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Google Penguin And Panda Updates


A Look At Google's Penguin Update and How it Effects Search Engine Rankings
This article will touch on Google's recent update which was codenamed penguin. Penguin changed the search engine optimization game. We will take a look at some features and the cause and effects of why Google decided to update their algorithms.

Background on Why Google Changes Their Search Algorithm

Google announced a couple months back that it was going to update its search engine algorithm. Now this is nothing new as Google has been known to update its search algorithm whenever they please. The purpose of this is to make sure that the listing never get stale. Google knows that people employ inappropriate methods to get top search engine page ranks. So to prevent this they will occasionally update their search algorithm and go through all of their indexed sites and do a check for certain criteria they deem inappropriate or spam.

The Deletion of Websites Who Broke the Rules

Not only is the search algorithm updated, but Google also goes through each site that is indexed in their server. The purpose of this is to run a check with their internet agents to make sure the listings are not their using methods that Google does not approve. Now this is good news for us who do use white hat methods or legal methods to get search engine rankings. If you employ proper Search engine optimization techniques then you have nothing to worry about.

Control Your Link Juice

Another feature Google added was the ability to control what links point to your site. What this means is that Google now has a tool in their Webmasters app which allows you to delete links that are pointing to your site. Each link that points to your site from an external site gives your web pages search engine optimization links what we call in SEO; Link Juice. Link juice is basically how much authority that link has in the search engines from the external site. So if the site is real popular then you will receive higher link juice. Now if you have some links on pages that are considered spam or inappropriate then this will decrease your link juice. We do not want that. So now Google allows you to go through and block all bad links that point to your website. SEO professionals have been asking for this for years. Because we know if you play by the rules then good things will happen. Sometimes our links end up on pages without our consent. This is another reason it is good to be able to control what links point to your site.

Website Bans/Smacks

Two things will and can happen if you are using bad search engine practices. The first is Google will ban you site. This means that they will take it completely off of their servers and make sure their bots never index it again. it is a sort of black list if you will. Once the site is on this black list it can not be indexed anymore by Google's bots. You have really dig yourself out of a hole here.

The second is Google will punish your site. What I mean by this is that Google will re-index your site and decrease your rankings and link juice. The only way to increase rankings is to stop using inappropriate methods and make sure you fine tune and control your links. This is the reason Google added the Link builder tool in the Webmasters interface.

Future Updates?

As stated before Google is constantly changing their policy as well as their algorithms. This is a good thing for people who play by the rules. We welcome updates as we know it will only help us reach top rankings. If you are employing inappropriate search engine optimization methods then you should really reconsider. These type of methods are only good for the short term. This is why at iLocal Business we do things by the book. We want to make sure our listings stay in the top ranked spots and never get smacked or banned by Google.

It is always good to stay on top of Google and their updates. If you are using Search engine optimization tactics then you want to make sure you have a firm understanding of how each search engine works. Having a good grasp on the rules and regulations can go a long way. Each search engines uses different criteria in order to rank your sites. While they share some common methods, you want to make sure you are only using methods allowed by each search engine. By doing this across the board withe each engine, you are playing is safe.

Reducing Costs Through Managed Network Services


Cost reduction is always a major area of concern for small to medium-sized businesses. The growing uncertainty in the economy is forcing business owners to be even more creative to sustain growth and maintain profit margins.
One area of focus is the IT department or use of technology as part of daily business operations. Networks, servers, PCs, laptops, software and related equipment must all be maintained and enhanced to not only ensure business continuity but also enable customer interaction to occur at the highest level.
However, most small to mid-sized firms lack the resources to fully staff an IT department. Often they wait for an emergency to occur before addressing a technology need or incur large project fees for equipment changes and upgrades. They may also be unaware of newer cost-saving programs and hardware, and/or lack the knowledge base of how to implement them.
To deal with these issues many professional technology firms now offer an affordable alternative for smaller businesses. It is a program called Managed Network Services. This service is provided on an outsourced basis. It provides a smaller company with top-of-the-line professional IT services without the costs of employment and related benefits.
For a relatively small monthly fee a business owner is able to receive full professional support including strategic IT planning, 24 x 7 network/server monitoring, help desk, automatic upgrades, backup, consulting, problem solving, and on-site repair as necessary. The infrastructure is constantly monitored to remedy potential problems before they occur.
The firm's engineers can create a plan that addresses a business' technology needs for both now and in the future. They can make recommendations for implementing new software and/or hardware which can help streamline business operations. They can discuss integration of wireless networks and voice, data and video integration on the same shared infrastructure. The team can address mobile devices and how to deal with security issues across multiple wireless platforms.
Cloud services are generating much publicity and businesses are studying their impact. The technology team can determine if adding some of these services is advisable with a company's current IT infrastructure. Utilizing virtualization may not be an alternative for most businesses and many would still need the expertise of professional engineers to ensure their implementation and optimal performance.
Contracting with an IT firm helps companies cope with the desire to purchase the "latest and greatest" hardware or software. It puts a strategic plan in place and eliminates the urge to buy certain programs and waste funds on unnecessary expenditures.
As the need to maintain and increase profit levels becomes more challenging, implementing a Managed Network Services program provides a sound alternative to beefing up staff and fixed expenses. It enables business owners to utilize highly skilled technology professionals in a way that is efficient and extremely cost-effective.

Interact With A Computer By Speaking


Consider daily tasks on your computer. Most people surf the web and send a few emails within a day. While these tasks are rather simple and easy for most, they can be improved and made even faster. Technology only keeps improving and evolving, and now there are newer ways to interact with computers and involves the use of your voice.
When did you first learn to type? For many, it has only been a decade or so since they learned to type. However, for most, they learned how to speak at an early age because it's the most fundamental way to communicate. Speaking is just natural and it's fast. Take a naturally fast ability like speaking and combine it with a computer and you get voice recognition technology.
You may have heard of voice recognition software but not known what it can do. Well, Dragon NaturallySpeaking Pro capitalizes on the human ability to communicate through speech. Using this software in conjunction with your computer allows you to interact in a way like never before. You can now use your voice to command the computer to do exactly what you want. Whatever is on your mind, just say it and it will be done. Dragon NaturallySpeaking uses a microphone from several possible devices to capture speech and then interprets it through the software and commands the computer.
Take an everyday task like writing an email and add voice recognition software to the process. Instead of clicking on your email application, then on a new message and adding the contact information, subject and body content all with your mouse and keyboard, you can do it with your voice. Tell the computer to open your mail, to create a new message and to the contact of your choice, and then start saying what you want to put as the text. It's that simple and it's that natural.
Take this example of email and consider using voice recognition with nearly any task you conduct on the computer. So, you can now interact with documents, spreadsheets, pictures, the internet and other areas of the computer all with your voice and it's easy. Dragon NaturallySpeaking Pro has built in commands and prompts you can use to easily guide your computer. If you think it's possible, just say it and Dragon NaturallySpeaking will react to your speech. Computer users are enjoying the fluidity of the software and the productivity they are now receiving because they are completing tasks at a higher rate of speed.