If you are a webmaster, chances are you have spent time looking for other sites with which to link. Did you know that many webmasters out there go out of their way to hide your link from the search engines in order to boost their own rankings? If you already know this, then you probably already know about the techniques employed to make certain your link to their site gets counted with the search engines and yours doesn’t. However if this sounds new to you then you really should read on.
So what are the techniques they use to get an inbound link without reciprocating or by devaluing the link so much that it is worthless?
- Multiple links into different sites for a single link out from a central directory
- Links into sub domains
- JavaScript wraps
- Blocking search engine spiders using Robots.txt
- Using META tags to block the search bots
- Orphan link directories
Reciprocal and Inbound Linking
Despite announcements to the contrary, reciprocal linking is not dead yet. The premise is a simple one: I’ll link to you if you link to me. What could go wrong with such a simple arrangement? Inbound links. Some webmasters salivate at the thought of a bunch of juicy one-way, inbound links to their site. All the sweeter if they have gamed another webmaster into giving them one by promising reciprocal linking but hiding their link from the search engines.
Since a one-way, inbound link is generally given more weight by a Search Engine, webmasters do what they can to develop inbound links, for example, offering free web tools or by writing articles like this one.
Checking for the Scammers
Sometimes this is obvious and sometimes a little digging is required. I often use http://www.linkmarket.net to help generate links and will manually check every site I consider exchanging links with using the following criteria:
- Check the link page is there. It is surprising how often the link page doesn’t actually exist!
- Is the site a sub-domain? Personally, I don’t like to reciprocally link to sub-domains because they typically use a central site directory. In other words, you will provide multiple links into a site using sub-domains but only receive a single link back from the central link directory.
- Is there a link to the homepage from the link page? If there isn’t, the chances are the link page is an orphan page or a central link directory for a number of sites. An orphan page is invisible to the search engines while a central directory provides a single link out for multiple links in and may not even be visible to the SE’s at all.
- Can the link pages be found from the home page? Again, unless your link appears on a page that is visible to the search engines it is pointless exchanging links. Webmasters trying to game the reciprocal link system will set up a link directory but will not actually link to it from the main body of the site; in effect preventing the search engine spiders from ’seeing’ it.
- Is the link a standard text link or is it wrapped in JavaScript or using a php server-side include? JavaScript wraps are a common way of hiding a link from the search engine spiders whilst giving the appearance of being a normal text link. PHP or other server-side includes are also sometimes used to disguise links.
- Does the Robots.txt file exclude the search engines from spidering the link pages? A quick check of the Robots.txt file will soon tell you if the SE’s are excluded from the links section.
- Are there META tags in place to prevent the SE spiders from following the links? Some webmasters will place the NOFOLLOW or NOINDEX attribute in the META tags on link pages.
- The rel=”nofollow” attribute applied to “a href= links”. A way of fighting comment spam in blogs, this attribute is also being used to prevent SE spiders from following the links.
Luckily, Firefox has some useful extensions to assist with these tasks. Chris Pederick’s Web Developer toolbar (http://chrispederick.com/work/webdeveloper/) and Quirk’s Search Status toolbar (http://www.quirk.co.za/searchstatus/) are two excellent additions to a webmaster’s kit that allow quick access to the information.
A Brief Word About PR (Page Rank)
Don’t assume that because a page is showing zero PR (Page Rank) that it is being hidden from the search engines. PR updates are irregular and take time to filter through to the lower site pages. Although zero PR may indicate sneaky linking practices, this is not always the case so it is worth checking just to be sure.
There are lots of webmasters out there who are eagerly seeking links with like-minded individuals who run websites with a proper approach to reciprocal linking. By adopting a more rigorous approach to examining the sites you intend to link with, the bad apples can be avoided and the good sites rewarded, which is as it should be.
About the author.
The author is a webmaster with several sites, including some related to uk broadband.
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A fantastic lounge lizard recipe for: Butter Nut Scotch, with Scotch whisky, butterscotch schnapps and amaretto almond liqueur.
Category: Cocktails – Short drinks
Ingredients: 1 oz Scotch whisky
1 oz butterscotch schnapps
1 oz amaretto almond liqueur
How to: Pour ingredients into an old-fashioned glass over ice and serve.
Glassware: Old-Fashioned Glass
What’s in it for you?
(per 3 oz serving)
|
Calories (kcal)
Energy (kj)
Fats
Carbohydrates
Protein
|
251
1050
0 g
27.6 g
0 g
|
Fiber
Sugars
Cholesterol
Sodium
Alcohol
|
0 g
-
-
-
23.5 g
|
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A fantastic lounge lizard recipe for: Are You Tough Enough?, with Firewater® cinnamon schnapps, Everclear® alcohol, peppermint schnapps, Wild Turkey® bourbon whiskey and Jose Cuervo® Especial gold tequila.
Category: Other Drinks – Firewater® cinnamon schnapps
Ingredients: 1 oz Firewater® cinnamon schnapps
1 oz Everclear® alcohol
1 oz peppermint schnapps
1 oz Wild Turkey® bourbon whiskey
1 oz Jose Cuervo® Especial gold tequila
How to: Using only 100 proof liquors, ensure all schnapps are ice cold. Combine and mix all five liquors in a cocktail glass and drink like a shot.
Glassware: Cocktail Glass
What’s in it for you?
(per 5 oz serving)
|
Calories (kcal)
Energy (kj)
Fats
Carbohydrates
Protein
|
514
2152
0 g
18.4 g
0 g
|
Fiber
Sugars
Cholesterol
Sodium
Alcohol
|
0 g
18.2 g
-
-
72.3 g
|
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A fantastic lounge lizard recipe for: Black Magic, with Stolichnaya® vodka, coffee liqueur and lemon juice.
Category: Cocktails – Short drinks
Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz Stolichnaya® vodka
3/4 oz coffee liqueur
lemon juice
How to: Mix ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker or blender. Pour into a chilled old-fashioned glass.
Glassware: Old-Fashioned Glass
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Well, it’s official. You are going to star in the company marketing video (or commercial) and you will have a part talking to camera. After ringing your mother, to let her know about your newly found fame, reality hits in. How are you going to pull this off?
The good news is a charismatic business leader can add tremendous impact and clout to a marketing video or commercial. The bad news is that few leaders have the right skills to talk to the camera in a natural manner.
But before you get put off, talking to camera is a skill. And any skill can be learned.
Here are some tips to help bring the sparkle into your ‘moment of glory’.
1. Wear the right clothes. If you are the CEO, a suit is the right way to go. Opt for conservative colours and stay away from checks, stripes and reds. They do not film very well and serve as a distraction to the viewer.
2. Go for makeup (whether you’re male or female). A nice even skin tone, neat hair and a quick brush with powder can help keep the shine away. Once you get under the bright lights of a film set, it will be hard not to perspire (even more so, if you are nervous). A professional make up artist will also make you feel special and more confident in front of the camera.
3. Trust the director. Forget that you are the client and realise that you are now the talent. Let the professionals do their work and let go. While this might be difficult for most people, it can be a refreshing change. Let yourself get bossed around and don’t worry about how it’s all going to work.
4. Relax. Forget about the pressing amount of work piling up on your desk. Focus on the most important task for the day – your cameo. If you are relaxed you are more likely to be easy-going and friendly. This will enable the director to elicit the best performance from you.
5. Rehearse. Always have your lines prepared and don’t expect that you can wing it on the day. It’s amazing how a big camera in your face can make you forget what you wanted to say. Rehearse your lines over and over again in front of a mirror. Make sure you look and sound natural. Practise speaking clearly and with a smile on your face. Rehearse as many times as you can. The more confident you are in giving an appealing speech, the better you will be and the less takes will needed. This will help reduce costs. If you don’t feel comfortable with your performance, hire a media trainer beforehand to coach you on talking to camera.
6. Have fun! The shoot will be much slower than you anticipated. Lights and audio equipment can take a while to set up. If you are shooting outside, waiting for the sun to make an appearance on a cloudy day can also be painstakingly slow. Take a book with you and any work you can do in downtime. And just bask in the glory of being part of an exciting film shoot!
(c) Marie-Claire Ross 2005. All rights reserved.
Marie-Claire Ross is one of the partners of Digicast. Digicast works with organisations who are not satisfied that their marketing and training materials are helping their business grow. She can be contacted on 0500 800 234 (Australia wide) or at mc@digicast.com.au. The website is at http://www.digicast.com.au
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A fantastic lounge lizard recipe for: Chambord Royale, with Chambord® raspberry liqueur, vodka, cranberry juice and pineapple juice.
Category: Cocktails – Short drinks
Ingredients: 1 oz Chambord® raspberry liqueur
1 oz vodka
1 dash cranberry juice
1 splash pineapple juice
How to: Should be shaked over ice. Garnished with a lemon. More pineapple than cranberry juice.
Glassware: Cocktail Glass
What’s in it for you?
(per 2.2 oz serving)
|
Calories (kcal)
Energy (kj)
Fats
Carbohydrates
Protein
|
175
732
0 g
11.6 g
0 g
|
Fiber
Sugars
Cholesterol
Sodium
Alcohol
|
0 g
11.5 g
-
0 mg
16 g
|
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A fantastic lounge lizard recipe for: Doc Holiday, with whiskey, Surge® citrus soda, orange juice and sugar.
Category: Cocktails – Long drinks
Ingredients: 2 oz whiskey
12 oz chilled Surge® citrus soda
orange juice
sugar
How to: Pour whiskey into a collins glass. Add surge, and sweeten to taste. Add orange juice to taste, and serve.
Glassware: Collins Glass
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A fantastic lounge lizard recipe for: Apricot Fizz, with apricot brandy, lemon juice, superfine sugar and club soda.
Category: Cocktails – Long drinks
Ingredients: 2 1/2 oz apricot brandy
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 tsp superfine sugar
4 oz club soda
How to: Pour the apricot brandy, lemon juice and sugar into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, and strain into a collins glass almost filled with ice cubes. Add the club soda, stir well, and serve.
Glassware: Collins Glass
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The unitive approach to coaching is not based on any pre-conceived theory or set of beliefs. It has evolved organically over a period of years as a result of my own long experience in the field of personal and professional development.
In 1971 I began working with Dr Jay Stattman, the director of the Institute of Unitive Psychology at Utrecht, The Netherlands, where I subsequently became an associate staff member, setting up human potential courses, seminars and training facilities all over Europe.
The unitive coaching process represents a comprehensive tutorial framework within which a valid individual authenticity can be built. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of personal and professional self-empowerment and the development of insight, true awareness and authentic interpersonal communication.
Basic principles of Unitive coaching
The unitive approach to the process of self-discovery is not only eminently practical but also covers every aspect of the whole person.
- At the rational level, it works experientially to bring to awareness obsolete and redundant patterns of acquired behaviour
- At the emotional level it seeks to reconcile spontaneous feelings with intellectual insight
- At a psychological level, it aims to empower individuals with self-knowledge and the strength of their unique authenticity
- At the higher, integrated level of intuition, its goal is to facilitate personal development on issues of imagination, spirit and creativity
Unitive coaching in practice
The first requirement for those who intend to communicate effectively in an honest and open dialogue with other people is that they are up to speed with their own developmental homework. To act authentically as an effective resource to others on their individual pathways through life, you first need to be thoroughly conversant with your own home territory. You can’t take anyone further than you’ve travelled yourself.
There’s an old saying that goes, “We don’t see the world as it is; we see it as we are”. You’ll never be able to see what’s really going on in the present if your attitudes and patterns of behaviour remain stuck in the past, with your eyes staring at an unchanging inner landscape. If you want to become aware of who you really are – to start feeling comfortable in your own skin – you’ll need to examine your own habitual outlook on life; discover its hidden and negative function, and work to bring it up to date and relevant to present reality. It’s a demanding and often difficult task, but you’ll find the rewards are enormous.
Personal authenticity is all about experiencing each event in life in the light of present reality, instead of through the distorting mirrors of the past. This will necessarily involve you in what might at first appear to be a frightening thing to do. In order to access your innate sources of personal wisdom, you’ll need first to let go of those bits of your previously acquired stuff that’s now become useless – to cast off your old protective clothing and immerse yourself completely in whatever new experience life may come up with.
Once you’ve become part of that experience, your entire being – mind, body and spirit – will become an instrument for opening up receptive channels of communication between your own true responses and those of the people who share your present environment. Instead of trying to influence events from the outside, you’ll find you’ve become an integral part of them. It’s a magical process: experiencing the power of the present instead of just observing it.
Within yourself you have the potential to integrate your internalised conflicts into a unitive whole, greater than the sum of its separate parts.
Unitive coaching provides a level playing field where coach and client face each other as equals. Instead of assuming a directive role, it identifies the true nature of the personal authenticity and power habitually surrendered to ‘experts’ and authority figures and brings it back home where it belongs.
The ultimate goal of unitive coaching is to facilitate this liberating insight. The true purpose of human existence is to accept and to commit to present reality and the inevitable imperfections of life and all who live it.
…and in that very imperfection, each individual can experience the truth and beauty of authentic being and the possibility of spontaneous change.
Charles Bentley PhD, founder of Life Coach UK, is recognised to be one of the most qualified and experienced life coaching tutors practising in the UK today. The Advanced Coaching Course demonstrates the enormous potential of his approach to acquiring and developing world-class coaching skills. For more information visit www.LifeCoachUK.com
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A fantastic lounge lizard recipe for: Bleeding Surgeon, with dark rum, orange, Mountain Dew® citrus soda and cranberry juice.
Category: Cocktails – Long drinks
Ingredients: 1 shot dark rum
1 slice orange
1/2 glass cold Mountain Dew® citrus soda
1/2 glass cranberry juice
How to: Pour Shot of Rum over slice of orange. Fill the remaining space in glass half way full of surge or similar drink. Finish off glass with cranberry juice. Be carefull, warm surge may foam over the glass.
Glassware: Collins Glass
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