Search Engines That Are Better Than Google

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Many people have found several search engines that are better than Google.

UPDATE: January 1, 2013

Sometimes I'm a little late to the show, but I just came across this excellent article on Forbes (from September 2012) that expands quite a bit what I talked about in the article below (that I wrote in June of 2011)

The rest of my original article below:

For those who don't already know, Google has dominated the search engine landscape for many years, and most likely will continue to do so for quite a few years to come.

However, we live in an ever changing world.  While the big G is not going away any time soon, the desire for better search engine results, and the desire to not be constantly tracked across the internet, and constantly being shown the same or similar ads for things that a person recently searched for is growing.  Besides... this sort of thing creeps a lot of people out.

There is an excellent article regarding people's thoughts on the matter over at Splork's Lost Ball In High Weeds Blog.

If you do a search on Google for the phrase "Search Engines That Are Better Than Google" the top result leads you to another excellent article on the subject.  The article "The top 100 alternative search engines", was written in early 2007  (nearly five years ago as of this writing), and you will find many names that I am sure most people have never heard of.

I did not check to see if all of them are still in business, and I won't copy the list here as you can follow the link above, but in this ever changing world you can be sure that many of them are either not in business any more, or they have completely changed their business model.

You might also want to check out a more recent post at the Big Oak Blog called 5 secret search engines way better than Google.

Google's search results do have some benefits in many ways, but many people find it a bit creepy that the adsense ads shown on many sites seem to follow them around.   The other thing about these "cookies" is that they can skew your results based on what you searched for in the past.  What I have found is that if I want access to Google's results without them knowing it is me I can use the Startpage Search Engine.  Startpage will hide your IP address.  Check them out.

You might also be interested in Cocoon if you want to not only hide your I.P. address, but to also remain completely anonymous.

Ages in the Internet

In the internet age, a generation, or lifetime, seems to be around ten years.  If this is true then here in 2011 we are just entering the third generation of the internet  (as far as the public at large being able to access and use it).  There are very few companies still around that do business on the internet with the same model and in the same way that they did in 2000, and even fewer companies (maybe none?) from the early/mid 1990's.

The generation of children that have just graduated from high school in 2011 is the first generation where having multiple conversations at the same time was a mainstream phenomenon.  From instant  messaging on the computer in early 2000's, to facebook,  and sms/text messaging and the like now.

The question for marketers in the future regarding the current generation of youngsters is how to satisfy their desires for instant and multiple gratification(s).  That is where the big money is going to be made, and it more than likely won't be done by the likes of Google and many of the other big players today.

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Text Message Marketing For Small Businesses

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I figured it was about time to write a little bit about text message marketing for small businesses. Every once in a while it seems that there is something that many people start saying is the "next big thing".  The whole idea of sms marketing, or mobile marketing for small business caught my eye so I decided to do a little bit of investigating .

I had looked at the concept a while back and found the companies that were offering this type of service were poorly lacking in their ability to get the concept across to all of the small businesses across the country.  Even though that is no longer true, the thing it seems is that there are very few salespeople actually "taking it to the streets" and telling small business owners about the incredible effects that this type of advertising can have on their bottom line.

Every business owner who has done any kind of advertising knows how difficult it can be to get customers in the door.  What is especially hard is to reach the younger crowd.   The 18 -34 age group has grown up differently with technology than even those who are as young as 40.

Here are the facts about text message marketing for small businesses to know.  And take advantage of.

A recent eMarketer study noted that 66% of 18-44 year old adults said they were somewhat likely to try mobile coupons. 31% said they would be willing to give their mobile number in exchange for mobile coupons. When you reduce the age range to 18-34 year adults, the number jumps to 50% willing to receive coupons on their mobile phone by giving their number to a business.

Great.  That is all good and fine, but what exactly is a "mobile coupon"?

When I first heard the term I pictured having to have one of those fancy smart phones with some sort of printing device in order to print out the coupon and take it in to whatever store I wanted to redeem the coupon with!   Nothing could be further from the truth.

What mobile coupons are all about is simply having a customer that voluntarily signed up and receive text messages from you with your  latest offers.  That's it!  That is what text message marketing is all about.

From the Moto Message Blog :  "Being able to target 50% of your customers may not seem like much but when you consider redemption rates it becomes very attractive. Let’s compare this to email marketing as an example. Say you have a customer base of 1000 consumers on your email list and 500 on a text marketing list. Sending the same offer to each list will result in an average 3% redemption rate from the email list or 30 customers and an average redemption rate from mobile of 15% or 150 customers. Mobile marketing ROI is much higher even with a smaller customer list."

You can be sure that people's willingness to "opt-in" to receive coupons from just about any business will continue to grow.  One of the reasons that this is such a growing business is that it is so new.  Only 3% of people with a smart phone have opted in to receive text messages or mobile coupons from their favorite businesses.  Isn't it time for you to take advantage of such a young and growing market?

One of my buddies has written an excellent article about mobile marketing for small business.  The article and site in general provides information and resources for starting your own sms promotion broadcast, or text message marketing campaigns.

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How To Get Things Done

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I want to talk about the best way that I have found to get things done. A long time ago I read a book called Think and Grow Rich.  Then I read another book called How To Win Friends and Influence People.  I read them both several times.

I am not sure which book had the following paraphrased story in it, but it is the one thing that has really stuck with me and helped me. There were a lot of other things in each of those books that were pretty good.  I should go back and re-read both of them.  Here's the story as I remember it.

Andrew Carnegie (the big shot behind what eventually became U.S. Steel, and the richest man in the world at the time) hired a consultant to come in to help him be more efficient in getting things done.   The consultant gave him the following list:

1) Write down on paper the five most important things you want to get done today in order of their importance.

2) Begin your workday with the first thing on your list.  When you are done with it cross it off the list and move to #2.

3) Continue on down the list until you have completed all of your tasks.

Carnegie could not believe the advice he was given. He was almost outraged, but the consultant told him to try it and if he saw no value in it then he should not pay him.  If he did find value in it then he should send a check for whatever he felt it was worth.  Carnegie gave it a shot.  After one month he sent the consultant a check for $25,000.00, a huge amount of money in the 1920's.

I have found that this is the absolute best way to get things done too. It helps to keep you focused. In this day and age of the internet and cell phones and all of the other shiny things available to capture our attention it is a wonder that anyone gets anything done at all in a day.

If I make a list of things to do, those things get done.  Period. Even if I ignore the list for a while.  It has a magical power of drawing me back to it.  I may not do all of the things on the list in one day.  I may not even accomplish all of the tasks I have written down "in order of importance", but I get the list done.  When that list is done I make another list.

I keep one of those cheap spiral notebooks that kids use in school open on my desk where I work.  On that open page the list sits.  And sits.  And slowly I get into it.  I find that once I have one thing done, the second thing on the list gets accomplished much faster.  As I cross each one off (or put a check mark next to it to tell me it is completed) I have a sense of accomplishment.

Sometimes I can complete the list in a few hours.  Sometimes it takes three days.  But the list gets done.

If you are frustrated with your inability to really get the things that you want out of life and you are not using a list then you may want to try this.  Don't be fooled by it's simplicity.

Jack Folsgood

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Boosting Your Profits with the Ideal WordPress Theme

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Potency, Capabilities and a Hindrance

What started as a convenient foundation for blog writers currently is a highly acknowledged content management system. We're referring to WordPress, a zero cost application that can change anybody into an efficient web based writer.

WordPress makes it easy to produce websites. It makes it easy to add or modify content and articles. It's internet search engine oriented, extremely reinforced and is versatile enough to deal with almost any sort of job. As a result, its acclaim keeps growing at a rapid speed. It includes a number of themes, giving its end users the option to build websites with an boundless variety of looks and structures.

Although WordPress is fabulous, it isn't perfect. You are able to use it to do practically anything at all, some functions are harder than others are. WordPress hasn't entirely escaped its roots as a blogging platform. Consequently, some of the sites people produce with WordPress seem much less like static web-sites and more like blogs. That can be really troublesome for online marketers, tend to have several different distinct requirements that don't easily fit in the templates desired by a large number of WordPress themes. That has triggered the invention of customizable theme engines like AuthorityPro.

Gaining More from WordPress

You can get a variety of WordPress themes that copy the look and feeling of fixed internet sites. They are an acceptable solution for a few tasks. However, these types of themes don't offer the flexibility required to handle various online marketing purposes. They may also lack the visual appeal one would expect from a superior internet site.

That leaves web entrepreneurs who would like to harness the strength of WordPress with just a few choices. Either they might develop into expert theme developers or they might utilize a strong theme development engine to build the type of websites they require to obtain the best final results.

Mastering the ins and outs of WordPress and coding doesn't excite most entrepreneurs. They're more excited about rapidly making and implementing lucrative projects. They're not necessarily interested in the idea of becoming designers or programmers. Only those people who already have quite a bit of experience in these topics will be interested in generating tailor made themes for projects.

A theme engine is a better option. A theme engine is a very customizable WordPress theme that can be fine-tuned to serve any number of particular tasks. A marketer can utilize a quality engine to create themes with different web page layouts and designs, making use of required applications.

If you've ever before tried to create a engaging squeeze page with a typical WordPress theme, you understand that it's practically impossible. Even many of the more adaptable premium themes cannot get the job done. A superior theme engine, in contrast can make it simple and easy to make a strong squeeze page, a dazzling sales page, attractive supporting internet pages, sign up documents and everything else required to turn a new idea into a money maker. The appropriate theme engine makes it easy to make the most of sign up forms, online video media, audio tracks and additional marketing elements, as well.

The Very Best WordPress Theme

The very best WordPress theme is far more than one particular theme. It's a resource that will make it possible for you to create the internet sites you require to be successful. A great theme engine will deliver customizability, superior design elements, flexibility, full compatibility with critical tools, and tremendous simplicity of use.

The WordPress Authority Pro Theme, as an example, is able to do well on every one of these levels. It can make it achievable for entrepreneurs to create site layouts by dragging and dropping customizable factors. It comes with collection of powerful custom widgets, functions well with just about all of the most well-known Internet marketing resources and maintains the simplicity newer WordPress users demand.

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E-Book — Easier Affiliate Commissions Formula

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Click The Link Below To Download

Jack Folsgood's E-Book and Guide To "Product Name Hi-Jacking"

Jack Folsgood's Formula

For (Easier) Affiliate Product Commissions

"Product Name Hi-Jacking"

Filed Under: Internet Marketing

Multiply Your Profits with Joint Ventures

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Beyond Selling Your Own Product

Marketing your own product is a great way to generate an online income. When you combine a good overall marketing and promotion plan with a nice product, sales will inevitably follow. If you find a sweet spot in the market, your product can become relatively successful.

However, you won't really make the big money if you're out there alone. The most successful internet marketers realize that it's easier to achieve success if you're traveling with joint venture partners. It's easier to post huge profits when you're working with others.

How many more sales could you make if you had a team of big-time marketers aggressively promoting your product? How big could the numbers get if you had top marketers backing your product just as diligently as they would their own? Now, think about the impact having several top marketers as partners could mean to you!

The Power of JVs

You must have an affiliate program if you have your own product. When other people are pushing your product, the sales figures naturally inflate. The standard-issue affiliate program won't do the trick, however. You want to do more than attract a few other marketers to your cause. You want major players to line up with you to transform your product into a best-seller.

That's why building joint ventures should be a top priority. There's no better way to post sales than by creating JVs with top marketers. That's why forging successful joint ventures is the most important step anyone with an interest in moving up into the ranks of the top marketers can take.

Unfortunately, it isn't always easy to create those JV partnerships. Unfortunately, it can be tough to reach out and build solid JV relationships. It can be hard to build top-notch JVs if you and your product aren't already well-known. Top marketers are constantly receiving requests for JVs. You need to have an interesting, attention-grabbing, smart JV offer to make something happen.

Many marketers make the mistake of approaching joint venture partners as if advertising their existing affiliate program is enough. That's a doomed strategy. You'll never put a great joint venture together unless you work harder. You need to approach the process the right way.

What You Need for JV Success

Building joint ventures the smart way requires a few things. First, you should have a strong understanding of the different ways to structure a joint venture. Second, you need to understand how to put together a plan that will be truly beneficial for you and for your JV partners. Third, you need to know how to get your foot in the door and to make the connections necessary to tap the power of joint ventures. Fourth, you need to know the fine details of building a JV proposal that will really take off. Fifth, you must have an iron grip on the details of JV organization and implementation.

If you fall short on any front, you're unlikely to experience optimal JV success.

Put simply, you need a formal education in the world of joint ventures.

You could try to figure out all of the details on your own. Be prepared to experience at least a few failures before things get moving if you take that route. You can ruin an otherwise great JV plan with a single misstep.

That's why those who understand strength in numbers will want to learn from someone who knows the world of joint ventures inside and out. If there's one part of internet marketing that screams for a quality, paid education, this is it. You should make a point of finding proven JV recommendations and information. Once you've learned the ropes and have a good blueprint in your hands, you can use internet marketing joint ventures to transform your product into the next Big Thing!

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Why Back Links To Your Site Are Important

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I want to take a few minutes today and explain a few things about the importance of back links to your website.  Some people just call them "links".  Either way they are the same thing and all that they are is a link to your site from another site.

If you are not yet sure on the best way to go about getting links to your site then I highly recommend that you check out The Keyword Academy. They have an absolute compendium of free information that you can research and get a good general knowledge on how to go about doing that.

One thing I have to tell you is that I was pretty much lost on the proper way to promote the sites that I was building and get them ranked in the Search Engines until I came across these guys.  They also have a monthly subscription to all of their services and it starts with a $1 (30) day trial.  After that you have a couple of options, but the maximum subscription price for everything they offer is currently $33.00/month and it is so worth it that I can honestly say that I wouldn't still be in the business if it wasn't for them.

Okay.  Once you understand the importance of "back links" or "links back to your site" the next questions a lot of aspiring internet marketers have is:  "Are all links back to my site equal in importance?" or put another way "do the search engines see all links that point to a site the same?".  The answer is NO.  The search engines or SERPS do not see all links in the same light.  They pay a lot more attention to links that point to your site if they are coming from .edu and .gov sites of course as they see those links as being a lot more authoritive.

But no need to worry about trying to get those kind of links at all right now.  I have many sites (and more particularly "pages" within those sites) on the first page of Google that don't have any of those kind of links.  They are not all that important especially if you are doing your "keyword research" properly.  Once again I'll point you to the Keyword Academy to learn more about the importance of that, and especially the best way to go about it.

Why Back Links To Your Site Are Important:

The bottom line about back links is that getting ranked on the first page of any search engine comes down to the fact that The Internet is a Popularity Contest. That is the best way I can describe it. If you have more links pointing your site about any given subject (or keyword) than anyone else promoting the same or similar content then you will rank better than them in the SERPS 99% of the time.

Now that statement sometimes scares a lot of aspiring "I want to make money on the internet" personalities.  And it should.  It is the one reason that 98% plus of those trying to make money on the world wide web never make enough money to keep going.  They don't know how to get good quality links to their sites and even if they do they don't know how to get the kinds of links that not only hold up over time, but also give their sites a lot more authority in the eyes of the search engines.   That's why having a resource like the Keyword Academy is so important.  Not only do they teach you how to get the right kind of links, they also have the tools to help you do it as well as a community of people who will help you along the way.

A final note... Don't fall for all of the "Make $10,000 in 30 days" type promotions that are out there.  (you might even find links to some of them on this site)  While most every one of those e-books has quality information that you can use don't get yourself in the mindset that you are going to make that kind of money that quickly.  It takes time.  If you get to work following the principles taught at the Keyword Academy you can (and will) develop the ability to make that kind of money, but you have to be willing to put in the work and be patient along the way.

Return to the Home Page of JackFolsgood.com for more internet marketing articles.

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