How to Use StumbleUpon to Get Targetted Traffic

Social bookmarking websites are huge at the moment but the truth of the matter is that a lot of people don’t know how to use them. There are more people using spammy tactics on these sites than those that are using genuine tactics and I think this is crazy. All social bookmarking websites such as Digg, Reddit and of course, StumbleUpon can be absolutely excellent sources of traffic, you just have to know what you’re doing.
In my opinion, StumbleUpon is probably the best social bookmarking website for getting targeted traffic that is really going to help you in terms of SEO and many other areas. However, a lot of people are not even doing the simple things when it comes to StumbleUpon so here are a few things you should think about before doing anything.

Think about the StumbleUpon audience

To be honest, I think this is probably the biggest point that people should be taking on board when trying to obtain traffic from StumbleUpon and if you have ever actually used the StumbleUpon website for your own enjoyment, hopefully you will have already figured this one out.
Firstly, the people that are using StumbleUpon are looking for GREAT content. This means not content that is good or average, but GREAT. So, first of all, you are going to need to come up with something really exceptional in order to grab the attention of the individuals using StumbleUpon.
Secondly, people that are using StumbleUpon are just one click away from your website, which is great. However, they are also just one click away from leaving your website. Usually, those that are using StumbleUpon will have their mouse hovering over that Stumble button and if they are not impressed with what they see in the first few seconds of the page loading up, they are going to click that button again and there you go, you just lost a visitor.
Thirdly, people are using the StumbleUpon service for fun. They are not usually looking to read the next big novel so give them something interesting and not too heavily. These people want to see fun content. This could be a video that might make them laugh or it could be a brilliant image. Of course, it could even be a regular article but it needs to be something a little quirky and a little bit fun if possible. One of the things that works really well on StumbleUpon are posts like “10 Of The Funniest Cat Photos Ever”. This is a title that grabs the attention of the Stumbler and is both fun and not too heavy.

Think about the design of the site

This is another big point that I really want to make. As we mentioned above, StumbleUpon users haven’t got time for crappy content and if they aren’t impressed by what they see in the first few seconds of the page loading, they’re gone. This means that you really need to think about the overall design of the site that you have. If you have a site that is out-of-date and uses a boring colour scheme and doesn’t work on half of the browsers people are using these days, you’re not going to see much success.
If you have a fun looking website where the content is clear and readable and there is a lot of rich media such as images and videos, you are much more likely to get visitors to stay on your website. It is good to have a well designed site anyway but for StumbleUpon, I truly believe it is paramount if you want to get the most traffic possible.

Put Social Buttons On Your Site

Now, this one is absolutely crazy. You NEED to put social buttons on your site and they NEED to be where the users are going to see them. Every visitor you get from StumbleUpon could be so impressed with your content that they will want to share it with their friends. Their friends might not use StumbleUpon so they might want to share it on Facebook.
If you aren’t giving these visitors a clear option to do this, they are going to click away. StumbleUpon users are LAZY. They haven’t got time to be looking for share buttons on your site or copying and pasting links, they just want to see what the next piece of awesome content that StumbleUpon has in store for them is.
Doing this will not only allow you to spread the message on StumbleUpon and other social networks about your content, but it will create a social buzz around your content and we all know how much Google loves that are the moment.

Use StumbleUpons Paid Discovery Tool

Yes, that’s right, you don’t have to just use Google AdWords! StumbleUpon now has a paid discovery system where you can actually pay for users to Stumble on your blog post! Want to know what the best part of this is? It can be done for as little as $0.05 per visitor. That means that you can drive 100 visitors to your content for just $5.
I have actually used this system myself over the past week to try it out and I have to say, the quality of traffic from this system is great. I was using the $0.10 per visitor option (still cheap) which gets you engaged visitors only. All of the visitors I got from StumbleUpon stayed on the page for a good few minutes reading the content and there was a relatively low bounce rate too. Plus, if your content is really great, you will get thumbs up from the users on StumbleUpon and you will have more chance of getting free stumbles! Brilliant!

Basic SEO Strategies for Beginners

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process getting your website ready to be found in organic web searches. By organic searches, I’m referring to web searches that appear naturally as the result of a search for a particular keyword or phrase, rather than appearing in the sponsored links (pay-per-click advertising) section of a search page.Frankly, for the first few years I was online, the thought of doing my own SEO made my eyes cross, and I was overwhelmed at where to start. I even toyed with the idea of hiring a specialist to do this for me, but never got around to it. However, over time, I slowly began to see a pattern emerging, and started to optimize some of my sites accordingly. One of the best days of my business was when I recently ranked #1 for a particularly competitive search term.

I’m not a search engine optimization (SEO) specialist, nor do I play one on TV. However, even a new business owner who creates and updates her own websites can implement some very basic SEO strategies to make her website appear higher in the organic rankings on certain keyword searches.
Here are the 11 strategies that I regularly implement on my sites for better SEO positioning:

1. Page title tags: This is the page information that you see in the blue bar of your browser in the upper left-hand corner when you visit a website. For best SEO, use your top 2 keywords in your title tag. The best way to do that is separated with a bar, as illustrated in this example: Internet Marketing Web Marketing.
2. Domain name: If at all possible, use one primary keyword in your domain name. You will have a slight edge over your competition by doing so. If you already have a domain that you have used for some time, include a keyword in the name of files for your website pages. Example: http://www.yoursite.com/internet-marketing.htm if your keyword is Internet marketing.
3. Meta tags: These are descriptions on a web page that are not seen by most visitors except when looking at the page source code in their browser. While the keyword and description metatags used to be the primary way that search engines indexed sites, that is no longer the case. However, you shouldn’t ignore them entirely, as it is still worthwhile to include them as a part of your page description. For optimal SEO, your meta description and keyword tags should be no more than 150 characters each.
4. Header tags: Header tags are the HTML code that indicate a headline, like H1, H2 and H3 and show up as bolded headlines in your page content. The first 3 header tags are the only ones you need to be concerned about, and the primary header tag, H1, is the most important. Use your primary keyword once in the H1 tag, 2-3 times in your H2 tags, and multiple times in your H3 tags.
5. Alt image tag: The alt tag typically describes an image in a floating text window when you put your mouse over the image if the image isn’t able to be displayed. The best use of any tag is to use your keywords in your image descriptions.
6. Content formatting: Search engines pay attention to formatted content, as in when text is bolded, italicized, and underlined. Make sure that you are bolding your keywords in the content of your website.
7. Keyword density: Keyword density refers to the number of times a keyword or keyword phrase appears on a web page. Rather than trying to focus on the number of times a keyword appears in the content of your page, aim for a more natural density by keeping your keyword phrases in mind as you write the copy for your page. Optimally, keyword density should be between 2% – 7%. There are a number of keyword density checkers available online to assist you with determining the keyword density of a page.
8. Anchor text: Anchor text refer to links on a page that connect your visitor to other pages. So, rather than telling someone to “click here” in the content of your page, include a keyword in your anchor text, as in “click here for dog training tips.”
9. Inbound links: Reciprocal link exchange (you link to my site and I’ll link to yours) used to be a great way to attract the attention of search engines to your site. Now, search engines pay attention only to the quality and popularity of the site providing you with an inbound link that is not a reciprocal link. One of the best ways to get quality inbound links back to your site is to submit articles to high traffic article directories and submit press releases to paid press release services.
   A second way to gain high quality inbound links is by listing your site in search engine-friendly directories in which humans review the listings. Google and other search engines place more credibility in the directories in which the listings are reviewed by real people than they do other kinds of directories. Consequently, these links are weighted more heavily and favorably in the inbound link evaluation process.
10. New content: Content is still king, so one way to improve your page rank for a search term is to write high quality articles containing one or two of your keywords in the title and posting those regularly (weekly is best) to your site. Search engines are always seeking good, fresh, content, so your goal should be to make your site into an information-rich resource for your industry.
11. Site maps: There are sitemaps that help a visitor navigate a site, and sitemaps that are expressly designed for the search engines. The two are not the same. To enhance your site, submit an xml sitemap to Google Webmaster Central and Yahoo Site Explorer. I use XML Sitemaps to build search engine-friendly sitemaps on my sites.
    Search engine optimization strategy is not as difficult as it appears. Take some time to do some keyword research for your site, and then spend another 15 minutes a day employing a few of these strategies until you have a well-optimized site. Why pay for visitors through pay-per-click advertising if you don’t have to?

10 Way To Check your Internet Speed

1 Speed.io : Speed.io is a modern DSL speed-test to analyze your broadband internet access

2 2Wire Speed Test : No need to enter any detail just open the link and it will start bandwidth test.

3 McAfee Speed test : Speed test from popular Anti-virus website McAfee.

4 Intel Speed Test : Speedtest from official intel website.

5 SpeedTest : Easy to remember domain name, and nice interface.

6 Bandwidth Place : Click on start and you are good to go with your bandwidth test.

7 SpeakEasy : Option to choose from the different server list to get accurate result.

8 Kify Internet Speed Test :The Kify.com Bandwidth Meter speed test will check the bandwidth of your Internet connection against top DSL, cable modem, and other broadband services.

9 CNET Bansdwidth meter :The CNET Bandwidth Meter speed is one of the fastest and reliable method to check your internet speed.

10 Airtel broadband : Bandwidth test from india top internet provider which also analyze your speedand connection quality.

How to Increase Laptop’s Battery Life

Falling just short of carrying an extra pack of batteries in the back-pack, are several ways to keep the juice flowing through the batteries.

1. Ship shape with a defrag
Regular defragmentation helps to arrange data more efficiently thus making the hard drive work less to access the data. The quicker the moving hard drive works lesser is the load placed on the battery. Thus, your batter can last longer. The effect is minimal, but this efficiency goes hand in glove with hard drive maintenance.

2. Kill the resource gobblers
End the background processes that are not vital. Monitor the resource usage through a ‘Ctrl-Alt-Del’ which brings up the Windows Task Manager (in Windows). If you’re not on the internet, it is safe to shut down the immediate non-essential programs running in the taskbar like the antivirus and the firewall. Weed out unnecessary programs running as start-ups by launching the System Configuration Utility from Run – Msconfig – Tab: Startup. Uncheck the programs which you don’t want to launch and reboot the computer once.

3. Pause the scheduled tasks
It may be a defrag or a virus scan, but make sure it is scheduled for a time when you are near a power outlet. If not then nix them for the moment.

4. Unplug external devices
USB devices are the biggest drainers of battery power. Unplug all external devices like an external mouse, PC cards, Wi-Fi, external speakers, Bluetooth and even an attached iPod.

5. Empty the CD/DVD Drives
Even if you don’t intend to use it, don’t leave any CD/DVDs as leftovers in the drives. A spinning drive sucks battery power like a sponge.

6. Go local
Desist using the DVD/external drives while running on batteries. Shift the content to the hard drive or run using (free) virtual drives like Pismo File Mount or even Microsoft’s Virtual CD ROM Control Panel.

7. Lower the lightsThe LCD screen of a laptop is another huge power sink. Calibrate the brightness to the lowest level you can tolerate using the Function key toggles or using the Display Settings applet in the Control Panel.

8. Kill the sounds
Mute the speakers and try avoiding the use of multimedia software to maximize the battery life. Installed sound schemes also drain a battery perceptibly.

9. Rid the screensaver
To maximize battery life by a little, switch off the screensaver.

10. Visit Power Options
Get familiar with power management through the ‘Power Options’ applet in the Control Panel. Both XP and Vista come with advanced power management features which shut off components like the monitor and/or the hard drive after specified intervals. This again depends on the chosen ‘Power Schemes’ (for XP) in the same applet. For instance in XP, ‘Max Battery’ under Power Schemes can be selected for maximum battery optimization.

11. Turn off the looks
Today’s OS’s like Windows Vista come with features like ‘Aero Glass’ which are resource guzzlers. One can turn it off and go for the ‘Classic’ appearance which consumes less power. In Vista, click on Desktop – Preferences – View Colour – Appearance – Classic Appearance and Windows Basic graphical interface. In XP it’s – Display Properties – Theme – Windows Classic.
Linux and even Macintosh are better optimized for longer battery life.

12. Hibernate is better than SleepIn the Stand By mode (or sleep mode), the computer turns of the hard drive and the display but memory remains active while the CPU slows down. This draws on the battery. In contrast, hibernation mode is better because the computer saves the current state and shuts itself down completely thus saving power.

13. Get the most…work on the least
Working on too many programs while on the battery is a sure fire power drainer. Keep use of graphic intensive applications to a minimum. Working on a spreadsheet consumes much less than playing your favourite game. To increase the life of the battery open just one or two programs concurrently.

14. Ram in more RAM
Adequate RAM reduces the load on Virtual memory which by default resides on the hard drive. Though every extra bit of RAM uses up more power, it increases overall savings by short cutting access to the power hungry hard drive.

15. Keep it clean
A laptop with blocked air vents will generate more heat thus reducing the life of the battery. Clean the air vents regularly to keep operating temperatures low. Allow for open space around the vents for air to circulate freely. Keep the area around the laptop clean to avoid entry of dust.
16. Temperature is a silent killer
Undue heat kills off a battery slowly but surely. Avoid leaving the laptop under direct sunlight or inside a closed car.

17. Avoid the memory effect
A problem more for the older Ni-MH batteries than for Li-Ion batteries on which most modern laptops run. Memory effect relates to the loss of battery charge when they are repeatedly recharged after being only partially discharged. It can be prevented by discharging the battery fully and then completely recharging it. Li-Ion batteries on the other hand have no problems with partial discharges and re-charges and complete discharge is never recommended for this type.

18. Update software and drivers
This sounds a bit incongruous but then newer drivers and software are often designed to be more efficient (and hopefully less resource hungry).

19. Use the right adapter
Ensure that the adapter you use to charge the laptop battery is an original one or one with the correct specifications. A mismatch in the wattage could cause an overload thus damaging the laptop and the battery.

20. Pack it up
If you don’t plan to use the laptop on batteries for quite some time, ensure that the charge is nearly 40 percent – remove the batteries and store it in a cool place.
A typical lithium ion battery has an overall average life of 2-3 years. With some care and caution, its mortality can be delayed.
Have you found your own way to increase battery life of your laptop? Share the ‘life giving’ tips with us in the comments.

Learning SEO

SEO is one of those industries that is getting more and more popular at the moment. A few years ago, most people didn’t even know what SEO was and now, it seems that almost everyone with an interest in the internet at all has been learning SEO to some extent. However, if you actually want to learn SEO enough to be good at it, you might have wondered exactly where are you going to start. The truth is that learning SEO is certainly no easy task for a number of reasons but you can do it, and you can do it well if you just do the right things from the word go.

Why is SEO so difficult to learn?

There is one main reason that SEO is so difficult to learn and this is because it is probably one of the fastest moving industries in the world. There are a few reasons for this but the main one is down to Google and other search engines. As people learn exactly what techniques to use to ensure that a site ranks well, Google and a number of other search engines will go and change their algorithm which essentially changes the whole subject of SEO.
Now, you might think that this is a bit unfair and like they don’t actually want you to ever learn SEO. Well, the reason for this is because that is exactly the reason. Google and the other major search engines do not want you to learn SEO at all because they are constantly striving to deliver the best content for a users search. Think about it, if you learn SEO then you are basically manipulating the search engine rankings and you could be supplying information that is not necessarily the best to the visitor of Google.
So, basically, as soon as you think you’ve got the hang of SEO, Google will go and change their algorithm and then you will have to change the way you do things. The big problem is that Google actually do this every few weeks and on a major basis every few months. We know, this is definitely not what you want to hear but there are still ways to learn it.

How to Learn SEO – Technique #1

TotalJobs.com – A great place to find an SEO job.

Now, one of the ways that you can learn SEO is the way that you would learn practically any other skill; get a job. There are hundreds and thousands of SEO companies out there that are nearly always recruiting for new SEO professionals and if you do your homework, you can almost certainly find companies in your area that are looking to hire junior SEO link builders. Of course, these won’t be the most well paid positions but the great thing about these companies is that they are willing to teach you the basics from the ground up.
Another good thing about this technique is that you will actually be employed and earning money whilst you are learning. To be honest, the rates of pay for these positions are not usually that bad either. Here in the UK, you are probably looking at between £15,000 and £20,000 per year for a start SEO position and if you’re a quick learner, chances are that you will be promoted relatively quickly.
The downside to this technique is that often, these SEO companies will place you into a boring position of link building which will basically consist of you sending out 100′s of emails a day and waiting for responses. Of course, this is part of SEO but there is a lot more to learn than just that. So, if you are thinking of opting for one of these positions, it might be a good idea to actually find a company that has a good reputation and is going to be teaching you a lot.

How to Learn SEO – Technique #2

SeoMoz – A Great website for learning SEO yourself.

This is probably the most popular way that the best SEO professionals learnt SEO, but that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. Most SEO professionals will have actually learnt on their own, at home or in their office. The good thing about SEO is that there is so much information on the subject online on sites like YouTube and SEOMoz that you don’t need to learn from anyone else.
Of course, if you are going to learn this way, you are going to need to be able to self-motivated and you are also going to need to make sure that you have a way of proving whether or not what you learnt is the truth. There is a lot of poor information out there as well as great information so you need to be able to sift through and find all the good stuff.
Doing this is pretty simple as SEO is based a lot on common sense. The best thing you can do if you are starting out learning on your own is to actually set up your own website and try to get it ranking for your desired keywords. Of course, you need to make sure that you choose these keywords wisely and that they aren’t too competitive but this is the best way to learn as you will be able to see the results for yourself.
You’ll make mistakes along the way, but in most cases, they won’t be too serious and by the end of the process, you might find that your site is actually worth something.

Keep up with the trends

Searching for SEO on Google News to keep up with the current trends.

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, SEO is an ever changing subject so it is extremely important that you make sure to keep up with the trends. Things are changing all the time so make sure you read a lot of SEO news to see what is going on in the world of SEO at the moment.

10 iPhone Apps You Can’t Live Without

When Apple first released the iPhone, there were only a few apps available to buy in the iTunes App Store, but nothing special. Today, there are over 140,000 app’s to choose from that can do just about anything you could imagine, all at the tap of a screen. In this short article, we will run through 10 of the best app’s available that we feel you shouldn’t ever live without.
1. Facebook

Facebook is one of the biggest social networking websites in the world and millions of people use it on a day to day basis. With the Facebook app for the iPhone, you can even access your account one the move, any place, anytime.
2. EBay

EBay is the world’s leading online auction website and it see’s millions of new items listed for sale each day. If you run an eBay business, or are even just an eBay addict, then this app is for you as it allows you to shop, sell or browse anywhere you are.
3. Sky +

Now, here is an app that you certainly cannot live without if you’re a TV addict. Ever forget to record that programme on your Sky + box? Do you remember when it’s too late and you’ve already left the house. Well, with this app you can set your Sky + box up to record anything, anywhere you are.
4. Skype

Why pay for a call when you can do it for free. Well, if you’ve used Skype before on your PC then you will know that this is exactly what the service offers. Now, it’s available on your iPhone. Call anyone with Skype for free, even from your phone!
5. Remote

If you are  regular user of iTunes on your PC or Mac, then this app is a must have. Now you won’t even have to leave your comfy chair in order to change the track as this app allows you to do it all from your phone. Browse Artists, Albums, Songs or even Shuffle. best of all, it’s FREE!
6. eBuddy

I bet there isn’t one of you that doesn’t use an instant messenger on a regular basis. EBuddy for iPhone allows you to chat with your friends while you are on the move, it allows you to sign in with a variety of different account types such as Windows Live, Yahoo, GTalk and many more.
7. Twitterific

Twitter is one of the newest social networking websites out there, but this doesn’t mean it’s the least popular. Twitter is one of the biggest and best social networking websites and now, you can Tweet on the move. There are a few Twitter apps for the iPhone but we think this one is the best. It has a beautiful interface and is extremely easy to use.
8. IMDB.

You’ve probably all heard of, and more than likely used this service in the past on your PC or Mac. It allows you to find almost anything you could ever wish to know out about a Film, TV Show, Actor etc. Now, you can do all this on the move with your phone. Once again, this app is FREE!
9. PayPal.

If you use eBay, then there is no doubt you use PayPal. This app is great and allows you to send and recieve payments on the move. Great for if you run an online or eBay business, or if you just like shopping!
10. MySpace

Although there are new and exciting social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook, we musn’t forget Myspace. MySpace is still probably the king of all social networking websites and you can now access your account from your iPhone. Great if you’re a social networking addict!

10 Of The Best Features Of iOS6

As I’m sure everyone is aware, Apple released iOS6 around a week ago and since then, it has been all over the internet. Some people love it, some people hate it. There is no doubt that there have been a few bugs with the update, but there are some pretty awesome new features too, and we have rounded up a list of what we think are 10 of the best. Some of them you might not even have noticed.
#1 – Siri

Siri has been on the iPhone 4S for a while but in the latest update, Apple has made it do even more. You can now open apps with Siri voice commands and much more. It’s a shame it still isn’t available on the iPhone 4.

#2 – Emoji Update

You might not have noticed this but it is definitely one of the best new features. If you have Emoji installed, you will notice that you will have a number of new icons with the iOS6 update, and you don’t even have to do anything to get them.

#3 – Do Not Disturb Mode

With the new Do Not Disturb mode, you are now able to automatically reply to calls and let them know that you are busy without being disturbed. A great new feature for sure.

#4 – YouTube

If you’ve got iOS6, you probably noticed that the YouTube App disappeared. Not to worry as there’s a better one available in the app store for free. A completely new design and everything.

#5 – Clock Updates

Again, you might not have noticed that Apple has actually updated the clock app to allow you to wake up to a song of your choice when your alarm goes off. A nice little touch.

#6 – Facebook Integration

Facebook has been extremely well integrated into iOS and you can now share just about anything with just a click of a button the OS. Great for those share-a-holics.

#7 – 3D Maps

Yes, there have been a few issues with this but it is still a great addition. 3D maps allows you to view walking directions and much more. It also allows you to view flyover in certain locations.

#8 – Passbook

A great addition to the iOS system if you are a regular traveller or even just visit Starbucks pretty often. This will allow you to keep all of your tickets in one place, on your iPhone.

#9 – Panarama Photos

Now, the iPhone camera takes panorama photos if you have the iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 at least. These photos are great quality and are yet another great addition.

#10 – VIP Mailbox

If you have favourite contacts, then this will be great for your email. Get alerted when you receive an email from one of them with VIP mailbox.

Free Online Logo Creators

Sometimes, when you are designing a logo for a project, you will need a little bit of inspiration. If you arte trying to design a cool logo on a budget as well, you might not want to pay someone to create one for you but you might not also have the necessary skills to create a great looking logo yourself. This is where free online logo creators come in as they will do the job for you and create you a great looking logo in a matter of seconds. These are also great if you are looking for a temporary logo or simply to play with colour schemes. Here are some of the best free logo creators online:

1. Creatr – This is one of the best logo creators that we have come across online and it is completely free of charge to use. The logo creator has a variety of different presets for logos and already made designs that you can customise to a different colour scheme and so on. The easy to use interface will allow you to create a good looking, web 2.0 logo within a matter of just a few minutes and best of all; it will fit in with your website well.
2. LogoYes – This is another free logo creator that is absolutely fantastic and it has even more options that the website above. This website uses a flash based application to allow you to create a logo and it asks you a series of questions in order to create a logo that is great for your company. For example, you will choose an industry, a symbol and so on and the end product usually looks great.
3. CoolText – This website will allow you to create both logos and buttons in just a matter of minutes. This website also takes all of the work out of creating a logo design as the designs are ready made. However, the designs don’t tend to look quite as professional as with the two sites above so it would be best if this site was used as a back-up logo generator.

There are many other great logo creators out there and with a simple Google search, you should be able to find a website that will allow you to create a suitable logo for your website or company within just a few minutes free of charge.