Penguin 2.0 Facts

So, what are the things you should know about the latest update? This can be summed up into four. First off, the new generation Penguin has affected about 2.3% of all English-US queries. 2.3 %, a small number, right? Wrong. Take note that there is an estimated 5 billion Google searches per day. So 2.3% out of that estimated search and what do you get? A LOT. Think back when the very first update was released. Penguin 1.0 affected a total of about 3.1% websites and boy, was everybody disarmed.

Second truth about Penguin 2.0 is that it is not limited to English queries. It extends to the hundreds of other queries conducted in other languages. This simply means that wherever you are in the world and whatever language you are using, you are not safe from the potential harmful effects of the flightless bird.

Third important thing to take note is that Penguin 2.0 is not a mere data refresh. This means that Google has completely changed the algorithm. This further means that those spammy tricks that seems to work so well for you in the past? Guess what? They are unlikely to work for you now. In fact, indulging in black hat SEO techniques may just be your downfall.

Last but not the least is that you can expect a lot more Penguin updates in the not so distant future. Looks like Google is pretty serious about these changes and there is nothing anyone can do to change that. The changes now are just the beginning. Matt Cutts has mentioned that they are adjusting the impact that they want, starting at one level and working their way up.

While these updates can be good, this also leaves many other affected webmasters and SEOs frustrated at the negative impacts.

Penguin 2.0 Losers

To give you an overview of the effects, sites that are included to be on the losing side in terms of search big brands.

Penguin 2.0 losers

Penguin 2.0 Winners and its Implications on Social Media

But just as there are two sides of a coin, there is also what can be considered as the winners. These winners are the sites that have greatly benefited from the Penguin 2.0 update.

Penguin 2.0 winners

Notice that there most in the top 25 winners are social media sites? This result coupled with the fact that more and more people are into social media may just bring the era of social media marketing at its height. If you want that high rankings then you might want to consider a significant portion of your time and resources to social media marketing.

Another thing to take note of is the unethical practice of black hat SEO methods. The ethics, or rather the absence of it, when it comes to black hat is universal knowledge yet many webmasters often resort to it as a means to achieve the desired rankings. But with the Penguin 2.0 and the subsequent updates later on, black hat SEO will cease to be just unethical. It will be harmful to your site as well.

If you are big on black SEO, then it is high time to clean up your sites. Remove those spammy or low-quality pages from your website as well as those spammy inbound links. It is also recommended that you engage in a new inbound link building campaign.

Conclusion

I guess the moral of all this lies in the most basic of all: the importance of keeping your sites clean and free from unethical method, and the importance of keeping up to the date with the latest strategies. Looks like social media marketing is the new “in” thing.

As with every developments, the first thing that always come to mind is what changes will accompany it. Since Penguin 2.0 has just launched, the SEO community’s collective knowledge is still, at best, limited. New data may be revealed after a series of test but at this point, one can only guess at the impact of the newest Penguin development. Before we move on to speculations, let us first dissect the facts leading to the update along with the things that we’ve managed to learn from Penguin 1.0.

 What exactly is Penguin 2.0?

Google’s initial Penguin update originally rolled out in April 2012 which was then followed by two data refreshes last year, first in May and the second one in October.

According to Matt Cutts, the new version of Penguin is primarily designed to penalize websites that utilize black hat SEO techniques and reward websites that offer genuine value. The ultimate goal is to cut back on link spamming and hacking, while providing webmasters with the tools to fix hacked sites. Penguin 2.0 aims to help small to mid-sized business that play by the rules and avoids black hat SEO.

 Changes You  Can Expect with Penguin 2.0

1. Bad news for black hat web spam. Naturally. The next generation Penguin is, after all, more comprehensive than Penguin 1.0 and it will go deeper and have larger impact than the original.

2. Enforcement of guidelines against advertorials. Cutts emphasized that there is nothing exactly wrong with advertorials. It’s just that they don’t want them to be abused for PageRank and linking reasons. So if you are using advertorials, it is recommended that you clearly mark them and that it should be obvious that it is paid advertising.

3. Problematic searches. An example that Cutts particularly gave was regarding porn queries. Unfortunately for those who are in this gap though, Cutts isn’t revealing how they’re dealing with it, just the fact that it will be happening.

4. Devaluing Upstream Linking. Just like in the previous number, there are no specifics regarding this change. But you can be certain that Google is working on making link buying less effective. They also have a couple of ideas for detailed link analysis to tackle this issue.

5. Hacked Sites. Hack detection will be improved and strengthened. Google is looking for ways to let webmasters have access to more specific information to determine whether they are dealing with malware or a hacked site and provide them means to clean it up.

6. Authority. If Google’s algorithms believe you or your site is an authority in a particular area, they want to make sure those sites rank a little bit higher than other sites.

7. Panda. As I’ve already mentioned, the new generation Penguin aims to help small businesses that play by the rules and hopefully, those sites who have previously been impacted by Panda.

8. Cluster of Results. Google is looking into a change where once you have seen a cluster of results from the same site, you will be less likely to see more and more from that same site as you go deeper.

9. Information for Webmasters. As Cutt had said, Google wants to be able to give webmasters more information that is detailed and relevant through webmaster tools.

If you are among those severely affected with the changes, don’t despair. The situation isn’t totally irreversible. There are still certain things that you can do. You just need to work a little harder and be a little bit more diligent.

Conclusion

Once again, there are changes. And you can be sure that this won’t be the last. But the bottom line really is that if your site is focused on high quality content and uses white hat SEO, then you don’t really have to worry about anything. Nice sites don’t finish last.

After months of rumors, YouTube’s pilot program that offers paid subscription channels was finally launched last Thursday, May 9.

YouTube has been building its YouTube partner program since 2007 to enable its content creators to earn revenues for their creativity. With more than 1 million channels generating revenue  on YouTube, no wonder that YT recognizes the importance that these very same content creators can offer. One of the most frequent requests that YT gets from the creators is to find means and ways for the creators to have more flexibility with regards to monetizing and distributing content. Hence, the launching of this pilot program for paid subscription channels.

This new service has certainly managed to attract a wide array of impressive partners such as the producers of Sesame Street, the Ultimate Fighting Championship league, and National Geographic Kids, all of which offer full episodes on the video site. The subscription fees start at $0.99 per month. Every channel will be given a 14-day free trial and many offer discounted yearly rates. UFC fans, for example, can see classic fights such as the full version of their first event from UFC’s new Select channel. In the next few weeks, YT will be rolling out paid channels more broadly as a self-service feature for qualifying partners.

The new program not only caters the interests of YT’s partners but the subscribers as well. YT has assured the subscribers that once you subscribe from a computer, you will be able to watch the paid channels on your computer, phone, tablet and TV. But there is more to this program than just that. Subscribers need not worry about being left behind with all the new hype since YT will also make sure that subscribers know what’s new and hot. Said channels will also be ad-free.

Under the Microscope: A Closer Look at the Benefits of YT’s Paid Subscriptions

The launching of this program proves that Google is trying to answer the consumer’s demands to give them what they want to see, when they want to see it. And with Americans increasingly watching video through their laptops, smartphones and tablets as confirmed by a recent study conducted by the Nielsen research firm on the approximately 5 million “zero TV” households without cable television, the paid subscriptions definitely has potential.

Through this program, YT hopes to create a subscription platform that could bring even more great content to YouTube users to enjoy and to provide their partners with another vehicle to generate revenue from their content, beyond the rental and ad-supported models that YT already offers.

Concerns Regarding the New YT Program

Despite the innovation of the program, there are also certain concerns that has to be addressed. YT has traditionally been  a free medium, both in its literal and metaphorical sense. With YT, users can view videos of all sorts for free. It also provides for a medium of expression giving amateurs the opportunity to showcase their skills. As such, it is relatively safe to assume that YT will continue giving users free access. This poses certain issues for YT partners. After all, how will there videos look next to amateur videos of cats and babies? There is also the question of whether users will actually pay for the content that they have previously been getting for free and whether the paid subscription channels will stay ad-free. As for the content producers, will they be satisfied with the  revenue split generated from subscriptions versus the ads?

Conclusion

The internet and TV worlds are colliding. And this new program launched by YouTube will inevitably make it harder for smaller online subscription-based platforms simply because Google has the resources to make it in the field. But then again, there was always that implied expectation that Google will always be brewing new means and ways to expand itself.

But when we really think about it, there has been a lot of significant advances in the technology. What is perhaps lacking the is the appreciation people have. When something new is discovered, people are left in awe. But after a while, the excitement vanishes and the what was once considered to be something of a marvel is left to be nothing more than just part of the norm. Think about it. Voice-command technology had seemed impossible just some years before. And presently, there are a variety of hybrid transportation in the market. Next on the agenda? Why, wearable technology, of course!

Back in early 2012, rumors were circulating regarding the invention of augmented reality goggles. With time, rumors ceased to be rumors and were confirmed to be fact. With Google Glass, it would seem that the search giant’s dream of wearable technology is not so far off.

What exactly is Google Glass? What does it do?

Simply put, Google Glass is an attempt to place data right in front of your eyes. It seeks to free data from desktop computers and portable devices like phones and tablets and conveniently put it within reach. In fact, there are virtually no overt action necessary as Google Glass responds to voice commands.

Essentially, Google Glass is a camera, display, touchpad, battery and microphone built into spectacle frames so that users can perch a display on their field of vision, film, take pictures, search and translate on the go.

In a nutshell, Google Glass lets users do a variety of things including:

• take a picture by simply saying “take a picture”
• record what they see – hands free
• share what they see – live
• get directions right in front of them
• ask whatever is on their mind
• speak to send a message
• translate their voice
• get answers without having to ask

Google Glass is also considered to be evolutionary in design. It is also composed of strong and light materials making it a convenient tool. And for the avid fashionista, not to worry about the glasses cramping your style. It is available in five colors: charcoal, tangerine, shale, cotton and sky.

Advantages and Disadvantages

As what people may have learned by now, everything has two sides. There will always be advantages and certain disadvantages. The Google Glass, for its part, can be summed up into four main advantages and three disadvantages.

The advantages includes:

• Hands-free device to check email and personal info without having to hold phone
• Device remembers interactions to give relevant search/navigation results
• Advertisement
• High-speed data connection (3G or 4G)

Apart from the things enumerated above, there is also that awesome feeling that the glasses gives off when you use them. (Think cool spy movies.)

As for the disadvantages, apart from the incessant fear of a future full of obese people perpetually laying in comfy chairs, eating burgers and drinking soda (remember that scene in the movie “Wall-E”?), there are three main drawbacks that people are concerned about. The said disadvantages being:

• Expense
• Privacy Issues
• Bulky Design

Conclusion

It is in our nature to continually strive for development. And as far as technology goes, nothing can stop it from getting better and better.

With any new technology, there is always a potential for misuse. And admittedly, Google Glass is a bit problematic when it comes to privacy issues. But when it really comes down to it, it all boils down to a matter of personal preferences.

And as far as technology is concerned, we have already come a long way off. Who knows, maybe hover cars are next.

But other than just for social purposes, social media provides a huge window of opportunity for businesses, small and big ones alike. To be more precise, social media has become a necessary organ in the SEO field.

What is Social Media Marketing?

As the term itself suggests, Social Media Marketing or Social Media Optimization is the usage of a number of different social media outlets and communities to generate publicity; the purpose of which is to increase the awareness of the product, brand or event. There are many types of social media involved. This includes RSS feeds, social news and bookmarking sites, as well as social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook and other video and blogging sites. Like SEO, the goal of Social Media is to generate traffic for a website and extend customer reach.

Why is Social Media Important in SEO?

As previously stated, the goal of SEO is to generate traffic and widen customer reach. And what better way to do that than through word of mouth through social media?

The success of social media as a means to “spread the word” lies in the fact that people primarily use social media to distract themselves and to pass the time. Users log in their social accounts to communicate with friends and update each other about the happenings in their life. They visit their profiles to post pictures regarding their latest trip. Or they would simply go online to play games. Social media is an effective distraction. This means that when users log in their accounts, they are actively seeking for means and ways to pass the time. This is where social media marketing comes in. Unlike in more traditional means of advertising, like inserting commercials in between television shows, advertisements posted in online social media sites are given a much warmer reception.

On a more SEO business-like point of view, using social media will also lead to an increase in inbound links and citations due to improved online visibility and brand awareness. The most powerful indirect impact of social media is its ability to generate new inbound links by improving brand awareness and overall online visibility. If you’re able to be found, you’re able to be linked to, and links are still the most important and valuable ranking factor.

Another benefit of using social media is the increase in positive reviews, provided of course that you gain happy customers that comes from your superb service. Oftentimes, social media is used as a sort of an extension of a company’s customer service department. When clients are happy about the product or service, they share their satisfaction to their friends. It’s like free advertising. And since the “ads” itself come from “real people” who relatively have nothing to gain from promoting your brand, other users are more likely to trust your product thereby letting you build your business credibility and reputation.

As you build your online reputation and business credibility, decreased bounce rater as well as higher time on site and more repeat visitors to your website will subsequently follow. Clients that are familiar with a particular brand via social media interaction are more likely to become repeat visitors of a website and spend more time there, increasing the average “time-on-site” metric.

5 Social Media Marketing Tips

The importance of Social Media has been clearly established. To make your SEO efforts more effective, here are some of the most basic yet most neglected tips in so far as Social Media Marketing is concerned.

1. Create a Vanity URL
A vanity URL is defined as a URL or domain name created to point to something to which it is related and indicated in the name of the URL, very similar to a personalized URL. In theory, vanity URLs are creatively linked to something making them easier to remember than a mere random link.

Through the usage of vanity URLs, social media sites lets you optimize your sites for organic search in an easier and more convenient fashion. For best results, each URL should contain the business name. If for instance the URL you want is already taken, you can add your location to the URL. It is also important that your various social media URLs are as similar as possible. This will make things easier for your business and for your clients as it will allow consumers to find your business online more effectively and will create that consistency among all your pages across the web.

2. Fill Out the “About” Section
The ABOUT section is one of the most neglected section of all. But this part is actually very important. It is vital that you optimize the areas on your site where people expect you to talk about yourself. be sure to accurately describe what your business does. Adding two or three business keywords is also recommended. But when doing so, make sure that the keywords come of as natural and does not seem “forced into” the sentence.

3. Add Geo-Targeted Keywords
When users look for a particular service or product, prospective clients usually look within a specific geographic area. This makes this third tip a definite must. Include geographic markers in you descriptions. Put your physical address and the cities or neighborhoods that you service.

4. Create Shareable Content
In determining how your social pages rank, most search engine consider the level of authority you have in so far as your social media site is concerned. Basically, this means that the more fans and followers you have that actually interacts with your business online, the more authority that you have.
This emphasizes the need to create shareable content. Social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ pages can help you achieve this goal.

5. Regularly Post Fresh Content
Prospective clients may have a number of means to reach you but this will all be for naught if your sites are not monitored and consistently updated. One of the most important things to do when managing sites is to deliver fresh and updated content. Not only will this help your business in the search results, it will also keep your fans, followers and audience engaged with your pages. Basically, this will mean that you will be able to develop a loyal fan base while encouraging others to follow your posts as well.

See the picture above? You’ll know why I chose that picture in a little later. Well, the most “commercialized” day of the year has come. The month of hearts they say and I imagine how other couples would celebrate the day where they express genuine and real love to their partner – Valentines Day. I bet there are those who would ask, when was your most unforgettable Valentines? Some might answer it was most unforgettable when they received something from their partner. Some might say when they went to a place really romantic and that the air was just full of aroma of love. Maybe some might just say they just spent it from the own comfort of their home and had a “catch-up” dinner with their partner because their work schedules we’re too hectic. And some could answer they didn’t have any unforgettable experience on Valentines.

As for me, for four years, I was not able to spend Valentines with Danica since she left for the States . On a physical sense, that is. We do talk and chat via Skype, but come to think of it, if you would ask me about my unforgettable Valentines with Danica, I think I would say I had a “forgettable” Valentines day with her. And you know why? Because Valentines day, the February 14 day, became forgettable when she said yes to me and became my wife. I see everyday is a Valentines day in our married life.

From the moment I wake up and greet her good morning with my “just-got-out-of-the-bed” look, it’s Valentines for me. When I tell her I need to take a shower for me to prepare for work and then she says “kiss first” with her lips pouting in the Skype window, it’s Valentines for me. When I kiss her goodbye in the Skype window for me to start my day and she tells me to drive safe, it’s Valentines for me. When she goes to the mall just to stroll and as she does window shopping, she finds a good walking shorts that she think is good for me, it’s Valentines for me. When she tells me things that bothers her and I discerningly listen to her to sense why she’s feeling troubled, it’s Valentines for me. When we argue because we both have opposing opinions about a certain thing and both of us just decides to drop the subject to discuss it on a later date, it’s Valentines for me. Valentines with my Sweetest is happening everyday for me.

Those common and unseen gestures of caring. Those modest things of adoration left unnoticed. Those things that make you think more of the other and less for yourself. Those are kind of things that can equate genuine, untainted love. Just like a person taking that leap off the cliff to get to the other side where your partner is(remember the pic above?). And it’s happening every single day. I believe those are the things why everybody should see Valentines everyday.

I am not a writer who can play with words and express feelings thru complicated or intricate vocabulary, but one thing is for sure as I write this post, I am letting my heart speak. We don’t need a special day to prove the words “I Love You” to each other. We prove it everyday in the things we do for each other, celebrate it in our laughter and treasure it in moments that a Valentine’s Day or V-card or gift can never fully represent.

~For my one and only Sweetest. Always know that I love you so much.

Of all the search engines, Google is the most widely used. As such, many businesses depend on its algorithm. However, Google is also known for its ruthless algorithm changes without giving out any warning making it very difficult for webmasters and business owners to keep up with the changes. The Penguin update in late April of 2012 exemplifies the dire situation. In fact, more than 12% of all the websites were affected because of the change. Sites that have high rankings suddenly did not enjoy their status anymore. Years of hard work all down the drain.

This leads to the million dollar question: how do you get your site to be Google proof? Or at the very least, how can you get back in the game? In one word, the answer would be backlinks.  As far as Google is concerned, having quality backlinks to your site is highly necessary.

Now that you know the best way to stay on the A-game regardless of the changes, another question surfaces: how would you know which backlinks are good and which ones should be taken down? That would be very demanding task taking up a whole lot of time and requiring the investment of big efforts. Manually checking every webpage can take weeks and even months. Luckily, there is now a software tool that can help you with that endeavor. Presenting to you the SEO Ressurection.

The SEO Resurrection lets you know what backlinks are regarded as spammy to your site, know which linked domains have been de-indexed and assesses the overall quality of each individual backlink to your site using a number of criteria. Read up on SEO Resurrection for a more thorough understanding.

With the capabilities mentioned above, this software tool is just the thing you need to help your site get back up on its feet or prevent it from stumbling down if it hasn’t been affected yet.

Weddings always present that challenge of how to make the whole event unique and personal. This prompts the process of looking for the perfect unique wedding favors that can add that special touch making the wedding a truly unforgettable one.

The choices available when it comes to unique wedding favors are limitless. However, despite the possibilities, it can still be quite difficult to determine which will suit best. To make the selection process easier, you only to keep in mind three different things.

First off, your personality. Keep in mind that the event is not just any regular occasion. It is your wedding. Choose one that will show you and your soon to be spouse’s personality. Unique is good. But you should also be mindful that the wedding favor will not be too unique so much so that it doesn’t have anything to do with you or your partner. Bottle stoppers, for example, are great wedding favors. But if neither you nor your spouse drinks, the bottle stoppers simply would not make sense. Choose something that expresses both your personality.

Second thing is the uniqueness of the wedding favor. As I have already mentioned, unique is good. But something too unique may come out as odd or strange. Try to determine how you would want the guests to remember your wedding. A sense of humor is good but giving out those rubber chickens that makes fart noises would be going too far, don’t you think? Also, you want to choose something that has a bit of meaning.

Third thing to watch out for is the cost. Unless you have unlimited budget, then the cost is always one of the most important priorities. Giving out wedding favors is good but don’t let it overshadow the real reason why the wedding is being held. Besides, there are many options. With a bit of imagination, having the perfect wedding favors is definitely possible.

When doing the unity candle, the bride and groom each take a lit candle and simultaneously lighting a third bigger candle dubbed as the unity candle. The candles of the bride and groom represent their own individual life and as they light the unity candle together, this represents their new life as one. Once lit, the couple may now blow their individual lights. Others leave it on as a symbol that although they are now living as one, they will not sacrifice their individuality in favor of their unity.

Another way to hold the unity ceremony is through the use of colored sands and pouring it into a glass or vase. This ceremony expresses the coming together of two people and their families thereby forming a new family. The bride and groom have different colored sands. They then take turns pouring the sand into a clear glass or vase forming a layered effect. In other cases, the family of the bride and groom take part in the ceremony as well, bringing their own color of sand and adding it to the two colors chosen by the just married couple. This makes a wonderful effect of many layers of colors that represents the harmony of not just the couple but of the entire family. Sand represents eternity and time making the ceremony even more meaningful.

So there you have it: the traditional means of conducting the unity ceremony. But who is to say that a little deviation will hurt? There is another ceremony that I think would grab your interest. In fact, it is something that I am thinking of having when my chance at a church wedding comes up. I am referring to the unity box.

Prior to the wedding, the couple will write letters to each other containing their love for one another. During the ceremony, the letters will then be sealed inside a wooden box that contains a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses. Once closed, the box will be padlocked. The parents of the couple as well as the maid of honor and the best man will then be asked to take care of one lock each and keep the key in a safe place unknown to the couple. When the marriage is in trouble, it is only then that the box can be opened as it is meant to let the couple relive their romance and serve as a reminder of why they got married in the first place.

Wedding invitations are more than just a mere part of the check list. It is an essential element of every wedding event. It not only serves as a proud announcement of the intention of the joining together of the couple as man and wife but also opens up other possibilities with regards to all the other aspects of the preparation.

First off, invitations give the guests the time and place of the wedding. While it may be true that what matters most in the ceremony is the love and devotion of the couple, it cannot be denied that the occasion is made more meaningful when celebrated with friends and loved ones. The invitation also gives the guests a sneak peak of what kind of wedding to expect as invitation designs are usually made with respect to the color themes, venue and feel of the actual wedding letting the guests do their share of preparation for the big day. So, if you, yourself, are planning on a wedding soon, you might want to choose an invitation design that directly ties with your theme. Think color schemes. Or if you have decided on a beach wedding for example, then a beach-themed invitation will suit just perfectly.

Another benefit of invitations is that the planners will be given sufficient means to cater to the needs of the guests. In wedding invitations, or other event for that matter, it is customary that RSVP cards be attached. This will enable the planners to determine the rough estimate of guests. RSVP cards can also be used to include other information such as the meal choice, the ages of the guests and the allergies that should be taken into consideration. As I have already mentioned, while weddings are primarily for the bride and groom, it is important to make the occasion a fun and memorable one for the guests involved as well.

Wedding invitations possess a deceptive quality. At first glance, the matter may be of microscopic importance especially when you think about the dresses to fit, the reception area to book and all the other major details. Invitations play a role in the success of the event. As such, it is important that it also be given due consideration.