Seo search engine optimization basics part ii

In the second and final part of this article I will cover the remaining 5 areas that relate to solid Search Engine Ranks for particular number of key phrases. Again, this will apply to any type of website, on any industry you are targeting.

Lets review the last 5 areas:

Provide a road map of your web site, and search engines will follow it.

Called the "sitemap", this very simple page contains links to every page on a web site and serves one very important purpose. That is to get your sub pages crawled, and into a search engine's index.

Search Engines look for the robots. txt file, so make sure you have it.

As its name implies, this is a text file that tells robots what to and what not to index. Its content consists of so-called records. Only mention files and directories that you don't want to be indexed. All other files will be indexed normally if they are linked on your site. Having a proper robots. txt file gives your pages the rankings they deserve. If search engines know what to do with them, then they can give them good ranking.

Submit your site to related categories in niche directories.

Internet directories have become very important because they represent an easy path for inbound links creation. Now, when you submit your site to related categories in your industry you get that extra link factor, quality. Links from these categories can have a very positive effect on the search engine rankings of your web site.

Writing articles about your site, a great way to get new content.

This will help you get good positioning on search engines and quality incoming links as well. Always keep your articles as informative as possible. Other web sites will link back to your articles if you do. Write about the topics that your visitors are interested in, and don’t forget to send them to syndicate sites. They will in turn offer them to others. Just make sure that you always have a link back to your web site so that all sites who publish your article will automatically link to you.

Become an authority in your field. Visit relevant forums and blogs.

Only join forum and blogs that are relevant to your industry. Use your expertise as a site owner in your industry to give information and advice. Of course, put your URL into the signature of your posts. Being the authority is simply knowing your industry, and giving people the information they need to trust you and your site.

What you need to know about voip

First of all, unless you're a gadget lover who had the skinny on VOIP long before most people had even heard of it, it's probably a great idea for you to know what VOIP is! With all the acronyms flying around these days, sometimes it's hard to know just what a set of initials stands for. VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. VOIP often masquerades by other names as well, such as: IP Telephony, Internet telephony, and digital phone.

Now that you know what VOIP stands for, I'm sure you want to know what it is exactly. VOIP is the latest, hottest trend in telephone service. VOIP makes it possible to have voice conversations over the Internet through the use of Internet phones.

Now this ability to have conversations via your computer has many advantages. One is that it makes it easy for business people to stay connected and in touch. VOIP technology also has the advantage of giving people from around the globe an opportunity to talk directly for generally much less than long distance charges would be. The savings on telephone charges alone make VOIP highly attractive to many people.

While these are great advantages, there is a downside. Because of its newness, VOIP technology is not quite as good overall as ordinary telephone service. Many people who use Internet telephony complain about the reception they get. This technology is rapidly improving, though, and some VOIP providers already have pretty darn good equipment out there.

Too, unless your digital telephone is directly connected to a landline phone company, you will be at the mercy of power outages. There's also a problem with Internet providers going down and leaving you stranded without telephone service. So many experts recommend that you keep a landline or cell phone along with your Internet phone. This, of course, pushes up costs which makes VOIP telephones less desirable to many folks.

Another downside to VOIP technology that's very important to know about is that it is susceptible to identity theft. Because many VOIP service providers do not have secure lines—yet—your calls can be listened to by people you aren't aware are listening in.

It's a little like the old days when the telephone was first invented and mass produced.

People called through what were call “party” lines that meant anyone could listen—and they did. We humans just can't resist eavesdropping. Today, though, this can also make it easy for those unscrupulous, well, thugs to rip off your personal and confidential information. So when choosing a VOIP service provider, you want to be sure you're getting the most secure line as possible.

And just like when the telephone was first invented, VOIP technology will take some time to perfect. But it is technology that's here to stay. As people get busier and are attempting to multi-task everything, being able to have a telephone conversation while you continue to work on your computer, all in one simple package, is just too good to resist. So the one thing you can count on is that in a year or two, VOIP telephones will be practically as common as cell phones—and probably with equipment and service plans available that are as good as cell phone manufacturers and service providers have now.

Bathing and cleaning infants to childhood

During Infancy

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Cleanliness is essential to the infant's health. The principal points to which especial attention must be paid by the parent for this purpose are the following:

At first the infant should be washed daily with warm water; and a bath every night, for the purpose of thoroughly cleaning the body, is highly necessary. To bathe a delicate infant of a few days or even weeks old in cold water with a view "to harden" the constitution (as it is called), is the most effectual way to undermine its health and entail future disease. By degrees, however, the water with which it is sponged in the morning should be made tepid, the evening bath being continued warm enough to be grateful to the feelings.

A few months having passed by, the temperature of the water may be gradually lowered until cold is employed, with which it may be either sponged or even plunged into it, every morning during summer. If plunged into cold water, however, it must be kept in but a minute; for at this period, especially, the impression of cold continued for any considerable time depresses the vital energies, and prevents that healthy glow on the surface which usually follows the momentary and brief action of cold, and upon which its usefulness depends. With some children, indeed, there is such extreme delicacy and deficient reaction as to render the cold bath hazardous; no warm glow over the surface takes place when its use inevitably does harm: its effects, therefore, must be carefully watched.

The surface of the skin should always be carefully and thoroughly rubbed dry with flannel, indeed, more than dry, for the skin should be warmed and stimulated by the assiduous gentle friction made use of. For this process of washing and drying must not be done languidly, but briskly and expeditiously; and will then be found to be one of the most effectual means of strengthening the infant. It is especially necessary carefully to dry the arm-pits, groins, and nates; and if the child is very fat, it will be well to dust over these parts with hair-powder or starch: this prevents excoriations and sores, which are frequently very troublesome. Soap is only required to those parts of the body which are exposed to the reception of dirt.

During Childhood

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When this period arrives, or shortly after, bathing is but too frequently left off; the hands and face of the child are kept clean, and with this the nurse is satisfied; the daily ablution of the whole body, however, is still necessary, not only for the preservation of cleanliness, but because it promotes in a high degree the health of the child.

A child of a vigorous constitution and robust health, as he rises from his bed refreshed and active by his night's repose, should be put into the shower-bath, or, if this excites and alarms him too much, must be sponged from head to foot with salt water. If the weather be very cold, the water may be made slightly tepid, but if his constitution will bear it, the water should be cold throughout the year. Then the body should be speedily dried, and hastily but well rubbed with a somewhat coarse towel, and the clothes put on without any unnecessary delay. This should be done every morning of the child's life.

If such a child is at the sea-side, advantage should be taken of this circumstance, and seabathing should be substituted. The best time is two or three hours after breakfast; but he must not be fatigued beforehand, for if so, the cold bath cannot be used without danger. Care must be taken that he does not remain in too long, as the animal heat will be lowered below the proper degree, which would be most injurious. In boys of a feeble constitution, great mischief is often produced in this way. It is a matter also of great consequence in bathing children that they should not be terrified by the immersion, and every precaution should be taken to prevent this. The healthy and robust boy, too, should early be taught to swim, whenever this is practicable, for it is attended with the most beneficial effects; it is a most invigorating exercise, and the cold bath thus becomes doubly serviceable.

If a child is of a delicate and strumous constitution, the cold bath during the summer is one of the best tonics that can be employed; and if living on the coast, sea-bathing will be found of singular benefit. The effects, however, of sea-bathing upon such a constitution must be particularly watched, for unless it is succeeded by a glow, a feeling of increased strength, and a keen appetite, it will do no good, and ought at once to be abandoned for the warm or tepid bath. The opinion that warm baths generally relax and weaken, is erroneous; for in this case, as in all cases when properly employed, they would give tone and vigour to the whole system; in fact, the tepid bath is to this child what the cold bath is to the more robust.

In conclusion: if the bath in any shape cannot from circumstances be obtained, then cold saltwater sponging must be used daily, and all the year round, so long as the proper reaction or glow follows its use; but when this is not the case, and this will generally occur, if the child is delicate and the weather cold, tepid vinegar and water, or tepid salt water, must be substituted.

What do i do with all these packets of dip mix

It seems that everyone uses dip mix but me. I’ve managed to accumulate quite the collection of dip mixes. (Ranch, jalapeno, Mexican, etc.)

What can I do with these other than make DIP?

Signed,

Drowning in Dip

Dear Drowning in Dip,

I hear you! I find myself in the same situation. But, I ended up with my pantry over-flowing in dip and finally found some solutions. I hope they help you, too.

All you need to use your dip mix is sour cream, mayonnaise or cream cheese. From there, the possibilities are endless.

Tuna to the Rescue: If you enjoy tuna sandwiches, but get tired of the boring standard of tuna and mayonnaise, then make some ‘fancy’ mayonnaise. A few hours before you want your tuna sandwich, mix some mayonnaise and dip packet together. Let it sit. Then, when you want to enjoy your tuna sandwich, simple mix the ‘fancy mayonnaise’ with your tuna – and you’ve got a winner.

Turkey Wrappers: Have cream cheese sitting around? Mix it with some dip and microwave for a few seconds. Then, get out a tortilla wrapper, pile some of the cream cheese and turkey slices on the wrapper and microwave for another few seconds. The cream cheese should be all smooshy and the wrapper will roll up nicely. Add fresh veggies or just enjoy as is.

Potato – A cheap, healthy meal: Mix a packet of dip mix with a container of sour cream (to taste). Let it sit for at least one hour. Microwave or bake your potato as you normally would. Then, top with cheese, veggies, leftovers, meat, beans, etc – and a dollop of your flavored sour cream. Voila!

Pasta Salad – Any noodle salad that pairs mayonnaise with noodles can be enhanced with dip mix. It’s much cheaper than buying deli salads and it’s very simple. All you need are noodles, mayonnaise, dip mix, veggies and meat. Try it. You’ll love it!

So, use up those dusty dip packets and you just might find yourself becoming a fan of those little dip packets in your pantry.

The five most addicting games of all time

Every person who loves games has their favorites. But not all games are addicting games - even those considered classics, like Monopoly. I'm a die-hard fan of addicting games - those that you'll stay up playing until the wee hours of the morning, or those that get worn out from so much use. My choices for the five most addicting games of all time might not be yours, but if you haven't played them in awhile, give them a try - you may be pleasantly surprised!

Board Games

Of the classics, Scrabble will always be in my top ten. I love words, and although I'd never make it to the Scrabble championships, I get enormous satisfaction out of coming up with clever words. Sometimes the tiles just won't cooperate, but I've been known to sacrifice points for the sheer pleasure of placing a clever word on the board.

Again, because I'm such a fan of words, I love the game Taboo. It's a totally addicting game for four players where you have to get your partner to say a certain word without uttering that word - or any form of it - yourself. It's an enormous challenge, but one that's an absolute hoot!

Another truly addicting game is called Therapy. It's one of those unique board games you need to play with people you know - or people you'd like to get to know a lot better! Each player has his or her own couch, and each player has to answer trivia questions about different life stages that are based on psychological research. When you land in a "therapy" space, you're "in therapy" with the player who owns the space. He or she has to predict how you'd answer a personality question. If your answers match, you're out of therapy; if they don't, you have to stay for another session. It's both hilarious and insightful!

Card Games

I find many types of card games addictive - from hearts to rummy to pinochle - but as far as specialty card games go, I'll choose Uno every time. My family actually has a much-anticipated Uno tournament every Fourth of July. I love the way alliances quickly change, depending upon who is on the verge of going out, and the utter desperation you feel when you have a fistful of cards.

My second choice of specialty card game would be Uno's cousin, Skip-Bo. It's a great kid's game for the whole family, since anyone who can count up to 12 can play it. It's been great watching it dawn on my son that there's a strategy to the game, and seeing him hold back cards so that he could play a greater number of cards in his next turn. When we go to my sister's house to visit, we all play for hours at a time.

Other Games and Puzzles

I haven't included any video games or jigsaw puzzles in my personal list of the most addicting games of all time, but they very well may be included in your list. Whatever your personal favorites, but all means, play often and play well!

Technology acceleration

Copyright 2006 PJM Consulting

Technology is a GOOD THING. Well, most of the time it is.

I’m sure you’ve seen articles bemoaning the NEGATIVE role that technology advancement has played in our lives. I have recently joined the ranks of those doing the bemoaning.

GADGETS ARE GREAT

Don’t get me wrong—I’m a tech guy through and through. I’ve chosen to work in the technology industry for 20 years, and I love gadgets as well as the next guy. I’ve got TIVO, a laptop, a cell phone, Wi-Fi, all the standard Hi-Tech fare. I’m an email fanatic. With great anticipation I’m eyeing Home Theater equipment; just waiting for prices to drop a little more and for standards to settle a bit. I love many of the things that technology does to enrich our personal lives, and embrace the productivity improvements that it brings to doing business. And I believe that those who create new technologies and products ALMOST ALWAYS have good intentions, from a societal perspective.

THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

But I also believe that the law of unintended consequences is alive and thriving in the technology marketplace. In creating products and services that didn’t previously exist in our world, the good is sometimes offset (and occasionally overwhelmed) by effects on the negative side of the ledger.

Take automobiles, for example. Certainly cars are no longer an example of new technology. But at the turn of the century, they represented one of the greatest leaps forward in technology, and have had wide-ranging, positive societal effects. Autos provided a completely different level of personal mobility, with too many positive effects on our daily lives to list. For businesses, the enhanced business productivity was so enormous that it not only lowered costs, but also allowed totally new businesses to be conceived. Autos and the internal combustion engine that enabled them are truly among the great inventions of all time.

However, do you think the inventors or the internal combustion engine and the automobile had the foresight to envision the amount of pollution this invention has ultimately created? Not to mention the greenhouse gas effect, that is actually causing significant warming to our global climate, with potentially devastating consequences?

Of course, they couldn’t. I think this should cause those of us in the technology biz to pause and reflect a bit.

NEGATIVES WITH POSITIVES

There are many more innovations that one could list having major negatives associated with great leaps forward. Cell Phones are another such example. They have provided a leap forward in society that while not quite as profound as automobiles, approaches the same level. They’ve provided great productivity gains for businesses, and have allowed us to stay connected in our personal lives like never before. But haven’t they also contributed negatively to our ability to get away, relax, and enjoy some uninterrupted privacy? I feel this has been a big negative for society, and it’s one of those steps that probably can’t be undone.

I think even the most driven Type A’s among us believe that human beings need at least SOME time to recharge our batteries. Just to get away from it all and relax. Technological advancements have connected us to the extent that it’s very hard to do that. You used to be able to take a vacation or a day off, and honestly say you didn’t have a phone or an Internet connection available. If you say that now, people might begin to question your veracity. It’s possible to be connected nearly everywhere—as a result, it becomes less acceptable than ever be “disconnected”.

This leads to the biggest complaint I have about the unintended consequences of the technology revolution:

The general speeding up of our lives.

I’m exhausted--I'll bet you are too For context, most people would consider me a type A personality. So this isn’t the complaint of some mellow, laid-back surfer dude. I generally embrace a fast paced life, and particularly enjoy the ability to make progress in business in a rapid-fire matter. But honesty compels me to admit that, at times, the pace of modern life even overwhelms me.

I live out the most gnawing example of this “Acceleration” of our lives every day on the freeways of Southern California. I live in San Diego, which granted is a big city. And big city traffic has, of course, never been much fun. But San Diego isn’t New York or Paris by any stretch of the imagination, when it comes to congestion, or the attitudes of the locals. So I don’t think I’m reaching for the extreme here.

Compared to even 10-15 years ago, life on the freeways has become hell. I am a pretty fast driver, but on the freeway, it’s never fast enough. No matter how fast you want to go, there is always someone coming fast upon you—tailgating and itching to get past you. And it isn’t enough to just get around you. The guys in the BMW 3 series have to accelerate and weave in and out of traffic like it’s the 20th lap at LeMans.

Those guys have always existed on the highway, you say. And you’re right. But the lack of common sense and courtesy seems to have spread throughout the driver-sphere like a bad flu. These days, you try to move into a lane in front of a soccer mom in a huge SUV at your own peril. She may be toting two kids in the back, and of course is talking on her cell phone (those cell phones again!). But she’s also caught that LeMans mentality, and no way she’s going to intentionally concede that position—let alone the extra ten feet of highway to a “competitor”.

I find it especially ironic how the technology acceleration has made other pieces of useful technology obsolete. My favorite is how the speedup on the freeways has eliminated the need for what was once an essential piece of safety technology for drivers: the indicator. It no longer serves a useful purpose on the road. Should you put your indicator on before changing lanes in front of that soccer mom? Ten years ago you certainly should have. But 2005 soccer mom puts the pedal to the medal and cuts you off to prevent you from “moving up a spot” in the unofficial Freeway LeMans. These days, using this once essential technology now only “indicates” to everyone else that it’s time speed up to prevent you from making that lane change! God forbid you need to get to that lane to exit the highway; that next exit better suffice if you don’t want to risk a crash. Soccer moms don’t glare at you menacingly while doing while cutting you off like the guys in the BMW 3 series will, but the effect is just the same. It's a jungle out there.

So what’s the takeaway to this rant?

CAN DOWNTIME MAKE A COMBACK

Once again, I believe that the law of unintended consequences is hard at work. There is a big market being created that while not completely ignored, is underserved. That’s the market for enabling our lives to slow back down. Don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean “giving us more time in the day”. That time generated by productivity-enhancing devices seems to just fill back up with more frenetic activity. I mean actually slowing us down, so we can re-charge to sprint another day. This might be a difficult concept for companies to get their arms around, so that they can create new products and services to capitalize on it. But business formation and product creation around this theme would be really revolutionary, and potentially very rewarding.

So the next time you’re sitting on the side of the road with a flat tire—and a dead cell phone battery — write me a note. Assuming your wireless Internet connection is still up. I’d love to get your thoughts.

Take a break from the game

Life is a stressful game --- one that you have no option but to play till the end. However, like all games, players will inevitably have a moment or two of frustration at how the cards have been dealt. People grow frustrated with the rules and regulations of the game, as well as having a sense of indignation at how some people are able to “bend” the rules while others are incapable of doing so. These instances of stress and anxiety can really get to people though there are several ways to help alleviate the problem. Some people are able to react well or have the ability to cope with the stress and anxiety of modern life, with all the trials and tribulations that playing the game entails. However, some people cannot deal with stress and anxiety, eventually making that person's mind open ground for a number of mental disorders.

However, for the average person, getting away from the stress and anxiety is better than embracing it and going insane. Just taking some time to “get away from it all” is practically required, with all the pressure and stress that the modern world puts on people. There are several ways to go about this, with no two options having exactly the same parameters. Indeed, there are some who might argue that stress relief methods that work for one person may only serve to compound stress in another person. However, some unofficial studies have found that, among the general population, there are several common methods that people use as stress relief. Drinking and smoking are among the most commonly used means of handling stress. Yet both vices are also potentially harmful due to the habit-forming effects of nicotine and alcohol. Alcohol is rapidly metabolized by the body and can impair judgment fairly quickly. In large quantities, it may also cause damage to a person's liver. Smoking poses even more long-term health risks, in the form of lung cancer and various other respiratory problems.

Music, particularly classical or symphonic music, has also been known to be an effective form of stress relief. Psychiatrists believe that classical music is at a much higher standard compared to most contemporary music. The melodies are known to have several beneficial effects on the human psyche, from soothing feelings of anxiety and tension to helping stimulate some areas of the brain. While there are some samples of more modern compositions that can achieve similar effects, most studies show that there is a lack of consistency to this. Popular myth holds that Mozart's compositions tend to be the best stress relief music, with Bach and Vivaldi also having similar effects, albeit at lesser degrees.

Some combat veterans have found that violent video games can also serve as stress relief. Studies have shown that the games can help relieve not only the stress that compounds on a person daily, these games can also act as a front line treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. The reasons for this are still not yet fully understood, but the tests results are only confirming what hardcore gamers have been proclaiming for years. The games used for the tests vary, though the cited examples tend to revolve around the latest crop of violent first-person shooters, such as “Unreal Championship” and “Halo 3.”

Nature is also cited as being an excellent way to relieve stress. There are several scenes and facets of nature that are highly relaxing, with the babbling brook approaching the status of a stereotype from the sheer number of references to it. Other scenes from nature known to have a relaxant effect are the Grand Canyon, the Matterhorn, and pristine beaches. For some people, just pictures or the sound alone can help, but for others, the relief from stress comes from actually being there. Going to these places provide a well-deserved reprieve from the countless trials and tribulations one encounters when playing the game.