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The answer is very simple: information. According to the graphic, Google receives one billion unique visitors on a monthly basis, who spend two hundred billion minutes on its websites per month. Money comes from their ability to selectively market products to those individuals most likely to buy those products. They gather this information from the billions of daily search queries that are uniquely tied to an individual’s IP address.

Powering this revenue machine is the equivalent of a fourth of a nuclear power plant’s energy output. 260 million watts of electricity is required to keep Google’s date centers and servers up and running at peak efficiency. In 2010, this energy usage was equivalent to half of the electricity produced by the Hoover Damn that year.

Just how large is Google? Many people are very familiar with their search engine, web browser, and social networking avenue, but what type of resources do they offer and how do they make their money?

The answer is very simple; information. According to the graphic, Google receives one billion unique visitors on a monthly basis. These users spend two hundred billion minutes on its websites per month. Money comes from their ability to selectively market products to the individuals most likely to buy those products. They gather this information from the billions of daily search queries that are uniquely tied to an individual’s IP address.

Powering this revenue machine is the equivalent of one quarter of a nuclear power plant’s energy output. 260 million watts of electricity is required to keep Google’s data centres and servers up and running at peak efficiency. In 2010, this energy usage was equivalent to half of the electricity produced by the Hoover Damn that year.
What about the amount of revenue that Google generates? In 2010 Google raked in $29.3 billion. To put this in perspective, this figure is greater than the combined GDP of the world’s poorest 28 countries for that same year.

Google products and services

Google now offers a multitude of goods and services. Aside from providing the world’s number one search engine, Google also offers everything from development resources such as the Google App Engine to Google Maps. Other goods and services include the Google Webmaster Tools such as Google analytics, the Blogger Weblog publishing tool and Google + which is Google’s own social network. A reason for Google’s success is that they quickly adapt to and exploit new technology and new trends. By having a proverbial finger in every pie, they are able to continue to grow and evolve their brand.

The Google Adwords Goldmine

Despite offering such a comprehensive choice of products and services, a total of 97% of Google’s $29.3 billion revenue in 2010 came from advertising. Of course, Google has a huge advantage when it comes to selling their Adwords. A billion unique visitors per month is a huge amount of traffic. A share of this traffic is potentially worth a significant amount of money to businesses.

The most expensive Adwords for the year spanning the third quarter of 2010 to the second quarter of 2011 were as follows:
1, Insurance – Top cost per click (CPC) $54.91 with 24% of keywords in that category
2, Loans – Top cost per click (CPC) $44.28 with 12.8% of keywords in that category
3, Mortgage – Top cost per click (CPC) $47.12 with 9% of keywords in that category
4, Attorney – Top cost per click (CPC) $47.07 with 3.6% of keywords in that category
5, Credit – Top cost per click (CPC) $36.06 with 3.2 % of keywords in that category

In 2011, Google announced that it received revenue totalling $33.3 billion. The amount of revenue that was generated by Adwords alone was $32.2 billion. However, the price of keywords does fluctuate, because they are sold in an auction type environment. Therefore, the value of these adverts will be different by this time next year.
How are these five most expensive Adwords keywords able to fetch such a high price? In short, these Adwords keywords have a high value for the businesses that need to use these keywords.  Although they are expensive, the new customers represent a high return on this sort of investment. In addition to this, Google can drive so much traffic to sites, that people can justify paying these sorts of prices.

Mobile Devices, the Cloud and the Future of the Internet

The last few years have seen an increasing number of people accessing the internet from mobile devices. Businesses have quickly taken advantage of cloud based computing, the general public are following. In fact, Larry Page, Google’s chief executive announced that mobile advertising contributed 7% to Google’s total revenue in 2010. And while this was only a small percentage, mobile advertising has continued to generate increasing amounts of revenue for Google. This figure is expected to continue to climb. The reason that this is so significant, is because the Boston Consulting Group have predicted that by 2016, around 80% of  people using the internet will access the web from a mobile device.

The price of smart phones and other technologies has fallen, which is another reason why we safely assume that the amount of people accessing the internet from phones will continue to rise. We can also assume that Google’s revenue from mobile advertising will follow suit, partially as a result of this.
The top Google ranking is the Holy Grail of businesses, webmasters and SEO companies. If it wasn’t for Google being the number one search engine and commanding massive amounts of traffic, generating such huge amounts of revenue would be impossible.

As long as Google continues to grow, innovate, exploit trends and new technologies, they should be able to defend their position. Even if we do all migrate to the cloud, this giant looks set to dominate the landscape of the web for the foreseeable future. There is no reason why Google should stop growing at this point, because while other companies have been bearing the brunt of the credit crunch, Google have continued to grow.

From: BusinessMBA.org

Anyone with a Google account can have access to this free and powerful tool.  A website owner can not only view their websites traffic progression but also analyse, in great depth, all of their websites statistics.  Analytics can generate up to 85 reports, and although not all of them are mentioned here, there is a brief overview for the beginner.  But don’t be fooled – this is a powerful tool used by the professionals too.

Installing Analytics

Assuming you already have a Google account, the first thing you will need is your own unique Tracking Code – this is a clever snippet of code that you paste inside the header tags of each page you wish to keep track of. If you are using WordPress or something similar, there are plugins available to do this for you, otherwise you’ll need to talk to your webmaster if you are unfamiliar with HTML.  You get the tracking code after finishing the Google Analytics setup, and if all has gone smoothly you have also linked your domain (website) to a Google account – and you are able to start using the tool.

The Dashboard

This is where you can get an overview of your websites statistics, and it’s fully customisable so once you start using the tool you can have the things you want where you want them.  A simply outlay conceals a powerful tool that is capable of processing and displaying enormous amounts of data. The default layout is listed below to give an idea of the information you can expect to garner.

• Date Range – Shows any selectable period since Analytics started collecting data.
• Visits – Displays the number of visits to the site each day.
• Site Usage – Shows visits, total page views and pages per visit.  Also indicates ‘bounce-rate’ – percentage of viewers who left the site after only one page.
• Map overlay – Displays geographic source of visits, down to state and city-level visitor information.
• Traffic Sources – Breaks visits down into Direct, Organic, or major referral sites that have links to your site.
• Content Overview – At a glance, shows most popular pages based on number of page views.
• Export/Email – Self explanatory; export or email your reports, either one at a time or at scheduled intervals.

An algorithm is a set of finite, ordered steps for solving a mathematical problem. Each Search Engine uses a proprietary algorithm set to calculate the relevance of its indexed web pages to your particular Query. The result of this process is a list of sites ranked in the order that the search engine deemed most relevant. Search engine algorithms are closely guarded in order to prevent exploitation of algorithmic results. Search algorithms are also changed frequently to incorporate new data and improve relevancy.

Samsung’s Chromebook is the UK’s first notebook based entirely on ‘cloud-computing’, something becoming increasingly popular among social/media hungry users that wish to access their files anywhere on the move.  But does it perform well?

Google is taking baby steps towards dominating the ‘cloud-computing’ era already, something that, as a service, is still in its infancy. At first glance, these Internet-optimised notebooks don’t seem to add anything new – so what is all the fuss about? First, lets see what you get for your hard-earned £350 – the hardware and some key features are outlined below.

Design Features and Hardware

To look at, the Chromebook is small and stylish, with curved edges, accommodating curved keys as well, and a thin bezel round the screen. It’s not heavy by any means, but weighs just as much as a normal netbook, which is a little surprising considering its diminutive size. The unit itself is well built, and feels sturdy, and even with the white cover and logos it doesn’t look or feel cheap.

The hardware specs are pretty good too, with a netbook-worthy 2Gb RAM, 1.66ghz Intel Atom processor and integrated Intel graphics. Because the Chromebook is designed for ‘cloud-computing’ there is only a 16gb SSD (solid-state drive) as all your files are stored online, and requiring a password at log-in means it will stop thieves from accessing your files and stealing your data.

Key Features

This brings us to some of the core features of the Chromebook. Because there are no applications to load, the boot-time to the login screen is just ten seconds, and waking from hibernation takes just 2 – comparable to ‘instant on’ devices such as the iPad2. Not being able to install programs on it takes some getting used too, everything is available as an app/half book-mark in your browser, but the Chrome OS is fast, performs well and looks good.

Currently only available in 3G, the WiFi version is on it’s way soon, with the monthly price plans covering all data requirements, as well as all future OS updates, cloud file-hosting and applications.  Utilising HTML5 allows you to use some applications even when offline, and with advanced technology, no malware or viruses will enter your system, and the Chromebook is actually designed to perform faster with each software update.

It does, however, struggle when it comes to video playback; the most common file types such as .AVI are not currently supported, and high-definition playback was choppy.  The sound is rather underwhelming too, with just the slightest amount of background noise you will find the speakers cranked all the way up and still straining to be heard.  So it’s not the best choice for those of us that are media-hungry, but as this is primarily designed for business users, I guess that’s not a major issue.

The Chromebook is asking much of it’s consumers – to leave their PC/Laptop comfort zone and move all of their work online.  This is a great idea in theory, but will it actually work on a day to day basis?  Unfortunately, the short answer is no, however Samsung’s Chromebook is undoubtedly the benchmark, and future models will only get better.

For the same price, you can get a Windows 7 netbook, with all the familiar programs, connectivity, and all the other things required.  No doubt in a couple of years this platform will be at the forefront – Google certainly knows how to lead the way, but for now the advice is to save your money and hold off until the platform is further developed.

New post or add to keiths y luvs the WP

Have you ever noticed that a lot of the top ranking sites in the search engine page rankings are powered by WordPress? According to WordPress itself, the platform has grown and expanded to power a total of 14.7% of the top million sites globally, that is an increase  up from 8.5%, and the latest data available from WordPress reports that 22 out of every 100 new domains activated in the US are running WordPress.( Posted August 19, 2011 by Matt Mullenweg State of the Word . Filed under Community, Meta.) Here at SEO Manchester we love WordPress.

Indexed Fast

Search engines and Search Engine optimisers alike both seem to love WordPress because it allows websites to be crawled deeply with relative ease and it seems to be that they are crawled  frequently too. Websites that are newly launched are quickly indexed by the search engines without even being submitted and can appear as indexed in a matter of a few days.

WordPress is web software that you can utilise to create a beautiful website or blog. WordPress like to say that it is, ” both free and priceless at the same time.” But the real beauty of WP for people like myself who are not very technically competent is that it is not difficult to work with. In fact it is very user friendly compared to other platforms.

Easy Control for SEO

CMS powered web design gives you the control to easily change content on your website. That is the real SEO value of WP, it is SEO and search engine friendly.You can use WordPress to make attractive and functional sites that should rank well.

Using WP you can easily create search engine friendly URLs. It allows you to easily create a readable URL that matches the title of your post. Ideal for keywords. No question marks or equal signs and other strange characters in your URL using wordpress instead  you will have a readable URL  that matches the title of the page or post page. Just go  to wp-admin > settings > permalinks .

Internal Linking

Another big plus of WordPress is the internal linking structure. It links the categories , tags and the archives by default and  follows the SEO three click rule that no page on your website should be more than three clicks away.

Take for an example the “categories” sidebar widget on your home page, your posts should be just 2 clicks away from the home page .

Automatic Ping and SEO plug ins

Do not forget the Automatic ping and SEO plug ins such as All in one SEO plug in and Google sitemaps XML. WordPress will also automatically notify search engines to come and crawl your site each time you post new content or update existing content on your site. I love Ping !

The core software of WordPress has been built by hundreds of community volunteers and they have done an excellent job with over 25 million people choosing WordPress due to its ease of use and excellent functionality especailly for SEO. Special mention should also be made to Joost de Valk and his website Yoast who is a developer of some well known and very functional  wordpress plug ins . He is also considered to be an authority on website optimisation for wordpress , simply put it this way , he is a very clever man and is like the wizard of WordPress. Hopefully soon I will be able to add more content as I begin to understand better just what really is possible with WordPress and what its limitations are as a publishing platform but overall I am having good experience.

Promoting your website effectively online requires a continual effort, and one of the most efficient ways to stay ahead of your competitors is good link building and link popularity.  With social book-marking becoming a more dominant force, it is easy to forget some of the basics.

Google uses a ranking algorithm – a mathematical equation – to calculate page ranking, and emphasis is placed on the link popularity of a website.  Because of this, and other factors, it’s important to stay on top of your link building needs.  It comes down to this; you can never have enough links, so don’t ever say you have finished acquiring

The Importance Of Quality Links

If you stop building links, the effect can be immediate – your ranking will slide down quickly, and this can potentially be catastrophic for your business.  Search engines are impartial when it comes to website ranking, and if your competitors continue their link building efforts, you will find your place quickly usurped.

Adding quality links from reliable sources will help maintain the stability of your websites page ranking, but the upkeep of non-functional links is just as important – knowing when links are due to expire will help you monitor your rankings more efficiently.  Over time, your overall link count will be reduced by these non-functional links, so continually updating your link profile is the key to success.  Search engines do not work on numbers but on averages, and that’s because often during a search, some link directories are down, thereby making that link invisible, making it really important to update your links regularly.

Consistency Is Key

Make your website more powerful each day with consistent link building efforts, and this will begin to limit the number of competitors on each keyword search.  You will need to secure many back links in order for your website to rank competitively, but you need to be careful when implementing a strategy.  You can easily put your website (and your reputation) at risk if your link building strategy is not legitimate.  Use only approved strategies that have shown workable results but building your own links can be time-consuming, so employing a company to do this for you might be something worth consideration.   Be wary if you decide to go down this route – choose an ethical company that uses quality, diverse link building strategies, as some companies are unscrupulous and will charge you for links on certain sites – you might even be tempted to pay for them being on the front page of the actual linking site.

Google Knows All

Google (and other search engines) are clever at sniffing out ‘black-hat’ operations, and will punish you if they see you have paid for links.  Your site will be de-listed and you will have to file for re-submission.  And it’s not a simple case of fixing the issues and re-ranking in your original position – for the crime of paying for links, Google will drop you back in way lower, with all your links removed, meaning that you’ll have to start all over again.

Read more about backlinks explained

SEO Manchester

Google Inc. has potentially secured a deal worth $12.5 billion to buy the mobile phone giant Motorola, and it’s the search giants biggest acquisition to date.  Not only does this move secure Google’s place as a mobile super power, but will also help them fight for patent supremacy against their biggest rivals, Apple and Microsoft.

Not only will Google’s workforce be expanded by almost 100 percent, the acquisition also means the internet company can now manufacture its own smartphones, tablets and even set-top boxes.  Motorola, in effect, invented the mobile phone as we know it today, and this deal provides Google with an additional 17,000 patents, which will no doubt be used to defend itself against lawsuits attacking their Android software – currently being used in approximately 150 million handsets worldwide.

Google Rescues Motorola

Motorola, the former radio maker, lost an incredible $4 billion due to its ailing mobile business between 2007-09.  In January 2011, the company was split in two; Motorola Inc., which specialises in wireless communications for governments and companies was separated from Motorola Mobility, which focuses mainly on handsets and mobile devices.

If the deal goes through, Google will become a potent superpower in the world of patents.  Companies use patents to protect the use of inventions and technologies by other companies, which of course helps to retain market share.  Android is already experiencing this, as a rash of lawsuits have already been filed by Apple.

So Sue Me

With the purchase of Motorola Mobility, Google will put itself in the middle of big lawsuits already being filed between Apple and Microsoft.  Microsoft is currently suing Motorola, which could lead to the newly acquired mobile device maker being banned from importing its phones into America.  In a retaliatory move, Motorola is counter-suing, which in turn could lead to an import ban on Xbox consoles.

Google Still Faces An Obstacle

Before the deal is fully completed, however,  Google must wait on the Justice Department’s Anti-trust Division to review the proposed purchase.  With the purchase, Google will not only control the fastest growing operating system used on mobile devices, but will also become a major manufacturer, and this, in some peoples eyes is seen as a potentially unfair advantage.  Larry Page, Google co-founder, however, was quick to point out that Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. would be operating separately from Google and would receive no advantages over other handset makers.

Whatever happens, the acquisition has undoubtedly done no harm to Mobility’s share prices, which jumped 56%, to just under $40 on August 15^th.

Tablet War waged in the courts

Apple stated that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, as well as their smartphone handsets had been ‘slavishly’ copied by the electronics giant, and unfortunately for Samsung and most of their European customers, the high court in Dusseldorf agreed – immediately seizing tens of thousands of units from high street retailers.  Apple has launched similar suits throughout the US and Asia, the outcome of which we are still awaiting – but all is not lost, at least for a couple of months.  The Netherlands were immune to the ruling, and sales of the tablet will be allowed to continue there until the hearing is fully processed, so you can still buy the tablet, at least until October 13th, when the final decision will be made.

It is no coincidence but isn’t imitation the greatest form of flattery?

Apple alleges that Samsung has infringed on 10 patents in areas such as wireless technology and data transmission.  A spokesman for Apple said “It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging.  This kind of blatant copying is wrong, and we need to protect Apple’s intellectual property when companies steal our ideas.”

A Samsung spokeswoman said last Wednesday morning: “Samsung is disappointed with the court’s decision and we intend to act immediately to defend our intellectual property rights through the ongoing legal proceedings in Germany and will continue to actively defend these rights throughout the world.

“We will take all necessary measures to ensure Samsung’s innovative mobile communications devices are available to customers in Europe and around the world.”

The problem is, it’s all a little vague; the main argument from Samsung is that the market research that Apple presented could be applied across the board of anything from tablets already available, and even digital photo frames.  And you have to admit, they’ve got a point – I mean, how exactly are you supposed to make the things look so different from your competitors?

Eliminate the competition

Apple already have 90 percent of the tablet market, and predictions to level the playing field by 2016 with Android software may have taken a hit with these rulings.  Or, if viewed from a different angle, maybe Apple have shot themselves in the foot.  With such a full-frontal attack on Samsung, it could be that they are truly worried about the potential impact of the Galaxy tablet, and future hardware.  I, for one, view Apple’s assault as a paranoid move to eliminate competition no matter what, and if it’s got them sufficiently worried to launch multiple injunctions and lawsuits, there must be a reason.  Could the reason be (dare I say it) that the Galaxy is better than the iPad2? I think so, although it’s going to be a debate that will rage for a long time between Apple’s fanboys and ‘Fandroids’.