The importance of PageRank

PageRank use to be the part of SEO that everyone was gunning for a few years ago, yet since Google starting making major changes to how PR was worked out, it is now questionable whether it has any value at all.
The simple equation was that the more back-links you had, the better your PageRank - a simple indicator of 'off-page' optimisation with some jiggery-pokerty thrown in to come up with a hierarchical structure. However a few years on and I have the following niggling doubts:

• Do I need PR to get a search-engine result? - the answer is a resounding NO - I even have a site that ranks anything from 1 to 3 for a very specific keyword - it has never had any PR...
• Is Google actually taking any notice of PR - the current thinking is that Google has already, or is condsidering... dumping PR altogether - and even though PR is still visible in the Google toolbar, it's actual value is probably questionable at least...
• Why do people think PR is still important? - I can't really answer that, but it seems to me that certain die-hards are still taking notice of soemthing that could already be defunct, and are even still paying to try and get their PR boosted.
• Does this mean that there is no point linking? No, I do believe that organic links from like-minded sites will somehow figure in getting you search position because that just makes sense. Also I cannot see how Google can legitimately penalise someone for a paid link from a relavent site when Google itself runs paid ads in the form of Adsense which could be hosted on the same site....

My conclusions for those interested in SEO - Just keep doing what seems right, try for free links from sites within your niche, get your 'on-page' optimisation sorted and keep uddating your site with good content - I believe that makes sense and therefore eventually SERP should reflect your good hard work.

Do I need a car?

I still have a company car although it is arguable that I don't really need it now - I have a dilema in that I pay a considerable amount of tax for the car, but then I have no other motoring expenses (other than the fuel I use for private use).
I don't have to scout around for a better auto insurance quote every 12 months because the company insures it - I don't have to buy new tyres because the company pays. However I am caught between the tax savings and the actual costs of running a car (and shelling out to buy a car in the first place).
OK the car will be mine, but so will all the bills that go with it... In a way I would like the independence of having my personal wheels, but they won't be anywhere near as nice as the wheels I get from the company.

On the Treadmill

I don't know about you, but I find going to the gym really quite a challenge - a Gym-bunny I am not...! Don't get me wrong, I do a lot of exercise, I generally play football for two hours a week and mostly with lads half my age - my problem is that I love team sports, but am uninspired when it comes to jumping on treadmills or cycling/rowing machines and what have you.
However, I reckon I could get into it if I had some of my own exercise equipment in the house so I could pop in and do a bit when I have half-an-hour or so to spare.
I would be particularly inspired if the exercise could be set up in such a way that I had a challenge to rise to when using a treadmill or some other gym equipment - I can't just go and do 'reps' and see that as a challenge on it's own - I need some real motivation!

Is dNeero back?

Just got a new 'conversation' from dNeero surveys, I had almost given up on surveys since dNeero changed it's focus to 'twitter'. This is the first conversation for a while, and it introduces a new look dNeero with a new home page and graphics. If you are interested in doing dNeero surveys (they are very short and generally multiple choice), click on the widget below...

Keeping Discipline

Working for an online income is like running your own business on a small scale. As such, it pays to introduce businesslike planning and discipline into your online activities. My worst habit is taking my online earnings and spending them on eBay...!
My excuse is that my original aim was merely to make a little extra pocket-money, but now that I can see that my earnings could be used for significant life improving changes, I must learn to be more disciplined. You would not last long in business if you spent all the income on boys-toys and nick-nacks... and as there is every chance that the tax-man will want a chunk of my earnings, I will need to make sure sufficient funds are put by. Equally, it is important that investments for the long-term success of the business are made, and to that end, I have every intention to carry out my threat to get myself a great new hosting package before the end of next month.
The new package will be the launch-pad for any future projects that I may have, along with any of my existing projects that will be continuing into the future. I am hoping that the new hosting package will also give me the impetus to re-vamp some of my existing sites.

Acne Treatment

It seems that there are a range of ways of treating acne, including exposed skin care amongst others. Some have argued that this type of treatment actually uses chemicals that can harm your skin both in the short-term and long-term.
There are on offer, alternative forms of treatment and it pays to examine all the options and take into consideration the following:

• The cost
• The effectiveness
• The possible side-effects

Finding out about other people's experience with different treatments is also a good way to gain knowledge without expense or discomfort.

Blogging tip for multiple posts

If you have a whole list of posts to complete as happens occassionally, I have a tip for you. My method is to write down the title for each post and then the opening paragraph before moving on and doing the same for the next one, and the next one until I have done the same for them all - this same method applies to sponsored or non-sponsored posts equally. I then go and make a cup of coffee or doing something else for a few minutes before coming back and working my way through all the posts, finishing them off.
This is not such a great method for long lengthy, well-thought out posts, but then when did you last see me do one of those??

Face Creams

Men have traditionally been fairly resistant to advertising for cosmetic products as a whole, but the latest batch of adverts are set to try using humor to extract money out of men's wallets. Finally advertisers have realised that men are not fooled by bogus whaffle-science that populate other cosmetic advertising, and that they are not interested in which brand names make the best face creams. They are however moved by funny adverts and are happier to identify with a product that is able to take an amusing tongue-in-cheek stance when it comes to face cream for men. Not so much "because we're worth it" as "because it made me laugh at myself.."

Eczema

eczema is an unpleasant skin condition causing irritation and cracked skin often related to stress and allergies. The severity of the condition can vary between sufferers and the condition can come and go, even clearing up completely for many young sufferers as they grow.
Getting information about eczema is not difficult as it is a very common condition and there is plenty of advice and information available from public services and websites.

What is your goal?

I am not that good at setting goals, and tend to more or less bumble along hopefully gaining more experience and knowledge as I go. Of course, with internet ventures, especially when you are trying to supplement or replace your current income, goals are vital.
My current goals are to establish a better website hosting scheme for which I need to save up some of my earnings and be prepared to invest. It's a no-brainer really as I think I can easily get a far better deal than what I am paying now for far less money and with far more features such as unlimited domains etc... all under the one scheme.
I have other goals, two of which are for developing and expanding/improving current projects, and one which is for developing what I am calling a new 'product'. I also plan to radically change one of my websites by switching to a Wordpress theme once I have sorted out the new hosting.
My plan is to host my current sites under a single hosting plan and to keep all my domains managed by GoDaddy, as I find their prices keen and they seem to be really good at what they do.
I hope to have a web portfolio that makes a lot more sense and is a lot easier to manage by the end of this year. I also hope to be able to raise my earnings, but hopefully that will follow...

Planning for business

Organising a business is a lot more involved that most people think - having a solid business idea is one thing, being able to put it into practice is quite another. You may be an expert in your given field, but that does not mean that your are good at business, at doing your accounts, organising meetings or organising the business card printing. Eevery little bit of help you can get should be considered. Work with the right service providers and build up a good team of reliable people around you, that way you can leave them to do the stuff that they are good at.

Can Diet Medication be Harmful?

There has to be a certain amount of caution about purveyors of diet pills offering medication such as phentermine without prescription on the Internet. Any medication that is actually a prescription drug, needs to be controlled carefully and with due diligence.
It pays to do a certain amount of research into side-effects of any medications before embarking on a course of treatment, and it is even more vital that any course of treatment should be overseen by a medical professional.

Managing a blog

Having been doing this sort of thing for quite a while now, I am pretty much into the swing of blogging, particularly paid postings which I have been doing for some time. Even so, it is worth talking about some of the more obvious aspects of blogging for those that are still learning the ropes.
One of the tricky balancing acts that the paid blogger faces, is being able to carry both personal and sponsored posts on the same blog. Your readers do not want to see a blog consisting entirely of adverts, and your advertisers also require that there is something of interest in your blog apart from adverts.
I find that most people will put up with adverts like they do on television if there is some real content and the content can vary enourmously. Your content can be purely personal (as long as it is moderatley interesting!) or can address a niche geared towards a specific readership. Munny4Hunny tends to straddle this divide (hopefully), this blog has a little of the personal along with a little advice on websites, the internet and free software along with anything else that I think readers might be able to relate to. You can't really call Munny4Hunny a niche blog, but it does strive to address the specific area of paid blogging, other blogs that I run are more geared towards specific niches such as travel, finance and sport. Having a niche can help advertisers to choose your site if it fits with their product, and can also help you thinking up posts if there are enough resources that you can use for inspiration.
Feel free to comment on what you think makes a good blog (or even what make s a bad one..)

What every man wants

What do you buy for the man who has everything? seems like a question with no answer, but there is an answer - My advice is that you get him something consumable that he likes, whether it be chocolate, wine, cigars or his favourite cheese - the simple pleasures of life are always most welcome. If you want to push out the boat, why not a gift basket with a bar of Belgian chocolate, a bottle of red wine from South Eastern Australia, a packet of Black and Mild and a slab of Danish Blue... that would make my day, I assure you...

New Blogger templates

Log into Blogger in Draft to get access to some exciting new customisable blogger templates, bringing blogger blogs out of the dark ages of design.
To be honest, this is a develpment that is long overdue, Wordpress have been ahead of the game in blog design for years, it's about time that Blogger made an attempt to catch up.
A word of caution though, make sure you save your existing template, especially if you have been tinkering with it (as I tend to with my blogs), as I assume defaut settings, such as 'no follow' will be re-set.

You can read more about the new designs and how to access them on the 'blogger in draft' blog, I look forward to seeing some of the effects of this new feature - I am sure I will be trying this out for myself on at least one blog.

Does weight loss medication work?

It pays to find out all about weight loss products before considering embarking on a course of treatment. The primary factors to consider would include the effectiveness of the treatment, the cost (as compared to the effectiveness) and also any possible side-effects associated with the treatment.
Carry out research into the product including getting first-hand testimonies from users, and above all get good advice from a health-care professional to ensure that you are a suitable candidate for your chosen option.
Having a plan which also includes a good exercise regime is vital because any course of medication has to be a short-term fix, to make a real difference in the long-term will require some permanent lifestyle changes.

Looking Good

Having the right clothing for the right occassion is essential in the same way as a tradesman needs the right tool for each job. The funny thing about an event where everyone is wearing a tuxedo is that when everyone looks equally smart, nobody stands out - apart from the man that isn't wearing the appropriate dress of course..
Another no-no in my book, is to have the formal jacket but wear a 'normal' shirt under it - a formal jacket calls for proper wing-collar shirt and 'black-tie' to complete the overall impression.

Employment Screening

When it comes to recruitment, it pays to think seriously about employment screening. There is considerable investment in employing and training new recruits, so you want to be sure that your new employee is a worthwhile investment.
You can only tell a limited amount from an interview, yet the majority of people are employed merely on the strength of a single interview of probably no more than 20 minutes. Employing a specialist company to screen propspective candidates could save a company from making an expensive mistake.

Affiliate Marketing

Typically, when we start off earning money online, PTC, surveys and paid blogging may form the backbone of our earnings, however we quickly learn the limitations of this type of opportunity. Moving up to the next stage is crucial as we saw when I interviewed three internet earners last year.
There are several real money-earning exploits that you can get involved in, and Affiliate Marketing is one of those that can reap real rewards if you can get it right.
One of our sister-sites Livewyre.NET, has just published a two-page article all about Affiliate Marketing, there is no catch, nothing to sell, just great free advice for those who are considering getting involved in affiliates.
Free advice is always good value for money, so if you are thinking about moving your earnings up to the next level, go take a look at this article..

February earnings

Well, looks like a dramatic drop in profit, but a lot of that is to do with the investment that I have made in a couple of areas. I am thinking of selling a 'product', and have bought some accessories for that (naturally I am not in a position to discuss the details..). Secondly, I have invested in some equipment which will help with cassette to CD conversions.
Gross income was £72 which is less than half of last months total, but the good news is that this month is an Adsense payout month for me, so I have already had more income in the first week of March than I did in the entire month of February. I must really push for a new web hosting plan in the next month or so, this will be the optimum time for me to move some projects to a new, more exiting hosting platform which is not only far cheaper, but better 'equipped' than my existing hosting provider.
Blogging income has been steady, it is the cassette to CD conversions that bring money in on a slightly more erratic basis.....