Website Building Biz - A blog about the web business

Digg relaunches, takes archives offline

August 1, 2012 John 1

After a complete change in ownership, Digg is back online with a brand new design that completely unpublishes all of the 14,000,000 URLs Google previously had indexed on the domain. While the effects of these changes for Digg’s declining user-base and Google’s search results have yet to be seen, it is certain that the latest big splash is going to cause some waves in the online ecosystem. While the new Digg hasn’t exploded on to the scene as a superstar, but it isn’t inspiring the same kind of anger as earlier updates had. Will apathy be good enough to keep this one-time powerhouse online?

Pandas and search chaos – escaping the storm

July 27, 2012 John 0

Google’s Panda filter is on the hunt for thin content, derivative pages, and sites that don’t add anything unique to the web. On July 24th, this filter was refreshed and many websites saw shifts in their search rankings as a result. What makes Panda so much more interesting now is that it works completely independently of the Penguin filter – so a website that is punished by one might be rewarded by the other. Now, Google’s search algorithm is dominated by mathematical chaos, or a function that approaches two points simultaneously while never actually reaching either. For sites caught in the storm, this can be a rather unreliable place to be, but the good news is there might be a way to rise up out of the chaos with a renewed focus on SEO basics and some recognition of where the easiest paths are at.

Dreamhost temporarily increases affiliate payments for summer 2012

July 22, 2012 John 1

Dreamhost’s affiliate program is already a great way for webmasters to make money promoting a great product, but for the rest of the summer it is going to get even better. Get some cover from the bad economy and recent traffic fluctuations with a nice, cool bonus to your web hosting commissions.

The unfortunate truth of ranking new sites after Penguin

July 16, 2012 John 0

Google’s Penguin filter has truly turned the SEO world on its head. While results often seem random, low-quality, and unpredictable, there is also what seems to be an effective formula to ranking new sites. Based on a few months of analysing SERP movements and watching a new set of domains take prominent search positions, this post lays out the SEO strategy that shreds Penguin to pieces.

Penguins and Inorganic Links – Understanding and Recovering from Google’s Spring 2012 Updates

July 10, 2012 John 1

Google’s Penguin update and other algorithmic changes from spring 2012 have left a whole lot of SEOs and web publishers scratching their heads in confusion and frustration. The price for crossing this particular penguin is high, but one you get to know how the filter operates, he starts to seem more like the cute and fuzzy flightless bird and a lot less like the Batman supervillain. If Google’s most recent changes have left your web traffic in chaos, this is a post you can’t afford to miss.

Some Tips for Selecting the Right Web Host

May 30, 2012 John 1

Here are a few tips for picking the right host for your websites. Don’t overlook this crucial decision – it has important repercussions for the health and connectivity of your online presence!

Five o’Clock Fred’s 8 Funny Drawbacks To Working In A Cubicle

May 23, 2012 John 2

Five O’ Clock Fred presents a humorous look at some of the downsides to working in a cubicle. If you’re already stuck in one from nine to five you might not need a reminder, but you might still get a good laugh out of it!

Facebook IPO aftermath: This status update brought to you by Morgan Stanley

May 21, 2012 John 0

In the aftermath of the Facebook IPO, there are some clear winners and clear losers – as well as a lot of unanswered questions about the role of the banks underwriting the stock. Why, exactly, are some of the biggest banks convinced the stock is worth twice what the revenues would imply? Here’s one theory…

The joys of health insurance while self-employed

May 19, 2012 John 0

Shopping for health insurance can be a frustrating task, but if you know what the jargon means it gets a whole lot easier. With costs the way they are and customer service at all time lows, a little bit of comparison shopping can go a long way.

Lessons from the dropped domain backorder that got away

May 12, 2012 John 0

Registering a quality new domain is no small task, so web publishers are increasingly turning to backorders and auctions to secure the brands and keywords they’re after. Find out what I learned from a recently failed attempt to grab a great domain through the backorder process.

Social signals, authorship, and the post-Penguin future of Google SEO

May 8, 2012 John 4

Google has long been aware of the importance of social media in determining relevancy & authority, but only now with Google+ are they able to fully embrace the potential of incorporating this data in to their organic search results.

Spring cleaning and investment at WebsiteBuilding.biz

May 8, 2012 John 1

Spring is here, and that means it is time to clean up some old messes around the blog. Find out how to identify broken links, improve reader engagement, and why Pligg isn’t the best idea for user-generated content.

Facebook Aims Big with an Overpriced IPO

May 5, 2012 John 2

Facebook is seeking to raise big money in an IPO that values the company at nearly $100 billion. However, such a valuation puts the price to earnings ratios in a rather unsustainable place that will require big growth and aggressive monetization.

Google pushes another search update

April 24, 2012 John 3

Google pushes a new update for April 2012 – and the reaction from the web hasn’t been too positive.

Anything you tweet can and will be used against you in a court of law

April 24, 2012 John 0

A judge upholds Twitters claim to own your tweets, and this ruling is already being used to present social media records in criminal prosecution. Unfortunately, this is far from the only attack against online freedom of speech.

Midphase Coupon and Promo Codes

March 23, 2012 John 0

Its time for more hosting coupons! I’ve got a promotional deal from Midphase that could save you 25% on an annual plan or add three free months to your hosting purchase.

The web biz can do strange things to your sleep and social schedule

January 7, 2012 John 0

Working online presents a novel scenario for schedules and sleeping cycles, and with the bombardment of modern technological stimulants like artificial lights, televisions, and lolcats, our internal clocks might not know how to process all of these variables. While there are some advantages to alternate sleeping patterns, there are also some health and social concerns that have to be address to achieve a high level of happiness and productivity.

300 posts in retrospect, and hoping for a happy new year

December 30, 2011 John 0

A look back at the ups and downs of my blogging experience over the last 100 posts, and some New Year’s resolutions to put in the time this project deserves!

Alternatives to Godaddy

December 29, 2011 John 0

Now that customers are fleeing Godaddy, many are asking where exactly they should be headed! I’ve seen more than a few questions posted from those who are new to web building and unsure exactly who they should trust with their data, so I’ve compiled a short list of great hosting providers and domain registrars I have experience working with.

Godaddy faces customer exodus over SOPA support

December 29, 2011 John 1

Godaddy has taken an unpopular position on a controversial piece of proposed legislation, and the result is a massive grass-roots exodus and boycott against their hosting and domain registration services. While the support for SOPA is enough of a reason in itself to avoid doing business with Godaddy, there are plenty of other controversial political positions and shoddy customer service problems that make this boycott a good idea.