Yesterday, Text-Link-Ads launched a new service InLinks, that places ads inside the content part of blog posts (full disclosure TLA is an advertiser on this blog). I’ve seen this service in use for a while and it does really good job of not leaving a footprint that is detectable to the external user. New Link Advertising Program InLinks.com from Text Link Ads »

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I was lucky enough to have lunch with Matt Cutts last friday, and one of the things we spoke about was the Google voice search application that was (FINALLY) released today. After playing with it for about half an hour this morning I have to admit it’s pretty darn useful. If you speak slowly and clearly it does a really good job on recognition. However like most voice recognition software it falls apart when local/non english names and locations are spoken. For example google has no idea what to do with Long Island town names like [nissequogue], [massapequa], or [copiague]. That said unless you’ve grown up on long island chances are you’ve got no idea how to pronounce them either (they are american indian in origin in case you were interested). Things like this present a real challenge in the local search market, especially in mobile local search. Google iPhone Voice Search - It’s All About the Ads »

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As I try and dig my way through my overflowing post conference inbox, and mostly overdue Remember the Milk to do list I thought I’d take a few minutes and share my thoughts on Pubcon 2008. Las Vegas Pubcon 2008 Wrap Up »

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Recently Google announced how their flu tracking system worked using data from Google trends. While I appluad Google for thier open discussion, I personally believe this logic is flawed. It’s a systemic problem that occurs throughout Google because of their insular workflow and thought process (see how could so many PHD’s be wrong). IMHO google trends doesn’t really take into account Adversarial Infomation Retrieval (AIR) or “gaming the system”. Any real-time or near real-time system is going to have a vulnerability to creativly inclined people who are motivated by their own self interest and greed. Google trends like google news runs without human intervention. While this type of system can work really well and run for years without incident, eventually these systems encounter something they weren’t designed for and something goes wrong (see Google Publishes Old News Story). The world we live in with is increasingly reliant on machines making decisions based on input, and if a piece of bad data gets in just the right spot a cascade of failures occur, fear takes over and anarchy is the result.

It has already been demonstrated that Google Trends can be abused and hacked, and I’m not the only one who thinks hacking and AIR are converging. With the current economic climate where financial markets are ripe with fear, what’s to prevent someone from manipulating google trends for financial profit.

What if someone were creative enough to use something like the recent puppies webcam that gets distributed via social networks like twitter to open a small iframe or popunder that executed a pre-programmed query on google … No one will share a penny stock email but everyone will share cute overload style puppy pictures.

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So if you’ve been wondering where I’ve been the past week, I’ve been putting the finishing touches on a new website ViralConversations.com. The idea behind Viral Conversations is putting business owners who have a product or service, in touch with bloggers who are interested in reviewing it. The difference between this website and other website review services is Viral Conversations only deals with real world tangible products. New Website ViralConversations.com »

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who is a rankmaniac

Wants to have a drink with a Rankmaniac

Rankmaniac »

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As I cruise thru my SEO folder in my feedreader every day I’m filled with a sense of dismay and utter dissapointment with most of what I see. More often than not I see titles like:

How My Step Dad Taught Me The Ethics of Burnt Sienna Hat SEO

93 Ways Your Shopping Cart Software is Like Progresso Chunky Chicken Soup

How Personal Branding On Your Blog Is Like Paris Hilton’s Mink Coat

Ok so maybe I changed the titles a little to protect the uncreative, but I think you get my point. Using the same formulaic approach over and over, or doing the same thing everyone else is, is just like wearing the same underwear everyday, eventually you really start to stink.

Do you want to hang out with the guy who hasn’t changed his underwear in a week? Do you want to read the same kind of blog posts someone has been writting all week, all month or all year? Use anologies when they make sense, use them when they help you tell a story, use them when they help you make a point, but my god man for the love all all that is good an holy in the universe don’t use them everyday, it just makes you boring. Of course someone will chime in “I don’t blog for you I blog to show clients we understand the blogging medium” well good for you sparky I hope your clients don’t want more than one style of writing from you because if they do you’re in trouble.

Why is it important you get this? Because no matter what vertical you are in, blogging is a from of entertainment. Sure sometimes it’s also news and information but the more entertaining and interesting you make it the more people are going to want to read it. The more you differentiate yourself and make your posts filled with a uniqueness and style that only you can deliver the more people will subscribe and keep coming back.

So please change your underwear and stop with the analogies.

PS: yes this post title itself is an analogy, but in this case it’s really irony and satire cause that’s just how I roll…

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One of the criticisms of scientists, engineers, and programmers has always been just because you can build something, doesn’t mean you should. While the Ralph Lauren iPhone app is much more benign than any piece of industrial or military hardware, it is equally as pointless. Ralph Lauren iPhone App »

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A few weeks ago during SMX East, one of the subjects that came up was pagerank sculpting and use of nofollow. Most of the panelists didn’t use the practice, and Googler Matt Cutts has said it’s ok but not something he would put a high priority on if you set up your site correctly. Xoogler Vanessa Fox has similar sentiments. So if there’s so many high profile authority figures downplaying it, why are we still having this discussion? The problem is it’s a matter of scale and where you fall on the food chain, on whether or not it’s worth your time. Allow me to make an analogy …

NoFollow and PageRank Sculpting is it Worth the Effort »

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So if you happen to do a search on the word [Ferrari] you’re greeted with this SERP.

Does Ferrari Need SEO and PPC Help »

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Haven’t seen this one before a SERP where google is showing Total Authors, last post data, and total number of posts [seo malpractice]

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So I’m back and getting caught up from SMX. if you missed it and are looking for the next SEO show be sure to check out Pubcon coming up this November in Las Vegas. if you haven’t already registered you can use this discount code to save 20% off the registration price

gr-78320

Like many other people in the industry WebmasterWorld and Pubcon are where I got my start, so for me it’s always like coming home. if you’ve never been to a search conference you should read What Search Engine Conferences Should I Attend, also The Introvert’s Guide to Conference Networking and The Big Water Story to help you really get what its all about and why its important that it’s more than just the panels where you learn.

Having a hard time convincing your boss to justify a conference expense read Top Tips to Get Your Boss to Send You to a Conference a classic from last year.

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Unfortunately I’m not going to be able to be at SMX on Monday do to some prior family and business obligations, but if you are going be sure to attend the Internet Marketers Charity party on Monday night.

it’s 8pm till midnight at the Social Bar - 795 8th Avenue (b/w 48th & 49th street). For $50 you get drinks and light light snacks from the bar and you get to meet lots of other internet marketing folks. You $50 goes to support the Ronald McDonald House for more details you can check out Internet Marketers Charity Party Website.

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Last night I was looking up some books that were recommended to me, and saw my first Google Book Search in the # 1 SERP [Travel Wise: How to Be Safe, Savvy and Secure Abroad] (screen shot below).

Google Book Search Affects ECommerce, Is Your Vertical Next »

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Earlier this week Barbara Boser of 3 Dog Media made a post asking people to turn their avatars pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Breast Cancer, Social Media, and Picnik.com »

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Having been involved in internet marketing for more than a few years, it’s interesting to see ideas fall out of favor only to come back in fashion, specifically email newsletters and true community building. Newsletters and Community Building »

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I’m cruising through my feeds this morning and I notice a headline from the New York Times that might interest me

Let’s Talk About Your Big But »

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As both Youtube and Wordpress are mature products I would have imagined this plugin existed hower after several days looking it doesn’t look like it’s available.

I’m looking for a wordpress plugin that use the youtube API and automatically pulls in new videos as they are posted and automatically creates a single post for them. I’m just interested in working with a username, not keywords or tags. The reason is if you use keywords or tags other people can cause use them and make the plugin to pull in unapproved videos.

Ideally you would be able to configure how often it checks for new videos and tell it which category to put the videos in.

The Youtube API currently only spits out a pic with a link to the video not a true embedable video. Wordpress also munges the code if you write it directly. If you were looking to be quick and easy I’d suggest working with the smartyoutube plugin and spitting out the output in this format and popping that into the post.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00000000

if you wanted to be extra cool you could add a function to put the latest video in the sidebar so you wouldn’t need to update the template when a new video comes out.

It’s a friends personal project so there’s no budget, but they will give you a link, and I’ll help pimp you out here as well. I know I’m not the only one looking for this plugin, so I have to imagine you’ll get some link love elsewhere as well. If you’re interested drop a note in the comments or contact me … thanks.

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You know there are days where you really just cant believe the things you see. Cruising on over to the Martha Stewart blog you’ll read how they are running a contest and REQUIRING a link back to Martha’s Blog to be entered … (screen shot for posterity)

So what’s the deal Matt Cutts is Martha within the Google guidelines on this one? Can we all scurry about running similar promotions on our blogs without fear of the google hammer of justice … or is more of the same old same old two tiered google justice system …

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Doing a vanity search for myself I noticed something interesting, here’s a screen shot when you list the top 20 results, notice the double videos in the middle

Is Google Pushing Universal Results »

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