For quite some time now, I’ve been using an RSS syndication tool called Yahoo Pipes, and I have to say, it’s the best around, especially if your goal is to mash feeds.  Combining RSS feeds is certainly nothing new.  And, there are other, probably simpler ways including Feed Blendr, RSS Mix and FEEDcombine.  But without a doubt, Yahoo Pipes provides you the most in terms of features and functionality.

There are two examples of using Yahoo Pipes (RSS mash ups) right on this website.  There first, combines all of Dan DeRoeck, LLC feeds (less clients sites of course) and another that pulls in content from various small business feeds and one we are going to use an example.

To create a simple pipe such as the Small Business mash up found on this site, follow these steps:

1. Go to Yahoo Pipes.

2. Sign into your Yahoo! account – you will need to create one if you don’t have one.

3. Click on Create a Pipe

4. For simplicity, let’s stay with the example and combine two RSS feeds.  Select Fetch Site Feed – simply copy and paste the RSS Feed URL into the box.  Continue adding feeds until you have included all of the ones you want to combine.

5. To sort the feed, click on Operators to expand the selection and drag the Sort function over to the work area.

6. Next, simply drag the connectors to the each box starting from the URL’s.

7. Save and run the pipe to make sure it works.  Then, click on Back to my Pipes.

8. Amost done. Now, select Create an RSS Feed.  This will provide you the script to copy to the place you want the RSS Feed to reside, website, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

That’s it!  You’ve just created a Yahoo Pipe that combines two feeds.

Below, is the exact pipe found on this site called “Small Business Mash Up”:

To view it in more detail, simply click on the image.

As you can see, mashing feeds into one simple, graceful solution is rather easy.  This is a very powerful way of syndicating multiple sources into one feed that allows you to extend your content.

More news that confirms local search is getting stronger amongst people researching the Internet for products and services.

The latest Kelsey Group study came out March 10th and concluded that an astounding 97% of consumers use the Internet to research local products and services before committing. Below is the results of the study showing what tools or sources people used for local search:

* 90% use search engines
* 48% use Internet Yellow Pages
* 42% use comparison shopping sites
* 24% use vertical sites

This study only confirms that local businesses need to take massive action to get a piece of the pie. No longer is settling advertising on convenient mediums such as yellow pages, radio or even television. Mobile phones will only solidify the already strong presence the Internet plays on local marketing.

In today’s fast moving, competitive business world, doing business has become survival of the fittest -  getting your business listed in Google Maps is the first place to start.

So the real question is – can your customers find you in the Google Maps?  Can you afford not to be part of the biggest advertising media of all time?  Please read on, because it’s not as difficult as it may seem.

First a little background on the growth of Local Search.

In a recent study by Kelsey Group study, it was reported 70% of U.S. Households Now Use the Internet When Shopping Locally for Products and Services.  This number is certain to rise exponentially in the coming years as the Internet continues its onward march upward. Add mobile search to the mix, and we are looking at a media outlet never before seen.  This is also an incredible opportunity for people looking for your services and/or products.  And the best part – small businesses can compete on an even playing field.

Here’s a an example of how adding a business to Google Local Business Center (LBC) added visibility to one of my clients.

A law firm in Troy, Michigan, Garmo & Kiste, PLC Attorneys and Counselors at Law, realized the value of optimizing their site for local search.  Prior to implementing an SEO strategy, they were nowhere to be found on the local search radar – non-existent for organic (free) search listings and in most cases, buried 7 pages deep on the Google Maps for major keywords related to their business.  Let’s take “Troy Michigan Attorneys” as an example.

Below, is a screen shot I took after some local search optimization, on January 29th, 2010.

Click here to enlarge image (will open a new window)

As you can see they are not only #1 on the LBC, they are also #1 in the organic section for the keyword “Troy Michigan Attorneys.”  Now getting listed #1 organically takes more than just getting your business listed in the LBC.  But as you can see, getting your name atop the 7-Pack can boost for your company’s visibility like no other.

And here’s the great part. Getting listed in Google Maps is not difficult.

Simply go to Google Local Business Center (Google LBC) and create a business listing. There will be a series of prompts to answer about your business. You need to know how to fill in the information so that you have a better chance of getting listed in the 7-Pack, but never fear. Optimizing your business for the Google LBC is not difficult either and we will walk you through this in an upcoming video.

In summary, the visibility the Google Maps provides local businesses unparalleled media exposure.  Better than newspaper, radio and the Yellow Pages.  So, if you are not listed in the Google LBC, you will be doing yourself a huge favor by starting today.  Think of it as it as putting up a free billboard for your business on I-75 (or any busy freeway for that matter), to be seen by thousands.

The jury is still out on any SEO benefits of hCards. The search engines nowadays (speaking primarily of Google of course) are very sophisticated and certainly smart enough to determine the actual location of your business. That said, I think the hCard simplicity and structure warrants consideration for your website.

To make your hCard, use the hCard Creator using XHTML mark up to identify somebody or some place.  Use the hCard and embed it on your site.  The search engines are able to read the mark up language and hopefully isolate something you want emphasized, name, address, city, etc.

The actual benefits are still yet to be officially identified.  However Google’s made it official by its assent to the hCard.  Google’s acceptance coupled with Yahoo’s long-time stand on hCard proves it may be something to consider.  By using simple and consistent syntax, you may be ahead of the game in the end.

Choosing a web host for your business website is a very important aspect to an overall web marketing plan. However, many small business owners I have come across, do not put enough thought into choosing the right web host for their business.  And from what I’ve seen, the reason is simple.  They simply do not have the time to research web hosting. But believe me, it’s important and should not be overlooked.

Let’s face it, the furthest thing from a small business owners mind is whether they will be able to run php, MySQL, or have enough bandwidth to implement a new feature – and rightfully so. They are too busy solving their day-to-day business problems, to be worried about whether their website can run Joomla, Wordpress, or some other software or script.

So, this is not an in-depth article on web hosting. This is simply to raise the awareness or importance to the decision process.

First of all, make sure your hosting can support Linux.  I am perhaps bias when it comes to an operating system.  However I can say with confidence, Linux is one of the most stable, versatile and robust operating systems available today. This is not a post meant to bash Microsoft, only to bring awareness that there are many things available today that will blow the socks of MS.

Some things to look for when choosing a web hosting are:

Features – again, running on a server capable of supporting open source should be an important aspect.  In my opinion, you should stay away from ASP.net servers, they are do not support some of the most popular platforms, or at least it’s difficult to use the software of choice, i.e. Wordpress. cPanel is one of the most

Reliability (up-time) – make sure you choose a hosting service that has a proven track record for keeping their servers up and running.

Upgrades – make sure your hosting keeps their servers up to date with the more recent version of software and patches.

Price – of course price is important.  However you will find hosting pricing is competitively priced – that’s because it has become a commodity. Basic hosting is not expensive anymore so it really should be “part of the package” or a side bar, when talking to SEOs.

Customer Service Support – never overlook how a company perceives its customers.  You will no doubt need a good support team to back you when the going gets tough.  Always choose a company that values its customers by putting an emphasis on customer support.

Some recommended hosting that I personally recommend are as follows:
Host Gator
Blue Host
Host Monster

There you have it, some basic things to look for when choose a small business web hosting services.

We will be looking more closely at hosting features in up coming posts!