Actually, anyone with a high school reading level and a basic understanding of SEO could optimize a website and generate traffic and business for their website. SEO works off of the theory that properly placed keywords can catapult you to the top rankings in search engines, thus increasing your click-throughs, and potentially people who are going to view your ads or buy your product.

People use keywords when searching using search engines – so try to replicate this behavior by using popular or common (or not so common!) search keywords in your website text or blog posts. Knowing what keywords work best for your target audience is most important. It usually takes using different variations of the same keywords to get the full effect of keywords on your site. For example, if I am writing about Android Apps, I am going to use the keywords Android, Android Apps, Android Applications, Android Programs, etc. Hopefully, the use of different keywords will give me a better chance of ranking higher in search engine results.

Go back and edit old posts or copy to add new or updated phrases and keywords. Watch out for making sentences awkward or completely changing the tone or meaning of old posts or text – but instead enhance the reader’s experience – thus generating more traffic or sales!

Check your website’s stats and see what the popular search terms are; where are people coming from? Is your blog or website about cooking, but you keep getting hits on beach bikinis? Maybe you should stop writing about your summer fun and more about cooking – or change the focus totally to having fun at the beach! It’s really up to you to make SEO fun and easy – and you might not need that SEO expert, afterall!

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Fudge Drops – If you like brownies, or if you’re just a choc-a-holic, these are a must do. Feel free to change around the chocolate types and forms you use in the recipe. I’ve used dark chocolate, semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate. I’ve also used chips and bars individually and combined them at times.

Peanut Butter Cookies – This recipe is the one I used and I used crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth peanut butter. This recipe yielded only about 18 cookies for me, so the second time I doubled the recipe.

Chocolate Chip – A favorite year after year. If you make em right, lots of people will be happy. I didn’t try the rocky road bar mentioned in the article though certainly that’s on my “to do” list.

Snickerdoodles – One of my all time favorite cookies. Simple, quick and tasty. The recipe calls for a certain amount of sugar and cinnamon in the mixture you roll the dough balls in – I mix according to my taste, so I actually put in more cinnamon than it called for.

What kind of cookies do you like? What do you have with them? (I prefer a huge cup of whole milk with mine)

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Below you’ll find my handpicked list of 10 great Android apps that are a must for new Android owners. Tell me your favorites in the comments! I’d love to hear from you!

Note that I’ve included QR code for each download, too, so you should get Barcode Scanner (go to the Marketplace and search for “Barcode Scanner” and install on your device) before using the QR codes with your phone’s camera.

1. Twidroid is my favorite Twitter application for Android. It comes in a free version and a paid PRO version, but both offer great features. I use the free version because I don’t need bit.ly support or multiple account support, either. The color scheme is a little perky, but you get used to it. If it bothers you, get the PRO version and change the theme!

2. Get your shopping done with the Amazon.com app! Securely log in to your Amazon.com account, view your cart, shop for items and check out all from your Android device. The interface is clean and easy to use, and I have used it a couple of times, including ordering for Christmas.

3. Last.fm is a great music streaming application. The user interface is easy to navigate and the selection of music is as vast and varied as your preferences allow! There are limits to how many hours you can stream music on your phone and online. However, the quality is good and I experience little buffering.

4. Along the same lines as Last.fm is Pandora. When I run out of free listening on Last.fm, then I switch to the very popular Pandora for listening to tunes while I’m on the go. My only complaint is that you can’t save the streams to your phone for listening when you don’t have a data or wi-fi connection.

5. CardioTrainer keeps track of my exercise routines, how much I’ve walked, run or biked using GPS or maps, plus the paid version unlocks more features that would be useful to anyone interested in a healthy lifestyle.

6. Love movies? Fandango makes it so simple to view movie trailers, buy movie tickets, find theaters and read movie reviews from your Android phone.

7. Google Sky Map will make any iPhone user insanely jealous and make you look cool to your friends and kids. By using your phone’s GPS, you can navigate the night sky and show off constellations and other heavenly bodies with minimal effort but a big cool factor.

8. Jewels is a free Bejeweled knock-off, but don’t let the pricetag fool you. You can play in Normal or Timed mode, save games and come back to them later and keep track of your high scores. The game is challenging and the colors pop off of the phone’s screen.

9. Just because Android allows you to run programs in the background doesn’t mean you have to let programs run in the background. Get Advanced Task Killer and quickly exit out of programs that are running. I find it most useful for quitting Sprint Navigation, which comes bundled with my phone but I don’t use. You can whitelist programs from being forced closed by ATK, too. Very helpful for saving battery life and freeing up memory.

10. Google Voice was banned from the Apple App Store, but it is offered in the Android Market for users of Android phones. Make all of your calls via Google Voice or select the option on a call by call basis. You can also view Google Voice voicemail transcripts and text messages on your phone from the native-looking client. It’s a great addition to a good phone.

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Chorus – A pretty neat application I came across that works far better than the standard App Store. It works like a social networking application and you find applications based on your interests, your friends interests, or just by a regular search. When you find an app you like, Chorus lets you know what apps are similar that you might find interesting. Just like the regular App Store, it lets you search through paid and free apps and even gives you friends to start with as you build your friend base in the program.

Dropbox – Actually just came across this really cool storage application. Dropbox is an online storage solution with up to 2GB free, then paid levels above that. You can use Dropbox online, on your computer and access files via your iPhone. You can have all kinds of files – music, photos, documents – and share them with others if you choose. Either way, your files are secure. Only downside is that you can’t upload anything from your phone or download to the phone. Definitely useful though.

Chipotle Ordering – If you’re working hard and find yourself craving Chipotle but don’t have time to stand in line because you need to get back to work (or truthfully are just too lazy to stand in line after you get there), order your food with this app from any Chipotle location and pick it up. You pay via the app (which is linked to your online Chipotle account so none of your info is stored on your phone) and just pickup at the time you specified. I used it and it made me happy! (Just in case you’re wondering, I’m a steak fajita bowl type of girl)

Starbucks Mobile Card – As a student/professional I rely on some coffee or tea to make it through a lot of busy/hectic days. I have a Starbucks card since they are on my campus but I can’t always get to my computer to check my card balance or add money. Never fear this app is made by Starbucks to help you manage your card on the go. Mmmm I can taste that Venti White Chocolate Mocha now!

PS Mobile – I’ve been disappointed with the iPhone camera sometimes but this app makes it all better. Just like regular PhotoShop, you can crop and edit photos and make them look great to then send to others. You can upload your photos to PhotoShop.com if you choose (you’ll have to setup an account). While this doesn’t offer everything the regular application does, it makes me happy to be able to crop and brighten some of the dark photos the iPhone seems to routinely take.

Nikon L&E – Speaking of photos, the Nikon L&E (Learn and Explore) app helps you learn more about different photography methods and tools. If you know a lot or just know what a camera is, you’ll find something useful to learn or look at and read about photography. There are articles on shooting techniques, image editing and other fundamentals of photography and all are written to make sense to normal people. Of course since this is made by Nikon, it refers to a lot of Nikon info especially in the image library, so just be mindful about that as you work with it.

Women’s Health Workouts Lite – Do you need some awesome workouts for on the go? This free version of the Women’s Health Workouts app is useful to pick up some new exercise ideas and for some pretty neat workouts based on your needs. It’s designed for women, but there is a free app for men as well. These workouts can fit in your time available and give you the best for your time. Want more? Check out their website for some video downloads for your iPhone.

Sherwin Williams ColorSnap – Do you see a color you really like on say your friend’s sweater and decide that’s want to paint your walls? Open this app, take a picture of what you see and it’ll tell you the color. It’ll even give you a color palette to pick from. The only downside of this app is that sometimes it gives me a slightly more dull color than what I saw but hey, use the PS Mobile app, lighten it up and come back to it! Then when you’re done, find a Sherwin Williams store and go pick up your paint.

F-MyLife – Ok this is the beginning of the procrastination section. If you’ve ever been on the FML website, you know how much fun and time consuming it can be. I could spend hours reading and laughing (and saying “ew”) at the entries. Now you can do it on your phone. Not only can you browse, you can search through entries by entry date and even “shake” to get a random FML. There are several other FML apps and MLIA apps out there as well, including “official” apps. Check those out too for endless laughter!

Paper Toss – The procrastination game here is a computer classic paper toss. Need I explain more? You can toss a ball of paper into a garbage can and aim for a high score. Lotsa fun.

What iPhone apps do you use? How do you like these? Talk to me folks!

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1. Restart your Android phone. (This step may be skipped by some users; others will find the computer doesn’t recognize the phone’s SD card without a restart of the phone.)
2. Plug your USB cord that came with the phone to the phone, and connect to the Mac.
3. Go to Settings >  Applications > Development on your phone and click on USB Debugging.
4. Drag down the notifications window and click on USB Connection. Click on Mount.
5. Now you’ll see the drive “No Name” on your desktop. You can now copy files to/from your SD drive.

Be sure to eject the disk from your Mac when you are done using it, then unmount via the phone’s notifications dialog.

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Below is my list of some great gifts for anyone on your list. They can all be purchased at Amazon.com and delivered by Christmas. I have ordered from them in the past, and their gift wrapping is professional and seasonal.

1. Amazon Kindle – The electronic book reader by Amazon is the most popular e-book reader on the market. At $259, it is affordable for most people and a great gadget for the geek on your list.
2. The iHome Clock Radio for iPods and iPhones is a great addition to any bedroom or kitchen. I’m getting one for my bedroom this year, so I can listen to my iPod via speakers and consolidate speakers and my clock radio.
3. No Christmas is complete without jewelry for the special woman in your life – Amazon’s Sterling Silver Butterfly pendant is delicate and feminine, yet strong enough for daily wear. I love this piece.
4. Have a chef on your list? What about a cookbook for crockpot cooking to help them expand their cooking skills and save time while adding healthier options to their menu selections?
5. Richard Scarry’s Best Storybook Ever! is a great gift for a child on your list. I would suggest this book for kids up to 8. The stories are easy to understand and the illustrations are top notch!

Do you have gift ideas? Let’s hear it in the comments!

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There are three more exceptional features that I think are must-haves for any serious Gmail user. They are: drag and drop, Google Voice in Gmail and keyboard shortcuts.

Rolled out across all accounts is the option to drag and drop emails from your inbox (or label view) to another label and drag and drop labels onto messages. You can now make it a bit easier to sort through and organize emails. Simply click on the little dots right before the checkmark box on your email and drag the message to the specified label or the trash.

Photos courtesy of Gmail Blog.

Google Voice is only available by invitation only, but if you are one of the lucky ones who secured an invite, why not make it easier to listen to voicemails by adding Google Voice to Gmail? In Gmail Labs, search for the “Google Voice player in mail” and enable. Remember to save your updates. Now, when you get email notifications of new voicemails, you’ll see a mini audio player at the bottom of your email. Click play and listen directly from Gmail to your new voicemails.

Gmail is a great tool for productivity – you can add gadgets to your sidebar and enable all sorts of features using Gmail Labs. But no tool is as useful as the keyboard shortcuts built in to Gmail. Be sure you’ve activated the keyboard shortcuts by going to Settings and selecting “Keyboard shortcuts on” and saving the changes. Press the question mark (?) to bring up a cheatsheet of shortcuts or print a copy of the shortcuts from Gmail’s help page. Once you learn the shortcuts, you’ll save a lot of time and your mouse might miss you using it constantly!

What’s your favorite Gmail feature? Let’s hear it in the comments!

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I was watching the show, thought it was all staged until I checked Twitter and Facebook – and realized, along with millions of other people, that this was not a joke. Kanye West really did smash this young artists’ heart with his boot heel.

What he did was wrong, but why does Kanye West matter?

It’s not the person that matters in the case of this unfortunate situation – it is really the outburst itself that deserves some attention. Kanye himself confessed, according to some media outlets, to drinking alcohol before the awards show. Dedicated fans also know that one of his mentors is married to Beyonce, who did NOT win the award. Kanye is also known as outspoken, sometimes at the most inopportune times.

The outburst matters because it showed how unclassy people can be when they drink. I grew up around adults who drank – and drank often. I quickly learned that I didn’t like being around drinkers that misbehaved (talked loudly, said inappropriate things, etc.). The idea of losing control of your self-control and civilized manner just never appealed to me. There’s an old saying, “A Drunk Mind Speaks a Sober Heart.” While that is very true in many aspects (you lose control over what you are saying/doing because of the alcohol), it doesn’t mention anything about responsibility or caring about others through your actions.

Keeping your mouth closed is a surefire way to prove yourself to be admirable. Most of us can’t admire someone who just shoots off at the mouth because they can. Whether you are mouthing off because of genuine belief in something or just to hear yourself talk, are you caring or thinking about who may be hurt? Even if you aren’t religious, the adage, “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you,” should guide your actions and thoughts as you journey through life. Life is too short and relationships are too valuable to treat them like trash.

Taylor Swift is still very young and early in her career. Do you think she wants to be known as, “The girl Kanye flipped out on” for the rest of her career? Does she want to talk to reporters about what happened Sunday instead of record sales, musical inspirations, new singles or even what dress she’s wearing to the next awards show? I seriously doubt it.

I do not agree with Jay Leno asking Kanye (paraphrasing here) “What would your mama think?” but the question drove home the point that Kanye did not think before he acted – and spoke. One could easily just ask, “What would Jesus do” or “What would _____ do” as a starting point for learning how to respond differently to difficult situations.

Kanye West – and each of us – has a responsibility to use this as a teaching moment for the most impressionable amongst us. We need to step up and say that actions like this are uncalled for, disrespectful and mean-spirited. Instead of gossiping about it or making allegations about the meaning behind West’s actions (i.e. racism), we should use this outburst as a motivator to choose to treat people in our lives differently. Will we stand up for respecting each other instead of tearing others down? Will we condone behavior that leads to negative consequences? Or will we continue to give people passes because of celebrity, community standing or age?

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photo credit: ??

Other than the long commute, I have been doing some reading about urban planning and thinking about my plans for the fall. One of my projects will be completely digitizing some old cards and photos.

I hope all is well with all of you!

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