The importance of relevance in link exchange

Reciprocal links have been a mainstay of link building, and we all still get emails with reciprocal link requests., but the value of this approach has degraded with the enhancement of search engine algorithms. Google, yahoo and bing have realized that webmasters with a penchant for backlinks will trade with other website without regard to the content and context of such a trade. Worse yet is the email requesting a link and offering directory entries in exchange. Read the email carefully, I find more than fifty percent are a waste of a link.

Let us say you have a page rank 3, and receive a link request from a page rank 4. Sounds like a pretty good deal. But the offers I have seen ask us to add a link to their site, and offer two links in exchange. On the surface it sounds like a good deal, but the fact is the two offered are directories that we can do without needing to give a link. It is not really a trade. They are offering no intrinsic value for a link from our website.

Furthermore, link exchange with unrelated businesses is probably a waste of a link. An exception to this would be local links. For example, if the dry cleaner is linking to the pet store who links to the 24 hour gym who links to the barber shop, it all seems fairly unrelated. But if we all are trying to improve our ranking against the keywords ‘flat shoals and Salem road’ this has value, and a lot of it. I have worked with a client using even the broader terms of Atlanta and Chicago to build relevant links, and have seen relevant value in exchange against these terms, especially when combined with relevant anchor text.

Indeed, I can make more cases of valid link exchange. But most link exchange does nothing to build keyword quality score and just because we can link, doesn’t mean we will.

If you have heard that link exchange is the way to go, and still don’t believe me, click on this, over five years old, from Matt Cutts. Matt, the most famous and outspoken google representative, files this under webmaster mistakes.

How to pick a computer, 2015

One debate that rages on in the computer arena is over what operating system people should adopt. The place to start is by knowing what you intend to do with the computer, play games, surf the internet, email, pictures, video and audio or maybe even develop software.

First and foremost, many young computer users seek a powerful computer to play games which now feature internet interaction with other users. World of Warcraft has been the long standing leader, but Call of Duty and even FIFA soccor have come to larger popularity.

Another common use for computers is the office productivity market, led by Microsoft with it’s suite of word processing, spreadsheet and e-mail program known togerther as Microsoft Office.

Thirdly, computers are needed to support the backbone of computing. Billions of credit card transactions are processed every day on computers that run operating systems other than Mac or Windows. Packets of information are routed all over the globe, often with switches that are intelligent, but whose operating system resembles nothing comparable to what we are used to.

Today’s connected operating systems are a little different that years past. Today’s systems mostly include features uncommon historically.

A pointing visual interface, where the user selects a task or points at a function, rather than typing a command.
Updatable, using internet connections, to gain security updates and bug fixes.
A robust internet http browser, probably with encryption capabilites, to interface with public servers for everything from public videos to very private banking information securely.
Apps. Whether it is an intense computer game or Microsoft’s Word word processing, the ability to add freeware and licensed software to do something more.
Even smart phones are now a part of the operating system universe, virtually all new phones run Android or Apple’s IOS, with a smaller number running Windows or Blackberry operating systems.

In this world, people look for a sympatico amongst their computers. Mac users prefer iPhones, but many Windows users still want iPhones. Android phones are still have their audience, and some Windows users also want a Windows phone. The least troublesome approach may be to use Apple’s approach, with a Mac, and iPad and an iPhone. But a cheap laptop, Android tablet and a Blackberry still will talk to each other. You just have to work harder.

So another feature of operating systems emerges. If I take a picture on my phone, or a video, can I share it at home on the tablet? If I text my wife, can she jump on her iPad and see the video? We shouldn’t just post it to Youtube, especially if it’s our grandson in the bathtub showing his crack!

The Apple Cloud, while more expensive, is for sure the most consumer friendly and secure platform for this. You take pictures or a little movie with the iPhone, and as long as you have enabled iCloud, your wife one thousand miles away has immediate access. No email, no tricky links, she just goes to the iPad.

This is also great 6 months later, when you dropped the phone and broke it, the iPad was stolen at the gym, and your family has new and different devices. You simply reconnect with your iCloud account, and you have access to those pictures and videos.

python poplib example

The Python poplib example allows even beginning programmers a way to write a computer program to look at their email inbox. We have all struggled with the search capabilities of various email programs. But Python is a real game changer. Another library that is useful in this task is the re or Regular Expression library, which will help you write some really powerful and fast searching capabilities. Short poplib example.

Garage Doors

One may think, “One size fits all” when thinking about garage door openers, however, you might be surprised that there may be just a few things you need to consider.

Openers are mechanical drives, usually made up of a type of drive mechanism, springs, tracks and brackets. Styles of drive mechanisms can come in belt, screw and chain driven, with each offering differing abilities.

  • 1. Belt drive: These drives, are the quietest of the three and ideal for openers operating in close quarters with living spaces, such as a room above the garage. These are better for lighter doors.
  • 2. Screw drive: The second most quiet and durable. The kind of mechanical drive in this makes it ideal for a one piece swing door type and are more powerful than belt driven openers.
  • 3. Chain drive:  The most widely used and durable. Chain drives are preferred in most cases due to their strength, which allows them to open any door you want to throw at it. The drawback is more noise than the other drives, but the longevity of this style of drive is best for doors that may be frequently opened and closed throughout the day.

Drives not only come in three different drive types but in different power types, from 1/3 hp to as much as 3/4 hp. A professional installer can help you pick the right power for your door. Each engine can also come with AC or DC power types, with direct being more ideal for softer operational stops and starts, and thus, the best option for a frequently used door.

There are additional features available for your opener in today’s market also. Infrared sensors  are  a helpful safety feature to prevent the door from becoming a hazard when closing. Automatic lights provides ease of movement when getting out of your vehicle, in an otherwise dark garage. Lock-down modes offer the ability to disable the opener in set times for extra security. Opener anti-burglary coding prevents “code grabbers” from using tools to read your opener codes and trick your doors into opening. And lastly, a convenient improvement, is a battery backup system, allowing for opener operation during blackouts.

For Automatic Garage Door Opener installation in Birmingham Alabama call Huntsvilla Garage Door Service, where fair prices and honest service have made us a leader in Alabama Doors installation.