I think I have your attention now.

Twitter is going to roll out “t.co” URL shortener which will help you shorten the long URLs that you are currently used to shortening using Bit.ly etc. The purpose of this new feature is to serve as a benefit to the end user (you) and help Twitter’s bottom line. So far so good…

Clicks will be logged by Twitter if you use “t.co” URL shortener. Data will be used to figure out what works and what doesn’t in terms of popularity and then algorithms will be implemented to help advertisers maximize ROI.

It’s capitalism dude, businesses have the right to make money.

True, I am all for Twitter being successful and making money but I don’t think Twitter can safeguard my privacy.

Fail whale, anyone? How reliable are Twitter data centers? How secure are its servers?

It will take one hacker with a simple yet devastating exploit to access the logs and then make it available to the world. Twitter click data can be a goldmine for advertisers. They will pay for access to YOUR clicking habits and interests.

In a perfect world I would say that even that is harmless.

The real problem is when the click data is used to prosecute you on the basis of circumstantial evidence. Government, Lawyers etc requesting Twitter to turn over data that can then be used against you in court of law. That’s frightening!

Here are few suggestions for Twitter team:

- Let user opt out of click tracking.
- Anonymize the data after 72 hours
- Hire a decent privacy lawyer wiling to fight the government from accessing private data derived from clicks.

That said, I simply love Twitter. Why?

Twitter sent me an email announcing it’s new features. When was the last time Facebook sent an email saying they are going to introduce new features? They don’t even do it when they make private data available to the advertisers and the world.

I know it is ironic, on one hand they care about users and on the other they are implementing features that track user habits. Why not just charge people with over 5000 followers a low monthly fee? That would solve quite a few problems, #1 being spam.

I am not writing today about privacy but only hinting towards what the future holds for privacy. Facebook Places will soon change the way we keep our friends posted about where we are at any given point in time. Most of you know Foursquare as the more successful version of what Facebook Places will be once it is unleashed to the rest of the world. At this moment if I were in the Foursquare camp; I would be looking for a suitor.

Future of Foursquare is bleak and there are number of reasons.

Business Model

Foursquare lacks it, Facebook has nailed it.

It is one thing to have Starbucks offer $1 off to mayors than it is to struck a deal with Microsoft at the tune of $240 Million. Facebook has the love of advertisers no matter how you look at it. Apart from geeks, no one really knows what Foursquare is and why they should use it.

Psychology

Foursquare is by choice, Facebook is by default.

Most people who use Facebook know what they are getting into, apart from occasional criminals and school teachers. Facebook has turned my generation, Gen Y, into hungry and to-the-minute-keep-me-informed-about-the-most-mundane-details machine. Facebook users will just gobble down places as another feature that lets them broadcast their location to their friend because they don’t care about privacy. Why use two different services to practically achieve the same result? It is easier to adapt Facebook’s new feature because you are already using all the other features and it is a matter of time. Can you say the same about Foursquare?

Size

Foursquare is Chicago, Facebook is the 3rd largest country.

Foursquare’s almost 3 Million users don’t even come close to Facebook’s 500 Million plus members. Who ever told you that size doesn’t matter was not really being honest. Size does matter; no matter what the situation. Foursquare can claim to be the first service of its kind but sometimes to be the first doesn’t mean anything. Even though Facebook is playing catch-up; it can still leverage its enormous user base and gain market share.

To summarize… Foursquare is not going to be around that long. I have stopped using Foursquare…

What do you think? Will Foursquare survive?

Do tag clouds help or hinder SEO? (or do they have no affect)

What is a Tag Cloud?

A tag cloud is a visual depiction of the keywords (topics) on a blog. Blog posts are marked by certain keywords, all the keywords combined make a tag cloud. Depending on the importance of a keyword or its prominence on the blog, the tags can be larger or smaller in size. Here is an example:

Most blogs have tag clouds instead of categories, some have both. Tags are links pointing to archives on your blog for that particular keyword. An example would be SEO

In answer to the question, Matt Cutts Suggests You Should Not Use Tag Clouds. His reasoning is simple; tags are bunch of links. It is never a good idea to stuff your blog with links, that’s a big NO NO.

He personally doesn’t have tags on his blog, instead he uses categories. Watch the video:

Do you use tag clouds on your blog? Does this video make you think about your decision to use tag clouds?

This post is not about SEO or ranking # 1 on Google (that will come later) but about how to create your small business listing on Google Places.

Google Places is similar to Yelp but the only difference is that it is not dominated by bunch of people in their 30s deciding what is good or bad for the rest of us. It is also similar to online yellow pages but smarter with reviews, maps, coupons, statistics and control over each and every aspect of your business identity.

When someone searches for a product or service you sell, Google shows web results as well as results from Google Places and that’s what makes Google Places a crucial online marketing tool.

Here is how you can create your small business listing on Google Places by following these 4 easy steps:

1) Claim it

The first step involves claiming your listing if it is already published on Google Places. If not, you can create one in less than 5 minutes. Just go to Google Places and click on Add New Business. You will need a Google Account in order to complete the registration.

2) Work it

Don’t just put a sentence describing your business. Work at making your listing stand out by providing Google with information it asks you for. Upload photos of your business (at least a logo), videos (if any), select multiple categories (if it applies), service areas (geographical area you serve), timings (open Sundays?), and payment methods (VISA, Master Card etc). You won’t have to do this every day so spend some time on providing as much information as you can.

3) Legitimize it

Most websites have fake testimonials (hint: bunch of people in their 30s) but it is not possible (not impossible) to have fake testimonials on Google Places because business owners are not in control of the reviews. You can legitimize your Google Places listing by asking current and former satisfied customers to write good reviews for your business.

4) Publicize it

You have done the hard part now publicize the link to your businesses on Google Places. Tweet it, Like it on Facebook, blog about it, and email it to your friends.

I just gave you the information that I personally used to create the Google Places listing for my Tax and Accounting Services business. Here is what happens if you end up at the top of Google Places search results within your selected business category and keywords.

Searching for ‘Tax Preparation Saratoga, CA’ brings up the following results for my business:

Search results of other terms associated with my business are similar. Since this post is not about ranking on the top of Google Places results, I am not going to speculate as to why my listing is on the top but you have my permission to speculate. Ranking high on Google Places is a topic I will discuss later…

The interesting part is that if I lived in Saratoga and searched for tax preparation services without using Saratoga, CA as a search term, the result would still be the above page. Google knows where you search from if you are logged in to your Google account. There is also an option that allows you to tell Google what zip code or city you are in and then it saves it. Big daddy.

Let’s recap:

Claim your listing on Google Places, work on it to make it complete, ask your current customers to write a short and sweet review and then start publicizing it. Once you are done with the listing, give it few days and you will start showing up in search results for certain keywords associated with your business.

If you have questions, suggestions or feedback about my post; use the comment box below. If you would like to thank me, share this post with others

Looks intense and has a very dark feel to it. That’s because it is directed by David Fincher, in the past he has made Seven and Zodiac.

Can’t wait…