Top 10 useful web sites

The top 10 useful web sites according to Pandia Search Engine News:

1.  Google Web Search
2.  IMDB
3.  Amazon
4.  The Wikipedia
5.  Techmeme
6.  Tripadvisor
7.  Google Maps
8.  Online Conversions
9.  How Stuff Works
10. Download.com

The list is provided by editors of Pandia showing their favourite sites for practical problem solving, search and information.

Use Blingo search and win a prize

Eac time you click on Go! on Blingo search, you are part of a lottery where you can win cameras, iPods, movie tickets, etc. Unfortunately this applies to US citizens only. Blingo is powered by the GigaBlast search engine. Gigablast's goal has been to become a search engine results provider to search sites and portals. Source:Pandia Search World

Accoona Search Engine

Accoona is based on an American/Chinese cooperation as the search engine headquarters are in New Jersey while the main owner can be found in the Peoples' Republic of China. The main focus for this search engine is business related information. However, Accoona is building its own search engine index, which includes other web sites as well. Accoona claims to be using artificial intelligence to let your "super target" your search queries. The idea being to alter the the balance between search terms in order to make to results more relevant. Source:Pandia Search World

Desktop/Web Search Engine Tool

Search engine companies are looking at combining web and desktop search. Blinkx, a new company is offering a desktop application that is able to examine documents a user is reading and suggests similar web pages, blog entries, news stories, video clips and documents from the user's own hard drive. A user can also do a keyword search and the search results will include links from all the sources mentioned. To compete with Blinkx, Google is said to be developing a similar desktop application that will be able to search personal computer hard drives. Microsoft is also developing a new search technology that will be integrated into the Microsoft Office applications. Similarly, Microsoft's new search technology will easily allow users to find information stored on their hard drives. It looks like in the very near future, search engine technology will extend beyond the web.

Desktop/Web Search Engine Tool

Search engine companies are looking at combining web and desktop search. Blinkx, a new company is offering a desktop application that is able to examine documents a user is reading and suggests similar web pages, blog entries, news stories, video clips and documents from the user's own hard drive. A user can also do a keyword search and the search results will include links from all the sources mentioned. To compete with Blinkx, Google is said to be developing a similar desktop application that will be able to search personal computer hard drives. Microsoft is also developing a new search technology that will be integrated into the Microsoft Office applications. Similarly, Microsoft's new search technology will easily allow users to find information stored on their hard drives. It looks like in the very near future, search engine technology will extend beyond the web.

Build Your Search Engine Optimization Around Your Content

In the early days of the Internet, web enthusiasts were enamored with the technological marvels that the new age put before them. It almost seemed as though the written content in web sites was put in as an afterthought. Today however, users and developers alike have rediscovered the importance of the written word. Content plays a large role in keeping visitors on a web site. And search engines and their spiders just love good quality, regularly updated content. When a search engine spider indexes your web site it automatically searches your meta tags and web site content for information. This information is then cataloged and when people search using particular terms that were included in your tags and content your site can be found. After a visitor has searched for, found, and entered your site, clear easy to understand information helps them to move easily throughout your site. Web sites can be confusing places but good clear copy can make life so much easier for your guests. If the writing is unclear and contradictory then the chances are that you will quickly lose your visitor. Web content writing requires skills that are different from traditional writing skills. Your web content writer should be able to combine writing, marketing and research skills. They should be able to understand your market segment and how they should target this market. Keyword analysis and density play an important role in content development. Your writer should be able to help you integrate potential search terms and keywords into your web site content. The challenge is to produce readable and grammatically correct text while having the desired level of keyword density. When considering keyword density a good rule of thumb is four keyword phrases per 250-300 words or for longer pages 8-10 times in 500 words. This equates to a keyword density of 1.6 – 2% per page. So, how do you know if your written content is doing its job? Start by looking at your web content in relation to your business, your market, and your customers. Do you think your site works? Are you getting visitors and are you keeping these visitors? Are you getting the sales you want? Ask your friends and colleagues what they think of your site. Look at some of your competitor’s sites. Is their message clearer? Look at your search engine rankings and compare it with the rankings of your competitors. If you have any doubts about your content seek out a writer who is skilled at developing content that has been optimized for the web. With their help you can rediscover the power that your web site content plays on your search engine rankings. Copyright © James Peggie http://www.elixirsystems.com/ James Peggie is the marketing analyst for Elixir Systems – a search engine optimization company located in Scottsdale, Arizona. James.peggie@elixirsystems.com

Search Engine Optimisation Training - Driving More Visitors to Your Site

Getting visitors to your website can be an ever escalating battle, however, this highly participative and interactive search engine optimisation training course shows you the fundamental techniques required to improve the search engine ranking for your website. This course is scheduled for Public Delivery on 01/06/04 20/07/04 Link to academyinternet

The internet business search engine

Google has proved to be a leader as a search engine today but for serious business research, Dow Jones and Reuters believe that a better search engine can provide quality research data. Factiva is the business search engine and as a business tool, Factiva knows that if you search for Orange you will be looking for the phone firm rather than the county or fruit. BBC has the full article on Factiva. The Factiva service is not free. It is subscription based and they have created a browser toolbar that you can download unto your desktop. The objective of the toolbar search is similar to Google's toolbar, quicker access to the search engine. Unlike Google where a search displays search results for free, Factiva requires a username and password before you can view the search results. Why is Factiva's data password protected? They claim that 60% of the data they offer is not available free online. Is the service worth subscribing to? I don't know but it is worth investigating more into this specialised business search engine.