iTunes started playing one of my favorite all time acoustics, Bron-Yr-Aur by Led Zeppelin.

That reminded me... I walked down to this song as my wedding. The wife wasn't too pleased with my music selection, but I thought it was a nice song to walk down to.

Check out this kid playing it:

Now, if you want to see made young talent, check out this really young kid playing the song. Amazing... Now, the stomp version done right.

The version I walked down to was the acoustic version and do be honest, I think the kids above played it much better than the wedding guy.

Posted at 4:52 PM | Permalink | Category: Music | Comments (6) (0)

This is the June 29th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 29th, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 28, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Headlines of Note for June 28, 2007, Internet Marketing Monitor
• Adwords Campaign Optimizer Tool, DigitalPoint
• Сколько зарабатывают на Google Adsense, SEOwe Blog
• Referrals 2.0 launches to all AdSense publishers (Inside AdSense), Techmeme
• Black SEO Hits Mainstream Media, Fantomaster
• It's a click & drag situation (Kate/Google LatLong), Techmeme
• Panama Opens New Locks (Yahoo! Search Marketing Blog), Techmeme
• "Negative SEO," Harming Your Competitors With SEO, Search Engine Land
• How often do you need to update your content?, 1 Choice 4 Your Store Blog
• How is this Possible?, techipedia

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 29th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (1) (0)

Network Solutions is guaranteeing search rankings. AdSense referrals 2.0 is out. Yahoo updates Panama. Top ad is best paying ad. Drag your driving directions around Google. ContentAds are available to all on adCenter. Online auctions are lower in rankings. 302s are explored once more. I discussed negative SEO again. Google sued again for defamatory. Google Q & A in Russia. Search in pictures is out. The 25% number, just an estimate.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Network Solutions Guarantees Top Search Engine Rankings
2. Google AdSense Launches Pay Per Action Under Referrals 2.0 to All
3. Yahoo Adds New Features To Panama (Search Marketing Console)
4. Top Google AdSense Ad is Highest Paying AdSense Ad
5. Driving Directions Your Way with Google Maps Drag & Drop
6. MSN ContentAds are Now Live to All Advertisers
7. Online Auction Listings Ranking Lower in the SERPs?
8. How Long Should You Keep a 302 Redirect in Place?

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Yahoo Search Marketing Adds New Keyword Tool & More Features To Panama
2. Google Released Referrals Beta To All
3. "Negative SEO" - Harming Your Competitors With SEO
4. Google Sued In UK For Defamatory Postings In Search Results
5. Google Launches "Question and Answers" In Russia
6. Search in Pictures: Flying High, Signs & Google Chicken
7. That 25% New Queries Figure? Ballpark Estimate, Says Google

Posted at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

According to a 13 question test I just took, I am 98% addicted to blogging...

98%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Give it a try yourself at mingle2.com/blog-addiction.

But notice how they want you to link to <a href="http://mingle2.com">Online Dating</a>

I removed it, I am sorry.

Posted at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Category: Blogging | Comments (5) (0)

Who knew that when I bought my condo in Monsey that I would be looking to sell a year and a half later?

Well I am potentially looking to sell my condo now. It was a scary decision but I think the right one.

Why is it scary? Well, I simply bought at the peak, so I will have to take a loss on the condo. But at the same time, I don't think the loss will be more than what it would have cost to rent for the past two years or so.

We are just ready to buy a real home and it is exciting but at the same time - a bit scary, as I said.

The good thing is that our condo is in great condition to sell. It was completely renovated two years ago before we moved. I mean completely! The condo management did all the work themselves, so it was done right. They knocked down the walls, gutted all the piping, redid the whole kitchen and wood floors. I had them add a small room for a washer and dryer, which required them to install a new circuit breaker and water lines into that area of the condo. I also added two new air conditioners that are both energy efficient and powerful. In addition, the condo has one of the largest, if not the largest, patio of all condos. The neighbors are nice and friendly also.

I put a lot into the condo and I expect to make less of the purchase price of the condominium. Yes, this is sad. But it is currently a buyers market, so I am on both ends. I am selling and buying. The location is where most people in Monsey want to be. I live in a very orthodox Jewish area - in the heart of Monsey. I would be moving far out to a less Jewish dense area, but into a full home (hopefully about an acre). No, I did not find a home yet, I won't until I know I can sell the condo.

Here is a picture of the condo I took at about 6am this morning from the outside (a bit dark outside then):

Any tips for a first time home seller?

OH: If you are interested in buying this condominium or know someone who is interested, let me know. How? I guess use the RustyBrick contact form and I will get it.

Posted at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Category: Family , Homey | Comments (9) (0)

This is the June 28th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 28th, 2007:

• PPC News Roundup – 6/27/2007, PPC Hero
• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 27, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Search Headlines & Links: June 27, 2007, Search Engine Watch
• SMX Wrap-Up on Beginning SEO Podcast, Cshel
• Best Internet Marketing Blogs, The Credence
• Cómo eliminar los resultados personalizados en las busquedas de Google, BlogoCola
• MySpace TV To Compete With Google's YouTube, Search Engine Land
• Google Offers Optimization Tips With New AdWords Tool, Internet Marketing Monitor
• Yahoo Publisher Network Paying Via PayPal, No Commission, InsideGoogle

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 28th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Google Gadget opened a ventures program for developers to earn some serious cash. YPN PayPal payouts have been received. ContentAds rumors are up and about. MySpace TV has launched today. AdWords campaign optimizer tool is being tested. Content is important for SEO. Google Desktop for Linux is now available. Mossberg raved about Ask.com's new user interface. A study showed branding impact revelancy. Google was sued for a form of typosquatting.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Google Gadget Ventures: Earn $5,000 to $100,000 From Google
2. Yahoo Publisher Network Publishers Receive Payments Via PayPal
3. Rumor: Microsoft Testing AdSense Like ContentAds with Smaller Publishers
4. MySpace Rivals YouTube: A Comparison of Both Services
5. Google AdWords Tests Campaign Optimizer Tool
6. How Often Should You Update Your Content?

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Google Desktop Now Available For Linux
2. Mossberg, Ask.com "Goes Much Further" Than Google
3. Study: Good Brand Can Make Search Seem More Relevant
4. Lawsuit: Google's AdSense For Domains Program Contributes To Trademark Infringement

Posted at 4:19 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

Like I said in the past, we are in need of server upgrades and new hardware. A bulk of the stress on the servers come from the blogs we have on the boxes. The largest blog by far, is the Search Engine Roundtable.

So we need to upgrade the operating system, streamline the software on the boxes and then move over applications, such as this blog software, on new machines. This all costs a ton of money. So like my buddy, Shawn, did with his donate page, I thought I can take some ideas from him.

I have been writing on search since 2003. We do accept ads, but they don't cover all the costs, especially of this major server upgrade. So I am hoping to earn more money from a special Search Engine Roundtable Donations page.

Like Shaw, I am giving an advertisement on that page for anyone who gives $500 or more.

I also added a FeedFlare button to go directly to the donations page, so look for it on the main site under each post, or in the feeds.

Thanks for your support!

Posted at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Category: Blogging , Computers | Comments (0) (0)

Last night, I went out to dinner with my wife and sister and brother-in-law. Traffic was absolutely horrible on the way in and way out. I am not sure if it had to do with the yesterday's blackout in the upper east side, but it was bad.

In any event, after reaching the restaurant 30 minutes late, we ate and left. The drive home was worse. Driving up 1st avenue to get to the FDR north was a pain. About three blocks before the entrance with the FDR, I felt a largish knock on the back of the car. The whole car rocked forward and I just sighed.

I get out of the car, with my brother-in-law and we go look at the situation. I took my wife's Jeep, because I can't fit more than two people and a RustyBrick bag in my car, so at least my wheels were damaged. In any event, the guy who hit me, had a small Honda Civic. His right headlight went under my Jeep's left bumper. His headlight was smashed in and the left bumper was scratched and a ripped under the bumper.

I am waiting on a quote from a body shop guy now...

But get this, the guy who hit me was an office duty police officer. He was very nice and apologetic. So we exchange information and go on our way. Today I call him to give him the cost estimate...

It gets worse. I finally get onto the FDR north. Of course, more traffic... I merge onto the ramp to get onto the George Washington Bridge and the car in front of me, in the right lane hits a large divider cone. It rolls right in front of my car - something I can't run over. So I had to stop, put hazards on and have my brother-in-law run out and move the cone.

We are back on our way.

I merge off the GW Bridge onto the Palisades parkway and buckets of rain start coming down. I can barely see, but I keep going. The rain stops and we see accidents all over the place. The other side of the Palisades is closed down due to a huge accident, huge.

That was my fun adventure last night. No car fires but still fun.

Posted at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Category: Motor Vehicle , Travels | Comments (7) (0)

This is the June 27th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 27th, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 26, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Threadwatch, SEO Angels & The Day The Music Died, Bruceclay.com
• More News Roundup Links, June 26, Marketing Pilgrim
• Summer Lull? What Summer Lull? The Search World is Hotter than Ever, SEOmoz
• Apple iPhone Craze: A Search Volume Look, Search Engine Land
• Turn Off Google Personalized Search Without Logging Out, freddie-dot-see-eh
• Yahoo Chief Sales Officer, Millard left for Martha., Web Design Song

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 27th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

I wrote about proxy hijacking in Google. There is a company selling services to damage your rankings. AdSense gets rounded. Google URL removal tool gets frustrating. Google Docs get cleaner. AdWords kills click to call, kind of. Request reconsideration for banned domains. Microsoft's search acquisitions. Topix now run by Tolles. MySpace TV to launch. iPhone craze. SEMPO summer school. Google launches Custom Search Engine API. Microsoft internal Google email leaked.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Reports of More Google Hijacks via Proxy Sites
2. Companies Offer to Damage Your Competitors Search Engine Rankings
3. Google Adds Rounded Corners Option to AdSense Ads
4. Frustration Over Google URL Removal Tool
5. Google Docs Launches New Interface
6. Google AdWords Not Accepting New Click to Call Advertisers
7. Submit a Reconsideration Request to Google if You Buy a Banned Domain
8. Microsoft Focuses on Acquisitions to Build Up Search

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Tolles Replaced Skrenta As CEO Of Topix
2. MySpace TV To Compete With Google's YouTube
3. Google AdSense Adds Corner Styles Format
4. Apple iPhone Craze: A Search Volume Look
5. SEMPO Opens Advanced Search Advertising Course
6. Google Launches APIs For Custom Search Engine
7. Internal Microsoft Email Compares Life At Google Vs. Microsoft

Posted at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

This past Sunday, I was at a pretty fancy wedding. The food overall was solid. But the salad was a bit too much for me...

Let's take a look:

The plate had droppings of salad dressings. Inside the cucumber (which I would eat) was salmon, topping the salmon were carrots and something I can't recognize. Then on top of that, a few leaves of lettuce. Sticking out of those leaves were two chinese noodle like sticks.

You see the picture? It remained like that on the table until a waitress took it away before serving the main course.

Yes, I learned my lesson... Sushi night, which is going to take place, I believe, this Monday - will be in a restaurant that serves both sushi and on types of foods. I am in!

And tonight, I am off to Prime Grill al-la (spelling?) Gary!

Posted at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Category: Food | Comments (3) (0)

I was chatting with Caydel and he commented that he noticed the Search Engine Roundtable doesn't get as many comments has he would have expected. We get about 10 - 20 comments per day, which is a nice amount, but not like some other blogs - even like this one, that can get 10 or 20 comments on a single blog post.

We have a section that shows the most recent comments, it looks like this:

But to address his question, why don't we get a ton of comments? I believe the main reason is because since day one, I didn't want the forum owners and moderators to feel that I am poaching on their communities. The whole premise behind the Search Engine Roundtable is to report on the most interesting and popular search marketing threads. We did not want to take away from that discussion, but rather point people to it.

Virtually all our articles start with a link to the forum thread and then end with "Forum discussion at [Forum Name Goes Here]." The last piece of advice we give, is go to the forum thread, read it and debate the topic there. Of course, we have comments open at the Search Engine Roundtable, but we do not want to take away from the discussion at the original forum thread.

I hope that clarifies that question a bit. Does it?

Posted at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Category: Blogging , SEO Tips | Comments (0) (0)

The iPhone reviews are out and overall, the reviews are mostly positive. Here they are:

The iPhone is Breakthrough Handheld Computer, Wall Street Journal

Expectations for the iPhone have been so high that it can't possibly meet them all. It isn't for the average person who just wants a cheap, small phone for calling and texting. But, despite its network limitations, the iPhone is a whole new experience and a pleasure to use.

The iPhone Matches Most of Its Hype, New York Times

But even in version 1.0, the iPhone is still the most sophisticated, outlook-changing piece of electronics to come along in years. It does so many things so well, and so pleasurably, that you tend to forgive its foibles. In other words, maybe all the iPhone hype isn’t hype at all. As the ball player Dizzy Dean once said, “It ain’t bragging if you done it.”

Apple's iPhone isn't perfect, but it's worthy of the hype, USA Today

The mania over Apple's iPhone launch has created stratospheric expectations that are near impossible to live up to. Yet with a few exceptions, this expensive, glitzy wunderkind is indeed worth lusting after. That's saying a lot. After months of hype, Apple has delivered a prodigy — a slender fashion phone, a slick iPod and an Internet experience unlike any before it on a mobile handset.

At Last, the iPhone, Newsweek

Certainly all those people lining up to buy iPhones will find their investment worthwhile, if only for the delight they get from dazzling their friends. They will surely appreciate the iPhone’s features and the way they are intertwined to present a unified experience. But in the future—when the iPhone has more applications and offers more performance, with a lower price—buyers will find even more value. So smart consumers may well wait for that day. But meanwhile they can only look with envy as the person sitting next to them to them on the subway, or standing ahead of them in the Whole Foods line, is enjoying the phone that finally fulfills the promise of people-friendly palm-top communication and computing.

Crunchgear is updating with these reviews often.

Posted at 8:31 AM | Permalink | Category: Apple Macs , Computers , iPhone | Comments (1) (0)

Typically, you get these pieces of shwag and you throw them in the corner of your office. Well, I have them in corners, at home, hanging in closets, etc...

I just pulled out an old piece of WebmasterWorld shwag and I just got the message.

WebmasterWorld got my back!

Thanks Brett!

Am I bored? Not, just felt bad I only posted two personal items today - so this is the third.

Posted at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Category: Travels | Comments (1) (0)

This is the June 26th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 26th, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 25, 2007, Search Engine Land
• aimClear Search Marketing Blog Makes the Big List, Duluth Blog, Top Rank, Online Marketing
• Ranking Forum and Bulletin Board Pages, SEO Hong Kong
• Adsense by the numbers, My Life on Points
• Word from the US, ebay returns to adwords, Seo Home blog
• Linklove tuesday, Joost De Valk
• Cómo eliminar los resultados personalizados en las busquedas de Google, BlogoCola
• Google Ad Text Ideas vs. My Job, Apogee
• Ebay resumes their AdWords campaign, Adapt

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 26th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (1) (0)

I gave some tips on changing page extensions. Is Google universal harder than OneBox? I gave some tips on how to turn of Google personalized results. Google still has a bug in My Client Center. Threadwatch goes poof. Google Reader is back. Google ads business reviews. Proxies are the way to go with Yahoo ads. Yahoo's head ad sales guy leaves. Google shut down by judge on DOJ Microsoft probe. Google News gets flashy. Flickr is more integrated into Yahoo Image Search.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Switching Page Extensions & SEO (i.e. ASP to PHP)
2. Is Google Universal Search Harder Than One Box Results For SEOs
3. Turning Off Google Personalized Results
4. Google AdWords My Client Center Bug Removes Linked Accounts
5. Threadwatch Blog Closes Down
6. Google Reader Downtime: Solved
7. Google Maps Supports User Generated Reviews
8. Seeing Geotargeted Yahoo Ads from Another Country
9. Yahoo Chief Sales Officer in the US Resigns

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Google Wants DOJ To Continue Microsoft Probe
2. Threadwatch, Search Industry Blog/Forum, Says Goodbye
3. Google Adds Image Version Of Google News
4. Flickr User Names Now Linked Within Yahoo Image Search

Posted at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

I was using my favorite pen today and I pressed the top in to eject the top of the pen, and the ben blew up.

You may be able to see the crack around the rippled part of the pen.

What is that right next to the Ask.com pen? I guess my replacement pen, from Searchfeed.com.

Why am I blogging up something so petty? Remember the The Latest Google Flatline from Ask.com that jokes about a Google pen that ran out of ink? Yea, Google restored the pen soon after. So when my Ask.com pen broke, it reminded me of this.

Posted at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Grind | Comments (4) (0)

You guys know I am having second thoughts on the iPhone...

Appleinsider is reporting that there are two guys already on line at the Apple Manhattan store, since Monday - four days before the iPhones go on sale, to get themselves an iPhone first.

Gizmodo has posted a video of an interview with the first two people who camped out for the iPhone.

Supposedly, this guy is a "veteran camper" who was one of the first to get the PS3 and so on.

Vicarious Music has a picture of the guy with a sign.

Now that is dedication - or simply crazy.

Posted at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Category: Apple Macs , Computers , Just Funny , Just Weird , iPhone | Comments (2) (0)

This is the June 25th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 25th, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 22, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Thanks Barry Schwartz and Search Engine Roundtable, Mima
• Congrats Melinda Cayetano, our Round 6 winner!, Mima
• Googly Goodness, Marketing Pilgrim
• Behind the Maple Curtain, SEOish
• eBay Restarts AdWords Campaigns With New Outlook, Search Engine Land
• SEO is Dead, Or Is It?, Commerce360 Blog
• Improving of Google Search for Fresh Documents, Modify Blog Theme
• links for 2007-06-23, SEO Critique
• Search Engine Marketers and their LSI Myths, Web Usability Help
• This Week In SEO - 6/22/07, TheVanBlog

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 25th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

I wrote about search engines crawling forums. 75% earn $25 or less with AdSense. eBay returns to Google AdWords. 25% of searches are unseen. The minus 30 penalty is reviewed. adCenter upgrade has been postponed. Gmail is outlawed in Germany, kind of. The human touch of search. Yahoo merged ad teams. Google bought GrandCentral.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Do Search Engines Read Individual Forum Posts or Threads?
2. 75% of AdSense Publishers at DigitalPoint Earn $25 or Less Per Day
3. eBay Google Ads Return, Google AdWords Advertisers Not Happy
4. A Quarter of Google Searches Are Never Seen Before
5. The "Minus 30" Penalty Revisited
6. Microsoft adCenter Scheduled Maintenance Postponed

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. eBay Restarts AdWords Campaigns With New Outlook
2. Germany Rules Against Google On Gmail Trademark, Gmail In Germany To Shut Down?
3. Google's Human Touch
4. Yahoo Merges Search & Display Ad Teams, Karnstedt Heads Up Team
5. Report: Google Acquires GrandCentral, Telephone Management Company

Posted at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

The July 2007 edition of Wired Magazine has me on the cover. No Kidding... Here is a scan of the front page.

Still don't believe me? Here is a picture from an angle on my camera.

Now you believe me?

To be honest, it is no big deal at all. Why? Remember the Make Wired Your Own campaign I mentioned back in March? No? Well, they had a promo, for the first 5,000 people to send in a picture and had a subscription, they would put your picture on the cover of Wired.

So, I am one of 5,000 people.

The picture I sent them was a cropped version of me visiting Mini Israel.

Posted at 2:38 PM | Permalink | Category: Blogging , Just Interesting | Comments (9) (0)

I have this awards page on the Search Engine Roundtable where I put the various awards the blog has one, and some select testimonials from those people in the search industry that have a name.

Tim Mayer, of Yahoo, the Vice President of Product Management at Yahoo! Search, just gave me a testimonial to use on the blog.

Search Engine Roundtable is one of the very few blogs I check several times each day for search industry news. Barry's timely news posts and accurate, concise insight quickly keeps me up to speed on all things search. Whether you’re an SEO, SEM, search engine employee or just someone who follows search, I highly recommend you read Search Engine Roundtable.

Wow - thanks Tim!

More about Tim? Well, he is an old man, when it comes to search... A great bio is at PubCon:

Tim brings over 10 years of search experience to Yahoo! with previous roles at Overture, FAST Search & Transfer, Inktomi and Thomson Corp. Tim was previously Vice President of Web Search Products at Overture where he led the product direction of the web search product as well as managing the major web search affiliate partner relationships. Prior to Overture, Tim was Vice President and General Manager of the FAST Web Search division including the core search technology and the alltheweb.com search destination. Before FAST, Tim spent two years leading product management and product marketing in the web search division at Inktomi. Before entering the web search area, Mayer worked at Thomson & Thomson as the project manager of the SAEGIS and NameStake search platforms.

Other testimonials I have are from Danny Sullivan (Search Engine Land), Brett Tabke (WebmasterWorld), Gary Price (Ask.com & ResourceShelf), Rand Fishkin (SEOmoz), and Andy Beal.

Who knows, maybe Matt Cutts of Google would give me a testimonial? Maybe?

Posted at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Category: Blogging | Comments (0) (0)

Did you know I have a horse?

Nah, I am just lying. I was at a wedding yesterday, and they had horses. So, of course, I take a picture standing next to one - so I can blog about it.

Well, the wedding was sweet. Up on a mountain in upstate NY. Horses, gardens, castle-like resort, awesome food and good music.

Posted at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Weird | Comments (6) (0)

Yesterday, late afternoon, I was driving back from a wedding in upstate New York, on NYS Thruway (I-87 South), and there was a huge fog of black smoke in the air. As we got closer, we saw this car with flames coming out of it. We also saw small fire cars driving north (to come back around south) to the fire, we then saw later fire trucks doing the same thing (but that was after we passed the fire).

I couldn't find any news about the car fire this morning. From the looks of it, it appeared there was no one in the car, while it was on fire. At least, I hope no one was in the car.

My wife actually said, hey - should I take a picture for your blog. I guess my blogging is rubbing off on my wife.

Posted at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Category: Motor Vehicle , Travels | Comments (6) (0)

This is the June 22nd issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 22nd, 2007:

• Amazon Launches Contextual Ad System, 7C Blogs
• He's Right, He's Interesting and Lots of Good Blogs, The Link Spiel
• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 21, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Google Pay-Per-Action Beta Goes Global, Search Engine Land
• Actionable Analytics, Demand Conversion Tracking, aimClearBlog
• Google AdWords Pay Per Action Beta Now Worldwide, SEOptimise
• AdSense Publishers Reporting Drops In Earnings, InsideGoogle

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 22nd, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 3:59 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (1) (0)

SEOs bash Mahalo. Nielsen releases search market share data. Live.com updates. Google Maps business verification gets easier. Google Phone, is it a fake? adCenter upgrades soon. Google Images can be site restricted. Google to add question engine. Business.com is up for sale. Google has 2,000 jobs open. Dell to build Google Search Appliance. Google's new finance and news blog. Google Translate adds features. Search in Pictures is up.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. SEOs Mock Mahalo in Google AdWords
2. More Search Market Share Stats - Nielsen//NetRatings
3. June 2007 MSN Live.com Search Update
4. Google Maps Adds Phone & SMS Business Verification
5. Do You Believe the Google Phone is Real?
6. Microsoft adCenter Upgrading More Members to Content Network
7. Google Images Supports Site Filter Command

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. adCenter To Upgrade More Advertisers Into Content Network On June 28
2. Google: 25% Of Queries Are New & Adding Question Engine
3. Business.com Up For Sale, Bidding Starting At $300 Million
4. Google Partners With Dell To Manufacture The Google Search Appliance
5. Google Has About 2,000 Job Openings Worldwide
6. Google Adds News Blog & Finance Blog
7. Dictionary Feature Added To Google Translate
8. Search in Pictures: Yang Hugs Semel, Solar Google Plugs, Brick & Lace At Yahoo

Posted at 3:52 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

An other cute little widget to add to your blog... Bubble Guru, provides a little interface to easily record a little video of yourself that you can place on your site. It basically pops open a bubble, when activated, and speaks and shows your message.

To record, there is a built in interface that allows you to record and edit your video.

Give mine a try by clicking...

Nice find Andy!

Removed because it keeps popping up.

Posted at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Category: Blogging | Comments (1) (0)

The Chicago Tribune reports that a 15-year-old Indian kid has performed surgery. Specifically a Caesarean section birth.

Why did he do it? His parents wanted him to be in the Guinness Book of Records as the youngest person to perform surgery. His parents are both doctors who have performed the surgery successfully in the past.

They video tapped the whole thing. And when the Guinness Book of Records was questioned, of course they said they don't condone such "bad medicine." In fact, the son has conducted more surgeries in the past.

So now what? The parents might end up in jail.

Posted at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Weird | Comments (2) (0)

I get this strange handwritten envelope, that appears to be from the U.K. placed on my desk this afternoon. I cautiously open it up, finding it strange to be getting a handwritten letter from Europe and notice it was a letter from Glen at Viper Chill.

Instead of emailing me, he sent me a physical letter via the post.

How weird? A blogger sends a snail mail piece instead of email? Well, it caught my attention, enough so to blog about it. :)

Why did he thank me in the letter? Well, I answered a question for him on how RustyBrick got started, which he posted on his blog.

Your welcome Glen and thanks for the letter.

FYI - I believe Glen is a young one - but that is cool.

Posted at 3:33 PM | Permalink | Category: Blogging | Comments (5) (0)

This is the June 21st issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 21st, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 20, 2007, Search Engine Land
• SES Latino 2007 Wrap-Up, Cshel
• Headlines of Note for June 20, 2007, Internet Marketing Monitor
• The Future of Marketing, Balihoo
• Google vs. eBay: Can’t We All Just Get Along?, techipedia
• Bringing Search Marketing In House - 10 Great Resources, Web Analytics Blog
• Google email says they're removing my site, WebmasterWorld
• Google’s $312 Million Joke, InsideGoogle
• A New Way to Pay - Google Expands Pay-Per-Action for Google AdWords, Techmeme
• Short Descriptions Now Live, Techmeme
• It's Official: Yahoo Acquires Rivals.com; Not Official But Truem, Techmeme
• LG Unveils Google Phone For Europe, THE INDIE TRIBUNE
• Google Phone | Bani pe net, Cotiso
• Google ADSENSE click throgh rates discussion, MyADLETS
• How to Make AJAX Techniques Safe for Search Engines, Cre8pc
• Picture of Google Phone from LG, Digital Inspiration
• LG Unveils Genuine Google Phone, Techmeme

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 21st, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Yahoo is now cutting off long ad descriptions. Google expanded Pay Per Action ads. Yahoo bought Rivals.com. Google Image search face filter. An AdWords search engine? Yahoo and MySpace? Google Phone pictures. adCenter adds negative keywords on campaign level. Two top Googlers leave Google for VC. EU is to question other search engines.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Yahoo! Goes Short on Search Ad Descriptions Today
2. Google Expands Pay Per Action Worldwide
3. Revisiting Google Image Search's Face Filter
4. Can You See Google Geotargeted Ads from Another Location?
5. Do You Want a Google AdWords Search Engine?
6. Yahoo Rumored to be Looking at MySpace for a 25% Stake in the Company
7. Want to See the Google Phone? It's Here!
8. Microsoft adCenter Adds Negative Keywords to Campaigns

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Google Pay-Per-Action Beta Goes Global
2. Yahoo Acquires College Sports Site, Rivals.com
3. Yahoo Search Ads Now Truncated To 70 Characters
4. Two Top Google Engineers Leave Google
5. European Union To Question Data Retention Policies Of Other Search Engines

Posted at 3:22 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

Yesterday I wrote about a really bad interview I experienced. So today, I thought I share tips on how to land a job as a PHP or Web programmer at RustyBrick.

There are first some basic requirements we have:
- You must know PHP
- You must know MySQL
- You must have basic knowledge of HTML and CSS
- You must be willing to work in Suffern, NY

If you meet those requirements, then comes the process.

Requesting an Interview:
(1) Let us know you are interested in a job
(2) We review some basic information in your resume and in that form
(3) We ask some to complete our application, which is basically a test on PHP, MySQL, CSS and other key elements we need to test
(4) Then we may ask to have you come in for an interview (most people don't get this far)

The Programmer Job Interview:
(1) Schedule a time to come in and be 5 minutes early, not 30 minutes early.
(2) Ronnie and I chat with the candidate for about 30 - 45 minutes
(3) Ronnie gives you a small task to program onsite, which can take 5 minutes to complete (some people stick around for hours)
(4) We thank the candidate and the interview is over

Some RustyBrick Interview Tips:
- Do not wear a suit
- Do not come too early
- Research the company before coming, there is plenty of information about us out there
- Research those people who will be interviewing you, again, plenty of information
- Don't make these mistakes
- Come ready for an on site test
- Show your personality

How do we decide on who to hire? Well, that is basically a compilation of all these different steps. Yes, we are still looking to hire developers, so if you know any, please send them our way.

Posted at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Category: RustyBrick | Comments (2) (0)

I wanted some of you to look back at an old post I named The Leaning Tower of Snapple.

It is one of my favorites, believe it or not.

Posted at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Funny | Comments (6) (0)

About a month ago, I set up Akisment on my blogs to reduce comment spam. It has been working wonders. But for some people, it continuously marks them as spam and I have to dig them out and mark them as not spam over and over again.

Akismet is suppose to learn over time if a comment is not spam. But I guess it takes a lot of time...

I laughed at Matt Cutts when his comments started to be labeled as spam. Well, now the joke is on me!

Not only does Akismet find all my comments to be spam, so does bsb.spamlookup.net.

What a pain. :(

Posted at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Funny | Comments (2) (0)

Check out http://www.pleoworld.com/.

Now, it is pushed back again until October 15, 2007!

It was suppose to be December 24, 2006 and then some time in March and now it is October 15th.

I want one of these little dinosaur creatures to room the RustyBrick office already. Possibly two!

Posted at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Interesting | Comments (2) (0)

Everyone is excited about Google buying Zenter, as part of their collection of purchases to offer online presentation software, similar to WebEx. Here are two articles on it from yesterday:

- Google Acquires Zenter, Online Slides Presentation Company from Search Engine Roundtable
- Google Acquires Zenter, Online Presentation Software Company from Search Engine Land

But, did you guys know about a free online meeting application from ZOHO known as Zoho Meeting?

I tried it out myself and it has a great UI to manage online meetings. The only thing I don't like is that if you are the presenter, you need a PC, because it uses ActiveX commands to run. But it is still free and I have a PC on my Mac with Parallels so I gave it a try. It works pretty well and is easy to use.

Who told me about this software? Gary Price, of course, he informed me about it several months ago, when I was looking for an easy solution for a problem I had.

More details on Zoho Meeting over here.

Posted at 8:56 AM | Permalink | Category: Computers | Comments (4) (0)

I was so upset when I learned Verizon turned down Apple as a provider for the iPhone.

Then, I couldn't imagine leaving Verizon, because of their solid network. But after hearing all the buzz, watching all the demos and learning that the phone does support a high-speed broadband wireless network - I am having second thoughts.

It is just a really cool phone. Really cool. I am a native Mac user, so I suppose all the applications on the phone would sync directly with my Mac. I assume Mail, iPhoto, iTunes, Safari, Address Book and so on would all sync natively. But I am not 100% sure if that is the case.

So I seriously want it, and want it now. But I know deep down inside, I should not get a first generation product. Why? because there is always something buggy and wrong with gen 1 products. So, I will try to be a good boy and wait it out, until gen 2 comes out.

Don't get me wrong, I still love my Treo. Heck, I wrote about it enough! But there is something very appealing about the iPhone.

By then, maybe, just maybe Verizon Wireless will support the phone. If not, goodbye Verizon and hello AT&T.

Here is a quick poll for you:

Feel free to also comment! Oh, I bet the image aligned left really threw off frequent readers. :)

Posted at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Category: Apple Macs , iPhone | Comments (8) (0)

This is the June 20th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 20th, 2007:

• A Better Use for the "I'm Feeling Lucky" Button, Internet Marketing Monitor
• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 19, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Google, Yahoo Reps Speak At SES Latino 2007, WebProNews
• Stop wasting time; dump 90% of the feeds you read, Ahmed Bilal
• Why won’t Matt Cutts link to me?, Ahmed Bilal
• How Wendy Piersall, Barry Schwartz & Jeremy Schoemaker Got Started, Viper Chill
• Headlines of Note for June 19, 2007, Internet Marketing Monitor
• Canadians and Search: SEO Resources and Insight, Webnames.ca Blog
• Discussing Google Update "Buffy" in WHEDONesque, The Library Flickr
• Innovative Search (Part II of Search), Wilfred Mworia’s Blog
• Google: estás baneado… ¡ah no, que es falso!, SigT
• Search Headlines & Links: June 19, 2007, Search Engine Watch
• SES Latino Coverage, Search Engine Watch

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 20th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 4:42 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Posted the SES Latino recap today. CTR on AdSense search ads fluctuate a lot. Publishers are giving YPN a second chance. More fake Google spam emails are going out. Google bought Zenter. Amazon launched a contextual ad system. Yahoo may buy MySpace. Microsoft backed down to Google's antitrust claims. eBay bullied Google wearing shirts.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Search Engine Strategies Latino '07 Wrapup
2. Click Through Rates for Google AdSense for Search Vary
3. Publishers Switching Back to Yahoo! Publisher Network
4. More Fake German Google Penalty Emails Go Out
5. Google Acquires Zenter, Online Slides Presentation Company
6. Amazon Launches Contextual Ad System

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Google Acquires Zenter, Online Presentation Software Company
2. Yahoo May Buy MySpace For 25% Stock Swap
3. Microsoft To Change Desktop Search In Vista Over Google Antitrust Claim
4. eBay Security Removes Guys Wearing Google Shirts From eBay Conference?

Posted at 4:22 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

I probably should not blog this, but I had a few interviews recently and one of them was a disaster.

As many of you know, we are always in the market to hire good PHP programmers. So we interview a lot of people very often. In fact, we have a whole process we follow. I'll do another post for that. But while this interview is fresh in my head....

A list of things not to do at an interview:

• Don't argue that you like one coding language over another if the coding language isn't something we don't offer
• Don't say that it doesn't matter to you what you code in, because I (the interviewee) am not paying for it
• Don't not answer questions because you feel they are too simple or dumb
• Do not act like you know better than the person you are interviewing with
• Do not roll your eyes while be interviewed
• Do not ask how the interview is going mid-way, when you know it is not going well
• Do not come into the interview not researching the company before hand

Those are just some items on a list, fresh off my head.

I am still a bit in awe.

Posted at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Category: RustyBrick | Comments (9) (0)

I try to send out a newsletter to clients and prospects every 6 months or so. Today is the day when I sent it out.

I pretty much recap the most important RB news releases, plus give a short update on new things at RustyBrick.

I love the format of our newsletters, here is a sample old one.

Why didn't I take a snapshot of the new one? Well, there is some news only for clients and prospects to see in that newsletter that I do not want public yet.

If you really want a copy of the newsletter, comment below and I will see. :)

Posted at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Category: RustyBrick | Comments (4) (0)

See what happens when you praise your clients? They turn around and give you a sweet testimonial, on film!

I couldn't ask for anything more. I will be placing this on our testimonials page shortly.

Posted at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Category: RustyBrick | Comments (2) (0)

This is the June 19th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 19th, 2007:

• Google AdSense May Get "Allowed Sites" Option, WebProNews
• Search Marketng Blogs, Andy Hagans and Optimization Meatloaf, Bruceclay.com
• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 18, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Ask.com: Stop Wasting Ad Money, Start Buying Search Companies, HipMojo.com
• Nice...Block Ads from Showing with IP Exclusion, DigitalPoint Forums
• Wer hat das Google Buffy Update gesehen?, Ranking Konzept
• Go, Peeps, Go!, Between Stations
• SES Latino & Spanish Language SEO, SEO Jealous
• Search Marketing Blogs Reviewed on WDFM, Online Marketing Blog
• Bloglines - it’s not just the image wall that sucks!, HeyJude
• My new job, Techmeme
• Google? Google! » Ranking Konzept - SEO News, Ranking Konzept
• Advertisers Dissatisfied With Google Adwords PPA, Search Newz
• Six great sites for keeping track of search engine news, Pandia
• Google vs. Yahoo: PPC Traffic; International YouTube; Safer Search Results, Marketing Pilgrim

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 19th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 3:09 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Semel is out, Yang and Decker are in. Yahoo ads sends about 20% of Google ads. adCenter finally fixes a bug. AdWords column sorting bug is a mess. Google is losing $26 million from eBay. adCenter clarifies trademark policy. AdWords broad match is hairy. I'm feeling lucky, or not. AdWords can't track Google Checkout buttons. Google China gets license. SEO.com sells for $5 million. Some advanced dynamic keyword insertion tips. Google builds Iowa data center. Google adds user reviews to maps.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Yang & Decker Take Over Yahoo While Semel Steps Aside
2. What Type of Traffic Can You Expect from Yahoo Ads Compared to Google Ads
3. Microsoft adCenter Fixes Conversion Tracking Bug After One Month
4. Google AdWords Advertisers Annoyed Over Column Sorting Bug
5. Google Is Out $26 Million Per Month With eBay "Experiment"
6. Microsoft adCenter Clarifies Trademark Policy and Dynamic Parameters
7. Advertisers Concerned about Google AdWords Broad Match "Policy"
8. What Do You Think of Google's "I'm Feeling Lucky" Button?
9. Does Google AdWords Track Google Checkout Conversions?

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Google Gets Internet Content License In China
2. $5 Million Domain Sale For SEO.com
3. Advanced Google AdWords Dynamic Keyword Insertion Tips
4. Google To Build $600 Million Data Center In Iowa
5. Google Maps Adds User Generated Reviews

Posted at 3:04 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

I just booked flights and hotel reservations for SES San Jose for Tamar and I.

My wife came last year, but she was terribly bored, so she won't be coming again.

I tried to get a companion fare ticket with my AMEX card, but no luck again. This time, I used AMEX points to pay for the tickets. I also reserved the rooms at the San Jose Marriott, because I rather be early than late with that.

I hate this flight. It is long. And yes, we are taking a red eye back from San Jose to New York. I always say, never again, when it comes to red eyes, but I never listen to myself.

So not looking forward to the traveling, but I always enjoy the San Jose conference.

Posted at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Category: SEO Tips , Travels | Comments (1) (0)

Judah, who comments here often, is a client of mine. He does sales at a family run diamond shop, where I actually bought my wife's ring.

In any event, I just love the work they do. They invest a ton of time and resources into their content and site and value their brand name and customers as much as I do.

A couple weeks ago, he and I were looking into video editing software. He wanted to use video to help demonstrate the value of the diamonds they sell. He went with Vlog It from Adobe and it looks outstanding.

Check out this video he just made on how to buy diamonds online:

I wish they had this software for a Mac. I know, I can use other forms. I may give some a try.

You can see more of Judah's content at their blog at Diamond Vues and more videos at YouTube.

Great work Judah -- do you do weddings and bar mitzvahs?

Posted at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Category: Blogging | Comments (0) (0)

We, at RustyBrick, are in the process of reworking our server environment. The goal is to get a cluster of servers running, so that we can balance the load of our sites on several servers instead of a site being paired to a single server. Several of our larger clients have this already, but we want to move this configuration over to our smaller clients environment.

Let me start off that I don't fully understand these technologies from within. Ronnie is here for that, so he makes the decision with this. I'll explain from a techno-business stance.

We currently run FreeBSD (FreeBSD.org) on all our machines. But it is out dated and a very old OS. We love that there is no GUI to it, but it doesn't support certain clustering technology that we are wanted to implement. So we have decided to leave FreeBSD and go to a new OS. The question is which one?

There is absolutely no way we would consider Microsoft, so scratch that. We want a flavor of Linux. No, we won't be using Apple Mac - even though we love them. So which Linux flavor?

Gentoo (Gentoo.org) was the most attractive, being one of the newer flavors. Our server management people were most positive about it and it looked great. But there were several problems that forced us to say no to Gentoo. It did not support Urchin, Payflow Pro and some other things that were critical to our business. So that went out the Window (no pun intended Microsoft).

Next up was RedHat (RedHat.com), a very powerful linux operating system that really does everything we want. But what upset us was that it was closed when compared to FreeBSD and Gentoo. There is commercial backing to it, there are support contracts and so on. Our managed services company didn't like that (I suppose because it means we are less dependent on them), but Ronnie didn't like it either because it gives you less control.

This is where Fedora (FedoraProject.org) comes in. Fedora is based on RedHat and backed by them. But Fedora is completely open source and has all the support we need for our applications, I believe.

So at this time, I believe we have selected Fedora to be out next operating system. I'll let you know when it has been implemented. Hopefully, it will be 100% transparent to you.

Posted at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Category: Computers , RustyBrick | Comments (3) (0)

This is the June 18th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 18th, 2007:

• Google Adsense está probando la opción “permitir sitios”, SigT
• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 15, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Google Toys, Marketing Pilgrim
• Airport (the place, not the Apple product) Security, DominoKeys.com
• The Many Uses of Twitter, Techpedia
• This Week In SEO - 6/15/07, TheVanBlog
• Advanced Search Marketing Expo, SEM Jax
• Beware the Buzz of Google Gears..., MoGo Mobility Blog
• 68 Essential SEO Resources and Tools, Vandelay Website Design
• Google Increasing Adwords Reporting, Getting More Transparent?, PPC Lab
• Danny Sullivan’s SMX Advanced Opens Up with a Blast in Seattle, Techpedia
• SMX Seattle wrap-up, Matt Cutts
• Google Adds "IP Exclusion" To AdWords & "Allowed Sites" To AdSense, Search Engine Land
• Best insider SEO blogs, Larry Chase's Web Digest for Marketers
• Google AdWords: Now with IP Exclusion, SearchViews
• News Roundup, June 18, Marketing Pilgrim

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 18th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Google is having an update, this one is code named Buffy. Google is showing Google Product results in the index. Google Pay Per Action still a bit stale. The search engines sported logos for Fathers Day. Should governmental sites be indexed no matter what? Learn some image SEO. Tamar posted on the robots.txt. Thoof is in beta and I can invite you. Google added exclusion and allow features. YouTube added a remixer and a mobile site.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Google "Buffy" Update - June Google.com Update
2. Google Still Displaying Their Own Search Results in Google.com
3. Advertisers Still Want More Impressions from Google Pay Per Action
4. Search Logos for Fathers Day '07
5. Should .gov Websites be Automatically Indexed in Google?
6. What's the Best Format to Name Images for Search Engines?
7. How Does robots.txt Behave on Domains and Subdomains?

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Thoof: Digg Meets Wikipedia Community News Site Coming
2. Google Adds "IP Exclusion" To AdWords & "Allowed Sites" To AdSense
3. YouTube Remixer & YouTube Mobile Go Live

Posted at 4:01 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

A couple weeks ago, I joined Facebook to test an integration tool. Since then, I have about 20 friends.

So now, I figured, why not tell people I am there so you can befriend me.

My Facebook profile is at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=528950782.

There is not a lot of information there, yet. Who knows, maybe I'll get into it.

Posted at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Category: Buddies | Comments (2) (0)

What? Do you have an excess of staples? Do you have one of those cool automated staplers? Give me a reason!

I can't stand getting checks in the mail that have a staple through them. I can't stand it.

The annoyance of trying to pry the staple edges open with your finger nails. Errr.

I should get a staple remover (wait, can you believe Wikipedia has a page for that)... No, those tend to rip the checks.

Rant over.

Posted at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Category: RustyBrick | Comments (3) (0)

Yesterday, we had exactly and hour to spare, so my wife and I decided to drive to Bear Mountain, up by the west bank of the Hudson River.

It is about 20 minutes away from us, so we drove up, and took Perkins Memorial Drive to the top. We parked, got out, my wife took this picture of me next to the bear. We got back into the car and drove back down.

The drive was nice (especially with the top down), so I suspect we will go back. There is a lot to do there, but I am not really the nature or outdoors type of guy. My Treo did work in most areas, so that was good to know.

I know my wife wants to take her parents here when they come to visit from St. Louis.

Plenty to do, like: Biking, Boat Rentals, Dockage , Fishing, Food, Gift Shop, Hiking, Ice Skating, Museum/Vistor Center, Nature Trail, Picnic Tables, Playground, Playing Field(s), Pool, and X-Country Skiing.

We then drove for a birthday/fathers day BBQ.

Posted at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Category: Family , Travels | Comments (3) (0)

It is that time, I need to renew my U.S. (well, I only have a U.S.) passport.

Step 1: Locate Your Most Recent Passport
Step 2: Go get passport pictures. I went to a local photo place that charged me $10, the post office also does it, but they charger $15 and are mostly only open Monday through Saturday.
Step 3: Go to travel.state.gov renewal form.
Step 4: Fill out Form DS-82 Online.

If you need to change your name because you recently got married you will need to supply a marriage certificate.

Step 5: Print form
Step 6: Sign Form
Step 7: Address large padded envelope to National Passport Processing, P.O. Box 13349, Philadelphia, PA 19101-3349.
Step 8: Place form, two new photos, old passport and a $67 check made out to the U.S. Department of State.
Step 9: Place in mailbox.

My new photos, as you can see above, kind of make me look scary - not being shaved and all. Typically, you want to take these photos when you are looking as normal as possible.

Posted at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Category: Travels | Comments (3) (0)

I was looking at my stats and noticed I received a significant number of traffic referrals from http://www.aftoo.com/. The specific page is over here.

If you look, it is almost an exact copy of this page on the Search Engine Roundtable but instead, they have replaced the ad spots with AdSense ads.

The AdSense publisher ID is pub-3471105644541750 and they even use a special channel 3107190893 to track the ads.

Time to submit a Infringement Notification for AdSense via http://www.google.com/adsense_dmca.html? This is the first time I am doing this, and I know tons of people "borrow" my content on a daily basis. But right now, I have a bit of time.

Here is a screen shot of the URL and my site within it, and the AdSense ads on left.

Here is a picture of the source code, showing the publisher ID.

Submission will proceed, let's see how long it takes to get a response.

Posted at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Category: SEO Tips | Comments (0) (0)

I was jealous today when Joost de Valk released an OpenSearch plugin that enables you to turn off personalized results on a per query basis right from your toolbar.

It is Friday at 6pm here and things cleared off my plate. I have a search toolbar plugin for Safari (not the beta) and I thought I play with it to get the same thing working here. And I did, plus I did a lot more.

(1) First download Inquisitor at http://www.inquisitorx.com/safari/, trust me, it is a time saver.

(2) Next, go to your preference under the Safari menu.

(3) Then click on the Search icon at the top right of that context menu.

(4) Then click on "edit sites" and you should see this:

(5) Click on the plus sign and you will see more options. First add the other search engines you want. Wait a second, your favorite search engine isn't there.

(6) To add a custom search engine, just click on the "New custom search shortcut..." option.

(7) Then double click on the Site Name area and enter in Ask.com.

(8) Then double click in the URL and enter in "http://www.ask.com/web?q=%@" (note the %@ is your search query.

(9) Then click done.

What if I want to add custom search engines, like to search this blog? No worries! Just add this string "http://www.cartoonbarry.com/search.html?cx=002396771074467716933%3Aj9829rsyocs&q=%@&sa=Search&cof=FORID%3A11"

What about the Search Engine Roundtable, sure add this http://www.seroundtable.com/searchinternal.html?cx=002396771074467716933%3A9winkv77liu&q=%@&sa=Search&cof=FORID%3A9

Ok, wait a second, what if a site doesn't have a Google Custom Search Engine like Search Engine Roundtable and Cartoon Barry has? Oh, you mean Search Engine Land? And you want to search Google but restrict it to Search Engine Land? No worries, use this string http://www.google.com/search?q=site:searchengineland.com+%@

You can do this for any engine. The trick is to do a query at the engine and simply replace your search phrase with %@.

What does it look like?

You type your query in the search box and click the arrow down and you should see this:

I am glad I added these, will save me some time through the rest of my searching career.

Posted at 6:05 PM | Permalink | Category: Apple Macs , Computers | Comments (7) (0)

Normally, I would get up the theme the day of the special day. But I typically forget to do it until late, if the day falls out on Sunday.

So I just put the theme live at the Search Engine Roundtable. Here is a preview.

Posted at 5:29 PM | Permalink | Category: Blogging | Comments (2) (0)

All I have to say is big deal on making Safari PC compatible. They did it out of convenience.

I was disappointed with the keynote.

I am excited for Leopard, but not for the time machine feature.

I would love to try the iPhone, but its wireless speed does not support a broadband network. So that is that.

Posted at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Category: Apple Macs , iPhone | Comments (0) (0)

This is the June 15th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 15th, 2007:

• Hmm..., billanastas.com
• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 14, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Yahoo Site Explorer Showing Link Quality?, Search Banter
• Ask.com Ad Campaign Associated With Google, topwebnews.com
• Diggers believed Ask.com’s advertising was promoting Google, Search Engine Blog
• le blog à Ollie, Liens du jour
• Adwords to Break Out Syndication Partners by URL Property, Frank Schilling
• Ask’s Marketing Missteps?, Marketing Pilgrim
• Blogs SEO, AltaEnBuscadores.cl
• Google AdWords Allows You To Block Ads With IP Exclusion, SEMClubHouse
• Yahoo, Google Test New Search Results Pages, Search Engine Land
• Skitzzo, they heard you!!!, SEO Refugee

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 15th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Fox goes to Zillow. AdSense publishers are happy. Google updates links. AdSense adds allowed sites tool. AdWords adds exclude IP tool. SES has a future. Yahoo executives defend. Aussi government spam? AdWords API adds reporting. Yahoo tries purple. Google goes to Shanghai. Yahoo Finance GM leaves. Antitrust opens for Yahoo and Microsoft. OpenSearch for personalized search. Google's fingers videos. More on YouTube and Google Video. Search in pictures is up.

Good weekend!

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. SEOs & Webmasters Lose Important Google Link, Vanessa Fox Goes to Zillow
2. Google AdSense Publishers Claiming Google Reaches Out About TOS Issues
3. Google Webmaster Link Tool June 2007 Update
4. Google Tests "Allowed Sites" Feature for AdSense
5. The Future of the Search Engine Strategies Conference
6. Google AdWords Allows You To Block Ads With IP Exclusion
7. Yahoo's Executives Defend Company's Performance
8. Australian State of Victoria is Allegedly Stealing SEO Content
9. Google AdWords API Opens Zero Impressions Reporting to Public
10. Yahoo! Search Tries Purple Header

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Google To Open R&D Office In Shanghai
2. Yahoo Finance's GM, Peggy White, Leaves
3. Antitrust Reviews For Microsoft's aQuantive & Yahoo's Right Media Deals
4. OpenSearch Plugin Ensures Your Google Results Are Not Personalized
5. Google Talks About YouTube Video ID Tool
6. How Google Handles Videos on Web Search & From 3rd Party Sources
7. Search in Pictures: Paint My Roof, Yahoo Sushi & Google Conference Bikes

Posted at 2:38 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (1) (0) | Speak

My brother and partner at RustyBrick, Ronnie, purchased an electric drum set a while back. He bought it because the neighbors did not like the noise from his real drum set.

Well, eventually, he had to move it to RustyBrick, because his kid was kinda getting to it and breaking it.

He actually hooked it up to his iTunes library on his computer so that he doesn't need to sync his iPod anymore.

Posted at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Category: Family , Music , RustyBrick | Comments (2) (0)

Remember the huge flag on the GW Bridge?

So I drove by yesterday, with my new camera and decided to take a picture while in traffic.

To my surprise, on the way back, it looked like the flag was going to fall down or be taken off the George Washington Bridge. I had my wife snap a picture on her phone (since the camera wasn't easily accessible and there was no traffic).

I suspect they were fixing it or taking it down.

But kinda made me look twice.

Posted at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Category: Travels | Comments (1) (0)

This is the June 14th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 14th, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 13, 2007, Search Engine Land
• June 13 News Links, Marketing Pilgrim
• PPC News Roundup - 6/13/2007, PPC Hero
• Calacanis turns to LinkedIn for help with search engine, E-consultancy.com
• Google Video Flaw Raises Privacy Concerns by Exposing Usernames and Passwords, Techmeme
• Google Video Flaw Exposes MySpace Passwords And More, Net Playa
• Are Old Adwords Campaigns Worth Reviving?, Adtasm.com
• Back to the Future… And Beyond, Yahoo! Search Marketing Blog
• What Skills Should a SEO Have?, Gino Cosme
• Ask.com Ad Campaign Associated With Google, WebProNews
• Google Gives Up on Competing With eBay's Big Boston Party, Techmeme
• Search Headlines & Links: June 13, 2007, Search Engine Watch Blog

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 14th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Sorry, got to run.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. AdWords to Break Out Other Google Properties in Placement Performance Reports Soon
2. Google Backs Down To eBays "Experiment" of Dropping AdWords Ads
3. Yahoo! Appears to Order Your Links in Site Explorer by Quality
4. 78% of Diggers Thought Ask.com's Campaign was Google's Campaign
5. What Skills Should a Full-Time SEO Have?
6. Google Launches Enhanced Custom Search Engine
7. Search Engine Optimization Shouldn't Come with a Money Back Guarnatee

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Google Video Morphs Further Into New Video Meta Search Role

Posted at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

RustyBrick Bytes, is the name of a local team we sponsor and play on.

Last night was our playoff game. We lost but it was a really good game.

We had a five to ten point lead most of the game. We played a three-two zone, where we focused on their two main shooters. The other players on the opposite team couldn't score much without their two main shooters.

It worked very well, just until the end of the fourth quarter. Two other players on their team began to hit and we had to open our zone up more. We lost by about a point. It came down to the last second. It actually came down to us missing too many free-throws.

But the game was played well. The refs were solid. The game was played well all around.

Good times, even if we lost.

Posted at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Category: RustyBrick , Sports | Comments (1) (0)

Ever wonder what our old RustyBrick sites look like? We are actually working on a new one. It is done, but we are not ready to launch yet. In any event, here are our old sites. We even made them live for you to see.

The Original RustyBrick site (http://97.rustybrick.com/):

Next Phase (http://98.rustybrick.com/):

The next one (http://99.rustybrick.com/):

The one that is live now, is probably from 2000. Check it out at http://www.rustybrick.com/.

The new one, well, no previews for you on that. I want it to be a nice surprise.

Posted at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Category: RustyBrick | Comments (2) (0)

Ever since Google bought FeedBurner I have been receiving many more ad requests. FeedBurner powers my RSS feed, the big orange icon that looks. In fact, if you are reading this blog and 14 other blogs and you are not using RSS, you should be shot (just kidding).

In any event, FeedBurner manages my RSS feeds. Part of that is that they manage the ads, the annoying ads, that you see in my feeds. Note, I don't put ads in my Cartoon Barry feeds, just my Search Engine Roundtable feeds. The ads look like these:

I get to approve all submissions. I select which ads to approve based on the dollar per CPM.

More about FeedBurner ads at http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/advertising.

You can see how they look in your feeds over here.

Anyway...

Ever since Google bought FeedBurner, there seems to have been a surge in the number of advertisers on the system. This is not surprising. Google can make any company extremely popular overnight.

Also, FeedBurner's ad stats are pretty damn cool.

Posted at 4:13 PM | Permalink | Category: Blogging | Comments (2) (0)

This is the June 13th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 13th, 2007:

• Microsoft AdCenter Explains Keyword Rejection Reasoning, WebProNews
• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 12, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Jordan’s Picks for June 12, Marketing Pilgrim
• SMX Seattle, Domain Tools
• Google Maps Now Showing More Public Transportation Info, InsideGoogle
• Google Privacy Quickies, Slashdot
• Google Testing Ad Text Ideas, V7N
• Google Video Is A Security Risk, Andy Stetzinger's Blog
• Google Agrega Formulario para Reportar Links Pagos,  ProWeblogs
• Trigami-Geld von Poker-Spammern, blog.blogscout.de
• More ways for you to give us input, Techmeme
• Introducing Placement Performance reporting on the Google content network, Techmeme
• You Asked For it, You Got It. New Features Added to Google Analytics, Techmeme
• Calacanis turns to LinkedIn for help with search engine, Living LinkedIn
• Search Marketing Expo - SMX Advanced - 2007 Wrap-Up, SMX Blog
• Custom Search on the fly (Google Custom Search), Techmeme
• Ask.com's "The Algorithm" Campaign Being Confused for Google Campaign, Digg

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 13th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

The 33rd pulse is up. AdWords ads clarity on AdSense. Ask.com ads made for Google. Webmaster Central adds paid links report. Google Analytics goes out of beta. AdWords can help with your SEO strategy. Google Video vs. YouTube. Google quality score factors. Digg Digest is live. Yahoo sending out settlement payment. Mahalo launched greenhouse.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Search Pulse 33: SMX Review, SEW 10, Ask.com UI, Google & Yahoo Update, Privacy Issues, Street Views and More
2. New Google AdWords Placement Performance Reports Show Scary Clarity on AdSense Network
3. Is Ask.com's "The Algorithm" Campaign Really Working?
4. Google Webmaster Central Cleans Interface, Adds Paid Link Report & More
5. Google Analytics Adds Features Before Shutting Down Old Reports on July 18th
6. Use Google AdWords to Plan Your SEO Keyword Strategy
7. What are the Pros and Cons of Uploading to Google Video vs. YouTube?
8. Understanding Factors for Google AdWords Placement and Quality Score
9. Digg Digest - 06/13/07: Google's Privacy Challenged, Because Maps Bare All

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Yahoo Click Fraud Settlement Payouts Begin
2. Mahalo Greenhouse: Get Paid For Writing Search Results
3. Google Analytics Leaves Beta & Adds Requested Features
4. Google Custom Search Engines Easier To Build With New Link Learning Tool

Posted at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

As many of you know, I track hundreds of search blogs, forums, and resources. Today, Google added a feature that automatically adds the sites you link to on a page, to your custom search engine.

So I decided it may be helpful to me, and possibly others, to add this feature to my resources page. Now with this search box, you can search all the resources link to on that page.

Pretty neat and easy! I also added the search box directly on the resources page. There appears to be some minor rendering issues. But I have to run to a meeting, I'll look into it later.

Posted at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Category: SEO Tips | Comments (0) (0)

I saw this car with this license plate parked at a school last night.

I suspect this person is a math teacher.

Posted at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Funny | Comments (2) (0)

Yesterday Insomniac gave me a tip on a Google Video security problem via chat. I told him it sounds very interesting, but I wanted him to start a thread in a forum, this way I can blog about it at the Search Engine Roundtable. I.e. I didn't think it was Search Engine Land material, but I thought, with a thread, it would be good Roundtable material. He went ahead and posted the thread under his second alias, Entriple, at DigitalPoint Forums and I had Tamar keep an eye on the thread development. Loren Baker at Search Engine Journal got a tip of the thread and blogged it up before I had a chance. Side note: I give Loren kudos for getting to it before me, you win some and you lose some - and Loren is a standup guy!

Now to the point of this blog entry...

Loren hit Digg popularity with his blog post. He probably received at least 20,000 unique visitors from Digg on the story.

So I asked Tamar to tip off Slashdot with the story, she did and they actually covered it at Google Privacy Quickies. We received about 3,000 visitors so far from that link on Slashdot. Slashdot historically has not sent that much traffic to us. I did document once in the past another /. we got and that only sent a bit over 3,000 visitors.

Digg totally blows away Slashdot for traffic, based on the numbers I have seen. Some Diggs get us over 70,000 unique visitors and the traffic then keeps coming.

Posted at 9:14 AM | Permalink | Category: Blogging | Comments (3) (0)

This is the June 12th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 12th, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 11, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Google Okays Hidden Text, Marketing Pilgrim
• Long overdue post: SMX wrap-up, Cshel
• Pilgrim’s PM Picks, June 11, Marketing Pilgrim
• SMX, Ask.com and a Reader Poll, Bruceclay.com
• SMX Seattle Roundup and Shout Outs, Stuntdubl
• How to put blinders on Google Street View, Webware

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 12th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Yahoo is going to cut you off on June 20th. Google is testing ad creation tool. Ask.com is indexing old 301s still. Google Reader went dark. High Rankings is holding a seminar. Google files new patent application. AdWords talks about a 200% click through rate. Yahoo gets blue. Google Video has a security exploit. AdWords added new placement reports. YouTube gets fingerprinting technology ready. Google wants to make TV ads less annoying. Search everything but Google. Google penalties reviewed. Webmaster Tools adds paid link report. Yahoo's CEO remains rich.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Yahoo! to Shorten Ad Descriptions to 70 Characters on June 20th
2. Google Tests "Ad Text Ideas" AdWords Tool
3. Ask.com Still Indexing Old Pages That Were 301 Redirected Years Ago
4. Google Reader Outage Impacts Half of Their Users
5. High Rankings Seminar to be Held on June 28-29 in Denver, Colorado
6. Google Files Patent to Create a Social Network Based on Television and Video
7. Google AdWords: How Can the Number of Clicks Exceed the Number of Impressions?
8. Yahoo Tries Out New Look: Shiny Blue Bar
9. Google Video Flaw Raises Privacy Concerns by Exposing Usernames and Passwords

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Google AdWords Adds Placement Performance Reports Showing Content Network Data To Advertisers
2. YouTube Ready To Test "Fingerprinting" Video Tool
3. Google Wants To Make TV Ads Less "Annoying"
4. Can You Get By Without Google & Major Search Engines?
5. Got A Google Penalty? A Workflow For Managing Google Penalties
6. Google Webmaster Tools Adds Paid Link Reporting Form & More
7. Stockholders Vote Down Yahoo's CEO Compensation Cut & China Censorship Proposal

Posted at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

So as you know, Canon wanted To charge me $140 for a $35 fix. So I showed them, I bought a new Canon camera for $219! Ha! umm....

Well, I am a kid when it comes to wanting new technology. Since I have the SD 500, I thought the SD 1000, a whole 500 more numbers than the model I have, would be sweet!

So I got it. Maybe Ill still fix the other one and sell it on eBay or maybe not.

I was thinking about buying it at thedigitalnerd.com for $189.00 but the site looked a bit sketchy. So last night I bought it at Best Price Audio Video for a bit more. Turns out that was a good move, because as Jacob Wolfsheimer said:

You may consider watching out for thedigitalnerds.com. A search on them comes up with ripoffreport.com results.

Wow, I guess so.

I'll let you know how the camera acts when I get it...

Posted at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Category: Computers | Comments (2) (0)

I have the Treo 700p and I wrote about it dozens of times. But I always wondered why the default "hang up" button is the same button you use to turn off the display?

So if you are using email, text messages, web, calendar, etc, to turn off the display you either wait 30 seconds for it to shut off by itself, or you hit the red hang up button.

But time after time, I am getting a call at the same time I am hitting the off button.

I am checking an email on my Treo, I finish, I hit the hang up button to darken and lock the Treo. But at the same time, someone is calling in and I hit hang up. Then I hang up on their call, unintentionally.

I am sure there is a way to change the default, but isn't that just dumb from a user interface and usability standpoint?

Oh, the picture above is a pic of where I keep my Treo while I drive.

Posted at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Category: Computers | Comments (2) (0)

Google's czar of spam (aka "Search Quality), Matt Cutts, has his blogged labeled as a spam by SpamLookup.

I was checking a recent comment Matt left at the Search Engine Roundtable. The reason I checked it, was because he used words like Viagra, and I was curious how it passed through the filters... In any event, I also noticed that Matt's blog was considerd on a spam list by the SpamLookup.

The SpamLookup domain lookup service at bsb.spamlookup.net marked mattcutts.com as spam.

Because of other criteria, Matt's comment was published, because it received a positive score overall.

I thought the SEO community would enjoy knowing that Matt's blog is on a spam domain list.

Posted at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Funny | Comments (2) (0)

I live by my custom search engine for the SER search. I made it using Google's Custom Search Engine, and I really love the results I get from it. In fact, I use it several times a day.

Others have told me they love it as well. Some people don't use it, but email me questions. I respond after using the search feature and then inform them, they could have easily found the answer by using that search feature as well.

By popular request, I have created a method to add the search feature directly to your browser's search bar. To do so, just go here and click on the browser that you are using. It will prompt you to see if you want to add this search feature, and you say OK or yes or add.

What does it look like?

If selected, it sill look like this in your search box. You then simply type in your query, such as big blue pineapple chair, that looks like this:

Then you get sent directly to the search results page for your query.

I already received feedback from one user:

I love the search bar plugin. I love having the answer to all my questions one click away. Just how Google was before spam.... YAY!

- Brent (weirdasianews.com)

Hope you all enjoy it as much as Brent. And if you have an SEO or search question, give the search feature a try!

Posted at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Category: SEO Tips | Comments (0) (0)

This is the June 11th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 11th, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 8, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Friday Favorites - 06/08/07, WebGeek
• Minor AdWords Quality Score Updates Brings a Major Smackdown on Some, InsureMe Affiliate Blog
• How to put blinders on Google Street View, Webware
• Google Quality Scoring: Changes And Insights, Search Engine Watch Blog
• Google Guidelines updated, SEO Company
• Personalized search at SMX, Geeking with Greg
• Catching Up: NYT on Google Algorithm, Small Business SEM
• Google AdWords Quality Score Update, SEO Hong Kong
• Google Maps Street View, Invasion of Privacy?, MarkJohn.org
• More Privacy Questions, LB's Rambles
• Google Maps: Invading Your Privacy? (Not Anymore!), Techmeme
• Search Headlines & Links: June 8, 2007, Search Engine Watch Blog

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 11th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 5:56 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Search Engine Watch turned ten. Google was hit with privacy worries. Yahoo puts down YPN. Google Okays hiding some text. Mahalo requests feedback. SES Toronto parties. Kim joins SiteLogic. adCenter provides rejected keyword details. Google terms. Antitrust on Microsoft is Googling up. Tao flights back. Sina joins with Google. YouTube adds features. Shut off those stinking personalized results.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Search Engine Watch Turns Ten Years Old
2. Privacy International Slams Google Over Privacy Practices
3. Yahoo! Service Engineer Blasts Yahoo! Publisher Network
4. Google Allows Some Cases of Hiding Text with CSS
5. Jason Calacanis Solicits Assistance for Mahalo.com
6. Search Engine Strategies Toronto SearchCrawl 2007 Event Posted
7. Kim Krause Berg Joins Matt Bailey at SiteLogic
8. Microsoft adCenter Provides More Information Regarding Rejected Keywords
9. The Growth of a New Search Term in Google

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Google Heats Up Antitrust Claims Over Microsoft
2. Shi Tao, Jailed Chinese Reported, Joins U.S. Lawsuit Against Yahoo
3. YouTube API, Mobile & iGoogle Gadget
4. Sina Corp, Large Chinese Portal, To Partner With Google
5. Easy Way To Turn Off Google Personalized Results

Posted at 5:51 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

Yesterday, I had to unfortunately fly to St. Louis last minute. Late Friday afternoon, I got word from my wife that her grandfather passed away. Although the passing was expected, one is truly never fully ready for such an event. I won't talk more about the funeral, because some things are best kept private in some situations.

My brother-in-law, the same one who mistakenly thought "The Algorithm" was Google, booked the flights. He booked his flight and my flight on the same schedule.

The whole immediate family in New York flew in to St. Louis on a Sunday morning flight at 7:55am. The funeral was early afternoon. The funeral was over at about 3pm. On the way back from the funeral, we looked up the next flight out. It was at 4:10pm. Our flight was scheduled for 7:20pm. So we decided to go to the airport and see if we can get on the 4:10pm flight. Why? Well, it was raining and there was a chance that we would not make it back at all that night. Just my brother-in-law and I were scheduled to fly out that night. When we got back from the funeral, there were tons of people in the house. One of the people offered to drive us to the airport, so my brother-in-law, my wife (who came for the ride) and I took off to the airport.

We arrived at the airport about 3:40pm, asked the lady if it looks good for standby on the 4:10. She said, there are about 25 seats open, so it looks good. We got to the gate after going through security (I picked up some geek travel tips) and the guy at the gate said it should be no problem. Ten minutes later, he called folks on standby and we got on.

Now get this....

We ask for a seat together, they give us the first row behind first class. Row 7. In addition, there was no person between us in the 3 row seat. Wonderful seats. I am not done.... Typically, if you are sitting in the higher rows, your "Group Number," the numbers they call when they board you, is the last one. So folks in the back of the plane have group number one, while folks in the front of the plane have group number six. We actually got group number one.

People are walking by me while I sit in row 7, and I feel like I cheated them. I always wonder how so many people get on before me, and are sitting so far upfront, when I should be in a higher group number. Now I was one of them!

In any event, it was a nice flight. Seats were excellent. Landed at 7:30pm as opposed to 11pm (which rocked). This was my first flight where I went and came in under 12 hours. Had a nice conversation with my brother-in-law. And the drive back was pretty decent.

All of this in light of a sad day.

Posted at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Category: Family , Travels | Comments (4) (0)

I just read the June 26th edition of PC World and saw a column named Real World Testing: The Best ISPs in America.

Basically, they rated the top ISPs by provider, type and geo-location.

I grabbed the chart and just plotted the best speeds from Fiber, Cable and DSL providers.

As you can see Verizon FiOS (which I am dying to get), is the fastest, averaging 307 Kbps. then comes Optimum cable (which I use) at 283.2 Kbps and then Speakeasy DSL at 277.7 Kbps.

What is interesting is that the second fastest Fiber Optic is 265.8 Kbps, which is slowest then the fastest cable and fastest DSL.

Go figure. In any event, I still want to trash my T1 line in favor of Verizon FiOs. But I am still waiting for availability. I would still keep Optimum cable, to go with FiOS in my office, but I hate the T1 speed.

Check out the full report here and the full chart here.

Posted at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Category: Computers | Comments (0) (0)

Remember, I broke my camera for the second time? I sent it back into Canon, assuming they would fix it for free again. Boy was I wrong...

They said they can fix it for me for $137.64.

Now, I have a friend who fixes this type of stuff for a living and he told me it cost $30 for the piece. So I may just have him fix it, if I can persuade him. Or maybe it is a good excuse to get the new SD 1000, which is a lot lighter and has a bigger LCD screen....

What ticks me off most is that they want you to pay $175.00 for a refurbished SD 500! Why would I do that, when I can get the SD 1000 for $14 more? Why!

So, I declined the repair. I will decide to to either fix this camera or get the new SD 1000. And then from now on, I will try not to break it.

Posted at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Category: Computers | Comments (5) (0)

Many of the readers of this blog are involved in search, in some way. So you may find this interesting. But even if you're not interested in search, I would like you to read this.

Yesterday, I was talking to my tech-savvy (but not search-focused) brother-in-law while on a flight together. One of the things that came up, after loaning him a pen with an Ask.com logo on it, was the new The Algorithm campaigns. I asked him what he thoughts on some of the controversial ones, but he said he didn't really see the billboards. He mentioned how he saw the commercials on TV for "The Algorithm."

He then asked me about Google's algorithm and if it is really the best. I gave him my thoughts and then brought the conversation back on the commercials. I explained that Ask.com leaked Edison, the code-name for the new algorithm that sparked a new visual approach and behind the scenes approach for Ask.com. I explained how the billboards planted the seeds to the commercials. Which planted the seeds for the new Ask.com look.

He then said something to the effect of...

Wait... The commercials are for Ask.com and not Google? I thought "The Algorithm" was about Google?

I was stunned, taken back and then regained my composure.

Are other people, normal people, non-search geeks, seeing these ads and feeling they are for Google? Are you? Would love to see comments from non-search folks...

Posted at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Category: SEO Tips | Comments (1) (0)

Recently, Ronnie here, flipped on the OpenDNS site filtering option. We use OpenDNS for our internal network here at RustyBrick.

When I went to visit Wolf Howl, run by Michael Gray, it would not let me go.

It told me the site was an adult site.

So let's help out Michael and go to http://www.opendns.com/contact/afp/?url=www.wolf-howl.com and click on the "This is not an adult site" button.

Posted at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Category: Buddies | Comments (2) (0)

This is the June 8th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 8th, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 7, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Minor AdWords Quality Score Update Last Night, Search Engine Land
• Google Adsense verhindert Click Tracking, Ranking Konzept
• Advanced Search Marketing Expo, SEMjax
• Beware the Buzz of Google Gears, MoGo Mobility Blog
• This Weeks Must Reads in Search Marketing, WebAnalyticsWorld
• Search Headlines & Links: June 7, 2007, Search Engine Watch
• Google Adwords Operating in Stealth Modem, Threadwatch.org
• Google AdWords Updates Landing Page Quality Score, Search Engine Journal
• Super Secret AdWords Landing Page Quality Score Update, PPC Discussions
• SMX Conference Wrap Up, Wolf Howl
• Flickr automation, Etre
• Google Maps - Street View, NeO Blog

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 8th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Today I wrote about renting out AdSense ads. There was an AdWords quality score update. The Google site command doesn't like caps. Google treats all publishers equally. Analytics accounts are one on one. Pubcon teams with SEO Class. Google street views allows removal of images. Yahoo Slurp moved. Baidu is not expanding to Europe. Google fights on airwaves. iProspect releases study and Hitwise released data. Finally, search in pictures is out.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Should You Rent Out Google AdSense Units?
2. Google Updates AdWords Landing Page Quality Score
3. Using Caps in Google.com Site Command Returns Different Results
4. Google Says They Treat Small Publishers As They Treat Large Publishers
5. Can You Link Two Google Analytics Accounts to One Google AdWords Account?
6. WebmasterWorld/PubCon Partners with SEOClass
7. Google Maps: Invading Your Privacy? (Not Anymore!)
8. Yahoo! Slurp Now Located at crawl.yahoo.net

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Minor AdWords Quality Score Update Last Night
2. Baidu Calls European Expansion Rumors "Groundless"
3. Google's Wireless Proposal Takes Heat From Verizon & AT&T
4. iProspect Releases Search Marketer Measurement & Performance Study
5. Google Maps & YouTube Are Big Traffic Winners in Google Universal Update
6. Search in Pictures: SMX, Ice Sculptures, Race Cars & More

Posted at 4:07 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

When I was uploading the picture to Flickr for my Wild Wild Wheelchair Ride at 50 MPH, I noticed that Flickr automatically added a title, description and tags to the image for me.

I took the picture from the Washinton Post article. So I assume, it was able to recognize the image as a duplicate to other images like in on Flickr. It then offered me a prefilled title, description and tags for the image. I never saw this before.

Don't believe me. I repeated the action and took a video of it.

I even tried changing the file name and it still worked. Pretty cool.

Anyone know of Flickr documentation on this feature?

Posted at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Category: Computers | Comments (1) (0)

Mich. Man in Wheelchair Takes Wild Ride from the Washington Post reports that Ben Carpenter was strapped to the front of a semitrailer in his wheelchair and was pushed for several miles at speeds of 50 mph.

The 21-year-old Michigan resident said, "I was probably thinking that this is going to keep going and not stop anywhere, 50 or 60 miles somewhere."

How did this happen?

(1) Son pushes father across street
(2) Light turns green before son finishes route across street
(3) The semitrailer begins driving
(4) Wheelchair handles get lodged into the grille of the semi
(5) Ben goes for wild ride

How did it stop?

Other motorist saw this as it was happening and dialed 911. Cops stopped the semi and informed the driver, who had no idea.

Nuts!

Posted at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Weird | Comments (2) (0)

Before Urchin (Google Analytics) had goal funnels, I did a review of the product back in 2004. I then asked for Goal Based Funnel Analysis to be added to the product. They have added it soon after with Urchin 6.0 (not Google Analytics). Let me show you a simple overview of how it works.

When people come to my forums, I would like them to become a registered member, if they are not one as of yet. To do that, they need to click on the "Register" link in the top black bar under "Search Engine Roundtable Forums" header. Then they have to go through several pages to become a member. Those pages include a terms of service agreement, a form, a confirmation form, and so on.

So I set up a funnel to analyze if I am losing any of those people along the way. Meaning, do I lose someone who is interested in becoming a member when they are at any stage of the registration process.

I picked a specific time frame that I want to look at and then look at the goal funnel report.

This graphic shows that of the 1,513 people who came to the forum in this time frame, 24 of them moved on to click on the register link. So that is about a 2% conversion rate on that goal.

From the register terms page, which is where the register link takes you, those 24 users then have to proceed to the registration form by accepting the terms of service on that page. How many of the 24 users did that?

As you can see, all of them.

From there, it asks them to confirm the information and press submit. Do people fall off from there and leave?

Not these 24 users.

From there, they must verify that they have registered. They do that by checking their email and clicking on a link to prove they are a real user. Did everyone do that?

Yup.

That page once again thanks those people for verifying, so all 24 should get those verifications...

As you can see they do.

Finally, this is the last step in the process. 27 people have gone to the thank you for registering page. Wait, 27 people? What happened to the 24? Where did the 3 extra people come from? Well, they must of clicked on a link from that email once again, which knew they were registered. So it added to the 24.

Overall, a conversion rate of 1.78%.

One more quick example.

I have an advertiser information page, where prospective advertisers can learn about placing ads on my blog.

In a specific time frame, 42 people visited the page. Of those people, only 10 people (24%) went to the contact us form to ask for more information.

So while only 10 went to the contact form, an other 10 exited the site, 5 of those people went to the home page<, 1 person viewed a specific article, 1 person went to the subscribe page and the last person went to the recent comments page.

Now, as a marketer, one would want to see how they can influence more of those people to click on the contact page. To note, they may have used the email address on that page to contact us, which I currently do not track.

Posted at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Category: SEO Tips | Comments (0) (0)

This is the June 7th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 7th, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 6, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Yahoo Highlights Conversion Rates With New Ad Pricing, Grok Dot Com
• SMX Advanced is underway, learn more from these folks, SEM Scholar
• Mobile Search Optimization Essentials, AIM Clear Blog
• Clickare sui Risultati della Ricerca influenza il PageRank?, DElyMyth
• Yahoo Quality Score Update, Search Engine Tigers
• Quality-Based What?, Yahoo! Search Marketing Blog
• Seattle Search Marketing Expo Update 3, Manta
• SMX Coverage, SEOish
• Google have updated the Webmaster Guidelines, SEOCO Blog
• In Good Company at SMX, SearchViews
• Debate from Search Marketing Expo - Is Bid Management Dead?, Adapt
• SMX Advanced: Give It Up (next month), Small Business SEM

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 7th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 4:28 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Customizing landing pages based on user intent can rock. Yahoo Search update is now done. Google disallows any gambling ads in the UK. Google's UK site command is flaky. AdSense spewed out JavaScript errors. AdSense disabled third-party tracking programs. Google snaps at link practices. Google Calendar adds directory. YouTube updated video player. Privacy advocates go after Google again. Google wants more foreign workers. Yahoo's shareholders want to pay Semel less. Kevin Ryan named VP of SEW & SES.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Customizing Landing Pages Based on User Intent Gleaned from Search Results
2. Yahoo! Search Update Underway - June 2007
3. Google No Longer To Accept Gambling For Fun Ads in AdWords
4. Google Site Command Specific to UK Results Broken?
5. Google AdSense Ads Causing JavaScript Errors on Sites
6. Google AdSense Disables Third Party Click Trackers
7. Google's Updated Webmaster Guidelines Addresses Linking Practices
8. Google Calendar Feature Focuses on User Experience

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Google Calendar Launches Public Calendar Directory
2. YouTube Adds Related Videos To Embedded Players
3. Privacy Group Amends FTC Complaint Over Google/DoubleClick Acquisition
4. Google Asks Congress To Increase H-1B Visas Cap
5. Gambling For Fun Adverts Now Disallowed By Google AdWords UK
6. Yahoo Share Holders Asks To Vote Against CEO's Salary
7. Kevin Ryan Named VP Of Search Engine Watch & Search Engine Strategies

Posted at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

Literally, I have such a pain in the neck. I woke up this morning, went to the bathroom and after turning around to dry my face after brushing my teeth, I felt a share pain through my neck and back.

So, I woke up fine. But I must have moved the wrong way?

I managed to get to work without killing anyone on the road. This seems way more painful then a stiff neck. I have been keeping my head in one position the whole day (i.e. slightly down and forward).

It hurts from the lower neck, down the left side of my back and through my right hand's fingers.

I will give it a couple of days before phoning any technical support. But man, is this annoying.

Posted at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Category: Rambling | Comments (2) (0)

I blogged about the Seattle Airport, I then blogged that I landed but I totally forgot to blog about my take off.

Gary Price is not only a smart librarian, a search industry expert and great guy - he also is a flight tracker geek. We were chatting the other day and he was telling me how he was able to listen live to traffic control of my flight taking off. Nuts, right? It's true.

You can listen to it also with this player or by downloading the MP3 file.

powered by ODEO

Pretty cool, you can hear the pilot talk about CO234 and get runway assignments twice.

You can also see my exact flight path and details at FlightAware.com. The flight path was SEA J90 MWH J90 ABR J70 GEP DLL J34 CRL J584 SLT FQM1 (yea, I know, doesn't make sense, good thing for maps).

The FlightAware web site is nuts. You can see I jumped on a connecting flight from Ted Stevens Anchorage Int'l airport and then we all resumed our flight to EWR. Want to see my minute by minute track record of the flight? No? To bad, go here and you can see we started our decline at 05:40AM from 35,000 feet and by 06:10AM we were at 600 feet. Registered members can get even more information. Whoo hoo.

Want more real time databases? Gary has a huge comprehensive list in his real time information archive.

Posted at 1:47 PM | Permalink | Category: | Comments (0) (0)

I have been very active in many discussion forums in the search industry over the past several years.

At the SMX conference, Danny joked in the last session that I may go into a forum, under an alias, spill the beans on that session, so that I can blog about it. I.e. I won't blog about things that are not public, more about that at my Search Engine Roundtable Code of Ethics.

Just in case some people didn't think Danny was joking, I want to clarify my position on creating multiple aliases to disguise myself.

I have never created multiple aliases to hide my name at these forums. I never plan on it either. I only participate under one alias, and that is under the name "rustybrick." I have created other accounts to protect other names, such as my personal name and blog name, but I do not post under them. In addition, I have set up test accounts at my own forums, but those are just test names for testing purposes.

There are many people I know that set up aliases in forums so that people won't know who they are. I have nothing against people doing that. But I have never done that, nor do I ever plan on doing that in the future.

Side note: how about use of that image for a post like this. ;-)

Posted at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Category: Blogging | Comments (0) (0)

Not sure why I didn't add this earlier. I am always counting up and down to figure out what time it is in California and Israel and London and many other places.

So I finally added several world clocks to my dashboard on my Mac.

I have seven of them across the top of my dashboard, but I broke them up in two here so you can see them all.

Don't know how I lived without these clocks.

I.e. I get news stories that are embargoed at 9PST or 9EST etc, this makes it a whole 5 seconds faster.

Posted at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Category: Apple Macs , Blogging , Computers | Comments (3) (0)

This is the June 6th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 6th, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 5, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Search Marketing Expo Day Two Recap, Search Engine Land
• Searching Beyond the Paid: SMX Advanced: Over Already?, Beyond the Paid
• Ask Morphs: A New Approach to The Interface, John Battelle's Searchblog
• SMX Advanced - Seattle, June 4-5, 2007, ADNE
• Un débarquement sur Search Engine Roundtable ?, Search Engine Feng Shui
• GoogleBurner: Google-Feedburner Alliance Implications, SEO Hong Kong
• Give Viagra Away so There’s No Profit in Selling It, flyte blog
• Pump Up Your Paid Search, Bruceclay.com

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 6th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Adsense now allows three link units. Yahoo scrutinized over quality based pricing. FeedBurner criticized over Google acquisition. AdSense is to be integrated into Maps. GOOG at all time high. Webmaster Google Guidelines now updated. eBay and Google launch Audio Ads. Google bought PeakStream. Ask.com leaks commercial. Yahoo Search is updating.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Google AdSense Now Allows 3 Link Units Per Page
2. Concerns Over Yahoo!'s New Quality Based Pricing
3. Google's Acquisition of Feedburner for Expanded AdWords Distribution Channels?
4. Google AdSense to be Integrated into Google Maps
5. GOOG Stock Reaches All-Time High of $519
6. Google Webmaster Guidelines Updated

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Google Releases Audio Ads To Public While eBay Begins Radio Ad Auction Push
2. Google Acquires Multicore Programming Company, PeakStream
3. Ask.com Commercial Leaked Prior To Airing
4. Yahoo Search June 2007 Update
5. FeedBurner Addresses Concerns Over Google Buyout

Posted at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

Remember I posted after I got to the SMX conference that I Broke My Camera Again!?

That is the second time I broke the LCD, the first time was during my Israel trip.

So I checked the purchase date, and by three whole days, I am still under warranty.

So I brought up my old blog entry and reviewed what I did then to get the camera fixed for free. I replicated it and I was told that the repair is estimated to cost me nothing. Whoo hoo.

So I just mailed it to the repair shop and hopefully, it will come back new - for free.

Next time I break it, I will either have to pay for a new one or pay for it to be fixed. So, moral from the story, since I am not such a quick learner, be careful!

Posted at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Category: Computers , Travels | Comments (4) (0)

So as you know I landed in EWR from SEA this morning at 6ish. It was a red eye. I decided to go direct to work, even though I was unable to sleep on the plane.

I just realized that means I haven't changed any of my clothing for almost two days. I am here until around 5pm, so it is a while.

Proof?

This is from today, just a few minutes ago (took picture of myself):

This is from yesterday in Seattle:

I feel like I need a shower, and then a nap.

Posted at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Category: Travels | Comments (9) (0)

Here is a short interview of me by Mike at WebProNews on Duplicate Content issues with search.

Here is an interview of me by Andy Beal on finding golden nuggets at search forums...

Click To Play

Posted at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Category: SEO Tips | Comments (1) (0)

Some weirdo left a comment saying I need a haircut or something like that. Well, you are wrong!

As you can see by this picture taken at the SMX conference by Mr. McGee, I no longer need any haircut.

To look at me a week before, go here to see the hairy monster.

Posted at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Category: Rambling | Comments (3) (0)

Phew, I am back. Seems like just a few hours ago I was in SEA airport. Anyway, the red eye went well. Only about 10 minutes late at the end.

Did not sleep, I seriously need to learn how to sleep on planes.

We landed 15 after 6, had to wait to pull to the gate, had to wait for the doors to be opened (something was wrong).

I picked up my car on the 3rd floor and row 9 and then had to wait at the parking toll booths.

Finally got onto the highway and ended up at the office at about 7:30am.

Catching up on a few things. I scheduled several posts to go live on the various blogs today but I need to do some more.

Oh, check out the DDay theme for the Search Engine Roundtable, here is a preview.

Posted at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Category: Travels | Comments (2) (0)

This is the June 5th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 5th, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 4, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Search Marketing Expo Day One Recap, Search Engine Land
• Live from SMX Seattle, SEOmoz
• Mobile Search Interview | Barry Schwartz, Hybrid SEM
• Google PageRank: What Do We Know About It?, Smashing Magazine
• Search Headlines & Links: June 4, 2007, Search Engine Watch Blog
• Search Marketing Expo Conference 2007, SEO.CA
• Interview with Barry Schwartz, WebProNews
• Ask.com's Next Evolutionary Step. Search Has Come A Long Way Since Jeeves, Pulse 2.0
• Recap Day One Search Marketing Expo, SEM Cents
• Introducing Ask3D - A Truly New Way to Search, Techmeme
• Live coverage from SMX Seattle, Shimon Sandler

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 5th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Very very tired, just skim below for the days search articles posts.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Ask.com Relaunches in 3D with Ask X Interface
2. Yahoo's New Quality Based Pricing Looks at Conversion Rates
3. Google AdSense Continues Test of Site Authentication Feature
4. Google Now Updates AdWords Traffic Estimator Stats Monthly
5. Exclusivity Rumors Between SES, SMX and WebmasterWorld Are True

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Google Announces Salesforce.com AdWords Alliance
2. Blinkx, Video Search Engine, To Power Ask.com Video Search
3. S. Korea's SK Telecom Partners With Google On Mobile Ads
4. Google Maps Now Showing More Detailed Transit Data
5. Yahoo Finalizes Slurps Move To New Address
6. Google Updates & Details Webmaster Guidelines
7. Google Updates AdSense Program Policies
8. Search Marketing Expo Day Two Recap

Search Engine Roundtable SMX Coverage:

1. Debate: Is Bid Management Dead?
2. Pump Up Your Paid Search
3. Beyond the Majors
4. Better Ways
5. Penalty Box Summit
6. Giant Focus Group
7. Give It Up! at Search Marketing Expo

Posted at 12:12 AM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

Now, Tamar and I are sitting in the Seattle/Tacoma International Airport (SEA) - Continental Presidents Club, which is tiny compared to the Newark version. We wrote several posts for the Search Engine Roundtable and scheduled them for tomorrow and then I posted a few more at Search Engine Land. Caught up on some email and misc emails. So now I thought I share some SEA weirdness with you...

So we went through security, which is a whole process for a geek and my bag got called out.

So the person inspecting the bags as they go through the xray machine asked for a "bag check." As the bag check lady came over, she seemed disinterested. She took my bag and said she has to inspect it. So I made a comment that it went through EWR no problem. She said, don't worry about it. She then said the xray machine operator is a nut and is driving her crazy. I am on her side, the line I was on was crazy slow - she basically called the inspector over for every four bags. That would drive anyone nuts.

Tamar and I got a chuckle out of that. Of course, I said that this is blog material - hence it is here.

That is the first weird thing. The next one happened as we were sitting in the club. A man walked in with ear phones. He then began singing the songs he was listening to. Don't believe me? See Tamar's twitter about it. He then stopped after Tamar twittered it, so I thought maybe he was on Twitter, but I guess not. He does it randomly now. So that was that.

This reminds me of another weird story from the Vegas airport, I believe about two years ago. Some security guard stopped me after going through the security check. He asked me if he can ask me a question. I said sure, since I was not in any rush. He asked me my thoughts on the Middle East Crisis between Israel and the surrounding countries. I was wearing my Kippah and it was obvious I was Jewish, and he admitted that he asked me because I was Jewish. So after we went through the Jewish thing, I said something to the effect of - "I am Jewish, what do you think I feel about it." He then agreed with me about that statement and that was all. I mean, I told him I don't like to talk about politics - so we left it at that.

There are some airport stories for you.

Posted at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Category: Travels | Comments (5) (0)

The last session of SMX is named Give it Up. The deal is, no one is allowed to blog the session until a month has elapsed.

Anyway, see the front row?

Well, those are some of the live bloggers.

Start with Tamar on the left in pink, then Matt McGee, then Lisa Barone, then skip, then Vintage Tub guy, then Matt Cutts, then Chris Sherman and then Vanessa Fox (hiding behind projector).

If you click on the picture, I added notes to the image, so you can mouse over it to play with those notes. Feel free to add to the image.

Posted at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Category: Blogging , SEO Tips | Comments (0) (0)

There has been a lot of buzz over at the SMX conference that SES (the big conference) is going to set up exclusivity requirements from the speakers.

So if you want to speak at SES, you cannot speak at SMX.

Those rumors, sparked recently by Rand, have been shot down by Search Engine Watch, sister-site to SES.

Let me assure you that Incisive Media (parent to both SEW and SES) has no such plans. There have not been, nor will there be any plans to institute any kind of exclusivity agreement for speakers at any of our events.

Hopefully, this will dispel any rumors, and put the idea to rest.

Update: Well, maybe it is true. I just wrote a more researched article on this at the Search Engine Roundtable.

Posted at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Category: SEO Tips | Comments (6) (0)

There is this unbelievable deal over at Sprint for a Treo and their data plan. One of my RB staffers told me about this, and I was like, no way! But yes way!

A Fat Wallet thread has the details, which gets updated every now and then.

Go to: www.sprint.com/sero and in the email box enter savings@sprintemi.com with a valid zip code and presto.

You qualify for 500 minutes, unlimited texting and unlimited broadband data for $30 per month! Nuts!

Other plans include:

Seems way too good to be true. But supposedly, it is true.

Posted at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Category: Computers | Comments (0) (0)

Danny Sullivan walked into the SMX Seattle press room 20 minutes to 9 with a box of cupcakes.

Yup, they say, SMX, with a green thing over them. That is kind of like the SMX logo.

Best thing... Karen told me that Danny's wife, Lorna, sent them. How nice. :)

They look so good.

Posted at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Category: Food | Comments (4) (0)

This is the June 4th issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 4th, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, June 1, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Less Noise: The Power of RSS Mashups, Social Strategist
• Killing Two Memes with One Stone, Caydel’s SEO Blog
• Google Street View Sightings, Derrich.com
• Should SEOs Care About Wikipedia?, nathanr
• More News Roundup, June 1, Marketing Pilgrim
• SMX less in Seattle, Search Newz
• SMX-less in Seattle - SMX Advanced Conference, Online Marketing Blog
• SMX Advanced in Seattle, EvilGreenMonkey
• Danny Sullivan is a SPAMMER, Threadwatch.org
• Matt Cutts Interview at SMX Advanced, ranktopseo.com
• Don't Get Your Web Pages Filtered out by Search Engines, e-marketing news

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 4th, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Below I have for you a recap of the posts from the past day or so. They also include a special category for session coverage. Big thanks to Tamar and Carolyn for the coverage. I am too tired to summarize it all now, so just scan below.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. Yahoo! Search Indexing Email Addresses As Links
2. Coverage for First Search Marketing Expo Conference
3. Google to Restructure Webmaster Tools Help Center
4. New York Times on Google "Tweaking Its Search Engine"
5. Congrats to FeedBurner on Google Acquisition
6. SMX Opens With a Blast

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Yahoo Search Marketing Adds Free & Paid API Access
2. Microsoft Building New Secret Search Engine?
3. Insight Into Google's Search Quality Efforts
4. Baidu Expanding To Europe
5. Search Results Getting Safer
6. Yahoo Search Marketing Begins Quality-Based Pricing

Search Engine Roundtable SMX Coverage:

1. You&A With Matt Cutts
2. Duplicate Content Summit
3. SEO, Meet SMM
4. Personalized Search: Fear or Not?
5. Keynote with Satya Nadella

Posted at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0)

My Dad sent me Growing Up in Public from the Wall Street Journal (used Google News link so you can see it for free) just minutes ago. This is me.

Watch Jason Fry's video on his article. I love the ending that talks about how an HR person now finds it more out of the norm for a person not to come up for a Google search than to come up for one. In fact, some HR folks would consider it a bad thing.

Posted at 9:53 PM | Permalink | Category: Blogging | Comments (1) (0)

Typically, at SEO/SEM conference, Matt Cutts of Google is swarmed with SEOs and SEMs. They have been named Cuttletts, for Matt's groupies.

Here is a picture from Danny's personal blog showing a typical swarm of the Cuttletts.

But at today's SMX Conference I spotted Matt with only two Cuttletts around him before lunch.

Now, where did all the Cuttletts go? Well, Vanessa Fox of Google just got off a panel and she was swarmed with her own form of Cuttletts. Hmmm.. should we propose a name for her groupies? I won't dare, but you can.

Posted at 4:59 PM | Permalink | Category: Buddies , SEO Tips | Comments (9) (0)

I am so upset. I broke my camera again. It must have got kicked when on the plane.

It is a solid camera, but this is the second time I broke it. What happened was something smashed against the LCD screen. So I can't preview or see images I have just taken. I can still take pictures, but the preview is something I got accustomed to.

Last time Canon fixed it for me for free. But they did it as a one time courtesy. I doubt they will do it again.

How did this happen. I put my camera in a very padded camera bag on the side of my RustyBrick bag. I think the camera USB cable is in that bag and was pressing up against the LCD screen. When the bag was on the airplane, I suspect it got hit and the USB cable pressed up even harder into the LCD, cracking the inside of the screen - rendering it useless.

Just bummed about it.

Posted at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Category: Computers , Travels | Comments (3) (0)

I was looking forward to making a splash but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), I was only a tropical storm.

I have been classified as a tropical storm. You can track the forecast advisories beginning on June 1st, to the public advisories, discussions and wind speed probabilities at National Weather Service.

Wikipedia has some nice information on TS Barry, Tropical Storm Barry.

On May 30, a broad low pressure area formed in the Gulf of Honduras. Moving northward, the system slowly deepened as it moved through the northwest Caribbean sea into the southeast Gulf of Mexico. On June 1, the first day of the officially defined hurricane season, this cyclone organized into Tropical Storm Barry despite being located in an area of high shear, and warnings were immediately issued along the Western Florida coastline. Barry provided much-needed precipitation to parts of Florida which were experiencing drought conditions in the January to May months.[17] Barry made landfall near Tampa Bay, Florida on June 2 as a minimal tropical storm. Soon thereafter Barry was downgraded to a tropical depression as it began its extratropical transition. Barry became an extratropical cyclone late in the afternoon of June 2. On June 3, the cyclone moved up the coast of the Carolinas bringing rains into the Mid-Atlantic states and New England.

So I was a disappointment. The news headlines aren't all that powerful.

- Tropical Storm Barry Brings Much Needed Rain To Florida; great, a good samaritan.
- Rain from Tropical Storm Barry welcomed, it is nice to be welcomed, but comeon, I am a hurricane want to be.
- Storm weakens to a tropical depression, OK, that is just sad.

I am so depressed about this, I am leaving the east coast to go to the west coast.

Posted at 6:26 PM | Permalink | Category: Weather | Comments (2) (0)

I love traveling and this Sunday night I am taking a flight from New York to Seattle for the SMX Advanced conference.

I thought I come up with a checklist of things I need to do before, during and after the flight:

Saturday Night:
- Go through emails for an hour (starting after 9pm)
- Go to RustyBrick
- Do RustyBrick month end billing (takes an hour)
- Get deposits ready for Ronnie (ten minutes)
- Pay consultants
- File away mail and pay any bills
- Clean up desk

Sunday Morning:
- Go through emails
- Go to RustyBrick
- Print SMX related papers; e-ticket, hotel reservations, agenda, party list, meeting list, etc.
- Put on away message only for voicemail
- Pack up necessary computer tools
- Organize office one more time (I like it clean when I leave for conference)

Sunday Afternoon:
- Go through emails (well, I do this all day, all the time)
- Take apart bbq grill
- Bring bbq grill to parents
- Put together bbq grill
- Pack frozen kosher meals
- Pack bread and snacks
- Pack a shirt
- Pack a pair of pants
- Pack under necessities
- Pack mobile toothbrush, mobile floss, mobile listerine, mobile toothpaste, etc.
- Don't forget mobile brush
- Shave!
- Make sure I packed everything (I am sure I am forgetting stuff now)
- Finish all this within 2.5 minutes

Sunday Evening
- Drive to airport and park
- Go through security (only a carry on)
- Go to continental presidential lounge thing
- Find Tamar and invite her to join
- Blog about nothing from the lounge
- Wait for flight
- Board
- Try to sleep and not
- Land
- Eject from plane
- Call Wife
- Get taxi with Tamar to hotel
- Checkin
- Shower
- Sleep

Monday Morning:
- ....

Monday Conference:
-

Monday Night:
-

Tuesday Morning:
-

Tuesday Conference:
-

Tuesday Night:
- Take Red Eye

Wednesday Morning
- Drive 1 hour to office at 6am to work a full day

I'll have to update this list as I go...

Posted at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Category: Travels | Comments (4) (0)

Recently today Google confirmed that they bought FeedBurner. I was asked to join a conference call with Susan Wojcicki, Vice President, Product Management, Google and Dick Costolo, CEO and cofounder of FeedBurner on the acquisition.

So I did.

I am not going to explain what FeedBurner does, the Google Blog did, so I will quote them...

For those of you who aren't bloggers, podcasters, or feed creators, Chicago-based FeedBurner is a leading provider of feed distribution and management tools. A web feed is a way for online publishers to syndicate their content and deliver it straight to readers. Each day, FeedBurner delivers feeds to millions of users around the world and offers unique and useful tools for publishers to analyze, optimize, and monetize their content. Further, FeedBurner offers a feed advertising platform for advertisers to reach engaged feed readers through targeted in-feed ads and innovative techniques like RSS feed-driven ads.

Now, I know Google pretty well from both a business and technical standpoint. I also know FeedBurner pretty well, mostly from a technical standpoint (since they don't talk much about money, being private and all). So I had many questions, all pretty technical on how the two will be integrated. How the branding will be changed, if at all. How this may impact not just advertisers but also current publishers. I was thinking privacy issues, with controlling so many feeds and also the Internet. I was thinking, how this will change the AdWords interface and the AdSense interface. How might Google Analytics bring in FeedBurner stats. How much deeper you can get on the stats if you know their readership from feed to feed then to site to site and then from ad to ad and then from Google Checkout to Checkout.

But then I started to listen to the questions from the other "press" on the call. People from this and that publication, I believe even the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones, etc. were all on the call. All the questions were focused around money, revenue, timing, you know all things that will impact the stock.

So I scaled back my questions to just a feel. I think Dick Dick Costolo appreciated my questions. But many, they could not answer yet, because it was just too new to even put down on paper, I assume. Anyway, it was interesting to ask or even think of questions that were a bit too technical for an acquisition briefing conference call. But I am looking after the small/medium advertiser and publisher, not the people who buy the GOOG stock.

Posted at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Category: Blogging | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (1) (1)

This is the June 1st issue of a daily post that will contain links to commentary of the posts over at the Search Engine Roundtable. All links I find throughout the day that ad some commentary to the posts written over at the Search Engine Roundtable, will be in the Daily Link Finds. The purpose is two fold: (1) To help people find discussion around our articles and (2) To thank people for linking to us. How do I find these links? Only one way, via a Google Blog Search link command, so make sure that (1) you are in Google Blog Search and (2) link to us.

Daily Link Finds for June 1st, 2007:

• SearchCap: The Day In Search, May 31, 2007, Search Engine Land
• Google Introduces Google Gears... TA DA!, Nic'n'Cher
• Top SEO Podcasts Poll, NeO Blog
• Two New SEO Tools I’ve Bookmarked, Small Business SEM
• A Look at Google Gears Working with Google Reader [Illustrated], Digg
• How Do You Get Access to a Gmail Account of Someone Who Dies?, Digg
• Accedere alla Gmail del Caro Estinto, DElyMyth
• Overture Keyword Tool Abandoned, Click Newz
• InsideGoogle Video Blog: May 30, 2007, InsideGoogle
• Friday AM Search News, Online Marketing Blog
• More News Roundup, June 1, 20 Spades

That is the discussion I have found via Google Blog Search around the posts at Search Engine Roundtable for June 1st, 2007. Thank you for contributing!

Posted at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Link Finds | Comments (0) (0)

Toolbar PageRank is not the final answer to buying links. Yahoo is bolding domain names in search ads. Google is updating. SEOs do have names. Search Engine Land is spamming. Microsoft added copyrighted books to Live Book Search. Google is offering book search features to partners. Schmidt talked more on the Google phone. Schmidt called Viacom's lawsuit a mistake. AOL launched Local search beta 2. Search in pics is out. FeedBurner was finally purchased by Google.

Search Engine Roundtable Topics:

1. When Buying Links, PageRank is Not the Final Answer
2. Yahoo! Bolding Domain Names in Sponsored Results (Search Ads)
3. June Google Update?
4. What Should "Search Engine Optimizers" Call Themselves?
5. Search Engine Land Hiding Text & Spamming Search Engines, Said Sullivan
6. Weekly Search Buzz Roundup - 06/01/07: Memorial Day, Maps, Gmail for the Dead

Search Engine Land Topics:

1. Microsoft Adds In-Copyright Books & New Features To Live Search Books
2. Google Custom Search Engine For Book Search Partners
3. Google Provides More Hints On Mobile Phone Rumors
4. Schmidt Calls Viacom's $1B Lawsuit "Just A Mistake"
5. AOL Local Search Released Second Beta
6. Search In Pictures: Huge Google Maps Pin, Tiny Yahoo Car, & No Worries At Outback Steakhouse
7. Google Confirms Acquisition Of FeedBurner

Posted at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Search Coverage | Comments (0) (0) | Speak

Just realized I didn't update my blog today. That is rare...

So what happened today?
- Crazy busy morning...
- Blogged at SER
- Blogged at SEL
- Ben left at 11am
- Personal thing here or there
- Interviewed someone at 12:30pm for a job here
- Got on a client call
- Blogged more at SER and SEL
- Got on a Google call
- Did some wrap ups

Posted at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Category: Daily Grind | Comments (1) (0)