Central Perk

joi, 7 iulie 2011

SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog

3 Ways to Use Google's New Search by Image for Link Building

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 02:54 PM PDT

Posted by Jason Stinnett @ Internet Exposure

This post was originally in YOUmoz, and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of SEOmoz, Inc.

As you may have heard, Google recently launched a new feature called Search by Image. While experimenting with the feature, I identified three scenarios where search by image has a distinct advantage over traditional approaches for finding link opportunities.

First, some background. To explain it simply, you can now use images (either a URL of an image, or one you upload) as your search term. The goal is to point you to websites that are related to and/or contain information about the image. More background can be found at the Google blog.

1. Get Background on Industry Influencers and Linkerati

As Rand often discusses, identifying people's interests and using them to create connections are a great way to get on influential people's radar. If done right, this will also result in exposure and links.

Some of the most influential people in the SEO space are also the best at personal branding. Ross Hudgens recently wrote a YOUmoz post on how to make your brand more consistent on and offline. Ross is someone who I've been reading and been influenced by a lot lately, and he's also very consistent about using the same picture of himself, so I figured I'd use him for our first example.

When I tested the new Google Search By Image feature using his profile picture, I found many of the image results are attached to comments Ross has left:

Searching by Image, I quickly learned that Ross is active on several blogs about personal philosophy and self improvement. This is something I could use to connect with him on in the future.

Search By Image offers a distinct advantage because it provides a more filtered and targeted result set than simply wading through the backlink profile on RossHudgens.com.

2. Identify Link Opportunities by Searching for Popular Guest Posters

In the SEO community, Ann Smarty is the person who is the most synonymous with guest posting. Not just because of her site MyBlogGuest.com, but also because she's a prolific guest poster herself. Ann has many projects she promotes in addition to My Blog Guest, including ViralMom.com and SexySocialMedia.com.

Ann's also someone who's great at maintaining a consistent personal brand, so this makes searching by her profile image a great place to look for guest post opportunities:

This screenshot shows a couple different blogs that Ann has guest posted on that we could investigate and potentially approach about guest blogging there as well. And that's just scratching the surface!

Since Ann has multiple websites she promotes, Search by Image again provides an advantage over wading through backlink profiles because it allows us to find guest post opportunities that link to different sites.

3. Find Coverage That Didn't Result in a Link

Another way you can use Search By Image is to mine for press coverage and participation in offline activities that didn't result in a link. Searching by brand logos and "stock" CEO photos are a great way to find pages where a company or employee is getting highlighted.

For this example, I looked at the Fortune 500 and tried to pick a company in an industry that didn't seem too social or internet savvy, but would probably have a traditional PR presence. I went with Caterpillar and discovered the current CEO is Douglas Oberhelman. A quick (traditional) image search showed one photo that appeared again and again, so I figured that would be the best one to use to Search By Image.

My search resulted in a number of places that an SEO at Caterpillar could ask to get a link from. The two I pointed out above are places Mr. Oberhelman has spoken, which should be on the easier side to get links from given the existing relationship. In fact, the page that highlights him as conference chair has "www.caterpillar.com" with blue text and underlined, but it isn't a working link!

Search by Image has a distinct advantage over other research tools because it can identify significant coverage of your client or company that doesn't already include a link.

Bonus reason #4: Visually Similar Images Results Can Be Pretty Funny

Humor is always a nice way to break up a day of research:

No wonder this feature isn't already part of Open Site Explorer!

All jokes aside, give these techniques a try and let me know what you find in the comments. You can also give me a shout at the Internet Exposure blog or via our Twitter at @iexposure.

Do you like this post? Yes No

@WhiteHouse: President Obama Greets his Tweeps

Your Daily Snapshot for
Thursday, July 7, 2011

@WhiteHouse: President Obama Greets his Tweeps

Yesterday President Obama participated in the first ever Twitter Town Hall at the White House. He answered a variety of questions from across America, many relating the economy, jobs, and ideas for reducing the deficit.

Watch the President send his first live tweet as well as footage of the entire Twitter Town Hall from the White House.

President Barack Obama tweets a question during the Twitter Town Hall in the East Room of the White House, July 6, 2011. Twitter co-founder and Executive Chairman Jack Dorsey, who served as the town hall moderator, is pictured at left. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

SEOptimise

Posted: 07 Jul 2011 04:44 AM PDT

Seth's Blog : The arrogance of willful ignorance

The arrogance of willful ignorance

People have come before us, failed, learned, written it down. Scientists have figured out what works, and proven it. Economists have gained significant understanding about the long-term impacts of short-term decisions. And historians have seen it all before.

How dare we, then, decide to just wing it? To skip class. To make up history. To imagine that science is a matter of opinion, something optional, a diversion for the leisure classes... How can we work in the marketing tech field, for example, without knowing about David Ogilvy and Lester Wunderman and Claude Hopkins? Or Kaushik and Shirky?

If you're doing important work (and I'm hoping you are), then you owe it to your audience or your customers or your co-workers to learn everything you can. Feel free to ignore what you learn, but at least learn it.

• Email to a friend •

miercuri, 6 iulie 2011

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Unions vs. Banks: Reader Question Regarding Greek Privatization
Greek Sovereignty Massively Limited; You Cannot Roll Over What You Do Not Have; Railing Against the Truth; EU Seeks to Curb Big Three Rating Firms
"Hamster Wheel Economy"
Portuguese 10-Year Government Bond Yield Soars to 13.05%; Italy, Portugal, Ireland, all Fresh New Highs; Focus On the "Unsaved"
Services ISM "Unimpressive"

Unions vs. Banks: Reader Question Regarding Greek Privatization

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 11:14 PM PDT

Reader Jeddy spots what he thinks is a conflict in my typical "privatization" message and inquires

Hello Mish

I'm confused about your stance in Portuguese 10-Year Government Bond Yield Soars to 13.05%; Italy, Portugal, Ireland, all Fresh New Highs; Focus On the "Unsaved"

Usually you think privatization is the answer to everything. Why have you changed your mind?

Please elaborate on the idea of self-rule, and how that interacts with the concept of rule by an elite group of rich people inside your country (internal looting of public sector assets and 'jobs') as opposed to outside your country (imposed privatization).

Jeddy

Hello Jeddy, thanks for asking.

There is no conflict. I am indeed in favor of privatizing government services. I am not in favor of doing so under duress for the explicit purpose of raping taxpayers for the benefit of banks.

I have many times been accused of being a shill for banks. The idea is preposterous. No one has railed against bank bailouts more than I have.

Rolling List of High Profile Fraud Targets

This list is incomplete. I have stopped updating it, it got so long.

October 10, 2010: FDIC Authorizes $1 Billion Lawsuits Against Failed-Bank Executives; Token Search for Low-Profile Scapegoats

April 29, 2010: Barofsky Threatens Criminal Charges in AIG Coverup, Goldman Sachs Abacus Deal, TARP Insider Trading; New York Fed Implicated

April 16, 2010: Rant of the Day: No Ethics, No Fiduciary Responsibility, No Separation of Duty; Complete Ethics Overhaul Needed

March 2, 2010: Geithner's Illegal Money-Laundering Scheme Exposed; Harry Markopolos Says "Don't Trust Your Government"

January 31, 2010: 77 Fraud, Money Laundering, Insider Trading, and Tax Evasion Investigations Underway Regarding TARP

January 28, 2010: Secret Deals Involving No One; AIG Coverup Conspiracy Unravels

January 26, 2010: Questions Geithner Cannot Escape

January 07, 2010: Time To Indict Geithner For Securities Fraud

October 20, 2009: Bernanke Guilty of Coercion and Market Manipulation

July 17, 2009: Paulson Admits Coercion; Where are the Indictments?

June 26, 2009: Bernanke Suffers From Selective Memory Loss; Paulson Calls Bank of America "Turd in the Punchbowl"

April 24, 2009: Let the Criminal Indictments Begin: Paulson, Bernanke, Lewis

I am not in favor of bailouts. Nor I am in favor of privatizing government services under duress for the explicit purpose of raping taxpayers to benefit of banks.

Greece desperately needs reform. Its pension structure and union protectionism must change. The same is true in the United States. Unions attack me for that position.

However, I am not willing to rape Greek citizens for the benefit of French banks to achieve that end. Sadly, that is exactly what is happening.

Unions should take a hit and so should banks. Anyone taking that stance is attacked from both sides, and I have a ton of emails to prove it.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Greek Sovereignty Massively Limited; You Cannot Roll Over What You Do Not Have; Railing Against the Truth; EU Seeks to Curb Big Three Rating Firms

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 03:51 PM PDT

Jean-Claude Junker, the man who says "When it becomes serious, you have to lie", apparently has had a sudden splash of honesty, stating Greek sovereignty to be massively limited.

Greece faces severe restrictions on its sovereignty and must privatize state assets on a scale similar to the sell off of East German firms in the 1990s after communism fell, Eurogroup chairman Jean-Claude Juncker said.

"The sovereignty of Greece will be massively limited," he told Germany's Focus magazine in the interview released on Sunday, adding that teams of experts from around the euro zone would heading to Greece.

"One cannot be allowed to insult the Greeks. But one has to help them. They have said they are ready to accept expertise from the euro zone," Juncker said.

Massive Loss of Sovereignty is an Insult

If I was Greek, I would take a statement regarding massive loss of sovereignty as an insult, not help. Thus, true to form, in aggregate, Juncker's statements are a collective lie.

EU Seeks to Curb Big Three Rating Firms

Bloomberg reports EU Seeks to Curb Big Three Rating Firms After Portugal Downgrade.

European policy makers lashed out at rating companies after Moody's Investors Service cut Portugal's debt to junk, reviving calls to curtail their clout.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said the grip of the big three rating companies had to be broken when asked about Moody's downgrade. "I have said before that we have to curb the influence of the rating agencies," Schaeuble told reporters in Berlin today. There's a need to "break up" the companies' dominance, he said.

European Commission President Jose Barroso said he "deeply" regrets the timing and magnitude of Portugal's downgrade by Moody's and said proposals for increasing regulation of the rating companies in Europe would come out this year. The moves by Moody's "do not provide for more clarity. They rather add another speculative element to the situation," Barroso told reporters in Strasbourg today.

The commission, the European Union's executive arm, "is looking into the regulation of rating agencies to determine whether there are some measures that need to be taken with regard to the prevention of possible conflicts of interest and other matters," he said. "Developments since the sovereign- debt crisis show we need to take a further look at reinforcing our rules."

Truth Not Appreciated

I agree with Schaeuble regarding the need to "break up" the rating agencies. I have spoken about this many times. The key article is Time To Break Up The Credit Rating Cartel.

Everyone readily accepted lies about US housing debt that anyone with an ounce of common sense could have spotted an ocean away.

However, I have to laugh at the irony and motivation of Schaeuble's proposal. The fact of the matter is Moody's , Fitch, and the S&P are finally telling the truth about something.

Greek Banks Ready for Debt Rollover

Please consider Greek Banks Ready for Debt Rollover as Investors Meet to Discuss Aid Plan

Greek banks are willing to roll over their government bonds as part of a European Union aid plan, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said, as debt-holders meet in Paris today to discuss their role in rescuing the country.

"The Greek banks are ready to participate," Venizelos said yesterday in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Athens. "We must respect absolutely the voluntary character of this procedure. This is very sensitive and I give a very crystal clear answer on this topic."

About 20 banks and insurance companies are meeting in Paris to discuss the role of bondholders in a new Greek aid plan, said the Institute of International Finance, a banking-lobby group hosting the gathering. Talks began last week in Rome under the auspices of IIF Managing Director Charles Dallara, a former U.S. Treasury official.

Incredibly Funny For Multiple Reasons

The above story is incredibly funny for more than one reason.

For starters Venizelos' statement regarding the "absolutely the voluntary character of this procedure" is straight out of the Jean-Claude Juncker "lie when it's serious" playbook.

Venizelos goes on to say he wants to "take the opportunity but not the risk."

Everyone knows there is nothing "voluntary" about the debt rollover proposal. The idea is so preposterous even the rating agencies cannot stomach the lie.

More importantly ...

You Cannot Roll Over What You Do Not Have

The Wall Street Journal reports Greek Rescue Snarled by Sales

Europe's hopes for a significant contribution by private bondholders to a new bailout for Greece are fading, as it becomes clear that banks have sold off a substantial proportion of their Greek government-bond holdings despite pledges by some of the institutions not to do so.

Greece has about €64 billion ($93 billion) of benchmark bonds coming due in the next three years, among other liabilities, and euro-zone leaders had hoped that private lenders would voluntarily take on longer maturities in order to improve the country's battered finances.

Euro-zone officials have described €30 billion as their target for private-sector participation in the new bailout. Governments want holders of Greek bonds that mature before the end of 2014 to agree to reinvest some of the money as the bonds mature. But the €30 billion target appears increasingly unrealistic.

The problem is that the banks and insurers at the negotiating table no longer hold as much of the debt maturing through 2014 as they did a year ago. In May of last year, German banks and insurers made a nonbinding pledge to maintain about €8 billion in Greek debt and loans for three years. Yet the current Greek debt holdings of those institutions suggests they have sold some of their holdings anyway.

In an interview with Der Spiegel, the German weekly, Chief Executive Officer Michael Diekmann said Allianz had fulfilled its commitment under last year's pledge not to sell into "a falling market." He also said that the insurer had agreed not to sell only for as long as it made "economic sense."

Analysts said banks were likely to have sold off short-term Greek debt because it trades at a smaller discount to face value than does longer-term debt. Meanwhile, hedge funds and other investors, who are likely to have bought up the paper, are less likely to be persuaded to engage in the debt rollovers being proposed by euro-zone governments.

Pledge Not to Dump as Long as it Made Economic Sense

Banks dumped some Greek debt and lightened their load. Pray tell what's wrong with that?

Everyone should be happy about this, except perhaps banks that were not smart enough to dump when the dumping was good. Could that be French banks by any chance?

Pondering the After the Dump Options

The chain of amusement continues as Bankers Ponder Greek Debt Options.

Bankers on Wednesday wrapped up their latest meeting on a private-sector contribution to alleviate Greece's debt crisis, and the chairman of BNP Paribas SA said they were now pondering a range of options.

"There are a number of technical propositions that have been made," said BNP Paribas chairman Michel Pébereau on French radio station BFM. "I hope we'll find a solution that satisfies those who don't want a default and at the same time the effort from the private sector to accompany the action of public powers."

The banks are trying to figure out a way to participate in a deal to repackage Greece's debts so that European taxpayers don't have to supply all the funds—but they want to do so in a way that avoids Greece being declared in default.

The main proposal on the table is a French plan to roll over part of Greece's debt that will reach maturity before 2014. However, Standard and Poor's said Monday this plan would leave participating bondholders worse off, and therefore would probably lead to Greece being declared in "selective default."

Stiffing the Taxpayers

Please notice the key sentence "The banks are trying to figure out a way to participate in a deal to repackage Greece's debts so that European taxpayers don't have to supply all the funds—but they want to do so in a way that avoids Greece being declared in default."

Why should taxpayers have to supply any funds? Was it taxpayers that made stupid bets or banks? Those who made stupid bets should pay for them.

Betting on Bailouts

As I see it, the secretive dumping transferred some of the risk to hedge funds and others betting precisely on a guess that taxpayers will indeed pony up 100% and debt will be paid back.

This takes us back to my June 27 article Leading German Economist Buys Greek Bonds On Belief in "Boundless Stupidity of German Government", Says Bailout Programs Will Exacerbate Problems

Stefan Homburg, a leading German economist believes the bailout of Greece is exactly that wrong thing to do and will exacerbate bankruptcy problems.

Nonetheless Homburg invested a "considerable sum" in Greek bonds on belief in the "boundless stupidity of the German government to pay up".

The only thing that makes any sense is a full and complete default.

To any extent banks dumped bonds, the better off they will be in a default situation. Make the speculators and the banks not bright enough to dump foot the bill, not taxpayers.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

"Hamster Wheel Economy"

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 11:50 AM PDT

Trimtabs says the U.S. economy added 171,000 jobs in June. However, real wage and salary growth is -2.0% year-over-year when adjusted for 3.6% inflation and 2% payroll tax cut.

Via Email ...

The U.S. economy added 171,000 jobs in June, reports TrimTabs Investment Research. The June gain follows increases of 127,000 in May and 181,000 in April.

"Employment growth accelerated in June after reaching an interim peak in March followed by a slowdown in April and May," says Madeline Schnapp, Director of Macroeconomic Research at TrimTabs. "The rapid increase in oil prices earlier this year spooked everyone. Hiring managers put the brakes on hiring until oil prices moderated."

TrimTabs employment estimates are based on analysis of daily income tax deposits to the U.S. Treasury from all salaried U.S. employees. They are historically more accurate than initial estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

TrimTabs cautions that while employment improved in June, the improvement may be temporary. Several other economic indicators suggest that economic growth is likely to remain sluggish for the foreseeable future:

Adjusted for the 3.6% annualized increase in inflation, wage and salary growth was only $90 billion annualized in June. When corrected for the $114 billion Federal stimulus coming from the 2% payroll tax reduction, real wage and salary growth is -2.0%.

The housing market remains depressed despite low mortgage interest rates. Since there are an estimated 12 million underwater homeowners, 6.4 million delinquent mortgages, and 24 million unemployed or underemployed workers, it will take several years before housing makes a meaningful contribution to economic growth.

Vehicle sales, an important component of durable goods sales, declined in June. Sales fell to 11.4 million annualized units in June from 11.8 million in May. While part of the decline can be attributed to inventory problems, sales are sluggish due to consumer's unwillingness to take on a big purchase in the face of economic uncertainty.

Three of the five Federal Reserve manufacturing districts—New York, Philadelphia, and Texas—reported deteriorating manufacturing conditions in June as manufacturers struggled to adjust to high input prices.

"The rebound in employment in June is likely to cheer equities, but the improvement could prove fleeting," cautions Schnapp. "What we may be seeing is a hamster wheel economy where the economy is finally creating jobs, but net of inflation, income growth is barely positive. Subtract government stimulus, and income growth is actually negative."

Going Nowhere Fast

Despite the alleged "improvement" in jobs, TrimTabs describes the economy as a "Hamster Wheel Economy" -- the hamster runs faster and faster in its wheel but goes nowhere.

Don't Count on a Big Rebound

The "rebound" in employment will only cheer the markets if there is a significant rebound. Last month the BLS report was +54,000 jobs.

I except to see a rebound above that anemic total. However, I will take the "way under" line on Trimtabs +171,000 jobs estimate for Friday's jobs report. Anything under +125,000 and the unemployment rate is likely to tick up, perhaps significantly.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Portuguese 10-Year Government Bond Yield Soars to 13.05%; Italy, Portugal, Ireland, all Fresh New Highs; Focus On the "Unsaved"

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 09:41 AM PDT

By now, everyone knows that "Greece is Saved" even though 2-year government bonds are trading today at 28.3%, up from 26.62% at the open.

Let's turn our attention away from Greece to the "Not Saved Yet" group of countries including Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and the big Kahuna, Italy.

Portugal 10-Year Government Bonds - 13.05%

Ireland 10-Year Government Bonds - 12.43%

Greece 10-Year Government Bonds - 16.82%

Spain 10-Year Government Bonds - 5.61%

Italy 10-Year Government Bonds - 5.12%

Please note that 10-year yields in Italy are now approaching 10-year yields in Spain.

Also note that yields are not up across the board in Europe.

Germany 10-Year Government Bonds - 2.93%

Today's Scorecard

Country	Yield	Change	New High	Saved	Spread to Germany
Germany	2.93	-0.08			0
Portugal	13.05	+2.03	Y		10.12
Ireland	12.43	+0.89	Y		9.5
Greece	16.82	+0.30		Y	13.89
Spain	5.61	+0.13			2.68
Italy	5.12	+0.12	Y		2.19

I don't know about you, but I am sure glad "Greece is Saved". I look for equally impressive results when Portugal, Ireland, Spain, and Italy are "saved".

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Services ISM "Unimpressive"

Posted: 06 Jul 2011 08:23 AM PDT

Manufacturing rebounded last month largely on the "strength" of inventory rebuilding, but the services ISM came in weaker than expected. Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight, summed things up nicely in one word "unimpressive".

Please consider the June 2011 Non-Manufacturing ISM Report On Business®

click on chart for sharper image

Expectations were for 53.7, the index came in at 53.3. This was not a disaster, it just was not very good. Employment was the one bright spot, but it was up a statistically meaningless .1.

Backlog of orders is contracting, as is the backlog of manufacturing orders. I expect more weakness coming in both the services ISM and the manufacturing ISM in the months ahead.

Inventory rebuilding will not sell cars, boats, or durable goods in general. In case you missed it, please see Manufacturing ISM Weaker Than it Looks; Digging Into the Numbers; Inventory Restocking Accounts for Much of the Rise

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

joi, 7 iulie 2011

SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog

SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog

@WhiteHouse: President Obama Greets his Tweeps

SEOptimise

SEOptimise

Seth's Blog : The arrogance of willful ignorance

The arrogance of willful ignorance

More Recent Articles

miercuri, 6 iulie 2011

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Pagini

Persoane interesate

Arhivă blog

joi, 7 iulie 2011

More Recent Articles

miercuri, 6 iulie 2011

Pagini

Persoane interesate

Arhivă blog

Subscribe to