SiteSell Blog

Google, Plagiarizing, and "The Little Guy" - Part 2

Ken's Blog

In my previous post, we talked about "gray-zone" plagiarizing and an important public commitment by Google to protect the Web against those who would profit from the labor of others.

In today's post, we will explore Google's commitment and emerge with action steps for you to take, if you are a victim of plagiarizing, to finally get that thorn in your side removed.

Google made an exciting commitment. However, Google's history is one of saying one thing and doing another, especially when it comes to the solo e-business proprietor, including a recent example that came directly to me.

Google's refusal to de-index that site was disturbing...

Disturbing at Three Levels

The first level of disappointment in Google is straightforward. Google recently launched its "Farmer/Panda" algorithm. The "100% pap content" of this paraphrasing site fooled Google's vaunted "Farmer/Panda" algorithm.

That algorithm was meant to rid search results of this type of site. It failed. How good is this new algorithm, really?

I would never ask that question based a single anecdote. However, in recent posts, I have written about...

The "Farmer/Panda" algorithm. We call it the "Big Pap Attack." A follow up post talked about...

The False-Positive problem and how Google solves these errors depending on who you are and how much negative publicity you may generate for them. The problems go beyond false-positives...

The False-Negative problem and how ehow.com's increasing traffic (after the Farmer release) casts doubts about the entire Farmer/Panda/Pap algorithm and its ability to detect pap.

The second "disturbing" level speaks to the paraphraser's need to avoid detection at Google. Google not only missed the copycat site at the algorithmic level, "Google humans" refused to do anything about a site that was clearly derivative when it was submitted to Google DMCA.

Careful paraphrasers know that Google will not assign humans to actually read and compare two sites carefully. Why? "Because it does not scale."

That is a fancy way of saying, "We don't want to spend any of our billions of dollars of profits on doing the right thing." Speaking of those billions...

Google, Plagiarizing, and "The Little Guy" - Part 1

Ken's Blog

Plagiarizing of websites runs the gamut. At the "blatant" end of the spectrum, there is the mindless, criminal approach of word-for-word, page-for-page copying.

The opposite end of the range of possibilities involves careful paraphrasing. Far more subtle, the re-wording is detectable upon careful inspection. What gives the offending site away?...

The structure of the content on each page, as well as the structure of the overall copycat site, makes this form of copying obvious. This content thief is simply more careful, willing to work a little to avoid detection by Google.

S/he works the "gray zone" with skill, profiting from spamming-and-scamming an unfortunate minority of hard-working individuals.

Google offered testimony yesterday before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet. It delivered an important, principled commitment to protect the Web against those who would profit from the labor of others. More on that to come.

I'm not sure how far that commitment extends to you, the solo proprietor building an online business. This post aims to find out...

Too Much or Too Little E-Business Thinking?

E-Business Tips

The two biggest mistakes made by most entrepreneurs are actually opposites of each other...

1) Fire-Ready-Aim -- the person who leaps before he looks. If this fits you, Ben Franklin said it best...

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." In other words, ignore the preparation work at your peril.

2) Ready-Aim-Ready-Aim-Ready-Aim -- the person who researches, then researches some more, then some more. For this person, follow Nike's advice... "Just Do It!"

Every day, approach each task you perform with a "how will this help build my e-business?" mindset. Stay focused on your priorities and don't get hung up on the small stuff ("paralysis by analysis"). Keep moving forward.

Ken's Take on Google's +1

Ken's Blog

Now that I've had a bit more time to digest Google's recent "+1" beta release, here's a more detailed short-and-long term look at what it all means...

First, to SBIers who don't have time to read about "yet another social thing" or who are worried about "one more thing to learn and master"...

You have nothing to do. It's worth giving this a quick read now to understand what's happening, and what we'll be doing about it.

But don't worry about it. While this may (or may not) be important, it adds no work or major learning curve. :-)

On that note, what will we be doing about it?

We'll be adding this to Socialize It!, both the 8-pack (likely replacing Google Buzz) and the 2-pack (optional addition), when Google's release process makes it available. Until then, +1's rollout is in beta. It is currently being tested for those who want to "+1" pages found at Google's search results.

Note: Remember that Google Buzz was/is a failure. It was supposed to be Twitter and Facebook rolled into one. Buzz, by the way, will be audited for privacy violations for the next 20 years. Expect Buzz to disappear. And it's quite possible that +1 could meet the same fate.

So, while it's our job to track this carefully for you, you can afford to take this with a grain of salt for the next little while. We'll let you know if and when (and how) to use this, if and when the time comes. :-)

Stages of Release

Google's new "+1" feature will go through two major stages...

Stage 1) Vote for a page that you find on Google Search. This is not available to most searchers. You likely won't see the "+1" button since it's being tested with a small number of searchers. If you would like to...

Google's +1 and What It Will Mean for You

Social Media

by Help Elf

The Boss (Ken) sent me a few notes and asked me to blend with my own comments on Google's recent +1 release, just to get you started thinking on this. He'll be posting something more definitive when he's had a chance to absorb its meaning, short and long term. So here we go, my very first Elf post! :-)

Google recently announced its "+1" button, which will allow anyone reading one of your pages to "vote" for it back on the search results page (eventually, Google plans to make it available for you to add to each page of your site). This sounds like an experiment in social media, doesn't it? Well, it is, with one major difference...

Any +1 "vote" for your page doesn't go to a social media platform, like a Facebook "Like" does, where all of the friends of the person doing the Liking see a link to your Web page.

Google's first version requires anyone who enjoys your page and wants to +1 it to return to the search results page ("SERP") to do so. That begs the question, why would anyone return to the search results page just to click on the +1 button?

How Entrepreneurs and Microfinance Help the World Take Flight

Guest Blogs by SBIers

By MaryAnn Shank from BusinessPlanMaster.com

In my very impressionable youth, I read "Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Matter." That book has haunted me. Given the platform of this blog, I again feel the tug to share some of its lessons, especially a couple of those dealing with entrepreneurs and microfinance.

Don't let the word "economics" turn you away. It isn't "about" economics. It is about how to make people the center of our decisions, from personal to large government and business decisions...

It is about reaching in all directions to create a powerful foundation for all our lives...

Come Celebrate at SiteSell Facebook!

How to Build an E-Business

Let the celebration begin! The SiteSell Facebook community has reached an exciting milestone - 10,000 "Likes" and growing!

As a thank you for everyone's enthusiastic support, there's a special 3-day event happening. It has two exciting parts...

1) Comment SurPRIZE

We'll be giving a variety of mystery prizes for your comments. The surPRIZEs? They all depend on the who-what-when-where-why-how of your comments.

2) The Buy-1-Get-1-Free SBI! Special

Use this super deal to start your own long term profitable e-business... and help someone else to achieve the same financial freedom!

For full details, please visit SiteSell Facebook...

http://www.facebook.com/SiteSell/posts/190700744301146

"ITAS!" Don't Be Evil?

Ken's Blog

In a recent post, I talked about how Google is the master manipulator of the press. I was planning to follow that up with a 10 year case study of how brilliantly Google has managed the media.

However, as so often happens on the Web, I was distracted. This time, it was an e-mail from a friend. He is what I call a "regular" person, not an "Internet marketer." We tend to forget the gigantic chasm between "them" and "us."

However, there he was, commenting on content farms and their incredibly ridiculous material.

When regular people start noticing Google flaws, red alarms blare at Google. New "algorithms" are released to much fanfare. The "searching masses" are reassured and Google's all-important public perception is, once again, safe.

Collateral damage of "the fix"? It is merely the cost of doing business. Google does not even pay that price. The "little guy" does.

Why Are Testimonials Like Potato Chips?

Digital & Hard Goods

What’s the biggest single factor your visitor will look for if she decides your product is just what she wants?

Your credibility.

Overcome any fears and doubts convincingly by telling her what your present customers have experienced.

Testimonials are incredibly persuasive. If you can get your visitor to read a testimonial, you have jumped quite a bit ahead in your sales effort. And testimonials are like potato chips... once you eat one, you want another and another and another.

The keys to an effective testimonial are...

Want More E-zine Subscribers? Be Valuable!

PREselling

Publishing an e-zine is a great way to further establish your credibility, build trust and establish a rapport with your audience. Ongoing communication keeps your website in the forefront of your visitor's mind, ensuring that s/he will return to it time and time again to check your updates and business offerings. So...

How do you overcome your visitor's skepticism and entice him or her to sign up for your e-zine?...