Heartbreak for Indian Android Developers

On a recent intimation, India has been removed as a country from where the Android developers are allowed to upload paid apps to the Google Play store. In case if the developers want to publish their apps and wish to get paid for the same, they have to follow a long and often tedious process.

Indian Developer

One of the most popular way to evade any actions and at the same enjoy the commissions for all the hard work is by opening a bank account in the name of a relative residing in USA. Another way is by opening up a development center all the way back in US. However, none of these two methods is possible for any average developer or Android apps development firm. Thus, it goes without saying that Google's decision in restricting India's admission in the privy league has brought loads of disappointments.

It is really not a judicious decision in restricting the Indian developers to make an entry to the Google Play store. The country is well-known as a powerhouse of talent in the fields of IT and software. With such a ludicrous decision, Google is deemed to suffer in competition. Already iOS-powered apps dominate the scenario so far as their distribution and popularity are concerned by keeping Android apps at the second place, and the Windows-powered ones are slowly catching up.

India Sees a Massive Surge in Mobile Data Traffic

As per a recent survey conducted by a major communication conglomeration, in India data usage via mobile data traffic has increased by more than 50% between December 2011 to June 2012. This relates to a particular way to the reduction of 3G mobile tariffs by all the major players in the Indian market.

On a recent slash, the prices are brought down to as low as 200 INR for 1 GB of data usage from what it used to be as 350 INR. For higher packs too, the rates have been diminished substantially. And this is what fuelled the recent surge in data usage to a much considerable amount. The survey has found that within the above mentioned time frame the usage rate has almost been doubled to what it used to be.

Mobile Mad India

Till the first half of the current year, 2G network, including both GPRS and EDGE, contributed more than 75% of the total data traffic from mobile networks. However, with the slash in the prices across the 3G network, things took a dramatic turnaround.

As revealed in the survey, an user using 3G network for the first time consumes nearly 400 MB of data per month. It lies in a stark comparison to 100 MB of data as used by a user of 2G network. And most of this user concentration lies in the metro cities. However, it is interesting to note that fastest growth of 3G network usage has been recorded in semi urban states like Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.

This growth story has contributed much in making the Indian populace tech-friendly by enabling them in faster data transportation, movie downloading, and do many more over the Internet. Truly speaking, with great availability and faster broadband speed, India is delving further to excavate the fields that were distant dreams in the yesteryear.

Domain Verification Steps Using CNAME Records

The world wide web has been one of the most preferred medium to advertise the products and services a business offers. And in this regard the efficacy of major search engines like Google cannot be ignored.

However, while using the services as offered by Google like that of Google Analytics or Webmaster Tools, one needs to verify the ownership of the site. This can be done with the creation of DNS TXT Record. It ensures the ownership of the site to a particular individual or institution.

Domain verification can also be done by using DNS CNAME records. This is particularly useful for those who are not being able to develop a DNS TXT Records for their respective domains.

Suppose you need to register a domain named xyz.com. Below is given the steps that you should follow while registering your domain or website via DNS CNAME Record:

1. Create an user account in Webmaster Tools and add there your domain that goes by the name of xyz.com.

2. To verify your ownership over the site xyz.com click on the ‘Domain Name Provider’ option. It is supposed to manage the DNS records of your website or domain. In case if your provider is not there on the list as provided, select ‘Others’.

3. Based upon your selection you will either find an option to set a specific CNAME record or can ‘Add a CNAME Record’ of your choice. All you just need to do is follow the instructions that appear on your screen and complete your domain or website’s DNS configuration by adding the specific CNAME record to it.

4. After you complete all of the above mentioned steps, click on the ‘Verify’ button.

Once you submit your requisition, Google will automatically verify the authentication of the CNAME record you have put. If everything is fine with the process then you will be adjudged as the legal owner of the site or domain. Even if you have a sub-domain like xyz.com/blog, it will also be verified and you will be adjudged as its owner along with the mother domain.

Google Penguin Update is it Justified – Searching for an Answer

Hi everyone on the web. I’m a Search Engine Optimizer and I’m working in this field during the last five years. Before saying anything about this blog post, I want to make it very sure that I’m not an anti-Google individual or I don’t have any single wish to impose anything wrong on Google. What I’m going to express in this blog is truly depend on my research and I am posting it just to find out a valid reason of my queries.

Google Penguin update is the talk of the web world since it first appeared on 24th April, 2012. Like all other previous major updates like Panda, Penguin update is a ‘big jerk’ for all those SEO executives who want to get their site ranked in Google by using unfair ways. This update was a threat to those websites who use unauthenticated means to improve their search rankings in Google. This update is mainly a penalty for those who use any spam methods to boost their rankings.

I have thought a lot and at the same time researched in a great extent when I first read the update in details. However, Google tried to prevent spam while updating the Penguin Update. But is this update really justified?  I again want to remember you all that I am not against Google or I’m not someone who likes to spam on Google.

1. This doubt came to my mind when I was googling with the keyword SEO. I found that while searching with the keyword SEO, a blog www.seotechnique.blogspot.com has come at the first page on Google.co.in. I examined the blog with my limited knowledge and honestly speaking I didn’t find a single thing that could be considered as a solid reason to elevate the blog in the Google page ranking.

First of all, this blog has numerous ‘Door Way Page’. If you click on the ‘Training’ menu of the blog, you will find drop downs like SEO, PPC training, PPC, Branding, Web Design, that carry links of another website. Now ‘Doorway Page’ is considered as a spam in Google. I have no idea why Google is ignoring this.

Apart from that, this Blog has no Google page rank, lower Alexa Ranking, and it is still cached by Google. It has also so many deficiencies regarding the on-page optimization. This blog allows the guest to comment with link(although no follow) and the guests frequently visit at the site and put their links.

2. Another thing I noticed while reading a blog posted by “saifullahbutt.com/google-penguin-update” about Penguin Update. The blogger mentioned that in Google search result an edu site is coming at the second page of Google while searching with the keyword Viagra.

Now this is amazing. Why an Education site should be placed on the search results of ‘Viagra’? Everyone will ask by seeing this that what is the relationship between Viagra and Education websites? The same question came to my mind also. However, I have not found any valid reason for that. Is this an effect of the Google Penguin Update? I’m still looking for the answer.

Now, I am mentioning the most important culmination of the discussion. Actually the valid reason might be found from the recent discussion made in the blog "smarthelpinghands.com/blog/google’s-anti-seo-ads-a-wake-up-call”. According to the blogger, Google has made all these changes in its algorithm just to promote Google Ad Words. Before Google Penguin update the people saw the Google Webmaster tools ad when they searched a site. However, after Google Penguin Update, people have seen the ad regarding ‘Anti Organic SEO’ text ad in order to promote Google Adwords service. When searched by the keywords ‘SEO’ in google.es the following ad is likely to appear.

It is written on the ad that “Forget about SEO, to excel in Google try Adwords”. What I’m trying to explain is that google, somehow is trying to promote their Google Ad Words ad through the negative campaigning on SEO. Of course I may be wrong, but at that case is it justified that one of the Adwords Guideline is publishing the misleading ads?

According to the blogger mentioned above, Google is doing this just to make profit through Adwords. SEO does not generate money for Google but Google Adwords does the same. As a result Google is giving more importance on Adwords rather than organic SEO.

So, from the above discussion it is clear that although Google has made this Penguin Update it has its own flaws. Obviously Google may have some different explanation about this. However, as an organic Search Engine Optimizer, I am really confused about its future.

What is Search Engine Marketing?

SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing. It is actually a form of internet marketing that the online marketers use in order to promote website visibility. It is actually a process to gain visibility for the websites in search engines. Three processes are generally used in order to get a successful result from SEM. The three processes are Paid Placement, Contextual Advertising, and Paid Inclusion.

In the process of SEO or search engine optimization, the website contents are optimized in order to achieve a higher ranking in search results. SEO includes some specific techniques such as targeting particular but relevant keywords for a site and then promoting the keywords in the search engines through some different SEO techniques. All these things increase the credibility of your site which ends up getting traffics for the website. 

Differences between SEO and SEM:
Well, SEM is a part of online marketing that incorporates a slight portion of SEO. SEM is actually a broad part that includes both Paid Search Results i.e. Ad words, and organic search results i.e. SEO. A compact SEM must not leave any stones unturned regarding Adwords, pay per click, article submission, advertising, and more importantly other parts of SEO. The marketers should perform keyword analysis both for SEM and SEO, however, not necessarily all the time for SEM.

Important SEM Tools:
Most of the Online Marketers use these following tools to continue with their SEM campaigning: 

1. Keywords Analysis: Keyword research and analysis is the major part of SEM to start with. To make sure that your site gets indexed by the search engines, you should do proper keyword research. To do this you have to research on the most popular key phrases relevant to your site. After that by using those key phrases for organic SEO, you can generate traffic for your site. 

2. Web Analytic Tools: This is a most important tool that can help you to find out what is happening to your website and you can also measure the success rate of your website. These tools can provide you information related to your website conversion. Apart from that you can also use HTML validators for your site in order to check the invisible parts of your website. 

3. Indexed Page and Link Checker: By using these tools you can very easily check the saturation of the website and the popularity of the site in the search engines. Actually, the number of pages of your website that are indexed can help you get an idea on how much saturated is your website. At the same time, the numbers of links of other sites in your site, can help you get the idea how much popular is your own website in search engines. 

Benefits of SEM:
1. Increases Your Bottom Line: As SEM can help you to get new leads, brand awareness, and recognition in the web, it can create a good impression for your website in the web. It can also help you to promote your products, get new customers, improve customer relations, ultimately, to increase the bottom line of your site. 

2. Increases Your Local Business: One of the great importance’s of SEM is that it increases your local business. With the help of SEM you can promote your business to the local people by mentioning your local details, area code or ZIP code, phone numbers etc. 

3. Increases the Traffic of Your Website: According to a recent study of Georgia Institute of Technology, search engine sends over 85% traffic for a website. So you can understand how important SEM is to increase the traffic for your website. 

4. Deliver an Active and Targeted Message to the Online Customers: During these days, consumers are searching on the web for their necessary products. They are searching on the net by specific keywords. So when you are targeting your keywords in the search engines, the consumers surely hit your sites through your keywords.

To sum up, it can be said that Search engine marketing is an effectively cost effective way to grow your web based business. If you own a medium sized business, search engine marketing is, perhaps, the best procedure to boom your business.

What is Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing is an important process of online marketing. It is a process through which one can get traffic as well as attention from different social media sites. Social media platforms are a huge place that itself shares lot of information and contents shared by different websites. For example, Twitter is place where people can share their thoughts within the limit of 140 characters called as tweets. Apart from that there is Facebook, perhaps, the biggest platform for the social media marketers, that lets people share their photos, messages as well as important contents.

However, all these social sites have some common rules and protocols that one should follow when they tend to market their website in the social media platforms. Different social sites provide FEEDS to the users when they post any contents to their site. By getting the FEEDS the sites can directly earn recognition from the users who view their posts. Apart from that, your site might also directly visit by the viewers as you are permitted to include your website link to your post.

There are so many people who post important contents to their social media profiles. People who visit in their particular social site can follow the post and if they find it important, they might follow you back. Thus you can earn some social reputation from the social sites. As a result you can grow your followers and ultimately this helps you to gain traffic for your website.

As mentioned earlier Facebok and Twitter are two major social media sites that help people to gain traffic or act as an important tool for the social media marketers. Apart from that there are some other social media platforms such as: Delicious, Digg, Foursquare, Googlebuzz, Gowalia, YoutTube, etc.

One of the important advantages of social media marketing is that they are the most cost effective way to gain traffic and web exposure for a website. This is the reason why people mostly prefer this way in order to get ranked their website in search engines.

What is Search Engine Optimization?

Search engine optimization is a recent trend of online marketing. Now, to understand what SEO is a fine example can be given. You perhaps searched a lot in the search engines by putting a particular keyword. Each time you had got some specific web results that comes in front of you from where you did choose your preferable one. Now these web results are called as Search Results in the terms of online marketing and SEO is to improve a particular keyword in the search results. Like each time when you enter a keyword and hit the SEARCH button, the results that come in the first page should include the keyword that is optimized in the search engines. This is the chief motto of SEO. 

How It Works?
SEO or search engine optimization is a process by which you can develop the rankings of your keywords. By getting high rankings of your keywords, you can very easily get high page rank for your website simultaneously. SEO can help your site to fight over a thousand of other competitor sites in the search engines.

To understand how SEO works, you should understand a fact first that search engine is not a human. Unlike the human beings a search engine judges a website by its contents not by instincts. However, as the technology has grown rapidly search engines have also grown up a lot. Search engine doesn’t only remain satisfied with the colorful design of your website. Instead, they crawl your site and examine your contents whether they are spam or not. All they do is to judge your site. 

Benefits of SEO:
Search engine optimization provides the following benefits for you:  

1. Increases Visibility: The first thing that SEO provides is to increase the visibility of your site in the web. As in online marketing web visibility is the ultimate thing, you can get enough impression form SEO for your site.

2. Sends Traffic: Without getting traffic for your business you can never boost in website marketing and only SEO can lead you towards your traffic. SEO includes some specific tools that can very easily increase your traffic. By targeting on specific and relevant keywords you can surely attract the online searchers.

3. Increases ROI: ROI means Return on Investment. As SEO is the most cost effective way to promote your site only it can get you back the amount that you have invested for your business. Rather than any other marketing policy it is cost effective that is why it is used mostly by the marketers.

4. Credibility: Credibility is such a thing that the search engines value a lot. By getting high rank for your targeted keywords as well as increasing page rank for your site you can earn the credibility for the site that you can never get from anywhere.

5. Flexibility: An SEO campaigning can reach you to your targeted customers very easily. As it is totally based on web it never let you stop in promoting you campaign as it can work 24X7. As a result you can stay in touch to your customers all the time. It provides more flexibility to your promoting more than any other methods. This is the reason why it is so popular nowadays among the people.