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Google has released a new toolbar, Version 4 at http://www.google.com/tools/toolbar/T4/.
Matt Cutts, Google Engineer, blogs on it also with his ideas and suggestions. So far it looks really good to me and Ill blog more on it after Ive given it a test run.
I recently had a law firm client whose law firm changed names. This presented a problem with the domain name because it had to change to reflect the new firms name. This can be a problem in the search engines if the original name has been in the index for the past few years.
If you just change names and stop using the old one, either the old name will continue to come up or if you just delete the name and stop using it, then it will eventually just disappear and you will lose all your search engine rankings.
THE SOLUTION IS USING A 301 REDIRECT
The solution I used for this law firm was to use a 301 redirect which involves editing the .htaccess file so that it redirected anyone who found the old domain to the new domain name. Its important to make the right updates to this file so that even if the user finds a subpage of your old site, they will be redirected to that same page on the new domain name.
This has worked out well and after a couple of weeks, the new name is now in the Google index and the old name is gone. It takes a little longer at Yahoo and MSN but at least the users are being redirected to the correct domain name.
Usually when you first launch a legal web site, your going to do a more aggressive Pay per click campaign at Overture and Google adwords because it takes some time to get good organic or free listings, especially at Google. Over time you can draw back on your PPC campaigns once your organic listings come in, but its usually best if you can have both going.
This way you get the most exposure on the search engine page. When you have your firm listed in the organic listings on the left side and then also the sponsored listings on the right side, it gives you a better chance of someone clicking on your site and finding your firm.
An example of a law firm that has dual exposure at Google is The Law Offices of Don Thompson. If you type in the search of Chicago Probate at Google, his site comes up #1 in the organic listings on the left side, then the same site comes up on the right side under "sponsored listings".
Sometimes it might not make as much as sense to bid on keywords that are very expensive, especially if your already coming up in the free organic listings but if the pay per click keyword is less then 50 cents per click, then I would suggest it.
Getting listed in the PPC engines is easy, the real trick is getting your law firms site in the top 10 in the organic listings. We have helped many lawyers achieve this and as a result they have gotten new business and many new clients. Contact us if we can help your law firm succeed on the Internet.
Google is resisting a motion from the Justice Department that is requesting "all URLs that are available to be located through a query on the company's Web site," plus "all queries that have been entered on the company's Web site between June 1, 2005, and July 31, 2005."
CNN Reports that Google Inc. said it intends to "vigorously" resist the Bush administration's request that a court order the popular Web site to turn over a broad range of materials.
"Google is not a party to this lawsuit and their demand for information overreaches," said Nicole Wong, associate general counsel for Google Inc. in a written statement to CNN. "We had lengthy discussions with them to try to resolve this, but were not able to and we intend to resist their motion vigorously."
The lawsuit indicates that the government is narrowing its original subpoena from July 31, 2005, requesting Google to produce an electronic file containing "all URLs that are available to be located through a query on the company's Web site," plus "all queries that have been entered on the company's Web site between June 1, 2005, and July 31, 2005."
The Justice Department is now asking for "a multi-stage random sampling of one million URLs" and "the text of each search string entered onto Google's search engine over a one-week period."
Google took a bit of a tumble Friday falling about 8.5% to under $400.
Google stock posted its largest single-day loss ever Friday as investors showed concern about prospects for the Internet advertising market and the company's role in a Justice Department lawsuit about Internet searches.
Source : CNN Money
I blogged recently about the great marketing idea of the Million Dollar Homepage and today I read how the sites owner was blackmailed and his site was hijacked and down for a week.
Alex Tew, 21, hit the headlines at the start of the year when he revealed his Million Dollar Homepage had made him a million dollars in four months.
But the publicity brought the unwanted attention of extortionists who knocked the site over with a massive denial-of-service attack.
Following a week of downtime, the website is now back online.
Source : BBC News
Post from Search Engine Watch blog about more mentions of Google on SNL.
Last night was the first new Saturday Night Live program since the Yahoo, MapQuest, and Google mention in the now famous "Lazy Sunday" video. Last night's show included two Google mentions along with one about the European multimedia engine (in development), Quaero.
After the opening monologue from guest host Scarlett Johansson, the show featured a skit about a new MTV Channel (MTV 4, "The Alternatives Alternative") that airs a song about "Googling." Cast member, Amy Poehler, portrays a singer (Kaylesha Kane) who sings a song about "'Googling' her man."
From the transcript:
I told my boyfriend to hold to the phone, I had to Google something while I was alone. I Google his name and did a Google search and what I found made my stomach hurt Google found a picture of my boyfriend and you I recognized him from his Bart Simpson tattoo. Why did i goo goo Google him goo goo Google goo goo Google I'm through through through with him. Don't Google your man.
Google is reporting that they will be re-opening signups for the Google Analytics program. I'm hoping to get my invitation soon!
We've added enough capacity that we are re-opening signups on an invitation basis. Many of our users who previously submitted their email address to us will be receiving an invite shortly.
We will continue to send out additional invites as we add more capacity. If you haven't submitted your email address to us, please do so on our signup form.
The search engine watch blog has a post about a click fraud lawsuit filed against Google by Steve Mizera in the Northern District of California in San Jose.
British student Alex Tew sells each of the million pixels for $1 each on his Milliondollarhomepage.com. The result? Almost $1 million in the 21-year-old's pocket.
Actually it now says that he has sold 999,000 pixels and only has a 1000 left, which he is now selling on Ebay, wow!
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