Alexa Rank Update Problem and Workaround
Ajith | | 38 Comments
Most of you must have noticed that your Alexa rank widgets and toolbar data are not getting updated for the past three weeks or so. Even the Alexa website’s traffic details query is showing data that was frozen three weeks ago. As it seems, Alexa is doing another upgrade to their ranking algorithm, just like they did in April 2008.
There is a work around available, if you are so keen on knowing your latest Alexa rank, at least until the toolbar and widgets start displaying new ranks. It takes a couple of minutes but worth the wait, if Alexa rank matters so much to you.
Get your latest Alexa Rank
The only updated rank data, that is available right now (using the new algorithm?) publicly, is their Top 1 million sites list. Continue Reading →
Blogger – Blog Reader Engagement Models
Ajith | | 28 Comments
The other day I was thinking about the various engagement models in which the blogs and bloggers are operating along with their audience. Just like any other actors – a term borrowed from my programming background – in life even bloggers vary in their interaction and engagement model with their readers. The following are some of the engagement models that I could find around.
Blogger – Reader models
#1 Preacher – Disciples model
In this model the preacher (blogger) keeps giving his sermons without bothering (or having the need to bother) what the readers might think. He doesn’t need to listen to his disciples because he’s a high profile blogger already. And the followers seem to understand that point and take privilege in commenting relentlessly on the blogger’s posts (mostly written by somebody else). The blogger neither bothers about the comments and the disciples never follow up either. In short, this model symbolizes fake patronage and money but the blogger is so big and successful that nobody really cribs.
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Blogging Objectives for 2009
Ajith | | 27 Comments
At the outset, I would like to wish you all a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2009! (I just realized that I wished only my twitter followers). New Year is also the time to remind everyone of the resolutions and goals setting for the year. As for the personal resolutions I do not have any for this year – as two of my major resolutions were already fulfilled in 2007 and 2008 respectively – i.e. paying off my home loan and quitting smoking (Probably learning how not to loose money in the stock market for several years in a row could be a personal objective)
My career goals – documented as SMART objectives by my employer every year – were almost always met expectations (or exceeded) and I had reasonable career growth, if not an explosive one. And this time around, I thought of setting an alternate career objective for what I consider now as a potential long term career option – i.e. blogging, in one form or the other
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DollarShower SEO Challenge ’09: Participate and Win over $1500 in Prizes!
Ajith | | 91 Comments
The wait is over! As I announced ten days ago we are kicking off the mother-of-all blog competitions namely the ‘Dollar$hower SEO Challenge ’09‘. You, as a blogger, have the chance to win prizes worth $1500 (could be more as well) in an exciting competition spanning over six weeks!
Who can Participate?
Any blog that has Google Analytics based tracking as of Dec 01, 2008 can participate in this competition. For more details read the Rules section below:
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A Soft Google Page Rank Update this time
Ajith | | 33 Comments
Google has come up with their last page rank update of the year 2008 today! Unlike their previous PR updates, this time around Google has been more or less soft on most domain main (or home) pages as many of them retained or even improved their ranks. Hence the PR update this time has been a good New Year gift for many a blogger.
Google PR update is really something that most bloggers and webmasters look forward to and dread about. PR essentially means money and visibility for bloggers (Perhaps it means nothing for the common – today when I searched the All-Acronyms site for the short-form PR, I was surprised to learn that it didn’t exist there amongst 344 possible definitions for PR. I, in fact, submitted it there immediately). Anyway, as for D$, there was no change in the homepage PR, though I was expecting a PR4 this time. But as I maintained earlier, one has to dig into more details than just the home page PR.
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