There is a common misconception of SNSs being used for actual social networking, as the primary usage of SNSs is to maintain an existing social network within a pre-existing specific social group as opposed to using the applications to meet strangers which is the definition of networking. Here lies the power of social network marketing, as by nature the social groups create consumer specific demographics allowing companies to contact customers of a certain age, race, region or sex.

There were many online applications that offered fragmented features of contemporary SNSs such as classmates.com, who allowed users to affiliate with certain schools or colleges whilst searching for other affiliates, however could not host profiles. Profiles existed on major dating sites and lists of friends could be accumulated on certain sites however they could not be viewed by others or interact within the profiles in the multitude of ways enabled by contemporary social networking applications.

The first website to combine these features was SixDegrees.com however once accepted as a friend into another user profile there was little that could be done in the way of interacting. The failure of SixDegrees.com was attributed to the contextual usage of the internet being more practical as opposed to social. The design was utilized by other social network demographics and a trend towards ethnicity was illustrated by ventures such as BlackPlanet.com which focussed on specific ethnic groups.

From the ethnic specific websites came the evolution into business network applications such as Ryze.com and LinkedIn.com who were focussed on creating virtual communities within businesses. The first attempt at a recognisable version of the leading contemporary SNSs was an effort from the same community as the two former business network sites. The members of the community believed that they could all operate together without competing and Friendsters.com was designed as competition for the leading dating site Match.com.

Friendsters.com was based on the philosophy that friends of friends would make the best matches as potential partners so the interactive nature of the profiles reflected this. It was designed to only allow access to profiles of people who were linked to a maximum of four friends of friends. This combined with the notorious ‘most popular’ feature meant that many users began indiscriminately adding friends and in some cases creating ghost profiles under celebrity names or fictional profiles for entertainment purposes.

The administrators came down on this hard and began removing suspected ghost profiles which surmounted to any profile with a seemingly abstract profile. This alienated many users, especially those who were using their profile within a community to promote creative pursuits such as festivals, events or bands. One of the core ideals behind the formation of Friendsters.com was that of the Burning Man arts festival, causing the sentiment that the administrators were betraying the underlying ethos of the sites conception.

As a reaction to this and other problems caused by the technically unmanageable surge in popularity, many users began moving to MySpace.com. They responded to the symbiotic relationship between bands and fans and the html ready pages allowed users to incorporate style sheets to custom design their profiles. With the defectors from Friendster.com and the music orientated users, MySpace.com began growing in popularity which lead to its acquisition by News Corporation in 2005 for USD580 million.

After the subsequent media campaign it became the most popular US social network site whilst other applications did not experience a similar homeland response. Google’s own Orkut.com became the unofficial SNS of Brazil where Friendsters.com surged in users from the Pacific Islands. Around the same time there was a restricted access social network operational at Harvard University in the United States. It was originally known as TheFacebook.com and was restricted to users with a Harvard email address.

From Harvard only to ivy league only and eventually to all colleges and high schools, Facebook.com as it was known after the 2005 USD200,000 acquisition of the domain name, had a secular and somewhat fragmented rise in usage. Some believe that this has been the secret of its success as the projected technical hardware needed for the expansion could be properly planned, a pitfall of previous SNSs. In September 2006 Facebook.com opened its virtual doors to anyone with a valid email address over the age of 13 and it has been rapidly growing in popularity since with a remarkable estimated 60% of its user base from outside of the US.

The different SNSs share fundamental features which define them as social network sites however have individually defining features which attracts certain users. As previously stated the customisable nature of MySpace.com profiles attracts more creative pursuits whilst the privacy features of Facebook.com attract increasing levels in users wishing to maintain social networks. Facebook.com has experienced an unprecedented surge in unique visits over the last 12 months, experiencing a 69.5% rise in November 2008 from the previous year, whilst MySpace.com experienced a 14.4% drop in unique visits over the same period.

High Position have a dedicated team of experts working on social network marketing to ensure our clients utilize the fastest growing resource within the fastest growing marketing medium on the planet. As with paid search and search engine optimisation it is essential that social network marketing practices are compliant and ethical whilst maintaining cost efficiency. This only comes from continually updating strategies in tune with the rapid technical and legislative changes, a service High Position deliver. For more information visit our social network marketing page or contact us.

Understandably the most searched for term was ‘Facebook‘, the social media and connection website that seems to go from strength to strength. The BBC managed to secure a second spot, most probably for its news coverage that is respected by many across the world for its independence and unbiased reporting. It was revealed that the fastest rising search term was iPlayer, a site operated by the BBC that allows users to view television shows from the last seven days and beyond. The latter two show that there has been a shift in the way we watch television, people now opting to view programmes in their own time conveniently online.

The end of year list however highlights some search terms that came as a result of 2008 events. The first was the predominance of the US election candidates as search terms throughout the year as well as the high searches for information pertaining to the Olympics held in Beijing. Fundamentally the research shows that people all over the world have a penchant for politics, sporting events, entertainment and of course socialising. Socialising is probably the most searched for form of website, comprising two of the top ten search terms for the year.

Additionally the searches have revealed that a large proportion of the society is preoccupied with financial matters and the global economic crisis. As a result terms such as ‘money saving expert’ and ‘deals’ experienced large numbers. Maybe as a consequence ‘jobs’ made it into the top ten UK searches although this could simply reflect the changing nature of job hunting within the country. For those who want the full picture the top ten results for the most searched for terms in the UK are as follows:

1.    Facebook
2.    BBC
3.    YouTube
4.    eBay
5.    Games
6.    News
7.    Hotmail
8.    Bebo
9.    Yahoo
10.    Jobs

The Connect project was announced in May of this year and can be seen as a response to rival sites such as MySpace that already has a similar system. Both of these social networking sites are keen to exploit users’ needs for a website that is not purely a place to visit but is also a place where they can access what the web has to offer.

There is a financial motive behind the move however with the addition of the option to surf the web it is hoped that advertisers will pay more for advertisements and hence revenue will be increased. However the search facility is not as all encompassing as a search engines such as Google or Yahoo, sites must submit themselves to the service in order to be visible. Facebook will vet these sites studying the content of the website and deeming whether the information is suitable.

However the system will not be without its critics, naturally some users will not wish their friends knowing what sites they look at on the internet. These issues with privacy are likely to be some of the biggest concerns of users and unless Facebook can assure that their clients’ privacy will be guaranteed it is unlikely the service will experience high levels of success.

Basics such as URL structure, HTML tags such as meta tags and titles as well as link anchor text, relevant content and other such points will be set out in easy to understand guidelines. Illustrations and a list of things to avoid are all included.

However, lets not be fooled. Google will not release anything that isn’t already out there to be found. Known for regularly moving the goal posts, Google like to have a little re-jig of the rules occasionally to ensure websites are kept on their toes. What this new rulebook will do though is to assist webmasters in a general overhaul of their site to ensure general search engine compliance. This will be ideal for businesses who are starting small and want to handle their own site as best they can.

Add to this the Google Site Search facility called On-Demand Indexing and each website owner can exercise a lot more control over their own site. As a re-launch of the original Google Custom Search, On Demand Indexing is a tool for individual sites.

It means that at the touch of a button, the site owners can customise the search results that visitors see and each customer will be able to build their own separate search index. Individual pages could take days to be indexed but now an ‘Index now’ button at the bottom of each page will do just that.
These changes are going to make life easier for webmasters as well as visitors to the net.

As the champagne flowed members of the High Position team demonstrated their expertise to existing and prospective clients. The evening saw speeches from Steve Dart (Managing Director), Shaun Parker (Head of Search) and Terry Heffernan (Commercial Director) highlighting the impressive growth the company has experienced since its inception. The evening culminated with a speech from local MP John Whittingdale who impressed with his knowledge of internet commerce and recognition of the fact that high rankings in search engines are ultimately important when courting online business.

All who attended were then given the opportunity to use the new High Position website and spend time conversing with the High Position staff members on matters of SEO strategy and delivery. Both staff and guests agreed that the party had been a great occasion that was not only a celebration of High Position’s past successes but a look forward to what is a bright and exciting future.

The High Position portfolio now contains some of British industry’s leading companies. Recently landing a lucrative Sony contract augments the current client base that includes companies such as haart estate agents, Budget Rent a Car, Hillarys Blinds and the Inchcape Group’s Honda, BMW, Lexus and Mini websites. Despite the growing number of corporate clients, the High Position team are dedicated to providing an exemplary service to existing customers; made possible through excellent customer service and unrivalled technical knowledge.

In terms of figures High Position experienced 142% growth in the last year whilst in the first six months of this year growth was recorded at 112%. This financial growth is bucking the trend in commerce generally and when put in context of an industry that is currently burgeoning, are even more impressive. Turnover at High Position has skyrocketed in the past eighteen months from £400,000 to £1.8 million, once again showing the sheer forward momentum present in the company. Staff numbers have also increased in the last eighteen months from a modest eleven to workforce forty three strong; almost a three hundred percent increase.

So what does the future hold for High Position? Firstly there is the rebranding effort that has been ongoing for the last six months. The culmination of this effort manifests itself in this new website and a unique, expertly designed corporate brand. Now residing in a new office in Colchester’s prestigious business centre, The Octagon, HP Managing Director, Stephen Dart stated that “the launching of our new website represents a new phase in the evolution of High Position, one that incorporates a fresh, chic brand and a continuation of the methods that have brought the company such high levels of success. One thing is for certain, the future of High Position is bright, exhilarating and ultimately exciting.”

In terms of an actual figure, the latest survey suggests that in the first half of this year, consumers spent over twenty five million pounds online; startlingly this figure is a thirty eight percent increase on the figure for 2007. Commercial experts are surmising that consumers in the current economic climate are seemingly less inclined to head out to malls and high streets for spending sprees and are far more likely to stay home and make considered purchases online.

The reasons behind the popularity of online shopping are difficult to ascertain although many consumer experts believe that a decrease in household budgets combined with the high cost of petrol has resulted in greater online trade. Additionally, some believe that the public’s environmental conscience has also had a part to play in increasing online shopping rates although the convenience factor cannot be discounted.

Stephen Dart, Managing Director of High Position gladly welcomed the report’s findings as further evidence of the importance of search engine optimisation. In this time of financial difficulty it is the ability of the High Position specialists to give businesses the greatest chance of success that is proving so popular with clients.

The deal incorporates an undertaking of optimisation strategies for not only Sony’s UK website but thirty seven Sony Europe sites. Undoubtedly the work involved in achieving results for Sony will be extensive, but achievable for the specialist team at High Position. The purpose of the deal is to raise the profile of Sony products in search engines, the result will be more hits on Sony web pages and subsequently more sales and higher income.

The securing of the Sony Europe deal is yet another plaudit for High Position who in recent months has secured other high profile accounts with companies such as haart estate agents and Hillarys Blinds. Understandably Stephen Dart, Managing Director of High Position is thrilled with the current level of success, he stated that “not only are we [High Position] providing a large client base with unrivalled SEO advice and strategy, but are also continuing to land high profile deals in the face of stiff competition from the rest of the industry. The success of landing the Sony Europe deal, as well as many others simply represents our growing influence and reputation within the SEO industry not only in Britain but worldwide.”

Pagerank is also known as PR and has been around for much longer than most people think, in fact it has been around as long as Google itself, it has been responsible for driving sites up or down the rankings in Google and is obsessively monitored by millions of website owners and webmasters around the world.

Ever wanted to know a bit more about Google’s Pagerank and wanted to hear it in plain English? Well here are some facts and some fiction about one of the most written and discussed subjects in the world of SEO, if you are interested then read on, those that know it already then read on as well and perhaps you can email any thoughts on this article.
Those who are beginners and do not understand had better read it to put to bed some myths and also to understand that chasing Pagerank is like chasing a white elephant.

Well this is a topic that provokes much dissention in the world of SEO and is probably one of the most misunderstood factors in the world of optimisation. In fact every popular forum is guaranteed to have at least one current thread that addresses this subject in one way or another.

Well what is true and what is myth about Google Pagerank?

It is true that Inbound links are responsible for Pagerank values.
It is true that Page rank is important but it is a myth that you should chase it.
It is true that you should pursue the activity that will improve it but false that you can measure it.
It is true that sites that have a good Pagerank will often be well placed in generic searches but false that this is the only factor influencing this placement.
It is true that having quality inbound links will help your Pagerank score and that having lots of poor quality inbound links does not help it.
It is true that reciprocating links from bad sources can hurt your pagerank.
It is a myth that reciprocal links in general will hurt your page rank.
It is true that on topic word proximity can assist in your link relevance.
It is true that a new domain name can suffer slow progress for search positioning due to a lack of trust which is generally passed by inbound links and therefore a lack of Pagerank.

So where does Pagerank come from?

Going back to the start of the evolution of Google it all began with the development of a search engine that could deliver more accurate results than facilities such as Alta Vista and Excite who back then were just two of a variety of dominant search engines. Google was different, it was different because it ranks on different factors and this started when the founders decided to see if they could crawl the whole of web world and trace every link that could be found.

It is probably not correct at this point to conclude that Larry Page and Sergey Brin were trying to create a new internet search engine. But the concept of tracking and sorting all the links on the Internet was certainly heading that way.

Link Relationship

What was even more impressive than just tracking the number of links was the idea of examining the link relationship between different sites and thus determining the concept of rank! It was March 1996 when Larry pointed his crawler at his homepage at Stamford University and let it lose to explore the world. From the information gathered it was possible to sort sites that were important from sites that were less important according to link quantity, that was just the start and much more was on the agenda.

The concept was that once this site hierarchy is determined then the value of a link can be determined, it was a complex mathematical process but with Sergey the mathematician on board it was deliverable. The goal of course was achieved, Page and Brin were able to develop a system of ranking based on the number of links into a particular site factoring in the number of links to each of the sites that were linking to that particular site.

Once this was done they started to search the data and noticed that many of the results were more relevant to the query than when the same query was entered into the established search engines.

Thus was born the soul of Google and the intrinsic relationship with pagerank, of course this term came from the marriage of the evaluation process: - rank, to the surname of Larry Page - hence Pagerank.

Thus another fact is established and that is Pagerank is not named because of a value of a webpage but from the founders surname. The obsession with Pagerank continues and debates rage but at the end of the day it is a mathematical formula and uses quantifiable elements to determine the end product which is rank.

Google Toolbar

Whilst it is important to understand what builds Pagerank anybody of repute understands that we do not know what the true PR is of any particular site or page. Google have given us an indicator which like any such directive was instantly abused so to the point where we are firmly in the dark as to the true Pagerank and we have to rely on the Google Toolbar indicator which is out of date and totally inaccurate. Even the backlink indicator is not reliable in Google since this was also abused in the drive to gain position by manipulation, after its release as a command it was quickly dulled down.
Every Pagerank checker uses the Toolbar mechanism in one way or another and so all those so called experts out there offering true PR tracking services are also deluded or deceptive with their claims.
And therein lies the Achilles Heel, once the industry understood the relationship between links and ranking then it was open to abuse in the effort to manipulate the position of any given website. This has led to ever more stringent changes to the system which can have cataclysmic effects on millions of websites as different updates are served to Google’s ranking model.

In a modern world the vast majority of linking is now done to try and pass a vote for authority with the aim of adjusting website positions in a positive way. The early days of links passing a natural vote of quality are gone for a huge section of the Internet, where this natural process still occurs is whereby the rank and file still link naturally to facilities such as Microsoft and Adobe and many other Goliaths.

Link Manipulation

What is certain though is that the average business website has its search engine position in part due to some manipulation of the link process, of course linking can be encouraged by releasing quality information, having a great content rich site and despite the manipulation Google still manages to produce remarkable results for relevancy.

This means that after a decade the system of Pagerank survives as the most relevant and accurate process for delivering search results to people entering their respective search queries into that search box.

With Google launching its services to China there are numerous problems arising. The question now is have Yahoo got a similar crisis awaiting?

Google’s corporate slogan is ‘do no evil’, according to the document it released when it floated on the stock market in 2004.

Ironically, some might say, that is exactly what the company is not doing when it comes to international expansion into China, with accusations flying that the darling of the search engines is now colluding with the Chinese government to block local references to Tiananmen Square uprising, Falun Gong, Tibet and other unsavoury, embarrassing and sore issues when searching at www.google.cn

Ironic too, then, that the company had also contested its own government demanding access to search terms and words on its www.google.co.uk site. That there is an incongruity in responses is indeed a troubling outcome thus far. Just try typing in ‘Falun Gong’ at www.google.com and then at www.google.cn and you will see.

The big issue over chasing market share, global click-throughs and thus international advertising revenues - 99% of Google’s business comes from that source alone - is enough for the company to launch corporate social responsibility and business ethics into the Yangste River, critics are now arguing.

But it’s not just Google who are facing the same kind of problem. In some ways, far worse is afoot for Yahoo, with its Chinese activities being marred by accusations it helped in the arrest of political dissidents by revealing personal data of users, according to reports.

However, it is a tough call. Since corporations are business entities in their own right, the dilemma facing boards of directors in their search to create and add shareholder value, is, particularly on a global political level, going to come into conflict with altruistic and humanitarian beliefs.

The last thing Google, Yahoo or any other Internet firm in China needs now is a concerted anti-corporate cartoon hacking campaign originating in Denmark to really stir things up.