January 4, 2008

But what about Google?

My friend Evelyn, who blogs at Homespun Honolulu, recently signed on with PayPerPost and has done a few sponsored posts. Some of her readers think she’s made a mistake and have shared their opinions with her. What follows started as a comment to her post on the topic, but I have a lot to say so I’ve decided to do it here instead.

Guess what, folks? There’s life after Google. Yes they took away my PR4 because I do sponsored posts for PayPerPost. I have more traffic, more regular readers and have continued to make money on my blog at the same rate since the Google slap. My readers don’t come to skeet’s stuff because of my page rank or lack thereof. They come because they like to read what I like to write. I’m a small-time blogger with no niche, yet my traffic remains healthy despite my loss of Google status. Take a look at the Awstats numbers below for the first four days of January and you’ll see that I’m alive and well. Advertisers know this, too. They are seeing that Google PageRank is not a worthy measure of a blog’s value because it is given and taken so arbitrarily. The recent Googlespank was not applied evenly and across the board, but rather in a manner that smacks of a desire to quash competition. You are mistaken if you think that Google has deindexed those of us who do PayPerPost. I still get the same traffic from Google searches every day. My blog is still positioned exactly as it was for relevant search terms. Advertisers know this and know that there is still value in paying me for placement of their content. We’ve also always had a strong base of advertisers who are not looking for an SEO boost when they sponsor our posts. They are looking for visibility, buzz, WOM - that hasn’t changed.

If retaining your PR is your primary concern then I certainly wouldn’t recommend signing on with PayPerPost, at least not until Social Spark is introduced later this month. With SocialSpark advertiser links will be no-followed, satisfying Google’s terms and letting bloggers avoid Google penalty. Some bloggers have chosen to remove advertisers’ links from their older sponsored posts and have applied to Google for reinstatement of their PR. This also removes the threat of deindexing. I won’t knock anyone who chooses to do that, but I choose not to for a simple reason: I don’t blog for Google. I blog for me and my readers. If an advertiser asks me to remove their links I’ll do it as a courtesy to them, but otherwise, no. Google doesn’t own my blog.

The threat of deindexing does still exist. Matt Cutts (Google’s most web-present mouthpiece) and Ted Murphy (CEO of PPP) have had discussions and exchanged emails about Google’s stance. Perhaps there will be peace between the two. Perhaps not. {{{{shrug}}}} The world will go on, regardless.

Yes, there are spammy blogs that are filled with nothing but rubbish in order to provide a platform for sponsored posts. If you think all blogs that do sponsored posts fit that description, you’re wrong. A lot of us have fallen into the trap of finding the money too enticing and have spammed up our blogs in a fever of sponsored posting. Most of us who did soon realized that our blogs were more important than the money and scaled back significantly. I now probably average six or eight sponsored posts a month and I’m selective about the opportunities I choose to post. Good bloggers will post relevant content and will seek out items that they think will interest their readers, whether they’re being paid or not. There are a lot of good blogs and good bloggers associated with sponsored posting. Don’t paint everyone with the same brush.

The content of a blog is the personal choice of the blogger. If you honestly believe that the non-sponsored content is no longer of interest to you because the blogger has chosen to do some sponsored posting, so be it. Move on. Their blogs won’t implode because you’ve chosen not to read them. Be aware, though, that you may be tossing the baby out with the bath water. No only have you cut yourself off from a source of good original content, you may have also deprived yourself of products, sites and services that are sponsored on that blog. Yes, there are actually readers who find our sponsored posts of interest and occasionally follow the links to one of our sponsors’ sites. It’s not required, but it happens quite frequently. Who’d have thought it?

I was pleased to see that Evelyn’s comment thread has remained civilized. Some of her readers have dissenting opinions and and have expressed them, but they’ve avoided name-calling and chest-thumping. You’re invited to engage yourselves in like manner on my blog. I find feeback from my readers to be one of the most satisfying aspects of blogging and I value your input. You don’t have to agree with me, but I do insist that you play nice.

Technorati Tags: blogging, Google, page rank, PayPerPost, sponsored posts

July 22, 2007

Supercar wallpapers and screensavers

Like most young people, I bought Used Cars the first few times I needed wheels. They were nothing to write home about, but I loved those old clunkers that were all mine and got me from point A to Point B for many years. I gave them names, lavished them with affection and polished them until they shone as brightly as the day they rolled off of the assembly line. The finest of them, the one that still makes regular appearances in my dreams, was a 1976 Ford Mustang Convertible. I was on top of the world every time I drove that car.

My tastes are a little more refined these days, but when you’re talking about fine automobiles that’s a very good thing. I drive a rather sedate mid-sized sedan because it’s appropriate to my business, but maybe when I retire I’ll finally have my opportunity to indulge myself with something sporty and fast and totally classy. Until then I’ll just have to live on the stuff of dreams. One way to feed the fantasy is with these amazing Supercar wallpapers and screensavers.

If I’m going to dream, I might as well dream big. What do you think? Is the idea of an old, retired granny tooling along the beach in a Lamborghini too ridiculous? Well, that’s the nice thing about a fantasy life. It doesn’t have to be believable, just fun! Maybe staring at that sweet ride every morning while I drink my coffee will inspire me to work a little harder at building up that retirement fund, ya think? Which supercar do you dream of? Go check them out and you can download your screenaver or wallpaper picturing one the Top 10 Fastest Production Cars of All Time to keep you inspired. Think you know what they are? Check your guesses against the list at the Motoring News while you’re there. Just don’t drool on the keyboard, please. I’d hate for your fantasies to be short-circuited!

Technorati Tags: screensavers, sports cars, wallpapers, used cars

July 3, 2007

Coastal Golfaway

You haven’t gotten around to planning your summer getaway yet? You were planning on finally taking that golf vacation you dreamed about all winter and you just haven’t gotten to it yet? Not to worry! Coastal Golfaway can help you plan the perfect myrtle beach golf vacation! Their currently-featured specials will get you three nights and four rounds for as low as $299, including 3 nights lodging, 4 rounds of golf, all green fees, cart fees, daily full breakfast, and all taxes. Prices and packages vary and there are several Discount Golf Vacation specials still available for the summer months. Coastal Golfaway has been helping golfers plan their golf vacations since 1986, so you know they’ve got the experience to help you enjoy that perfect golf vacation you’ve been dreaming of. I know you can’t all manage a trip to visit me in Hawaii this year, so get on over to Coastal Golfaway and book your Myrtle Beach Golf Vacation instead. You can always visit me next year!

Technorati Tags: Florida golf, golf, golf vacations, Myrtle Beach golf

June 24, 2007

What is your domain name worth?

Have you ever wondered what your domain name is worth? That wasn’t something that I was too concerned with when I selected skeeterbess.com for mine. I wanted to have a name that was all mine, but didn’t worry about what the name could do for me or how much value it would have. I’m a little more internet savvy now and realize that, from an SEO perspective, I chose a terrible name. I’m not considering changing it or selling my domain, but if I ever decide to have a new domain with monetization in mind, I’ll try to get creative with words that are rich in SEO possibilities. No one outside of my own circle knows who or what a skeeterbess is. Everyone knows what money is, what tech means, and what to find on a site with photo in the domain name. I just got my domain name appraisal and wasn’t surprised to learn that my choice is only worth $21.00. Not so much, when you consider that the right name can be sold for $5000, and some have even sold for $10,000. If I’d played my cards right, skeet’s stuff could have been a nice little nest egg for me to cash in someday for my retirement fund.

You can find out what your domain is worth at LeapFish.com. Better yet, use their domain name appraisal tool to try out some creative combinations and come up with a high-value name before you purchase your next domain. Domain registration and hosting services are available from the site, so you can claim your name as soon as you think of it, before someone else makes the same creative leap. They’re a full-service domain name resource center, so you can do it all in one spot. Spending a little time at LeapFish could be the key to turning your next domain name into money in the bank.

Technorati Tags: domain name, domain name appraisal, domain name registration

Home Depot Garden Club Newsletter

I’ve been getting the Home Depot Gardening Club Newsletter for about a month now and I’m really enjoying it. I get an early head’s-up on sales and special promotions, and the gardening emails are especially nice. They sent me a weed-control issue and a coupon for 50% off on week-blocking fabric just as some strange little clumps of vegetation started popping up in my xeriscaped side yard, so I really appreciated that!

My friend Tricia over at As The Garden Grows is enjoying her newsletters too and wrote up a Home Depot Gardening Club Article of her own. Tricia is my mentor when it comes to garden blogging, so I feel like I’m in good company.

Flo lives just across the island from me. I’m just starting to grow some vegetables to go with my herbs, but she’s an old hand at it. She mentioned in a Home Depot Gardening Club Article on her blog that she’s looking to the newsletter for advice, too.

It’s easy to sign up for the Home Depot Gardening Club Newsletter. Just click the link, provide your email address and you’re good to go. I love the special offers and coupons that are selected with gardeners in mind. It’s really nice to qualify for discounts that aren’t availble to anyone else, too. Did I mention that it’s free? Go. Sign up. You’ll thank me later.

Technorati Tags: garden club newsletter, gardening, Home Depot, special offers

June 21, 2007

Photo contest

I really enjoy using photographs on my blog. As I’ve stated before (was it here or elsewhere?) I like to illustrate my stories with photos, and I enjoy seeing and sharing stories inspired by photos. I’m a rank amateur with a camera, but I’ve gotten some very encouraging feedback on a few of my photos and even some suggestions that some of them should be entered in a photo contest. I filed that away with “folks saying nice things because they like me” until just recently. Now that I have photos that are accessible to the public online I’m rethinking and exploring the idea of photo contests. People who don’t know me are viewing my photos and have been very kind. I’ve decided it’s time to revisit the question of whether or not my photos are good enough to enter into a photography contest. I’ve selected what I believe are the “best of the best,” either because I like them or because of the feedback I’ve gotten. Here they are:

Should I even enter the photo contest?

I’m not much into public humiliation. I know that some of these photos are good, but not whether they are good enough to enter into a photo contest where they will be seen by tens of thousands of people. We’re all friends here. I can take it on the chin if y’all tell me I should wait until my talents have matured (that would be a nice diplomatic way for you to put it, right?) I’d much rather hear it from my friends than to enter pictures in the photo contest and invite the scorn of the masses.

You definitely should enter the photo contest!

Whether my own photographs are ready or not, I know that some of you are very skilled photographers and should enter the photo contest. The Pictures.com Free Photo contest has over $100,000 in prizes. A single photograph could win you $10,000, so I’m expecting you to enter your best work. Entering the photo contest is easy as pie.

Photo contest entry is easy

As you can see, it’s a simple three-step process to enter the photo contest. Fill out the submission form, accept their terms and then upload and categorize your photo all from one page. The photo contest submission form is short and as non-inturusive as these things can be. They don’t even ask for a phone number, so you won’t need to worry about getting tele-spammed. I’m expecting quite a few of you to pick your best photographs and submit them into the Pictures.com Free Photo contest. You know who you are, so don’t make me go looking for you with my nagging face on!

Categories for the photo contest:

There are ten photo contest categories to select from:

Animals and Pets
People
Travel
Children
Sports
Nature
Action
Humor
Portraiture
Other

My photo of Lance would fit nicely into the pet photo contest, and I like Auntie Ukelele of the Bathouse for the people category. I’m not sure about the boogie board boys. Sports or action photo? And the boy being arrested - is that action or people? I don’t think of things like photo contests when I’m taking photos. I just see something I like and do my best to shoot it. I’m not sure about the plumeria buds photograph either. The rules state that photos entered in the photo contest cannot be artificially enhanced. The plumeria buds were cropped from a larger picture, much like I do with the puzzle piece for my weekly photo contest. Is that artificial enhancement?

So there ya go. Now it’s your turn. I need you to do two things for me. Tell me if I should enter the photo contest, and, if so, which photo you think is a winner. Then click the link and fill out your own entry for the photo contest. If you’re entering photos you have posted on your blog or somewhere else online, I’d love to get a link so I can go see them.

I don’t ask for much, do I?

Technorati Tags: sponsored post, photo contest, photos, photographs, photography contest, Pictures.com

June 19, 2007

Hawaiian Discount Car Rentals

When you come to visit me on Oahu I’ll probably take a few days off to show you the wonders of my island paradise. There’s a secret cove where the green sea turtles gather that you won’t find in any guidebook. We’ll enjoy some local plate lunches and spend a day Waimea Falls, too. I can’t close my business for days on end though, so you’ll need to check out Car Rentals Hawaii while you’re making your travel arrangements. Their corporate contracts are with Thrifty, Avis, Budget, Enterprise and others, so you’ll have a world of cars to choose from. Whether you select a luxury sedan, a van with room for the kids or a Jeep Wrangler for off-road fun, their Car Rental Fleet has what you need at affordable prices. And, hey - don’t forget to ask about a free upgrade when you make your reservation.

There’s an inter-island airfare war going on, so I recommend you take advantage of it and visit the outer islands, too. I can tell you all about my favorite places on the Big Island, like the hidden path where anthuriums grow like weeds in the forest. I don’t know Maui, Molokai or Kauai, though, so check out Hawaii Car Drives for help planning your itenerary. Their site descriptions, travel tips and descriptive information will help you decide jut where you want to go and what you want to do.

Give me a few days warning before you come. I’ll get the guest room ready and arrange for a few days off so I can help you get a good start on your island-hopping Hawaiian adventure!

Technorati Tags: car rentals, Hawaii car rentals, Hawaii vacation

May 28, 2007

Fostering personal growth

Education is an ongoing process in my life, as I think it is or should be for anyone in business. Staying current with industry-specific subjects doesn’t present a problem because I’m well-supplied with courses, study guides and seminars through professional associations and publications. Maintaining a small business, though, requires reaching outside that narrow focus in order to develop and maintain proficiency in marketing, public relations, finance and a myriad of other aspects of successful business operations. Independent reading and online college courses offer the most time-efficient approach for fitting my educational needs into my busy schedule.

One particular area of study I can’t afford to neglect is personal development. The group dynamic within larger businesses can help each individual team member maintain enthuiasm. As an independent business person who works without such a support network, I must seek outside resources that will foster achievement and personal growth. Sara Orem has authored a new book that is based on the premise that “people and organizations flourish when they focus on human ideals, achievements, and best practices.” Success or failure in my business can be largely attributed to the respect and individual attention that is brought to each personal contact. If I fail to connect in an honest and strightforward way with each client, I’m doomed to mediocrity at best. Maintaining freshness and enthusiasm on a daily basis can be problematic, but with the proper tools it can be accomplished. Sara Orem’s book, Appreciative Coaching: A Positive Process for Change, recently published by Jossey-Bass, seeks to help fill that need.

“Rather than focusing on individuals in limited or problem-oriented ways, Appreciative Coaching guides the reader through four stages – Discovery, Dream, Design and Destiny – that inspire them to an appreciative and empowering view of themselves and their future,” says Orem, a faculty member at Capella University’s School of Business and Technology.

This is an approach that fits solidly into my own attitudes about business. I belive that Sara Orem’s book can help me stay solidly on the path to growth and success.

More about the school: Capella University was founded in 1993 and is an accredited online university which offers 82 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate programs. A free online seminar, “Returning to Learning,” can help acquaint you with their programs and determine your own readiness for a return to formal studies. Tuition assistance and financial aid are available, as are military discounts and credit for military experience. For more information, please visit Capella.edu or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552).

This blog post is based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

Technorati Tags: business, businesss education, online college, online degree programs

May 19, 2007

Student debt

Do you remember back in the good old days when you could work your way through college? A good education has always been expensive, but it wasn’t so very long ago that “pay as you go” was possible. Middle-class families could send their kids off and, with the supplemental income of a part-time job, the student could graduate debt-free. Those days are gone now and obtaining a degree means assuming a huge debt. My friend Drew graduated three years ago. He’s been paying steadily on his student loans ever since, but has fallen into arrears a few times. I think he might need to consider a school loan consolidation to reduce his monthly payments and interest fees. That would help him pay out the balance years earlier than is now possible. It’s a shame that young people have to carry such a huge burden, but once the loans are paid I know that Drew will be able to enjoy a more stress-free life and really begin to experience the benefits that will come from all of his hard work. He’s a bright and ambitious young man and I’d like to see him starting to get ahead!

Technorati Tags: debt, education, student loans

May 18, 2007

Wallhogs

I really like Wallhogs. If you aren’t familiar with them yet, Wallhogs are big art and big ideas. Imagine your favorite photo or graphic, blown up to a huge size and printed on reusuable vinyl, or as a glossy poster or a canvas print. Sizes range from a small two-footer (if you can call that small!) to an extra-large four by seven feet. The prints will press onto a smooth painted wall to customize the decor in any room. I’m thinking of my friend Lisa who is decorating a nursery. Wallhogs will create whatever custom art you want, so she can select from stock or submit her own photo or graphic to form a focal point for baby’s room. Backgrounds can even be removed to create a shaped print. I could see painting a path through the woods, then adding a giant Winnie the Pooh to the scene for a really eye-catching nursery wall.

What jeep fan wouldn’t love having something like this on their wall? That picture comes from stock, but imagine taking a photo of the car your honey customized and presenting it on the next special occasion. When my son was young I know he’d have loved a wall decorated with fire engines or that fabulous truck from Smokey and the Bandit. These days he’s more mature and would rather have Speed Racer (don’t tell him I’ve told you that!) The possibilities are endless, so let your imagination and your passions guide you. Watch the Wallhogs video and browse through their catalog of available art, then let your own inspiration take over. Wallhogs has something for everyone, big art for any wall. You can even customize a product or service you’re featuring and use a Wallhog to advertise your business.

What’s really exciting, though, is that Wallhogs has now taken it to the next level. They’re partnering with photographers and artists to bring them an outlet for their work and a new way to present it to their clients. They can add their works to the Wallhog catalog for online sales or order at discounted prices for resale to their customers. I’m not a professional photographer, but I’m surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. I occasionally get lucky and produce a photo that I think people might be interested in buying.

What I’m really interested in, though, is some experimental work I’ve been doing with some of my botanical photos. This seems like the perfect time and place to give you a sneak peek at what I’ve been up to. What do you think? Am I the only one weird enough to love this stuff, or do you think others might actually be interested enough to buy it? Wallhogs sponsored this post and I think there’s at least a small chance I could do a very different type of business with them once I’ve honed my skills a bit. Opinions, please?

Technorati Tags: art, big art, photography, wall art, Wallhogs