Students Of Success

The methods employed to increase your search engine
rankings may seem like rocket science to you, so you have
probably avoided dealing with this issue. I am here to tell
you - the time has come to face your website! A high search
engine ranking for your website is so essential that if you
have the slightest desire to actually succeed in your
business, there is no way you can continue to avoid this
issue.

At least 85% of people looking for goods and services on
the Internet find websites through search engines such as
Google, Yahoo, and MSN. The idea of optimizing your pages
for high search engine rankings is to attract targeted
customers to your site who will be more than likely to make
a purchase. The higher your page comes up in search engine
results, the greater the traffic that is directed to your
website. That’s what search engine optimization is about.

You can immerse yourself in all the technical information
available online to figure out how to optimize your web
pages to achieve higher rankings. Or you can look at a few
simple items on your pages, make some small adjustments,
and most likely see improved rankings quite rapidly. The
first item you should examine is the title bar on your
homepage.

The title bar is the colored bar at the top of the page.
Look at the words that appear there when you access your
home page. To increase search engine rankings, the words on
your homepage’s title bar should include the most important
keywords or phrases, one of which would include your
company name.

Then click on all your links and examine the title bars on
the pages you access. Each title bar on every single page
of your site should contain the most important keywords and
phrases taken from the page itself. However, avoid very
long strings of keywords, keeping them to six words or
less. Avoid repeating keywords more than once in the title
bars, and make sure that identical words are not next to
each other.

The next item to put under your microscope is your website
content. Search engines generally list sites that contain
quality content rather than scintillating graphics. The
text on your site must contain the most important keywords
- the words that potential customers will be typing into
search engines to find your site.

Aim to have around 250 words on each page, but if this is
not desirable due to your design, aim for at least 100
carefully chosen words. If you want to achieve a high
ranking on search engines, this text is essential. However,
the search engines must be able to read the text, meaning
that the text must be in HTML and not graphic format.

To find out if your text is in HTML format, take your
cursor and try to highlight a word or two. If you are able
to do this, the text is HTML. If the text will not
highlight, it is probably in graphic form. In this case,
ask your webmaster to change the text into HTML format in
order to increase your search engine rankings.

Next we come to what is called meta tags. I know this
sounds like something out of science fiction, but it is
really just simple code. Many people believe that meta tags
are the key to high search engine rankings, but in reality,
they only have a limited effect. Still, it’s worth adding
them in the event that a search engine will use meta tags
in their ranking formula.

To find out if your page is set up with meta tags, you must
access the code. To do this, click the “view” button on the
browser menu bar, and select “source.” This will pull up a
window revealing the underlying code that created the page.
If there are meta tags, they usually appear near the top of
the window. For example, a meta tag would read: meta
name=”keywords” content=. If you do not find code that
reads like this, ask your webmaster to put them in. This
may not do much for your search engine rankings, but any
little boost helps.

Lastly, we come to the issue of link popularity. This is a
factor that is extremely important in terms of search
engine rankings. Almost all search engines use link
popularity to rank your website. Link popularity is based
on the quality of the sites you have linked to from your
links page.

If you type in “free link popularity check” in a popular
search engine, the search engine will then show you what
sites are linked to your site. In the case that there
aren’t many sites linked up to yours, or that the sites
that are linked up have low search engine rankings,
consider launching a link popularity campaign. Essentially,
this entails contacting quality sites and requesting that
they exchange links with your site. Of course, this
requires checking out the rankings of the websites you want
to link up with. Linking to popular, quality sites not only
boosts your search engine ranking, but it also directs more
quality traffic to your website.

Search engine rankings are extremely important for a
successful Internet marketing campaign. Before you go out
and hire a search engine optimization company, try taking
some of the simple steps listed above, and see if you can’t
boost your rankings yourself. Don’t ever ignore this
all-important factor in Internet marketing. Remember, the
higher your search engine ranking, the more quality
customers will be directed your way.

Article By Dan Meiyers - SEO Pro
info@emarketingbooks.com

Search Engines Revealed
http://www.eMarketingBooks.com/seosecrets

Thank you for staying with me as I continue with part two of this excerpt from The Enchanted Self, A Positive Therapy. This section concludes the way I began to reclaim my own Enchanted Self.

The third unwrapping came when I needed major surgery, an emergency hysterectomy. I found myself able to permit women to nurture me through this emergency in a way that I do think I was able to do before I began this project. I no longer felt I needed to rely on the authority of the male. I yearned for the care taking, nurturing capacities that many women offer so much more freely than do most men. My surgeon was a woman and I insisted on private-duty female nurses for a while. I allowed them to cradle me, soothe me, massage me and nurse me.

The next layer that was reached was my capacity to run my practice differently, as I recovered. I was able to relinquish some of my controls and to soften professional/client boundaries as appropriate. I gave them the best that I could while still being totally honest. Why was in a recovery state, I saw clients in my living room or provided telephone sessions. I put my feet up; accepted gifts and food from clients. I let them nourish me and take care of me for a while.

During this time, my clients and I shared our competencies. They even paced their subject matter to my recovery level. Usually this was done without explanation. I accepted their pacing as one of the beautiful gifts they were able to offer me. As I grew stronger, their problems reemerged in ways that was able to cope with. They re-parented me into recovery as I had attempted to re-parent them before my sudden surgery. From women clients came gifts and cards and the presentation of beautiful sweets. All were accepted with joy and from the heart. I made no attempt to interpret them, which I thought would have been demeaning because these tokens came out of mutual caring. To have tried to interpret this material as transferential would have been a diminishment of our humanity. If need be, I could always use this material again, anyway. And if some transferential material never reemerged, what a small price to pay, to give so many of my clients an opportunity to show their competencies and caring. Most were able, with grace, to rely on their own capacities while still being aware that they were staying in treatment not to have tea with me but to further heal and grow. In helping me heal, I believe they felt empowered.

About the Author

Dr. Holstein is the originator of The Enchanted Self and a psychologist since 1981. She is the author of two books: The Enchanted Self, A Positive Therapy and Recipes for Enchantment, The Secret Ingredient is YOU!
Dr. Holstein speaks on radio, and appears on television in NY and NJ. She gives lectures, seminars, retreats and audio interviews on LadybugLive.com and is in private practice in Long Branch, NJ with her husband, Dr. Russell Holstein.

Astrology is considered to be the oldest of all sciences, which studies the effects of the planetary positions and movements on our lives. Indian Astrology is an integral aspect of the Vedic literature (Vedic Astrology) and was practiced over the years by Indian sages and passed on to their disciples. In olden days, the kings would depend on astrology to determine the right and auspicious time before embarking on any new and important initiatives. Ages later, today, we still find the strong influence of astrology in our day-to-day life. Any major event in life, whether it is marriage, buying a car, buying a house, or even entering a new house, is undertaken only after consulting the astrologer for an auspicious time.

Astrology is in-depth science with multiple widespread branches. It is used to create birth or natal charts (Jathaka / Janampatri) based on the time, date and place of birth, to answer any specific questions ‘Prashnas’, to find the auspicious time and day called ‘Muhurtha’. While all of these aspects of astrology are well in use today, one of the most popular one is the creation of Jathaka’s and matching of Jathaka’s for marriages. Marriage is an important aspect of life. In India, when a child is born, the exact place, date and time is documented and when the child grows older his/her natal chart is created based on this birth data. When the child attains marriageable age, his/her natal chart is matched with those of prospective brides and grooms to find an astrologically compatible match. This is an age-old tradition, which is practiced with equal fervor even in this tech-savvy, net-savvy age.

It is interesting to note that, thousands of years ago astrology was imparted by the teachers to their pupils orally. During the beginning of ‘Kali Yuga’ the astrological literature was documented for the future generation.

Today, the essence of astrology has been captured and converted into astrological software. These software’s are immensely accurate and provide extensive reports based on scientific calculations. One such service is provided on the website www.BridesandGroomsIndia.com, which is an Indian matrimonial site. The Astrology section provides various astrological services like horoscope / natal chart generation, horoscope / natal chart matching for compatibility, star matching for compatibility.

Indian Astrology is an integral part of the Indian culture and most of the marriages are consummated only after consulting an astrologer. At BridesandGroomsIndia.com a genuine effort is made to help prospective couples figure out whether they are compatible to be bound in the holy wedding knot.

The author is a freelance writer based in Pune, India. She has been collecting information on Indian Astrology.

Credit counseling is a viable option for those who are feeling the stress of being overwhelmed by debt. Credit counseling primarily offers assistance with working out a credit and debt repayment plan for an individual to gain control of their finances by creating a structured budget for an individual to follow. Credit counseling offers an individual the option to repay their debts, if needed, through a credit counseling debt repayment program. This is where the credit counseling organization becomes in contact with an individuals creditor to ask for lowered interest rates and for the credit provider to stop any late and over the limit fees that may be attached to a particular credit card.
Credit counseling organizations that provide a no charge credit and money management education program for an individual typically have the individual consumer’s best interest on their mind.

Credit counseling may be needed if the following signs are present:

1. Are you using more and more of your income to pay your debts?
This becomes a problem if you are at the point where the money going out is less than or nearly less than the money coming in. Credit counseling would be a wise choice. Speaking to a credit counseling organization at this point can help because in a counseling session you may find that by sticking to a sound budget you may be able to avoid additional help. The best part is the counseling sessions should be at no charge, make sure of that before speaking to an agency.

2. Do you make only the minimum payments due on your loans and credit cards each month?
Look at your budget, that is review what dollars are coming in and how those dollars are going out. You may find that by tweaking your budget you may be able to avoid credit counseling by implementing a plan of savings through following your own plan. This should allow you to free up more money to be more aggressive in repaying your debt. Credit counseling may be needed if you have reviewed your budget and can’t find additional funds to pay more than the minimum amounts to your credit cards. Paying only the minimum to your credit cards will only prolong the length of time needed to repay your debt. Some credit cards may charge such a high interest rate that it could take years upon years to pay off with minimum payments.

3. Are you near, at, or over the credit limit on your credit cards?

Once a credit card is nearing it’s available balance or even worse if the credit card is over it’s credit limit it is time to take aggressive action to pay down the balance. If this is a situation you are finding yourself in try finding additional dollars to bring your balances down. It is recommended that when doping this you do not open another credit account or take a consolidation loan to repay these accounts as more often than not taking a loan to pay a loan will result in more debt being owed. If you can’t find the dollars to apply towards the credit cards try speaking to a credit counseling organization. They may be able to lay out a plan for you to repay the debt on your own, or through their own credit counseling services.

4. Are you paying your bills with money intended for other things?
If you find yourself “robbing Peter to pay Paul” with your credit cards it may be acceptable if you are replacing the dollars that are going to unnecessary items such as cable TV., cell phone payments…etc. Just as long as those accounts have been paid and you are not accruing any more fees from them. However if you find yourself using dollars that are intended for necessary items such as a car payment, a house loan, food, etc. then you are most likely in a situation where credit counseling is an option you may need to look into. Look at speaking to a certified credit counselor that will offer a solution to your financial needs. Getting out of the red is very important, the sooner you take action the better.

5. Are you borrowing money or using credit cards to pay for things you used to buy with cash?

This can be very problematic when you are utilizing your credit to purchase things like groceries, fuel or other disposable goods. If you are currently in the act of doing this review your finances to determine if you can avoid making these purchases with your credit. If this can’t be avoided try speaking to a credit counseling organization. They should be able to give you the tools needed to avoid this costly practice.

6. Do you often pay your bills late?

There are a few reasons on why an individual may frequently pay their bills after the due date. One of the main reasons is that there isn’t a budget in place to follow, therefore rendering the payments of the debt to the instance of when a person gets paid. If a payment is due on the 25th and a individual is paid on the 30th this typically develops into a past due payment. This is due to the fact that the majority of people live from one paycheck to the next. Creating a savings account and a budget plan will resolve this issue for the most part. Paying bills late on a regular basis may also be attributed to an individual being upside down with their debts, meaning that there is more money going out regularly than coming in. Once this point is reached it may be time to speak to a credit counseling organization. It is urgent to seek help at this point in order to order to avoid long lasting damage to your credit.

Regardless of your situation it is important to seek help when feeling the pinch of being upside down or behind with your finances. Taking measures early will result in less dollars that go out in the long run. Taking action early will also result in a lesser need of bankruptcy which has long lasting negative impact on your credit worthiness.

Rick Munster lives in Boise, ID where he works as the Media Planner for Debt Reduction Services, http://www.debtreductionservices.com. When he’s not busy working with the media he enjoys writing, or getting away to do a little fishing.

American Idol judge, Simon Cowell, periodically remarks about the “it” factor when assessing contestants. It seems to be one of those nebulous, undefined and subjective attributes one either has or doesn’t have. And it falls into the category of you-know-it-when-you-see-it. He’s right. You do know it when you see it and that’s true in the workplace, too.

Some people call it passion. And while that’s part of it, it goes beyond the intense driving focus associated with passion. When I think of the hundreds of people I’ve hired in my career, there was one spark that yielded an unwavering yes decision; one spark that made me stop interviewing and put together a compelling offer; one spark worth searching unrelentingly to find.

What’s that spark? Desire. Not a person’s desire for the job, although interest and enthusiasm is always a plus. But their intention or aim; their desire for greatness. I use that word carefully. I don’t mean greatness in the context of being a great or famous or distinguished person, or climbing a hierarchy to achieve status, power or influence.

Rather, the desire for greatness I’m referring to is tied to the seeds of possibility sprouting through their talents and abilities. You see, these people with the “it” factor desire to live their life’s potential. They aren’t out to win. They’re out to become the unique person they are, to the fullest extent of their gifts. It’s that desire that fuels their drive, motivation and persistence. It’s that desire that keeps them learning and growing and stretching. It’s that desire that makes them exceptional.

You see, most of us don’t desire our own greatness. We cheat ourselves from becoming ourselves. We squander our unique gifts by copying other people’s approaches and styles. We mimic others’ successes thinking that if we follow their path or do what they do, we’ll end up at the same destination. But emulating others doesn’t unleash our individual uniqueness.

People with the “it” factor know the only path to their greatness is one of their own making. That’s why you know them when you see them. These are people who stand out like a tulip in a rose garden. Russian-born choreographer George Balanchine defined them well when he said, “I don’t want people who want to dance. I want people who have to dance.”

But here’s the thing. The “it” factor is not a limited edition attribute. The desire to live our own greatness is available for each of us if we tap into it. It’s a personal choice we can make. That’s what winning at working is all about: finding your it factor.

(c) 2006 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.

Sign up to receive Nan’s complimentary biweekly eColumn or Podcast at http://www.winningatworking.com Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a columnist, writer and speaker. Visit http://www.nanrussell.com or contact Nan at info@nanrussell.com.

Russian nesting dolls are also known as Matryoshka dolls or Babushka Dolls. The name Matryoshka is a diminutive form of a popular Russian female name “Matryona” and “Babushka” is the Russian for grandmother. These dolls are brightly hand painted wooden dolls made in such a way that they can be taken apart to reveal smaller dolls fitting inside one another.

The first set of Matryoshka dolls was produced in Russia in 1890, in a colorful Russian market town called Serviev Posad about 50 miles from Moscow, inspired by a set of souvenir dolls from Japan. In 1900, the dolls were presented at the World Exhibition in Paris earning a bronze medal and within no time their popularity spread, and craftsmen all over Russia began creating these dolls. Soon many other places in Russia started making nesting dolls of various styles. There are usually between five to thirty or more figures in a set, but there can be many more. A set of 72 nesting dolls, the largest being one meter high was created to celebrate the birthday of Lenin in 1970.

The traditional theme is peasant girls in traditional dress, but they can be found on almost any theme these days - you are just as likely to find nesting dolls devoted to Russian political leaders as you are to find them on animals, sports, fairy tales, cartoon and film themes or even the Beatles. Basically if you can think of a design you are most likely to find it with some on-line stores having over 1000 different styles in stock.

Nesting dolls are so popular that artists outside Russia have now started to produce their own versions. Popular Israeli artist, Yair Emanuel, produces one with exquisite Jerusalem panoramas, and another that is decorated with wedding and floral scenes inspired by the paintings of Mark Chagall.

Nesting dolls make such a good gift since there are so many different themes that you are bound to find one to suit the interests of the person receiving it. Traditionally nesting dolls were given as gifts to wish prosperity and happiness to loved ones. They make marvelous housewarming gifts, children’s birthday gifts, Christmas, Mother’s Day and New Baby Gifts and are also great as Collectibles. Both beautiful and entertaining a set of Nesting Dolls will become a talking point in any home or office, and will be a treasured gift for years to come.

Janice Kaye is the operator of Biblical-Gifts.com, an online shop that specializes in exclusive hand-crafted products, made out of flowers & fruits grown in the land of the Bible. They also offer a selection of the best Christian gifts and souvenirs made in the Holy Land. Biblical-gifts.com welcomes both retail and wholesale customers.