Blog Feed: MainStreetHost

Quotes on the Internet

Published on 2011-10-06 15:00:47

  “When I took office, only high energy physicists had ever heard of what is called the World Wide Web… Now even my cat has it’s own page.”       -Bill Clinton   “The Internet is a telephone system that’s gotten uppity.”        -Clifford Stoll   “Blogs seem to have two magnetic poles, one attracting friends, [...]

Underscores vs Dashes in a URL: Which is Better?

Published on 2011-09-28 09:14:38

  The answer is clear cut:  Dashes are the way to go.   Google doesn’t algorithmically penalize for dashes in a url.  In other words, a dash won’t make your URL less effective, because Google recognizes dashes as though they are spaces.   So basically, Google sees mainstreethost_does_the_best_seo as one word (mainstreethostdoesthebestseo).  Google sees mainstreethost-does-the-best-seo as multiple [...]

Tips for Newsletter Conversions

Published on 2011-09-15 12:39:20

  Subject The subject line is debatably the most important part of the newsletter.  If your subject line isn’t intriguing, your newsletter could get deleted before it’s even opened. Keep the subject line short and professional.  Don’t use all caps: it makes your email look like spam.    Content Newsletter content must be newsworthy. Don’t [...]

Google Rankings Rollercoaster

Published on 2011-09-13 15:36:24

  Welp, this comic is so true that it hurts.   One of the hardest things to explain to clients in this industry is that sometimes rankings change without our control.  Sure, we can get you to the first page of Google.  We can often even get you to #1.  But you won’t rank at [...]

Google Buys Zagat to Assist Local Rankings

Published on 2011-09-08 11:33:30

  The competition that Yelp gives to Google Places just lost a little footing.   It has been announced that Google bought out Zagat, the esteemed local reviews publication.     The 30 year old company has been struggling to compete online, being overshadowed by Yelp and other local review sites.  Google Places no longer [...]

MainStreetHost Goes Live With New Site!

Published on 2011-08-26 08:25:29

After months of dedicated work from designers, copywriters and SEO specialists, MainStreetHost has unveiled its new website. The new site at http://www.mainstreethost.com features real-time Twitter feeds and up-to-the-minute blog post feeds.  It also has a live chat feature that allows visitors to “speak” with a MainStreetHost representative at the click of a button. Visitors to [...]

Why You Need More Than On-site SEO

Published on 2011-08-18 11:47:47

As a starting point, on-site SEO is great but it’s not enough. Search engine algorithms are always changing so it’s important for business owners to incorporate a complete internet marketing strategy into their overall marketing budgets. To be effective, an internet marketing strategy should include not only on-site SEO, but also, social media marketing, blogging, [...]

Creating Word Graphics with Wordle

Published on 2011-08-11 11:37:42

I love finding simple tools that allow you to do fun, random things. Today’s find for me was Wordle. Wordle is an online tool that allows you to create word graphics in mere seconds. Just input a URL or a list of random words into Wordle and it will create a graphic for you that [...]

The History of Social Media

Published on 2011-06-30 16:02:03

  Today is Social Media Day. This got me wondering how many of us really know the history of social media. We know about social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter but do we really know how any of it began? The first forms of social media

How to Turn Off Personalized Search with the New Google Design

Published on 2011-06-29 10:07:16

  This morning an interesting thing happened. I came into work and found that the Google homepage had been given a new look. Notice the black bar at the top. Changing the navbar to black on the Google homepage helps make it more obvious to every

Google Faces Another Antitrust Suit

Published on 2011-06-28 11:44:11

  Yet another company has stepped forward to accuse Google of unethical practices. 1plusV, an internet company in France, has filed a suit claiming that Google unfairly keeps competitors from appearing in search engine results. Certainly not the

Google SEO Tips for 2011

Published on 2011-06-23 14:56:36

Optimize for speed, be consistent with your internal linking, get involved with social media marketing; basically, all the things your SEO consultant is probably already telling you.

Mobile Web Stands Out as Top Priority for 84% of Lodging Owners

Published on 2011-06-22 10:01:00

A TripAdvisor survey that was conducted from May 18 to June 3, 2011 and generated 770 responses found that 84% of U.S. accommodations (hotels, bed and breakfasts, and inns) believe it’s important to give travelers the option to book their stays on

Which Blogging Platform is Right for You?

Published on 2011-06-17 14:49:02

  Bloggers are often fanatically loyal to their chosen blogging platforms. A WordPress user will give you a dozen reasons why they think WordPress is the best platform (usually revolving around SEO),  a Blogger loyalist will describe ease of us

So You Like Offensive Ads, Huh? Try These

Published on 2011-06-16 15:59:28

In April I wrote a post on Offensive Ads from the Past and expected that only a small group of people would find it entertaining. I was way off. The post received so many visits that a Google Analytics Consultant actually sent me a nasty email demand

So You Like Offensive Ads, Huh? Try These

Published on 2011-06-16 15:59:28

In April I wrote a post on Offensive Ads from the Past and expected that only a handful of people would find it entertaining. I was way off. The post received so many visits that a Google Analytics Consultant actually sent me a nasty email demanding

Google Introduces another Hurdle for Small Businesses: Descriptive Terms in Local Search Results

Published on 2011-06-15 10:46:26

Google has come up with yet another way to make life difficult for small business owners with the introduction of descriptive terms in Google Maps search results. These terms, according to Google, are the most common terms found in reviews, blogs, an

Study Finds Emotions Shared on Facebook Are Contagious

Published on 2011-06-13 15:14:50

Want to do something nice for your friends? Stop posting negative status updates on Facebook. In a study that analyzed the posts of nearly 1 million Facebook users and their approximately 150 million friends, Adam D.I. Kramer, a Facebook data scienti

7 Reasons to Send a Newsletter

Published on 2011-06-10 12:58:49

  Determining when to send a newsletter and what kind of content to include in it can be one of the most difficult tasks for novice email marketers. The following 7 reasons to send a newsletter should help you along. New Product If you recently

Has Your Site Recovered From Panda?

Published on 2011-06-09 13:45:46

On May 25, Search Engine Roundtable conducted a poll to see whether or not websites hit by Panda had recovered. The results are now in. 85% of the 500 people polled claimed ZERO recovery. To view the full report visit Search Engine Roundtable – Pan

Mobile Web To Overtake Desktop Within Three Years

Published on 2011-06-02 14:45:47

In April of 2010, Mary Meeker of Morgan Stanley released a report that stated that Mobile Web would overtake Desktop internet usage in the next 5 years. Her predictions have now been backed by Tony Keusgen, Google’s Head of Technology in Australia.

5 Common Copywriting Mistakes

Published on 2011-05-31 14:49:06

Whenever I suggest a content marketing package to a client I know I am heading into sensitive territory. Egos can get bruised. Clients take great pride in the content they’ve written for their websites or blogs – as well they should. Most of it i

PayPal Sues Google Over Digital Wallet

Published on 2011-05-27 10:28:01

  PayPal announced on their official blog yesterday that the company has filed a lawsuit against Google and two former PayPal employees who currently work at Google, Osama Bedier and Stephanie Tilenius. The suit alleges that Google and executive

Are Personalized Search Results Keeping You from Learning New Things?

Published on 2011-05-24 15:43:45

When Personalized Search was first introduced it was with the intention of streamlining your search results to what you were most likely to be interested in based on your previous searches. It seemed like a good idea in the beginning, but these days

Facebook Brand Tagging: You, Me & Jose Cuervo

Published on 2011-05-20 13:30:20

Every once in a while a new marketing strategy comes along that makes me wonder if maybe we’ve gone too far. This time it’s Facebook Brand Tagging. From a social media marketing perspective, I get it. It’s good. From a personal perspective I’

Google Analytics: Why Referring Sites Matter

Published on 2011-05-18 15:57:43

When you check your Google Analytics are you only concerned with your search engine visits? If so, you could be missing out on a lot of website traffic that comes from referring sites. Referring sites are websites that direct traffic your way. These

Are Bad Inbound Links from Competitors Harming Your Rankings?

Published on 2011-05-17 15:17:33

At one time Google insisted that it was impossible for “bad” inbound links to harm your rankings. Now it seems they’ve changed their tune.  Watch the video below to see what Google is now doing to help protect you from what they once claimed w

Chromebook is coming! But what is it exactly?

Published on 2011-05-12 14:48:55

Google has announced another interesting product on the way: Chromebook. The device –which looks like a laptop– actually isn’t one. According to Google, it’s “not really” a computer at all. Chromebook is a device that allows users

Microsoft Buys Skype for $8.5 billion

Published on 2011-05-10 14:37:03

After much rumor and speculation that Google was in the process of buying Skype, it turns out the acquisition actually belongs to Microsoft. As reported today in a press release from Microsoft, the purchase of Skype for $8.5 billion has been agreed u

Apple, Google, Adobe, Intel, and Others Sued for Fixing Employee Salaries

Published on 2011-05-06 13:44:30

  Looks like Apple and Google are in trouble again. A class action suit has been filed against seven large Silicon Valley companies for allegedly conspiring to fix employee salaries. The suit filed in California claims senior executives from Goo

When to Send a Press Release – Tips for Small Business Owners

Published on 2011-05-05 14:29:04

Small business owners are sometimes confused about the use of press releases. Many of them are under the impression that press releases should be reserved for major companies because major companies “have something to say”. But the truth is, as a

Google Chrome “It Gets Better” Video Airs During Glee

Published on 2011-05-04 12:06:26

Google Chrome has contributed to the “It Gets Better” Campaign with a commercial that aired during Tuesday night’s Glee. The commercial featured celebrities like Lady Gaga and Anne Hathaway, but also included regular people from various backgro

4 Things You Should Know Before Signing Up for SEO

Published on 2011-05-04 08:50:37

If there‘s one thing SEO professionals can agree on it’s probably that there are certain things we all wish our clients knew.  Often we are met with unrealistic expectations demanded within unreasonable timeframes, or we’re asked to explain ev

Apple Sued Over Location Tracking

Published on 2011-04-29 13:54:23

Less than a week after the Apple location tracking scandal was first reported by U.K newspaper The Guardian, a lawsuit has been filed against the company in Florida by Vikram Ajjampur and William Devito, both of whom own Apple products. The class act

Offensive Ads from the Past – How Far We’ve Come

Published on 2011-04-29 11:47:32

Advertising and marketing have come a long way in the past 100 years. The early to middle 1900’s saw an onslaught of offensive ads entering millions of homes. Of course, people didn’t actually know these ads were offensive. They were just reflect

Renren – Chinese Facebook Headed for the NYSE

Published on 2011-04-27 11:49:57

Renren, translated as “everybody,” and often referred to as “the Chinese Facebook” has set its sights on the U.S.  In February, the Financial Times confirmed that Renren was planning to list in the United States in the spring of 2011 and Ren

Facebook blamed in 1 out of 5 divorces

Published on 2011-04-25 14:52:53

In 2009 the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) reported that 1 out of 5 divorce petitions cited Facebook as the cause. In a more recent survey the AAML also found that 81% of divorce attorneys say the number of cases that include evidence

Mac vs. PC: Does Your Preferred Brand Help Describe Who You Are?

Published on 2011-04-22 14:31:47

Do all Mac users watch indie films and ride Vespas? Do PC users enjoy hanging out in jeans and drinking Pepsi? In a fun little survey provided by Hunch Blog, 388,315 users were asked whether they considered themselves Mac or PC people. While 52% cons