tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31807704428659030312012-01-05T07:27:33.738-05:00SEO and Website SecuritySubmissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-39860646154484202152009-11-21T16:14:00.003-05:002009-11-21T16:15:36.562-05:00Resource: http://www.cgisecurity.com/questions/securesite.shtml#<br /><br />Traditionally when you hear someone say 'Our website is Secure' they imply that their website uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and that the traffic is encrypted (The little lock in your browser usually appears) unfortunately Encryption doesn't make a website secure. Sure encryption makes sure that nobody can sniff your session (see what you're doing), but if the site you're submitting personal data to contains a Vulnerability an attacker can still steal your data. Some sites contain logo's saying 'Secured by XXX' (XXX being a vendor name) but you can't trust these one bit. Rather then paying for a security monitoring service a website owner could easily just copy the image and save a few thousands dollars doing it. Unfortunately not everyone knows how to secure a website and some blind trust is needed in order to perform some everyday tasks. To ease your mind there are some rules that certain types of sites must follow in order to remain active. <br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />The site in question is:<br /><br />* A Hospital: Federal regulations require that Medical facilities comply to a security standard called 'HIPPA'. These facilities by law must perform security testing created by the government to provide a baseline security review of all computer systems. <br /><br />* A Bank or Insurance Company: The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act according to Wikipedia "GLBA compliance is not voluntary; whether a financial institution discloses nonpublic information or not, there must be a policy in place to protect the information from foreseeable threats in security and data integrity" - Wikipedia<br /><br />* A Publically Traded Company: Publically traded companies also must pass a federally imposed act entitled 'The Sarbanes-Oxley Act'. <br />"Chief information officers are responsible for the security, accuracy and the reliability of the systems that manage and report the financial data. Systems such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) are deeply integrated in the initiating, authorizing, processing, and reporting of financial data" - Wikipedia<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-3986064615448420215?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-34779298632231393312009-11-13T14:52:00.001-05:002009-11-21T16:15:21.133-05:00Resource: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/10-ways-to-be-a-great-seo/10118/<br /><br />Most of us see the same tweets, read the same blogs and know the same case studies. We know to optimize titles and anchor text, fix canonical issues, write compelling meta descriptions and so on. In the age of social media, trade secrets are now few and far between.<br /><br />If that’s the case, and we all know basically the same things, what differentiates a great SEO?<br /><br />The answer is, simply, the ability to get things done.<br /><br />Here are 10 things you can do to be a great SEO.<br /><br />10. Be humble: Value goals beyond rankings<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />A great SEO knows that the ultimate success involves checking their ego. Ranking for an ultra cool term is great chest-pounding material, but the contribution to the bottom line is the currency that spends. Whether the goals are sales, or traffic, ranking for the ugly terms may not be as cool to the world, but it will be to your company.<br /><br />9. Be a realist: Focus on sustainability<br /><br />What can your company really expect to rank for? Think like a search engine. Are you really the right answer for a particular search term? If not, don’t spend your resources working hard for a ranking that you really don’t belong in. If you’re building a business model based on a changing algorithm, have a fundamentally sound reason for choosing your terms. If you don’t, create one. No one agrees on how bounce rate affects rankings, but long term I think everyone agrees nothing good will come of a poor performing, irrelevant page.<br /><br />8. Know your product: Keyword research wins<br /><br />As more and more keyword research tools become available, making sense of them becomes increasingly mundane. Successful keywords come from real world terms that often don’t jump out in tools like WordTracker or Keyword Discovery. You must know what you’re looking for and not just wait for it to be delivered to you. Know how the customers speak, and you’ll know what you’re looking for. Your own internal site search is a great tool for this.<br /><br />7. Understand your resources: Plan your projects accordingly<br /><br />Keep in mind, the Paid Search team has a huge advantage here. Their results are relatively predictable. Yours are not. Be certain your project is funded, planned, benchmarked and understood by others. If link building is involved, as it should be, be certain that time is budgeted for a diligent effort. Creating, sharing and following a roadmap will buy you the space to work.<br /><br />6. Learn your surroundings: Identify potential roadblocks and address them<br /><br />The worst thing you can do as a SEO is surprise, or ambush, people. You need to assume other departments will already be skeptical of your sorcerer ways. It’s only natural. Identify the people that will block your path. Address them with facts, privately. Do not humiliate someone who doesn’t understand SEO. What seems obvious to you may not be obvious to them. Only if you give respect do you earn the right to command it.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />5. Embrace your limitations: Plug the holes<br /><br />One of the hardest things to do sometimes is admit what you don’t do well. Doing so, however, will earn the respect of others and insure that those holes are plugged by other team members. Work on them as you go, but never hide them. Being great doesn’t mean you need to be great at everything. Asking for help is ok, and very much a sign of greatness.<br /><br />4. Be a team player: Share the glory<br /><br />Now we’re getting more into the psychology of a great SEO. It’s easy to want to take credit for a change that reaps huge rewards. Remember the IT guy that implemented it for you? Let him know how rewarding it was for the company and make sure his boss knows it. Not everyone understands how they impact the bottom line. Teach them, and recruit them, and your goals will be that much easier to meet. When people are praised or rewarded, they’ll get on your team.<br /><br />3. Argue with facts: No mudslinging<br /><br />Take the high road. Something simple like adding related links to a page may be a no-brainer to you, but may look like spam someone that just doesn’t understand the reason. Stay patient. You probably can’t do their job, either. Explain why your idea is necessary, and use case studies. Show them how the sites they use probably do the same thing, and they just don’t realize it. Show how rankings influence revenue, and how your project influences rankings. People can’t argue with fact-based numbers. At that point, your nemesis will need to justify their reasons with facts, and not opinions. Do this respectfully, and firmly. When it’s done, you’ll win. Or, you’ll realize SEO may be hopeless where you’re at.<br /><br />2. Choose your battles: There’s more than SEO<br /><br />Sometimes the decision makers understand SEO, and fly directly against a known best practice. If your company values a project component above SEO, don’t pout or write them off as morons. There’s a bigger picture and sometimes a small SEO sacrifice can reap large gains in other areas. A great SEO lives to fight another day and comes knocking at another door. You see, there’s always more than one answer. It’s your job to figure it out.<br /><br />1. Understand business models: Contribute effectively<br /><br />SEO is not just implementation, it’s largely strategy. Sometimes it’s a strategy that may not even be known to your company. Bring a revenue strategy, along with the SEO ability to implement it, and you’ll have gotten out of the box. You see, the key to greatness is being more than just a SEO. Bring ways to contribute to the bottom line, and make them happen, and you will have achieved greatness.<br /><br />So there you have it. The difference between a great SEO, or almost any other professional, lies in their ability to get things done. Navigating pitfalls, effectively communicating and maintaining superior knowledge all lead to greatness. For future reference, I suggest you bookmark this page. It can serve as a great source for dealing with common SEO issues.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-3477929863223139331?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-54927792287431917502009-10-17T14:19:00.001-04:002009-10-17T14:19:49.536-04:00Resource: http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Search-Engine-Optimization-Help/Online-Tools-That-Will-Help-Your-SEO-Strategy/<br /><br />Online Tools That Will Help Your SEO Strategy<br /><br />If you've felt a little lost in the world of search engine optimization, take heart. This article will lay out the basic SEO principles, go over the ways that web design affects SEO (and vice versa), and give you a list of five online tools that will help you enormously with your SEO strategy. Keep reading to become enlightened; pretty soon, you'll be on your way to the top of the search engine results pages!<br />Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing the volume and improving the quality of traffic to a web site through search engines using organic or algorithmic search results. Typically, the higher the site is presented in the search results, or the higher the “ranking,” the more likely it is that searchers will visit that site. SEO can also target image searches, local searches and vertical search engines.<br /><br />SEO uses a deep understanding of search engines to increase a site's relevance to specific keywords, to remove barriers to indexing and crawling methods of search engines<br /><br />Black Hat vs. White Hat<br /><br />Black Hat SEO techniques, also called spamdexing, attempt to redirect the search results to target pages using principles that are considered unethical by the search engine companies, because they work against the search engine in terms of service. <br /><br />Search engines are trying to give their users the most relevant pages for their searches, while black hat techniques attempt to get a web site to the top of search results regardless of whether it's the best or most relevant web site for that particular search. Often Black Hat techniques lead to sites being blocked or banned by search engines. <br /><br />White Hat SEO techniques are generally longer lasting techniques and work with the search engine’s service principles. White Hat SEO techniques can be more work, but the results are well worth it.<br /><br /><br />Regardless of what tools a developer chooses to enhance SEO results, keep these principles in mind when you select them. <br /><br />Content<br /><br />Fresh <br /><br />Quality<br /><br />Content Rich Site <br />Fresh, quality content is what drives SEO rankings in the short and long term. The content needs to have relevance to searchers, and needs to keep the call to action (phone us, order here) fresh in the mind of viewers.<br /><br />Keyword stuffing and articles designed only for ranking will create initial movement, but will not draw customers to the site, and will not keep them on the site. In fact, finding a site full of useless articles is likely to have the reverse effect and drive traffic away. <br /><br />Links<br /><br />Keyword Phrases in Links<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Link through High Ranking Sites<br /><br />Quality, not quantity, in design and relationships <br />Creating relationships and driving cross traffic is best done with well-crafted links and linked relationships.<br /><br />In addition to creating internal links and absolute links within the site, linking through to other sites and convincing them to link to you will support the SEO process. The bottom line in creating SEO results is text, links, popularity and reputation. Linking with industry sites and bartering links with other quality sites are great ways to build a relationship of SEO support. <br /><br />Adding quality links that have been created to include keyword phrases and lead to the information that visitors are seeking adds much more than just meaningless links added simply to fill the site.<br /><br />Title Tags<br /><br />Sticky Landings<br /><br />Flash, Frames and Ajax<br /><br />Service Limits<br /><br />Call to Action<br /><br />Focus Each Page<br /><br />Text, Text and More Text<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Power Blogging <br />No matter how much is spent on SEO or how slick the SEO tools, the website must support the perception of the searchers.<br /><br />A well-designed website can make a significant difference in the success of the SEO campaign. It starts with the title tag, so give each page a unique title tag and include the keyword phrases. <br /><br />The landing page design is critical. It needs to have a reasonable percentage of keyword phrases, it needs a strong call to action (what you want the customer/visitor to do) and it needs to appeal to the visitor enough to get them to stick on the page long enough to see the benefits, services and products and complete the call to action.<br /><br />The use of Flash, frames and Ajax on the landing page creates an all-or-nothing read for most search engines; if you must use these technologies, be certain to include text below it or wrapped where the search engine can find it. <br /><br />Some service providers and service systems for web sites block domain name recognition, making it difficult for the site to be picked up by the search engines. Be certain that everything about the site, including related services, supports the SEO process.<br /><br />Remember the point of SEO is to convert visitors to customers. Keep the call to action clear for visitors. Phone numbers, products and services and connection to sales teams and technical staff to resolve questions are essential to the process. These elements need to be clear, precise and easy to find. The call to action message must be clear, concise and in line with the perceptions of the searchers. If the searcher has located this site with the “free web template” keyword phrase, only to find that this is a paid product site, the conversion will not happen, and in fact, the searcher will feel duped. <br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Each page of the website is a unique opportunity to connect to visitors. Focus each page on a specific keyword phrase; make each page a different focus. This will reinforce the entire concept of the site, making it more likely to connect with motivated searchers.<br /><br />Text is critical; wrap images and videos with textual descriptions. Add alt tags with keyword phrases to images. Do not neglect a single opportunity to connect the text, keyword phrases and search engines, including links, images and videos. <br /><br />Blogging and social networking are critical elements of the Web 2.0 world. Using the client’s CEO for blogging creates a powerful SEO tool.<br /><br />Don’t underestimate the power of social networking, viral marketing and new Web 2.0 power sites in the SEO process. Sponsor quality sites, including .edu sites to build reputation and quality points. <br /><br /><br />Ranking Checker by SEOmoz.com <br />This SEO tool allows the developer to check rankings for up to five keywords per day at no charge, and keeps an archive. Archived rankings can be downloaded as comma-separated files. <br /><br />If the keywords checked are varied each day of the month, the developer can research 150 words per month. <br /><br />Google Analytics by google.com <br />This analytical tool, provided for free by Google, offers detailed reports on traffic behavior, content visitation, funnel information and more. The tool shows the developer what Google sees, including crawling rate, crawling speed, backlinks and the PageRank of the site’s highest ranking page. <br /><br />MultiRank Checker by iWebtool.com <br />MultiRank is an SEO tool that allows the developer to cross check up to 10 domain names at one time for page rank. Results can be cut and pasted from the table. <br /><br />Fiddler Web Debugging Tool by Fiddlertool.com <br />Currently requiring the .net framework and only available for Windows, this tool debugs the site with the same scope as $50 competitor tools. <br /><br />The capacity to analyze the background communication between servers and browsers is one of the strongest elements of this tool. Better at analysis without freezing up than some of the other free debugging tools, Fiddler is an essential resource for the SEO professional. <br /><br />SEO Analyzer by Sitening.com <br />This tool generates a report with a detailed list of SEO components that might need closer examination within a site. The easy-to-use interface makes the process painless, and the site ranking helps the developer know to what extent the site needs reworking. <br /><br />SEO, like all other forms of marketing, requires strategic planning, daily upkeep and a view to relationship building within the target brand desired for the client.<br /><br />Conclusion <br /><br />Your SEO campaign is a vital marketing project to assist the success of a web site. Since building traffic is the key source requirement for any site that needs to sell, SEO analysis for an entire site is necessary to make sure the search engines index the site pages.<br /><br />Once the idea of grasping how to produce highly useful content is achieved, the SEO plan then steps in to make the whole thing relevant by making the site attractive. Content-rich sites with carefully chosen titles and keywords are loved by the search engines. <br /><br />For businesses to survive in today’s competitive climate, it becomes clear as to why an SEO plan is necessary. It is the most important aspect of a web site marketing campaign. Any site can be designed to look hip and cool, but if nobody knows it exists, it’s like opening a shop on the moon.<br /><br />It’s vital that the site's target audience knows of the existence of the web site. By using blogs, back linking techniques and rich quality content with optimized keywords, traffic will increase to the site, and therefore so will the sales. <br /><br />Google eventually finds your site through its search algorithms, though you shouldn't just wait for that. Get an SEO plan into practice. Learn how to generate link building campaigns through writing content for blogs, for example. Build a site aimed at exciting the target audience so they keep coming back.<br /><br />Make it as easy as possible for people to find the web site. <br /><br />Think about how you found the vast number of sites you use daily. Was it through a search engine? Was it via a blog or possibly a column on a site? Odds are that it was through a combination of these. Spamming is not necessary to make this happen; don’t follow that dark path. It’s simply about exposing the facets of the web site in as many high ranking places as possible. It’s a bit like the difference between opening a shop on an inhospitable mountain and opening a shop on the main street.<br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-5492779228743191750?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-68637613043887200602009-10-17T10:43:00.001-04:002009-10-17T10:43:25.598-04:00Resource: http://ezinearticles.com/?Writing-SEO-Articles-is-Easy---Heres-Why&id=194648<br /><br />Ever come across articles on the Internet that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever? Ever felt frustrated with articles that take you for a ride and leaves with you nothing but regret…for reading it that far? I don’t know about you but I’ve read so many of them that I lost count. These articles are mostly stuffed with keywords because the writer believes that when an SEO article is stuffed with HUNDREDS of their selected keywords, search engines will love them. To them, the concept of SEO article writing is to write nonsensical articles with hundreds of keywords slotted in between words!<br /><br />Forget about them! Search engines are smarter than that. With continuous efforts in fine tuning the spiders (search engine spiders ‘crawl’ from site to site, page to page to index pages), search engines, like the formidable Google, has decided that enough is enough. If readers don’t like overstuffed SEO articles, THEY don’t either. Some search engines have gone as far as to ban or block out sites that overstuff their web content with keywords! So, please do be careful.<br /><br />Anyway, if you don’t have the budget to hire an SEO writer to write your articles for you, I’ll show you a very simple way to write SEO-friendly articles. It’s not hard, I promise you.<br /><br />Ok, let’s get to it.<br /><br />STEP ONE<br /><br />The topic and the direction<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />The first thing you’ll have to do is to decide on the topic you want to write about…forget about the title. Titles are usually given when the entire article is complete. Reason? Well, you’ll discover that the gist of the article, the flow and the content is not always the way you first intended for it to be. At the end of it, you’ll find a title that is right for your SEO article. So, don’t spend hours mulling over the title. Just get to it and write it.<br /><br />STEP TWO<br /><br />Writing it <br /><br />I’ve heard of people spending hours writing a single article because they want to make it perfect the first time round. No, no, no, no….that’s not it. Remember, articles (especially books!) are never perfect the first time round. Accept this and you’ll soon be writing tons of good stuff in the future! Just get to it and write it. You can forget about grammar and the flow. Just write it, ok?<br /><br />STEP THREE<br /><br />Keyword placing<br /><br />Once you’ve completed your article, it’s time to get to putting in the keywords that you want to put into the SEO article. At this point, don’t worry about grammar and flow. You’ll get to it soon enough…just don’t worry about it yet! One word of advice, don’t have too many keywords in one SEO article. Just one or two would be just nice. Start placing them into strategic places and in between sentences…but make sure they still make sense. The worst thing you can do is to piss your potential customers off, ok?<br /><br />Example:<br /><br />Writing articles for search engine is good for your business.<br /><br />“Writing SEO articles for search engines is good for your business”<br /><br />STEP FOUR<br /><br />Editing and proofing<br /><br />OK, here’s where you get to correct all grammatical mistakes, insert more stuff that you think is relevant to your SEO article or remove stuff that you think is not suitable for your SEO article. Go through everything carefully…but remember, this is not the only time you’re going to be proofing your article because….<br /><br />STEP FIVE<br /><br />Re-editing<br /><br />Yes, you need to re-edit and proofread them again the second time. To ensure that everything is completely correct, you can read them more than just twice or maybe even read the article backwards to ensure that all words are correctly spelt in your SEO article.<br /><br />There you have it…your SEO article is ready to be published! Go ahead and try it yourself. Didn’t I say it was easy?<br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-6863761304388720060?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-85355012896211323472009-09-24T11:51:00.001-04:002009-09-24T11:52:08.376-04:00Resource: http://ezinearticles.com/?SEO-Article-Writing-101&id=59911<br /><br />SEO writing is very different from content writing, article writing, story writing and news writing. When I first realized my innate talent for writing stuff and putting thoughts into words, I was still reading Mills and Boons, and it was during this time that my romance storybooks were confiscated by my classroom teacher because I was reading in class.<br /><br />Writing is a very personal thing, I discovered. Some people have the talent for writing creative stuff. Some people have the talent for writing ads. Some write excellent factual stuff. Well, I fall into the factual stuff category. The boring-writing-technical-mumbo-jumbo writing stuff. How I fit into this category, I don’t know.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Well, SEO article writing is very much like that. First, you decide what topic or keyword that you want. For instance, you’re selling decorative lamps, right? in the SEO article writing process, list down ‘decorative’ and ‘lamps’. Then think about other words that relates to ‘decorative’ and ‘lamps’…words that people use all the time to describe them. This is a very important part of SEO article writing because these are common words that your potential site visitors will use to find you.<br /><br />How about ‘light’, ‘bright’, ‘pretty’, ‘lighting’?<br /><br />Ok, now your SEO article writing keywords are:- decorative, lamps, light, bright, pretty and lighting, right? So, on to the SEO article writing process. First you write everything that you need to write down first. Beef up the article. As a general rule of thumb, SEO articles should be no less than 300 words and no more than 500 words. Any more than that, you’re wasting your time writing a novel for your SEO article. Read through the SEO article now and replace words and reword sentences to fit in those keywords. Yes, you’ll have to restructure some the SEO keywords here and there, but do it anyway.<br /><br />Make sure the sentences make sense, ok? Because although the search engines won’t know bad grammar from good grammar, your site visitors will. And most of them, site visitors who visit your website based on those SEO keywords DO mind the bad grammar. And once you turn them away, it’s almost impossible to bring them back!<br /><br />The final step to SEO article writing is…..proofread your SEO article and make sure they flow. The problem with SEO writing is that your thoughts might come in buckets... a splash here and a splash there. So, during the SEO article proofreading process, you’ll have to make sure one paragraph flows on to the next.<br /><br />Good luck!<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-8535501289621132347?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-26356516384687609162009-09-23T20:13:00.003-04:002009-09-23T20:14:46.767-04:00Resource: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/01/uk_parliament_hacked/<br /><br />Updated A vulnerability in the website of the UK Parliament appears to be exposing confidential information, including unencrypted login credentials, a Romanian hacker wrote on his blog.<br /><br />The SQL injection vulnerability is on this page, the hacker, who goes by the moniker Unu, told The Register. By tacking database commands onto the end of the web address, it's possible to trick the site's backend server into coughing up data that was never intended to be published.<br /><br />Based on a screen shot below, which was included on Unu's post, it appears Parliament's website has been coerced into divulging log-in credentials for at least eight accounts. The disclosure is troubling for several reasons.<br /><br />First, there's the SQL injection hole itself. In the past, we've compared such attacks to Jedi mind tricks, in which weak willed websites are turned against themselves with the web-equivalent of a wave of a hand and a discreetly made suggestion. There's also the likelihood that the passwords, because they're being displayed in readable form, are being stored without the use of encryption. Keeping passwords in the clear is a big no-no in the world of security.<br /><br />Finally, there are the passwords themselves. Because we don't want to give away potentially valid passwords, we won't say what they are. Suffice it to say most are trivial to guess. One of the few exceptions was a password that was the name of a popular super hero, never an acceptable access code.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />That belonged to a user named "fulera." Softpedia speculates it belongs to one Alex Fuller, who according to a LinkedIn profile page, is currently employed as a senior web producer for the UK Parliament.<br /><br />Of course, there's no way to know for sure how serious the leakage of such information is. It's possible the credentials were used for accounts that were discontinued weeks or months ago. A Parliament media officer contacted Tuesday said he'd have to look in to the matter and get back to us the following day.<br /><br />How a Jedi mind trick can fell Parliament (click to enlarge)<br /><br />But either way, the website reflects poorly on Parliament. As federal prosecutors in the US revealed two weeks ago, hackers carrying out the largest credit card heist ever prosecuted got a toehold into supposedly secure systems by exploiting similar SQL injection vulnerabilities.<br /><br />What's more, Unu said he's left two advisory messages since Sunday and the Softpedia article also says the webmaster has been notified. Counting The Register's call on Tuesday, that's at least four warnings over 48 hours. And yet the hole was wide open as recently as Tuesday evening.<br /><br />This article will be updated if the vulnerability is fixed. Until then, you may want to steer clear of the site altogether. ®<br />Update<br /><br />A few hours after this article was published, the vulnerable page was taken down. "I can confirm that the information has been passed to our site developers who are working on a solution as a matter of urgency," the Parliament media officer wrote in an email to The Reg.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-2635651638468760916?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-16814811208416717462009-09-22T18:50:00.001-04:002009-09-22T18:51:33.194-04:00Resource: http://www.webconfs.com/html5-seo-article-27.php<br /><br />HTML 5 is still in the making but for any SEO expert, who tries to look ahead, some knowledge about HTML 5 and how it will impact SEO is not unnecessary information. It is true that the changes and the new concepts in HTML 5 will impact Web developers and designers much more than SEO experts but still it is far from the truth to say that HTML 5 will not mean changes in the SEO policy.<br />What's New in HTML 5?<br /><br />HTML 5 follows the way the Net evolved in the last years and includes many useful tags and elements. At first glance, it might look as if HTML 5 is going in the direction of a programming language (i.e. PHP) but actually this is not so – it is still an XML-based presentation language. The new tags and elements might make HTML 5 look more complex but this is only at first glance.<br /><br />HTML 5 is not very different from HTML 4. One of the basic ideas in the development of HTML 5 was to ensure backward compatibility and because of that HTML 5 is not a complete revamp of the HTML specification. So, if you had worries that you will have to start learning it from scratch, these worries are groundless.<br />How the Changes in HTML 5 Will Affect SEO?<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />As a SEO expert, you are most likely interested mainly in those changes in the HTML 5 specification, which will affect your work. Here are some of them:<br /><br />*<br /><br />Improved page segmentation. Search engines are getting smarter and there are many reasons to believe that even now they are applying page segmentation. Basically, page segmentation means that a page is divided into several separate parts (i.e. main content, menus, headers, footers, links sections, etc.) and these parts are treated as separate entries. At present, there is no way for a Web master to tell search engines how to segment a page but this is bound to change in HTML 5.<br />*<br /><br />A new <article> tag. The new <article> tag is probably the best addition from a SEO point of view. The <article> tag allows to mark separate entries in an online publication, such as a blog or a magazine. It is expected that when articles are marked with the <article> tag, this will make the HTML code cleaner because it will reduce the need to use tags. Also, probably search engines will put more weight on the text inside the <article> tag as compared to the contents on the other parts of the page.<br />*<!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />A new <section> tag. The new <section> tag can be used to identify separate sections on a page, chapter, book. The advantage is that each section can have its separate HTML heading. As with the <article> tag, it can be presumed that search engines will pay more attention to the contents of separate sections. For instance, if the words of a search string are found in one section, this implies higher relevance as compared to when these words are found all across the page or in separate sections.<br />*<br /><br />A new <header> tag. The new <header> tag (which is different from the head element) is a blessing for SEO experts because it gives a lot of flexibility. The <header> tag is very similar to the tag but the difference is that it can contain a lot of stuff, such as H1, H2, H3 elements, whole paragraphs of text, hard-coded links (and this is really precious for SEO), and any other kind of info you feel relevant to include.<br />*<br /><br />A new <footer> tag. The <footer> tag might not be as useful as the <header> one but still it allows to include important information there and it can be used for SEO purposes as well. The <header> and <footer> tags can be used many times on one page – i.e. you can have a separate header/footer for each section and this gives really a lot of flexibility.<br />*<br /><br />A new <nav> tag. Navigation is one of the important factors for SEO and everything that eases navigation is welcome. The new <nav> tag can be used to identify a collection of links to other pages.<br /><br />As you see, the new tags follow the common structure of a standard page and each of the parts (i.e. header, footer, main section) has a separate tag. The tags we described here, are just some (but certainly not all) of the new tags in HTML 5, which will affect SEO in some way. For instance, <audio>, <video> or <dialogue> tags are also part of the HTML 5 standard and they will allow to further separate the content into the adequate categories. There are many other tags but they are of relatively lower importance and that is why they are not discussed.<br /><br />For now HTML 5 is still far in the future. When more pages become HTML 5-compliant, search engines will pay more attention to HTML 5. Only then it will be possible to know how exactly search engines will treat HTML 5 pages. The mass adoption of HTML 5 won't happen soon and it is a safe bet to say that for now you can keep to HTML 4 and have no concerns. Additionally, it will take some time for browsers to adjust to HTML 5, which further delays the moment when HTML 5 will be everywhere.<br /><br />However, once HTML 5 is accepted and put to use, it will be the dominating standard for the years to come and that is why you might want to keep an eye on what other web masters are doing, just to make sure that you will not miss the moment when HTML 5 becomes the defacto standard.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-1681481120841671746?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-73221659140223511602009-09-20T01:12:00.003-04:002009-09-20T01:13:49.036-04:00Resource: http://www.seoarticles.com/2009/09/10/relating-seo-to-client-business-models-can-be-helpful/<br /><br />One of the reasons that an SEO expert should know more about real estate optimization and marketing is that almost every real estate agent has a website. In the same way that realtors have business cards with their picture on them, they have an online presence for people who may want to look at several home choices and schedule a walkthrough. Like many SEO customers, Real Estate agents need a quick education on what to expect in the optimization process. Some of the top realtors in any town will also pick up on the fact that one or two commissions can pay for a fair amount of website optimization, and a well optimized site can generate plenty of leads from buyers and sellers.<br /><br />As a group, realtors can also use guidance on the need for certain SEO changes to their sites, since they may have already bought a pre-packaged site. There are only a few website design companies out there who specialize in MLS (Multiple Listing Search, a dynamic feature showing all available homes in an area) functionality, so as a rule, realtor websites can all look very similar. This similarity often extends to the content on the site itself, and in some cases the only original content on a real estate website will be the realtor’s name, address, phone number, and the neighborhoods served by the agent.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Anyone who’s read Dale Carnegie will know that the fastest way to gaining shared understanding with people is to explain things in terms that they can understand. People in SEO tend to drop a lot of jargon about keyword density, H tags, anchor strength, and site trust, all of which are concepts that could take several hours of training to truly grasp. This is would be similar to an agent talking about comps, escrow, and title searches before asking customers about what they’d like in a home. Relating the world of SEO to the world of real estate can make it easier to move ahead with vital site changes, and make your client, who is in this case a realtor, a partner in your success.<br /><br />How do you relate SEO concepts to realtors? If you think about it, SEO isn’t all that different from real estate. Agents in commercial and residential real estate sell the location and the structure on top of it. In this case, the location is the domain name, and the structure is the website. The further you go toward the top of the search engine results, the more valuable the real estate. Likewise, a well built site at the top of the SERPs is akin to a luxury home in Beverly Hills. Naturally, real world locations are a bit more permanent, but SEO companies have an opportunity to show agents that the best spots are worth the money.<br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Using real estate concepts in SEO doesn’t stop with the website. Links to the site, and their quality, can be explained in these terms as well. In the SEO world, we talk about linking to “bad neigborhoods.” Likewise, an endorsement from a gated community (like a .gov site link) is worth more than 200 from the studio apartment complex downtown (like directories that give links to anyone, including casinos and adult sites.) The importance of page title writing can be likened to summarizing a home’s best features first. It isn’t that much of a stretch to say that your page title should be crafted in the same way that you’d place a classified ad for a home. If you really want to belabor the metaphor, you could even say that things like content, internal linking, and alt tags are analogous to zoning or HOA regulations. If you’re clear on how SEO elements relate to each other, the astute agent should get the impression that (just like the sales process) an incomplete SEO job isn’t going to end up generating commissions.<br /><br />Uniqueness is another site aspect that can be related to realtors, but some caution should be advised. In the same way that many homebuyers are satisfied with “vanilla” homes in developments with only 3 choices of exterior paint color, real estate agents may want to have a site with the exact same features of any other website. From an SEO standpoint, however, there should be at least one unique feature that is going to keep people coming back to the site. This may be an MLS search that doesn’t ask for a signup, a mortgage/ payment calculator, or a virtual tour of the neighborhood. Most sites talk about schools and community centered-events, but a realtor who gets more in-depth and interactive may get multiple visits from shoppers who are seeking to eventually make a buy. An interesting feature like up-to-date pricing or recent sales figures may get realtors links from media outlets, blogs, and even other agents.<br /><br />The value proposition of real estate SEO cannot be underestimated, and some of today’s most successful agents already know this. Even though there are more realty websites on the internet than almost any other small business model, the vast majority of these sites contain minimal SEO value, either because of unoriginal content, poor keyword selection, no link popularity, bad design elements (like frames), or Flash elements that can’t be crawled. For this reason, there playing field for many online real estate markets is surprisingly level, and a moderate amount of search engine friendly redesign plus link building can create a definite impact.<br /><br />Relating SEO to client business models can be helpful for a variety of reasons. Working in a client’s own vernacular gives you an ability to relate to the client, and you will save time if you can turn SEO concepts into relevant ideas in the customer’s mind. Obviously, you don’t want to oversimplify things too much, but there is a clear advantage for bringing search engine concepts into the mindset of your clients. Even highly competitive salespeople have a network of colleagues and competitors with whom they share information, and one comfortable SEO client in real estate can literally create dozens of leads from people in the same geographical area. Since many agents prefer to stick to certain neighborhoods or homes within driving distance of their offices, a good SEO company can work with several local agents without excessive overlapping. Some real estate brokers may even want all of their agents to follow a solid SEO strategy, since this will mean that the agency itself will have more visibility in the search engines, even though it is spread among several different sites. In all of these cases, an agent who can relate to SEO concepts is going to be more comfortable with the type of changes necessary for success, and the cost of generating quality real estate client leads.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-7322165914022351160?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-22451268098779356232009-09-19T17:51:00.001-04:002009-09-19T17:52:04.683-04:00Resource: http://www.acunetix.com/websitesecurity/web-hacking.htm<br /><br />Web hacking: Is your data really safe?<br />Just because you think your data is safe does not mean your database of sensitive organization information has not already been cloned and is resident elsewhere ready to be sold to the highest bidder. To make matters worse, only recently, it has been discovered that hackers are not simply selling your data; they’re also selling the fact that you have vulnerabilities to others be they hackers, industrial spies or terrorists.<br /><br />It all sounds apocalyptic, doesn’t it? Well, rather than being an angel of doom, I’ll let the stats speak for themselves.<br /><br />TJX Companies Inc.,<br />TJX Companies, owners of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Winners, HomeGoods, A.J. Wright, and Bob’s stores fell prey to one of the worst web hacking incidents to-date. On the 17th January this year, the company disclosed that 40 million of their customers’ credit and debit card details were stolen. In parallel, federal credit union SEFCU published a similar warning that the personal details of 10,000 of its customers were compromised in the web hacking attack.<br /><br />Another 60 banks including Citizen Union Savings Bank and Bank of America seem to have customers whose credit and debit cards have been breached in this attack.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Ben Cammarata, Chairman and Acting Chief Executive Officer of TJX Companies, stated that the nature of the hack is not known and two computer security experts are at hand examining the problem. The warning issued by SEFCU sheds greater light and states “A fraudster may have gained access to … card information through one of those entities in the payment network, including the merchant.”<br /><br />SC Magazine reports that hackers used data from the breach to purchase goods in a number of states in the US, in Hong Kong and in Sweden.<br /><br />A digest of the latest developments follows:<br /><br />* According to 3WCAX-TV Website, the web hacking attack is expected to cost consumers one-point-five (M) million dollars. This article was published before law suits started sprouting.<br />* Brian Fraga, Standard-Times, reports that a class action lawsuit filed this week in U.S. District Court (Boston) against TJX. The amount of damages sought is undisclosed. According to SC Magazine, yesterday a West Virginia resident slapped another lawsuit and is suing TJX for $5 million.<br />* U.S. Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, has called for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the hacking, according to a eport today in the Boston Globe.<br />* Today, the Government of Canada, stated that it is launching an investigation into TJX and the data breach.<br />* Of note is that the hacking may have started in May 2006 and the breach was discovered only in December 2006 (and publicized in January 2007).<br /><br />Hacking Universities<br />University systems are usually highly decentralized which makes it hard to ensure tight security. To the extent that one department may have deployed a hardened security infrastructure while others loll in lax measures making the whole system weak.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />The following are some of the recent university hacks due to web application vulnerabilities:<br /><br />* Last month, a hacker infiltrated a massive database from the University of California, Los Angeles, containing personal information (including social security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses and contact information) on 800,000 people in one of the worst computer breaches ever at a US university.<br />* In January 2007, the University of Arizona reported a web hacking breach happening November and December last year that effected several services according to the Privacy Clearing House. The number of effected records is as yet undisclosed.<br />* In December 2006, University of Colorado – Boulder experienced a web hacking attack that resulted in the theft of thousands of names and social security numbers – a total of 17,500 records were compromised.<br />* University of Texas, Dallas, reported in December 2006 that the data of 35,000 individuals (current students and alumni) was compromised. Social security numbers were exposed, according to the Privacy Clearing House.<br /><br />Changing Trends in What Motivates Hackers<br />According to Zone-H, the top 50 attackers defaced a total of approximately 2.5 million websites all over the globe. According to the CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey 2005, one of the most dramatic findings was the exponential increase in website defacement experienced by their respondents: in 2004, 5% of the respondents experienced defacement while in 2005 that figure went up to 95%. Recent trends over the past 12 months show that there is a shift from such disruptive vandalism that gains notoriety towards theft of data that translates into profit. The report on 2006 is still to be published.<br /><br />Statistics<br />Since many organizations do not monitor online activity at the web application level, hackers have free reign and even with the tiniest of loop holes in a company’s web application code, any experienced hacker can break in using only a web browser and a dose of creativity and determination. It seems that most hack attacks are discovered months after the initial breach simply because attackers do not want and will not leave an audit trial. In web application attacks physical evidence (e.g., a missing database) is inexistent – hackers are interested in stealing the data and leaving it intact.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Recent research by a leading research firm shows that 75% of cyber attacks are done at web application level. Research at Acunetix corroborates this finding. Read the results here. Competing web application security organizations record similar data.<br /><br />The Privacy Clearing House reports more interesting findings including the fact that over 100 million records have been compromised since February 2005. However this figure excludes the TJX episode of around 40 million records. Out of a total of around 140 million approximately 80 million were due to web hacking attacks.<br /><br />The Cost of Web Hacking<br />The costs of hack attacks to any organization are extensive with possible financial burdens that may result in closure:<br /><br />* Loss of customer confidence, trust and reputation with the consequent harm to brand equity and consequent effects on revenue and profitability;<br />* Possible loss of the ability to accept certain payment instruments e.g. VISA, Mastercard<br />* Negative impact on revenues and profits arising from any falsified transactions and from employee downtime;<br />* Website downtime which is in effect the closure of one of the most important sales channels for an e-business;<br />* The expenditure involved in repairing the damage done and building contingency plans for securing compromised websites and web applications; and,<br />* Legal battles and related implications from Web application attacks and lax security measures including fines and damages to be paid to victims.<br /><br />The figure above shows the total losses as reported by the 2005 CSI/FBI Annual Computer Crime and Security Survey.<br /><br />The total losses per category of breach (valid only for the US) is reported to be over $130 m for the 639 respondents willing and able to estimate their losses. The Survey authors also state that while explicit costs (such as costs of reinstalling software and reconfiguring computer systems) is more accurately accounted for by respondents, implicit costs (such as lost future sales due to negative media coverage following a breach) is more difficult to account for and are largely not represented in the loss numbers reported here.<br /><br />Now does it sound apocalyptic? I believe there is serious need for all to worry.<br /><br />Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner<br />Click here to learn more about Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner and how the solution helps to regularly audit your website and web applications for vulnerabilities to web hacking attacks.<br /><br />Scanning for XSS vulnerabilities with Acunetix WVS Free Edition<br />To check whether your website has cross site scripting vulnerabilities, download the Free Edition. This version will scan any website / web application for XSS vulnerabilities and it will also reveal all the essential information related to it, such as the vulnerability location and remediation techniques. Scanning for XSS is normally a quick exercise (depending on the size of the web-site).<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-2245126809877935623?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-29682134908017911712009-09-18T09:32:00.001-04:002009-09-18T09:33:01.496-04:00Resource: http://www.highrankings.com/professional<br /><br /><br />There's a lot of stuff posted on search engine forums and newsletters around the world about how companies who spam the search engines are unethical, and that it's important to hire only "ethical SEO consultants" or "ethical search engine marketers."<br /><br /><br /><br />But, if you think about it, ethics is not something that's quantifiable. What makes any given SEO technique ethical or unethical? Isn't ethics more of a way of life than a method for doing something? Is trying to trick the search engines really unethical? Sure, it's stupid, in my opinion, but is it really unethical? I don't believe that those who practice what I sometimes refer to as "shady SEO techniques" can necessarily be classified as unethical. Just as everyone who follows every search engine rule can't automatically be assumed to be ethical.<br /><br /><br /><br />What we should instead be discussing is which companies are SEO professionals and which are just out for a buck. This is true in every industry, not just SEO. If the people in our industry can remember this when trying to create a professional SEO organization (and there are many factions trying to do this), it will go a lot smoother. It's really quite simple. My friend Alan Perkins, who is a champion of "professional SEO," pointed out a definition of professional to me recently. It says in part:<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br /><br />"What defines a professional?"<br /><br /><br /><br />"A professional is a person who, by education, training, and experience, performs work, analyzes and solves problems, makes decisions, and promotes ethics associated with a particular field of study." - A. Carol Rusaw, Learning by Association, HRD Quarterly, Summer 1995."<br /><br /><br /><br />They go on to list some criteria for defining a professional. The one that really jumped out at me was this:<br /><br /><br /><br />"[The] Professional assumed to know what is good for the client better than the client."<br /><br /><br /><br />That really hits the nail on the head. It would be easy for any of us to say, "Sure, why not, I'll take your money and just tweak your Meta tags" when asked to do so by a client. Of course it would be easy money. But would it be right if you knew that doing so probably wouldn't really help their site be found in the search engines? Not in my opinion; nor would it be professional SEO.<br /><br /><br /><br />So what about when a potential client comes to you saying "we know exactly what we need" because they read somewhere how SEO should be done. They ask you for a proposal to create 10 zebra (doorway) pages for their site. They don't want you to touch the actual pages of their site, they just want pages that live on the "fringes" of the site. You know, the kind that only the search engines will find (because you added a link way down low on the home page to a sitemap of all the zebra pages). Once the user arrives at one of the pages from the search engines, they're basically forced to click an extra time to finally arrive at the real site that they wanted to begin with.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br /><br /><br />Should you give the client a quote for this even though you know in your heart that it's not necessarily the best way to optimize their site? Certainly, creating those pages that way couldn't really be considered unethical or anything. But what if you see that their current site already has tons of great content pages? They really don't need to add zebra pages, they just need to tweak their current content a bit to make sure they're using words that real people use when searching.<br /><br /><br /><br />Or perhaps they just need to make sure the search engines can easily spider through the site and find all that great content, e.g., turn dynamic URLs into static URLs.<br /><br />What do you do if when you explain this to the client, they're still set on using those zebra pages? They refuse to make changes to their actual pages (cuz someone told them they shouldn't have to!), and even though the site will be much improved by making these changes, no amount of cajoling will convince them of this. So what do you do then? Do you do things the way they want you to? Do they really know better than you, the SEO professional?<br /><br /><br /><br />If I were in this situation, and I couldn't persuade them how wrong, unnecessary and shortsighted their preferred technique was, I'd have to turn down the job altogether. Yeah, it's hard to turn down some decent money that a job like that could bring. I mean, you could probably even create those zebra pages using WPG's Page Generator, and give them some fancy new name. They're really not zebra pages...these ones would be giraffe pages! It could be good money for little work. And after all...it IS what the client wants, right?<br /><br /><br /><br />There are plenty of ways you can justify it to yourself. But the bottom line is that it's your job as a professional SEO to do what you know in your heart is right. If it means you don't get that particular job, then so be it. There will be other jobs. And there will be other clients that appreciate your looking out for their site's long-term well-being. Seriously. The money you lose from declining that type of work will be made up in so many different ways. You can bank on it!<br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-2968213490801791171?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-3521325999451913162009-09-17T13:17:00.001-04:002009-09-17T13:18:18.347-04:00Resource: http://stopbadware.org/home/security<br /><br />There are three basic steps to maintaining a clean site:<br /><br />1. Identifying badware behavior on your site<br />2. Removing badware behavior from your site<br />3. Preventing badware behaviors in the future<br /><br />Identifying badware on your site<br /><br />The first step to keeping your website badware-free is to check for any badware or badware behaviors that may already be on your site. Badware is software that fundamentally disregards a user’s choice over how his or her computer will be used. Many sites with badware problems are not actually hosting badware themselves, but instead exhibit other “badware behaviors” such as automatic redirects or prominent links to badware on other sites. Often these badware behaviors are the result of hacking attacks or compromised third-party content, such as ads, rather than any deliberate actions by the website’s owner. You can learn more about badware and badware behaviors in our Guidelines.<br /><br />When looking for badware on your site, especially badware due to hacking attacks, please remember to check the source code of your site as it is currently hosted on your web servers. Many site owners mistakenly look just at the website files they have on their own computers, and so miss seeing the evidence of attacks to the site itself.<br /><br />If your site has been flagged with a malware warning by Google, check the Google Diagnostics page for your site for more information about the problems Google found.<br /><br />Here are some common types of badware to look for:<br />1. Badware available for download on your site<br /><br />Evaluate the software that you are offering for download – including any third-party applications that are bundled with your software – based on StopBadware’s Software Guidelines. If the software that you are offering for download violates our guidelines, then it constitutes badware.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />If your software is bundled with third-party applications, you may also want to check whether the bundled applications install any dangerous or deceptive code. One method for detecting this is to download the entire software bundle onto a virtual machine and scan it using anti-virus or anti-spyware programs.<br />2. Badware available on sites that you link to<br /><br />If your website links to badware, your site’s visitors may be in danger, even when the bad software or code exploits are not actually hosted on your site. Your web pages may violate our Website Guidelines if they automatically redirect to a website that hosts or distributes badware; directly link to executable files that are badware; link to another website that automatically attempts to install badware by exploit onto the user’s computer; or contain substantial links to other website(s) that predominantly host or distribute badware.<br /><br />Some ways to determine whether the links on your site violate our guidelines would be to check whether any of your links lead to bad software available for download on another site, or whether they lead to an infected page on another site. (We recommend that, when looking for badware, you use a virtual machine to avoid damaging your own computer.) It may also be useful to search through your site’s source code and look for links to unknown sites, especially if the links are to executable files. Executable files include files with extensions such as .exe, .bat, .cmd, .scr, and .pif. There are also applications available that will allow you to scan for malicious links within a web page, and you can use these applications to help decide whether to link to that page.<br /><br />You can also use the StopBadware application alerts and our Badware Website Clearinghouse as a resource to search for information on the sites and software to which you link or are planning to link.<br />3. Badware distributed through ads running on your site<br /><br />Advertising displayed on your site is another potential source of badware, since most ads include direct links to an external web page. Please see section 1.2 above for general information about our guidelines for badware found via links. If you display third-party ads on your website, check that the links do not lead to bad software or to a badware-infected web page. The methods for evaluating the software that is available through ads are similar to those described in section 1.1.<br /><br />Use internet searches to check out the ad networks you use to learn whether other websites have had badware problems with those ad providers.<br />4. Badware links posted in user-generated areas of your site<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />If there are any areas of your site where users can post or upload content, these areas may be a potential source of badware or badware links. Please see sections 1.1 and 1.2 above for information about badware and badware links.<br />5. Hacking attacks to your site<br /><br />Another common source of badware on websites is hacking attacks, which allow third parties to insert code or executables onto poorly secured websites. A common example is the “injection attack,” in which a hacker uses a security vulnerability to inject harmful code into one of your web pages. Usually this code will be invisible to visitors to your site, but can trigger a silent badware download in the background of a visitor’s computer. You can often detect whether this kind of attack has occurred by looking at the source code of your web pages and determining if contains any code that you did not place there. Be sure to look at the code as it is appearing live on your web server.<br />Two common types of “injection attack” are:<br /><br />Invisible iframes<br /><br />Iframe tags are one of the many kinds of HTML tag codes that can be used as part of the source code that creates a website. An iframe creates a small window on a webpage so that another page can load inside the embedded window. Iframes are not always used for nefarious purposes; one frequent use, for example, is to embed remotely hosted dynamic content such as online maps into web pages. When used by malicious attackers, an iframe can be made so small that it is invisible, and the visitor to the infected page never knows that another page is also loading in the tiny iframe window.<br /><br />If you see code for an iframe with width=“0” and height=“0” in the source code of any page on your website, you have found an invisible iframe. Iframes are most commonly inserted at the very top or the very bottom of a web page’s source code. A good first place to check for iframes is before the initial tag that starts a web page’s standard code, or after the final that ends a page’s code.<br /><br />Obfuscated code<br /><br />Obfuscated code or scripts are designed to be hidden within the normal code for your site, so they can be hard to detect. The code is written specifically to prevent automated tools from discovering its purpose. The most commonly obfuscated kind of code is javascript, which is used to add functionality to many websites.<br /><br />Obfuscated code is not necessarily bad; for example, some developers use encoding to make it harder for automated programs to detect email addresses displayed on a site, protecting the addresses from spam harvesters. However, if you write the code on your site and you do not intentionally obfuscate, a block of obfuscated code on your site may indicate an injection attack. The two most common ways code is obfuscated are through encoding and encrypting.<br /><br />Encoding can sometimes be easy to spot because the encoding uses either “hex” or “unicode/wide” characters. For hex characters, you will see strings of percent signs with two characters after them (e.g. %AA%BB%CC). For unicode characters, you will see strings of “\u” with four characters after (e.g. \u0048\u0069\u0021). These blocks of encoded text can take up several paragraphs.<br /><br />Encrypted code is harder to find, because there are no set patterns. However, encrypted code will look like a block of unintelligible text. Normal javascript uses a syntax based on actual English words. Encoded or encrypted text appears in a site’s source code as completely unintelligible blocks of letters, numbers, and symbols.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />While most hacking attacks focus on html code, it is also possible for bad software itself to be uploaded onto a poorly secured site. Bad software can include unknown executables (such as files that end in .exe, .bat, .cmd, .scr, and .pif), javascript files, or even images uploaded to your site without your knowledge. Sometimes attackers will simply use your website to host badware and link to it from other victim sites. One method for detecting whether you are hosting bad software on your site is to download all of your source code from the live website onto a virtual machine and scan it using anti-virus and anti-spyware programs.<br />Removing badware from your site<br /><br />How you should go about removing badware from your site will depend on what kind(s) of badware your site is hosting or linking to. Our general recommendation is to take your website offline while you clean and secure it, to prevent your site’s visitors from being unwittingly infected in the interim.<br />1. If your site is hosting bad software for download<br /><br />Remove the bad software from your website and don’t make it available for download again unless you can be sure that it is no longer badware. You can learn more about what makes a piece of software badware in our guidelines. If you are the creator of the software in question, StopBadware may be able to offer recommendations for bringing your software into compliance with our guidelines.<br />2. If your site links to badware<br /><br />Remove all badware links from your website.<br />3. If ads on your site are linking to badware<br /><br />Remove all ads that link to badware. If you use an ad network, this may mean removing all the network’s ads from your site until you can be sure the network is clean. You may also want to contact your ad provider and let them know that one or more of their ads is causing badware to be linked from your site.<br />4. If badware is linked in user-generated areas of your site<br /><br />Remove the badware links from your site. This may involve editing user posts to remove the badware content, or deleting entire user posts.<br />5. If your site has been hacked<br /><br />Take the site offline in order to keep from putting your site’s visitors and your customers at risk. Then remove all of the offending code and fix all underlying security vulnerabilities before putting your site back online. Finding and removing a specific block of bad code that a hacker has inserted can clean your site for a time, but keeping your site from being infected in the future will require fixing the security vulnerabilities that allowed the hacker to insert the code in the first place. As such, be sure to check for and remove any backdoors left by the attacker. A backdoor will allow an attacker to get back into your site even after you have locked down the site.<br /><br />Your hosting provider should also be able to help you figure out where the underlying vulnerabilities on your site are, so contacting them should be a top priority if you think your site has been hacked. You can also check your hosting provider’s forums to see if any other webmasters using that host have been compromised. Checking user forums for the software used by your site can also help you see if other users have been compromised through flaws in the software, or if there are security updates which your site does not yet have in place.<br />Preventing badware in the future<br />1. Check software for badware before making it available for download<br /><br />See section 1.1 above for general information on badware and our software guidelines.<br />2. Check links for badware before posting them to your site<br /><br />See section 1.2 above for general information and our guidelines about badware in links.<br />3. Use only reputable, conscientious ad providers and regularly monitor them to be sure they stay clean<br /><br />Make sure your ad network is reputable and actively screens for badware from advertisers. If not, switch and tell them why you switched. Remember that an ad shown on your site, even if provided and hosted by a third party, is still a part of your web page. You should only accept ads from providers that you are confident are diligent about protecting clients from badware. Use internet searches to check out the ad networks you are considering using to learn whether other websites have had badware problems with those ad providers.<br />4. Monitor user-generated areas of your site<br /><br />Make sure your terms of use for posting to forums, blogs, and other user-generated areas of your site explicitly forbid posting links to badware. Then actively monitor these areas of your site for suspicious links or executables. You may also choose not to allow users to link directly to any form of executable file or to insert javascript into forum messages or other user-generated content areas. See section 1.2 above for general information and our guidelines about badware in links.<br />5. Close security loopholes to secure your site against hacking<br /><br />Some basic steps that can be taken to make your site more secure include the following:<br /><br />* Use strong passwords.<br />* Use SSH and SFTP protocols, instead of telnet or FTP. Telnet and FTP are both considered insecure because of their use of plain text protocols. They transmit usernames and passwords in a way that anyone with access to the network can read. SSH and SFTP are based on an encrypted protocol which prevents eavesdropping.<br />* Scan your site for security vulnerabilities using a vulnerability auditing scanner (both free and commercial versions are available). Use security update management tools to detect missing patches and then apply those patches immediately. The StopBadware online community has created a page of suggestions from our community members here].<br />* Keep up to date on news relating to any software you or your host use on your site, and make sure you are always running the most recent versions, including security patches. Subscribe to, and regularly read, any newsletters or alerts offered by your hosting provider and software providers.<br />* Make sure your hosting provider keeps all software updated, including security patches. If they do not, urge them to do so or switch to a hosting provider that you are confident does its best to keep its clients’ websites secure.<br /><br />When your site is clean, secure, and back online, you may want to notify your site visitors about the badware problem, and the steps you’ve taken to address it. If a user has become infected with badware after visiting your site, knowing what you’ve found will help them clean up their own computer.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-352132599945191316?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-91017239931326302882009-09-16T18:47:00.003-04:002009-09-16T18:48:17.738-04:00Resource: http://seoarticles.seoforgoogle.com/what-are-you-worth.cfm<br /><br />No, I am not talking about how much you make, or what you're assets are worth. I am not talking about how much you could get freelancing out in the big bad world either.<br /><br />What I am talking about is how much do you bring to the table.<br /><br />Thank about this scenario:<br /><br />You want to start your own SEO/SEM conference event. So, you start to call all the speakers at past events. Almost everyone turns you down because they've never heard of you. You may get some people who feel bad and will sheepishly commit if other "big names" do the same.<br /><br />Now, pretend you're Danny Sullivan. When he contacts people to speak at the conferences, the only pushback he might get is limiting people to how many sessions they can speak at.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />See the difference?<br /><br />Sometimes deals are made based on what you are known for (reputation capital). These opportunities do not happen by accident. When a deal is completed because of the "You" factor, think about the time you've spent responding to emails, posting to forums and blogs that have lead you to building up your name.<br /><br />All those actions shaped your reputation capital.<br /><br />I know in today's word it's easy to bash the silly questions and make fun of others who aren't as technically advanced - but keep in mind that just about everything that gets posted to the web leaves a trail, and when a major deal is taking place, big companies hire plebes to find any dirt they can about who you are - just to disqualify or discount you.<br /><br />So remember, no one is an overnight success; it takes years of persistence and a belief in what you are doing and most importantly, consistency in delivering your point of view.<br /><br />It's not always easy, but don't ever let your value decrease.<br />-To your online success!<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-9101723993132630288?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-5833015728512301352009-09-15T15:27:00.003-04:002009-09-15T15:28:21.680-04:00Resource: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=424<br /><br />While I normally advocate a principles-based approach to maintaining system security – and deplore the typical “best practices” checklist approach – that doesn’t mean that security checklists are without value. Employing a security procedures checklist is only the first step toward securing a resource, a means of aiding your memory before you apply your critical thinking skills and imagination to the problem of improving on the checklist in each individual case. Sometimes, a checklist can be useful in affecting workplace security policies as well.<br /><br />A number of far-too-common security failures on Web sites and Web servers are addressed here. Because of the frequency of these poor security practices, it strikes me as important to gather good practices that address these problems in one place and to make them publicly available to Web server administrators, Web developers, and Webmasters. For those of you who haven’t considered all these factors in managing your Web resources, I recommend dealing with what you have left unconsidered as quickly as possible.<br /><br />For those whose management has proved resistant to suggestions for improving security in these areas, or who simply need help in composing a message to management that will make your point clearly so that it isn’t misunderstood, I hope you find the following checklist of Web security practices helpful.<br /><br />* Login pages should be encrypted: The number of times I have seen Web sites that only use SSL (with https: URL schemes) after user authentication is accomplished is really dismaying. Encrypting the session after login may be useful — like locking the barn door so the horses don’t get out — but failing to encrypt logins is a bit like leaving the key in the lock when you’re done locking the barn door. Even if your login form POSTs to an encrypted resource, in many cases this can be <br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite -->circumvented by a malicious security cracker who crafts his own login form to access the same resource and give him access to sensitive data.<br />* Data validation should be done server-side: Many Web forms include some JavaScript data validation. If this validation includes anything meant to provide improved security, that validation means almost nothing. A malicious security cracker can craft a form of his own that accesses the resource at the other end of the Web page’s form action that doesn’t include any validation at all. Worse yet, many cases of JavaScript form validation can be circumvented simply by deactivating JavaScript in the browser or using a Web browser that doesn’t support JavaScript at all. In some cases, I’ve even seen login pages where the password validation is done client-side — which either exposes the passwords to the end user via the ability to view page source or, at best, allows the end user to alter the form so that it always reports successful validation. Don’t let your Web site security be a victim of client-side data validation. Server-side validation does not fall prey to the shortcomings of client-side validation because a malicious security cracker must already have gained access to the server to be able to compromise it.<br />* Manage your Web site via encrypted connections: Using unencrypted connections (or even connections using only weak encryption), such as unencrypted FTP or HTTP for Web site or Web server management, opens you up to man-in-the-middle attacks and login/password sniffing. Always use encrypted protocols such as SSH to access secure resources, using verifiably secure tools such as OpenSSH. Once someone has intercepted your login and password information, that person can do anything you could have done.<br />* Use strong, cross-platform compatible encryption: Believe it or not, SSL is not the top-of-the-line technology for Web site encryption any longer. Look into TLS, which stands for Transport Layer Security — the successor to Secure Socket Layer encryption. Make sure any encryption solution you choose doesn’t unnecessarily limit your user base, the way proprietary platform-specific technologies might, as this can lead to resistance to use of secure encryption for Web site access. The same principles also apply to back-end management, where cross-platform-compatible <br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite -->strong encryption such as SSH is usually preferable to platform-specific, weaker encryption tools such as Windows Remote Desktop.<br />* Connect from a secured network: Avoid connecting from networks with unknown or uncertain security characteristics or from those with known poor security such as open wireless access points in coffee shops. This is especially important whenever you must log in to the server or Web site for administrative purposes or otherwise access secure resources. If you must access the Web site or Web server when connected to an unsecured network, use a secure proxy so that your connection to the secure resource comes from a proxy on a secured network. In previous articles, I have addressed how to set up a quick and easy secure proxy using either an OpenSSH secure proxy or a PuTTY secure proxy.<br />* Don’t share login credentials: Shared login credentials can cause a number of problems for security. This applies not only to you, the Webmaster or Web server administrator, but to people with login credentials for the Web site as well — clients should not share login credentials either. The more login credentials are shared, the more they tend to get shared openly, even with people who shouldn’t have access to the system. The more they are shared, the more difficult it is to establish an audit trail to help track down the source of a problem. The more they are shared, the greater the number of people affected when logins need to be changed due to a security breach or threat.<br />* Prefer key-based authentication over password authentication: Password authentication is more easily cracked than cryptographic key-based authentication. The purpose of a password is to make it easier to remember the login credentials needed to access a secure resource — but if you use key-based authentication and only copy the key to predefined, authorized systems (or better yet, to separate media kept apart from the authorized system until it’s needed), you will use a stronger authentication credential that’s more difficult to crack.<br />* Maintain a secure workstation: If you connect to a secure resource from a client system that you can’t guarantee with complete confidence is secure, you cannot guarantee someone isn’t “listening in” on everything you’re doing. Keyloggers, compromised network encryption clients, and other tricks of the malicious security cracker’s trade can all allow someone unauthorized access to sensitive data regardless of all the secured networks, encrypted communications, and other networking protections you employ. Integrity auditing may be the only way to be sure, with any certainty, that your workstation has not been compromised.<br />* Use redundancy to protect the Web site: Backups and server failover can help maintain maximum uptime. While failover systems can reduce outages due to server crashes (perhaps because of DDoS attacks) and server shutdowns (perhaps because the server was hijacked by a malicious security cracker) to mere hiccups in service, that isn’t the only value to redundancy. The duplicate servers used in failover plans also maintain an up-to-date duplication of server configuration so you don’t have to rebuild your server from scratch in case of disaster. Backups ensure that client data isn’t lost — and that you won’t hesitate to wipe out sensitive data on a compromised system if you fear that data may fall into the wrong hands. Of course, failover and backup solutions must be secured as well, and they should be tested regularly to ensure that if and when they are needed, they won’t let you down.<br />* Make sure you implement strong security measures that apply to all systems — not just those specific to Web security: For more detail, check out 10 security tips for all general-purpose OSes. It might be worth a read.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-583301572851230135?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-79434555676484105092009-09-15T01:47:00.001-04:002009-09-15T01:48:24.352-04:00Resource: http://www.seoarticles.com/2009/06/17/is-expert-seo-testing-valuable/<br /><br />About 2 weeks ago Danny Sullivan highlighted that Google follows Javascript links, and that sculpting PageRank using rel=nofollow no longer works. Matt Cutts shared that second bit to the shock and awe of the SEO industry at the recent SMX conference.<br /><br />And Nofollow Has Done so For Over a Year Now<br /><br />While Matt Cutts only recently announced the change, this change is something that was done over a year ago:<br /><br />More than a year ago, Google changed how the PageRank flows so that the five links without nofollow would flow one point of PageRank each.<br /><br />Matt explained why they never disclosed the change back then:<br /><br />At first, we figured that site owners or people running tests would notice, but they didn’t. In retrospect, we’ve changed other, larger aspects of how we look at links and people didn’t notice that either, so perhaps that shouldn’t have been such a surprise. So we started to provide other guidance that PageRank sculpting isn’t the best use of time.<br /><br />Why Google Engineers Once Pushed Nofollow PageRank Sculpting<br /><br />Originally Google created rel=nofollow in what was claimed as an attempt to minimize the effects of blog comment spam on their search results. But the tag never decreased blog spam, it only decreased the ability of bloggers to influence search rankings by leaving back-scratching comments on each other’s blogs.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Matt Cutts quickly extended nofollow’s purpose to include use on paid text link ads as well. But given that Google AdWords sells links (and often to scammers) some people may have seen trade issues with forcing the new proprietary nofollow tag onto the web. Promoting PageRank sculpting gave Google a way to legitimize a tag which otherwise added no value to anyone except search companies.<br /><br />After enough time passed and Google saw too much collateral damage popping up from rel=nofollow usage, they pulled the rug out from underneath it. Nofollow already had enough momentum, and was a functional part of the web. After a Google employee slipped nofollow into a working draft of the HTML 5 specifications it was time time to clean up the mess and inform SEOs about the nofollow change that happened over a year ago.<br /><br />Some SEO Professionals Claimed Huge Benefits From PageRank Sculpting<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Over the last year many SEOs have claimed that nofollow tests worked amazingly well which show up directly in the bottom line. And ironically, sharing/hyping this incorrect information worked well from a marketing perspective because…<br /><br />* it makes them look cutting edge and allows them to sell additional services<br /><br />* writing about things which are new, uncertain, and untested yields links (because for every person who is an SEO expert there are 1,000 ditto-heads linking to whatever sounds new or important)<br /><br />What the SEOs were testing on their high profile public SEO websites was more a reflection of branding and marketing efforts. As they made noise in the marketplace their brand spread and that made more sales. We recently (maybe a month ago?) added nofollow to some links on our site, and we failed to see the lift that other SEOs claimed. And the SEOs that claimed to see the obvious huge amazing lift failed to report the drop off when Google changed how they handled nofollow, which sorta shows the error in the testing method.<br /><br />Why Fake SEO Experts Recommended Using Nofollow Everywhere<br /><br />It is no surprising that many self-proclaimed experts aim to misinform novices, as beginners are typically the biggest piece of a market and their topical ignorance makes them the easiest to monetize.<br /><br />This is precisely why get-rich-quick email list internet marketers make so much money. There is always a new, desperate, and gullible crop to feed off of - an Eternal September. And until they get burned a few times and hardened by the market (and/or go bankrupt) they convert at rates well above what other market segments convert at. Greed makes it easy to make poor financial decisions, especially when matched against seasoned marketers and promises of automated wealth generation.<br /><br />A More Holistic SEO Strategy<br /><br />Part of my SEO philosophy has been to try to get the easy wins that you can figure out, but not to know the relevancy algorithms in intimate detail because it gets hard to isolate testing variables as sites get more established, and when you are competing for core keywords in big, competitive markets the SEO game comes down to industrial strength link building, public relations, social networking, branding, advertising, and other aspects of classical marketing.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Most of the SEO Market Misses Big Changes<br /><br />Think of how many SEO blogs there are (literally thousands), and…<br /><br />* a month after a major update happen a lot of people say nothing changed (even though Google confirmed the change and we highlighted it on our blog, backed by hard ranking data across many industries)<br /><br />* nobody said anything when Google changed how they treat nofollow (we didn’t notice the change because we have not used it much on many of our sites because we were afraid it would be taken as an SEO flag, given how Google profiles SEO professionals)<br /><br />Lots of alleged testing in the SEO industry, but most of the stuff shared publicly is nonsense or misguided junk worth less than nothing.<br /><br />What About “Experts” Who “Test” Everything?<br /><br />About 6 months ago I talked to a person who claimed to be an expert at fine-tuned testing, and I was surprised as to how clueless they were about the influence of domain names on SEO. Even after I told them and showed examples they still didn’t get it. They were clueless even after seeing the evidence. Domains are one of the few variables that are exceptionally easy to test, and it really validated my opinion that excessive testing can be a waste of time, as that the well known self-labeled “expert tester” was so ignorant about something that is so easy to test. Another self-promotional expert recently claimed that hyphenated domains were the way to go because he has data on 40,000 customers who are all using his misinformation. (Of course he didn’t word it that way, but a sampling error he made, and 40,000+ people are losing money because of that advice).<br /><br />Some People Know The Algorithms, but do Not Share<br /><br />The one disclaimer I would on this front is that there are some SEOs who likely know the relevancy algorithms better than many Google engineers do. Guys like David Naylor, Greg Boser, Fantomaster, and Eli can do a lot of deep-algo testing based on how many sites they operate and how good they are at doing it. But those guys spend a lot of time and money doing their testing, and don’t share their advanced research publicly until they feel it makes sense to from a strategic standpoint, as noted in our recent interview of Eli:<br /><br />Isn’t the value of many aggressive SEO ideas inversely proportional to the number of people using them? What makes you decide what ideas to share and when to share them?<br /><br />In many cases that’s absolutely correct. I’ve shared several techniques that have died within days of posting them. Just to list a few examples, my Abandoned Wordpress series, Wikipedia Series, and Amazon.com exploits. In all these cases I know before I ever post it that it’ll die moments after I do. So most of the time I’ll post it out of greed. They are usually techniques I’ve been using for several years and have since retired them out and quit using them. Naturally with any technique others are bound to figure it out. When I start seeing them popup underground and are being used against me in increasing numbers when I’m no longer using them myself I might as well wreck it. <br /><br />If you only have a few sites testing many variables is much harder than many people try to make it seem, and it takes a serious investment and skill level to be at the level of the above mentioned names.<br /><br />SEO “Experts” Jumping from 1 Bad Recommendation to an Over-Reactive Increasingly Worse Strategy<br /><br />Based on the current Google information on nofollow, some SEOs are already recommending that you strip the ability of commenters to add any outbound links to comments so you can hoard more PageRank. And some are suggesting putting comments in an iframe. But in most cases, such advice is at best misguided. Why?<br /><br />1. Comments offer free relevant textual content that helps your pages rank for a wider array of related keywords.<br /><br />2. Allowing some relevant outbound linking makes the page more useful, and makes some people slightly more likely to want to comment.<br /><br />3. When you are competing for core keywords in big, competitive markets the SEO game comes down to industrial strength link building, public relations, social networking, branding, advertising, and other aspects of classical marketing.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-7943455567648410509?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-46698497218917287912009-09-14T02:03:00.003-04:002009-09-14T02:08:19.487-04:00Resource: http://www.acunetix.com/blog/web-security-articles/security-risks-associated-with-utf8_decode/<br /><br />BlackHat USA 2009; Eduardo Vela Nava (sirdarckcat) and David Lindsay presented a paper entitled “Our Favorite XSS Filters and How to Attack Them”. Very interesting paper, you should definitely take a look at it.<br /><br />In this paper, besides other things, they presented a very interesting way to bypass XSS filters using Unicode charcters.<br /><br />XSS filters<br /><br />Consider the following piece of code:<br /><br />xss_utf8_decode<br /><br />This code is using the utf8_decode function to decode the input to single-bytes characters. Later, it will check if the decoded input contains dangerous characters and reject the input if that’s the case. Using this function, utf8_decode is/(used to be) recommended to protect against obfuscated Unicode encoding.<br /><br />Here is a quote from OWASP’s discussion page about “Testing_for_Cross_site_scripting”;<br /><br />“<br /><br />The following PHP functions help mitigate Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerabilities:<br />…<br /><br />utf8_decode() converts UTF-8 encoding to single byte ASCII characters. Decoding Unicode input prior to filtering it can help you detect attacks that the attacker has obfuscated with Unicode encoding.<br />…<!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />“<br /><br />However, in this case, as Eduardo and David showed, utf8_decode is the problem and not the solution. You can bypass the filter with a query string like:<br /><br />vuln.php?input=%F6%3Cimg+onmouseover=prompt(/xss/)//%F6%3E<br /><br />I’ve edited the code to show the input before and after utf8_decode to understand what’s going on:<br /><br />input (before utf8_decode): ö<img acu onmouseover=prompt(400854747531)//ö><br /><br />decoded input (after utf8_decode): ?g acu onmouseover=prompt(400854747531)//?<br /><br />The initial string contained 2 filtered characters < (%3C) and > (%3E). However, because of the %F6 character, utf8_decode is replacing them (and two more characters) with a question sign. The filter is bypassed and the code is vulnerable to XSS (cross site scripting).<br /><br />utf8_decode and addslashes<br /><br />However, this problem is not only related with XSS filters. A similar case will appear when using utf8_decode to convert escaped strings (e.g. addslashes()).<br />“<br />he following PHP functions help mitigate Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerabilities:<br />…<br />Utf8_decode() converts UTF-8 encoding to single byte ASCII characters. Decoding Unicode input prior to filtering it can help you detect<br />attacks that the attacker has obfuscated with Unicode encoding.<br />…<br />“<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Some sample source code:<br /><br />sql_injection_addslashes_utf8_decode<br /><br />This code is using addslashes (which is not a proper way to protect against SQL injection but still people use it) together with utf8_decode. If you try to insert a single quote, addslashes will protect against SQL injection:<br /><br />index.php?username=%27&password=a<br /><br />user: test\’<br /><br />pass: a<br /><br />SQL query: SELECT * FROM users WHERE uname = ‘test\” and pass = ‘a’<br /><br />I’ve updated the code to show the inputs and the SQL query. However, this code can be exploited using a query string like:<br /><br />index.php?username=test%FC%27%27+or+1=1+–+&password=a<br /><br />This will generate the following output:<br /><br />user: test?’ or 1=1 –<br /><br />pass: a<br /><br />SQL query: SELECT * FROM users WHERE uname = ‘test?’ or 1=1 — ‘ and pass = ‘a’<br /><br />Again, utf8_decode replaced the characters after %FC with a question mark, making the code vulnerable to SQL injection. The PHP directive magic_quotes_gpc is on by default, and it essentially runs addslashes() on all GET, POST, and COOKIE data.<br /><br />While looking into this problem, I’ve found a very useful comment on the PHP page for the utf8_decode function:<br /><br />Warning!<br />This function contains a possible security risk when you try to convert escaped strings (see addslashes() and related functions).<br />It reacts nasty on broken multibyte sequences. In UTF-8, follow-up bytes ALWAYS have the binary pattern 10xxxxxx, but this fact is not handled by utf8_decode in the way you would expect: If you pass a start byte (110xxxxx, 1110xxxx, 11110xxx – or even invalid sequences like 11111100), followed by one or more non-multibyte chars (0xxxxxxx), the start sequence “char” will be replaced by ‘?’ (0×3F) and up to three following chars will disappear even if they are single-byte-chars (0xxxxxxx). So if you escape a string with a typical escape char like backslash, you would expect that your escaping would always survive a call to utf8decode because the escape char is in the assumed safe ascii range 0-127, but that is NOT the case!<br />Try things like utf8_decode(”test: ü\\\”123456″) to check it out.<br />To avoid problems take care that string-escaping always is the last step of data manipulation when you depend on leak-proof escaping.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-4669849721891728791?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-24237004321990815652009-09-13T00:35:00.003-04:002009-09-13T00:36:28.630-04:00Resource: http://www.highrankings.com/commonsense<br /><br />For years, when people thought about search engine optimization, in all likelihood, gateway pages, doorway pages or informational pages probably came to mind. If you're a search engine optimization specialist, you've probably had clients requesting that you create these types of pages for them.<br /><br /><br /><br />They may believe the following statements to be true:<br /><br />* Every search engine has a different algorithm (formula) to determine the ranking of a Web page, and therefore none of their "regular" pages will rank highly in all of the engines.<br />* Keyword-rich copy that the search engines will like is not text they can visibly put on their site where people can see it, especially not on their front page!<br />* Our site needs to be on the cutting edge and use Flash animation and/or lots of graphics. Since the search engines can't index these very well, I have to use gateway pages.<br />* Business sites need to be on the cutting edge and use Flash animation and/or lots of graphics, and they shouldn't have to change this just to please the search engines.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Although there is a grain of truth to each of the above, let's examine each point in more detail so you'll have some ammunition the next time you get this type of request.<br /><br /><br /><br />Dealing with Differing Algorithms<br /><br /><br /><br />Yes, it's true, search engine algorithms are varied and do change. There will always be SEOs who spend many hours poring over search engine results and statistics, trying to figure out each search engine's current formula for high rankings. There have been many software programs written over the years to help crack the algorithms and automatically generate high-ranking pages for each engine.<br /><br /><br /><br />One of the problems with using this method is that as soon as a new algorithm is in place, these carefully crafted gateway pages will often drop out of sight in the rankings. The new algorithm must be cracked again, and new gateway pages must be created. It's truly a never-ending, time-consuming and expensive process that is very much against the best-practice guidelines put forth by the search engines.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br /><br />The truth is that even though search engines do have slightly different algorithms (and they do change them at times), basically all engines appreciate the same things that real people look for in a Web site:<br /><br />* A simple, cleanly coded design<br />* Well-thought-out, intuitive navigation<br />* Well-written, descriptive copy<br />* Titles and Meta tags that help identify relevant keyword phrases<br />* Links that accurately describe what can be found at the site.<br /><br />It's really just common sense. Web sites with the above features don't need to crack algorithms. These sites have the potential to achieve high rankings for many keyword phrases in all major search engines for many years, regardless of ever-changing algorithms. And more importantly, they will likely be a hit with their site visitors.<br /><br /><br /><br />Writing Keyword-rich Copy<br /><br /><br /><br />Clients (and even some SEOs) often justify the use of doorways and gateways by claiming that there's a difference between good copy for search engines and good copy for their site visitors. That is simply not true. Good marketing copy can be written that sounds great, stresses the benefits to the user and also utilizes keyword phrases. There's definitely an art to it, and you have to be a good copywriter to begin with, but it most definitely can be done. The key is to use a professional copywriter, not an SEO, for that aspect of the job.<br /><br /><br /><br />Use of Flash Animation and Graphics at the Expense of Content<br /><br /><br /><br />Over and over again we hear from companies that want high rankings and lots of traffic and sales, yet refuse to forfeit their LUGs (large useless graphics) and Flash animation in favor of good content. Unfortunately, these pages don't give the search engines much to go by when trying to determine what the site is all about. This forces the engines to figure things out solely based on the Title tags and the links. That may be enough in some cases, but the best indicator of what a site is about is through the content on its pages. Now, it's true that some search engines have started reading the content of Flash files, but there's generally not much "meat" contained in the ones I've seen!<br /><br /><br /><br />Never forget that the ultimate goal of most business Web sites is to sell a product or a service. When you see a Flash presentation on a site, does that make you want to purchase their products or use their services? Sure, it might appear cool the first time you view it, but thereafter it only serves as an annoying distraction and/or waste of time. And if you're on a dial-up modem (yes there are still some left!), you probably don't want to wait around to view it. Besides, you can have your cake and eat it too by simply using small amounts of Flash in appropriate places, along with your great content.<br /><br /><br /><br />When all is said and done, most people would rather be presented with information on the types of products or services offered in clear, concise language, right on the main page of the site they're visiting. Luckily for us, that's exactly what the search engines want to see as well!<br /><br /><br /><br />Optimize Your Actual Site<br /><br /><br /><br />You don't need a second (or third or fourth) site for SEO purposes. Those companies that are willing to create useful content within the pages of their Web site can very often own long-term high rankings. Plus, they won't have to rely on link popularity as much as the low/no-content sites have to.<br /><br /><br /><br />In years past, convincing companies of this fact was one of the most difficult jobs we had to do. Thankfully, as the Web matures, more and more site owners are discovering that their fancy, cutting-edge sites don't convert as well as the competitor's informational site that gets right down to business. It's usually at that point that they become more receptive to doing what it takes to make their site the best it can be for their visitors as well as the search engines.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-2423700432199081565?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-1941188601686357582009-09-12T15:02:00.003-04:002009-09-12T15:03:32.478-04:00Resource: http://www.theukwebdesigncompany.com/articles/article.php?article=1692<br /><br />The Internet is a wonderful thing, except for a few small details. When you register your first domain name, you get your introduction to one of them. There's a lot of information they want. Your name, your email address, your physical address, your phone number. For each of 4 separate categories, and the Registrant, Admin and Technical categories are publicly available (for almost all TLDs - Top Level Domains, with the possible exception of .ws - Western Samoa).<br /><br />Email addresses, which must be valid, phone numbers and physical addresses which also must be valid. I personally think it's both absurd and dangerous to make this information so easily available. Once again the right to privacy of law-abiding individuals is being abridged supposedly to help catch lawbreakers. Since this information would be provided under a court order, making it publicly available just invites abuse.<br /><br />Spammers, scammers, stalkers and the idle whacko can easily get this information. And it's a nice start on identity theft, too. However, for most people, the most likely result is an increase in the amount of spam you get. But, much worse can and has happened.<br />So what solutions are there?<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Basically there two ways to protect your privacy if you are a private individual without access to a legal entity such as a company to own the domain name (note that if it is a company, you must provide accurate information. This only moves the problem to a slightly less personal level).<br /><br />First you could lie. No, that's not one of the ways. Unwise and illegal too, and you are a law-abiding type, right? So, first, a proxy registration is one alternative.<br /><br />Essentially you make a binding legal agreement with a company which will register the domain name as if they owned it and then provide their own information to meet the requirements. For each domain, they will set-up a special email which they will monitor and forward to you, usually after spam filtering, if you want them to.<br /><br />They, of course, retain your data and will also monitor physical mail. You will be notified of first class mail which appears to or could be legal documents or if registered or couriered mail arrives. They will, for a fee, ship such to you, if you agree and pay. Generally such items would be sent by courier. Phone callers will be directed to use the email or physical address shown in the WhoIs record<br /><br />Of course, under subpoena or other specified conditions they will provide your details. You will have full rights as owner - as long as you behave and don't violate the agreement.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />The other alternative, usually called "private registration", is a little different. Here your name would still appear as registrant. You would provide the names of the admin and technical contacts. But the address, email and phone number would be provided and monitored by the organization handling the private registration in essentially the same manner as a proxy registration. Thus with this alternative you remain in full legal control of your domain name since it is registered in your name rather than the name of a proxy.<br /><br />On the face of it this second alternative sounds better, but your name is hanging out there on view and you may have valid reasons for not wanting that (perhaps the company you work for takes a dim view of moonlighting, or you have had a stalking problem or are doing something perfectly legitimate but don't want your name linked to it). In that case, a proxy registration is the only real alternative.<br /><br />In case you're thinking you can hide out and do whatever sort of bad stuff behind a proxy or private registration, don't even dream about it. These outfits take it very personally if you misbehave and the legal agreements spell it out.<br /><br />If you decide to pursue a proxy or private registration, make very sure that you are working with a legitimate company with a track record. A domain name can be a very valuable possession. Both your registrar and, if it's a separate organization, the entity that does the proxy or private registration must be quality, legitimate outfits. Registrars offering extremely low prices which are way out of line with the going rates - unless it's a special - just might be after your credit card and identity. Also, this time, actually read the agreement and TOS so you do know what you're doing and what could happen under what circumstances.<br /><br />Wondering why I'm writing about this? Well, it's because I'm getting more and more spam and I started doing some research on possible solutions. And I figured, I wan't the only one looking to do something about the problem. And then, I discovered that some registrars will provide free proxy or private registration with your domain name purchase. So think about it and do some checking before you buy a domain name. Your privacy is a precious possession.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-194118860168635758?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-89987093678816537232009-09-11T16:40:00.003-04:002009-09-11T16:41:53.472-04:00Resource: http://www.seoarticles.com/2009/07/02/adding-top-tier-seo-to-your-new-ecommerce-site/<br /><br />I have been asked this question quite a bit recently and thought I should probably answer the question in more detail on our blog.<br /><br />Problem:<br />You create a brand new website and you want to get the search engines finding this website right away. What do you do?<br /><br />Possible Solution:<br />Start submitting your website to every single directory and search engine known to mankind.<br /><br />Yes, this will let the search engines know that you are here. However, it could take your website longer to get indexed this way. Here is what Google has to say on the subject:<br /><br />“Inclusion in Google’s search results is free and easy; you don’t even need to submit your site to Google. Google is a fully automated search engine that uses software known as “spiders” to crawl the web on a regular basis and find sites to add to our index. In fact, the vast majority of sites listed in our results aren’t manually submitted for inclusion, but found and added automatically when our spiders crawl the web.”<br /><br />So how do you get your website found on other websites for Google to find faster?<br /><br />Possible Solution:<!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Start getting as many links to your website as possible by trading links with everyone and anyone.<br /><br />Again, this is not really what Google had in mind either. If you want natural rankings, then you have to work on getting links to your website naturally.<br /><br />Here are a few recommendations:<br />Since you have an ecommerce website, it would be only natural to have your products listed in different shopping search engines. This would also help you to get links into your website.<br /><br />Since you have a new ecommerce website, it would be only natural to write a press release announcing the opening of your new online store. This would also help you to get links into your website.<br /><br />Now it is time to throw in the secret sauce that I use for our customers and let me tell you, this works the fastest EVERY single time. Plus, it’s all natural!<br /><br />The Secret Sauce Recipe<br />Create your own blog for your ecommerce website.<br /><br />BUT<br /><br />Instead of using Wordpress software, use Blogger.<br /><br />Yes, Blogger is not as fancy as Wordpress and perhaps you do not get as many fancy shmancy features.<br /><br />However, Blogger is owned by Google and it is amazing how quickly your posts will get picked up!<br /><br />PLUS<br /><br />You NEVER have to worry about updating the software, installing important upgrades, and hackers injecting SEO killers either. Blogger takes care of it all for you so that you can concentrate on your ecommerce website which is FAR more important.<br /><br />During setup, make sure to set up your Blogger account to FTP directly to your ecommerce URL.<br /><br />Now all you need is the final secret ingredient, POST UNIQUE CONTENT DAILY!<br /><br />Yeah, I screamed that. Sorry. But it is the most important part of the recipe. You cannot just throw up a blog and forget about it, especially in the beginning. You need to be writing on your blog once a day with great new fresh unique content.<br /><br />This will help Google learn you have a wonderful new website, you are adding fresh content, Google needs to constantly be indexing your website for the latest updates, and other search engines will fall in line as well.<br /><br />Follow these tips and your website will usually get picked up faster than a quarter dropped in a casino!<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-8998709367881653723?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-32811849700441050152009-09-10T01:44:00.001-04:002009-09-10T01:46:01.275-04:00Resource: http://stopbadware.org/home/security<br /><br />This page is a starting-point resource – one we expect to evolve and grow over time – to provide webmasters with tips for ways to remove badware and other badware behaviors from your website and to help keep it free of badware in the future. Please note that this resource is by no means comprehensive or exhaustive and is intended only as a first step for webmasters concerned about badware. We encourage webmasters and hosting providers to research website security independently, beyond the suggestions offered here. It is the responsibility of individual webmasters and hosting providers to stay informed of news relating to website security issues.<br />There are three basic steps to maintaining a clean site:<br /><br />1. Identifying badware behavior on your site<br />2. Removing badware behavior from your site<br />3. Preventing badware behaviors in the future<br /><br />Identifying badware on your site<br /><br />The first step to keeping your website badware-free is to check for any badware or badware behaviors that may already be on your site. Badware is software that fundamentally disregards a user’s choice over how his or her computer will be used. Many sites with badware problems are not actually hosting badware themselves, but instead exhibit other “badware behaviors” such as automatic redirects or prominent links to badware on other sites. Often these badware behaviors are the result of hacking attacks or compromised third-party content, such as ads, rather than any deliberate actions by the website’s owner. You can learn more about badware and badware behaviors in our Guidelines.<br /><br />When looking for badware on your site, especially badware due to hacking attacks, please remember to check the source code of your site as it is currently hosted on your web servers. Many site owners mistakenly look just at the website files they have on their own computers, and so miss seeing the evidence of attacks to the site itself.<br /><br />If your site has been flagged with a malware warning by Google, check the Google Diagnostics page for your site for more information about the problems Google found.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Here are some common types of badware to look for:<br />1. Badware available for download on your site<br /><br />Evaluate the software that you are offering for download – including any third-party applications that are bundled with your software – based on StopBadware’s Software Guidelines. If the software that you are offering for download violates our guidelines, then it constitutes badware.<br /><br />If your software is bundled with third-party applications, you may also want to check whether the bundled applications install any dangerous or deceptive code. One method for detecting this is to download the entire software bundle onto a virtual machine and scan it using anti-virus or anti-spyware programs.<br />2. Badware available on sites that you link to<br /><br />If your website links to badware, your site’s visitors may be in danger, even when the bad software or code exploits are not actually hosted on your site. Your web pages may violate our Website Guidelines if they automatically redirect to a website that hosts or distributes badware; directly link to executable files that are badware; link to another website that automatically attempts to install badware by exploit onto the user’s computer; or contain substantial links to other website(s) that predominantly host or distribute badware.<br /><br />Some ways to determine whether the links on your site violate our guidelines would be to check whether any of your links lead to bad software available for download on another site, or whether they lead to an infected page on another site. (We recommend that, when looking for badware, you use a virtual machine to avoid damaging your own computer.) It may also be useful to search through your site’s source code and look for links to unknown sites, especially if the links are to executable files. Executable files include files with extensions such as .exe, .bat, .cmd, .scr, and .pif. There are also applications available that will allow you to scan for malicious links within a web page, and you can use these applications to help decide whether to link to that page.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />You can also use the StopBadware application alerts and our Badware Website Clearinghouse as a resource to search for information on the sites and software to which you link or are planning to link.<br />3. Badware distributed through ads running on your site<br /><br />Advertising displayed on your site is another potential source of badware, since most ads include direct links to an external web page. Please see section 1.2 above for general information about our guidelines for badware found via links. If you display third-party ads on your website, check that the links do not lead to bad software or to a badware-infected web page. The methods for evaluating the software that is available through ads are similar to those described in section 1.1.<br /><br />Use internet searches to check out the ad networks you use to learn whether other websites have had badware problems with those ad providers.<br />4. Badware links posted in user-generated areas of your site<br /><br />If there are any areas of your site where users can post or upload content, these areas may be a potential source of badware or badware links. Please see sections 1.1 and 1.2 above for information about badware and badware links.<br />5. Hacking attacks to your site<br /><br />Another common source of badware on websites is hacking attacks, which allow third parties to insert code or executables onto poorly secured websites. A common example is the “injection attack,” in which a hacker uses a security vulnerability to inject harmful code into one of your web pages. Usually this code will be invisible to visitors to your site, but can trigger a silent badware download in the background of a visitor’s computer. You can often detect whether this kind of attack has occurred by looking at the source code of your web pages and determining if contains any code that you did not place there. Be sure to look at the code as it is appearing live on your web server.<br />Two common types of “injection attack” are:<br /><br />Invisible iframes<br /><br />Iframe tags are one of the many kinds of HTML tag codes that can be used as part of the source code that creates a website. An iframe creates a small window on a webpage so that another page can load inside the embedded window. Iframes are not always used for nefarious purposes; one frequent use, for example, is to embed remotely hosted dynamic content such as online maps into web pages. When used by malicious attackers, an iframe can be made so small that it is invisible, and the visitor to the infected page never knows that another page is also loading in the tiny iframe window.<br /><br />If you see code for an iframe with width=“0” and height=“0” in the source code of any page on your website, you have found an invisible iframe. Iframes are most commonly inserted at the very top or the very bottom of a web page’s source code. A good first place to check for iframes is before the initial tag that starts a web page’s standard code, or after the final that ends a page’s code.<br /><br />Obfuscated code<br /><br />Obfuscated code or scripts are designed to be hidden within the normal code for your site, so they can be hard to detect. The code is written specifically to prevent automated tools from discovering its purpose. The most commonly obfuscated kind of code is javascript, which is used to add functionality to many websites.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Obfuscated code is not necessarily bad; for example, some developers use encoding to make it harder for automated programs to detect email addresses displayed on a site, protecting the addresses from spam harvesters. However, if you write the code on your site and you do not intentionally obfuscate, a block of obfuscated code on your site may indicate an injection attack. The two most common ways code is obfuscated are through encoding and encrypting.<br /><br />Encoding can sometimes be easy to spot because the encoding uses either “hex” or “unicode/wide” characters. For hex characters, you will see strings of percent signs with two characters after them (e.g. %AA%BB%CC). For unicode characters, you will see strings of “\u” with four characters after (e.g. \u0048\u0069\u0021). These blocks of encoded text can take up several paragraphs.<br /><br />Encrypted code is harder to find, because there are no set patterns. However, encrypted code will look like a block of unintelligible text. Normal javascript uses a syntax based on actual English words. Encoded or encrypted text appears in a site’s source code as completely unintelligible blocks of letters, numbers, and symbols.<br /><br />While most hacking attacks focus on html code, it is also possible for bad software itself to be uploaded onto a poorly secured site. Bad software can include unknown executables (such as files that end in .exe, .bat, .cmd, .scr, and .pif), javascript files, or even images uploaded to your site without your knowledge. Sometimes attackers will simply use your website to host badware and link to it from other victim sites. One method for detecting whether you are hosting bad software on your site is to download all of your source code from the live website onto a virtual machine and scan it using anti-virus and anti-spyware programs.<br />Removing badware from your site<br /><br />How you should go about removing badware from your site will depend on what kind(s) of badware your site is hosting or linking to. Our general recommendation is to take your website offline while you clean and secure it, to prevent your site’s visitors from being unwittingly infected in the interim.<br />1. If your site is hosting bad software for download<br /><br />Remove the bad software from your website and don’t make it available for download again unless you can be sure that it is no longer badware. You can learn more about what makes a piece of software badware in our guidelines. If you are the creator of the software in question, StopBadware may be able to offer recommendations for bringing your software into compliance with our guidelines.<br />2. If your site links to badware<br /><br />Remove all badware links from your website.<br />3. If ads on your site are linking to badware<br /><br />Remove all ads that link to badware. If you use an ad network, this may mean removing all the network’s ads from your site until you can be sure the network is clean. You may also want to contact your ad provider and let them know that one or more of their ads is causing badware to be linked from your site.<br />4. If badware is linked in user-generated areas of your site<br /><br />Remove the badware links from your site. This may involve editing user posts to remove the badware content, or deleting entire user posts.<br />5. If your site has been hacked<br /><br />Take the site offline in order to keep from putting your site’s visitors and your customers at risk. Then remove all of the offending code and fix all underlying security vulnerabilities before putting your site back online. Finding and removing a specific block of bad code that a hacker has inserted can clean your site for a time, but keeping your site from being infected in the future will require fixing the security vulnerabilities that allowed the hacker to insert the code in the first place. As such, be sure to check for and remove any backdoors left by the attacker. A backdoor will allow an attacker to get back into your site even after you have locked down the site.<br /><br />Your hosting provider should also be able to help you figure out where the underlying vulnerabilities on your site are, so contacting them should be a top priority if you think your site has been hacked. You can also check your hosting provider’s forums to see if any other webmasters using that host have been compromised. Checking user forums for the software used by your site can also help you see if other users have been compromised through flaws in the software, or if there are security updates which your site does not yet have in place.<br />Preventing badware in the future<br />1. Check software for badware before making it available for download<br /><br />See section 1.1 above for general information on badware and our software guidelines.<br />2. Check links for badware before posting them to your site<br /><br />See section 1.2 above for general information and our guidelines about badware in links.<br />3. Use only reputable, conscientious ad providers and regularly monitor them to be sure they stay clean<br /><br />Make sure your ad network is reputable and actively screens for badware from advertisers. If not, switch and tell them why you switched. Remember that an ad shown on your site, even if provided and hosted by a third party, is still a part of your web page. You should only accept ads from providers that you are confident are diligent about protecting clients from badware. Use internet searches to check out the ad networks you are considering using to learn whether other websites have had badware problems with those ad providers.<br />4. Monitor user-generated areas of your site<br /><br />Make sure your terms of use for posting to forums, blogs, and other user-generated areas of your site explicitly forbid posting links to badware. Then actively monitor these areas of your site for suspicious links or executables. You may also choose not to allow users to link directly to any form of executable file or to insert javascript into forum messages or other user-generated content areas. See section 1.2 above for general information and our guidelines about badware in links.<br />5. Close security loopholes to secure your site against hacking<br /><br />Some basic steps that can be taken to make your site more secure include the following:<br /><br />* Use strong passwords.<br />* Use SSH and SFTP protocols, instead of telnet or FTP. Telnet and FTP are both considered insecure because of their use of plain text protocols. They transmit usernames and passwords in a way that anyone with access to the network can read. SSH and SFTP are based on an encrypted protocol which prevents eavesdropping.<br />* Scan your site for security vulnerabilities using a vulnerability auditing scanner (both free and commercial versions are available). Use security update management tools to detect missing patches and then apply those patches immediately. The StopBadware online community has created a page of suggestions from our community members here].<br />* Keep up to date on news relating to any software you or your host use on your site, and make sure you are always running the most recent versions, including security patches. Subscribe to, and regularly read, any newsletters or alerts offered by your hosting provider and software providers.<br />* Make sure your hosting provider keeps all software updated, including security patches. If they do not, urge them to do so or switch to a hosting provider that you are confident does its best to keep its clients’ websites secure.<br /><br />When your site is clean, secure, and back online, you may want to notify your site visitors about the badware problem, and the steps you’ve taken to address it. If a user has become infected with badware after visiting your site, knowing what you’ve found will help them clean up their own computer. And telling your story can help other webmasters deal with similar situations on their own sites.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-3281184970044105015?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-65592080047290915422009-09-09T14:49:00.003-04:002009-09-09T14:50:21.604-04:00Resource: http://www.seoarticles.com/2009/07/30/sites-take-months-to-be-added-to-dmoz/<br /><br />One of the top questions asked by our clients is “Why Can’t I find my site in DMOZ?” Also known as the “Open Directory,” DMOZ is one of the web’s oldest directories and a link from it conveys a good value in the eyes of search engines like Google. Unfortunately, the DMOZ directory is infrequently updated and some people have not seen a submission approved after years of waiting.<br /><br />Several factors are at work in DMOZ listings. First, a person needs to submit the listing to the proper category. Each category has its own editor and there may be a more relevant category unknown to the submitter. If an editor gets a submission for what is perceived to be the wrong category, the submission will get forwarded to the “right” category. The submission, even though it is from another editor, ends up at the back of the queue.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Second, not all editors update their listing categories, and some editors may have a financial stake in not allowing new listings. For instance, you may be selling fishing rods and your competitor may secretly be the editor of the fishing accessories category. DMOZ tries to prevent this from happening, but there is no easy way of establishing for whom an editor may work. Furthermore, editors may not be diligent in reviewing all of the listings requests they get, or there may be a backlog of requests ahead of yours, all of which need to be reviewed by hand. Because questionable sites have been submitting themselves to DMOZ, much of this backlog could consist of “junk” submissions.<br /><br />Finally, there is some indication that a resubmission request for a website actually cancels out the original submission. Therefore, a request that was 1 year in process will end up at the back of the line when a new submission request is made. Assuming that an editor is reviewing the category, the request is now at the back of the line.<br /><br />While we still submit to DMOZ, we have found that inclusion has become the exception and not the rule. Normally we recommend submitting only the most basic information about your site, without any superlatives or “sales oriented” language. When choosing the category, first look for any other relevant categories. One way to do this is to search for your competition on DMOZ, and see if they come up in a category that is similar to yours. In the absence of a DMOZ listing, Web.com Search Agency highly recommends other directory link building which is more immediate. Submission to the Yahoo directory is good for SEO, costs $299 per year, and even brings some physical visitors. While we believe that DMOZ listings can have a good positive impact on web rankings, the 2+ year wait for approval is beyond the SEO expectations of our clients.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-6559208004729091542?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-45592641205815183602009-09-08T07:52:00.003-04:002009-09-08T07:53:30.499-04:00Resource: http://blog.rsjoomla.com/bid/20493/10-security-mistakes-to-avoid-in-Joomla-Part-two<br /><br />Since the first part of the article "10 security mistakes to avoid in Joomla!" was a real success, we are really excited about writing another set of mistakes commonly found on customer Joomla! websites .<br />Joomla! Security ExtensionIn the first part we wrote about the importance of updating to the latest version of Joomla!, about files permissions, folders permissions, file uploads and keeping the public folder clean.<br /><br />Mistake #6. Have PHP not configured properly<br /><br />These are some php settings that you must setup in order to secure your server. (Note that these settings may be applied only by editing the php.ini file)<br /><br />* check register_globals<br />It is recommended to disable register_globals. Don't trust Joomla! extensions that ask you to turn it on. Leaving register_globals=ON makes your website vulnerable to hack attempts. In PHP 4.2.0 register_globals was changed from ON to OFF, by default, and completely removed in PHP 6.0.0<br />* check safe_mode (leaving it ON could create some problems)<br />We recommend to keep safe_mode OFF. In PHP 6.0.0 safe_mode was removed because it didn't reached its purpose: it didn't increase the website security causing some bugs and problems.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />* check for allow_url_fopen<br />allow_url_fopen enables a script to open remote files. You must make sure that script cannot open remote files.<br />* check allow_url_include<br />allow_url_include allows inclusion and execution of a remote php script. Therefore this setting must be turned off.<br />* use disable_functions to disable some functions that could make your website vulnerable. Some of these are: system, shell_exec, exec, phpinfo, etc.<br />* use open_basedir to define the locations or paths from which PHP is allowed to access files using functions like fopen() and gzopen(). If a file is outside of the paths defined by open_basdir, PHP will refuse to open it.<br /><br />We recommed using the following PHP configuration:<br /><br />* register_globals = OFF<br />* safe_mode =OFF<br />* allow_url_fopen =OFF<br />* allow_url_include = OFF<br />* disable_functions = system, shell_exec, exec, phpinfo(full list available in RSFirewall!)<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />* open_basedir=/your/joomla/path<br /><br /><br /><br />Mistake #7. USE the "admin" user<br /><br />When you install Joomla!, it comes with the predefined "admin" user. Joomla! had a bug allowing hackers to take over Joomla! websites exploited this "admin" user, but it has been fixed now. Anyhow, leaving the admin user as the Super Administrator in combination with a weak password can make your website vulnerable.<br /><br />Important security advice: to protect the administrator page from being accessed by anyone set up an additional backend password for your Joomla! website.<br /><br />Mistake #8. USE weak passwords for admin users<br /><br />Choose carefully passwords for admin users; don't use common words.<br /><br />It is best to advice your users, when registering to your website, to choose a good password , alpha-numeric, because hackers might take advantage and steal valuable information from them.<br /><br />Do not use the same password to access the Joomla! backend and the hosting account.<br /><br />Try not to include in your password personal information like your name, username, date of birth, common words and easy to guess like "admin","password", "username", "password123" or English words.<br /><br /><br />You could apply an algorithm, easy to remember to choose a password.<br /><br />For example, create a sentence like : "I have one brother Alan and a sister Kate". If we take the first letter from every word the result will be IhobAaasK . To complicate it replace numbers with digits and if it's possible introduce special characters.<br /><br />Here is the result: Ih1bA&1sK.<br /><br /><br />Mistake #9. NOT to have an updated antivirus<br /><br />If you have solved the above issues from 1 to 9 don't think that your website will be secure if you don't use any antivirus application to protect your computer. New viruses nowadays look for ftp connections and inject malicious scripts directly into your Joomla! files because your computer is virused. It's best to keep your computer protected by getting the latest updates for your antivirus.<br /><br />Mistake #10. Assuming your website is protected and secure if there are no visible signs of it being hacked<br /><br />It's always best to stay vigilent, carefully keep track of possible intrusion attempts, constantly backup your website, monitor it's files and keep applications up to date.<br /><br />Of course all these actions require time, and time is the only thing we never have enough. We suggest using a security extension such as RSFirewall! to monitor and protect your website. Get a free demo of the product right now and you'll understand how easy is to keep your website protected.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-4559264120581518360?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-58145467902000362962009-09-07T15:01:00.003-04:002009-09-07T15:02:56.306-04:00Resource: http://www.highrankings.com/evolution<br /><br />Today I thought it might be fun to look at the stages people go through in their quest for SEO knowledge.<br /><br /><br /><br />As with anything you set out to learn in life, you don't get from point A to point Z without touching upon all those letters in between. This is why every day for the past 7 or 8 years I see the same search engine optimization questions asked over and over again by people in the various stages of learning. The search engines may change through the years, but people just finding out about SEO all tend to go through a similar growth process.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Submittal Stage<br /><br /><br /><br />Generally you get interested in search engine marketing after you have a Website created; you've got something looking good and open for business. You pay your designer, and suddenly it hits you...now what? How do I get people to actually find and use my site? So you turn to your designer who directs you to your server control panel, which comes with an automated search engine submit button.<br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />The Meta Tag Stage<br /><br /><br /><br />The next day <grin> you wake up and still have no visitors. So you do some research and find out that you need to add keywords to something called Meta tags. You find some automated Meta tag generator online, add its output to your site, and then crank up the automated submissions.<br /><br /><br /><br />Then you wait, and wait, and wait some more.<br /><br /><br /><br />Hmm...you still have no hits to the ole hit counter (except the daily one from your checking it, and the one from when you sent your old college roommate to see what a great site you have), let alone any sales. So you email your designer again with more questions.<br /><br /><br /><br />The "It's Impossible" Stage<br /><br /><br /><br />Now the designer starts to get all defensive and says, "Oh....you wanted high rankings in the search engines? Well sorry, that's just impossible, and out of the scope of my services."<br /><br /><br /><br />You are nearly ready to give up at that point, but you're no quitter. You decide it can't really be impossible since somebody's gotta rank highly in the engines; so you begin your quest for more information. You look up "meta tags" and "submitting to search engines" at Google (because you figured you probably just did yours wrong), and find all kinds of articles that talk about something called "search engine optimization," aka SEO.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Confusion Stage<br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Problem is, you have no idea what these articles are telling you. One of them says you need to make sure you use Meta tags, and another one says that Meta tags are dead. You read that you need high-quality links to your site, but you don't even know what that means or how you can get them. One article says you need keyword-rich content, but that means about as much to you as the linking thing. Some advice says you absolutely have to pay to be found in the engines, other stuff says it doesn't cost a thing.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Trick-the-search-engines Stage<br /><br /><br /><br />The more you read, the more you start to think that there must be some sort of trick to this whole SEO thing. Somehow you have to force the search engines into pulling your site up. You have learned that you need to think about keyword phrases as opposed to keywords, but you're still not clear about what to do with these phrases.<br /><br /><br /><br />You remember reading about "keyword-rich content" and suddenly it clicks that you need to actually put your phrases on the page somewhere. But you have found so many phrases that you want to rank highly for, and can't quite figure out how you can get them all on your home page. You wonder if you should just list them somewhere. At the top? At the bottom? In a tiny font size, perhaps? Maybe you should make them blend in with the background of the site, because you really don't like the way it looks with all those phrases listed like that.<br /><br /><br /><br />At this point, you're starting to think you're pretty smart for figuring that little trick out, and decide to tell some people you met on an SEO forum. Ouch! Apparently, you were not the first to think of this trick, and you got called all sorts of names, like "spammer"! You didn't even know there was such a thing as search engine spam, but you know that spamming anything can't be a very good thing to do!<br /><br /><br /><br />So you start thinking that maybe tricking the search engines isn't the best way to attack things.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Learning Stage<br /><br /><br /><br />You decide to brave the forum again, to see if you can learn what other people do if they're not tricking the engines. By now, you've become intimately familiar with many of the terms people use, and some of the stuff they tell you is beginning to actually make some sense.<br /><br /><br /><br />What you learn at this point is that you don't need to put all 50 phrases on the home page, just two or three! Now that seems doable. You also learn that you should use your phrases "naturally" when writing about what you do on every page of your site. Slowly but surely, things start making more sense, and each new tidbit you learn builds on the last one. You learn that the Title tag is also a good place for keyword phrases, and are embarrassed when you look at yours and see that it says, "Welcome to Our Home Page."<br /><br /><br /><br />The Quick-fix Stage<br /><br /><br /><br />You also learn that the search engines prefer to rank the most "popular" sites before the least popular ones, and you learn that they figure out which sites are the most popular by how many sites are linking to them. It makes perfect sense.<br /><br /><br /><br />You really have no idea how you will get other sites to want to link to yours in order for it to be popular, but you know you're going to have to come up with some sort of a plan for this. You're a bit disheartened to think about how much time and effort it's going to take to become a popular site, so you ask your forum friends if there's a way to speed things along a bit...like maybe you can all link to each other's sites?<br /><br /><br /><br />Ackk...they yell at you again and call you a link farmer.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Hard-work Phase<br /><br /><br /><br />Eventually, you reconcile with the fact that you're gonna have to work hard, just like you did when you first built your business offline. So off you go to make your site the best it can be for the search engines as well as your visitors, and a mature search engine marketer is born!<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-5814546790200036296?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-15974757600935686262009-09-06T13:31:00.001-04:002009-09-07T15:02:35.310-04:00Resource: http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/465<br /><br />Recently this site was updated to avoid a potential security weakness. This article briefly describes the problem which was fixed, and explains some of the most common online security problems.<br />Introduction<br /><br />This article was inspired by recent comments from dkg about a potential security hole present in the code behind this website.<br /><br />The hole described was new to me and I think it is worth sharing in the interests of full-disclosure, credit to Daniel Gillmor, and hopefully the securing of more sites.<br /><br />XSS<br /><br />Many web-developers (although not all!) are familiar with Cross Site Scripting attacks, often known as XSS, which are usually the result of not filtering input to applications.<br /><br />A standard example would be a message-board, or forum, which allowed users to login and post messages which would be displayed literally - so a malicious user could create a message reading:<br /><br /><script>alert(1);</script><br /><br />This would then result in an alert being displayed by subsequent visitors who viewed the message if they had javascript enabled.<br /><br />The root cause of these security issues is trust. The implementor of the forum or message board trusted the users input and didn't sanitize it appropriately.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />The XSS attacks exploit that weakness to steal cookies, etc.<br /><br />(Once upon a time I wrote a simple online XSS demonstration/explaination, which might make this abstract discussion more interesting or obvious.)<br /><br />SQL Injection<br /><br />SQL injection is a problem specific to database-driven websites, especially those written in a hurry without the use of the appropriate language features.<br /><br />Essentially SQL injections arise because input is passed directly to a database query without being escaped, or processed, correctly.<br /><br />This is virtually identical to the XSS attack described above, just a different level of attack. (The remote-database rather than the local-client browser.)<br /><br />Thankfully most programming languages and libraries which have database support make use of "binding" and other mechanisms which should make these issues trivial to prevent. The sad fact is that many programmers don't use them.<br /><br />CSRF<br /><br />"Cross Site Request Forging" is the new name for a new problem, or one new to me at least.<br /><br />The root cause of the CSRF attacks is also trust. The trust of a website by a user of that site. This trust is exhibited by the fact that the user never, or only rarely, logs out.<br /><br />In a typical scenario the communications between a webserver and client browser looks like this:<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />* Client makes a request to the server.<br />* The server responds.<br />* The client displays/uses the response.<br /><br />For example to create a new weblog entry the user would browse to this site, click upon the "add entry" link in the sidebar and submit the resulting form.<br /><br />Now consider what happens if a malicious external site were to copy the "add weblog entry" form and host it upon their site.<br /><br />They could change the wording, hide the fields, etc. But ultimately there is nothing stopping them from hosting a modified version of the form - and serving it to users.<br /><br />This is where the cross-site issue comes into play. If that remote site can coerce, persuade, or trick a user logged into this site to submit the form then the request will be processed by this site using their cached credentials.<br /><br />Because they trust this site, and have remained logged in, the submission would be processed and the unsuspecting user would have a new weblog entry posted which they didn't explicitly write, or expect. For example "I like cheese."<br /><br />Step by step the attack works like this:<br /><br />* External site copies a form from this one.<br />* External site persuades/cajoles/tricks a user who remains logged in here to visit their site and submit the form.<br />o Perhaps via javascript magic.<br />* The server here receives the form submission and proceses it<br />o Because it doesn't realise the form came from a malicious remote source.<br />o And because the user was logged in any authentication tests succeed.<br />* The user now arrives at this site with new content posted in their name.<br /><br />The solution to this problem is potentially invasive but conceptually simple. Rather than serving forms to clients and then processing them without regard to the submission source the forms each include a "session token".<br /><br />When a form is submitted this token is examined, and if it matches the token which was sent with the form the processing occurs, if it doesnt an alert is raised.<br /><br />This utterly prevents the attack because it means that the malicious remote server cannot serve a valid form - it can't predict the secret form session token, so the submission will always fail.<br /><br />(There are simpler solutions involving the use of the HTTP Referer (sic) header, but these are unreliable as this information might be forged or not present.)<br /><br />It is worth noting that many sites fail to verify the submission of forms in this manner, so they are potentially at risk of malicious (ab)use of their forms.<br /><br />Site Changes<br /><br />With this discussion in mind I will now describe three changes I've made to this site:<br /><br />Cookie Safety<br /><br />Microsoft's Internet Explorer supports an extension to cookies called "httponly". The intention of this support is that the cookies served by a site will be marked as unavailable for scripting use.<br /><br />This means that if there were an XSS attack available in this site then users of that browser wouldn't be vulnerable to cookie/session theft.<br /><br />A bug was filed against Mozilla, but progress appears to have stalled (#178993).<br /><br />I'm unaware of any XSS attacks lurking in the current codebase, so this is a small paranoia addition rather than a significant change.<br /><br />(IE comprises about 9% of visitors to this site, certainly not the majority. However the change involved is sufficiently minimal that it is worth doing just to mitigate any future attacks.)<br />Session Safety<br /><br />On a similar front it is now possible to choose a "secure" login when you visit this site. This actually ties your login session to your IP address.<br /><br />Again this offers no increased security in the normal course of events, but if there were ever to be a security issue which resulted in a cookie or session theft due to XSS, or similar, then you would be protected if you chose this option.<br /><br />There is a brief guide to this facility linked to from the login form.<br />Cross-Site Request Forgery Protection<br /><br />This change is the most significant and is the one which caused me the most pain - as discussed above there is a potential weakness in the handling of many form submissions in online applications.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-1597475760093568626?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-75827467588807671092009-09-05T16:31:00.003-04:002009-09-05T16:32:29.059-04:00Resource: http://www.highrankings.com/linkpopularity<br /><br />For years, "link popularity" and "Google PageRank" have been the talk of the town in the search engine optimization community. However, the definition of link popularity and how it differs from PageRank (PR), as well as how much effect these actually have on search engine rankings, is often misunderstood.<br /><br /><br /><br />What is Link Popularity?<br /><br /><br /><br />The theory goes something like this: The search engine Powers That Be have decided that if other sites are linking to your site, it must be a winner; therefore, it deserves a boost in rankings (when all else is equal). If you think about it, this makes a lot of sense. People link to good sites, not bad ones.<br /><br /><br /><br />PageRank Does Not Equal Link Popularity<br /><br /><br /><br />It's important to note that Google PageRank is not the same thing as link popularity. PR is actually a subset of link popularity. Whereas PR focuses strictly on the quantity and popularity of links, link popularity adds a "quality factor" into the equation. Unfortunately, many people mistakenly use the terms "link popularity" and "PageRank " interchangeably, which has served to confuse the issue further.<br /><br /><br /><br />All major search engines place some emphasis on link popularity in their ranking algorithms. There appear to be 2 main types of links that work best to increase your link popularity: links from other sites that focus on the same keyword phrases your site focuses on, and links from relevant categories in major directories and industry-specific portals. "Free-for-all" (FFA) sites do not constitute quality links, so don't waste your $24.95 submitting your site to 500 of them. Links from sites that focus on topics that have nothing to do with your site probably won't help you win any link popularity contests, either (although they may temporarily boost your PR).<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br /><br /><br />How Does Link Popularity Work?<br /><br /><br /><br />Here's an example of how I believe link popularity works:<br /><br /><br /><br />Let's say that Bob's Pizza Palace Website has a link to Joe's Men's Clothing store site. If the link uses the keywords "men's clothing store" in the anchor text (the clickable part), it may help Joe's link popularity a little bit for those keywords. However, Joe would benefit a lot more if the same link came from a site that was more related to Joe's site than a pizza palace. For instance, a more related link might be from a woman's clothing store, a men's shoe store or any other type of store that relates to clothing in some way.<br /><br /><br /><br />An even higher-quality link for Joe might be from "Sam's Clothing Store Directory," which lists a whole bunch of clothing stores that can be found on the Internet. That is exactly the kind of link that the search engines would want to credit toward link popularity. Again, the key is in having that common thread between the sites.<br /><br /><br /><br />Where Do Reciprocal Links Come In?<br /><br /><br /><br />The other popular misconception floating around is in regards to reciprocal linking. Since so many people think that exchanging links with sites is the easiest way to get them (it may or may not be), new people learning about link popularity are under the mistaken belief that they must have links that are reciprocated on their site (e.g., "you-link-to-me-and-I'll-link-to-you"-type links). Still others are saying that reciprocal links are dead and you won't gain any benefit from them.<br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Both camps are wrong. You certainly don't need to get reciprocal links, but you can if you want to. Remember, it's links pointing TO your site that are the helpful ones. Links pointing FROM your site to other sites are wonderful to have because they help your visitors find related stuff, but if your site doesn't lend itself to linking to other sites, then by all means, don't do it. You need to do what's right for your company and your site visitors, first and foremost.<br /><br /><br /><br />Should I Care About Link Popularity?<br /><br /><br /><br />In general, there's no need for the average site to obsess over link popularity. Yes, you'll want to keep it in mind, and yes you should make sure that your site is what I like to call "link-worthy." However, from my experience (and contrary to popular belief), link popularity constitutes only a portion of most search engines' ranking algorithms. Arguably, Google places more emphasis than most other engines on incoming links at this point in time. How much these actually boost a site's ranking is debatable and truly depends on the site. It also depends on the words that are placed in the anchor text. I have found that just a few highly relevant links with strong anchor text can go a long way towards link popularity for many sites.<br /><br /><br /><br />For sites that want to take it to the next level and are trying to rank highly with extremely competitive keywords, it may be necessary to actively seek out links from other relevant Websites. This doesn't mean you should go out and create a whole bunch of domains yourself and link them all together because it sounds easier than getting others to link to you. (Yes, that trick has been tried before!) It simply means you should look for sites that are related to your site in some way, and see if they might be interested in promoting your site to their users.<br /><br /><br /><br />Whatever you do, do not send automatically generated link requests to any site. Most Webmasters consider them a nuisance at best and sp@m at worst. Certainly, a personal email may be welcome, and it also doesn't hurt to pick up the phone and begin a dialogue with a potential link partner. Remember, very often these links from relevant sites will bring more traffic to your site than a high search engine ranking will bring.<br /><br /><br /><br />How To Get Linked Without Even Trying<br /><br /><br /><br />My favorite way to get links (but the most time-consuming) is to simply have the best site on the Internet in your specific niche. Interestingly enough, if your site is well written, provides tons of useful information and is constantly updated, you often won't have to seek out links at all. Other sites will link to yours of their own volition.<br /><br /><br /><br />This has worked for me on my High Rankings site for many years. Without actively requesting any links (other than a few major directories), hundreds of highly relevant sites have added HighRankings.com to their list of recommended sites related to SEO. Some people link to my home page, others to the main newsletter page, and still others to my forum. Some will link directly to an article or newsletter they've enjoyed, and some will ask if they can republish some on their site, while also including a link.<br /><br /><br /><br />This is the ideal, and not every site is going to have the time or inclination to get to this stage. However, I firmly believe that any kind of site in any type of business can use this method if they are willing to work at it. I know of no other method that can even bring links from direct competitors! Personally, I'd rather spend my time creating a link-worthy site than sending out repetitive reciprocal link exchange requests...but maybe that's just me!<br /><br /><br /><br />Your homework for this week is to think about how you can make your site so good that others will be only too willing to link to it -- without your even having to ask for it. If you can figure it out and actually spend the time implementing the strategy, eventually you won't have to worry about link popularity, reciprocal links or PageRank ever again!<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-7582746758880767109?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-68196683275746714752009-09-04T03:04:00.001-04:002009-09-04T03:10:34.434-04:00Resource: http://www.selfseo.com/story-18915.php<br /><br />Our society is maintained by information: information about who we were, who we are, and in some cases who we will become. We live in the Information age, a time where movement of information is faster than physical movement. Some say that we live in a new type of society called an Information Society, in which the creation, distribution and manipulation of information has become a significant economic and cultural activity. Matthew Lesko, a columnist, made this point clear when he wrote, "Information is the currency of today's world." Sir Francis Bacon an English statesman from the 1500s proclaimed wisely that, "Knowledge is power." His words echo today in the familiar truism, "Information is power."<br /><br />In our lives today we experience how the personal information that we keep, that we share and that we lose, moves us through a waxing and waning dance of power and powerlessness. Keep your information safe and you protect your home, your assets, your family and maybe even your life. Share your information and in return you hope to receive valuable goods and services. Lose your information and the things that you enjoy and love can come crumbling down around you.<br /><br />Today, instead of on paper, most of our private information is stored in electronic format on hard drives. This technology allows our world to do business as never before imagined. Business is faster, less expensive and requires far less labor than even one generation ago.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />However, throughout history we discover that technological advancement has a price. Pollution and stress invades our environment and often our bodies. The loss of certain skills once familiar drives us toward a dangerous dependency. Now high-tech scam artists and thieves prey on victims around the world at the speed of light and neither needs to be awake for the crime to occur. With these things in mind we are moved to the realization that now is the time for each of us to examine the state of, and the danger to, our personal information.<br /><br />Your private information is vulnerable in two ways. It is vulnerable to loss and theft. We can compartmentalize your storage locations into two frameworks, your local, personal computer storage and your online storage. These frameworks each have their strengths and weaknesses.<br /><br />Your local, offline information can be stolen by someone breaking into your house, car or wherever you keep your computer. Your data can be destroyed by a hard drive crash, a fire or flood. It is difficult and time consuming to keep consistent, daily backups of your hard drive then store them at a location other than your computer. You can never be sure if your computer is at this very moment infected with spyware, adware, trojans, back doors, key loggers, bots or viruses. Each one is capable of taking control of your computer and sending your valuable, private information from your hard drive to anywhere in the world.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br /><br />Many people enjoy keeping notes and documents online. People every day are discovering the convenience of having their thoughts, to-do lists, diaries, customer lists or essays available from any computer in the world. Business people, real estate agents, sales people and others are now getting more work done more efficiently thanks to the wellspring of online document authoring sites.<br /><br />Now freed from the task of daily backups and concerns about loss and theft due to an infected computer, only one thing remains from making online document authoring and storage the perfect solution: privacy.<br /><br />Unless you see that the address of the website you’re on begins with the five letters https, your login ID and password are sent in plain text through unknown places over the Internet. Your documents and everything you type is available to be seen, captured and used by criminals and scam artist devious enough to use that which was supposed to be private.<br /><br />Once your information is on the remote computer, do you know how your data is stored? Do you know who has access to it? Perhaps it’s a computer technician who think it’s fun to read about other people’s lives and secrets. Perhaps it’s someone who sells information on the side to make a little extra money. You just can’t know. And unfortunately, none of these sites seem to care enough about your privacy to encrypt your documents to prevent this from happening.<br /><br />However, one web site has come forward to address all of these issues. It securely moves your data and documents over the Internet encrypted by the same method used by financial institutions to move their sensitive data. It encrypts your documents on the server at the same level of encryption the government uses for their top-secret documents. It also has a unique, multi password system providing a further layer of security and privacy. With these safeguards in place it is easy to see why this web site’s motto is "Even we can’t read your documents."<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-6819668327574671475?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-36326419822538573982009-09-03T06:05:00.001-04:002009-09-03T06:05:49.437-04:00Resource: http://seoarticles.seoforgoogle.com/the-search-for-more.cfm<br /><br />Many times when someone uses a search engine they are looking to find an answer to a question. Most times the search engines deliver a satisfactory result.<br /><br />But then there are some searches in which there just isn't enough information to satisfy the user in their quest.<br /><br />Google has tried to address this with the rolling out of "Universal Search". This is an attempt to deliver the most relevant item about a search query, regardless of the format.<br /><br />In the past the typical top result was a web page. In Universal search, that top item can now be a podcast, a video on YouTube or even a simple image.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />But, does this provide enough?<br /><br />Recently, I was looking for Canadian web directories. My search started in Google Canada (google.ca) and while their were some good results in the first 5 pages, after that there was a bunch of unrelated sites that just happen to mention the words "Canadian", "web" and "directories" on their site somewhere.<br /><br />So, I ran the same term on Yahoo and Sympatico (the Canadian version of MSN), and I got the same results.<br /><br />So are there really only about 30 directories about Canada? I highly doubt it.<br /><br />The point here is that while the search engines do a great job, they need to to better. And I have real concerns when Google no longer touts themselves as a search engine but as an Advertising Platform.<br /><br />I understand their perspective; it's just good business, and a good business needs to continually evolve. But when the core service that made you the top dog starts to erode away from the mission of the company, that signals the beginning of the end.<br /><br />Yes, it will take a lot to unseat Google from it's search throne, but people said the same thing about Microsoft in the 90's - and their position is not so solid anymore.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-3632641982253857398?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-13448062970136037172009-09-02T12:19:00.001-04:002009-09-02T12:20:02.928-04:00Resource: http://www.webmasterjm.com/index.php/security-information/top-10-stupidest-security-tricks<br /><br />10. Use the cheapest hosting provider you can find.<br /><br />Preferably use a shared server that hosts hundreds of other sites, some of which are high-traffic porn sites. Don't check the list of recommended hosting providers.<br /><br />9. Don't waste time with regular backups.<br /><br />Maybe the hosting provider will help you out.<br /><br />8. Don't waste time adjusting PHP and Software settings for increased security.<br /><br />Hey, the install was brain-dead easy. How bad could the rest be? Worry about those details only if there's a problem.<br /><br />7. Use the same username and password for everything.<br /><br />Use the same username and password for your on-line bank account, Your administrator account, Amazon account, Yahoo account, etc. Hey, who has time to keep track of so many passwords? And anyway, since you don't change passwords, it's easier to just use the same one all the time, everywhere.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />6. Install your brand new beautiful webmasterjm powered site, and celebrate a job well done.<br /><br />Don't worry about it again. After all, if you don't make any more changes, what can go wrong?<br /><br />5. Do all upgrades on the live site right away.<br /><br />Who needs a development and testing server anyway? If an installation fails, you'll just uninstall it again. That will hopefully also undo any damage the installation caused.<br /><br />4. Trust third-party extensions.<br /><br />Install all the cool-looking stuff you can find. Anyone smart enough to write an extension will provide perfect code that blocks every known exploit attempt, now and forever.<br /><br />3. Don't worry about updating to the latest version of your softwares<br /><br />Hey, nothing has gone wrong so far, and if it ain't broke don't fix it! Same plan for the third-party extensions. Too much work; life's a beach.<br /><br />2. When your site gets cracked, panic your way to Webmaster Joe.<br /><br />Start a new tickett with a very familiar title: "My Site's Been Hacked! (sic)" Be sure not to leave relevant information out about your problem out.<br /><br />1. Once your site's been cracked, fix the defaced index.php file and assume all else is well.<br /><br />Don't check raw logs, change your passwords, remove the entire directory and rebuild from clean backups, or take any other overly paranoid-seeming action. When the attackers return the next day, scream loudly that you've been "hacked again," and it's all webmasterjm.com's fault. Ignore the fact that removing a defaced file is not even step one in the difficult process of fully recovering a cracked site.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-1344806297013603717?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-54462879810517758982009-09-01T15:44:00.003-04:002009-09-01T15:45:03.326-04:00Resource: http://www.seoarticles.com/<br /><br />Link building is generally a term used around the SEO industry to describe building relevant links to a website in an effort to rank that site for specific terms while also building trust, value and equity to that website. All too often however, link building is associated with questionable SEO practices such as link buying or link spamming. As an old school online marketer and PR guy, I tend to take a different approach to my link building philosophy, and see link building as more of a branding and web presence approach.<br /><br />That’s sound advice and it is particularly appropriate for Google, since Google puts a great deal of weight on links. Bing and Yahoo seem to value them slightly less and of course their share of search is also very much less.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Many A Mickle Does Not Make A Muckle<br /><br />The old Scottish saying would confirm that if you add sufficient small things, it can add up to something substantial. However it may well be with the Google search algorithms the down-weighting of spam-type links is so severe that there is no SEO benefit by creating them. There are a wide variety of spam-type links including illogical reciprocal links and links from dubious websites. In the worst case such links might even lead to penalties, if the website is deemed to have breached the Google Quality Guidelines. As Baker points out even links that appear on a site-wide basis in sidebars or footers may well be also very much devalued.<br /><br />Creating Link Value<br /><br />A much surer approach is to create content on the website that is of interest to other humans, thus attracting unsolicited links from admirers. It is useful to have a diversity of online content. Baker has some most useful information on building out diverse links in a Link Building Evaluation Guide.<br /><br />The role of blogs in all this should be emphasized. The blog structure naturally creates a number of associated web pages for any single blog post. All of these support extra internal links. Although less valuable than independent external links, they do add real link value. At the same time, the RSS news feed pings the search engines and ensures that the blog is on their (robot) radar screen. Writing well constructed blog posts is perhaps the surest way of expending effort to get more search engine visibility.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-5446287981051775898?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-45336466594079942262009-08-31T14:09:00.003-04:002009-08-31T14:10:19.892-04:00Resource: http://www.selfseo.com/story-19135.php<br /><br />With all of the viruses, worms, and spyware floating around in cyberspace it is more important than ever to be security conscious. Securing your PC from all of those nasty programs will not only save you a lot of time, it is also a necessity to help avoid losing important data and potential theft of personal information.<br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Here are the four quick steps you can start putting to use right away, the entire process should only take a few minutes excluding the download time for updates.<br /><br />1. Use a firewall. With the release of the built in firewall with Windows XP it is easier than ever to use employ, simply open up your network connection properties and turn it on. The base setting will be more than sufficient and unlike other firewall offerings it requires almost zero configurations.<br /><br />2. Configuring Windows Update is one of the least troublesome tools to implement. Once configured the updating service will automatically download and apply any critical patches for your Microsoft software transparently in the background while you work.<br /><br />3. Antivirus and anti-spyware software is essential in keeping your system free of viruses, worms and other malicious programs. There are some bare bones, yet effective free programs such as AVG and Ad-Aware as well as robust commercial programs like Norton.<br /><br />4. Browser security is very straight forward yet can be often glossed over, if you are using Internet Explorer the default security settings can be set in seconds and are generally sufficient. Alternatively try using a different browser like Firefox.<br /><br />Following these simple and quick steps you can be sure your system is more secure and up to date against the latest security vulnerabilities. Although not an exhaustive list of precautions that can be utilized, these techniques make up a good baseline of protection against a majority of the malicious software lurking about the Internet.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-4533646659407994226?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-7224932735898485352009-08-30T16:23:00.001-04:002009-08-30T16:25:44.702-04:00Resource: http://www.highrankings.com/commonsense<br /><br />For years, when people thought about search engine optimization, in all likelihood, gateway pages, doorway pages or informational pages probably came to mind. If you're a search engine optimization specialist, you've probably had clients requesting that you create these types of pages for them.<br /><br /><br /><br />They may believe the following statements to be true:<br /><br />* Every search engine has a different algorithm (formula) to determine the ranking of a Web page, and therefore none of their "regular" pages will rank highly in all of the engines.<br />* Keyword-rich copy that the search engines will like is not text they can visibly put on their site where people can see it, especially not on their front page!<br />* Our site needs to be on the cutting edge and use Flash animation and/or lots of graphics. Since the search engines can't index these very well, I have to use gateway pages.<br />* Business sites need to be on the cutting edge and use Flash animation and/or lots of graphics, and they shouldn't have to change this just to please the search engines.<br /><br />Although there is a grain of truth to each of the above, let's examine each point in more detail so you'll have some ammunition the next time you get this type of request.<!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br /><br />Dealing with Differing Algorithms<br /><br /><br /><br />Yes, it's true, search engine algorithms are varied and do change. There will always be SEOs who spend many hours poring over search engine results and statistics, trying to figure out each search engine's current formula for high rankings. There have been many software programs written over the years to help crack the algorithms and automatically generate high-ranking pages for each engine.<br /><br /><br /><br />One of the problems with using this method is that as soon as a new algorithm is in place, these carefully crafted gateway pages will often drop out of sight in the rankings. The new algorithm must be cracked again, and new gateway pages must be created. It's truly a never-ending, time-consuming and expensive process that is very much against the best-practice guidelines put forth by the search engines.<br /><br /><br /><br />The truth is that even though search engines do have slightly different algorithms (and they do change them at times), basically all engines appreciate the same things that real people look for in a Web site:<br /><br />* A simple, cleanly coded design<br />* Well-thought-out, intuitive navigation<br />* Well-written, descriptive copy<br />* Titles and Meta tags that help identify relevant keyword phrases<br />* Links that accurately describe what can be found at the site.<br /><br />It's really just common sense. Web sites with the above features don't need to crack algorithms. These sites have the potential to achieve high rankings for many keyword phrases in all major search engines for many years, regardless of ever-changing algorithms. And more importantly, they will likely be a hit with their site visitors.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br /><br /><br />Writing Keyword-rich Copy<br /><br /><br /><br />Clients (and even some SEOs) often justify the use of doorways and gateways by claiming that there's a difference between good copy for search engines and good copy for their site visitors. That is simply not true. Good marketing copy can be written that sounds great, stresses the benefits to the user and also utilizes keyword phrases. There's definitely an art to it, and you have to be a good copywriter to begin with, but it most definitely can be done. The key is to use a professional copywriter, not an SEO, for that aspect of the job.<br /><br /><br /><br />Use of Flash Animation and Graphics at the Expense of Content<br /><br /><br /><br />Over and over again we hear from companies that want high rankings and lots of traffic and sales, yet refuse to forfeit their LUGs (large useless graphics) and Flash animation in favor of good content. Unfortunately, these pages don't give the search engines much to go by when trying to determine what the site is all about. This forces the engines to figure things out solely based on the Title tags and the links. That may be enough in some cases, but the best indicator of what a site is about is through the content on its pages. Now, it's true that some search engines have started reading the content of Flash files, but there's generally not much "meat" contained in the ones I've seen!<br /><br /><br /><br />Never forget that the ultimate goal of most business Web sites is to sell a product or a service. When you see a Flash presentation on a site, does that make you want to purchase their products or use their services? Sure, it might appear cool the first time you view it, but thereafter it only serves as an annoying distraction and/or waste of time. And if you're on a dial-up modem (yes there are still some left!), you probably don't want to wait around to view it. Besides, you can have your cake and eat it too by simply using small amounts of Flash in appropriate places, along with your great content.<br /><br /><br /><br />When all is said and done, most people would rather be presented with information on the types of products or services offered in clear, concise language, right on the main page of the site they're visiting. Luckily for us, that's exactly what the search engines want to see as well!<br /><br /><br /><br />Optimize Your Actual Site<br /><br /><br /><br />You don't need a second (or third or fourth) site for SEO purposes. Those companies that are willing to create useful content within the pages of their Web site can very often own long-term high rankings. Plus, they won't have to rely on link popularity as much as the low/no-content sites have to.<br /><br /><br /><br />In years past, convincing companies of this fact was one of the most difficult jobs we had to do. Thankfully, as the Web matures, more and more site owners are discovering that their fancy, cutting-edge sites don't convert as well as the competitor's informational site that gets right down to business. It's usually at that point that they become more receptive to doing what it takes to make their site the best it can be for their visitors as well as the search engines.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-722493273589848535?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-52714935870882578622009-08-28T15:47:00.001-04:002009-08-28T15:48:53.837-04:00Resource: http://www.turnerdow.co.uk/seo-SEO-Fundamentals.htm<br /><br />The SEO fundamentals are: back links, quality site content, good title tags, no javascript for page content, no frames, no hidden text, no duplicate text. Let's briefly look at each of these. Lack of any one will result in poor ranking for popular search phrases.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Back Links<br />These are links to your site from other sites. See Getting External Links for an analysis of the difficulty level in getting good links - there is no shortcut, and in our organisation every member of the team is committed to a daily routine of link requests, however senior they are. Links from external sites need to be carefully crafted to be valuable as links for search engine positioning.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Quality Site Content<br />If you build it they will come - but only if it's great - only if it solves some problem or satisfies some want or need. Make the site good, make it fill that need/want and sit back and enjoy the results. Well, almost. You have to obey the other rules too, and you have to get some initial links to the site. But look at sites like xe.com - they don't even have to ask for links - their site is one of those sites everyone uses to see the current exchange rates. They provide some tools that other sites use that results in an automatic link back to them - but if they didn't, people would come anyway because it fills a need. Examine sites like this to see how they do it.<br /><br />Good Title Tags<br />Covered in some detail in our section SEO and Title Tags, title tags are one of the three most important facets of search engine optimisation. It should ocmply with the theme of the page and be slightly, not overtly, promotional - since it will appear in the SERPs (search engine results pages) and will serve to attract potential visitors to click to your site. Make each title different per page.<br /><br />No Javascript for Content<br />Notwithstanding the fact that the search engineswill pick up any Javascript that offends any SE rules (like a mass of site links to the same place), any content provided by javascript is not indexed. The simple rule to follow is to look at your public source page - whatever is there is what will be indexed by the SE's. If you can't see any actual content (just function calls and html furniture), then neither can the search gods. Which brings us to the next section...<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />No Frames<br />If you are thinking of using frames, think carefully about it, and then decide not to. Unless you're implementing the equivilent of Googles gmail program (in which they use frames) where content is supposed to be hidden and you'd not be too interested in search engine traffic anyway, forget all you learned about frames and start developing sites in a different way, like tables or CSS. The content needs to be seen, and frames are difficult for search engines to grapple with. There comes a point where they (the bots) try so much then give up - and score the site as best they can. Same as the above - look at the public source file - if you can easily see the information then it's OK.<br /><br />No Hidden Text<br />Look at it this way - pessimistic though it is. The SE's are looking for a reason to not index you or to penalise you in the rankings. If they come accross hidden text, their cyber noses start sniffing and they think they've found a bad site - they'll look a little further and decide on that basis. Rest assured with one thing - they will never come to you to query the hidden text. So be careful. Don't link elsewhere, whether internal or external with text that is too small to read, or text that is coloured the same or close to the background colour. The SE's have hired the smartest people on earth - don't try to outsmart them. If the hidden text is genuine, it should be evident - but if in doubt don't hide any text at all.<br /><br />No Duplicate Text<br />Don't have the same or very similar text on yor site that you know exists elsewhere on the web. Don't even do this internally to the site. Don't make calls to translation sites that result in pages hosted with them that read the same or similar to content you already have. If material you have is copied - do occasional checks (through copyscape.com) to see if it has been copied. It will have been copied - but it's up to you to see if it presents a danger. Generally, the rule of thumb is that if you have a higher PR (or expected to be higher) on the page in question than the one showing the content (include the expected PR by looking at parent pages), you'll be OK. Otherwise you'll have to get out the riot act - people generally oblige. Duplicate content is the current public enemy of the search engines, especially Google. They want to refine the search experience by having distinct material - they don't want different sites appearing in the SERPs with substantially the same content. This is even true of adwords - how much more so with organic results!<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-5271493587088257862?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-14658369168638760772009-08-27T16:07:00.003-04:002009-08-27T16:08:22.703-04:00Resource: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=424<br /><br />While I normally advocate a principles-based approach to maintaining system security – and deplore the typical “best practices” checklist approach – that doesn’t mean that security checklists are without value. Employing a security procedures checklist is only the first step toward securing a resource, a means of aiding your memory before you apply your critical thinking skills and imagination to the problem of improving on the checklist in each individual case. Sometimes, a checklist can be useful in affecting workplace security policies as well.<br /><br />A number of far-too-common security failures on Web sites and Web servers are addressed here. Because of the frequency of these poor security practices, it strikes me as important to gather good practices that address these problems in one place and to make them publicly available to Web server administrators, Web developers, and Webmasters. For those of you who haven’t considered all these factors in managing your Web resources, I recommend dealing with what you have left unconsidered as quickly as possible.<br /><br />For those whose management has proved resistant to suggestions for improving security in these areas, or who simply need help in composing a message to management that will make your point clearly so that it isn’t misunderstood, I hope you find the following checklist of Web security practices helpful.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />* Login pages should be encrypted: The number of times I have seen Web sites that only use SSL (with https: URL schemes) after user authentication is accomplished is really dismaying. Encrypting the session after login may be useful — like locking the barn door so the horses don’t get out — but failing to encrypt logins is a bit like leaving the key in the lock when you’re done locking the barn door. Even if your login form POSTs to an encrypted resource, in many cases this can be circumvented by a malicious security cracker who crafts his own login form to access the same resource and give him access to sensitive data.<br />* Data validation should be done server-side: Many Web forms include some JavaScript data validation. If this validation includes anything meant to provide improved security, that validation means almost nothing. A malicious security cracker can craft a form of his own that accesses the resource at the other end of the Web page’s form action that doesn’t include any validation at all. Worse yet, many cases of JavaScript form validation can be circumvented simply by deactivating JavaScript in the browser or using a Web browser that doesn’t support JavaScript at all. In some cases, I’ve even seen login pages where the password validation is done client-side — which either exposes the passwords to the end user via the ability to view page source or, at best, allows the end user to alter the form so that it always reports successful validation. Don’t let your Web site security be a victim of client-side data validation. Server-side validation does not fall prey to the shortcomings of client-side validation because a malicious security cracker must already have gained access to the server to be able to compromise it.<br />* Manage your Web site via encrypted connections: Using unencrypted connections (or even connections using only weak encryption), such as unencrypted FTP or HTTP for Web site or Web server management, opens you up to man-in-the-middle attacks and login/password sniffing. Always use encrypted protocols such as SSH to access secure resources, using verifiably secure tools such as OpenSSH. Once someone has intercepted your login and password information, that person can do anything you could have done.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />* Use strong, cross-platform compatible encryption: Believe it or not, SSL is not the top-of-the-line technology for Web site encryption any longer. Look into TLS, which stands for Transport Layer Security — the successor to Secure Socket Layer encryption. Make sure any encryption solution you choose doesn’t unnecessarily limit your user base, the way proprietary platform-specific technologies might, as this can lead to resistance to use of secure encryption for Web site access. The same principles also apply to back-end management, where cross-platform-compatible strong encryption such as SSH is usually preferable to platform-specific, weaker encryption tools such as Windows Remote Desktop.<br />* Connect from a secured network: Avoid connecting from networks with unknown or uncertain security characteristics or from those with known poor security such as open wireless access points in coffee shops. This is especially important whenever you must log in to the server or Web site for administrative purposes or otherwise access secure resources. If you must access the Web site or Web server when connected to an unsecured network, use a secure proxy so that your connection to the secure resource comes from a proxy on a secured network. In previous articles, I have addressed how to set up a quick and easy secure proxy using either an OpenSSH secure proxy or a PuTTY secure proxy.<br />* Don’t share login credentials: Shared login credentials can cause a number of problems for security. This applies not only to you, the Webmaster or Web server administrator, but to people with login credentials for the Web site as well — clients should not share login credentials either. The more login credentials are shared, the more they tend to get shared openly, even with people who shouldn’t have access to the system. The more they are shared, the more difficult it is to establish an audit trail to help track down the source of a problem. The more they are shared, the greater the number of people affected when logins need to be changed due to a security breach or threat.<br />* Prefer key-based authentication over password authentication: Password authentication is more easily cracked than cryptographic key-based authentication. The purpose of a password is to make it easier to remember the login credentials needed to access a secure resource — but if you use key-based authentication and only copy the key to predefined, authorized systems (or better yet, to separate media kept apart from the authorized system until it’s needed), you will use a stronger authentication credential that’s more difficult to crack.<br />* Maintain a secure workstation: If you connect to a secure resource from a client system that you can’t guarantee with complete confidence is secure, you cannot guarantee someone isn’t “listening in” on everything you’re doing. Keyloggers, compromised network encryption clients, and other tricks of the malicious security cracker’s trade can all allow someone unauthorized access to sensitive data regardless of all the secured networks, encrypted communications, and other networking protections you employ. Integrity auditing may be the only way to be sure, with any certainty, that your workstation has not been compromised.<br />* Use redundancy to protect the Web site: Backups and server failover can help maintain maximum uptime. While failover systems can reduce outages due to server crashes (perhaps because of DDoS attacks) and server shutdowns (perhaps because the server was hijacked by a malicious security cracker) to mere hiccups in service, that isn’t the only value to redundancy. The duplicate servers used in failover plans also maintain an up-to-date duplication of server configuration so you don’t have to rebuild your server from scratch in case of disaster. Backups ensure that client data isn’t lost — and that you won’t hesitate to wipe out sensitive data on a compromised system if you fear that data may fall into the wrong hands. Of course, failover and backup solutions must be secured as well, and they should be tested regularly to ensure that if and when they are needed, they won’t let you down.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-1465836916863876077?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-13875871059424118362009-08-26T14:43:00.001-04:002009-08-26T14:43:56.558-04:00Resource: http://www.highrankings.com/quickfix<br /><br />Wouldn't it be great if we could simply edit Meta tags and get high rankings?<br /><br /><br /><br />Many years ago I read Stephen R. Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." One thing Covey discusses is the glitter of the "Personality Ethic." He mentions how some people try to find some "quick and easy way to achieve quality of life ... without going through the natural process of work and growth that makes it possible." Then he goes on to say, "The Personality Ethic is illusory and deceptive. And trying to get high quality results with its techniques and quick fixes is just about as effective as trying to get to some place in Chicago using a map of Detroit."<br /><br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />What Covey says is nearly identical to what I've been saying for years regarding search engine optimization: There are simply no quick fixes.<br /><br /><br /><br />I wish I had a dime for every potential client who came to me and said, "We just need you to fix our Meta tags so our site will rank highly with search engines." These people don't realize that if it were simply a matter of fixing Meta tags, they could probably do it themselves!<br /><br /><br /><br />Why Not Meta Tags?<br /><br /><br /><br />Search engines don't have a whole lot to work with when trying to figure out which sites to show in their list of results for any given keyword search. Considering this, it's actually quite amazing how relevant most search results tend to be, given the sheer number of pages on the Internet these days.<br /><br /><br /><br />For an internal search engine that just searches through pages or products on your site, the information provided in the Meta keyword tag can really help to narrow down the most relevant pages that one of your site users might be searching for.<br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Unfortunately, the differences between an internal search engine and a public one such as Google are many. For instance, with an internal engine, there are only a relatively small number of pages or products to search through to find a relevant page. Plus, the content and Meta tags on the site are trustworthy, since your goal and that of your internal search engine is to help people find exactly what they're looking for on your site.<br /><br /><br /><br />On the other hand, with major search engines, their database contains basically every page on the web that they know about. They can't necessarily trust the Meta tags they find since a site owner's goals may not necessarily be the same as the major search engines' goal (i.e., you would like your site to show up in the search results as much as possible for as many keyword phrases as possible, but the search engine would like to show the most relevant pages, whether those are yours or someone else's).<br /><br /><br /><br />This makes changing or adding Meta tags on your site neither a quick fix nor a slow fix. It won't fix anything and it won't have any effect on your search engine traffic.<br /><br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />What About Content?<br /><br /><br /><br />Sure, you can add all kinds of content to your site and hope that will be a quick fix, but writing lots of good content cannot be done quickly. It will generally take years of writing a little bit every day or every week, to eventually end up with a genuine archive of truly useful information. It's highly doubtful that if you're somehow generating 100 pages a week, you're actually creating good content. You're either stealing from elsewhere, auto-generating it from some sort of icky software program, or you're some kind of robot with too much time on your hands!<br /><br /><br /><br />How About Links?<br /><br /><br /><br />It is true that links are very important to helping your site gain visibility and search engine traffic. But quick-fix link schemes are not going to result in long-term high rankings for your site. Everyone knows to avoid "link farms," but nobody seems to quite know what they are. No worry, because it doesn't matter whether something is a link farm or a link scheme or a link popularity bonanza software extravaganza. If you set out to get links for the sole purpose of increasing your search engine rankings, you're already thinking backwards.<br /><br /><br /><br />Forget about link popularity and instead think about your target audience and how you can let them know your site exists. It's really just marketing, plain and simple. You have a website and a business that presumably is [better] [more unique] [cheaper] [friendlier] than the others out there and it needs to be marketed. You may even have to <gasp> spend a little money to publicize your site. Good, old-fashioned newspaper, magazine, and even TV ads that mention your website can really get your site noticed. The more visible your site is, the more it will be talked about in the right circles, and the more links it will obtain just because. Even PPC ads can help, because they put your site in front of people looking for what you offer. The point is that people have got to find your site one way or another while you're waiting for your SEO campaign to kick in. It's your job to figure out how to get it in front of them as often as you can.<br /><br /><br /><br />Regardless of how you market your site, don't count on becoming an overnight sensation.<br /><br />This brings us back to Covey's Personality Ethic. Sure, someone can edit your Meta tags quickly and submit to 50 billion search engines and trade links with 90 million useless sites. However, if you haven't invested the time up front to create a website with great content that speaks to the reader in plain language that real people use (in other words, without technology buzzwords), you will not see good long-term results.<br /><br /><br /><br />How To Achieve Long-term Results<br /><br /><br /><br />You may achieve high rankings very quickly for words that nobody is searching for, but as Covey so aptly put it, these will be illusory and deceptive results at best. If no one uses those words in the engine's search box, all the #1 rankings in the world won't keep your business afloat.<br /><br /><br /><br />It's imperative to think of the search engine optimization process as a long-term investment for your site, so here are 5 tips to help you invest in your future success:<br /><br />1. Thoroughly research your keyword phrases using the paid versions of Wordtracker or KeywordDiscovery. Keyword research is completely and utterly the key to everything that is search marketing.<br />2. Make sure your site is not made up of graphics alone, as these cannot be read by the search engine spiders that come a-crawling. (This is especially true of graphics that look like text -- these are often used when a particular font is desired.)<br />3. Be sure to use natural, easy-to-understand language that conveys the message of your website and includes keyword phrases you'd like your site to rank highly for.<br />4. Make sure your Title tags and link anchor text all jibe with the visible content on the page.<br />5. Be patient! You knew I'd end with that one, but with Google's aging delay in place for new sites, patience is more important than ever. It's most likely going to be a good 9 months before you start seeing much (if any) traffic from Google's natural results. Don't be discouraged, but instead use that time to constantly make your site better than the other guy's.<br /><br />Remember, you are working toward the future. Good placement achieved by doing things the right way will have staying power over time with very little additional effort. Like everything in life, if you spend the time and money to do it right to begin with, the long-term results will always be impressive.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-1387587105942411836?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-20593657566692956802009-08-25T14:02:00.001-04:002009-08-25T14:02:51.373-04:00Resource: http://www.selfseo.com/story-17194.php<br /><br />The cookies are small pieces of information (text) that are created by Web sites that you are visiting and are send to your browser (Internet Explorer) along with the Web pages that you are viewing. Some of these cookies are saved to your hard disk and when you visit again the Web site that generated them your browser sends these cookies back to this Web site.<br /><br />The purpose of the cookies is one of the following things:<br /><br />To notify the Web site that you visited it in the past. This information can be used to block some one-time services (for example Web pools, one-time promotional services, etc.). To remember your user name and password so that you don't need to enter them the next time when you visit this Web site. To remember your personal information that is important to the Web site you are visiting. It can be your name, personal preferences, advertising information, etc. To show you a different ad each time when you visit the site or similar ads to one that you clicked in the past.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />As you can see there are plenty of ways for cookies to threaten your privacy. Even if it seems that the purpose of some cookies is innocent they still reveal the fact that you have visited the Web sites from which the cookies came. Also notice that the Web site that generated a cookie can change its content each time when you visit the site. Cookies remain on your computer as long as their creator decides. Some cookies exist only when you are on their web site but other can stay on your PC virtually forever.<br /><br />mil incorporated<br /><br />Delete cookies<br />What are cookies?<br />How to see my cookies?<br />How to delete cookies?<br />Multi-page version of this article<br />What are cookies?<br />The cookies are small pieces of information (text) that are created by Web sites that you are visiting and are send to your browser (Internet Explorer) along with the Web pages that you are viewing. Some of these cookies are saved to your hard disk and when you visit again the Web site that generated them your browser sends these cookies back to this Web site.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />The purpose of the cookies is one of the following things:<br /><br />To notify the Web site that you visited it in the past. This information can be used to block some one-time services (for example Web pools, one-time promotional services, etc.). To remember your user name and password so that you don't need to enter them the next time when you visit this Web site. To remember your personal information that is important to the Web site you are visiting. It can be your name, personal preferences, advertising information, etc. To show you a different ad each time when you visit the site or similar ads to one that you clicked in the past.<br /><br />As you can see there are plenty of ways for cookies to threaten your privacy. Even if it seems that the purpose of some cookies is innocent they still reveal the fact that you have visited the Web sites from which the cookies came. Also notice that the Web site that generated a cookie can change its content each time when you visit the site. Cookies remain on your computer as long as their creator decides. Some cookies exist only when you are on their web site but other can stay on your PC virtually forever.<br /><br />You can use Mil Shield to delete the cookies while keeping some of them (some decent and useful Web sites doesn't work without cookies). Mil Shield cleans also the content of index.dat files, history, temporary Internet files and many other tracks.<br /><br />How to see my cookies?<br /><br />Cookies are kept in special folder on your hard disk. Location of this folder depends on the version of Windows and whether or not you are using user profiles (accounts). If you have Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows NT or Windows 95 then cookie folder is in one of these locations:<br /><br />C:WindowsCookies<br />C:WindowsProfilesCookies<br /><br />Note that on your computer the Windows directory may not be C:Windows but some other directory. If you don't have Profiles directory in you Windows directory don't worry - this just means that you are not using user profiles.<br /><br />If you have Windows XP or Windows 2000 then cookie folder is in this location (note that on your PC it can be on other drive instead of drive C):<br /><br />C ocuments and SettingsCookies<br /><br />If you have only one user account on Windows XP or Windows 2000 then replace with Administrator to get the paths.<br /><br />Mil Incorporated was founded with an ambitious objective to be a trusted software partner for individuals and enterprises around the world. Mil Incorporated provides software security and privacy solutions that incorporate state of the art technology, security expertise, and substantial resources.<br /><br />With threats to computer systems coming from all directions and growing in number and sophistication, our customers know that ordinary security measures are not enough. Mil Incorporated supplies privacy and security solutions that are solid, affordable, easy to use and provide outstanding level of protection.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-2059365756669295680?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-80617517815664987102009-08-24T11:48:00.003-04:002009-08-24T11:48:58.545-04:00Resource: http://seoarticles.seoforgoogle.com/gut-genug-seo.cfm<br /><br />For those unfamiliar with the German language, "Gut Genug" translates to "Good Enough".<br /><br />Ever run into this situation? Maybe you've been fortunate enough that you are swamped with client work, and you have to do the bare minimum to get by. Instead of getting 50 links for the keyphrase that is most important, you only get 10.<br /><br />Many times, when trying to get some work done, it is the client that impedes the progress. At that point, it's not your fault. But if you know that you could be doing more, are you really servicing the client?<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />The arguement could be made to say that if a client is only paying a certain amount, they should only get a certain amount of service. I can't argue that. But at some point the question needs to be asked: Are you providing value to your client? Or just taking their money?<br /><br />So, enough about the rant. These situations do occur, and as I thought about it, I came up with a list of what would be gut genug:<br /><br />(All of these are on a per month basis)<br /><br />* 10 keyword-rich text links for each keyphrase<br />* 5 directory links for each keyphrase<br />* A review of the copy on the targeted pages<br />* A review of the page titles and meta tags<br />* Inform client on any changes in the search space<br />* Provide insight for client's search marketing strategy<br />* Be a protector of the client brand<br /><br /><br />I know this is not a complete list, but it's certainly "good enough" for most clients...<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-8061751781566498710?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-661954697694287352009-08-23T18:22:00.003-04:002009-08-23T18:23:17.535-04:00There are three basic steps to maintaining a clean site:<br /><br />1. Identifying badware behavior on your site<br />2. Removing badware behavior from your site<br />3. Preventing badware behaviors in the future<br /><br />Identifying badware on your site<br /><br />The first step to keeping your website badware-free is to check for any badware or badware behaviors that may already be on your site. Badware is software that fundamentally disregards a user’s choice over how his or her computer will be used. Many sites with badware problems are not actually hosting badware themselves, but instead exhibit other “badware behaviors” such as automatic redirects or prominent links to badware on other sites. Often these badware behaviors are the result of hacking attacks or compromised third-party content, such as ads, rather than any deliberate actions by the website’s owner. You can learn more about badware and badware behaviors in our Guidelines.<br /><br />When looking for badware on your site, especially badware due to hacking attacks, please remember to check the source code of your site as it is currently hosted on your web servers. Many site owners mistakenly look just at the website files they have on their own computers, and so miss seeing the evidence of attacks to the site itself.<br /><br />If your site has been flagged with a malware warning by Google, check the Google Diagnostics page for your site for more information about the problems Google found.<br /><br />Here are some common types of badware to look for:<br />1. Badware available for download on your site<br /><br />Evaluate the software that you are offering for download – including any third-party applications that are bundled with your software – based on StopBadware’s Software Guidelines. If the software that you are offering for download violates our guidelines, then it constitutes badware.<br /><br />If your software is bundled with third-party applications, you may also want to check whether the bundled applications install any dangerous or deceptive code. One method for detecting this is to download the entire software bundle onto a virtual machine and scan it using anti-virus or anti-spyware programs.<br />2. Badware available on sites that you link to<br /><br />If your website links to badware, your site’s visitors may be in danger, even when the bad software or code exploits are not actually hosted on your site. Your web pages may violate our Website Guidelines if they automatically redirect to a website that hosts or distributes badware; directly link to executable files that are badware; link to another website that automatically attempts to install badware by exploit onto the user’s computer; or contain substantial links to other website(s) that predominantly host or distribute badware.<br /><br />Some ways to determine whether the links on your site violate our guidelines would be to check whether any of your links lead to bad software available for download on another site, or whether they lead to an infected page on another site. (We recommend that, when looking for badware, you use a virtual machine to avoid damaging your own computer.) It may also be useful to search through your site’s source code and look for links to unknown sites, especially if the links are to executable files. Executable files include files with extensions such as .exe, .bat, .cmd, .scr, and .pif. There are also applications available that will allow you to scan for malicious links within a web page, and you can use these applications to help decide whether to link to that page.<br /><br />You can also use the StopBadware application alerts and our Badware Website Clearinghouse as a resource to search for information on the sites and software to which you link or are planning to link.<br />3. Badware distributed through ads running on your site<br /><br />Advertising displayed on your site is another potential source of badware, since most ads include direct links to an external web page. Please see section 1.2 above for general information about our guidelines for badware found via links. If you display third-party ads on your website, check that the links do not lead to bad software or to a badware-infected web page. The methods for evaluating the software that is available through ads are similar to those described in section 1.1.<br /><br />Use internet searches to check out the ad networks you use to learn whether other websites have had badware problems with those ad providers.<br />4. Badware links posted in user-generated areas of your site<br /><br />If there are any areas of your site where users can post or upload content, these areas may be a potential source of badware or badware links. Please see sections 1.1 and 1.2 above for information about badware and badware links.<br />5. Hacking attacks to your site<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Another common source of badware on websites is hacking attacks, which allow third parties to insert code or executables onto poorly secured websites. A common example is the “injection attack,” in which a hacker uses a security vulnerability to inject harmful code into one of your web pages. Usually this code will be invisible to visitors to your site, but can trigger a silent badware download in the background of a visitor’s computer. You can often detect whether this kind of attack has occurred by looking at the source code of your web pages and determining if contains any code that you did not place there. Be sure to look at the code as it is appearing live on your web server.<br />Two common types of “injection attack” are:<br /><br />Invisible iframes<br /><br />Iframe tags are one of the many kinds of HTML tag codes that can be used as part of the source code that creates a website. An iframe creates a small window on a webpage so that another page can load inside the embedded window. Iframes are not always used for nefarious purposes; one frequent use, for example, is to embed remotely hosted dynamic content such as online maps into web pages. When used by malicious attackers, an iframe can be made so small that it is invisible, and the visitor to the infected page never knows that another page is also loading in the tiny iframe window.<br /><br />If you see code for an iframe with width=“0” and height=“0” in the source code of any page on your website, you have found an invisible iframe. Iframes are most commonly inserted at the very top or the very bottom of a web page’s source code. A good first place to check for iframes is before the initial tag that starts a web page’s standard code, or after the final that ends a page’s code.<br /><br />Obfuscated code<br /><br />Obfuscated code or scripts are designed to be hidden within the normal code for your site, so they can be hard to detect. The code is written specifically to prevent automated tools from discovering its purpose. The most commonly obfuscated kind of code is javascript, which is used to add functionality to many websites.<br /><br />Obfuscated code is not necessarily bad; for example, some developers use encoding to make it harder for automated programs to detect email addresses displayed on a site, protecting the addresses from spam harvesters. However, if you write the code on your site and you do not intentionally obfuscate, a block of obfuscated code on your site may indicate an injection attack. The two most common ways code is obfuscated are through encoding and encrypting.<br /><br />Encoding can sometimes be easy to spot because the encoding uses either “hex” or “unicode/wide” characters. For hex characters, you will see strings of percent signs with two characters after them (e.g. %AA%BB%CC). For unicode characters, you will see strings of “\u” with four characters after (e.g. \u0048\u0069\u0021). These blocks of encoded text can take up several paragraphs.<br /><br />Encrypted code is harder to find, because there are no set patterns. However, encrypted code will look like a block of unintelligible text. Normal javascript uses a syntax based on actual English words. Encoded or encrypted text appears in a site’s source code as completely unintelligible blocks of letters, numbers, and symbols.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />While most hacking attacks focus on html code, it is also possible for bad software itself to be uploaded onto a poorly secured site. Bad software can include unknown executables (such as files that end in .exe, .bat, .cmd, .scr, and .pif), javascript files, or even images uploaded to your site without your knowledge. Sometimes attackers will simply use your website to host badware and link to it from other victim sites. One method for detecting whether you are hosting bad software on your site is to download all of your source code from the live website onto a virtual machine and scan it using anti-virus and anti-spyware programs.<br />Removing badware from your site<br /><br />How you should go about removing badware from your site will depend on what kind(s) of badware your site is hosting or linking to. Our general recommendation is to take your website offline while you clean and secure it, to prevent your site’s visitors from being unwittingly infected in the interim.<br />1. If your site is hosting bad software for download<br /><br />Remove the bad software from your website and don’t make it available for download again unless you can be sure that it is no longer badware. You can learn more about what makes a piece of software badware in our guidelines. If you are the creator of the software in question, StopBadware may be able to offer recommendations for bringing your software into compliance with our guidelines.<br />2. If your site links to badware<br /><br />Remove all badware links from your website.<br />3. If ads on your site are linking to badware<br /><br />Remove all ads that link to badware. If you use an ad network, this may mean removing all the network’s ads from your site until you can be sure the network is clean. You may also want to contact your ad provider and let them know that one or more of their ads is causing badware to be linked from your site.<br />4. If badware is linked in user-generated areas of your site<br /><br />Remove the badware links from your site. This may involve editing user posts to remove the badware content, or deleting entire user posts.<br />5. If your site has been hacked<br /><br />Take the site offline in order to keep from putting your site’s visitors and your customers at risk. Then remove all of the offending code and fix all underlying security vulnerabilities before putting your site back online. Finding and removing a specific block of bad code that a hacker has inserted can clean your site for a time, but keeping your site from being infected in the future will require fixing the security vulnerabilities that allowed the hacker to insert the code in the first place. As such, be sure to check for and remove any backdoors left by the attacker. A backdoor will allow an attacker to get back into your site even after you have locked down the site.<br /><br />Your hosting provider should also be able to help you figure out where the underlying vulnerabilities on your site are, so contacting them should be a top priority if you think your site has been hacked. You can also check your hosting provider’s forums to see if any other webmasters using that host have been compromised. Checking user forums for the software used by your site can also help you see if other users have been compromised through flaws in the software, or if there are security updates which your site does not yet have in place.<br />Preventing badware in the future<br />1. Check software for badware before making it available for download<br /><br />See section 1.1 above for general information on badware and our software guidelines.<br />2. Check links for badware before posting them to your site<br /><br />See section 1.2 above for general information and our guidelines about badware in links.<br />3. Use only reputable, conscientious ad providers and regularly monitor them to be sure they stay clean<br /><br />Make sure your ad network is reputable and actively screens for badware from advertisers. If not, switch and tell them why you switched. Remember that an ad shown on your site, even if provided and hosted by a third party, is still a part of your web page. You should only accept ads from providers that you are confident are diligent about protecting clients from badware. Use internet searches to check out the ad networks you are considering using to learn whether other websites have had badware problems with those ad providers.<br />4. Monitor user-generated areas of your site<br /><br />Make sure your terms of use for posting to forums, blogs, and other user-generated areas of your site explicitly forbid posting links to badware. Then actively monitor these areas of your site for suspicious links or executables. You may also choose not to allow users to link directly to any form of executable file or to insert javascript into forum messages or other user-generated content areas. See section 1.2 above for general information and our guidelines about badware in links.<br />5. Close security loopholes to secure your site against hacking<br /><br />Some basic steps that can be taken to make your site more secure include the following:<br /><br />* Use strong passwords.<br />* Use SSH and SFTP protocols, instead of telnet or FTP. Telnet and FTP are both considered insecure because of their use of plain text protocols. They transmit usernames and passwords in a way that anyone with access to the network can read. SSH and SFTP are based on an encrypted protocol which prevents eavesdropping.<br />* Scan your site for security vulnerabilities using a vulnerability auditing scanner (both free and commercial versions are available). Use security update management tools to detect missing patches and then apply those patches immediately. The StopBadware online community has created a page of suggestions from our community members here].<br />* Keep up to date on news relating to any software you or your host use on your site, and make sure you are always running the most recent versions, including security patches. Subscribe to, and regularly read, any newsletters or alerts offered by your hosting provider and software providers.<br />* Make sure your hosting provider keeps all software updated, including security patches. If they do not, urge them to do so or switch to a hosting provider that you are confident does its best to keep its clients’ websites secure.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-66195469769428735?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-30558668138769751012009-08-22T02:05:00.001-04:002009-08-22T02:06:57.423-04:00Resource: http://www.highrankings.com/allabouttitles<br /><br />What Is a Title Tag?<br /><br /><br /><br />The title tag has been — and probably will always be — one of the most important factors in achieving high search engine rankings.<br /><br /><br /><br />In fact, fixing just the title tags of your pages can often generate quick and appreciable differences to your rankings. And because the words in the title tag are what appear in the clickable link on the search engine results page (SERP), changing them may result in more clickthroughs.<br /><br /><br /><br />Search Engines and Title Tags<br /><br /><br /><br />Title tags are definitely one of the “big three” as far as the algorithmic weight given to them by search engines; they are equally as important as your visible text copy and the links pointing to your pages — perhaps even more so.<br /><br /><br /><br />Do Company Names Belong in the Title Tag?<br /><br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />This is one of the most common questions asked about titles. The answer is a resounding YES! I’ve found that it’s fine to place your company name in the title, and *gasp*, even to place it at the beginning of the tag! In fact, if your company is already a well-known brand, I’d say that it’s essential. Even if you’re not a well-known brand yet, chances are you’d like to eventually be one. The title tag gives you a great opportunity to further this cause.<br /><br /><br /><br />This doesn’t mean that you should put *just* your company name in the title tag. Even the most well-known brands will benefit from a good descriptive phrase or two added, as it will serve to enhance your brand as well as your search engine rankings. The people who already know your company and seek it out by name will be able to find you in the engines, and so will those who have never heard of you but seek the products or services you sell.<br /><br /><br /><br />Title Tags Should Contain Specific Keyword Phrases<br /><br /><br /><br />For example, if your company is "Johnson and Smith Inc.," a tax accounting firm in Texas, you shouldn’t place only the words "Johnson and Smith Inc." in your title tag, but instead use something like "Johnson and Smith Inc. Tax Accountants in Texas."<br /><br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />As a Texas tax accountant, you would want your company’s site to appear in the search engine results for searches on phrases such as "Texas tax accountants" and "CPAs in Texas." (Be sure to do your keyword research to find the best phrases!) You would need to be even more specific if you prefer to work with people only in the Dallas area. In that case, use keywords such as "Dallas tax accountants" in your site’s title tags.<br /><br /><br /><br />Using our Dallas accountant’s example, you might create a title tag as follows:<br /><br /><br /><br />Johnson and Smith Tax Accountants in Dallas<br /><br /><br /><br />or you might try something like this:<br /><br /><br /><br />Johnson and Smith Dallas CPAs<br /><br /><br /><br />However, there’s more than enough space in the title tag to include both of these important keyword phrases. (I like to use about 10-12 words in my title tags.)<br /><br /><br /><br />One way to do it would be like this:<br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Johnson and Smith - Dallas Tax Accountants - CPAs in Dallas, TX<br /><br /><br /><br />I’ve always liked the method of separating phrases with a hyphen; however, in today’s competitive marketplace, how your listing appears in the SERPs is a critical aspect of your SEO campaign. After all, if you have high search engine rankings but your targeted buyers aren’t clicking through, it won’t do you much good.<br /><br /><br /><br />These days I try to write compelling titles as opposed to simply factual ones, if I can. But it also depends on the page, the type of business, the targeted keyword phrases, and many other factors. There’s nothing wrong with the title tag in my above example. If you were looking for a tax accountant in Dallas and saw that listing at Google, you’d probably click on it.<br /><br /><br /><br />Still, you could make it a readable sentence like this:<br /><br /><br /><br />Johnson and Smith are Tax Accountants and CPAs in Dallas, TX<br /><br /><br /><br />I’m not as thrilled with that one because I had to remove the exact phrase "Dallas Tax Accountants," as it wouldn’t read as well if it said:<br /><br /><br /><br />Johnson and Smith are Dallas Tax Accountants and CPAs in Dallas, TX<br /><br /><br /><br />It sounds redundant that way, as if it were written only for the search engines.<br /><br />In the end, it’s really a personal preference. Don’t make yourself crazy trying to create the perfect title tag, as there’s just no such thing. Most likely, either of my examples would work fine. The best thing to do would be to test different ones and see which rank higher and which convert better. It may very well be that the second version doesn’t rank as well, but gets clicked on more, effectively making up the difference.<br /><br /><br /><br />Use Your Visible Text Copy As Your Guide<br /><br /><br /><br />I prefer not to create my title tags until the copy on the page has been written and optimized. I need to see how the copywriter integrated the keyword phrases into the text to know where to begin. If you’ve done a good job with your writing (or better yet, hired a professional SEO copywriter), you should find all the information you need right there on your page. Simply choose the most relevant keyword phrases that the copy was based on, and write a compelling title tag accordingly. If you’re having trouble with this and can’t seem to get a handle on what the most important phrases are for any given page, you probably need to rewrite the copy.<br /><br /><br /><br />I recommend that you *don’t* use an exact sentence pulled from your copy as your title tag. It’s much better to have a unique sentence or a compelling string of words in this tag. This is why you have to watch out for certain development tools. Some content management systems (CMS) and blog software such as WordPress automatically generate the title tag from information you provide elsewhere. In WordPress, for example, the default is to use your blog name, plus whatever you named the page. The problem is that this same info is also used as the headline, plus in the navigational link to the page. Depending on your setup, it could also be the URL for that page. Very rarely would you want all those to be the same.<br /><br /><br /><br />The good news is that most of today’s CMS and blog software have workarounds so that you can customize your title tags. For WordPress, I recommend installing the "SEO Title Tag" plug-in developed by Stephan Spencer. It works like a charm on all my WordPress sites.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-3055866813876975101?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-46697479041815436372009-08-21T15:48:00.003-04:002009-08-21T15:49:06.228-04:00Resource: http://www.selfseo.com/story-19135.php<br /><br />With all of the viruses, worms, and spyware floating around in cyberspace it is more important than ever to be security conscious. Securing your PC from all of those nasty programs will not only save you a lot of time, it is also a necessity to help avoid losing important data and potential theft of personal information.<br /><br /><br /><br />Here are the four quick steps you can start putting to use right away, the entire process should only take a few minutes excluding the download time for updates.<br /><br />1. Use a firewall. With the release of the built in firewall with Windows XP it is easier than ever to use employ, simply open up your network connection properties and turn it on. The base setting will be more than sufficient and unlike other firewall offerings it requires almost zero configurations.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />2. Configuring Windows Update is one of the least troublesome tools to implement. Once configured the updating service will automatically download and apply any critical patches for your Microsoft software transparently in the background while you work.<br /><br />3. Antivirus and anti-spyware software is essential in keeping your system free of viruses, worms and other malicious programs. There are some bare bones, yet effective free programs such as AVG and Ad-Aware as well as robust commercial programs like Norton.<br /><br />4. Browser security is very straight forward yet can be often glossed over, if you are using Internet Explorer the default security settings can be set in seconds and are generally sufficient. Alternatively try using a different browser like Firefox.<br /><br />Following these simple and quick steps you can be sure your system is more secure and up to date against the latest security vulnerabilities. Although not an exhaustive list of precautions that can be utilized, these techniques make up a good baseline of protection against a majority of the malicious software lurking about the Internet.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-4669747904181543637?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-59571972861520494672009-08-20T11:19:00.001-04:002009-08-20T11:20:21.253-04:00Resource: http://www.seoarticles.com/2009/07/14/tapping-into-the-wealth-of-knowledge-between-the-ses-co-chairs/<br /><br />If you’ve exhibited, presented or moderated a Search Engine Strategies conference, it’s more than likely that you’ve had the opportunity to meet Stewart Quealy, VP, Content Development at Incisive Media, parent company to Search Engine Strategies, Search Engine Watch and ClickZ. Stewart (L), along with Mike Grehan (R) were recently named co-chairs of the SES Advisory Board, which is charged with shaping the future direction and ongoing growth of the SES conference.<br /><br />The SEM legend, Mike Grehan, is global KDM officer with New York based Acronym Media. He’s been involved with online marketing since 1995 and is recognized in the industry as an expert in the search marketing field. He’s programmed many SES London events and has written multiple books and white papers on search marketing.<br /><br />With the co-chair good news and SES San Jose coming up, I thought it would be fitting to tap into the wealth of knowledge between Stewart and Mike to get their take on the future of SES, the industry and how to get the most out of attending search marketing conferences.<br /><br />Congratulations on your appointments as co-chairs of Search Engine Strategies. Do you get to wear a crown or special medal? Oh wait, Mike has that riding crop thing What’s your grand plan for the future of SES?<br /><br />Stewart: Grand schemes and plots aside, we’re approaching the whole adventure with a rekindled sense of opportunity and spirit of collaboration. Rather than relying on convention, we’ll be looking toward those outlying areas where incipient trends act as signals and cues for future content. Considering that we have the best advisory board in the business, there’s no reason to be timid in how we set our course.<br /><br />Mike: Actually, I will get one more ribbon to add to my speakers badge. This means that I will now have four and qualify to become dictator of a small South American country. As such, my riding crop thing will be replaced by a scepter and orb. Dictating a small country takes up quite some time, so that’s the main reason that Stew is co chair with me. Somebody has to run the show!<br /><br />SES 2009You’ve been involved with Search Engine Strategies behind and in front of “the scenes” for a very long time and I’m wondering what it is about SES that keeps you motivated and interested? What’s special about SES San Jose in particular?<br /><br />Stewart: SES has a coveted history of delivering on educational promises over the years and I’m proud to have played a role in that enduring sense of purpose. Our goal has always been to immerse attendees in relevant content and inspire them to return. I guess my motivation stems from the fact that SES is still recognized as a progressive force within the community and I’ve been able to witness that success firsthand for the past eight years. Since we’re continually refining the content of existing shows and refocusing on what’s truly important to our delegates, it remains exciting to me.<br /><br />Regarding SES San Jose, I’m hard pressed to think of another industry event that brings together such a highly engaged and diverse audience on the same scope and scale. More than just a conference, SES San Jose is a one-of-a-kind gathering and party that literally takes place in the industry’s back yard. Last year proved to be a banner event despite a recession, bear market and global credit crisis. This year’s upcoming conference marks our 11th year in San Jose and I’m convinced it could be our best one yet.<br /><br />Mike: I’ve been a regular speaker a SES for many years now. And until recently (SES, Toronto) I hadn’t missed a single show. The one thing that keeps me motivated most is that, the show attracts so many new entrants into the industry. And to those people every show is a whole new experience. Both for the learning and the networking. SES is the largest and most recognized brand in search marketing <br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite -->events. So there’s also the prestige that attendees take with them after they have attended a show. There are many, many times I’ve visited with a potential new client and spotted their SES name badge proudly hanging somewhere in their office.<br /><br />And certainly, I agree with Stew about the San Jose show. It’s the largest search marketing extravaganza on the planet. And the fact that it’s held in San Jose, which is capital of Silicon Valley and where major search engines such as Google and Yahoo are based, gives it a feel of being in completely the right setting. Oh, and the glorious sunshine doesn’t usually go unnoticed either!<br /><br />From looking at the SES San Jose schedule it appears to cover a lot of bases for new attendees and veterans alike plus keynotes with Charlene Li, Clay Shirky and Nicholas Fox. There’s also pre and post conference training (such as the SEO/Social Media brain dump on Aug 10, wink wink) What advice do you have for individuals and companies that are trying to decide whether the training or conference or both are the best investment?<br /><br />Stewart: My advice is to not be intimidated by the sheer magnitude of offerings. Our broad and deep program makes it possible for each conference delegate to experience a completely unique event, mixing and matching sessions, workshops and tracks. My expectation is that delegates will walk away with a year’s worth of firsthand insight in one week.<br /><br />Mike: Ditto! Stew gets it in one. Some people attend and need to know everything from scratch. Some already know a bit, but want to become practitioners so the training is very important. The show caters for everyone from beginner to advanced.<br /><br />Speaking of investments, times like these call for getting the most out of paid training and conferences. What tips do you have for attendees, sponsors and exhibitors to get the maximum value from attending an event like SES?<br /><br />Stewart: True “conference commandos“ know that the biggest mistake is to arrive at a conference without a list of goals so my first suggestion would be to do your homework before arriving. We typically mail out a sneak preview magazine filled with relevant features, columns and session descriptions prior to each event so this is a great way to get started. The more precisely you can pinpoint what you desire to gain from the conference, the more effectively you can calibrate your plan of attack. The good news is that by bringing together all the relevant personalities and companies under one roof, SES makes it easy for everyone to see how all the pieces fit together.<br /><br />Also, keep in mind that conversations can be just as valuable as breakout sessions. Those incidental dialogues in the hallway and face-to-face networking opportunities are something you really want to leverage. Content, community and commerce are the building blocks of any successful conference so my advice is to tap into all three while at SES SJ.<br /><br />Mike: There’s a whole lot of dialogue about the show in so many forums and blogs in the industry that you can get to know an awful lot about the show prior to going there. Search Engine Watch is a great place to catch up with news on speakers and events/additions. We spend a lot of time bringing together the best mix of popular speakers and new talent. Do a search on the speakers names and look for their own blogs and Tweets. One great idea is to check out the Search Engine Strategies video channel at YouTube where you can see past speakers being interviewed as well as attendees talking about their own experiences.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Plus, I don’t have a link, sorry, but I’ll be doing a series of radio interviews leading up to the show on webmaster radio so keep an eye/ear out for that.<br /><br />And I’m 100% with Stew on the networking thing. The sessions are great but you can always get face time with the speakers during the lunch and coffee breaks. At lunch, for instance, pick out your target speaker and plonk yourself down right next to them at the table and introduce yourself. Honestly, they all expect it. Except for that Lee Odden character who has started charging a fee to sit at his table, I understand J<br /><br />One really important thing is, try to attend the site clinics. Much smaller sessions but if you don’t mind having your web site deconstructed by leading international search marketing consultants for free (repeat - for free!) …<br /><br />Let’s change things up and talk about a few industry topics. What’s the verdict so far on Bing? Is it a Google killer? Does it need to be? Or is it less Coke vs Pepsi and more like Coke and KFC?<br /><br />Stewart: Algorithm and index-size wars aside, Cuil is the only Google killer I’m aware of (tongue planted firmly in cheek). But seriously, I’m a sucker for onomatopoeia and Bing is a vast name improvement over Windows Live Search which always struck me as a bit clinical. Aside from that, my understanding is that Bing’s search traffic is still light so it’s tough to determine what the long-term impact will be or if Microsoft actually has a robust Google competitor on its hands. Either way , I’m definitely looking forward to the next round of frenetically surreal Bing TV commercials.<br /><br />Mike: I just have to hear the words “Google killer” and I want to throw my laptop out of the window. Why do we need a Google killer? What’s wrong with Google? And why can’t the entire planet accept that there are other search engines doing some fairly unique things that offer an alternative to only having one source of information retrieval on the horizon.<br /><br />I love Bing with all of my heart and welcome it with open arms. Do I want to sit and compare it with Google all day? Absolutely not. I want Bing to provide me with its own brand of user experience. And from a marketing point of view, I understand the quantity is not comparable, but as people have said a lot about Microsoft - it’s quality traffic.<br /><br />What do you think of the prospects for Yahoo? Is it a deal with Microsoft even possible if Yahoo is “not a search company“?<br /><br />Stewart: Whether Microsoft will actually acquire Yahoo is anybody’s guess but I would not be surprised to see some sort of significant partnership occur before the end of the year. Overall, I think Yahoo’s prospects under Carol Bartz leadership <br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />are quite favorable .<br /><br />Mike: I have no idea why anyone is surprised to hear Carol Bartz say that Yahoo is not a search company. I’ve been saying it and so have they for years! It’s as simple as this: search is one of the many things that Yahoo does. So when people talk about Yahoo only picking the scraps from Google’s table when it comes to search your just comparing apples to oranges. If the whole search industry fell off a cliff tomorrow Yahoo would still be there but Google wouldn’t.<br /><br />As for the idea of BingHoo! I can see why Microsoft acquiring the search part of Yahoo may have some interesting possibilities. But I don’t think Microsoft needs to acquire the entire yahoo company just to become Google killers…. Aaaaarrrrgggghhh… there goes my laptop out of the window!<br /><br />7. Now that SEO has been dead for a while, how long before this social media thing dies out? What comes after that?<br /><br />Stewart: Headlines like, “Is Digg the Jan Brady of Web 2.0?“ certainly lend credence to the notion that life can be ephemeral for social media utilities. However, I would have to agree with Charlene Li when she says we should concentrate on the relationships, not the technologies. Individual platforms for public conversation and interaction like Twitter may come and go but relationships will determine how the power shifts. Look for our opening keynote in San Jose, Clay Shirky, to shed considerable light on this very topic.<br /><br />Mike: I’d like to find the person who coined the term social media… And right hook them! What the heck is it supposed to mean? If I’d written a letter to the editor of the New York Times before the world wide web and had it published, would I have called it “user generated content.” Or was it a letter to the editor? If I dialed into a phone in show on the radio and ranted about the government would that be “user generated content” or “social media” or would it be some guy on a phone in show?<br /><br />First of all, why is the search marketing industry sticking its nose so far into this, so called, “social media” thing. There they were all happy discussing the daily adventures of googlebot and then all of a sudden they’re media gurus. Here’s the thing Lee, it’s the audience which has changed - not the medium (except it got faster).<br /><br />So what we need to do, is spend more time understanding the long term information needs of the end user and how they should receive that. And spend less time talking about who’s going to be the next Twitter killer…. Aaaaaarrrggggghhhhh!! There goes another laptop!<br /><br />“Social Media” may represent the overused phrase of the year, but with 16.8 Billion online videos watched per month on services like YouTube or Facebook with over 200 million users and Twitter experiencing over 1,300% growth, there’s a lot to talk about that’s social. Where do you think search best fits in when talking about the social web?<br /><br />Stewart: Rebecca Lieb wrote a great piece about this for the July issue of SES Magazine and I’d have to agree with her when she states that introducing social elements into search adds another layer of complexity but it makes search an even more valuable feedback mechanism. Likewise, Steve Rubel, recently observed that we’re going to see a major shift in where and how we search for relevant news and information by layering in trusted sources. Depending on what you read, querying the “social graph” and “the cold mathematics of a Google search” are all part of the mix.<br /><br />On a more practical note, don’t forget that we have an entire track dedicated to Social Media & Video Strategies on Day 1 in San Jose along with a ClickZ/OMS track on Day 2 which will tackle many of these topics and issues. I would also encourage folks to attend the “SEO for the Greater Good: Using Search to Find Missing Persons” panel which explores a social media campaign used to generate leads in a missing persons case.<br /><br />Mike: I’ve written something like seven gazillion words on the subject of where I think search will fit (and yes, mom told me 17.2 million times never to exaggerate). So, we can stick with Stew’s overview (or you could go and read some of my recent ClickZ columns).<br /><br />9. You can’t get through one of these interviews without the dreaded “future” question, so here goes: What will characterize search marketing in 3 or 5 years? Will it be a different ballgame then or more Google dominance, ala Googlezon/Epic? (video )<br /><br />Stewart: I think we are at a curious intersection in the evolution of search at the moment and it’s pretty difficult to predict the future in 3 to 5 years. Rather than prognosticate, my recommendation would be to attend the “Search: Where to Next?” session taking place on Day 1 in San Jose and hear directly from the experts. This panel was a high point back at SES NY when Mike Grehan moderated it and I suspect that it will resonate just as profoundly in San Jose.<br /><br />Speaking of game changers, attendees can also look forward to the “Semantic Technology & Search” session that Dana Todd is moderating.<br /><br />Mike: I asked a researcher in the information retrieval field (one of the smartest scientists out there) some time ago about where we are currently in search. I gave him a scale of 1-10 with ten being the best that search can ever be. He answered 2 ½ ! So trying to get a handle on where we’ll be in three years is always going to be hard. One thing that everyone should think about is the actual platform and protocol. HTTP and HTML are 20 year old technologies designed for something entirely different to that which current end users frequently expect.<br /><br />So, my guess, again, pay more attention to the end user and perhaps place a little less emphasis the way information retrieval happens on the web. I’d take a look at Chrome and think about these words that came from a Google researcher:”As we move away from a web of content to a web of applications….” And then ask yourself why Google needs an operating system.<br /><br />What’s one question I should be asking you? (And the answer of course)<br /><br />Stewart Q: Being an amateur oenophile and living in Southern California, are you convinced that Napa wines are criminally overrated?<br /><br />Stewart A: That sentiment may be a bit harsh but given the fact that Temecula Valley is the fastest growing wine region in the state and that South Coast Winery has been recognized as the “Best Winery in California” , the answer would be “yes.” I’ll skip the part about the lower tasting fees and superior Mediterranean varietals. ;-)<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-5957197286152049467?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-44756045624019558052009-08-19T14:01:00.003-04:002009-08-19T14:02:10.812-04:00Resource: http://www.acunetix.com/websitesecurity/xss.htm<br /><br />1. What is Cross Site Scripting?<br /><br />Cross Site Scripting (or XSS) is one of the most common application-layer web attacks. XSS commonly targets scripts embedded in a page which are executed on the client-side (in the user’s web browser) rather than on the server-side. XSS in itself is a threat which is brought about by the internet security weaknesses of client-side scripting languages, with HTML and JavaScript (others being VBScript, ActiveX, HTML, or Flash) as the prime culprits for this exploit. The concept of XSS is to manipulate client-side scripts of a web application to execute in the manner desired by the malicious user. Such a manipulation can embed a script in a page which can be executed every time the page is loaded, or whenever an associated event is performed.<br /><br />A basic example of XSS is when a malicious user injects a script in a legitimate shopping site URL which in turn redirects a user to a fake but identical page. The malicious page would run a script to capture the cookie of the user browsing the shopping site, and that cookie gets sent to the malicious user who can now hijack the legitimate user’s session. Although no real hack has been performed against the shopping site, XSS has still exploited a scripting weakness in the page to snare a user and take command of his session. A trick which often is used to make malicious URLs less obvious is to have the XSS part of the URL encoded in HEX (or other encoding methods). This will look harmless to the user who recognizes the URL he is familiar with, and simply disregards and following ‘tricked’ code which would be encoded and therefore inconspicuous.<br /><br />2. Site owners are always confident, but so are hackers!<br /><br />Without going into complicated technical details, one must be aware of the various cases which have shown that XSS can have serious consequences when exploited on a vulnerable web application. Many site owners dismiss XSS on the grounds that it cannot be used to steal sensitive data from a back-end database. This is a common <br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite -->mistake because the consequences of XSS against a web application and its customers have been proven to be very serious, both in terms of application functionality and business operation. An online business project cannot afford to lose the trust of its present and future customers simply because nobody has ever stepped forward to prove that their site is really vulnerable to XSS exploits. Ironically, there are stories of site owners who have boldly claimed that XSS is not really a high-risk exploit. This has often resulted in a public challenge which hackers are always itching to accept, with the site owner having to later deal with a defaced application and public embarrassment.<br /><br />3. The repercussions of XSS<br /><br />Analysis of different cases which detail XSS exploits teaches us how the constantly changing web technology is nowhere close to making applications more secure. A thorough web search will reveal many stories of large-scale corporation web sites being hacked through XSS exploits, and the reports of such cases always show the same recurring consequences as being of the severe kind.<br /><br />Exploited XSS is commonly used to achieve the following malicious results:<br /><br />* Identity theft<br />* Accessing sensitive or restricted information<br />* Gaining free access to otherwise paid for content<br />* Spying on user’s web browsing habits<br />* Altering browser functionality<br />* Public defamation of an individual or corporation<br />* Web application defacement<br />* Denial of Service attacks<br /><br />Any site owner with a healthy level of integrity would agree that none of the above can really be considered us frivolous or unimportant impacts on a vulnerable site. Security flaws in high-profile web sites have allowed hackers to obtain credit card details and user information which allowed them to perform transactions in their name. Legitimate users have been frequently tricked into clicking a link which redirects them to a malicious but legitimate-looking page which in turn captures all their details and sends them straight to the hacker. This example might not sound as bad as hacking into a corporate database; however it takes no effort to cause site visitors or customers to lose their trust in the application’s security which in turn can result in liability and loss of business.<br /><br />4. A practical example of XSS on an Acunetix test site.<br /><br />The following example is not a hacking tutorial. It is just a basic way to demonstrate how XSS can be used to control and modify the functionality of a web page and to re-design the way the page processes its output. The practical use of the example may be freely debated; however anyone may see the regular reports which describe how advanced XSS is used to achieve very complex results, most commonly without being noticed by the user. I encourage also those individuals with no hacking knowledge to try the following example, I am sure you will find it <br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite -->interesting.<br /><br />1. Load the following link in your browser: http://testasp.acunetix.com/Search.asp, you will notice that the page is a simple page with an input field for running a search<br /><br />2. Try to insert the following code into the search field, and notice how a login form will be displayed on the page:<br /><br />Please login with the form below before proceeding: <br /><br />Please login with the form below before proceeding:<form action="destination.asp"><table><tr><td>Login:</td><td><input type=text length=20 name=login></td></tr><tr><td>Password:</td><td><input type=text length=20 name=password></td></tr></table><input type=submit value=LOGIN></form>, then simply hit the search button after inserting the code.<br /><br />Through the XSS flaw on the page, it has been possible to create a FAKE login form which can convince gather a user’s credentials. As seen in step 2, the code contains a section which mentions “destination.asp”. That is where a hacker can decide where the FAKE login form will send the user’s log-in details for them to be retrieved and used maliciously.<br /><br />A hacker can also inject this code by passing it around via the browser’s address bar as follows:<br /><br />http://testasp.acunetix.com/Search.asp?tfSearch=%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EPlease+login+with+<br />the+form+below+before+proceeding%3A%3C form+action%3D%22test.asp%22%3E%3C<br />table%3E%3Ctr%3E%3Ctd%3ELogin%3A%3C%2Ftd%3E%3Ctd%3E%3Cinput+type%3D<br />text+ length%3D20+name%3Dlogin%3E%3C%2Ftd%3E%3C%2Ftr%3E%3Ctr%3E%3C<br />td%3EPassword%3A%3C%2Ftd%3E%3Ctd%3E%3Cinput +type%3Dtext+length%3D20<br />+name%3Dpassword%3E%3C%2Ftd%3E%3C%2Ftr%3E%3C%2Ftable%3E%3Cinput<br />+type%3Dsubmit+value %3DLOGIN%3E%3C%2Fform%3E<br /><br />This will create the same result on the page, showing how XSS can be used in several different ways to achieve the same result. After the hacker retrieves the user’s log-in credentials, he can easily cause the browser to display the search page as it was originally and the user would not even realize that he has just been fooled. This example may also be seen in use in all those spam emails we all receive. It is very common to find an email in your inbox saying how a certain auctioning site suspects that another individual is using your account maliciously, and it then asks you to click a link to validate your identity. This is a similar method which directs the unsuspecting user to a FAKE version of the auctioning site, and captures the user’s log-in credentials to then send them to the hacker.<br /><br />5. Why wait to be hacked?<br /><br />The observation which can be made when new stories of the latest hacks are published is that the sites which belong to the large brands and corporations are hacked in exactly the same way as those sites owned by businesses on a much smaller budget. This clearly shows how lack of security is not a matter of resources, but it is directly dependant on the lack of awareness among businesses of all size. Statistically, 42% of web applications which request security audits are vulnerable to XSS, which is clearly the most recurring high-risk exploit among all the applications tested. The effort to raise awareness about how easy it is for an expert hacker to exploit a vulnerable application does not seem to be going too far. It is still very common to see the “We’ll see when I get hacked” mentality still lingering among site owners who finally risk losing a lot of money and also the trust of their customers. Anybody with the interest to research this matter will see how even individuals claiming to be security experts feel comfortable to state that XSS is over-rated and cannot really be used to achieve serious results on a web application. However further research will also prove that statistical figures speak for themselves, and those same statistics keep growing at a rate which will eventually overcast the claims of those incredulous “experts”.<br /><br />6. Scan your site for XSS with the Free Edition of Acunetix WVS.<br /><br />Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner Free Edition offers the functionality for anyone who wants to test their own application for Cross Site Scripting. Acunetix encourages all site owners and developers to visit http://www.acunetix.com/cross-site-scripting/scanner.htm and to download the Free Edition of Acunetix WVS. This Free Edition will scan any web application for XSS and it will also reveal all the essential information related to it, such as the vulnerability location and remediation techniques. Scanning for XSS is normally a quick exercise (depending on the size of the application) and indeed can surprise all those who really wish to see where their web site stands from a security point of view.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-4475604562401955805?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-79278532129202496322009-08-18T03:27:00.001-04:002009-08-18T03:27:39.004-04:00Resource: http://www.seoarticles.com/2009/08/14/how-will-the-bingyahoo-deal-impact-your-seo/#more-84<br /><br />With the recent deal made between Bing and Yahoo one must ask them selves, what impact will this have on my search rankings. In this case, it may have a significant impact – at least eventually.<br /><br />Let’s assume that all legalities are settled, and everything goes ahead as planned. What we will eventually see is a full transition of Bing results displayed when one does a search over at Yahoo. This will have the effect of there only being two major search engines out there, Google and Bing. Yahoo algorithm based results as we know them will cease to exist (at least on the organic level).<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />If your site has good Yahoo rankings now, and this is something you want to maintain, the only way to do it is to beef up your Bing rankings to be as good as or better than Yahoo. Not to panic however, you have some time. Some are speculating that it could be as long as two years before Bing results start appearing at Yahoo, so there is no huge rush, however, that said, 2 years can come and go rather quickly.<br /><br />My recommendation at this point is to start to make the move to improve your Bing results. Previously Bing was often overlooked due to their incredibly small market share of less than 10%. With the Yahoo integration, those results could affect as much as 30%, or even more if Bing really takes off – suddenly that market share is high enough to make these results really worth while.<br /><br />One thing you don’t want to do is jeopardize what you have in Google. While technically it is possible for Bing to some day rein as champion over Google, I wouldn’t hold my breath – even in the off chance that this does happen, it won’t likely be in the near future.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-7927853212920249632?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-32269909788583352742009-08-17T16:38:00.001-04:002009-08-17T16:38:47.279-04:00Resource: http://www.selfseo.com/story-18913.php<br /><br />It is amazing how quickly the world knew in September 2001 that America was under attack, but years after discovering that a specific e-mail is a hoax, people still don’t know about it. The main problem for this is that people don’t really take the time and effort to inform others about the hoax and like I said, most of these e-mails come from friends and family and it is not always that easy telling these people that it is a hoax, some may feel embarrassed and react negatively to your information, others will simply not believe you. And it is because of these stumbling blocks that these e-mails make an appearance every now and then.<br /><br />I will demonstrate how to identify a hoax by using a very common example, the Zero Sector Virus-hoax. This e-mail appeared years ago (it dates back to 2001) and are still in circulation, but only new variants of the original one. The text printed in italics is an extract from the e-mail. Below each extract is an explanation of the common signs of a hoax that appear in the extract.<br /><br />“PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG ALL YOUR CONTACTSâ€�<br /><br />This e-mail is intended to inform the receiver about a virus, but the main focus of this e-mail is the spreading of it. Normally the subject of an important e-mail tells you a little bit about the contents of the e-mail, but the writer of this e-mail was more concerned about the distribution of this e-mail than the information contained within. So this heading should already flash some warning lights.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />“Be alert during the next few days: Don't open any message with an attached file called "Invitation", regardless of who sent it.“<br /><br />The first sentence says it all. The next few days are a bit vague. There are no specific dates specified, so the next few days can be any “next few daysâ€�. Hoaxes always have generalization in mind, so that the e-mail appears applicable at the time when you read it.<br /><br />“It's a virus that opens an Olympic Torch that "burns" the whole hard disk of your computer.â€�<br /><br />There is only one strange thing about this sentence. Notice the two spaces between the words ‘whole’ and ‘hard’. It is common among creators of hoaxes that they never give attention to style, grammar or punctuation when compiling e-mails like this. So when you get an e-mail like this with lots of grammatical errors and typos, you can be certain that it is some kind of hoax or scam.<br /><br />“This virus will come from someone who has your e-mail address; that's why you should send this e-mail to all your contacts. It's better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virusâ€�<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />The first sentence is total rubbish. Of course an e-mail virus comes from someone who has your e-mail address, but it does not mean that you have the e-mail address of everyone who has yours. Hoaxes and scams thrive on circulation, if there is no circulation, there is no possibility of spreading. The fact that it is better to receive the message 25 times than to receive the virus holds some truth. Hoaxes are like chain letters, they keep coming back to you and never stop until everyone decide to break the chain. Again you will notice that the sentence does not end with a full stop.<br /><br />“DON'T open it and shut down your computer immediately .. This is the worst virus announced by CNN, it's been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever."<br /><br />This paragraph can easily be identified as a hoax by just confirming this on the websites of CNN and Microsoft. You will be surprised to find that there is no record of this on either CNN.com or Microsoft.com. McAfee mentions this e-mail, but they also classify it as a hoax. It is strange that no virus name is mentioned in this e-mail, all viruses get a descriptive name to help people identify it, so what does it matter what Microsoft says if you don’t even know what virus they are talking about? Shut down your computer. Why? It won’t even help to shut it down even if it was infected with a virus. Shutting down your computer does not make the virus go away. An e-mail and its contents is completely harmless as long as you don’t open it, so there is no need to shut down your computer when you see this e-mail, simply delete it. E-mails can do harm if you use a preview pane, but if you never use a preview pane, it is totally harmless until you open it.<br /><br />“The virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there's no repair yet for this particular virus. It simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disk, where vital information is kept.â€�<br /><br />No company in this world will ever confess that they can’t fix a problem that is related to their field expertise. What confidence will you have in an anti-virus company if it only tells you about viruses but never fix them. Again notice the use of time. Yesterday can be any day. Anti-virus companies normally gives a specific date when they announce new viruses.<br /><br />“Also:- Emails with pictures of Osama Bin-Laden hanged are being sent and the moment you open these emails your computer will crash and you will not be able to fix it! This e-mail is being distributed through countries around the globe, but mainly in the US and Israel. Don't be inconsiderate; send this warning to whomever you know. If you get an email along the lines of "Osama Bin Laden Captured" or "Osama Hanged" don't open the attachment. SEND THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.â€�<br /><br />There is not much to say about this paragraph. It is added only to make the e-mail look legitimate, by giving the reader more information to consume. The original virus destroys sector zero of your hard disk and now they mention your computer will crash. There are no details about what happens when your computer crashes and there is no consistency about the symptoms of the virus so you can only assume that they are referring to another virus in this paragraph. Again no virus name is mentioned and the tone of this paragraph is almost like “Oh and by the way…â€� or “I almost forgot…â€� which shows you that the writer of this e-mail only had distribution of the e-mail in mind and mumbled a bunch of nonsense just to make it look interesting and have you send it to all your contacts. The first and last sentence of the e-mail is proof of this.<br /><br />One last thing to mention is the fact that you can’t find the name of party who created this e-mail. It is anonymous, but may fool the reader to believe that it comes from CNN, Microsoft or McAfee. Microsoft and CNN never announce security threats by e-mail and anti-virus companies only provide virus information to users who signed up for periodic e-mail announcements. These e-mails normally have the letterhead and logo of the specific anti-virus company.<br /><br />People should be on the lookout for e-mails like this one and inform other about them, but most importantly, you need to break the chain! Keeping your silence about this will cause the problem of spam, hoaxes and scams to grow bigger and bigger. People may feel that some of these signs may not look that easy to identify, which is true, because you sometimes need some background information to be able to identify e-mails like this, but you should be able to identify other signs like the lack of specific dates and typos easily. You only need to use a little common sense.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-3226990978858335274?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-12787614203011619832009-08-16T22:35:00.001-04:002009-08-16T22:36:20.271-04:00Resource: http://www.highrankings.com/sphinn2<br /><br />If you’ve been anywhere in the SEM/SEO-sphere over the past month, you’ve<br />probably heard of Danny Sullivan’s latest venture, the social news/community<br />site “Sphinn.” It’s sort of a Digg clone, but<br />specifically for search marketing topics. Danny says it’s supposed to be<br />pronounced “spi-hin” but to me it’s definitely “sfin” because otherwise it’s<br />totally sphelled wrong!<br /><br /><br /><br />When I first looked at Sphinn, I thought it was basically another SEO forum<br />except that you can vote on the posts you think are good. I read some of<br />the discussions but lost interest pretty quickly, as all I could think of<br />was, “Wow…this is totally going to be a spammers’ heaven for link drops!”<br />Basically, anyone can register and post a link to any article they want, and<br />since Sphinn is not using the nofollow link attribute it’s going to be<br />pretty tempting to linkmongers!<br /><br /><br /><br />When I received an email from Chris Sherman, Search Engine Land editor and a<br />stakeholder in Sphinn, telling all of us SEL columnists not to be shy about<br />Sphinning our own columns, I was a little taken aback. Promote our own<br />articles? Really? Isn’t the first thing you learn in Online Community<br />Netiquette 101 that self-promotional posting is one of the greatest gaffes<br />you can make? I remember being called out for that numerous times back at<br />the turn of the century when I’d drop a link in forums where it seemed to<br />make sense to do so. In our High Rankings Forum, we delete those types of<br />links on the spot. We have very strict rules about linking, but policing it<br />is very time-consuming.<br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />Which brings me back to my original concerns about Sphinn. Danny and his<br />gang might be watching it very closely at the moment, but they have a<br />zillion other things on their plates. Are they going to be able to devote<br />the time and energy to separate the good links from the bad and remove them<br />accordingly? Danny’s online properties have tons and tons of traffic,<br />making them huge targets for search engine spammers. Could Sphinn really<br />work as intended and naturally bury the spammy link drops?<br /><br /><br /><br />I decided the only way to find this out (other than waiting for it to play<br />out on its own) was to register as a Sphinner and learn more about how it<br />actually works. So one boring Saturday a few weeks ago, I conducted a test.<br />My recent article from the last newsletter, “10 Blogger Types: The Good, the<br />Bad, and the Sleazy,” seemed like a good<br />enough one to start my Sphinning career, especially since catchy titles and<br />top-10 lists seem to be favored at most social media news sites.<br /><br />Just 28 minutes after my post, I got a Sphinn! Whoo-hoo, I was on my way to<br />fame and fortune! Thirty minutes after my post I read another post at Sphinn<br />that I liked, so I Sphunn it, which pushed it from 5 to 6 Sphinns. After<br />that I got tired of refreshing my screen every few minutes (Saturdays are<br />notoriously dead on search marketing sites, so I wasn’t expecting much<br />action until Monday). I stepped away from my computer for a few hours (yeah,<br />I actually do that now and then!).<br /><br /><br /><br />When I checked again 3 hours after it was<br />originally posted, my article was up to 5 Sphinns — yeah baby! Upon closer<br />inspection, I noted that Danny was one of my Sphinners and figured his<br />thumbs-up might encourage others to Sphinn it as well.<br /><br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />6 hours - 8 Sphinns<br />10 hours - 10 Sphinns<br /><br /><br /><br />On Sunday morning when I first checked, it had 13 Sphinns, and after being<br />posted for a full 24 hours was up to 14. By then it had been promoted to<br />the “Hot Topics” category and was out of the “What’s New” section as well.<br /><br />While watching and waiting, I had Sphunn a few more articles and it appeared<br />that some of the folks whose articles I had Sphunn had returned the favor<br />and Sphunn mine. I was hoping they didn’t just do it as a reciprocal kinda<br />thing, but that they actually enjoyed the article itself. There had been<br />some previous articles at Sphinn about how it was a popularity contest with all sorts of politics involved, which I really am not into.<br /><br /><br /><br />1 day and 2 hours - 16 Sphinns<br />1 day and 7 hours - 18 Sphinns<br /><br /><br /><br />At this point, I had noticed that Danny had removed certain articles that<br />didn’t quite meet the Sphinn guidelines, which was very encouraging to me.<br />Still, I continued to wonder if he’d always be there to do that and whether<br />they might be planning on hiring a full-time babysitter for Sphinn.<br /><br /><br /><br />Before bed on Sunday - 19 Sphinns<br /><br /><br /><br />I have to say, I was quite pleased and pleasantly surprised at having<br />received so many Sphinns so quickly, especially during a slow weekend. I<br />found myself getting caught up in the Sphinn-tasticness of it all. Each<br />time I’d see a new Sphinn, I’d get all excited. No matter how old you get,<br />receiving recognition for a job well done is something that we all crave.<br /><br />Still, a more important test of Sphinn was whether it was driving any<br />traffic to the High Rankings website, so I fired up my other social media<br />playground, MyBlogLog, in which I have a nice<br />simple stats program set up. I found that on Saturday, I had 23 visitors<br />from Sphinn, and on Sunday, I had an additional 47. Not a ton, but again,<br />not bad for a weekend. Eventually, I’ll check my Google Analytics to<br />evaluate those visitors and to see if they took any additional action at the<br />site, like perhaps signing up for the newsletter.<br /><br /><br /><br />Monday - 22 Sphinns but they seemed to be petering out.<br /><br />As I write this 11 days after my 10 Blogger Types article was originally<br />posted, it has 27 Sphinns. Comparing it with other articles that had been<br />posted around the same time, I was satisfied with that number. It was clear<br />that people liked the article, and that was nice to know.<br /><br />During the past week and a half, I have spent quite a lot of time at Sphinn<br />and have done some additional research and Sphinning beyond just that first<br />article. What I noticed was quite interesting.<br /><br /><br /><br />For instance, my recent SEL article, “Over-optimization Is Like Being a<br />Little Bit Pregnant,” was posted Thursday morning, and I was happy to see that someone had Sphunn it within a few hours, because I really didn’t want to do it myself, despite Chris Sherman’s encouragement to the contrary! I also thought it would be good to see if the results would be different for an article of mine that someone else had Sphunn. Would it receive more or less?<br /><br /><br /><br />Well, apparently pregnancy isn’t sexy enough for the Sphinn audience, or<br />perhaps my article just sucked, but as of today…6 days after it was<br />Sphunn, that poor article got only 2 Sphinns (and 1 was mine!). I can’t<br />measure the traffic to that one since it’s on the SEL site, so I’m not sure<br />if people read it but didn’t Sphinn it or if they simply never bothered to<br />click through from Sphinn. The headline/title you use on your article or<br />when you Sphinn it seems to be very important. I *thought* mine was pretty<br />catchy, but maybe not. A lot of stuff there gets posted very quickly, and<br />if people have only so much time to spend, they will browse through the new<br />ones and just click on the ones that sound interesting.<br /><br /><br /><br />On a happier note, Pauline’s interview with Seth Godin<br />got Sphunn quickly by someone and ended up with 16 Sphinns as of today. I also Sphunn a number of articles and blog posts that I had read last week as I caught up with my SEO RSS feeds, and many of them rose to the top of Sphinn very quickly. The most Sphinns were obtained by the blog post I submitted from fellow SEMNE members over at KoMarketing. They had a fun post listing 15 traits of SEO nerds, and it is currently up to 32 Sphinns!<br /><br /><br /><br />All in all, I like Sphinn a lot more than I thought I would. I even think<br />that by its very democratic nature it could possibly be immune to<br />link-droppers, as the crappy stuff gets buried fairly quickly (as evidenced<br />by my SEL article ;) . That said, as far as I know there aren’t currently<br />any armies of Sphinners set up to scam it like there are with Digg. If<br />Sphinn becomes very popular, you can bet those will crop up. I believe that<br />if Danny and the gang continue to police it vigilantly, it could be a cool<br />place to keep your finger on the pulse of the SEM/SEO world. Whether it<br />becomes a spammers’ heaven for link drops is yet to be seen!<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-1278761420301161983?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-41643884326271300132009-08-15T15:12:00.001-04:002009-08-15T15:13:30.780-04:00Resource: http://www.watsonhall.com/methodology/top10-website-security-myths.pl<br /><br />There are many myths relating to website and web application security. Here are the ones we think are worth highlighting.<br /><br />This top 10 list is provided free of charge and without any warranty. Use of this top 10 list is subject to the terms of use. Each top 10 list may need to be amended for the particular website project's requirements, functionality and environment.<br />1 The developers will deal with security<br /><br />Not unless you ask them to, and then have this accredited. Make sure you define in your specifications and contracts what is required. All software has flaws, many of which will never be found, and utilising coding practices for secure development, building security into the whole development life cycle and undertaking security testing will help. But a significant number of vulnerabilities do not reside in the code alone. They may be caused by forgotten files, differences in system configuration, the hosting environment, interaction with other systems or business logic flaws. Train your developers and give them time to do the work correctly.<br />2 Nobody's interested in hacking our website<br /><br />Criminals and hackers work together to obtain confidential data from your company or organisation, to steal identity information from your website users, to damage your reputation or simply to use your website to distribute malware to your users. Criminals use automated tools to attack websites - just registering a new domain name will mean it gets scanned for vulnerabilities and potentially targeted. An organisation's own staff often have greater access permissions to the website and disgruntled, malicious or staff who have recently been made redundant are more interested in your website than someone else's.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />3 The website uses SSL so is secure<br /><br />The term 'secure website' is often used for the parts of a website where the data transmitted between a user and the server is encrypted with a valid, current and trusted secure sockets layer (SSL - now Transport Layer Security TLS) certificate on the server. SSL only means the data in transit is encrypted ? it does not actually secure a website, its data, the server or its users. The data at either end (the user's browser and the server) are decrypted. It is certainly the case that SSL with a strong cipher should be used for transfer of private and sensitive data, but that's just one small part of website security. Poor configuration could allow weak ciphers to be used inappropriately.<br />4 We don't use Microsoft software so are safe<br /><br />Websites hosted on other operating systems (e.g. Unix-like, Mac) still need to have patches and updates regularly applied. Many of the most popular content management systems (CMS) are hosted on operating systems other than Windows, and are therefore a popular target for attackers due to the large number of potential websites which could be targeted. Also, many security exploits (e.g. phishing, weak registration/login systems, cross-site scripting (XSS), business logic flaws) are completely independent of the operating system.<br />5 We use a firewall so the website is protected<br /><br />Firewalls in front of a web server control traffic to that server. But the web server will need to see web requests, so these cannot be filtered. Web application firewalls can assist in protecting known vulnerabilities and unusual traffic but cannot usually provide protection against business logic vulnerabilities, custom code vulnerabilities, valid use that corrupts data and zero day (new) attacks. They can be of use in temporarily filtering traffic when a vulnerability is discovered, but need to be thought of as a temporary fix rather than a permanent repair. Your internal employee's access to the website may not even pass through the same firewall, or have different rules, and you may be using internal data feeds which are not screened.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />6 We've got a backup, no worries<br /><br />Backups are not a protective mechanism - they are an assistance to recovery. Recent backups are a necessary part of operating websites, but they won't necessarily contain all the transactions that occurred up to the point of an incident. But if your data has been altered maliciously (data poisoning), the backup may well also contain this, so you may still need manual processes to sort it out. Also, backups are unlikely to have everything needed to rebuild the site - libraries, components, system settings and so on.<br />7 Our data is encrypted<br /><br />There are tools available to criminals to try to decode encrypted data - their success can depend upon the algorithm used and how the keys are secured. Data may be encrypted in transit (e.g. SSL - see No 3 above) but some data may also encrypted when it is stored. But the algorithms must be known strong ones, not known weak ones or custom-developed. The keys used to do this encryption must be stored securely, not hard-coded into systems and transmitted securely. Encrypted data will exist in clear-text (unencrypted) when in use such as on the user's browser and at any other place where the data needs to be human-readable (such as printed copies or logs).<br />8 All you need is an annual penetration test<br /><br />A penetration test using a vulnerability scanner tool will not be able to discover all the vulnerabilities in your website. In particular vulnerabilities in any custom-developed code and business logic vulnerabilities are unlikely to be found by automated tools. Your hosting environment and website code are likely to change over a much shorter time span than a year, and therefore a combination of automated testing and expert analysis need to be undertaken on a semi-continuous basis. Best practice is to undertake automated testing weekly and have logging and alerting functions which highlight changes to files and potential intrusions on a live basis.<br /><br />9 Our user's have fully patched desktops<br /><br />Even if your users are employees who use workstations (personal computers) that are automatically patched and have up-to-date ant-virus and anti-spyware systems installed you cannot assume their systems cannot be compromised to attack your website. There is always a delay between a vulnerability or malware being discovered and when patches are developed, tested and distributed. Users may be tricked into doing inappropriate actions. You may also have remote users who log onto your network and their systems may not be as up-to-date. Security policies may ban or control the attaching of personal devices (PDAs, mobile phones, cameras) and storage devices (memory sticks, MP3 players, cameras) to your network or opening untested media (DVDs, CD-ROMs) but all these can compromise your 'trusted' user's desktops.<br />10 We have a service level agreement (SLA) with our hosting company<br /><br />Contracts with hosting providers usually define certain minimum levels of uptime, but check how these are calculated, what you are responsible for and what the exclusions are - you may be surprised that loss of power or internet connectivity by the hoster may mean no come back. Poor performance may be due to the website, not the server or the network. Organisations may not have considered what would happen if their website (public website, extranet or intranet) were unavailable for a period other than a few minutes. But unless you are certain the business can survive without a website for up to a few weeks, it is absolutely vital to have plans in place (disaster recovery and business continuity) to deal with the loss of, or access to the website. Do you have backups and procedures for everything required to set up the complete website somewhere else, is there some standby facility available, who will deal with email, telephone and fax enquiries generated because the website is not available? Not your hosting company, you.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-4164388432627130013?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-16654252194757342092009-08-14T13:25:00.001-04:002009-08-14T13:26:06.236-04:00Resource: http://www.seocopywriting.com/marketing-strategy/daily-seo-copywriting-candy-when-weird-marketing-is-goodand-bad/<br /><br />Am I the only one who thinks that the latest Burger King ads are a little…well…disturbing? Subservient Chickens? Whopper Virgins? At the same time, a good campaign gains sales and mindshare - and sometimes the weirdest ideas have the most legs (after all, who doesn’t remember the “Where’s the Beef” ads of the 80’s?)<br /><br />It’s one thing to create a unique and edgy SEO copywriting campaign that’s ripe for viral marketing goodness. It’s another to create a campaign that backfires, leaving you with a reputation management mess (and no sales.) Here are some top good and bad examples from today’s headlines:<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />* Remember the Motrin Moms snafu? Motrin wasn’t the only brand to get slammed in the search engines, Twitter and blogs - there have been many other companies who crossed the line from cute into insulting. Check out iMedia Connections list of the most offensive campaigns.<br />* 300,000 YouTube hits in just two weeks? Who knew that a mounted talking fish could gain such a following? Learn what made McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish advertising a (weird) viral sensation.<br />* The holy grail of wacky marketing is to not only attract new customers and build brand awareness - but also create a new profit center. No-one does this better than the folks at BlendTec, who created the WillItBlend.com site. With over 100,000 YouTube subscribers, a huge increase in blender sales and a new profit center - advertising and DVD sales on the WillItBlend.com site - these guys have mastered monentizing the wacky and wonderful. Learn more from Tipping Point Labs.<br /><br />Today’s SEO copywriting challenge: How can your company think out of the box and do something a little different? Maybe a new PPC campaign? Or you could test a Web page to see if a new tone and feel worked for you. Sometmes, going outside the norm can net some fantastic results.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3180770442865903031-1665425219475734209?l=improvemysite.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Submissions to Coming Out Supportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180770442865903031.post-31225890529093728352009-08-13T14:42:00.004-04:002009-08-14T13:25:47.792-04:00Resource: http://blog.rsjoomla.com/bid/20490/10-security-mistakes-to-avoid-in-Joomla-Part-One<br /><br />Whenever you install Joomla! on a server, you must take some measures in order to secure the installation.<br /><br />Users often tend to leave the installation as is, thus making the server vulnerable to hackers. That's why, when you install Joomla! on your server you need to change some configuration settings to avoid some major mistakes that will affect the overall site security.<br /><br />Let's see the most common mistakes and why they are critical for your system:<br /><br />Mistake #1. NOT TO download or upgrade to the latest Joomla! Version<br /><br />New versions of Joomla! are released often with various security fixes and the developers are strongly recommending to upgrade to the latest version of Joomla!<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br /><br />It is important to download Joomla! packages from trusted sources or directly from joomla.org, otherwise you may compromise your system (you may download a modified package that could harm your website ). Periodical backups of the whole site are essential, providing a safety net in case something goes wrong caused by the update or some other unforeseen event. Already there are some specialized components that can create backups (files+database) very easily.<br /><br />Mistake #2. NOT TO check folders permissions after installing Joomla!<br /><br />Folders that have permissions higher than 755 may compromise your Joomla!, leaving the "door" open for an attacker to read/write or even upload his own shell files, thus taking control over your site.<br /><br />On the server, usually, folder permissions inherit the root configuration, but it's always a good practice to check the folder permissions.<br /><br />Folders with permissions higher than 755 are possible paths that could be exploited by:<br /><br />* creating and uploading files that could make your website vulnerable<br />* modifying the existent files<br /><br />Why take the risk when you could make a quick scan of your Joomla! and instantly find the "weak" folders?<br /><br />Mistake #3. NOT TO check files permissions<br /><br />We advice you setting permissions to all Joomla! files to 644 or lower.<br /><br />Leaving files with permissions higher than 644 can make life easier for hackers trying to access your website. Once they're in, they can easily modify files with permissions higher than 644.<br /><!-- Begin: AdBrite, Generated: 2009-03-13 19:22:50 --><br /><script type="text/javascript">var AdBrite_Title_Color = '0000FF';var AdBrite_Text_Color = '000000';var AdBrite_Background_Color = 'FFFFFF';var AdBrite_Border_Color = 'CCCCCC';var AdBrite_URL_Color = '008000';try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';}</script><br /><script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1081495&zs=3330305f323530&ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript">');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62));</script><br /><div><a style="font-weight:bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;" target="_top" href="http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=1081495&afsid=1">Your Ad Here</a></div><!-- End: AdBrite --><br />Mistake #4. ALLOW uncontrolled file uploads(forums, comments)<br /><br />Hackers can and will use these applications to upload malware scripts and enter into your Joomla! website.<br /><br />You must allow as few file extensions as possible, and NEVER let executable script files (.php, .php3, .php4, .php5, .phtml) to be uploaded.<br /><br />To avoid this you can use RSFirewall! that automatically blocks unwanted file uploads. Also it can scan your system, look for mallware patterns and hacker scripts.<br /><br />Mistake #5. Let IMPORTANT files and folders accessible by everyone<br /><br />You must protect sensitive files and folders like:<br /><br />1. configuration.php - main configuration file for the Joomla global configuration,<br />2. Joomla! temporary folder - every ex