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<DIV style="CLEAR: left; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 3px"><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/googleprpagerank.jpg?a=26"></DIV>Being a professional blogger for&nbsp;&nbsp;4&nbsp; years&nbsp; now, I have been conditioned to follow certain metrics, like&nbsp; Google&nbsp; Page Rankings. Lately however, Google is doing a lot of tweaking and revamping and peoples&nbsp; PR&nbsp; is jumping up and down like crazy. <BR><BR>Startling news from Google Webmaster Trends Analyst Susan Moskwa&nbsp; now&nbsp; comes&nbsp; fourth....<STRONG>that Google has ditched PageRank </STRONG>from Webmaster Tools.
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<P>"We've been telling people for a long time that they shouldn't focus on PageRank so much; many site owners seem to think it's the most important metric for them to track, which is simply not true," states Moskwa. "We removed it because we felt it was silly to tell people not to think about it, but then to show them the data, implying that they should look at it." (Source: WebProNews)<BR><BR>SO NOW WHAT? If you work hard on your site and build it's repuation, how do you tell the real good sites from the posers?&nbsp; PR&nbsp; was a&nbsp; way, at a glance, to get a glimpse of a sites authority and realness. <BR><BR>Now we just have to guess?<BR><BR>This could be a big problem I think.....<BR><BR></P>

<IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/zemanta_blog_faster_and_smarter_blogging_tips.jpg"><BR><BR>
<H2><FONT size=3><EM>Focus on writing the best content. Let us jazz it up for you.</EM></FONT></H2>
<P>Simple point &amp; click enrichment of your blog posts (and emails). In real-time, while you type.&nbsp;<BR>They suggest tags, links, photos, related articles, and more! How much easier can it get?!<BR><BR>With&nbsp; <STRONG><A href="http://www.zemanta.com/bloggers/" target=_blank><STRONG>ZEMANTA</STRONG></A></STRONG>, you download&nbsp; a simple &nbsp;browser extension. When&nbsp; you open your blogging software, </P>
<P>BEFORE - <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/zemanta_blog_blogging_tips_advice.jpg"><BR><BR><BR><BR>AFTER - it adds bars on the side and bottom to help you quickly import pre-selected images, links and tags, saving you time searching for them!&nbsp; <BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/zemanta_blog_blogging_tips_advice_save_time_tags_tagging.jpg"><BR><BR>Lets you quickly add&nbsp; Amazon links and Social Media friends as well.<BR><BR><BR>Of course, it does not work with&nbsp; EVERY blogging platform yet. But it does for most!</P>
<P ><A href="http://www.zemanta.com/bloggers/" target=_blank><BR><STRONG>ZEMANTA</STRONG></A>&nbsp;<BR></P>
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<P><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/clipart_red_circle_slash.gif"><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/blogengage_blog_engage_sucks_censorship_anti_gay_homophobic.jpg"><BR><BR><STRONG><FONT size=5>JUST&nbsp; SAY&nbsp; NO!&nbsp;&nbsp; To&nbsp; Blog&nbsp; Engage!</FONT></STRONG><BR><BR>We first wrote&nbsp; about&nbsp;<A href="http://businessbloggingtips.com/2008/02/28/blog-engage-may-help-get-you-traffic.aspx" target=_blank>BlogEngage in 2008</A>.&nbsp; It sounded like a cool tool. </P>
<P>But I recently found out they were censoring my gay travel submissions! My sites <STRONG>are not </STRONG>sexual in nature and quite popular with people seeking&nbsp; LGBT travel&nbsp; info.&nbsp; We&nbsp; are on page one of Google for about 3000&nbsp; keyword combinations currently, have a page rank of 5, and attract over 40,000&nbsp; unique readers a month from&nbsp; 150&nbsp; countries.&nbsp; We also attract the attention of tourism boards worldwide as well as national advertisers. <BR><BR>MyBlogLog,&nbsp; BlogCatalog, FaceBook, and many others have no problem with my sites. But apparently, some right wing homophobics keep complaining my gay travel sites are "sexual in nature" - which they are not. <STRONG>So as of today, I am removing all links to Blog Engage, from all of my sites that have been promoting them. <BR></STRONG><BR>You gotta love censorship, right?<BR><BR><BR>Michael Snell<BR>Derrick&nbsp; Sorles<BR><BR><BR></P>

<DIV style="CLEAR: left; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 3px"><A href="http://www.bloggersbase.com/?rl=mGy7GxwReP0="><IMG alt="Join BloggersBase" src="http://www.bloggersbase.com/images/rl/going.jpg" border=0></DIV></A><BR>
<P>BloggersBase provides a discovery platform for bloggers, user-generate-content and readers alike. This platform takes the form of an online magazine spanning various topics, each implemented as a multi-authored blog, moderated by algorithm-enhanced crowd wisdom.&nbsp;Their magazine introduces a brand new concept of citizen-journalism, using powerful analytics and unique algorithms.</P>
<P><B>Bloggers - your audience is here!<BR></B><BR>Get discovered &amp; monetize on your talent on BloggersBase!<BR>Compete and become a part of an exclusive club of elite professional bloggers!</P>
<P><B>Readers - Find high quality content that interests YOU to read and watch!</B><BR>Make a difference by ranking and controlling the content that gets exposed!<BR>Earn recognition for your expertise and gain social status!<BR><BR><BR><BR><A href="http://www.bloggersbase.com/?rl=mGy7GxwReP0=" target=_blank>CHECK IT OUT! BLOGGER BASE</A><BR></P>

<P>Sorry for the short notice.&nbsp;Sally Falkow and Chris Abraham are going to co-present a free webinar tomorrow, Thursday, May 14, on the subject of digital PR, social media marketing, and blogger relations. This event is at 1PM Eastern time and 10AM Pacific time and you need to register in advance.<BR><BR><STRONG><FONT size=3></P>
<DIV style="CLEAR: right; FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 3px"><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/web2_0_social_media_business_blog_consultant_consultants_marketing.jpg"></DIV><BR>How to Do Social Media Marketing:<BR>Bloggers, Social Networks, Metrics, and More</FONT></STRONG>
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<P>Hear Sally Falkow of <A href="http://expansionplus.com/" target=_blank>Expansion Plus</A> and Chris Abraham of <A href="http://abrahamharrison.com/" target=_blank>Abraham Harrison</A> talk about the best practices in social media marketing.</P>
<P>Not only is social media marketing the hottest thing in marketing, it may well also be the most effective marketing tool available to anyone doing any form of outreach.The meteoric rise of twitter and the slower but just as large groundswell of blogging have combined to shake communications of all kinds to the core.</P>
<P>But social media marketing isn’t monolithic and it covers a lot of ground. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. But there are best practices, there are tools and tricks and techniques to achieve greater success. Sign up for this webinar to find out how to:</P>
<P>~&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;use twitter wisely and well <BR>~&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;reach out effectively to bloggers <BR>~&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;drive success with social networks <BR>~&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;combine fronts to multiply your success <BR>~&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;get your audience to help you reach out <BR>~&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;measure and understand your success (and failure) <BR>~&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Plus many more techniques to help you master social media</P>
<P><STRONG>Speakers</STRONG><BR>Sally Falkow is a veteran of the PR industry. She has since translated her experience in marketing, PR and communication to the Internet. Her main interest is in the shift in media consumption and how new technology is affecting the practice of public relations. Sally is the author of the Proactive Report and co-developer of PRESSfeed, a social media tool for PR and marketing professionals.</P>
<P>Chris Abraham, President and COO of Abraham Harrison, is a leading expert in online public relations with a focus on blogger outreach, blogger engagement, and Internet reputation management. Chris is a pioneer in online social networks and publishing, and specializes in web2.0 technologies, including content syndication, online collaboration, blogging, and consumer generated media.</P>
<P>This webinar will take place live on Thursday May 14th at 1 PM EST and 10AM PST. It will include audience participation and will be recorded and made available on demand within two days. <STRONG><A href="http://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/442680738" target=_blank><STRONG>Register now</STRONG></A></STRONG>!</P>

<DIV style="CLEAR: left; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 3px"><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/business_blog_blogging_consultants_consulting_web_2_0_derrick_sorles.jpg"></DIV><BR>Last week I was approached by <A href="http://www.consulting-business.com/about.html" target=_blank><BR>BUSINESS CONSULTING BUZZ</A> <BR>to be a guest writer on their site. <BR><BR>BCB is your one-stop resource center for everything consulting. Whether you’re just starting out, been in the business for a couple of years, are a consulting veteran, or a company looking for information on how to hire good consultants, this is the website for you.
<P>Mike and Sam (<EM>or the “Zipursky cousins” as they are often called</EM>), created this website with the goal to provide&nbsp; an arsenal of knowledge to take your consulting business or career to the next level and beyond.<BR><BR><BR><BR>Stop by and see them&nbsp; and&nbsp; <A href="http://www.consulting-business.com/web-two-explained.html" target=_blank>read my post</A>!<BR><BR>Derrick&nbsp; Sorles<BR><BR>&nbsp;<FONT size=2><STRONG>Web 2.0&nbsp; Consultants and Strategists&nbsp;<BR></STRONG>Derrick Sorles and Michael Snell - We Help&nbsp;"Pull" &nbsp;New Business To You!<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </FONT><A href="http://www.businessbloggingconsultants.com/" target=_blank><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Your Business MD's</FONT></A><FONT size=2>&nbsp;- Business Blog Consultants&nbsp;&amp; Internet Marketers<BR></FONT></P><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/business consulting buzz" rel=tag><BR><BR>business consulting buzz</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/business blogging consultants" rel=tag>business blogging consultants</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/web 2.0 consultant" rel=tag>web 2.0 consultant</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/derrick sorles" rel=tag>derrick sorles</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/blog consultant" rel=tag>blog consultant</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/web 3.0" rel=tag>web 3.0</A> <A href="http://turbotagger.brainbliss.com">Turbo Tagger</A>

<IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/buddy_press_word_press_platform_business_blogging_consultants.jpg"><BR><BR>
<P>What if there was software with the elegance and extensibility of WordPress but all the features you’ve come to expect from social networks like Facebook? <BR><BR><STRONG>Now there is: </STRONG><A href="http://buddypress.org/" target=_blank><FONT color=#21759b><STRONG>check out BuddyPress</STRONG></FONT></A><STRONG>.</STRONG></P>
<P>BuddyPress is an official sister project of WordPress. The idea behind it was to see what would happen to the web if it was as easy for anyone to create a social network as it is to create a blog today. There’s been an explosion of social activity on the web, it’s probably the most important trend of the past few years, but there’s been a dearth of Open Source tools that enable the social web.</P>
<P>In WordPress we have a robust and extensible base that can scale to many millions of users, and BuddyPress is essentially a set of plugins on top of WordPress that add private messaging, profiles, friends, groups, activity streams, and everything else you’ve come to expect from your favorite social network, like a Facebook-in-a-box.<BR><BR>This is just a 1.0 release and it’s not for everybody yet, for example it currently requires using MU which is a bit trickier to get set up than regular WordPress, which is tricky in itself!&nbsp; <BR><BR><BR><STRONG>Yeah, call me&nbsp; when&nbsp; 3.0&nbsp; is ready!&nbsp; I need&nbsp; easy!</STRONG><BR><BR><BR></P><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/buddypress" rel=tag>buddypress</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/buddy press" rel=tag>buddy press</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/wordpress 3.0" rel=tag>wordpress 3.0</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/web 3.0 " rel=tag>web 3.0 </A><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/blogging consultant" rel=tag>blogging consultant</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/blogging tips" rel=tag>blogging tips</A> <A href="http://turbotagger.brainbliss.com">Turbo Tagger</A>

<IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/mingle_stick_minglestick.jpg"><BR><BR>Don't you hate coming home from a conference with a stack of business cards? <BR>And God forbid you lose a couple along the way....This is an idea that could really catch on! The MingleStick!&nbsp; <BR><BR>
<P><STRONG>Simplify your life and meet someone with ease. <BR></STRONG><BR>It’s Simple! Two people connect with each other by pointing their MingleSticks and pressing one simple button. A connection is made within a split second! Lose the need for business cards, pen, paper and the hassle of it all. <BR></P>
<P>Not sure what contact information is right for the occasion? The MingleStick allows you to decide later! Protect your privacy and have peace of mind knowing that your email address, phone number, mailing address will be given to the right people at the right time. MingleStick users socialize and safely connect with others without any risk. </P>
<P>Use your stick to meet anyone - friends, business associates, acquaintances and even complete strangers!</P>
<P><BR>The MingleStick is sleek and small, so take it out of your pocket to make that connection wherever you go!</P>
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<P><STRONG><FONT size=3>WHY DIDN'T&nbsp; I&nbsp; THINK&nbsp; OF&nbsp; THAT?!</FONT></STRONG><BR></P>
<P><A href="http://www.minglestick.com/" target=_blank>MingleStick</A><BR><BR></P>

<IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/ashton_kutcher_vs_cnn_on_twitter.jpg"><BR><BR><BR><STRONG>ASHTON KUTCHER now has more followers on </STRONG><A href="http://www.twitter.com" target=_blank><STRONG>TWITTER</STRONG></A><STRONG> , than CNN NEWS!<BR><BR></STRONG><A href="http://chartbeat.com/cnnvsashton/" target=_blank><STRONG>CHARTBEAT</STRONG></A><STRONG> is&nbsp; watching their numbers, live!<BR><BR>I really do not Twitter enough!&nbsp; <BR>But if you want to follow me, I am </STRONG><A href="http://twitter.com/BlogStrategist" target=_blank><STRONG>BlogStrategist</STRONG></A><STRONG>.</STRONG><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/blog consultant" rel=tag>blog consultant</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/web 2.0 consultant" rel=tag>web 2.0 consultant</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/twitter" rel=tag>twitter</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/ashton kutcher" rel=tag>ashton kutcher</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/business blogging" rel=tag>business blogging</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/gay travel" rel=tag>gay travel</A> <A href="http://turbotagger.brainbliss.com">Turbo Tagger</A>

<DIV style="CLEAR: left; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 3px"><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/darren_rowse_problogger_facebook_application_business_blogging_consultants.jpg"></DIV><BR>I was on <A href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Derrick-Sorles/900095401" target=_blank>my Facebook page</A> today giving it a much needed update and answering some mails and what not. And I stumbled across a new app&nbsp; from Darren Rowse!&nbsp;&nbsp; <STRONG>Problogger&nbsp; TV!<BR></STRONG><BR>Of course,&nbsp; unless you have been living under a rock the last 4 years, you know Darren Rowse is the author of <A href="http://www.problogger.net" target=_blank>Problogger.net,</A> a website devoted to helping bloggers improve their presence online.&nbsp; <BR><BR><A href="http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=28397479019&amp;ref=mf" target=_blank>You can Add this app </A>&nbsp;on Facebook, to get the latest articles and videoblogs from Darren. <BR><BR>Pretty cool!<BR><BR><BR>

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<P><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/42494-38842/best_job_in_world_australia_derrick_sorles.jpg"><BR><BR><FONT size=3>Imagine...</FONT><A href="http://www.islandreefjob.com/" target=_blank><FONT size=3>living and working in Australia </FONT></A><FONT size=3>for 6 months, <BR><BR>exploring the </FONT><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef" target=_blank><FONT size=3>Great Barrier Reef.</FONT></A><FONT size=3> <BR><BR>And your job is to write, blog, photograph and tell the world about it! <BR>That is what I hope to be doing this coming July!<BR><BR>Please&nbsp; take&nbsp; 90&nbsp; seconds and view my video and cast me a vote!&nbsp; <BR>This would be a dream job for us! Blogging from Australia!</FONT><BR><BR><A href="http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/applicants/watch/D5k5W6LwZ54" target=_blank><FONT size=4><STRONG>VOTE FOR DERRICK SORLES!</STRONG></FONT></A><BR><FONT size=3><BR>Many thanks!<BR><BR>Derrick&nbsp; and Michael<BR></FONT><BR><BR><BR></P></BLOCKQUOTE><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/best job world" rel=tag>best job world</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/great barrier reef" rel=tag>great barrier reef</A><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/australia" rel=tag>australia</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/queensland tourism" rel=tag>queensland tourism</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/derrick sorles" rel=tag>derrick sorles</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/web 2.0 expert" rel=tag>web 2.0 expert</A> <A href="http://turbotagger.brainbliss.com">Turbo Tagger</A>

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<DIV style="CLEAR: left; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 3px"><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/google_beta__com___info_domains.jpg"></DIV><BR>GoDaddy&nbsp; (&nbsp;<A href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-2172432-10419685" target=_top>Find, Buy &amp; Sell Domain Names</A> <IMG height=1 src="http://www.lduhtrp.net/image-2172432-10419685" width=1 border=0> ) has been selling .info sites for $0.99 each for some time now.&nbsp; And people started snatching them up! Because they could get exactly the keywords they wanted, that were already taken by .com domains. But now &nbsp;it seems, Google has been flooded with useless, spammy websites as a result.
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<P>There has been a lot of rumors in the last week or so (and some&nbsp; valid data) saying that Google has recently dropped MANY .info&nbsp; sites from their rankings -- sending them from high rankings to&nbsp; totally off the charts. <BR><BR>Not long ago Google's Matt Cutts said that Google does not differentiate between .com and .info domain names when it comes to ranking, but maybe that is no longer the case.<BR><BR><A href="http://businessbloggingtips.com/2008/09/07/are-there-any-good-domains-left-the-importance-of-keyword-search-and-findability.aspx" target=_blank>My personal advice on domains</A>, and I may be wrong, &nbsp;has always been&nbsp;to<STRONG> not </STRONG>register any&nbsp; of the .info , .biz,&nbsp; .tv names&nbsp; and stick with .com names. You can usually add a word or two and come up with a domain that is very close. And with&nbsp;persistent work&nbsp;and keyword penetration, YOU WILL come up for your originally desired domain. We have done it - with several domains.<BR><BR>By the way, GoDaddy&nbsp;(<A href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-2172432-10419685" target=_top>Find, Buy &amp; Sell Domain Names</A>)&nbsp; is STILL about the best place, I think, for domain purchases. You can still pick up a&nbsp; blog for a year for $35 and your domain for $2! And you get 24/7&nbsp; tech help - you can't get that with WordPress!<BR><BR><BR></P></BLOCKQUOTE><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/domain selection" rel=tag>domain selection</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/.info" rel=tag>.info</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/keyword selection" rel=tag>keyword selection</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/SEO" rel=tag>SEO</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/SEM" rel=tag>SEM</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/NSEO" rel=tag>NSEO</A> <A href="http://turbotagger.brainbliss.com">Turbo Tagger</A>

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<P><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/middle_zone_musings_derrick_sorles_blogapalooza.jpg"><BR><BR><BR><STRONG><FONT size=3>WOW -&nbsp; What a journey this year has been!</FONT></STRONG>&nbsp;<BR><BR>Actually, it's been an amazing 3 years. All of our lives we have been entrepreneurs, marketers and big internet users. About 3-4 years ago, we noticed a shift in the Internet. The explosion of Web 2.0 and Social Media. We decided it was worth exploring. We started dabbling with blogs and various Social Media groups and started having these “Ah-Ha!” moments! We discovered if we did certain things, we could get in top Google searches. If we belonged to certain groups, we could get free PR for what were doing. Our phone started ringing. People were finding our sites. Within time, we had a dozen sites and started consulting for others on how to build their web presence by using blogs and other tools that are widely available.<BR><BR><BR>&nbsp;I met <STRONG>Robert Hruzek, </STRONG>in 2007&nbsp;thru&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<A href="http://www.successful-blog.com/" target=_blank>Liz Strauss's </A>and <A href="http://www.terrystarbucker.com/" target=_blank>Terry Starbucker's </A>&nbsp;brainchild, <A href="http://www.eventbrite.com/event/213199686/SOBCon09affiliate/497504322" target=_blank>SOBCon </A>&nbsp;(which is an amazing event!) in Chicago.&nbsp; Robert's site, is &nbsp;<A href="http://middlezonemusings.com/" target=_blank>Middle Zone Musings</A>, <BR><BR><IMG style="WIDTH: 114px; HEIGHT: 117px" height=103 alt="Robert Hruzek" src="http://middlezonemusings.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/bob-avatar.jpg" width=97 align=right></A><B>Middle Zone Musings</B> is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. "I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax... "&nbsp; Well, last year he started something called&nbsp; BLOGAPALOOZA. And this years &nbsp;<STRONG><A href="http://middlezonemusings.com/blogapalooza-wilf-2008/"><FONT color=#0074da>BLOGAPALOOZA</FONT></A></STRONG>&nbsp; 09 just wrapped up!&nbsp;<BR><BR>All this month &nbsp;he&nbsp;has been &nbsp;posting collections of &nbsp;<STRONG><EM>What I Learned From 2008</EM></STRONG> ,&nbsp; from various bloggers.&nbsp; He has been cranking out the best of the best posts! Take some time and look&nbsp; at all the great posts and great writers, inparting&nbsp; great knowledge! People like <A href="http://middlezonemusings.com/wilf-2008-karen-hanrahan/" target=_blank>Best of Mother Earth Karen Hanrahan</A>,&nbsp; <A href="http://middlezonemusings.com/wilf-2008-phil-gerbyshak-slacker-manager/" target=_blank>Phil Gerbyshak</A>, <A href="http://middlezonemusings.com/wilf-2008-sheila-glazov/" target=_blank>Sheila Glazov</A>, <A href="http://middlezonemusings.com/wilf-2008-michael-snell/" target=_blank>Michael Snell</A> and <A href="http://middlezonemusings.com/wilf-2008-terry-starbucker/" target=_blank>Terry Starbucker</A>. <BR><BR>We have learned SO MUCH in the last 3 years, Michael&nbsp; and I have invested over 10,000 hours, learning the best of the best of practices, SEO, SEM Content Attraction, importance of keyword and domain selection,&nbsp; ....we made all the early mistakes...so YOU DON'T&nbsp; HAVE&nbsp; TO! And we try to pass on those tips here at our Business Blogging Tips.<BR><BR>My&nbsp; <FONT size= 0><A href="http://middlezonemusings.com/wilf-2008-derrick-sorles/" target=_blank><EM>WHAT I LEARNED FROM 2008 </EM></A>&nbsp;</FONT>were a selection of posts that I thought shed light&nbsp;for newer bloggers.&nbsp; Some of what we discovered over the year...things that helped us.&nbsp;<BR><BR>&nbsp; Robert runs 12 tips....if I had to pick only 3, they would be...<BR><BR>#1 mistake people make...<STRONG>June</STRONG> discussed the number one mistake people make - choosing a bad domain: <BR><A href="http://businessbloggingtips.com/2008/06/25/domain-selection-and-keywords-are-crucial-to-findability.aspx"><FONT color=#0074da>Domain Advice - Selection and Keywords are Crucial to Findability</FONT></A><BR><BR><BR>Start your blog on the right foot!&nbsp; In <STRONG>January</STRONG> we talked about optimizing your blog and blog posts for maximum search engine lift: <A href="http://businessbloggingtips.com/2008/01/23/optimize-your-blog--for-readers-and-search-engines-derrick-sorles-and-michael-snell-business-blog-consultants.aspx"><FONT color=#0074da>OPTIMIZE YOUR BLOG - For Readers and Search Engines</FONT></A><BR><BR><STRONG>November</STRONG> named 50 top Social Media worth exploring: <A href="http://businessbloggingtips.com/2008/11/07/50-social-media-sites-that-every-business-needs-a-presence-on.aspx"><FONT color=#0074da>FINDABILITY - 50 Social Media Sites That Every Business Needs to Know</FONT></A><BR><BR><BR><STRONG><FONT size=3>Congratualtions Robert on a GREAT&nbsp; event!<BR></FONT></STRONG><BR><BR></P></BLOCKQUOTE><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/blogapalooza" rel=tag>blogapalooza</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/robert hruzek" rel=tag>robert hruzek</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/business blogging consultants" rel=tag>business blogging consultants</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/derrick sorles" rel=tag>derrick sorles</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/michael snell" rel=tag>michael snell</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/middle zone musings" rel=tag>middle zone musings</A> <A href="http://turbotagger.brainbliss.com">Turbo Tagger</A>

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<P><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/work_work_com.jpg"><BR>I just discovered this site today and wanted to share it. <BR><BR><A href="http://www.work.com/" target=_blank><BR>WORK.COM</A>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -&nbsp; Are you great at what you do -- whether it's filing business taxes, choosing the best pizza oven, or customizing ecommerce shopping carts -- and want more people to know you as a guru? One of the best ways to increase your good reputation and spread the word about what you have to offer is to share your expertise -- and content-based marketing is a huge trend. Writing a Work.com how-to guide can help introduce yourself to a business audience and promote yourself as an expert. Join experts such as Anita Campbell, Scott Allen, and Aaron Wall who have already written their own guides!<BR><BR>Writing a Work.com guide may:<BR><BR>1) Enhance your reputation<BR>2) Improve your search engine rankings<BR>3) Increase the chance you'll be linked to around the web<BR>4) Increase the chance you'll be talked about in the blogosphere<BR>5) Help drive traffic to your website<BR>6) Supplement your own marketing efforts <BR><BR>It's just like an article submission site - but with a more narrow and targeted scope. <BR><BR>It's easy to create a free account and start submitting. <A href="http://www.work.com/increasing-your-online-visibility-using-workcom-1554/" target=_blank>Follow their tips!</A><BR><BR><BR></P></BLOCKQUOTE><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/work.com" rel=tag>work.com</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/article submission sites" rel=tag>article submission sites</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/get links" rel=tag>get links</A> <A href="http://turbotagger.brainbliss.com">Turbo Tagger</A>

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<DIV style="CLEAR: left; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 3px"><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/blog_vs_website_business_blog_web_2_0_consultants.jpg"></DIV>It really amazes me that in the last&nbsp;4 years, the blogosphere has really exploded. And we have been evangelists, spreading the word about this medium and on using the Internet to reach new customers and bring new eyes to you and your business.&nbsp; And yet every week, I run into people who still don't get it. We have numerous articles on our main site, <A href="http://www.businessbloggingconsultants.com/" target=_blank>Business Blogging Consultants</A>, that explore all of the aspects and advantages of blogs, Web 2.0 and Social Media. <BR><BR>If you have only a website&nbsp;today, that's like having a billboard out in a cornfield on a dirt road. Wouldn't you rather have your billboard on a busy freeway&nbsp;where thousands and thousands of people can see it???<BR><BR><BR>Some people get it - some people don't. Since we have&nbsp; LIVED&nbsp;&nbsp; THIS&nbsp; for&nbsp; the&nbsp; the last&nbsp; 3&nbsp; years, we understand it,&nbsp;&nbsp; inside&nbsp; and&nbsp;&nbsp; out!&nbsp; We have invested over 10,000 hours between us, "blogging"!&nbsp;&nbsp;I&nbsp; grew up living at the library! (remember those?!)&nbsp; <BR>But delivery of information changed the world when Google joined the game 10 years ago with a mission to digitize the world! You have a question? Google it! You will find your answer in seconds!<BR>&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;<BR>BLOG&nbsp; is an ugly word for many people - and it is misunderstood and underutilized!&nbsp; They started out as boring junky journals. A place for people to vent, share their thoughts, whatever. They have now become robust online magazines!&nbsp; <A href="http://technorati.com/pop/blogs/?page=2" target=_blank>The top bloggers in the world &nbsp;</A>figured out the more they post, the faster their audience grew.&nbsp;<BR><BR><BR><STRONG><EM>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What is a Blog? The Lines Continue To Blur...<BR></EM></STRONG><BR>Wikipedia defines blogs as:
<P><EM><STRONG>A Blog </STRONG>(a contraction of the term "Web log") <STRONG>is a Web site</STRONG>, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. <BR><BR>The Blogosphere is the collective community of all blogs. Since all blogs are on the Internet by definition, they may be seen as interconnected and socially networked. Discussions "in the Blogosphere" have been used by the media as a gauge of public opinion on various issues. <BR></EM><BR>But as the Blogosphere grows in size and influence, the lines between what is a blog and what is a mainstream media site become less clear. Larger blogs are taking on more characteristics of mainstream sites and mainstream sites are incorporating styles and formats from the Blogosphere. In fact, 95% of the top 100 US newspapers have reporter blogs.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Blogs are the NEW website. So you can have an old-school website, out in the&nbsp; cornfield...or a new-school website on a super highway. Or have both, and just link them together.&nbsp;&nbsp;</P>
<DIV style="CLEAR: right; FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 3px"><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/blog_vs_a_website_business_blog_blogging_consulting.jpg"></DIV><BR>We live in an information society!&nbsp; And people want their &nbsp;news, media, entertainment&nbsp; NOW - not on tonight's TV news and not in tomorrows newspaper.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Ask any business - what do they want to accomplish? Reach new clients and/or potential customers! Well guess what? A website probably&nbsp; won't&nbsp; do that. A website is simply a glorified business card or brochure online. It's a one-way "push" source of information.&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;<BR><A href="http://www.alexa.com/" target=_blank>ALEXA </A>&nbsp;a respected authority in the WEB industry, the <A href="http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_sites?cc=US&amp;ts_mode=country&amp;lang=none" target=_blank>top 100 "websites"</A> are not websites at all. (for the most part)<BR>they &nbsp;are what we call&nbsp; WEB&nbsp; 2.0&nbsp; sites. Interactive sites. Streaming news sites. Most of them are updated hourly, daily or weekly. And/or they allow interaction with the public. People seek current, useful information and the public can now participate in the sharing.&nbsp; (the #1&nbsp; website in the world? <A href="http://www.google.com/" target=_blank>GOOGLE!)</A>&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Google (and most search engines)&nbsp; know how to separate the good from the bad. There is a lot of garbage out there. There are "spammers" who try to weasel in and "work" the system. However, 9 times out of 10, Google will deliver you the best of the best information about what you are looking for. <BR>&nbsp;<BR>Most people do not realize what has happened in the last few years.YELLOW PAGES&nbsp; are dead. They are doorstops!&nbsp; Google changed search. And Blogs&nbsp; and&nbsp; "new" information have taken over. And business owners can use this to their&nbsp; advantage.&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;<BR>This is the power&nbsp; of blogs.&nbsp; Providing information. Google&nbsp; loves&nbsp; freshness and they love information, that is why most websites don't get indexed well. They are not fresh. They don't provide useful information - they SELL. Also, most search robots cannot read a website fully, because of the crazy code used and complicated&nbsp; bells and whistles people add to the site to make it&nbsp; fancy, to make it&nbsp; "pretty".&nbsp; Search robots will shut down, and walk away.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;<BR>You have to PUSH people to websites.&nbsp; 60-90% (usually)&nbsp; of all website traffic, is usually&nbsp; direct hits. Pushed&nbsp; traffic. People who already know the name of your company or have the web address.&nbsp; The information these websites provide usually does not attract the search robots.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>You can PULL&nbsp; people&nbsp; to a blog. It can attract&nbsp;&nbsp; readers organically. 60-90%&nbsp; (usually) of all blog traffic, usually comes in organically. They&nbsp; find&nbsp; YOU.&nbsp; That's the difference. That's the beauty of blogs. It's because they are written in a simpler code, it's because&nbsp; Google and robots can read them faster and easier, it's because&nbsp; search algorithms have gotten smarter! However, you have to understand how they work, the strategy behind a good publisher's efforts, and what the search engines are looking for to win in the game of organic keyword search! And you have to provide information people are searching for.&nbsp;<BR><BR><BR>
<DIV style="CLEAR: left; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 3px"><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/business_week_the_power_of_blogs_and_blogging_for_your_business.jpg"></DIV>&nbsp;<BR>Google looks&nbsp; for&nbsp; freshness. The more you post, the more lift you get.&nbsp; Most websites do not update very often. <BR>&nbsp;<BR>Google&nbsp; <STRONG>WEB&nbsp; 2.0&nbsp;&nbsp; CONSULTANTS</STRONG> - we're&nbsp; on page one, out of 8,000,000&nbsp; links!<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Google&nbsp; <STRONG>GAY&nbsp; TRAVEL</STRONG>, we're&nbsp; on page&nbsp; one, out&nbsp; of&nbsp; 5,000,000&nbsp; links!<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Google&nbsp; <STRONG>MINIATURE&nbsp; YORKIE</STRONG> - we're on page one, out of 1,000,000 sites!<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Google&nbsp;&nbsp; <STRONG>BUSINESS&nbsp; BLOGGING</STRONG>, we are usually on page one&nbsp; or&nbsp; two, out of 10,000,000 sites.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Google&nbsp; <STRONG>SKULL ART</STRONG>,&nbsp;&nbsp; under images&nbsp; - we <A href="http://www.bestskullart.com/" target=_blank>represent an artist,</A> who wanted a website - and we talked him into a blog.&nbsp;&nbsp; He is&nbsp; ALWAYS&nbsp;&nbsp; on page one!&nbsp; In the last 6 months, he has sold&nbsp; 8,&nbsp; $3000&nbsp; pieces of art&nbsp; AND&nbsp; been picked up by 3 galleries, all because&nbsp; they found him and his&nbsp; "blog".&nbsp; -&nbsp; which is really just&nbsp; a website that he updates about every&nbsp; 12 weeks!<BR>&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Google&nbsp; <STRONG>GAY&nbsp; ANAHEIM</STRONG>&nbsp;&nbsp; - we have an article usually on page one or two.&nbsp; The city of Anaheim and the Orange County Tourism board discovered we&nbsp; were always on page one&nbsp; for&nbsp; GAY&nbsp; TRAVEL. They wanted to be there too -&nbsp; and expose their amazing city to gay travelers. They flew us out there, and wined us and dined us, all expenses paid, to get us to cover them. Because the saw the&nbsp; power of our site.&nbsp;Last month alone, we got phone calls from MTV,&nbsp; LOGO&nbsp;&nbsp;TV, and press releases from 10 different companies, all asking us to help them promote something or they wanted to buy an ad on our site! They came&nbsp;to us.&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;<BR>We&nbsp; have a wonderful&nbsp; client here in <A href="http://www.facereflectionsblog.com/" target=_blank>Chicago who does electrolysis</A> - permanent hair removal. She had a website and just was not happy. She heard us speak and she hired us to help her build her blog site. In 6 months - she has gotten more new clients, that have found her with the new site! And get this, she originally had about 2 dozen "keywords" that she thought people would find her by. We ran her analytics reports...over 5000&nbsp; people found her using 2000 different keyword combinations! An old-school website can not deliver that. Period!&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Any business-any industry-can benefit. Anyone can set up a blog! It's cheap. We can&nbsp; help get you there quicker, by shortening the learning curve. That's why people come to us. They don't want to spend 6 months figuring it out and make the top 10 mistakes most people make.&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;<BR>We have countless examples.&nbsp; IT WORKS!&nbsp; It may come in round about ways, but people will come and find you! People are still set in the old mindset though, <EM>I need a&nbsp; website... </EM>but guess what? blogs are websites. They are the NEW&nbsp; WEBSITES!&nbsp; You just have to understand them and how they work, to maximize your information that you can share with the world!<BR><BR>&nbsp;<BR><BR>&nbsp;<FONT size=2><STRONG>Web 2.0&nbsp; Consultants and Strategists&nbsp;<BR></STRONG>Derrick Sorles and Michael Snell - We Help&nbsp;"Pull" &nbsp;New Business To You!<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </FONT><A href="http://www.businessbloggingconsultants.com/" target=_blank><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Your Business MD's</FONT></A><FONT size=2>&nbsp;- Business Blog Consultants&nbsp;&amp; Internet Marketers<BR><BR><BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/website vs blog" rel=tag>website vs blog</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/business blog" rel=tag>business blog</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/business blogging" rel=tag>business blogging</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/web 2.0 consultant" rel=tag>web 2.0 consultant</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/power of blogs" rel=tag>power of blogs</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/social media" rel=tag>social media</A> <A href="http://turbotagger.brainbliss.com">Turbo Tagger</A>

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<P>China now has more than <STRONG>50 million bloggers </STRONG>as increasing numbers of people seek an outlet for their views, state press reported.</P>
<P>The number, reached by the end of November, compared to a blogging population of about 47 million a year earlier, according to Xinhua news agency, quoting figures from the Internet Society of China.</P>
<P>The group said there were <STRONG>100 million blogs</STRONG>, or personal online journals, in China, meaning many people are keeping more than one.</P>
<P>"More and more Chinese want to express their own views about local and international events through the Internet," Gao Lulin, the group's deputy head, was quoted as saying.</P>
<P><A href="http://www.isc.org.cn/English/" target=_blank>The Internet Society of China</A> represents firms in the industry such as service providers and network access carriers, as well as research institutes.</P>
<P>China has the world's largest population of Internet users at 290 million, according to government figures announced last month.</P>
<P>The growth in blogs has become an apparent source of concern for the ruling Communist Party, which strictly controls the media and Internet.</P>
<P>News on social unrest, dissidents, official corruption and abuses, and anything else that might embarrass or harm the government, is typically censored or suppressed.</P>
<P>But blogs and other Internet forums have often filled in the information gap, publicising events considered off-limits by the official media.</P>
<P>In response the government has in recent years imposed new requirements on bloggers, such as requiring users to register with their real names.<BR><BR><BR></P></BLOCKQUOTE><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/blogging in china" rel=tag>blogging in china</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/china blogs" rel=tag>china blogs</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/chinese blogs" rel=tag>chinese blogs</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/chinese bloggers" rel=tag>chinese bloggers</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/china internet" rel=tag>china internet</A> <A href="http://turbotagger.brainbliss.com">Turbo Tagger</A>

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<DIV style="CLEAR: left; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 3px"><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/outside_in_tracking_geo_local.jpg"></DIV><BR>I just discovered this site the other day.&nbsp; <BR><BR><STRONG><A href="http://outside.in/" target=_blank><STRONG>OUTSIDE.in <BR><BR></STRONG></A></STRONG>
<P>&nbsp;</P><FONT size=2>outside.in is a <STRONG>hyperlocal news </STRONG>and information service.&nbsp;They help you find places around you, get news for the places and neighborhoods you really care about, and engage more with your neighbors. They also offer bloggers and online publishers GeoToolkit, a great resource with tools, maps, widgets, and stats - especially if your blog and its information &nbsp;is centered around a particular city. </FONT>
<H2></H2><FONT size=2>What does hyperlocal mean? </FONT>
<H2></H2><FONT size=2>Hyperlocal means news and information on a level beyond what traditional media provides. Until now, most "local" sites didn’t actually get more, well, local than cities or towns. They assumed that just because you live in a specific city or town you are looking for the same news as everyone else. Hyperlocal content gives you the news and information for the area <I>right</I> around where you are, like the block around your office or the neighborhood where you live. <BR><BR>So whether you just want to be </FONT><A href="http://outside.in/faq#faq2" target=_blank><FONT size=2>"neighbor" and sign up</FONT></A><FONT size=2> to find cool places and news&nbsp;near you - or if you are a <STRONG>publisher/blogger,</STRONG> contribute and get a free "</FONT><A href="http://blog.outside.in/2009/01/07/more-storymaps-come-out/" target=_blank><FONT size=2>story map</FONT></A><FONT size=2>" and GeoToolkit - it's&nbsp; a service that can help publishers of local content categorize their content by location (geo-tagging) for wider distribution and increased traffic. "We've been using it internally for some time to better categorize our feeds and are opening up access to the GeoToolkit for others as well."<BR><BR><STRONG>-&nbsp;view stories about&nbsp;your city<BR>- </STRONG></FONT><STRONG class="more-headroom no-legroom"><FONT size=2>&nbsp;find out about specific places in&nbsp;your neighborhood<BR></FONT></STRONG><STRONG class="more-headroom no-legroom"><FONT size=2>- browse stories by subject<BR>- </FONT></STRONG><FONT size=2><STRONG class="more-headroom no-legroom">connect with your neighbors <BR></STRONG><BR><BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<STRONG><FONT size=3>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Check it out!</FONT></STRONG><BR><BR><BR><BR></FONT><FONT size=2><STRONG>Web 2.0&nbsp; Consultants and Strategists&nbsp;<BR></STRONG>Derrick Sorles and Michael Snell - We Help&nbsp;"Pull" &nbsp;New Business To You!<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </FONT><A href="http://www.businessbloggingconsultants.com/" target=_blank><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Your Business MD's</FONT></A><FONT size=2>&nbsp;- Business Blog Consultants&nbsp;&amp; Internet Marketers<BR><BR><BR><BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/outside.in" rel=tag>outside.in</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/hyper local" rel=tag>hyper local</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/hyperlocal" rel=tag>hyperlocal</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/geo tagging" rel=tag>geo tagging</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/story map" rel=tag>story map</A> <A href="http://turbotagger.brainbliss.com">Turbo Tagger</A>

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<P>For our regular readers, I am so sorry we have not posted lately. We have been so busy with all of our travel blogs and we helped 3 clients launch blogs over the last few months.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>One of my new clients, actually turned me onto this site called&nbsp; <A href="http://ping.fm/" target=_blank>PING.fm <BR><BR></A></P>Ping.fm is a simple service that makes updating your social networks a snap. They support over 30 social networks like Flickr, Bebo, Hi5, Plaxo, Plurk and more. <BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>Between&nbsp;their &nbsp;straight forward posting methods and advanced custom triggers,&nbsp;they make it easy for you to post your messages exactly where you want them to go.<BR><BR>Check it out!&nbsp; And happy new&nbsp; year to all!<BR><BR><BR><FONT size=2><STRONG>Web 2.0&nbsp; Consultants and Strategists&nbsp;<BR><BR></STRONG>Derrick Sorles and Michael Snell - We Help&nbsp;"Pull" &nbsp;New Business To You!<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </FONT><A href="http://www.businessbloggingconsultants.com/" target=_blank><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Your Business MD's</FONT></A><FONT size=2>&nbsp;- Business Blog Consultants&nbsp;&amp; Internet Marketers<BR><BR></FONT><BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/ping" rel=tag>ping</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/ping.fm" rel=tag>ping.fm</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/social media" rel=tag>social media</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/social network" rel=tag>social network</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/blog promotion" rel=tag>blog promotion</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/rss" rel=tag>rss</A> <A href="http://turbotagger.brainbliss.com">Turbo Tagger</A>

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<P><BR><IMG src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/45255-41244/social_networking_social_media_web_2_0_consultants_derrick_sorles.jpg" width=500 border=0><BR><BR><STRONG><FONT size=5><BR>FINDABILITY.</FONT></STRONG>&nbsp;&nbsp;<BR><BR>When I tell someone they need to be on <STRONG>LINKEDIN, FACEBOOK, 43 THINGS, NAYMZ and YOU TUBE</STRONG>....they look at me like I have three heads! <BR><BR><EM>"Why on Earth do I need to be on all of these sites?" </EM>they ask. <BR><BR><STRONG>TO BE FOUND.</STRONG> If you're not there, you can't be found.&nbsp; The more sites you are on, the more strands in the web 2.0 world that lead people to you, your products and/or services.&nbsp; Why plant 3 seeds when you can plant 100?<BR><BR>That's the same reason you need a blog. Someone told me other day they just spent $4,000 giving their website a full SEO&nbsp; makeover for their top 50 keywords.&nbsp; You know how many keyword&nbsp; combinations&nbsp; people used to find this blog in the last 60 days?&nbsp; <STRONG>2173 keyword combinations! </STRONG>You have no idea of clients search habits and there is&nbsp; NO WAY to predict how someone is going to find you. Don't assume. <STRONG>BE EVERYWHERE</STRONG>. <BR><BR>Today I was at <A href="http://www.insidecrm.com/" target=_blank>Inside CRM</A>, digging thru their archives and found <A href="http://www.insidecrm.com/features/50-social-sites-012808/" target=_blank><STRONG>50 Social Sites That Every Business Needs a Presence on</STRONG></A><STRONG>.&nbsp; </STRONG>Sure, the usual suspects are here...like those mentioned above. But there are some you might not be aware of.&nbsp; Like&nbsp; <A href="http://www.mixx.com/" target=_blank>MIXX</A>,&nbsp; <A href="http://sphinn.com/" target=_blank>Sphinn</A>,&nbsp; <A href="http://www.frappr.com/" target=_blank>Frappr</A>,&nbsp; <A href="http://www.ning.com/" target=_blank>NING</A>, &nbsp;<A href="http://www.xing.com/" target=_blank>XING</A>, and <A href="http://www.ziggs.com/" target=_blank>ZIGGS</A>!&nbsp; (who comes up with these names?!)<BR><BR>You MUST have an online presence, beyond your website. &nbsp;The Internet provides powerful networking opportunities that allow users to effectively target their audience by logging on to social media sites.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><FONT size=2><STRONG>Web 2.0&nbsp; Consultants and Strategists&nbsp;</STRONG><BR><BR>Derrick Sorles and Michael Snell - We Help&nbsp;"Pull" &nbsp;New Business To You!<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </FONT><A href="http://www.businessbloggingconsultants.com/" target=_blank><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Your Business MD's</FONT></A><FONT size=2>&nbsp;- Business Blog Consultants&nbsp;&amp; Internet Marketers</FONT><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></P></BLOCKQUOTE><A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/social media sites" rel=tag>social media sites</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/networking sites" rel=tag>networking sites</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/internet marketing" rel=tag>internet marketing</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/findability" rel=tag>findability</A> <A href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/web 2.0" rel=tag>web 2.0</A> <A href="http://turbotagger.brainbliss.com/">Turbo Tagger</A>