Click Sentry Blog

Usually, posting on the SEO blogs goes in spurts. As many of us have a few minutes, we post something of substance or something that is completely meaningless. Lately, it seems pretty quiet around the SEO neighborhood and I think I know why. It is time for many of the people in the search marketing world to get back to the basics. For a long time now, it has been too easy to manipulate the search engines like Google and Yahoo with artificial link schemes like those found at DigitalPoint and LinkVault, among others. Many people have stopped doing what they know they should be becuase these tools have made things too easy. I think a lot of people out there are taking inventory and cleaning up their shops a bit these days and getting back to brass tacks. What the hell am I doing here?

SEO, SEM, Search+Engine, Google, Yahoo, Linking

tags: google, linking, search+engine, sem, seo, yahoo

I am sure I am not the only one who thinks this, but I believe they have made the decision to get proactive when it comes to link distribution networks like the ones found at Digitalpoint as well as at LinkVault. These networks have made it too easy for every little kid with a webserver and a basic knowledge of PHP to generate hundreds and thousands of backlinks to any website. Maybe Google has decided that they cannot handle this problem from their side or maybe it is just easier to just crush it by penalizing sites with the tracking images used. In any event, I think this is a good thing. I have seen a number of sites that are completely unrelated to these link networks improve their rankings steadily over the past two weeks…and I have done nothing to help them with regards to SEO or link building. This of course is not proof of anything, but all of the pieces appear to be coming together to show that this may be the case.

Google, DP, Digitalpoint, Coop, Linking, Link+Building

tags: coop, digitalpoint, dp, google, link+building, linking

I was looking for something like this a few months ago when I was knee deep in honeymoon planning. I guess I should have emailed the Google Maps team and asked them if I could beta test their European maps system. Anyway, if you are looking for how to get from point A to point B in Italy, now you can do it with Google Maps Italy.

Google, Google+Maps, Italy, Europe

tags: europe, google, google+maps, italy

The world of SEO is a very interesting place. It was not that long ago that SEO did not have a name. But, today SEO has become an entire industry unto itself. There are a number of different fields in SEO just like there is in the car business. In the world of car sales, you have new cars salesmen, used car salesmen, car brokers, leasing companies and a myriad of other types, all looking to make a few bucks. Each is going about their deal in a different way, but ultimately, they are looking to make money at the end of the day. SEO is much the same. You have your White Hat SEOs who are out there trying to make SEO a legitimate business. Not sure why they are worrying about doing this. It seems the harder people try to make SEO pristine and clean, the more people try to game search engines like Google and Yahoo. Then you have your Black Hat types that are simply looking to circumvent as many systems as they can and profit from it. Spamming, bypassing CAPTCHAs, you name it, these guys are out to win. Thinking about jacking up someone’s bulletin board is not a concern, if the software were secure it wouldn’t be a problem. Then you have your Green Hat types. This might be the “best” group in the bunch. Mixing both White Hat and Black Hat practices to achieve their goals. This post of course is completely meaningless. I spent most of my weekend having a great time with friends and drinking everything from beers to fine wines. So, what does all of this mean? Not much coming out of my braid today makes any sense. Cheers.

Internet, SEO, SEM, Search+Engine, Google, Yahoo, MSN

tags: google, internet, msn, search+engine, sem, seo, yahoo

One of the biggest issues that state governments have had with the internet and the World Wide Web is that local consumers can purchase products from companies located in other states without paying any sales tax to the local city and state governments. This has traditionally been a big tax revenue generator for states, however the internet is likely making a big dent in what consumers are having to pay on top of a product’s sales price. This was the argument behind why many states banned the importation of wine. Now the city of Charleston may be looking to sue travel websites in an attempt to collect hotel taxes that were not paid or were underpaid.

The city of Charleston will ask other nearby communities if they want to join in suing Internet travel sites, claiming that local hotel taxes were underpaid or not paid at all.

Internet, Travel, eCommerce, Online+Business, Sales+Tax

tags: ecommerce, internet, online+business, sales+tax, travel

Seems to me that the SEO world is busier than ever these days, or maybe it is just me. I used to spend a lot of my time in the webmaster and SEO forums, chatting with other SEO types about all things webmaster and marketing. These days, I spend my time launching more and more sites to capture a bigger piece of the big money pie that is out there. I feel like most others are doing the same. I know many of my friends are super busy trying to attack the SEO world every day and time for chit chat is just not there anymore. But, I wonder, is this just me or is this where other SEO types are as well. One thing is for sure, it is all about the Green Hat.

Internet, SEO, SEM, Search+Engine, Google, Yahoo, MSN

tags: google, internet, msn, search+engine, sem, seo, yahoo

South Korea is on the leading edge of internet defamation and attacks that have driven some to suicide. This is for real. You may or may not have heard of “Dog Poop Girl,” not her real name, before. She was a South Korean woman whose dog pooped on a subway car one day and who did not clean it up. Unfortunately, for her, someone with a camera phone snapped some pictures of her, the dog and the poop caper. Now South Korea is looking into ways in which they can mitigate defamation and libel attacks that come from the internet.

Dog poop girl is infamous in South Korea. The young woman was riding on the subway with her small dog. The dog defecated and she did not clean up after her pet. Someone caught the incident in pictures shot with a mobile phone. The photos were posted on the Internet with a brief description of what took place and shortly thereafter “dog poop girl” became the most-searched phrase among South Korean Internet users. The country is debating what needs to be done to protect privacy and free speech on the Internet while punishing people who commit libel and defamation in cyberspace. South Koreans were shocked by the incident but they were also stunned by the Internet witch hunt that soon followed. South Korea is the most wired country in the world and Internet witch hunts have been conducted with such ferocity that people have committed suicide, left the country in shame and taken new identities after being the subject of a cyber attack. The campaigns play on one of the most sensitive issues in Korean society — the feeling of shame. The close-knit nature of the society also means the campaigns can strike targets quickly. With most - more available

Dog+Poop+Girl, Internet, South+Korea, Libel, Slander, Defamation

tags: defamation, dog+poop+girl, internet, libel, slander, south+korea

Google is looking for some geeks on the other side of the pond. So, if you think you have what it takes, you should hit up Vint Cert when he is in town.

Vint Cerf will be visiting universities around the country in support of Google’s recruitment drive. Cerf was hired by Google in September as an Internet evangelist.

Internet, SEO, SEM, Search+Engine, Google

tags: google, internet, search+engine, sem, seo

http://www.clicksentry.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/ukgoogleGoogle is looking for some geeks on the other side of the pond. So, if you think you have what it takes, you should hit up Vint Cert when he is in town.

Vint Cerf will be visiting universities around the country in support of Google’s recruitment drive. Cerf was hired by Google in September as an Internet evangelist.

Internet, SEO, SEM, Search+Engine, Google

tags: google, internet, search+engine, sem, seo

I guess Google didn’t like the taste left in their mouthes after the US government requested search data from them recently. Google has announced that they will be moving their search records from the Chinese Google site (Google.cn) to prevent China’s government from accessing the data without Google’s consent. Google is working to abide by China’s laws and operate inside the Chinese borders. Clearly they understand that means that whatever China says, goes.

In an effort to protect users of its Google.cn Web site, Google is moving search records out of China and into the United States, a company executive said this week. Google.cn is a version of the company’s search engine that is hosted in China and adheres to Chinese censorship laws. It was launched in January. The Mountain View, California, company has decided to store search records from the site outside that country, however, in order to prevent China’s government from accessing the data without Google’s consent, said Peter Norvig, Google’s director of research, speaking at a panel discussion at Santa Clara University earlier this week. “We didn’t want to be in the position of having to hand over these kinds of records to the government,” he said.

Google, China, Google.cn, Censorship, Privacy, Search+Engine

tags: censorship, china, google, google.cn, privacy, search+engine