Obama wants to ‘get deal done’ on Korea trade pact – Reuters
November 18, 2009
Obama wants to ‘get deal done’ on Korea trade pact – Reuters
 JoongAng Daily |
Obama wants to 'get deal done' on Korea trade pact
Reuters WASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) – US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he wants to iron out remaining issues with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on a stalled free trade pact and that the agreement could benefit US exporters. … Obama Winds Up Asia Tour With South Korea Summit Obama's day: On to Seoul Asian Shares End Mixed; Financials Hurt Nikkei |
Africa: Corruption Perception – Nigeria’s Rating Worsens – AllAfrica.com
 guardian.co.uk |
Africa: Corruption Perception – Nigeria's Rating Worsens
AllAfrica.com Lagos — Nigeria dropped nine places to 130th position out of the 180 countries ranked on the global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2009 by Transparency International (TI), a global anti-corruption watchdog. The survey measures domestic public … New Zealand tops Denmark as world's least corrupt nation uk's Standing Declines on Corruption Index Time to clean up Britain's reputation |
Bill Clinton Presses Senators to Pass Health Bill – Wall Street Journal
November 10, 2009
Bill Clinton Presses Senators to Pass Health Bill – Wall Street Journal
 Telegraph.co.uk |
Bill Clinton Presses Senators to Pass Health Bill
Wall Street Journal WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton came to Capitol Hill Tuesday to underline for Democrats the political consequences of failing to pass a health overhaul, saying doing nothing was the worst outcome. … Bill Clinton urges Senate passage of health bill President Clinton urges Senate action on healthcare Falling Far Short of Reform |
CNN Student News Transcript: Veterans Day Special Edition – CNN
 KUOW NPR |
CNN Student News Transcript: Veterans Day Special Edition
CNN THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: It's Wednesday, November the 11th and we want to welcome you to this special, Veterans Day edition of CNN Student News. … WWII vets want to see Washington memorial Editorial: Healing our troubled vets Veterans Day |
NYMEX-Crude ends lower on dollar, storm Ida fades – Reuters
 Voice of America |
NYMEX-Crude ends lower on dollar, storm Ida fades
Reuters NEW YORK, Nov 10 (Reuters) – US crude futures ended lower on Tuesday, retreating from an early high above $80 a barrel on the fading threat from tropical weather in the Gulf of Mexico and the dollar's bounce. "Crude pulled back from its highs because … OIL FUTURES: Oil Drops As US Gulf Storm Fears Subside Tropical Storm Ida Weakens as It Moves Ashore Jackson County residents happy Tropical Storm Ida is over |
US warns over Koreas naval clash – BBC News
 Boston Globe |
US warns over Koreas naval clash
BBC News The White House has warned Pyongyang against any escalation of hostilities after a North Korean vessel clashed with a warship from the South. The navy crews exchanged fire near a disputed maritime border between the two countries; each side accused the … Koreas Cast Blame Over Sea Fight North and South Korea have naval skirmish-Yonhap Korean tensions high after sea skirmish |
One of 10 bodies identified in Cleveland sex offender’s home – CNN
November 5, 2009
One of 10 bodies identified in Cleveland sex offender’s home – CNN
 Brisbane Times |
One of 10 bodies identified in Cleveland sex offender's home
CNN Cleveland, Ohio (CNN) — Authorities have identified one of 11 bodies found at a Cleveland, Ohio, home as a 52-year-old woman who had been missing for about a year. Tonia Carmichael's remains were found at the home of Anthony Sowell, but the news was … No bail in Cleveland murder case In Ohio, relatives ask how victims went unnoticed 10 Bodies in Sex Offender's Home: Is System Broken |
Tuesday’s Suburban Vote Swing – Wall Street Journal
 New York Times |
Tuesday's Suburban Vote Swing
Wall Street Journal Tuesday's elections should put a scare into red state Democrats—and a few blue state ones, too. Barack Obama was said to have redrawn the electoral map by winning Virginia last year with 53% of the vote. On Tuesday, Republican Bob … GOP Sets Sights On Conservative 'Blue Dog' Democrats AARP ready to endorse health care overhaul House Dems in final push on health care |
Michael Barone: Tuesday’s Biggest Loser: the Union Agenda – Wall Street Journal
 guardian.co.uk |
Michael Barone: Tuesday's Biggest Loser: the Union Agenda
Wall Street Journal If you were watching television on Tuesday night as the election returns came in showing Republicans capturing the governorships of Virginia and New Jersey, you probably missed seeing the biggest losers of the evening. … Democrats downplay election losses as GOP celebrates Republican victories in Va., NJ hinged on economic worries Voters to pols: Give us jobs, results, not spats |
US encounters stumbling blocks in training Afghans – The Associated Press
October 8, 2009
US encounters stumbling blocks in training Afghans – The Associated Press
 BBC News |
US encounters stumbling blocks in training Afghans
The Associated Press LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan — Even before the American paratroopers entered the Afghan barracks, the lack of discipline was evident: torn screens, trash collecting in the hallways, bedrooms and bushes. The checkpoints were even worse, they said, … Obama Meets Advisers Amid Afghan Policy Debate Army Officers Criticize Rebuke of Gen. McChrystal Obama, war council weigh Afghan strategy |
Asia moves up university league table – AFP
 Peace fm Online |
Asia moves up university league table
AFP LONDON — British and US universities dominate the top of a league table of universities worldwide published Thursday, but Oxford has slipped one place to joint fifth. Harvard remains in top spot in the Times Higher Education league table, … World top universities announced Europe strong in university table McGill University in world's Top 20 |
Typhoon Melor Hits Japan, Halts Trains, Suspends Flights – Wall Street Journal
 Telegraph.co.uk |
Typhoon Melor Hits Japan, Halts Trains, Suspends Flights
Wall Street Journal TOKYO – A strong typhoon brought heavy rain and winds to Japan Thursday, killing two people and shuttering factories, closing schools and stranding commuters and travelers at airports and train stations. … Deaths as typhoon pounds Japan 2 dead as Typhoon Melor lashes Japan Melor affects the south of Japan |
Internet Marketing Resources You Can’t Live Without
September 28, 2009
In today’s post I wanted to provide some insight into the information sources I use on a regular basis to stay on top of what’s happening in Internet marketing.
I often get questions from my associates and like minded individuals in search of reliable information. There are a few resources that I like to use on a regular basis and describe each of them in this post.
If you want to stay on top of all aspects of online marketing, a good way to do so is via targeted media. The online marketing industry, specifically Internet marketing and Search Engine optimization have a variety of resources that can give you timely information. Some of my favorite are:
Media
Webmaster Radio is an Internet-based radio station that has really good programming that covers Pay Per Click maketing, to affiliate programs, to search engine optimization. Shows are hosted by experts in each niche like Danny Sullivan who covers search news to other ‘big names’ across the industry. A great feature is that you can listen throughout your day or simply download the podcasts for later listening on your ipod or listening device.
Wow… they have a lot of information and some great column writers that you are going to want to learn more about. WebProNews provides timely information on virtually every event. They have reporters writing constantly and have other scoring SEO blogs and other news sources, compiling the information in one place for easy access. They also have great articles by third-party writers and a very active readership that is proactive in their commenting. Definitely near the top of my go-to list when I’m looking for news and current feedback.
Search Engine Watch
When it comes to search, Search Engine Watch has been around since the beginning. SEW provides everything from search related articles to updated news stories related to what’s going on in search. Be sure to visit and bookmark this site.
Blogs
As with many industries – blogs are a great way to keep informed on the latest goings-on in the SEO realm. The trick, however, is figuring out which blogs are worth reading and which authors are truly knowledgeable. Over the years I’ve read many blogs and to be honest – I still do. Below are some of the key blogs I reference on a regular basis.
If you’re reading this post than obviously you’ve found The Marketing Blog. Although I have experience with everything from Advertising to Trade Shows, my passion is Internet marketing. Here you’ll find all you need to know about Internet marketing, SEO, PPC, and much more.
If you haven’t heard of Matt, you will. He’s one of the most outspoken Google associates – attending SEO conferences and speaking about the Google Algorithm. Officially, Matt Cutts is the head of Google’s Webspam team. His blog covers Google, technology, and some personal posts. Even though he doesn’t give away the farm, Matt does reveal some great insights into Google search.
SEO expert Rand Fishkin provide research, news and SEO tips on a regular basis. From op-eds to SEO whitepapers the SEOmoz Blog provides useful information and even has a great feature called Whiteboard Friday’s where you can get some great SEO advice.
Forums
Forums are a great place to tap into industry experts and get questions answered quickly and easily. I was a little fearful of using forums in the past but have found them to be one of my most valuable assets for Internet marketing and SEO. The other great thing about forums is that once you build up expertise in a certain area, you can share what you know with those just starting out.
The Internet Marketing Forum
This forum is my latest project and is set to be released from Beta in the next 30 days. The beauty of this forum is that it was created by my marketing team in search of answers to their most difficult questions and from readers like you with questions and the need for expert advice. Registration costs nothing and gives you access to some of the best Marketing, Internet marketing, SEO, and PPC experts around. If you’re not already an inaugural member, sign up today.
The SEO chat forums are really the most popular of SEO forums out there. Each covers a broad set of topics from Google to Social Media.
DigitalPoint has been around for a while and again covers many of the same topics as found in the Internet marketing forum and SEO Chat Forums. Some users well known but overall the forum serves as a good place to ask questions and get them answered.
Newsletters & Other Resources
In addition to the above mentioned resources, other resources that are helpful in the area of SEO include:
Google Webmaster Tools And Guidelines
If you’re not already familiar with Google Webmaster Tools and Guidelines, than I suggest you check it out. Not only are the webmaster tools essential for uploading your sitemap to Google and getting noticed, but the guidelines are helpful for knowing best practices.
Not being a fan of newsletter in general, I rarely read them. However, I have found this newsletter to be helpful when trying to stay on top of changes in SEO and more importantly, accessing real case studies associated with Internet marketing. In short, it provides great advice and helps you stay on top of search marketing.
Conclusion
There are literally thousands of resources online for marketing, Internet marketing, and SEO. The resources I mention above are just a few that I use to stay on top of my game. The key is to always be on the lookout for new and valuable resources that you can learn from. Internet marketing is continually evolving – so should you.
Source: http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2009/09/in-todays-post-i-wanted-to-provide-some.html
Ex-Kennedy Aide Seen as Likely Interim Senator – Washington Post
September 23, 2009
Ex-Kennedy Aide Seen as Likely Interim Senator – Washington Post
 MiamiHerald.com |
Ex-Kennedy Aide Seen as Likely Interim Senator
Washington Post The Massachusetts legislature on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that allows Gov. Deval L. Patrick (D) to appoint an interim United States senator, and he is leaning heavily toward naming Paul Kirk, a longtime aide to the late … Mass. legislature gives Gov. Patrick power to name interim Senator Backroom politics over Kennedy's seat Patrick to declare 'emergency' to replace Kennedy |
Obama administration retreats on key part of proposed financial … – Los Angeles Times
 Voice of America |
Obama administration retreats on key part of proposed financial …
Los Angeles Times A requirement that firms providing financial products offer a 'plain vanilla' option falls to opposition, indicating that the White House is willing to accept major revisions to get its plan passed. By Jim Puzzanghera Reporting from Washington … Democrats Soften Financial Bill Top nations still at odds on eve of G20 summit White House Pares Its Financial Reform Plan |
Brazil hopes for negotiations in Honduras – The Associated Press
 Voice of America |
Brazil hopes for negotiations in Honduras
The Associated Press NEW YORK — Brazil's president said Wednesday he hoped deposed President Manuel Zelaya's surprise return to Honduras would deter coup plotters and force an eventual restoration of democracy in the Central American nation. President Luiz Inacio Lula da … Embassy Row UN suspends technical aid to Honduras on elections Two dead in Honduran unrest |
Winds, heat stoke Southern California wildfire – The Associated Press
 The Associated Press |
Winds, heat stoke Southern California wildfire
The Associated Press MOORPARK, Calif. — Firefighters guarded rural homes, ranches and orchards Wednesday as a wind-driven wildfire grew to more than 25 square miles on a march through rugged land between small Southern California communities. The fire was stoked by hot and … California fire began in mulch pile, investigators say Guiberson fire may have link to series of suspicious fires California fires flare as Santa Ana season starts |
The First Search Engine Ranking Report I Actually Agree With
September 3, 2009
Okay, I’m the first to admit that there’s a lot of junk out here on the Internet. I can’t tell you how much information I see daily that either is just plain garbage or has no factual basis upon which conclusions are drawn.
This is especially true with it comes to Internet marketing. Late last week, I saw the first article (SEOmoz) that had a thread of truth and aligns with everything I know to be true about improving search engine rankings for promotional pages, web sites, and blogs.
For those of you who are new to The Marketing Blog you probably don’t know that even though this blog covers all aspects of marketing (from Advertising to Trade Shows), I have a particular infatuation with Internet marketing and making money online. As a result, I’m always looking to share with all my blog readers information that has personally helped me to succeed online with any one of more than a dozen web sites or blogs I own.
In this brief article I talk about the most important factors for improving web site rankings and guess what, the image above sums it up nicely. You can read on for a full explanation of these factors or simply print the image/post and pin it on your corkboard – be sure to Retweet it too!
The top ranking factors as reported by SEOmoz include: Anchor text from external links, keyword use in title tag, link popularity, diversity of linking domains, and keyword use in root domain. What does it all mean? Here’s my take…
Top 5 Search Engine Ranking Factors
The first ranking factor refers to the anchor text of all inbound links to your website. What this means is that Google in particular but all search engines, use the anchor text from other sites linking to yours to determine what you site is about and what it should rank well for. So if you have sites that are linking to you using your URL (ex: http://www.yoursite.com), email them and ask them to update how the link appears to include your keywords.
The second ranking factor is keyword use in title tag. Believe it or not, this refers to both your site and the sites that are linking to your particular web site or web page. It’s called “link juice” baby and the more quality links you have that have your keyword in their page title, keywords, or description, the better off you’ll be. At the very least, make sure the page you’re optimizing include your most important keywords in the title tag. If possible, only include your keyword phrase. This gives it more weight and greater importance.
The third ranking factor is link popularity. This phrase has been tossed around in SEO circles for a while but in essence it’s referred to as Page Rank which measures a number of factors
– the largest of which is how many other sites have links pointing to a given website. The more popularity or value of each link,the better a web site’s link popularity and page rank. Bottom line: Build links from sites that have a good Google PR.
The fourth ranking factor is diversity of linking domains. It’s all about links. Diversity of linking domains means that if you have 1,000 links from a single domain/URL versus another site ranking for a similar keyword that has one link from 1,000 independent, unrelated sites, they’re going to rank better than you.
The final ranking factor is keyword use in root domain. Although it’s possible to use subdomains or dedicated pages to get your keywords in a URL, nothing beats having them in your root domain. Example: www.rootdomain.com. I’ve seen sites, like The Marketing Blog, outrank sites that have the keyword in the root domain, but it takes a good deal of SEO experience, know how, and persistence. There are plenty of SEO training programs that can show you how to have this type of impact on organic listings, but know that having a domain with your keyword definitely helps.
What Are The Top 5 Negative Ranking Factors
Just as there are factors that improve your web site’s rankings, there are also factors that can have a negative impact on organic results. These five factors should be avoided at all costs. Here they are:
The first negative ranking factor is cloaking with malicious intent. The good news here is that if you site is guilty of such a thing, Google will actually blog you and basically shut you down. They can do this? You bet they can – it’s great to be the king! If your site was hijacked in some way and you are unable to access, you should restore using a backup and submit a request to have the site reviewed via Google webmaster tools. Cloaking or hijacking of this type is usually done via iframe redirects and other technical stuff!
The second negative ranking factor is link acquisition from link brokers. I used to generate a lot of money every month from text-link-ads dot com and other sites but have seen a significant drop in the number of customers using these services. Why? Because Google is on to them, that’s why. Paying for links is like paying for good grades. Sooner or later it’s a failing proposition.
The third negative ranking factor is cloaking by a User Agent. This is a bit technical, but User Agent Cloaking is similar to IP cloaking in the sense that the cloaking script compares the User Agent text string which is sent when a page is requested with its list of search engine User Agent names and then serves the appropriate page.
The problem with User Agent cloaking is that Agent names can be easily faked. Imagine Google introducing a new anti-spam method to beat cloakers, all they need to do is fake their name and pretend they’re a normal person using Internet explorer or Netscape, the cloaking software will take Googles bot to the non optimized page and hence your search engine rankings will suffer. User Agent cloaking is much more riskier than IP based cloaking and it’s not recommended.
The fourth negative ranking factor is frequent service downtime. If you site is rarely accessible, or down for extended period of times, it fall out of good graces with search engines. How valuable would Google or Yahoo be if every time you clicked on a link to visit a site it couldn’t be accessed. Make sure you site is up and running 99.8% of the time.
The fifth and final negative ranking factor is linking out to SPAM. It’s all about the company you keep. If you make reference to shady web sites, it will reflect badly upon you and your web site. Make sure you know who you’re linking to before you place a link.
Good information is hard to find these days, that’s why I was so excited about this SEO related report on ranking factors. The reason I believe the report is because I’ve worked with dozens of companies on improving their organic rankings and have taught search engine optimization classes that supported this information with case studies and real life examples. If you want to improve your rankings and avoid getting “Google slapped”, then consider these factors.
Source: http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2009/08/first-search-engine-ranking-report-i.html
Top Five Tips For Generating 1000’s of Inbound Links
September 3, 2009
Okay, so you’re already sold on the concept of link building. That’s good… everyone knows how valuable inbound links are to your marketing pages and web sites. I know you’ve heard it countless times but are you implementing an inbound link plan each and every day?
I’m here to say that the majority (9 out of 10) clients I work with are not implementing a cohesive inbound link strategy on a daily basis. The good news is that about 80% understand the importance of inbound links and about 30% actually have plans for generating them, but a mere 10% are actually doing something about it.
Why Inbound Links Are Important
If you want to reach the top of major search engines, then you’re going to have to tell the search engines why they should rank you. Do you have unique content? Are you a credible website? Can you provide a good user experience? These are all important questions you should be asking yourself as you consider developing an inbound linking strategy.
Tip #1: Here and Now
Start with an idea of where you are. Regardless of what type of tool you use (free or paid) to evaluate your current SEO status: rankings, keywords, sites linking in, etc., make sure you have a good idea of where you’re starting from – and ultimately where you ant to get to. Additionally, plan to check your progress at least once a week. You want to see if your inbound links are helping you success on search.
Tip #2: Begin With Your Competitors
One of my favorite link building strategies is to start with your competitors. Who’s linking to them? Are the links from high Google PR sites? What else can you learn about your competitors linking strategies? Start with your competitors or who is already ranked in the number one position for the keyword term or phrase you’re optimizing for.
Tip #3: Focus on Anchor Text
Another great SEO tip for inbound linking is to evaluate all of the existing inbound links to your website. Whether you use the simple “link:” code via the Google search box, Alexa, or some other tool, create a list of sites linking in and work with them to apply the proper anchor text to the link associated with your keyword. For example, contacting a site and asking them to update your URL (ex: http://www.yoursite.com) with anchor text (ex: Improve search rankings) can make all the difference.
Tip #4: Quality Content and Social Media
If you provide quality content on your site or simply cover something that would be of interest to your target market, allow others to comment, bookmark and share. Quality content is what search engines like and so will your readers. Develop quality content and encourage others to share it. This creates quality backlinks to your website.
Tip #5: Three Way Linking
Okay, “reciprocal linking is dead”. Yeah, I get it.. don’t necessarily agree but we wont debate that here. The good news is that we don’t have to talk about it since the best linking option is one-way linking. This can be achieved through a 3 way link. Trying to make a difficult to explain concept relatively simple, exchange links with another website but do it using a 3rd site, not your own. This allows one-way links in either direction.
These tips cover a great deal and have worked for me when it comes to helping my websites and blogs, as well as others, build a significant number of inbound links to their website steadily over time.
WARNING: You may be the anxious type, looking to build hundreds or even thousands of inbound links to your website(s) in the next 48 hours – DON’T DO IT! Although I successfully did this in the past, Google is penalizing sites who are too fast out of the gate when it comes to link building. You should look to ad 3 – 5 quality links to your site on a weekly basis. Slow and steady wins the race.
Find more link building tips and strategies in, “SEO Made Simple: Strategies for Dominating the World’s Largest Search Engine” available at Amazon.com.
Source: http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2009/08/link-building-top-5-tips-for-generating.html
Bing This! What the New Search Engine Means To YOU!
September 3, 2009
Okay, so by now you’ve heard all the “news” about Bing being the next big thing. I’ve read about a dozen articles and even the Bing Guide For Webmaster’s and I’m ready to give you my two cents.
First off, if you haven’t visited Bing yet, give it a try. It will better help you to understand my pros and cons and also give you a sense of the user experience. I actually used it a couple of times after hearing of the big release without fully appreciating all of it’s functionality.
Before I give you my quick overview, let me say that the only reason I’m even remotely interested in Bing is because Microsoft (who obviously owns the Bing search engine) has announced they are buying Yahoo! Just like any big organization it’s only a matter of time until they support a single search algorithm and considering the millions they dumped into Bing – and considering how screwed up Yahoo! is internally (sorry Yahoo’s), it’s my opinion that Bing will prevail.
Okay, so what’s good about Bing? A couple of things actually. Based on their research which confirmed the famous “F” pattern which describes how users view a web page, they found that the majority of users never go past the first 5 organic listing. This has shaped their content presentation and layout. Additionally, Bing provides access to categories of information, related search queries, and access to expanded information. Essentially they are bringing as much content forward as possible to make your search more efficient.
This functionality is based on research and an every intelligent algorithm that aggregates the search behavior of tens of millions of queries and user behavior. I know it sounds like big brother but it can also help you have a more rewarding search experience where you actually find what you’re looking for quickly and easily.
What are the cons? Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say that having someone help you make decisions is a con, but it does feel kinda creepy. I also don’t believe that there is always a majority. What I mean is that the algorithm itself, but aggregating results across all users, is bound to have some shortcomings.
From a marketing perspective, it also has the possibility of changing the game somewhat. For example, if clicks are what drives top search engine placements, then web site owners are going to have FREE SEX in the title tag of every web page on their server.
I know I’m exaggerating a little bit but anything can happen. From my perspective, I still think SEO best practices are still essential. My advice to you is to make sure every web page you produce has a single theme and unique meta tags, URLs, etc. Bing is trying to categorize content and web pages so make sure you do the thinking for them. That’s really the only way to win the artificial intelligence game!
Source: http://marketing-expert.blogspot.com/2009/08/bing-this-what-new-search-engine-means.html
Mexico braced as hurricane nears – BBC News
August 31, 2009
Mexico braced as hurricane nears – BBC News
 ABC News |
Mexico braced as hurricane nears
BBC News Hurricane Jimena has grown into a maximum category-five storm that is threatening 20000 families on Mexico's Baja peninsula, Mexican officials say. Jimena is packing winds of 250km/h (155mph), but should weaken before it makes landfall on Tuesday or … Hurricane stronger, heads for Mexico's Los Cabos Mexico: Baja Peninsula Prepares for a Hurricane Hurricane Jimena approaching Baja; will it prove worthy of the hype? |
Obama more successful on terrorism sa… – Reuters
 CBC.ca |
Obama more successful on terrorism says security adviser
Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is having more success fighting terrorism under President Barack Obama partly because of his "radically different" approach to foreign policy, National security adviser Jim Jones said on Monday. … McCain: CIA Abuse Probe "Serious Mistake" White House Fires Back After Cheney Calls CIA Probe 'Political' Holder's duty |
Poland ceremonies mark WWII start – BBC News
 Washington Post |
Poland ceremonies mark WWII start
BBC News Leaders from Russia and Germany are among those expected at ceremonies in Poland to mark the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II. At 0445 on 1 September 1939, the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire at point blank … Russian Premier Calls Nazi-Soviet Pact Immoral Britain finally honours Polish war effort with first official memorial World War 2: For freedom against brutal aggression |
