Search Engine Optimization - I need your help

[Mike1]

Quite a few still do not use bots and expect you to apply to them to attach your web site to their search engine. Yahoo being one of those (excepting the fact Yahoo is not technically a search engine).

Well, I don't want to give up the play book, but we've been supplying Goober and Yahoo with some daily bait for some time now. And if you look closely at some of the "guests" we've been getting, you'll see that they seem to like our RSS feeds, as well. Shhhh, don't tell anyone.

I'm am curious whether these are meta tags or some kind of new tags.

They are just keywords. But they are also LINKED keywords. People laugh because I refer to them as spider food. Some believe that meta words and phrases aren't that critical any longer. So I just sit back, smile and agree with them, whilst watching the tag links from my own forums climbing in the SERPS.

Understanding this technology is certainly an opportunity to better market the web site.

BAH! Market, schmarket. Let me tell you something about the "marketing" rumors around here. People don't want to conform to the forum rules and they get their noses out of joint because we won't conform our rules to them. So, they try to point their dirty little fingers at this site by complaining about something. Apparently since there's nothing else they can find to gripe about, they gripe about us trying to pay the overhead. They apparently don't see the commercials on television, or hear them on radio, or see the billboards on the roads, or the ads in the newspapers. It's just Hank and the rest of us that are the evil monetizers. Whatever... I wonder how Avonlea would feel if he ran into a forum that charges its members for premium forum access. We don't charge our members a single cent and he's griping about that, so how would he feel about the other? Boggles the mind, doesn't it?

There are those individuals that build up and there are those that tear down. <shrug> I don't need to point my fingers, you can sort the players by the fruit they bear.

For the record, I've no idea of the earnings or the earning potential of this site. Frankly, it's none of my business. I was invited (note - invited and NOT hired) to become a part of the staff and I accepted. I enjoy the site, the members and the people I work with. I receive absolutely no compensation, other than the simple satisfaction of watching this site grow.

The only time I am ever concerned with dollars on this site is when I'm trying to get Hank to spend some of them. (And I've a couple of requests on the table at present. ) Other than that, I simply don't care. As long as Hank can keep the lights turned on, that is all I need to worry about.

I find it interesting that Avonlea is so concerned about it, however. I've no interest in his career or what he's paid for it. It's never come up in conversation with other staff members, either. I'll leave you to form your own opinions on his apparent "concern".

BTW, you guys are doing a great job! Thanks for giving the likes of us such a great place to hang out

Ooops, now there is a form of compensation I neglected to mention. Every now and then, someone says something kind and we really appreciate it when it happens.

Cajunscot - Kiltedmusiclover - Freelander Sporrano - Colin - Panache - Rufus

Those are the fellows you want to thank. I see what they do, every day. I see what they go through, every day. And I'm here to tell you, they deserve every bit of praise they get. They've earned it.

And just for the record - to the naysayers like Avonlea, I always like to point out that we have a strict forum policy of never holding anyone hostage. No member has ever been forced to log into this site and no member ever will. We don't hold people here against their will, anyone is free to log out whenever they choose. If we're not your cup of tea, we're sorry and we sincerely hope you will find a community more to your liking.

And that's me, off to find wherever Panache seems to be hiding at present.