So any of you heard of webspawner?

Well, I got a crazy idea because I could not find what I wanted on the Internet. A site dedicated to magic on the internet. So, I decided I would start one on webspawner. But then I forgot about copyright info, so I am doing this:

If you have any magic content that you own, paste the link here. If you want, create your own webspawner account and we can create a magic network.

http://www.webspawner.com/users/thesatellite23/index.html

Tell me what you think. This site is basically for the amateurs who want to be grouped together and get a little more attention.

Forgeddaboutit

Gibberish?

Go for it.

Any suggestions on user-friendly sites to build a web site? How do you get your site to come up first in a google search?

I don't have a darn clue. Probably some paid subscription site where you must host your own domain and everything, and pay for it. I just use webspawner.com, totally free but hardly any traffic unless it is user generated. And it doesn't give you very many options, but it is a good way to start a business website I guess, or your magician page.

Build and market your site like Google doesn't exist.

Their algorithm changes about twice a day now, and serves up different results to every user who is logged in (ie, Gmail, Google Reader, Docs, etc...). Log into Google Webmaster tools -- they show how many clicks you get at different rankings because your rankings change with each search.

There is no more #1 spot on Google.

There is no more #1 spot on Google.

There is no more #1 spot on Google.

SEO is now a market that only makes money for authors of SEO blogs and books and SEO consultants.

Look. In 1995, the Internet was sold to the mass public as the "Global Community." The concepts were not unlike this forum. People from around the world could get together and share knowledge.

Very quickly after, people learned that they could go where the audience was to make money. The Global Community turned into the World's Largest Flea Market. SEO, or outright gaming the search engines, became the way to scream loudest in this dirty, dusty bazaar.

So while all the little guys were running their booths at the flea market, a few wise entrepreneurs took advantage of classic marketing techniques. To be sure, they no doubt did their share of SEO'ing and gaming. But they also did their share of branding. Marketing. Constant motion to keep gaining peoples' attentions. Constant efforts were made to retain their clients after that first sale.

In effect, they built a glamorous shopping mall filled with shiny, name-brand stores right in front of the SEO flea market.

Google, too, pushes clients toward those well marketed, glamorous stores at the virtual mall over the dusty booth at the flea market filled with tobacco stained Golden Earring 8-Tracks.

Anyway, forget that Google exists. Market like they don't exist. They have been learning and fighting against all of the tricks since day one. Every time one trick gets too successful they make bigger changes to their search algorithms in order to crush them. Or understand that you will need to tweak your site code about every 12 hours to keep up with their algorithm changes.

I've been on the front lines of this for nearly 9 years. It was always a short-term solution. Losing that #1 spot has destroyed companies who could not market without it. Never getting that #1 spot has blinded too many companies from amazing opportunities for the singular reason that "Google Doesn't Care."

It's a fool's errand. It's over, dead, and done for. Market without them. Prove to human beings that your site is worth visiting, and Google will follow. By then, you won't need them.

I couldn't agree with Andrew more. When making your site don't make it with Google in mind. Make it with your customer in mind.

Unlike many in my market I don't pay for Google adwords yet by and large my performance sites are top of the ranks. Mostly due to having pertinent content that my target markets are looking for.

I do have a guaranteed new method to increase Google rank. I had a theory, and a business consulting client of mine had a new website that was "unpublished" at the time that was perfect for testing it. One day later, and he was on the bottom of the first page. A website that NO ONE KNEW THE URL FOR.

Reasonable rates. The trouble is that I can only guarantee results for a new website. If the address is already indexed by Google, you wouldn't get any bang for your book with this method.


But I do agree with the thought that you shouldn't build the site with gaming Google/SEO in mind. The website is for the client/customer.


"bang for your buck."

EDIT times for the loss.

Thank you.

Don't get me wrong. Google has some great policies in place which will nudge a little attention their way and benefit your clients. The basics are useful and sound advice.

I just get nervous when I see someone put their hearts into rankings. I really, really do not want to see people hurt themselves like that.

The game has changed in a very, very large way. The big point being that reputation is what gets the rankings, and that a startup will have an extremely difficult time ranking their way into that reputation. Even when it does happen, expect the next Google Dance shakeup to occur in a timeframe from minutes to hours.

Guys, calm down...I'm not here to put a website in Google...I just want to get a website together where magicians can show each other their magical talents and get feed back from each other....very accesible and all in one place