twice.
I'm not really interested in any other sports. There is a very popular, small golf course up the road from where I live. My oldest son wants to learn how to golf, so maybe in a few years, we will give golfing a try. A lot of people I know love to golf. The boys father bought a golf video game that the boys enjoy playing. A Facebook member named Lanny Forrester enjoys playing golf. He would probably be able to give me a few golfing pointers.
The way this winter has been so mild this year, golfers were still golfing at the golf course up the road until mid November. I'm really hoping winter ends early too. I'm sure golfers would agree.
Free Links
If you have a website and aren't sure how to promote it, you might want to check out freelinkbuildingtools.com. It is a website that shows you how to create, improve and promote a website. Promoting a website can be time consuming and there is a lot to learn, such as search engine optimization, keyword research, analytics and how to build links. Not to mention, you also need to know the technology used to develop a website, such as HTML, CSS, PHP, Javascript, etc.
Freelinkbuildingtools.com helps you gain free links. It also offers tools to build your website, including templates, html code, scripts and tutorials. A free link exchange service includes a webmaster forum where you can connect with other webmasters and exchange links. You can also share ideas such as site optimization. You can post your tips and tricks and see tips and tricks from other webmasters.
A link exchange manager allows you to upload a custom template to your site. Other webmasters can then use the template to submit their information and quickly trade links with you. You just have to verify that you want to exchange links.
You can also exchange links by contributing a list of sites from which you are willing to exchange links.
A database of articles allows to you to learn the latest search engine optimization and search engine marketing tips and tricks. You can learn about how to improve your site, the latest search engine optimization news and link exchange etiquette.
A referral program is available. Freelinkbuildingtools.com can connect you with experts to help you out with your website, if you don't have the time or know how.
The best part is that all of the services I have mentioned, are free.
Freelinkbuildingtools.com helps you gain free links. It also offers tools to build your website, including templates, html code, scripts and tutorials. A free link exchange service includes a webmaster forum where you can connect with other webmasters and exchange links. You can also share ideas such as site optimization. You can post your tips and tricks and see tips and tricks from other webmasters.
A link exchange manager allows you to upload a custom template to your site. Other webmasters can then use the template to submit their information and quickly trade links with you. You just have to verify that you want to exchange links.
You can also exchange links by contributing a list of sites from which you are willing to exchange links.
A database of articles allows to you to learn the latest search engine optimization and search engine marketing tips and tricks. You can learn about how to improve your site, the latest search engine optimization news and link exchange etiquette.
A referral program is available. Freelinkbuildingtools.com can connect you with experts to help you out with your website, if you don't have the time or know how.
The best part is that all of the services I have mentioned, are free.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Free Link Exchange
Back when I first started blogging almost six years ago, one of the tips I read about to get visitors was to use link building sites to get backlinks to your site. More backlinks is supposed to help give your site a higher page rank in the search engines. There are a lot of free link exchange sites out there. One free links site I tried out would let you put in requests to have someone link to your site if you would put a link on your site linking to them. I got a lot of requests not relevant to the topic of my site though, so they weren't very helpful backlnks.
Freelinkbuildingtools.com is another site designed to help you build links to your site. They offer a webmasters forum where you can connect with other webmasters and exchange links. A link exchange manager lets you upload a customizable resources page that other webmasters can use to quickly submit their information and follow your linking instructions to trade links. A free link exchange service lets you choose links from a list of relevant sites to trade with. You place code on your site and every time someone links to you, you get points to use for getting links from other sites of your choosing.
Freelinkbuildingtools.com can also refer you to someone who can do all the hard work of getting back links for your site.
Freelinkbuildingtools.com offers a database of articles designed to help you improve your site. Several useful articles include Link Building Etiquette, Generating Valuable Back Links with Blogs, and Using Quality Content to Build Backlinks.
The best part of Freelinkbuildingtools.com is, it is all free. You just have to register to gain access to free information, which just might help improve your site.
Freelinkbuildingtools.com is another site designed to help you build links to your site. They offer a webmasters forum where you can connect with other webmasters and exchange links. A link exchange manager lets you upload a customizable resources page that other webmasters can use to quickly submit their information and follow your linking instructions to trade links. A free link exchange service lets you choose links from a list of relevant sites to trade with. You place code on your site and every time someone links to you, you get points to use for getting links from other sites of your choosing.
Freelinkbuildingtools.com can also refer you to someone who can do all the hard work of getting back links for your site.
Freelinkbuildingtools.com offers a database of articles designed to help you improve your site. Several useful articles include Link Building Etiquette, Generating Valuable Back Links with Blogs, and Using Quality Content to Build Backlinks.
The best part of Freelinkbuildingtools.com is, it is all free. You just have to register to gain access to free information, which just might help improve your site.
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