Category Archives: Google

Google, Internet, Just Search, SEO

Just Search comment on reputation management

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Reputation management is one of the hottest topics in SEO right now, as with the immediacy of the Internet it’s easy to fall foul of an angry blogger or find your reputation questioned on review websites. With that in mind I commented for Just Search on Net Imperative on how to manage your brand reputation online.

The article only scratched the surface of what is a mine field of information (I don’t use the phrase ‘mine field’ lightly either, one wrong step and your efforts in reputation management can explode in your face).

Still, the basics are touched upon for someone to get an understanding of what reputation management is all about.

I may do a more in-depth piece on the Just Search blog at some point, as it’s definitely something worth exploring further.

Google, Internet, Michael Jackson

MJ coffee scale creates quite a buzz

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When I invented the Michael Jackson coffee scale, I knew it would prove quite popular. However I wasn’t quite prepared for the level of links I’ve picked up, and other websites that have run the story. The response has been staggering. Just look at the results in Google when you search for it.

I guess everyone needed a uniform way of requesting their coffee.

MJ coffee scale with stolen brandingHowever, I’m a bit pissed off at one thieving twat who’s taken the MJ coffee scale I created, and added his own domain name to it. This knob sack here is trying to pass it off as his own work.

Sure mate, keep kidding yourself.

You can see the original Michael Jackson Coffee Scale, by MrDaz, here.

Google, Internet

WhatDVD.Net is a PageRank 6

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I have to admit, I used to be quite hung up on Google PageRank. Every time an update was due I’d get quite excited, and start checking different data centres in anticipation of any gains or losses to see how my sites were doing.

Of late however I haven’t given it any thought, cos let’s face it; Google PageRank is pretty damn pointless in the grand scheme of it. It’s only people who sell links and idiots who think PR is a measure of their site’s success who actually bother with PageRank.

Having said that, I’ve just noticed that in the last PR update (which I completely missed) my DVD reviews website WhatDVD.Net jumped from a PR 4 to a PR 6.

… ahem, Google’s PageRank is vital for the success of your website, it’s the most important thing ever and should be lauded!

Nah, seriously, it’s pointless. Still nice though 🙂

Google, Humour, Internet, Rants

The Student Property Shop, Leeds

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You may remember the posts last year about the letting agent in Leeds who was featured on BBC’s Watchdog twice accused of withholding deposits from students. The posts received a lot of comments from students who were claiming their money had been withheld, and some of them got quite upset about the whole thing.

The letting agent in question is no longer located at the premises in Leeds, and a new letting agent by the name of The Student Property Shop is now in their place. Some students are sceptical about whether the companies are related, judging by the emails I have received on the subject.

Anyhow, I decided to have a look at the website for The Student Property Shop, which is www.thestudentpropertyshop.co.uk. The website is hosted with our old friends 1and1 Internet, on the IP address: 87.106.210.120. If that IP address seems familiar to you, it should. It’s the IP address of the website for My Homez, which can be seen at www.myhomez.co.uk.

So the two websites are hosted on the same server, with the same IP address. This doesn’t mean anything, except that the same person runs the account with 1and1 Internet.

However, when you dig deeper you find something a little more interesting. Have a look at this code for example.

<img id=”mainimage_back” src=”http://www.myhomez.co.uk/images/property/{DA84A2EE-9A01-4FDA-961A-151ABC9A6168}.jpg” alt=”Student property in Leeds” width=”275″  />

You can see that the code for the image is from the website for My Homez… except this code isn’t from the My Homez website at all… it’s from the website for The Student Property Shop.

Here’s a screenshot from the code itself.

I wonder why they’ve done that?

Again, this doesn’t necessarily mean that My Homez and The Student Property Shop are in any way related, but if they’re not, The Student Property Shop are stealing images from My Homez.

So, to find out more about The Student Property Shop I clicked on their contact us, and found that the map the website uses (from Google Maps) didn’t work. The reason for this? Well, just read the alert from Google in the below screenshot.

Seems the API key for Google maps was registered for a different website. Anyone care to hazard a guess at what website that is?

Google, Internet

Blackeye Lashes

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I was just watching TV and a very short advert asked the viewer to Google ‘Blackeye Lashes’. I’ve never come across this type of advertising before, so naturally being in front of a computer at the time, I did. The top result was this YouTube video for Dido.

As the result was in the natural results, as opposed to PPC, it’s also very risky in case someone else manages to rank for it as well. It’s also very clever, using natural SEO to display a full length advert on YouTube, promoted via Google, showcased on TV.

Full credit to the marketing company for coming up with this one.

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

Google, Internet

Microsoft now paying people to search

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Just what is it with Microsoft and their staggering inability to make a search engine that works? People use Google over Yahoo! and MSN (or Live.com, or whatever the hell it’s called today) because Google gives you the most relevant results to a query. If you’re looking something, you’ll find it by using Google. People don’t use MSN (Live.com) because it throws back completely useless, irrelevant, crap results.

It’s not rocket science, yet Microsoft, in an attempt to get people to use their search engine, are offering free gifts and points.

I just don’t get it. If Microsoft want people to use their search engine, make it work. Make it actually give you the information you’re looking for. Don’t pay people to search, or offer them prizes to use your crap search engine, just make the bloody thing work.

Sadly them seem completely unable to do that, much like so many other so called search engines.

Don’t bother with frills, prizes, paying people or fancy Ajax features, just offer a search engine that gives you results, devoid of spam. Then people will use it.

Google, Internet, SEO

Google PageRank update kicks me again

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If I cared about PR (which I don’t) I’d be annoyed that this site has once again received a mauling from Google in terms of PageRank and has been reduced to a PR2.

As I said, I don’t care about PageRank… but, it is bloody annoying considering this site should be a PR5, if it were not for the penalties received in the last 12 months for various activities.

But I don’t care about PageRank, so it’s all good.

Besides, traffic and PageRank are completely unrelated, as rankings within Google have remained unharmed (and in many cases improved) and thus traffic is also high, higher than it’s been for some time. PageRank is purely an ego thing where people like to brag about how much green is in their toolbar. As you know I’m a modest guy (shut it) so don’t care about PageRank.

Unfortunately some advertisers still do though (because they’re imbeciles) and only want PR4 or PR5 minimum sites to promote them.

That’s another story though, and one that revolves around education of online marketing. Plus, did I mention that I don’t care about PageRank?

Google, Internet

Computeach reviews?

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When I posted about the IT Training company Computeach last year, I was slightly shocked at the number of negative comments the post received from people who had received bad experiences with the company. It’s one of my most commented blog posts.

Just last week however someone commented on the post asking where you can get legitimate reviews of Computeach, so I had a look and found a website that offers Computeach Reviews.

When you search for ‘computeach reviews’ in Google, you’ll see a sponsored link (on Adwords) for a site that offers:

Read real stories and experiences from students of Computeach!

When you click through to the site you’re presented with Computeach Reviews from supposedly real students, however all is not what it seems. The website computeach-reviews.co.uk isn’t a website offering genuine balanced reviews from people who have taken Computeach courses; it’s a website owned by Computeach.

The whois details show thus:

Domain name:
computeach-reviews.co.uk

Registrant:
Andrew Jones

Registrant type:
UK Limited Company, (Company number: 1242854)

Registrant’s address:
University House
Jews Lane
Dudley
West Midlands
DY3 2AH
GB

These are the details for Computeach… interesting isn’t it? If you’re genuinely looking for real reviews for Computeach, you’re better off going to a truly impartial source, such as ciao.co.uk.

It’s important before you spend any money on a product or a learning course that you seek out reviews online from impartial sources, and people who have already experienced what you’re looking for,