Google Webmaster Tools has been fairly popular for some time but it’s popularity is beginning to grow even more quickly. Much of this new found fame is due to the messages being received by a wide range of webmasters (over 700,000 recently), primarily from, or what seems to be from, the changes rolled out in Google’s Penguin update. Equally significant is the significant buzz and publicity surrounding the fact that receiving these messages is generally bad news for your site … [Read more...]
‘Social Discovery’ Apps Report Hidden Patterns; Predict Human Behavior
Social discovery apps are starting to pick up where social networking software leaves off. New apps hitting the market allow users to search for other individuals based on their age, name, gender, location and interests. They also allow the storage and research on troves and troves of user generated data which can then be analyzed by groups of scientists in order to uncover hidden patterns of our lives, thoughts or political views. Sites like Pintrest.com already fit this … [Read more...]
Rich Snippets: The Absence of Star Ratings & Reviews In Google Search
Most Internet news agencies originally praised Google's decision to replace its local search business rating system with Zagat ratings. After all, the acquisition of Zagat data was a major business decision by the search engine giant who paid a hefty price for those scores, $125 million as originally reported by the Wall Street Journal (more recently reported by AP to be $151 million). However, it seems that business owners and local webmasters who run sites previously … [Read more...]
Fake Verizon Wireless Email: Email Scams & How To Avoid Them
Below is why you should get ‘out of the habit’ of clicking on any links within an email. Scams are running rampant with email and they’re not always easy to spot with the naked eye, so be cautious and think before you click. PLEASE NOTE: THE PHOTO EMAIL BELOW IS NOT SENT FROM VERIZON®. IF YOU RECEIVE IT, IT'S A FAKE. IT IS BEING USED BELOW AS AN EXAMPLE OF AN ACTUAL "PHISHING" EMAIL I RECEIVED. VERIZON® IS ALREADY AWARE OF IT AND TRYING TO PUT A STOP TO IT. THIS IS HERE TO … [Read more...]
Sudden House Passage of CISPA Legislation Sparks Hullabaloo
The rapid approval of new cybersecurity legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday has caught opponents off guard. The controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011 (CISPA) would grant law enforcement and national-security agencies broad powers to monitor private electronic communications. The 248 to 168 margin was especially galling to critics who had harshly denounced the bill as even more expansive than either the Stop Online Piracy … [Read more...]
Google’s Move To Encrypt Search Referrals
Everyone on the planet should boycott Google Analytics, but Google knows no one will. Google Analytics isn’t about delivering a great free stats program to users. It’s about using Webmasters for learning about their traffic and Google’s competitors. Google built an exceptional tool for Webmasters who are willing to share all their web sites information with Google in order to use the “free” Analytics system, including users time on site, user locations, referring sites, … [Read more...]