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Number 1 on Google – for a while at least

For the first time, one of my sites is number 1 on google.co.uk for a generic search term – billing software. This is a moderately competitive term – 1 in 5.3M. It’s been number 1 for a couple of days. I know I won’t stay in this position for long as another site will cycle into the position over the next few days but I though I’d make a record here.

The only thing I can put this down to is that I’ve been using my directory submission software to submit the site to a few more directories. I’ve used billing software in the site title/ anchor text and I’m guessing this has helped.

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2008 08 24 MikeL Search Engine Optimisation Comments (6) Permalink

Category matchings with pad file categories

Since I did the improvements to softtester earlier this year, I deciced to create a categories table with an ID.

Afterall I only have a set number of categories so it makes sense to have an ID instead of values in my pads table.

I have a pattern matchings function which takes my catgories and trys to match them with the pad file categories for each submission. I try removing spaces, odd symbols etc. However, its not till this week that I’m noticed how different sites use completely different categories from those shown in the pad spec.

I guess I should strictly just reject these pad files.
However up till now, I’ve thought my function wasn’t working and that somehow the submissions were correct and my function was flawed. I’m still not 100% convinced.

However, I’d like to create a complete list of categories which I can match with my categories.

Thoughts?

by JM

EDIT: I did some work yesterday on my function and I think my function is now much improved. Had 28 fails over night from friday to saturday and 3 last night / morning.

2008 08 24 Dipsy Tech Talk Comments (2) Permalink

How to make good money via google base?

I wish I knew the answer to that question. But I hope to add comments to the post to help me do so.

I first tried google base when it was froogle.
If you don’t know what either is, let me explain.
Its basically a service provided by google to allow you to submit your products to googles products directory, you know when you click products on the google home page.

I think there must be some strategies to selling well.

Since I set up my shops sites I’ve had a handful of sales on one site. So this has given me confidence that I can sell well on both.

Using google analytics I’ve seen that people are using keywords to access product pages on my site.

I’ve tonight improved my datafeed used by google base to include some extra keywords.
Also I didn’t realise I was doing this already, but I’ve lifted my product description and put that in the feed a month ago I guess.

by JM

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2008 08 23 Dipsy Google Product Search Comments (5) Permalink

Joy another softtester bug and cleanup for me :(

While soubmitted my new pad file I’ve obviouly been examining it on softtester.

Although I do look at pad file addition submissions and convert them to update submissions if they are re-submitted. Somehow I’ve now got 3 copies of mdbsecure on softtester. One from my old site and 2 from the new.

Although the 2 new ones are using the same author record.

Joy, just wonder how many duplicates other authors have 🙁

by JM

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2008 08 23 Dipsy Tech Talk Comments (5) Permalink

Can’t see wood for trees, a bug fix

G, thats an expression we use in the UK “Can’t see wood for trees” meaning erm, well that were too close to something to see it. Hidden in plain sight.

Well I got denise (my wife) to test MDBSecure for me at the weekend.

I was looking through her notes at the start of the week and making some small fixes.
When I noticed what seemed to be a file permissions problem on a shared folder.

When I looked into the problem further I discovered the permissions were fine.

However, I wasn’t deleting the file, this occured after the file save dialog was shown.

I guess when i firt wrote the code I figured that the OS dialog would delete the file for me.

So the moral of the story is don’t assume bug reports are due to the user machines or conifguration.

I just wonder how many sales I’ve lost through this 🙁

by JM

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2008 08 22 Dipsy Tech Talk Comments (2) Permalink

WordPress PAD File Plugin

I thought that you maybe interessted in a new wordpress plugin that can be used for showing Pad File content in your blog. I implemented that plugin the last days, because I make a complete re-design of my website using wordpress.

You can download and test it at my technical blog: http://jachman.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/wordpress-padfile-plugin/

by GS
EDIT: Heres your pad file


Size: 16357 KB

Requirements:
Microsoft .NET 4.5

TimePunch 4.9.908.0 09.05.2023
Time tracking at PC, Smartphone or Terminal. Successful since 10 years and many thousend times in use: the efficient resource planning tool for your human resource department. Master even the most complex project structures and working time models.

https://www.timepunch.de/download/TimePunch_4.9.908.0.exe
(click here)

2008 08 21 admin New Software Releases Comments (3) Permalink

My comments about that software submission program

I’m not going to name the submissions software here, but its the one we’ve been talking about.
I bought it today as I finished my latest changes to my program.

I guess I should have installed the trial version and used it for a bit first, however I don’t regret to decision to buy it.

However I think the program is far from perfect.
I’ve seen several error messages and I’ve had to close the program.
Also theres one thing which is an obvious bug which should have been spotted in testing.

I’ve found that I still have to use padgen, the online validator and trial and error to get my pad file perfect. I had hoped the program would be a comprehensive solution, as it does create the pad file for you. But theres some simple things which is causing my pad file to be rejected. Now that I have tried submitting I find that several sites say that you have to wait 25 days before you can re-submit.

I still haven’t got my pad file perfect, but theres a couple of sites at the top of the list which allow me to re-submit and modify.

So overall I guess the program is OK.
If the pad file creation stuff was taken out it would be better.
That functionality seems quite lacking, if it creates a pad file it should be valid.

However, I’ll post more comments as I progress.

I guess the pad files for my old program, I was just lucky or the spec has changed and sites are less tolerant.

by JM

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2008 08 20 Dipsy Tech Talk Comments (9) Permalink

Tracking positions in SERPs automatically

A few days ago Dipsy made a post asking if there was any software available to track/ graph the position of domains and URLs in Google SERPs for specific keywords.

I wasn’t aware of any at the time so I did a bit of Googling and found a tool called WebPosition Gold (WPG). Problem is that Google’s terms of service specifically say that that using WPG or any similar program is deeply frowned upon. In the past I think 10s of 1000s of webmasters have used tools like WPG to track URLs and have placed a significant overload on Google. There are stories that running such tools causing the searcher’s IP address to be banned by Google.

At one time Google used to provide a SOAP search API that could be used to run Google searches programmatically via a web service. You had to register for an API key with Google. About 2 or so years ago Google stopped issuing new API keys although they preserved the service for existing keys. WPG requires an API key to work. Apparently people who had purchased WPG (for about $150) are now finding that Google is blocking searches made by WPG using the old API keys so it sounds like the tool is dead in the water.

It’s a  strange situation in some ways – the WPG site is PR 6 and Google shows sitelinks in the SERPS as though the site is an authority site but still specifically says in their terms of service that people shouldn’t use the tool.

by ML

Tagged
2008 08 19 MikeL Search Engine Optimisation
Tech Talk Comments (2) Permalink

Programs which use web browser controls

Yesterday my pc died, the software I mean. In the end all the devices had become corrupted.
Luckily I had an image from a year ago and have now got everything I want on and have done another image.

I do have norton 360 installed.

I problem I got was the Antivirus XP 2008 malware program.
Which pretends to be a virus scanner, but says you have lots of viruses and encourages you to buy the program to remove them. The program changes your windows pack drop and your background colour. In can also display a picture of a program screen with virus warnings. The dialogs the program uses only have one choice, e.g. buy etc.

The worse thing is it adds itself to your start menu as if you installed it yourself.

It does all this slighlty, Norton 360 did detect a vb script operation, but didn’t handle to problem. I did find some help on the web and did remove the program, but I must have missed something.

At this point, when I thought i’d removed it, I installed the free upgrade of norton 360 v2. Then I tried to install the add-on pack, but this required XP service pack 3.

Unfortunertly I started the SP3 late at night and had to leave it going over night. It remained at the same screen the next morning. So I had to cancel it. The program then popped up at this point. Had blue screens and tried uninstalling SP3.

Here I had the device drivers missing etc.

So I went back the image.
I’ve installed adaware and think I might buy a copy.

However, I was wondering when I got the problem. I think it was mikes directory submitter program, well I don’t mean his program has a virus in it, but that I must have visited a directory and that my security settings were not set to monitor the submitter in the same was an internet browser, I think. In fact I don’t think I can set any other settings.

So is there anything else i can do to protect myself from browser based programs?

by JM

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2008 08 19 Dipsy Tech Talk Comments (6) Permalink

First thoughts about hiring a coder to do website work

A few days ago I said I wanted to code a backend/ customer management interface for my site. I’ve decided I need to do this fairly quickly as I’m getting more and more customer requests for lock codes, custom templates etc. I also need to quickly find out who’s purchased when I get a query. I get lots of similar questions that could potentially be answered by a semi-automated reply. Also, some questions would be better answered by a website than a more personal email.

The key to this is keeping a database of purchasers on the site. I did do this in the early days but it mysteriously broke after a few weeks and I simply by-passed it since someone wanted to purchase ASAP. I need to resurrect the database and redo the sales page and Paypal IPN to register attempts at purchasing as well as successful purchases. I’ll also want a protected admin area and also a user area where they can log in and ask for new codes etc.

I’ve decided I simply don’t have the time to code this myself so I’m going to put together a spec. and place a project on RAC as you’ve suggested in the past.

by ML

2008 08 18 MikeL Business Software Comments (7) Permalink