Free Article SEO, Traffic blog, Affiliate, Ads, PPC

How Email Marketing Can Help SEO

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:41:00 +0000

Creating valid HTML email newsletters and announcements with a canonical link element can help marketers boost find engine optimization

The canonical link element, which is often referred to as rel="canonical," (pronounced rel canonical, no "equals") is a way of describing the preferred URL for some particular web page. find engines, including Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, all respect this element and will typically favor the specified canonical link in find results. Since December 2009, most find engines have allowed the canonical link to point astride domains, so that a page on examplecom. could point to — and therefore transfer any SEO benefits to — a page on samplecom.

For the most part, the canonical link element has been used to avoid confusing find engines with duplicate content within a domain or on related sites. A find engine like Google would see wwwexamplecom,. examplecom,. examplecom/,. and examplecom/indexhtml. as four separate pages even though the web server points each to the same content

During a recent episode of the respected Marketing above Coffee podcast, Christopher Penn suggested using rel="canonical" in HTML email newsletters or announcements because of the popularity of "view in browser" links that open an email's. content as a web page on the email service provider's. site.

SEO Sidecars More Trouble than They're Worth

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:37:00 +0000

I'll. find right to the point. You can't. bolt a couple of pages onto the edge of your ecommece site like a sidecar to a motorcycle and call it find engine optimization. Or, rather, you may launch your SEO sidecar but it won't. achieve the organic find performance you desire without applying additional SEO strategies.

The Sidecar Effect

I hear this often: "I understand I need more content, good content, on my site. So I hired a writer, did the keyword research, designed these new pages and linked to them from my sitemap, but I'm. still not ranking. Why?"

I call this the SEO sidecar: a section of content (the sidecar) that is topically relevant to the primary ecommerce site (the motorcycle) connected by a thin link rather than integrated into the core functionality of the machine (the ecommerce site)

The SEO sidecar, like many outdated SEO strategies, had some success numerous years ago. But Google's. Farmer-Panda update earlier this year killed these tactics. That's. the glory of focusing on the core principles of SEO — crawlability, relevance, high quality and unequaled content, and quality links for the content that needs to rank — rather than shortcuts.

find engine optimization in its most basic form is around optimizing one page of content at one URL for one keyword phrase. There are lots of ways to scale SEO so that the process is more automated and streamlined, but at the end of the day the pages you truly want to rank — your motorcycle, not the sidecar — need to be the pages you optimize with valuable, relevant content.

Two Missing Elements
Now, let's assume the SEO sidecar content itself is valuable to users and well written. Let's assume that it's not what marketers would refer to scornfully as "SEO content" with lots of obvious keyword repetition that adds no real user value. You could, of course, do a lot of external link building to your SEO sidecar, thereby increasing its link popularity and chance of ranking. But because it's not integral to the site, the SEO sidecar typically lacks the following two critical SEO elements.
1. Internal Links. The SEO sidecar exists because marketers would rather not muck up their sleek ecommerce sites with SEO elements like optimized title tags, headings and a bit of descriptive content and cross links. I argue that, once designed well, SEO, branding and usability may and should coexist peacefully. But the SEO sidecar typically takes the simple way out and skimps on branding, design and user value in favor of emphasizing the SEO elements. The result is poor internal linking to the SEO sidecar content, because no one in the company truly wants users to truly see the SEO sidecar.

Unfortunately, poor internal linking means that the SEO sidecar not only has to work hard for external links, it typically has to subsist on just one link from its own ecommerce site. find engines take this lack of internal linking to the SEO sidecar as a big vote of no confidence in the content. If the site itself isn't. confident in the SEO sidecar, then why on earth should the find engines trust it enough to rank it well? And because it has no link popularity to begin with, it has none to share back into the primary ecommerce site. That is, unless you spend the time and resources to pump external links into the sidecar, once they'd. be improved spent building links to the primary optimized ecommerce content.
2. Conversion elements. So let's. say you've. built the links and you're. getting traffic to the SEO sidecar content. But it doesn't. convert because the conversion elements reside in the motorcycle rather than the sidecar. If you're. going to spend time building quality links to your content, why not just build them to the primary converting ecommerce content you meant to boost once you created the sidecar in the first place?

Summary

To create the SEO sidecar viable as an SEO strategy requires creating excellent content that users will want to consume, building links to it and developing conversion elements to drive sales or subscriptions. All of this is hard work, and the core of a strong SEO plan. Unfortunately, it's. aimed at propping up the SEO sidecar, which isn't. effective today as an SEO strategy. If similar resources and strategies were applied instead to optimizing the primary ecommerce site, you'd. see improved results in sorter time. Forget the sidecar, optimize the motorcycle and ride off into the sunset. Or alternately, build an amazing sidecar and integrate it fully with the motorcycle so that the whole site is strengthened.

By Jill Kocher

Why have thousands of online businesses, ‘Net advertisers and Web marketers selected 7Search to solve their Internet promotion puzzle?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:08:00 +0000

It’s easy - Quality Traffic and Low Bid Prices Equal A improved ROI! place the Pieces Together and Maximize Your Online Promotional Investment.

7Search is a leading pay-per-click find engine advertising network and has earned a respected status in the Web business community by focusing on the quality, and not just the quantity, of its find results.

7Search offers companies an economical and measurable opportunity to obtain new business leads and sales from the highest quality Internet traffic in the industry astride all business verticals. Partnerships with hundreds of niche web properties, find engines and portals in English speaking countries enable advertisers to connect their campaigns instantly to millions of targeted users with a improved ROI than any other PPC network.

If you are looking to expand your Internet reach and acquire more prospects, more leads, and more sales from your online advertising campaign, here are some reasons to select 7Search Advertising today to help solve your Internet promotion puzzle and why we have been the choice of smart and savvy Web marketers and advertisers since 1999.

TOP SEO Tactics Still Being Digital Marketing Best 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:46:00 +0000

In 2010 soon ended. Are we satisfied with the achievement of digital marketing campaigns we have finished in this year? Then a digital marketing plan what you will apply next year? Based on a poll conducted by numerous major online marketing companies, there is a conclusion that may be taken. There are 3 online marketing channels and tactics that you may apply in 2011. What? The top is not the answer nor a social media marketing emails. Rather: The best digital marketing tactics for 2011 is find Engine Optimization. Polling is presenting 44 different answers that may be selected by the participants, ranging from display advertising to spam. More than 200 readers participated in the poll process. once many signs that the indicator that the marketing budget began to recover behind the battered global financial crisis last year, many players are still focused marketing to plan the steps and strategies for online marketing the most effective and efficient for the year 2011.

We hope that the responses obtained from the survey may help them (the perpetrators marketing) to determine where the choice of budget plans and marketing strategies they are allocated next year.

The biggest response at this year's. survey reflects the views of the overall analysis included a find (search), social media, advertising (advertising), email content and email aliases. once social media marketing continues to gain exposure and gain the attention of various media as well as companies (which would increase the budget for investment-$ 12. billion in 2011, Forrester), find marketing (PPC and SEO) continues to be at the top share of the digital marketing ($ 207. billion in 2011, Forrester).

New players into the top 10 list this year is a content marketing is a reflection of increased awareness of the importance of providing something more than just products or services and benefits to customers so that they are interested to buy it. Content is the glue between SEO and Social Media. Content is often a source of social interaction in the online world and the content also may be shared and in-links, thus boosting the visibility associated with the find (search). Do not be surprised if later on you see the Content Marketing shoots up in the rankings next year. Content Marketing Spending Based on the report that was launched Junta42, 59% of participants surveyed marketing plan to improve the content marketing budget.

Advertise via Pay Per Click and Social Media is pretty good, but it truly depends on budget. Might be analogous to the topic of an Online Marketing Blog that focus less on advertising (advertising) rather than find Marketing, Social Media, Content Marketing and Online PR. Keep in mind, the results of this poll are a reflection of concern rather than a reflection of 232 responders to be generalized more broadly. However, it could be a very meaningful input. Given the Online Marketing Blog is often considered both as a marketing blog and has a significant readership in the marketing community.

How to make money from home now

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:19:00 +0000

Every day, thousands of people looking for ways to create money online. Every day, thousands of small businesses at home and looking for ways to grow their businesses through the current Internet technology. For the soil to create money from home now, it seems that the dream of many of us.

Many are ways to start or come to us to expand our online business. Last year around $ 260 billion in online transactions compared to last year, it's. $ 179 billion of transactions. It shows a huge increase in resources above the network. Then you are what you take the chance? You may start your online business and create money from home? Are you tired of your job now? You have your answer.

Many people start a business or an opportunity that will show your money to join if it says. There seems to be promising and the good to be true. And finally, behind the accession number of failures. Why? And because the company? And because the product? My answer is NO. And through you. Without the experience of how to on building your online business step, but finds it difficult to do.

In reality, what are you first? You need someone to help you step by step instructions on how to get your business, not a beginner or your marketing materials to keep pace. You must learn to invest in your business. Of course with the training that was provided have a major influence on him. This is an advantage if you may find it. In online marketing, every day a new day of learning, because that's. where you find your value.

Second, to discover, is that convenient and particularly important once the recession began, truly push the world most of us are not in a position offered opportunities high price. And so they'll. stop chasing your dreams? To win with hard work and desire, anything may be achieved.

I discovered that most people do not improve for lack of experience around the quality of traffic to a website and have no control above the outlook for the high quality traffic and convert sales. If you understand your audience, create it easier for you.

Information like this will be on how to help you create money at home now and you may start here

Libya opposition says more than 10 days to allow Mr Qaddafi's hometown

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:10:00 +0000

Libyan opposition says more than 10 days, so that's. saying hometown in August to November 29 seconds Yang on Wednesday, a commander of the Libyan opposition, 28, told that the opposition more than 10 days to be Gaddafi 'M. Gaddafi s Suerte hometown. The official told that the stock Suerte currently on the front with things Suerte and forth fighting, trying to persuade the crew to surrender, give up control.

But the need good handbagsif situation, they will fight. E ',. will be given scholarships awarded first salespeculation Gaddafi '. s hiding about the house could Suerte, 25 start to the day once NATO forces bombed Suerte. onlien pockets.

Munch My Articles – Free Article Grabber & Spinner

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:51:00 +0000

I am very pleased to tell you my free article grabber and spinner software, Munch My Articles, is available for download.

You can grab and spin articles to use with Traffic X Suite’s Traffic X Multiplier. You can also use the spinned article in various ways like posting to your own blog, web 2.0 pages, and more.

Features include grabbing multipe articles from multiplie topics at one time. Spinning a single article or batch spin articles. Spin your own articles or spin the articles you found with Munch My Articles. A “smart” spin feature is used to spin articles automatically and keep them readable for our viewers.

If you would like to download the latest version of Munch My Articles simply enter your name and valid email address below so we can email you the download links. You will not get the download links if you input an invalid email address. Don’t worry, your information is kept private, and never distributed to anyone. After you have submitted your information check your email you provided for the download links to Munch My Articles (and the free Ping Machine software too). Click Here

9 Key to Success Promoting the Web on Social Networking Sites

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:40:00 +0000

From the beginning of 2010, the Social Networking sites continue to ride uphill, particularly social networking site Facebook. This means great opportunities for businesses to attract new prospective customers of these social sites and very wide open.

There are many rules that must be followed in using this social networking site for media promotion, some paid and some are free. To start, use the free course first.

Here's 9 Tips Key to Success in the Promotion on Social Networking Sites:

* Avoid Hard Selling
You have to start from the talk - talk first, not directly selling. You create two-way conversation between you and your prospective customer, so interwoven familiarity and trust.
* Give The information required Target Audience
Try you also provide useful information to your prospective customers. Do not merely offer without providing useful information to them.
* Do not force the audience to comment on only one topic of your course
Let the discussion they widened where - where, because of this social networking site is unique here, can widen ngobrolin anything and go everywhere, so people will feel comfortable commenting and not forced.
* Find like-minded people in line with your brand goals and industry
This is very important, people - people we are targeting is what will be our next customer. Be a friend or followernya.
* Begin to give special offers
When you are beginning to offer products, please give special offers to them, eg the provision of discounts, special bonuses, gifts, guarantees, free trials, etc..
* Try to always be different in conveying a message - a message on social media
Because of these social media users generally tend to get bored commented on the repeated message - repeated the same alias.
* Complete with links or links that you believe is useful and can raise your company's brand or product.
* Join Groups and Fan Page
Fan Page is associated with your brand on social networking sites.
* Do not forget, when you already have a follower, you should always update your brand or product
Thus you will still be always remembered and searched them.

7 Steps to Get Your New Site Indexed in 24 hours

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:17:00 +0000

Most SEO’s will advise you to buy an existing site/domain (lots of age benefit), but there are times when you need to start from scratch with a fresh domain.

It can sometimes take a couple of weeks to get a new domain indexed by Google (even longer to start ranking!). In order to speed up the process of getting your site indexed quickly, even in 24 hours, follow the steps outlined below:

1) Create 5 pages of content

Skip the “under construction” page and write several pages of real content, at least a few paragraphs.

2) Create Internal Links to your Pages

Put the content in a template with a menu structure to make this step easier. You can find free templates at oswd.org and other places, at least to get started. Link to the content through the menu, and if you have a major landing page, link to it from the content of a page or two.

3) Tag on Social Bookmarking Sites

After just a few minutes to create an account with these sites you can submit a link to your site. This gives you an instant way for Google and other search engines to find your site because these social bookmarking sites get visited by the search engine bots (like the Googlebot) quite regularly. A few bookmarking sites to recommend: Del.icio.us, BlinkList, StumbleUpon.com, and Furl. Make sure you tag them with common words, like those you find on their tag clouds (BlinkList has a good one, just scroll down on the page to see it).

4) Comment on popular and recent blogs (with your link)

Find 5 blogs that are fairly popular, relevant to your site, and have a recent blog post (last day or two). Read the post and add a comment that contributes to the discussion, including a link to your site in the URL field.

5) Create, Submit, and Ping your XML Sitemap

You can create a free XML sitemap here then upload the file to your site (just save it as sitemap.xml). Then ping Google with your sitemap by typing in the following URL in your browser, replacing the domain name with your own:

http://google.com/webmasters/sitemap...om/sitemap.xml

Next, create an account with Google Webmaster Central, add your site, and submit your XML sitemap.

6) Install Google Analytics

Add Google Analytics (free) to your site. Don’t forget to verify your site with them to get the data collection started.

7) Run some Google Ads

Create an account with Google Adwords and start running some ads, even if its just for the domain name, company name, or some long tail keywords. Google has to go to your site because of their quality score, which includes “your landing page quality”. Just spend a couple of bucks and it can help jumpstart the indexing.

With these steps, you should see your site indexed fairly quickly. I can’t guarantee the 24 hours, but it is possible. At the very least it will speed up the indexing significantly (from weeks to days). Look for the “googlebot” to visit in your site analytics. Then look for your site to show up with Google by doing a search with the site: operator (for example, site:sphinn.com). Enjoy!

By Michael Jensen

Pay Per Click Advertising & Marketing Tools, Coupons, & Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:46:00 +0000

These are the best affordable competitive analysis tools, and other free tools to help you get more out of your PPC marketing campaigns. Watch our free introduction video to learn more about cost per click advertising programs offered by major search engines.

Paid Competitive Research Tools

PPC Blog Tools - suite of premium PPC tools for advertisers.
Compete.com Search Analytics - low cost competitive tool showing keywords that send competing sites the most traffic.
HitWise - similar to Compete.com Search Analytics, but costs about $10,000 and up.
KeyCompete - shows keywords that competitors are buying
Keyword Spy - similar to KeyCompete
SEMPhonic - tracks keyword rankings and provides competitive reporting
SpyFu - shows terms that competitors are buying or ranking for in the organic search results.
Trellian Competitive Intelligence - shows keywords that competitors rank for and keywords that send them significant traffic.

Budget Estimation Tools

Google Traffic Estimator - estimates the number of Google AdWords ad clicks and bid prices for the top ad position. This tool offers quite rough estimates, but should be decent at estimating relative search volume and ad budget requirements.
CPC ROI Calculator & CPM ROAS Calculator - estimates how much you can profitably pay for your ads

Bulk Keyword Editing Tools

Google AdWords Editor - Downloadable software for Windows and Mac that allows you to download and edit your AdWords ads. Also has an automated keyword grouper
Keyword List Generator - allows you to quickly create large lists of keyword phrases using keywords and modifiers
Keyword List Cleaner - allows you to quickly create a functional keyword list from most any publicly available keyword source try it now
Keyword Misspelling Generator - allows you to generate various misspellings of a keyword or phrase to match common typing errors. Useful for creating keyword lists around your most important keywords to bid on.
Keyword wrapper - wrap your adds in exact and/or phrase match. See also our negative keyword wrapper.
Big 3 generator - create ads to upload to AdWords, adCenter, and Yahoo! Search Marketing at the same time.

Bid Management Tools

I have not used all of these, but here are some of the more popular PPC bid management tools on the market, which allow you to bid based on rulesets or tie your bids to conversion metrics.

Other Handy Pay Per Click Testing Tools

A/B Split Test Calculator - makes it easy to test the probably of the accuracy of results from an A/B split test
AdComparator - multivariable advertisement analysis using the Taguchi Method

Tools Offered by Search Engines

Google AdWords Keyword Research Tool - allows you to plug in a URL and shows you what keywords Google thinks the page should be advertising for
Google AdWords Learning Center - free videos from Google, but please note some of their built in optimization tools aim to increase their revenue while lowering your ROI.
Yahoo Search Marketing Workbook [PDF]
MSN AdCenter Labs - offers many keyword tools, including a content classification tool and demographic prediction tools. Their Ad Intellegence plugin for Microsoft Excel 2007 is quite remarkable as well.

Related Categories

keyword research tools - research new keywords to bid on
competitive research tools - these tools will show you keywords sending traffic to competing websites
analytics tools - track how well your search marketing campaigns convert

Know Any Other Tools Worth Suggesting?

email me seobook@gmail.com

Gain a Competitive Advantage Today

Want more great SEO insights? Read our SEO blog to keep up with the latest search engine news, and subscribe to our SEO training program to get cutting edge tips we do not share with the general public. Our training program also offers exclusive SEO videos.

Super Affiliate Handbook Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:41:00 +0000

The Super Affiliate Handbook is the one of the most effective sources for learning affiliate marketing techniques and strategies. This handbook will answer all the possible questions of beginners who are looking for ways to excel in this field to reap profits. When you get the Super Affiliate Handbook, you will be getting step-by-step plans for business building. It consists of more than 220 information pages of real life examples and practical tips. The handbook also includes strategies to help users save money, efforts and time when operating an affiliate marketing business.

The Super Affiliate Handbook is comprised of:

* Process of understanding business building in 5 easy to learn steps
* Ways of marketing affiliate websites whether online or offline.
* Ways to create interesting yet informative web pages
* Ways to assess market profitability
* Mistakes affiliate marketers make and how to overcome them
* Essential factors to be considered when choosing a domain name
* Promotion of Associate Programs and products with Newsletters
* Ways to increase traffic to your website
* Reciprocal linking basics
* Using Signature Files to direct more visitors

As compared to other affiliate marketing manuals, the Super Affiliate Handbook is up to date and teaches the most effective techniques to build a website and attract traffic. The advantage of investing in this handbook is that you will get to learn everything you need to know about affiliate marketing. Once you have this course, you don’t need any other training manual. It will be teaching you the basics as well as effective techniques used by the pros, all at a low cost.

Created by Rosalind Gardener, an expert at affiliate marketing, this handbook is certainly worth the investment. It is extremely comprehensive and also used for e-commerce courses in colleges and universities. Considered as the bible for affiliate marketing, beginners as well as experts looking for the perfect source material can benefit from this course.

If you are starting out in the internet marketing industry or you are in search of a magic formula that will help you get more sales conversion to your website, the Super Affiliate Handbook is for you!

Affiliate Ownage...crush it! (view mobile)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:37:00 +0000

Super easy to sell. Targeted pre-created sites that can genuinely help affiliates make money online. Over $1.11 EPCs. http://www.affiliateownage.com/tools.html
Click Here!

MaxBlogPress Ninja Affiliate

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:53:00 +0000

There are only two type of affiliate marketers - the Ninja Affiliates, and everyone else.

It's no secret that 95% of all bloggers out there make pennies from affiliate marketing, while a select few who are privileged enough to be in the "inner circle" make thousands of dollars effortlessly..

A lot of secrets are highly guarded in the blogging "inner circle" - and Ninja Affiliate is at the top of that list!

Ninja Affiliate is WordPress plugin developed to imbue lethal marketing powers into your WordPress blog and instantly double or triple your affiliate marketing commissions with almost no effort on your part.

Using Ninja Affiliate, you can automatically convert any keyword in your blog to an affiliate link instantly. You can also cloak your affiliate links, track them and manage them right from your WordPress text editor.

1. ninja affiliateEasy Affiliate Link Management - You can easily give each affiliate link an easy-to-remember name..
2. Flexible Link Management - Accepts every affiliate link format out there, so you don't have to waste time with various affiliate marketing tools..
3. Create Professional Redirect Links - Use professional looking redirect links that let your prospects know you're a pro marketer..
4. Manage Links by Groups - Too many affiliate links? Ninja Affiliate allows you to easily create different groups to manage your links..
5. Prevent "Affiliate Theft" - Cloak your affiliate links to prevent link theft and affiliate sabotage. No one will ever steal your hard-earned commissions again..
6. Insert Affiliate Links Directly - Add your affiliate links directly for your Wordpress blog editor - you'll never have to hunt for links again..
7. Transform Keywords to Links - Automatically turn keywords in your blog to affiliate links. You can set a limit too, so your posts don't look like a spam blog!
8. Advanced Display Options - Ninja Affiliate allows you to display any text you want in your web browser's status bar..
9. Use "No-Follow" Links - Control your link juice and escape punishment from Big Daddy Google with ninja precision. In fact, you can control your links any way you want to..
Click Here

SEO and PR — Getting the Best of Both Worlds

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:54:00 +0000

Search engine optimization and public relations need to become best friends. Why? Because SEO as we knew it two years ago is dead. As our approaches to link building are constantly evolving, a stronger tie between these two marketing fronts is being seen.

With that said, let’s examine just how these two audience-building genres can play nice. First off, just what is public relations?

Public relations is the process of building or maintaining a company’s reputation and image through positive offline and online coverage. Link building, on the other hand, builds the site’s “popularity” by acquiring a large amount of diverse links from various domains in an effort to establish top ranking positions in search engines. Where I see SEO and PR butt heads is in the work rather than the perspective. SEOs think, “how can I gain rankings, traffic and ROI,” where public relations experts think, “what coverage will provide us with the most prestigious image to engage in positive events and conversations both on and offline.”

In the end, both thought processes will achieve similar results. But here’s the good news—there is a way to get the best of both worlds. We can achieve top rankings, as well as a solid reputation through a cohesive approach and understanding. Here are some pointers for the best approaches to killing two birds with one stone:

1. Optimize press releases for SEO

When crafting press releases, be sure to do so with keywords in mind. Most companies have a specific SEO campaign underway. Within that campaign will be a designated list of phrases designed to increase search rankings and relevant traffic. Narrow the list according to relevancy to your subject matter. Also, be strategic in adding these keywords to your content. Place focus keywords in the headline and beginning of the body of your content.
Outside of keyword optimization, remember that links and branding are HUGE ranking factors. Be sure your website is linked to the company name. Within the release you should also include other branding signals search engines use to identify a business:

• Address
• Phone Number
• Email

Ensure identical information is used in press releases and other content online.

Finally, don’t forget that getting your press release seen by pushing it out through the correct distribution channels is essential.

2. Host “SEO friendly” contests

No doubt about it, social is now a big part of SEO. Whether affecting it directly or indirectly it plays a role in the success of organic rankings. Hosting contests on various social mediums like Facebook and Twitter will benefit your site by achieving brand awareness as well as driving social signals to your site. It is also important to keep in mind that often times those who are finding your site through social media, are typically those who are most likely to link to your site. Contests and giveaways via social networks are a great way to generate interest and conversation. Get your target market involved in your organization, and acquire links along the way.

3. Continually publish and post unique and relevant content

Having an internal blog can be beneficial in many ways. From an SEO perspective, a healthy amount of content is good. Frequently updating an internal blog is a great way to send fresh signals to search engines, provide a constant flow of high quality content and provide additional internal linking opportunities. In addition to the SEO benefits, internal blogs are a great way to establish quality relationships with your viewers by allowing them to share with others, post feedback, questions and other comments.

4. Look for opportunities to sponsor/donate, then request a link

Looking for opportunities to sponsor and donate can be another great method. Sponsorship opportunities are everywhere, and establishing long-lasting relationships can be beneficial from both a PR and SEO standpoint. Involving your company in service projects and donations often stirs up conversation online, on television, in print and other forms of media. Along with the benefit of obtaining a positive image in the media, you’ll receive high quality .org and .edu links.
In a nutshell, the online world is constantly changing, and competition is growing. Finding ways to increas

2012 Hyundai Genesis Video

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:39:00 +0000

I was impressed by Hyundai’s upgraded engine offerings for the 2012 update of the Genesis sedan. You can read about all of them in my full review after checking out the video. Unfortunately, the changes outside the engine bay are so mild that it’s hard to tell with the naked eye.

Reviews the 2011 Infiniti M Series

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:38:00 +0000

The Infiniti M was redesigned for this model year, now featuring curvaceous lines not only on the outside, but also in the cabin. The new V-6 is so robust that you don’t need to opt for the available V-8, says Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder, but the indecisive transmission doesn’t deliver seamless power. Also, the Infiniti’s price tag has slowly crept up, nearing the price of the BMW 5 Series. Is it worth the Benjamins?

2011 Infiniti M37 Reivew

By Colin Bird

40 MPG Compact vs. Subcompact Mileage Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:35:00 +0000

One recent oddity in the increasingly efficiency-obsessed automotive industry is some new compact and subcompact models each get 40 mpg despite being significantly different in terms of size. The question for car shoppers becomes not whether the smaller cars get better mileage in the real world, but can you live with the smaller confines to save money at the dealership — and not just the gas pump.

Currently, there are two clear examples of this trend: Ford’s new Focus compact and Fiesta subcompact and Hyundai’s Elantra compact and Accent subcompact. Ford offers a special option package, called SFE, on the two cars, helping them achieve 40 mpg highway, while the Hyundai models are rated at 40 mpg highway without any additional packages.

We put these four cars through a nearly 300-mile drive to see if size truly matters. We also found out which car was a clear winner at the pump. The larger question — could the smaller cars win us over? — was much harder to answer.
All four are rated almost identically by the EPA:

* 2012 Ford Focus SFE: 28/40/33 mpg city/highway/combined
* 2011 Ford Fiesta SFE: 29/40/33 city/highway/combined
* 2011 Hyundai Elantra: 29/40/33 city/highway/combined
* 2012 Hyundai Accent: 30/40/33 city/highway/combined

The four test models were sedans, and with the exception of the Elantra (a Limited trim), were similarly equipped. All four had automatic transmissions. Their as-test prices were:

* 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited: $22,110 (comparably equipped GLS $19,595)
* 2012 Ford Focus SE with SFE Package: $19,785
* 2011 Ford Fiesta SE with SFE Package: $17,245
* 2012 Hyundai Accent GLS: $16,625

The results proved what we assumed going into the mileage challenge. After nearly 300 miles, the smaller cars got better mileage than their similarly rated larger siblings.

Clearly, the Fiesta won overall, according to the trip computer and at the pump when calculating mileage. The Accent also delivered better mileage than the larger Elantra, but not by as much as the Fiesta versus the Focus.

Our four intrepid drivers had differing opinions on the cars and if the compacts warranted the extra $2,500 or $3,000 it’d cost to upgrade to them from their subcompact siblings.

Kelsey Mays, Cars.com Editor

Kelsey began the refrain of cramped confines in the Fiesta. “Both Fords feel narrower inside than the Hyundais. The Fiesta’s seats are too small for taller adults, especially in cushion length.”

The lower-priced Accent didn’t hold up to the Fiesta or Elantra. “Cabin materials are best in the Elantra and the worst in the Accent — big difference there, with dingier window controls, no armrest padding and no telescoping steering wheel.”

Kelsey also found the Ford cars’ transmissions weren’t up to par. “Both Fords ride well, but the transmissions are problematic. It’s worse in the Fiesta, whose tiny engine makes you dig deep for downshifts.”

Colin Bird, Cars.com Editor

Colin writes for KickingTires and is a current Accent owner of the 2006 vintage.

The Fords won Colin over. “I thought the Fiesta had more personality than the Accent, inside and out. Acceleration was punchy, and I liked the handling of the Accent. Though things are well-thought-out here, I would probably pay the $1,000-plus premium for the more stylish Fiesta.”

But did the subcompacts offer enough to keep him from leaving the segment? “I’m very frugally minded, so the subcompacts are good enough for me. I thought the Fiesta and Accent offered perceptibly the same amount of space, from the driver’s position, as the two larger compact cars.”

Brian Neale, Cars.com Vice President Product, UX

We enlisted the aid of a Cars.com executive to help the editorial team out for this drive. Brian Neale was a journalist in a former life and is an avid motorcyclist. Most importantly, he had seven or so hours to drive 300 miles in the four cars.

Brian had a clear favorite, and unlike Colin, he thought there was enough to warrant moving up in class. “The Elantra out-classed both Fords — especially the Fiesta — by a margin even wider than the MSRPs suggest.”

Brian also preferred the Accent to the Fiesta for its comfort level. “The Accent was my bang-for-the-buck favorite, offering a bigger-car feel than the Fiesta at an impressive MSRP. I’d trade off the gas mileage versus the Fiesta without a second thought.”

He wasn’t down on the Fords entirely though, just the cramped Fiesta. “I’d be happy enough in the Focus, but even the miserly MPG numbers wouldn’t lure me into the Fiesta.”

Mike Hanley, Cars.com Editor

Like Brian, Mike was more comfortable in the Hyundais, but the Fords won him over. “The most impressive thing about the Fiesta is how few compromises in refinement and quality it makes compared to the Focus. Both cars offer direct, responsive steering that yields a degree of engagement that's missing from the Hyundais.”

But only one of the subcompacts did enough to stop him from picking the bigger model. “The Focus’ larger size and extra power are compelling, but it’s not enough to make me choose it over the thriftier Fiesta. The Accent hasn't closed the gap between subcompact- and compact-car quality and refinement as much as the Fiesta has. I’d spring for the more expensive Elantra.”

By David Thomas

Reviews the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:27:00 +0000

At first glance, the newly redesigned 2012 Volkswagen Beetle seems like an oddity, says Cars.com senior editor David Thomas. Who wants a two-door, nostalgia-laden hatchback? But take a closer look and this iconic nameplate offers more than just fond memories. There’s a luxurious, airy cabin and a quiet, plush ride to enjoy, too. Still, the engine is loud and gas mileage is subpar compared with competitors like the Mini Cooper and Fiat 500.

2012 Volkswagen Beetle Review

Chevy Volt Hits 10,000 Miles: The Good and Bad

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:25:00 +0000

The Cars.com 2011 Chevrolet Volt just passed the 10,000-mile mark, so we're taking the opportunity to report some of our lasting impressions, including the good and the bad. As all car owners know, some initial grievances fade away over time and others emerge and grow, sometimes becoming an ever-present burr in the proverbial saddle. Thankfully, for an all-new model, the Volt has been practically trouble-free. I said practically…

Some trauma has been visited upon the Volt by a hungry varmint and an unfortunate but enlightening collision, but with the exception of a software upgrade, the car itself has been trouble-free. Only the 120-volt charging unit had to be replaced, under warranty, when it failed after seven months.

What we like
Cars.com's editors universally appreciate the Volt's smooth, quiet ride. The cabin itself remains admirably quiet once the gas engine turns on, though the noise is more intrusive than it seemed when I first reviewed the car. Cold weather intensifies it because the engine runs at higher rpm, even at low speeds, to generate warmth.

We also appreciate how accurately the Volt predicts its range. In this regard, our 2011 Nissan Leaf is an enigma. Frankly, we'd prefer the opposite, as the stakes are higher when the Leaf runs out of juice.

Running on electricity: It's nice not having to frequent gas stations. We could engage in a lengthy debate about how clean an electric car truly is on the grand scheme, and I can't say I'm a fan of electric utilities, but all the same I underestimated how satisfying it is to not burn petroleum for up to 50 miles. Some of our editors commute in the Volt without using gas at all, depending on conditions. The cost of operation on electricity is undeniably lower than it is for a comparable gas-powered or hybrid car.

The Volt's styling continues to impress. In a class of dorky high-mileage cars, the Volt is a slick-looking package. It continues to garner praise from onlookers who have never seen a Volt in person.

What we don't like
The brakes: Our three main complaints about the Volt are the brakes, the brakes and the brakes. I thought the pedal felt pretty decent compared with hybrids when I first reviewed the car last autumn, but we've all come to loathe our Volt's brakes for the dead zone over the first inch or so of pedal travel and the mushiness thereafter. Awkward nosedive braking is all but assured when parking. In an otherwise impressive driving experience, it's a major downer, and something you experience every single time you drive, making it a potential deal-breaker for shoppers.

Another shortcoming is one you don't experience every time you drive, and that's the premium gas requirement. If you run electric-only, all is well, but cars like the Volt are often purchased to save money on fuel (if not the car itself). Premium gas is the province of luxury and high-performance cars, and likely Volt buyers have never touched a premium nozzle in their lives. At an estimated 37 mpg once the engine turns on, the Volt is reasonably efficient, but more affordable cars with comparable interior space are now pushing 40 mpg on regular gas. Having the on-board generator as a backup is key to the Volt's "value proposition," but the incongruity of filling it with premium fuel when the battery runs out is its own kind of penalty. It isn't as bad as getting stranded in a purely battery-electric car, but it's a monetary and existential penalty regardless.

The visibility issues haven't eased. Some Cars.com editors find it difficult to visualize where the front bumper is, and a higher seating position only worsens the obstructive low roofline. The bifurcated rear window is even worse: The lower pane collects dirt and water and typically fails to function as a window at night. We can't imagine owning this car without the optional backup camera.

Interior space: The moms and dads on staff found one of the Volt's other major shortcomings, and that's limited space for child-safety seats. Frankly, our editors are split on the issue of backseat space for adults, because some object to begging legroom from front occupants and/or they don't like the high center console between the two seats. But when it comes to child-safety seats, there's about as much room for argument as there is for the seats themselves. The Volt has no center position, and the console crowds the child-safety seats and complicates their installation. Even if you seldom use the center position in a car's backseat, it's valuable overspill area for a child seat.

Finally, the touch-sensitive center control panel has only one fan on our staff. Others object to the lack of physical buttons and the slapdash button arrangement.

Despite the nine weeks it spent at the body shop, our car is pretty close to achieving the national average of 12,000 miles per year. We'll continue to report on the Volt experience, including the expected and unexpected.

By Joe Wiesenfelder

Reviews the 2012 Hyundai Veloster

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:19:00 +0000

In the past year or so, Hyundai has revamped its small-car lineup, with a new Elantra and Accent. The automaker has expanded that lineup with the 2012 Hyundai Veloster, a small three-door hatchback. Unlike Hyundai’s other entries, the Velsoter hopes to compete against other sporty so-called pocket rockets like the Volkswagen GTI and Mazdaspeed3, says Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder. While the Veloster is the best-handling Hyundai currently offered, it is no rocket — at least not yet, says Wiesenfelder.

2012 Hyundai Veloster Review

2012 Toyota Prius: What's New

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:16:00 +0000

For the 2012 model year, the Toyota Prius gets slight revisions to its exterior and adds more standard equipped and a new multimedia system. It is expected to hit dealers late this year.

The front gets a redesigned bumper with more stylized lower openings on each end, now filled with new standard LED automatic daytime running lights. The fog lights, when equipped, have been moved to the lower grille. The front and rear lamp designs are redesigned, too.

The 2012 Prius will be widely available in the numerically named Two, Three, Four and Five trim levels. There likely will be an unadvertised Prius One trim, too. Last year, Toyota said the Prius One was primarily sold to fleet customers but could be bought at retail, though availability was extremely rare.

For 2012, the Two trim gets redesigned 15-inch wheels, a revised multi-information display and, most importantly, a standard 6.1-inch touch-screen display that includes a USB port and Bluetooth phone connectivity and audio streaming.

The Three trim now has a standard navigation system with integrated backup camera; previously it was an option. The Three also gets Toyota’s new Entune multimedia system. The passive entry system has been upgraded to work with three doors on the vehicle instead of just one.

The Four trim now has the standard navigation, too, along with Toyota’s new SofTex upholstery, a leatherette material the carmaker says is as durable as cloth and more environmentally friendly to produce than leather. There’s also a new eight-way power driver’s seat (up from six) and a redesigned eight-speaker JBL stereo.

The Five trim gets no new updates, excluding the features that were added to the Three and Four trims. The trim tops the lineup with automatic LED headlamps and 17-inch alloy wheels. Head-up display, premium navigation, adaptive cruise control, lane mitigation software and a pre-collision warning system are available on the Five trim only.

Toyota hasn’t released pricing for the 2012 Prius yet. There are nearly 6,000 2011 Prius models in Cars.com's new car inventory.

10 Top Search Engine Optimization Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:47:00 +0000

Please enjoy these award-winning Top 10 SEO Tips for webmasters and website owners. Too many people make the mistake of spending thousands of dollars on just Pay-Per-Click (Sponsored Ads) campaigns before they realize that most people click on the non-sponsored listings more than "Sponsored Ads". There are several hundred techniques to achieve higher ranking in the search results, but these Top 10 SEO Tips are in my opinion the most valuable and timeless. They are also current, as I'm making a point to update this list respective to changes in search engine algorthims.
The Top 10 SEO Tips contained in this tutorial were created after years of experimentation and practical application with hundreds of client websites, mostly with final results of achieving higher ranking within the first page of search engine results. We hope you find these SEO tips valuable. For an in-depth study of everything we know about search engine optimization, please visit our new Blog Marketing Toolkit website, download our free eBook, or give us a call.

SEO Tip #1: Find the Best Keywords

It would be a waste of your time to optimize your website for keywords that are not even being searched for. Even if you do get top placement for a broad keyword that isn't what most users are looking for, Google will calculate the number of times users did not select your listing, and the number of times they returned to the search results to choose a different website. Trying to beat this calculation is futile and more often then not, just a huge waste of time and energy.
Therefore you should invest some resources into finding the best keywords; those that turn searches into purchases or leads. Buying Sponsored Ads and paying for high end design and usuability is best place to start. However, there are several SEO tools and SEO software available on the Internet to help you find the best keywords; most of which are offered by the search engines themselves and are completely free.
Here is a core principle of the Top 10 SEO Tips: When using any SEO tool for doing keyword research, start by keeping your searches ambiguous, creating categories, and drilling down to create small clusters (or silos) of keywords. The results will always return new suggestions and ideas, sometimes surprising ones that you may not have thought of. In the Sponsored Ads, these clusters become your ad groups. With your SEO, they become the directories (or taxonomy) of the content you'll want to have on your website.
Behavioral-targeting and using Long Tail Keywords are an excellent way to get higher ranking quickly for keywords that generate sales, and will have longevity to them in the search results. Poor keyword examples would be: kindle, nike shoes, roommate new york. Here are some examples of keywords that are ideal for SEO:

Buy Used Amazon Kindle Online
Nike Shoes Kobe Mens Size 10
Find a Roommate in NYC

SEO Tip #2: Discover What Your Competitors are Doing

SEO tips

Competitor rank in the search engines
Quantity AND quality of incoming links (prioritized)
What keywords are in the title of linking page?
% of links containing specific keywords in the link text
The Google PageRank^™ or MozRank of linking pages
The popularity of the linking domain and the linking page (measured by links & mentions)

SEO software

Click the link to their Site Map page and see what keyword you find in the links
Get a savvy web person to find and parse their XML Site Map to find keywords in page names
View the HTML title and meta tags of your top competitors to compile a list of needed content

SEO Tip #3: Write Very Linkable & Sharable Content

directly from Google

The content is useful
The content is original
You can't help but link to it
There are supportive facts and references
There's enough detail that nobody can memorize it
Something fun or interesting is included (like video)
It's not just blah, blah, blah, content
There's enough call to action to invoke engagement
There are visual examples, charts, and references
You had multiple contributors who all link to the content
You thank or compliment someone who shares it with others
You have an offer, discount, or promotion included
How To's and tutorials are a great way to get people to link
Create a controversy
Answer questions
Conduct research & discuss the results
Get involved with social media
Create lists (Top 50 Link Building Techniques, etc)
Get a blog and establish yourself as an authority
Run a service or create a product (ie: Firefox extension)

SEO Tip #4: Optimize Your Title and Meta Tags

SEO Expert's

do not use the meta keywords tag

Optimizing Your Homepage Title

keep the title under 66 characters and relevant to the content on the page

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices
Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more
Local SEO Services, Local Search Engine Optimization, Mobile Search, Online Advertising for Local Businesses | LocalSplash.com
Buy.com - Computers, Electronics, Digital Cameras, Books, DVDs, Music, Games, Software, Toys, Sports

Optimizing Your Homepage Meta Description

Buy and sell electronics, cars, clothing, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods, digital cameras, and everything else on eBay, the world's online marketplace. Sign up and begin to buy and sell - auction or buy it now - almost anything on eBay.com.
Online shopping from the earth's biggest selection of books, magazines, music, DVDs, videos, electronics, computers, software, apparel & accessories, shoes, jewelry, tools & hardware, housewares, furniture, sporting goods, beauty & personal care, broadband & dsl, gourmet food & just about anything else.

Optimizing Subpage Titles and Meta Tags

To get and stay at the top of the search results, you need to be the most attractive listing in the search result, and you need to provide enough content to prevent the searcher from leaving your website to find a different listing.

This one SEO tip could make or break your SEO campaign.

relevant

SEO Tip #5: Optimizing Your Headings and Subheadings

ONLY ONE

SEO Tip #6: Use Title and ALT Attributes

title attribute

SEO Tip #7: Optimizing File Nomenclatures

rewrite

SEO Tip #8: Tell the Search Engines What to Index

Optimizing Your robots.txt File

robots.txt

Redirecting Duplicate Content

permanently redirect

&rating=5

&view=print

Canonical Tag

301 Permanent Redirect

IP Funnel

^™

SEO Tip #9: Feed Search Engines Static and XML Site Maps

Optimizing Your Static Site Map

^™

site map

Using XML Site Maps

Google Sitemaps

How Do I Create a Sitemap File

SEO Tips Sitemap.xml

Sitemaps.org

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">

   <url>

      <loc>http://www.example.com/</loc>

      <lastmod>2005-01-01</lastmod>

      <changefreq>monthly</changefreq>

      <priority>0.8</priority> 

   </url>

</urlset>

SEO Tip #10: Use Checklists and Validators

analyzing broken links

Top 10 SEO Tips

validate links

SEO Software

analyze HTML and CSS

HTML Validation Tool

CSS Validation Tool

Top 10 SEO Tips

SEO Audit List

Other SEO Tips

Free SEO eBook

SEOSteve.com

About the Author of These SEO Tips

Free SEO eBook

The Four Layers of the SEO Model: How to Rank Higher in the Search Engines

SEO Expert

enormous portfolio

Automate Put Your SEO on Autopilot

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:20:00 +0000

Even SEO Experts Need SEO Software

I Use online and offline tools as I go through my best practices checklist. Its near impossible to measure results on the larger scale and for the long-term without SEO software. You can optimize a webpage without it, but scheduling and running robust reports that include competitor data? You will need some sort of software for SEO analytics and project management.
Here are some shortcuts to the SEO software I use the most often. Please be advised that I may get a commission when you purchase some products from this website. However, I only talk about software I've used at some point and recommend.

SEO-Friendly Content Management Systems (CMS)

First and foremost, if you're website is not already on an SEO-enhanced version of Wordpress, you should pick my eBook, SEO in a Day. After downloading, you'll have the option to have us handle the installation for you.
For lead-generation websites, there is no better solution than Wordpress (don't buy into that Developer who tries to convince you into Drupal, he'll leave you stranded - there are many more Wordpress Developers than Drupal Developers). Fire your webmaster and SEO agency, pick up a few complimenting products (shown below), and you're all set.

Got ECommerce?

Unless you're only selling a few products, Wordpress may not be the ideal scenario for you. There are only a handful of SEO-friendly shopping carts. Stay away from OSCommerce or anything not mentioned below. Zen Cart, Joomla and Ektron are robust, but can be very clunky and difficult to "hack" into an SEO-friendly solution. None of these bozos are smart enough to have an affiliate program, so I'm going to spam their Google Analytics until they do. Click on all of the links below to help me with my crusade.

Free SEO Software & Tools From Search Engines

As you can imagine, the search engines don't really approve of software designed to make automated queries to their database. To reduce the amount of automated load on their servers, they've opened their doors to Webmasters to help provide them as much insight about how they see your website as possible.
Case in point, Matt Cutts, Principle Engineer at Google, is featured almost daily on YouTube.com answering questions sent to him during an open-door question/answer session in late 2009. He may also be answering random questions sent to him via email, his blog (MattCutts.com), and Twitter.
Below are the accepted tools offered up by the respective search engines as an alternative to SEO software:

Google Webmaster Tools

Yahoo! Site Explorer

Bing Webmaster Toolbox

Keyword Research Tools

SEO software designed to help you determine the best keywords to target on your website are referred to as "Keyword Suggestion Tools" (KWST) and there are several available online. However, many KWSTs are man-made and skewed, so its important to know which KWST is right for your website so you're not wasting your time optimizing for keywords that nobody is searching for.
Before you go out and buy keyword software, I encourage you to follow these steps first (as you may find out that keyword software is not all necessary):

Analyze your payper click campaigns to identify keywords that produced leads or sales
Survey and brainstorm with employees, managers, and with customers
Study Goals in Google Analytics for several week (or months) to understand what keywords convert

The leading KWST available today is still WordTracker, which recently went through a face lift. WordTracker offers more than just a quick query of potential keyword opportunities. This software actually takes 120 days worth of data and organizes it into a robust database, which when queried not only returns an estimate of how many people are searching for a keyword, but also how many other websites are competing.
I used to prefer WordTracker becuase I could save queries and run scheduled reports. I also like the Keyword Effectiveness Index (KEI) computed by this SEO software (a result of calculating a number of searches with number of competing sites).
You don't have to pay for a year's worth of use, now you can use WordTracker for 7 days free. Give WordTracker a run through and see for yourself how this keyword research tool works.
A new leader is emerging in the Keyword Research area and they go by the name of Trellian. The tool is called KeywordDiscovery.com and the technology is getting so advanced that they actually have relationships with the major search engines to provided aggregrated queries and Long Tail Keywords the search engines don't typically display in their Pay-Per-Click keyword suggestion tools.

Other Keyword Research Tools

Other SEO Software

Want to know what SEO software I use? Check out the list of tools below. Each has their own individual purpose, such as the Xenu's Link Sleuth that validates all the links on your website to insure a good user (and web crawler) experience. Qualidator Site Analyzer is a new SEO software tool that provides some wicked insight to SEO and general web development obstacles; definitely try that one out. Contact us if you believe something is missing from this list:

Hyundai Equus Buyers No Longer Get iPad Manual

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:15:00 +0000

Hyundai will stop including an iPad owner’s manual with its Equus luxury car, according to a report from USA Today. The free iPad won’t come with the Equus starting with the 2012 model year, which goes on sale next month.

The tablet will be replaced with a tried-and-true paperback manual, Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor told USA Today. Trainor said the iPads were only meant to be a one-year promotion to help with the Equus’ U.S. launch.

The iPad owner’s manual is innovative, and if you’re already an owner of an iPad or other tablet, the application will still be available for download.

Exclusive: No more free iPads for Hyundai Equus(USA Today)

Sprint App Blocks Cell Phone Use While Driving

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:14:00 +0000

If you worry about your teen texting and driving or even talking on their cell phone and driving, Sprint has an application for you. Its Drive First app automatically locks out most smartphone functions while driving.

The app kicks in at speeds over 10 mph, as determined by GPS coordinates and cell tower triangulation. Once in lockdown mode, Drive First disables phone functions and email and text alerts. All incoming calls are sent to voicemail, and if you get a text message while on the road, the app automatically replies to notify the sender that you’re currently driving. (The auto-reply can be customized.) You won’t regain access to your phone until the car has completely stopped moving for a few minutes, to account for stop-and-go traffic.

If you really want access to your phone while driving, there is an exit button as well as a 911 button that overrides the app.

If you are a concerned parent, the app can notify you about any override of the app.

The service isn’t free, though. It costs Sprint subscribers $2 extra per month per phone. For now, Drive First works only with Sprint smartphones running the Android operation system, though BlackBerry devices will get the service in the future.