They say the devil is in the details. When it comes to search engine optimization, those details include some important quirks you need to know about.
Conforming to search engine behavior
Keeping-up with changes in search engine behavior
Playing well with other websites to protect your SEO
Avoiding common practices that obstruct SEO
Here are nine examples of what I [Tom Schmitz of Search Engine Land] call SEO quirks. See how many you know about.
WHICH FILE FORMAT IS BEST?
Every type of image format has its own advantages and disadvantages.
JPEG
Great for images when you need to keep the size smallGood option for photographsBad for logos, line art, and wide areas of flat color
GIF
Great for animated effectsNice option for clip art, flat graphics, and images that use minimal colors and precise linesGood option for simple logos with blocks of colors
PNG
LosslessExcellent choice when transparency is a must. Good option for logos and line art. Not supported everywhere.
Google Webmasters YouTube Series
Tonya Hall and Scott Stratten talk about how the Ritz-Carlton went the extra mile in customer service. For the full episode, go to http://twit.tv/mm/24.
Host: Tanya Hall
Guest: Scott Stratten
Recorded on: September 22 2014
Download or subscribe to this show at twit.tv/mm.
Read our show notes at twit.tv/mm/24.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to conceive written communication. So many pairs or trios of words and phrases stymie us with their resemblance to each other. Here’s a quick guide to alleviate (or is it ameliorate?) your suffering:
View more on the DailyWritingTips website.
Host Tonya Hall with guests: Jeff Jarvis, Scott Monty, and Brian Reich talk about the leaked New York Times Innovation Report and what it means for New Media.
Typically used to act as a comma or parenthesis to separate phrases—or even just a word—in a sentence for various reasons (i.e. an appositive).
School is based on the three R’s—reading, writing, and ’rithemtic.
Against all odds, Pete—the unluckiest man alive—won the lottery.
Used to connect values in a range or that are related. A good rule is to use it when you're expressing a "to" relationship.
in years 2013–2014
pages 10–12
Jets won 3–2
Used to join words in a compound construction, or separate syllables of a word.
pro-Canadian
same-sex couples
em-dash
it's pronounced hos-pi-tal-it-tee
4 − 2 = 2.
en-dash: option-hyphen
em-dash: option-shift-hyphen
en-dash: &ndash
em-dash: &mdash
minus sign: &minus
Source: English Language & Usage
The Elements of Typographic Style recommends the spaced en dash – like so – and argues that the length and visual magnitude of an em dash "belongs to the padded and corseted aesthetic of Victorian typography."[36] In the United Kingdom, the spaced en dash is the house style for certain major publishers, including the Penguin Group, the Cambridge University Press, and Routledge. But this convention is not universal. The Oxford Guide to Style (2002, section 5.10.10) acknowledges that the spaced en dash is used by "other British publishers", but states that the Oxford University Press—like "most US publishers"—uses the unspaced em dash.
Source: Wikipedia
Here is a great article by David Kadavy that gives a few rules of thumb that will have you using typography more lucidly than ever before: www.smashingmagazine.com/
One of my favourites is the section on hyphens vs. en and em dashes.
– From: about.com via Wild Apricot
Here are a variety of ways to recognize volunteers that you can incorporate into your menu of kudos:
For nine more ideas go to: About.com Nonprofit Charitable Orgs
I've aways been able to keep my documents and email organized by sorting them into an alphebetized system of folders. This results in folders within folders within folders. I can pretty much find anything in my computer or house for that matter... but it may take some time. I'm also good at creating lists.
Yes, I am good at creating lists BUT I have a huge problem in following them. It is a fact that I have created an agenda but forgot to invite people to the meeting!
The biggest problem I had was remembering what needs doing and when. After receiving an email that required me to do something, I did one of the following: added it to a list, flagged it, marked it as unread, or just let it to sink to the bottom of the pile never to be viewed again until the client called asking why I hadn't completed the task. Sound familiar?
My favourite feature of Evernote is that it allows you to forward email to Evernote. Not only does the email end up in Evernote, but you can tell it exactly where to go within the system and tag it before you send it.
Within Evernote, I created tags called "Action" and "Done". In the subject line of the email, add @Inbox (or any notebook's name) and then #action to tag it. In Evernote, I have created a search for "Action minus Done". Obviously, the search finds all the email with the tag "Action" but not any with the tag "Done". Brilliant! There in front of my eyes is a detailed list of all the things I need to do. When completing the job prescribed by the email, I tag it "Done" and it disappears from the list. It is a great feeling.
Here is a video and step by step description on how to send email to Evernote.
I'm currently building a new site for the Manitoba Choral Association. The current one was built in 2005 and, needless to say is quite dated. It was one of my first pro websites.
In redesigning some of the logos, I needed to put some spacing between letters (tracking) but PSE does not allow that. I did a little search and found a small but pretty powerful add-on. Elements+ reveals hidden functions in Photoshop Elements that allow its feature set to approach the full Photoshop feature set.
I'm not sure if I'll ever use it again but it certainly did the job at hand. Cost $14.
Money can be tight when you’re in school – that’s why Squarespace has partnered with schools like Harvard, RISD, and FIT to offer students a 50% discount on their first year with Squarespace. Visit www.squarespace.com/students to learn more, and be sure to sign up using your university email address.
Wow! Just launched my 4th version of StationV.com. Hope you like the new look. Squarespace offers a great content management system along with a blog and e-commerce/store options plus all sites are mobile ready. Yea! Welcome!
Just had a great conversation with Sunil Singh, owner of CansSpace Solutions, about moving StationV.com from CanSpace to Squarespace. He was very helpful and relieved my concerns about the other domains I host with him within my StationV account. In addition, CanSpace will continue to handle my @stationv.com email. As you know, Squarespace does not host email. Thanks goes to Sunil and the staff at CanSpace for making this an easy transition.
Squarespace designers and marketers parallel their greatness at making great web sites with that of making great commercials.
On yesterday's MacBreak Weekly show on the TWiT network, Andy Ihnatko announced Hemmingway as his app of the week. BRILLIANT! I'll never write again without it.
Hemingway is a fantastic app for writing that helps you write more clearly. It offers a number of features beyond your standard word processor, including highlighting long and complex sentences, giving you a readability level indicator, highlights adverbs, and gives you hints on simplifying your writing and avoiding passive voice.
If the old adage is that a plumber has a leaky toilet, then I have been just as guilty by not getting my site rebuilt using Squarespace. Last year I started using Squarespace and built 6 sites for clients using this marvelous content management system.
Part of the hesitation was that I liked the look and feel of my site and, except for it not being mobile, there was no urgency. This week I started to rebuild my site (this one) and am loving the experience.
