In the interest of depth, I've been trying to focus WebProNews issues on a single topic. In this issue, I'm sacrificing depth of topic for breadth - this is a very wide issue. That said, I'll be focused in this editor's note.

You may have heard that Google recently purchased Pyra, the company responsible for Blogger.com, and BlogSpot.com, a "push-button publishing tool for the people..."

Now it's time for the obligatory "blog" definition (you've probably read several of these recently). I'll quote Jackie Rosenberger from DevWebPro: "the word 'blog' is short for 'web log.' A blog is a daily journal that appears on a Web page. All you need is a site, some writing talent, and something to say every day.

"Why start a blog on your own site? Well, blogs are a great way to increase your Web traffic."

Pyra was a smart buy for a number of reasons, but page views is certainly there at the top of the list. Blogger.com claims 50-60,000 page views a day, from 30,000 unique viewers. Blogspot.com (a Pyra subsidiary), where anyone can host a personal blog for free, is home to "over 100,000 blogs, [and] serves more than 60,000 unique visitors per day..."

Watch for those numbers to rocket, as Google advertises their blog service to their massive audience, and the media spreads this blog idea virus. Blogspot.com is home to 100,000 blogs now (each with a banner ad), and 1,000,000 is not far away as blogging grows in popularity.

So there's the traffic, but Blogger.com and BlogSpot.com are also a perfect fit for Google's image. Google prevents search engine tomfoolery - those little tricks that make your site appear higher in the engines without necessarily having relevant content. Their rigorous attention to relevance creates a search engine that is, like Blogger.com, "for the people..."

As Blogger.com says, "many blog publishers are trendsetters and early adopters. Demographically, they span the gamut, but tend to be young and tech-savvy." Google bought the internet's underground scene, and they're going to launch in the mainstream.

I spoke with Rich Ord, iEntry CEO, about his predictions for the buy. Here are some of the things he said to watch for:

Here's a real live blog (not hosted by blogspot...) that covers some of the possible outcomes of the buy: "Google/Pyra: Winners and Losers." It's a pretty entertaining blog.

Here's a blog from Blogger: www.computer-vet. "Scott Schrantz is a computer and Web professional living on the sagebrush-y outskirts of Carson City, Nevada. This weblog is my place to point out what I think is good about the Web, or just spout off about whatever I'm thinking."

I went into the archive to find some blogging articles. Here's what we had:
Blogging for Dollars: Giving Rise to the Professional Blogger
Blog Design: Show Some Restraint
The Biz Stone Guide to Independent Publishing

And, of course, I'm accepting, and in all likelihood publishing, your thoughts and comments concerning blogs, blogs and Google, and probable outcomes of Google's purchase of Pyra.

Also, I'm thinking of starting a "help wanted" section for WebProNews. Let me know if there are specific programming, web design, or copywriting jobs you need done for your business. If I get enough submissions, we'll run with it.

Best Wishes,
Garrett + WebProNews Team

Top Four Internet Marketing Tools
By Scott Buresh

We've received many emails asking us what specific tools and technologies we use in our internet marketing initiatives. This article will highlight some of the most important software that we have at our disposal. It should be noted that, in most cases, there are many similar products that compete with the ones listed (and many of them are also excellent). However, we have found that the following products work best for our specific needs.
Read more here

Putting the A in the FAQs: How to Write Excellent FAQs that Answer User Questions
By Leslie O'Flahavan and Marilynne Rudick

You've hunted and clicked your way through the Web site, but you can't find the information you need. So you go to the FAQs. But the FAQ section is like a vast junk drawer, filled with a jumble of information. Thirty-nine questions organized alphabetically by the first word in the question, not the topic?! Questions arranged chronologically…in the order they were asked?! Maybe the answer to your question is in there somewhere, but you’ll never find it.
Read more here

Software Downloads
	Web Center	avast!

Dan Thies Answers Your SEO Questions
By Dan Thies

Q: What is going to happen when Yahoo starts using Inktomi results?
Dan's Answer

Q: I've had a lot of success with most of the search engines, but my manual submissions to Alta Vista are not getting posted. I am not spamming and have followed all the rules. Any ideas?
Dan's Answer

Q: Is link pop software any good or worth it? Like ARELIS 3 or OptiLink?
Dan's Answer

Q: I have a client who would like to design her home page so that it looks like a postcard. The little bit of text that will be on the home page will be in a handwriting font, which means, then, that the entire page will be a graphic. I know text on the home page is important for SE placement. Is there any way around this?
Dan's Answer

Visit BrazilianMemories Travel.com Send your reviews here

Site for Review: http://www.brazilianmemoriestravel.com/

Mission Statement for Brazilian Memories Travel Website:
To attract interested vacation planners with an appealing, tropical themed site. Once they enter the site it is our goal to provide helpful, useful and interesting travel planning information. When there is an interested party, the site should guide them to inquire further via the phone or e-mail. Hopefully the visitors will have a pleasant visual experience as well as learning something from the content.

I have tried linking my site to others, I've hired a company to help in submitting my site to search engines and also optimizing my website, I included key words that would be helpful in finding my website, I have looked through my webhost to see where people are entering and leaving (usually it's the homepage).

I have put a lot into this but have received no sales from my website. I am a member of several boards, the chamber of commerce for example, so that I can get listed on their site.

Visit BrazilianMemoriesTravel.com
Send your reviews here

Meet the Readers

Name: John J. Genord
Name of your company: D'Agostini, Sable, Ruggeri & Beeding, P.L.L.C.

Why do we read WebProNews?
I find the articles on Web Pro News to be informative and timely with respect to internet site development. The articles on internet site design and search engine positioning are particularly useful. I would suggest a future article on evaluating and comparing the different e-mail newsletter programs that are available as this is something I am working on implementing for our firm. With the merger of the firms, the site is soon going to be revamped and many of the ideas obtained through Web Pro News will be implemented.

What is our company's competitive edge?
We are a multi-specialty law firm practicing in several areas. Our site contains information for readers on various legal issues including seminars offered by the firm. Simply put, our competitive edge is providing our clients and the public useful legal information.

URL: http://www.beedinghacker.com
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