Feature Article

Googlewashing - Is It Really That Bad

by: Sharon Bray-McPherson Commerce Made EZ

Since I became involved with e-commerce 8 years ago, the "marketing expert" have been teaching that one of the best ways to increase traffic to your site and present yourself as an expert in your field is to write articles and submit them for republishing.

And with the recent mantra that "Content is King" being repeated everywhere, many website owners are scrambling to find helpful and informative articles to include on their site or blog.

While there's no doubt that having your articles published on dozens or even hundreds of sites will create name recognition for yourself and strengthen the public's view of you as an expert in your industry, there is a black cloud that has arisen in the area of your published articles increasing your standings in search engine results.

That cloud is called "Googlewashing"...

To clean up their search results Google has really started cracking down on duplicate content. This means that if you have your original article published on your website, but it is also included in the content of dozens of other sites, you could conceivably be decreasing the chances of your website showing up in the top rankings of search results for your article's keywords.

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For example, let's say that you've written an article titled, "How to Groom Your Purple Poodle". You submit the article to article directories and ezine publishers giving permission for your article to be republished. 50 other webmasters and blog publishers with content that targets Purple Poodle owners like the article and decide to put it on their site.

This is great right? You're creating name recognition for yourself and your company and establishing yourself as an expert among people that own Purple Poodles.

But hold on Hoss, that upside could have a downside when it comes to pleasing the "search engine gods".

What if among those 50 webmasters that published your article is Mr. "my site has been number one in the search engines for Purple Poodles for the last year".

Your site shows up as number 22.

Now, when someone goes to Google and types in, "How to Groom a Purple Poodle" - whose website do you think is going to show up first in the search results with your article?

Most likely, it won't be yours... even though YOU are the expert who wrote the article.

But is that as bad as it sounds?

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Of course we all want our site to rank high in the engines for our chosen keywords, and most webmasters do everything possible to have that happen, but in reality the majority of those reading this may never experience a top ten ranking.

But don't despair for all is not lost, at least when it comes to website traffic.

In my humble opinion, traffic is gold - as long as it is targeted traffic - regardless if it comes from folks finding my site through a search engine, or by clicking a link to my website that I have included in the byline or resource box within my articles that are being published on other sites.

It is those thieves that use your articles WITHOUT acknowledging who the true author is that you have to look out for... but that's another article.

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Sharon Bray-McPherson is the owner of E-Commerce Made EZ, where you'll find everything you need to start your own Wholesale Business. With new and expanded services, including the Wholesale RSS Directory. Add Yours Free! www.go2sbm.com/ecommerce

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Second Article

Is a Laptop For You?

by: Christian Barzelle Found Laptop Group

Millions of people now have a computer in their homes and perhaps another one they use while on the job. Although many still use the old desktop models, more and more consumers are switching to laptop computers. Convenience of use and portability are two of the main reasons for this switch. If you have not yet decided to use a laptop, here are some reasons to consider doing so.

Pound for pound, laptops weigh considerably less than their desktop counterparts. So when you are rearranging furniture and cleaning the desk area, it is less of a burden to move or lift your laptop. There is little need to concern yourself about damaging the laptop or its components when you scoot it back and forth across the desk or even move it from one area to another. As all laptops are made with fold-over lids, they may be closed to keep screens and keyboards free from dirt and debris.

Coordination of functions between home and the office is a breeze thanks to the portable nature of laptops. You no longer need to worry about losing those little disks that you had to save work on when trying to carry work between home and work because with a laptop all that is necessary is to turn the unit off and carry it home with you. Using a USB port to accomplish the same thing is definitely an option, but why not use the same keyboard and file arrangement rather than trying to constantly adjust to two or more computers?

Laptops may be used for several hours without being plugged in to recharge their batteries. This makes it convenient to take with you to presentations or meetings to take notes, record data, or just about anything you need to get more out of such events. You can bring your laptop along with you to the cottage or beach if you need to finish up some last-minute work before finally being able to relax for the rest of the day.

Laptops definitely aren't going anywhere. With technology advances, the laptop is likely to shrink in size while increasing in power and functions so that it may one day literally be a pocket computer. Desktops have seen their best days and they will continue to yield market share to the laptops. Innovative products like laptops can enable us to better link information in faster ways that can help us lead more leisurely, yet meaningful, lives. If you are still slogging it out on a desktop, give some thought to getting a laptop for home or work.

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Christian Barzelle is the website owner of Found Laptop Group which is considered to be a key resource for laptops. More information can be obtained at: www.foundlaptop.com

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