User behaviour studies August 2, 2006

 

Matt Cutts on video August 2, 2006

 

For some reason (because personally, I think text is better than video for this kind of thing), Matt Cutts has created a number of videos, featuring himself answering questions about SEO.

It's reasonably interesting, but mainly it makes me feel like I'm back at school, staring at the teacher and trying to look interested, but thinking about a million other things.

Still, worth a look. If you give up, you can head over to Seomoz, where some poor soul is going through all the videos (currently eight) and making transcripts.

SEO Answers on Google Video

 

Google almost kills man August 4, 2006

 

We've probably all wanted to kill Google, or ourselves, over temperamental rankings and odd AdWords changes. Recently, however, it appears that Google almost killed a man.

Well, not really. But a Nasdaq error created an enormous plunge in Google share prices last Thursday - nearly $350 a share in a mere ten minutes - and some poor investor nearly had a heart attack.

Upon closer investigation, it turns out that someone "thought for sure that he was going to have a heart attack". Not quite the same thing.

I'll stick with "almost kills", though, because it's definitely more eye-catching.

Have a good Friday!

Error Knocks Down Google $350 a Share

 

Vista and Black Hatters August 4, 2006

 

It seems somewhat unlikely, but at Black Hat Briefings, the conference for hackers and security experts, Microsoft has been giving presentations on Vista. Apparently, the main subjects have been various aspects of security.

I suppose it makes sense to talk to hackers about security, especially since the aim is to make Vista "the most secure version of Windows yet" (What an aim - you'd think that would go without saying. Why would they want to make it *less* secure than previous versions?)

On the other hand, maybe this is part of their twelve principles? Humbly sharing information with hackers in advance, so as not retain an unfair advantage for themselves?

Calm down, I'm just kidding. It's Friday and my brain hurts.

Anyway, interesting article if you're a Vista nut.

Microsoft gets good reception at Black Hat

 

Can a site redesign trigger the ageing delay? August 4, 2006

 

You've probably seen, or heard, me talking about the Google ageing delay in the past. Basically, it's the term that is used to explain the fact that new sites find it so hard (read: impossible) to rank for anything remotely competitive for a long time period, often up to a year.

This posting over at the Search Engine College suggests that old sites that go through a design change can also suffer from the ageing delay. I must admit I've never heard of this happening, and I've worked with plenty of sites that dramatically changed both appearance and content without losing their top ten rankings.

I suppose it's possible if you change a lot of your URLs, page titles and the entire basic structure of your site. But I wouldn't worry about making changes and improvements based on a fear of the ageing delay. At the end of the day, your site needs to be as appealing and easy to use as possible, because otherwise all the great rankings in the world won't help you. As long as you use common sense and avoid deleting highly ranked pages, you should be okay.

Also, it appears that a design triggered ageing delay wears off after a few months, which is a lot quicker than the usual 8-12 months.

Why has my design change had a negative impact on my Google rankings?

 

Green squirrels spotted on Mars August 7, 2006

 

Do headlines make a difference? Well, I bet this one made you look twice - and if it works on a blog, it's definitely going to work elsewhere, too. This little posting over at Copyblogger talks about the importance of using great, eye-catching headlines on social bookmarking sites like Digg. If you don't, fewer people are going to want to read your story. It really is as simple as that.

Still Not Convinced that Headlines Make All the Difference?

 

Google warns users off certain sites August 7, 2006

 

"Warning - the site you are about to visit may harm your computer!" Ever seen this message from Google? No, neither had I, but apparently it's now set to appear whenever Google users attempt to visit a site that has been identified as risky by the Stop Badware Coalition.

You can see this message for yourself if you do a search for "asta killer" on Google, and click on the first link.

On one hand I'm pleased that they're doing this, because it seems to make perfect sense. I have long thought that there should be some kind of warning system. On the other, I'm worried about what might happen when a site is wrongly identified as distributing malware.

A quick check also showed that some of the more notorious sites on the web haven't been flagged. Hmmm. Well, it's a good idea, and it'll be interesting to see how it develops.

Google puts up 'Beware of malware' signs

 

The risks of using a printer August 7, 2006

 

At the Black Hat security conference, the topic of vulnerable printers was raised by security expert Brendan O'Connor. He was talking about Xerox printers, and how certain bugs mean that it's possible to infiltrate and intercept data that is being sent to the printer. Since users tend to trust printers, never even guessing that they might be a security risk, this is obviously a problem.

Xerox manager Armon Rahgozar also attended the conference, and responded that Xerox are working to fix this problem, and plan on releasing a patch.

The article, over at Ars Technica, also discusses the issue of vulnerability disclosure. Should security experts report flaws and safety risk? Does this help users protect themselves, or does it simply point wannabe hackers in the right direction? It's an interesting question, and the article is well worth a read.

Hacker warns of hardware vulnerabilities

 

Click fraud not such a big problem, says Google August 9, 2006

 

In a report released yesterday, Google claims that they have found serious flaws in the work of several click fraud consultants. This, they say, shows that the click fraud problem is much smaller than people think. The two main flaws are:

"Fictitious ad clicks because of mischaracterizing events." In other words, click fraud consultants count clicks where there are no clicks at all, using other signals such as the number of visits to a certain web page. For example, Google says, if someone clicks on an ad, lands on a landing page, goes further into the site and then hits the back button and goes back to the landing page, this would be counted as two ad clicks rather than one.

"Fictitious ad clicks due to conflation across advertisers and ad networks." In other words, consultants use cookies to track user activity, but these cookies sometimes count clicks on a Yahoo ad as a click on a Google ad.

The full 17-page report can be accessed from the Inside AdWords blog.

Three third-party firms have actually been named and shamed. Needless to say, reactions from them have not been overly positive so far. It'll be interesting to see how this develops.

If you've not already done so, you may also want to check our Google AdWords News Blog as well, or subscribe to the Google AdWords News Blog RSS feed.

Troubling findings on how some third parties detect click fraud

Click Fraud Detection

 

Thinking of redesigning your website? August 9, 2006

 

In a very interesting article, usability expert Jared Spool declares that he thinks that the major website re-launches we've seen in the past are now, well, a thing of the past.

Rather than completely redesigning your entire site, you should focus on one small detail at a time, and slowly work your way towards a site that looks and works the way you want it to. Otherwise, Spool states, you're likely to upset and frustrate existing users, without giving them anything particularly valuable.

Spool also refers to well-known sites who have successfully employed this strategy, pointing out that although Amazon has made a lot of small changes over the years, many users believe that it is still exactly the same as it was at the beginning.

I tend to agree with Spool on this. In fact, this is how we've changed our own website over the past few years, and how we plan on making all future changes. If you're thinking about re-doing your own site, you should definitely read this article.

The Quiet Death of the Major Re-Launch

 

To Google or not to Google? August 9, 2006

 

A few years ago, people at the Googleplex were cheering because "to Google" had been entered as a verb in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Now, the tune has changed a little. Google's trademark lawyers are busy sending out ridiculous letters to journalists warning them not to use the name of the mighty G in this way. Here's a quote for you, with examples of what you can and cannot do:

"Appropriate: He ego-surfs on the Google search engine to see if he's listed in the results.

Inappropriate: He googles himself."

Why the sudden turnaround? Basically, because Google is worried that the use of their name is growing even faster than they are - and people could start using the word "google" to search for anything online, using any search engine. The same way people say they use a Kleenex to blow their nose, even though the tissue in their hand might be some cheap, generic brand.

Hmmm. I think it's a bit late to change this, personally. But maybe they're not even trying. All they have to do is be seen to protect their name, because otherwise they might risk losing their trademark.

Google Looks to Avoid Becoming a Xerox of Kleenex

 

More about site redesigns August 11, 2006

 

On Wednesday, we linked to a UIE article about why changing a site step by step is often better than a complete redesign. Over at UIE, this sparked a lot of discussion, and now Jared Spool has written a follow-up article which is every bit as interesting.

This time, he talks about exactly what factors speak against major redesigns, and what benefits there are to doing things incrementally. Some if it applies mainly to larger businesses, but smaller website owners would also do well to read and consider some of his points.

More on Why Major Relaunches are a Bad Idea

 

Remember 1991? August 11, 2006

 

Last weekend, it was fifteen years since the web went worldwide. Fifteen years since Tim Berners-Lee made the following announcement on the alt.hypertext newsgroup:

"The WorldWideWeb (WWW) project aims to allow links to be made to any information anywhere. The address format includes an access method (=namespace), and for most name spaces a hostname and some sort of path. [...] The WWW project was started to allow high energy physicists to share data, news, and documentation. We are very interested in spreading the web to other areas, and having gateway servers for other data. Collaborators welcome!" (Quote from Wired)

The BBC Technology site has put together a timeline featuring some of the most significant online events during the last fifteen years. This includes highlights such as the launch of the Mosaic browser in 1993 and the fact that there were a staggering 342,081 websites online in August 1995. In September 1998, Google opened its first office in a garage in California, and in January 2001, Wikipedia was founded.

It's great fun, looking back. So much has happened in such a short time. But I can't believe they haven't included May 17, 1996, which was when I sent my very first email. It was to Karin, and I remember being worried about sending it late at night in case it woke her parents up. Ahem.

Fifteen years of the web

 

More Vista Hints August 14, 2006

 

For those of you who are itching to get your hands on the first Vista release candidate, I have some news. A Microsoft blogger was hinting about future plans yesterday, and Ars Technica has the details.

Windows Vista nears RC1, Customer Previews to be reinstated

 

AOL and the lost data August 14, 2006

 

By now, many of you will have heard about the big AOL data leak that happened earlier this month. Accidentally, they released a complete, three-month set of search data, including 20 million web queries from 650,000 AOL users. They took it down later, but it was too late - the data was already out there, and apparently it's not very difficult to work out the identity and activities of each individual user. As TechCrunch wrote at the time:

"The most serious problem is the fact that many people often search on their own name, or those of their friends and family, to see what information is available about them on the net. Combine these ego searches with porn queries and you have a serious embarrassment. Combine them with "buy ecstasy" and you have evidence of a crime. Combine it with an address, social security number, etc., and you have an identity theft waiting to happen."

Not surprisingly, people are both scared and furious. Search engine marketers have been quick to use the data to create various keyword tools, although none of the ones I've seen have impressed me.

Of course, this also raises questions about AOL and how reliable they are. One of the newsgroups I read has recently been discussing whether or not you can run a professional business website on an AOL-owned domain. Personally, I think it's a terrible idea - and this latest incident is certainly another nail in the coffin as far as AOL's professional credibility is concerned.

If you're interested in knowing what you can do to protect your privacy and security online, and find out more about exactly what happened with the AOL data, this article over at Wired is a good place to start.

FAQ: AOL's Search Gaffe and You

 

Link building August 16, 2006

 

Although I'm not in favour of all the link schemes and pointless, random link exchanges that take place all over the web, I'd never deny the power of links when it comes to search engine rankings. Of course you want people to link to your website - you just want them to do it for the right reason: your content.

Over at the SEO Book, Aaron Wall and Andy Hagans have put together a truly excellent collection of link building tips. Go there and bookmark it - now.

Okay, so some of the tips are more realistic and doable than others - you'd probably go for #4, "create a list of the top 10 myths for a specific category" before #63, "get sued by a company people hate". But mainly, this posting contains solid, actionable advice, and if you're sitting at your desk wondering how to get people to link to your site, I'd suggest you get started right now.

Oh, and there's also a list of the 30 worst ways to build links, so you know what to avoid if you don't want to get your site banned or penalized.

Brilliant.

101 Ways to Build Link Popularity in 2006

 

Why aren't you using AdwordsReporter? August 16, 2006

 

At the recent Shareware Industry Conference in Denver, I gave a session on Google AdWords that seemed to go very well.

One of the many things that surprised me during the session was that no-one in the room was using the most useful AdWords tool that I have ever come across. AdWordsReporter.

I'm forever pointing out that Google's own reports are a much neglected powerful resource, but AdWords reporter puts Google's Reports to shame.

Want to compare price alterations with number of clicks? Click through rate (CTR) with average position? CPC with conversions? All of this in real time?

Let me spell it out.

To date, this is the only Google AdWords tool that I rate as indispensable.

It's that simple.

And with a 14 day trial, and the professional edition only costing $149, you really have no excuse not to give this a try.

Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote this product in any way. I'm recommending this product because it's very, very good. No other reasons.

AdwordsReporter

 

Software Cracks August 16, 2006

 

An interesting debate has started on Marcus' Macro Blog.

Read the post by Marcus, then the comments.

This is the one that interests me:

"I would happily utilize a pirated version of your software to help my clients lead independent lives if I trusted it to be virus-free (which I could do by using it at home first). Moreover, I would not fear that by doing this you wouldn't be able to pay your morgage. I would be more concerned about whether my client can continue to pay his landlord's morgage."

Interesting. This person, who goes by the name of Jacob, is basically arguing that because some of the people he works with have no money, he would have no qualms about stealing whatever software he needed or wanted.

For some reason, I don't like this approach.

"I have no money, therefore I have no problem with stealing."

I wonder if Jacob applies the same rules to cars and food.

If he walked past a car with the keys in, would he steal it? Surely he'd need it more than the owner.

Would he walk into his local grocery store and take whatever he needed without paying?

Maybe he should start with his local bank. They certainly have far more money than they need.

I'm just glad I don't live next door to Jacob.

Oh and note what Marcus says:

"If you had emailed us with your story and explained how you could use Macro Scheduler to better the life of your client and asked us if we could provide a free version, we would have said yes and we would have provided a copy free of charge, or at the very least, for a big discount. We have done this in the past."

Software Cracks

 

What, exactly, is social search? August 18, 2006

 

If you feel like all you hear about these days is social bookmarking, but you still aren't exactly sure what it is and what you're supposed to do about it, this article over at Search Engine Watch is for you.

It talks you through shared bookmarks, collaborative directories, taggregators, personalized verticals and more, and explains it all in very clear terms.

If you don't know your Digg from your Technorati, this article is for you.

Who's Who in Social Search

 

Are you an Omnivore or a Basket Case? August 18, 2006

 

People are having all kinds of fun with the released AOL search data. Over at Slate, they have used it to distinguish seven different types of AOL searchers, and this makes perfect Friday reading.

The Manhunter and the Shopper are pretty self-explanatory - or so I thought until I wrote it down, and now I realise that I should clarify the former: it is someone who searches for people, not some kind of serial online dater. The Newbie searches for really silly things, such as www.google.com. Personally, I believe I am an Omnivore (although I don't use AOL - but I think these categories can be used for Google searches too, with the possible exception of the Newbie).

Well worth a read if you're waiting for the weekend to start.

You Are What You Search

 

If you haven't heard about Farecast... August 21, 2006

 

For our readers in the US: now is the time to have a look at Farecast, as they launch nationwide today. I have to admit I'm more than a little envious - if this works as well as they say it does, it should really be available internationally.

So what exactly is Farecast? Basically, it's a website that tells you if should buy a certain plane ticket right now, because it's likely to get more expensive tomorrow, or if you'd be better off waiting for prices to go down. In other words, there's a lot of money to be saved.

Farecase was recently included in TIME Magazine's 50 coolest websites, so there's been a fair amount of buzz about it considering it's only launching today.

I can't wait to see how it works out - and please, please, launch one in Europe, too!

Farecast, the airfare predictor, launches nationwide

 

Google Writely now open August 21, 2006

 

As some of you may recall, Google bought online word processing service Writely earlier this year. It then closed registration to new users, but has now opened again.

For a review of how realistic an alternative Writely is, head over to ARS Technica. They seem fairly impressed with it, particularly the "AJAXified" live collaboration which lets you co-edit documents with other online users.

However, they also feel that the lack of a word count feature and no ability to set up document templates are serious drawbacks.

In short: if you're looking for a free service, you could do a lot worse than using a variety if Google tools like Writely and Google Spreadsheets. Business users should probably still stick with MS Office.

Google's Writely reopened for public access