It is likely that you have heard about the Yahoo/Microsoft deal. The question is whether or not this will have a major impact on the search engine landscape. The concern for many online small businesses is whether there will be negative (or positive) effects on their website rankings. Another concern is whether the number of visitors a website receives will be altered.

What happens?

The union of Yahoo and Microsoft means that Yahoo is going to give up their search technology and opting to use Microsoft’s search technology instead. Bing.com will be the power behind organic and the paid search results that Yahoo delivers (with the exceptions concerning the Yahoo premium ads).

Microsoft will be getting access to Yahoo’s search technology and use it to supplement its own technology.

How will this affect your website?

• 1. You should optimize for Bing.com. Since the combined market share of Bing and Yahoo are estimated to between 15-26%
  2. Loss of Yahoo’s inbound link data?.Yahoo will drop its index and this may mean that the inbound link data it has will be lost. It might be important to get a snapshot of the inbound links data before this happens.
  3. The face of PPC competition is changing.Microsoft will be providing the search ads for both Yahoo and Bing. Yahoo will not be offering paid search advertising on its own. This will make it easier to manage ads for Yahoo and Bing on one user interface. This may mean rising bid prices for these ads.
  4. Website closings.The future of the Yahoo Internet directory is uncertain as well as their SearchMonkey and SearchBOSS search applications. Other redundant services such as maps may be eliminated as well.
  5. Two independent search result pages.Since there will still be user choice as to which search engine results pages will be used, it will still be important to optimize a website for both of these.

Speedy KAVAINT.COM W3C Software Directory COUNTERDEAL.COM
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The Internet is still in its infancy and search engine optimization is not going away anytime soon. It too is going to evolve and grow expand; becoming even more intricate than it is even now.

What is exactly is Search Engine Optimization or SEO? Simply put, it means doing everything it takes (of course optimizing in “white hat” fashion) to get your small business website found by those who need your goods and services. This could be for example in the case of optimizing a search engine keyword search.

Many people have typically just equated SEO with being indexed in Google and the major search engines. But it actually goes beyond this. Your site may be indexed but in order to rise to the top, you will need a lot more. In this sense, the internet truly is a web. All sites with traffic which are linked to your site and/or provide a way to list your small business’ profile (including your small business URL) for free will contribute to the cross-linking value of your main website. Your site’s presence “grows” with these links and profiles and social media mentions all across the cyberspace universe. One of the Internets most well knows standards for measuring a website’s stature has been Google Page rank. In the last few weeks, many websites have seen their page ranks take a dive. As many SEO experts are discussing the possibility of yet another Google algorithm change, some SEO experts are talking about whether Page Rank will continue to matter. Consider this: Google’s Page Rank patent runs through 2011. At this appoint other search engines will be able to license and use the famous algorithm. What does this mean? It means that other search engines will be able to integrate it into their products as well. Google in the meanwhile will continue to innovate and grow and reach out; adding even more dimensions to what it means to have a powerful online presence.

Microsoft may continue to try to chip away at Google (e.g. Bing) but Google, the innovative giant that it is, never rests (e.g. the recently announced Chrome OS). Industry watchers continue to study and predict what Google will be up to next. Here are some industry speculations: Google continues to reach out…Google 411, Google indexing material from books (past and present), and greater numbers of ever improving cloud applications for ecommerce and more.

The prediction of some industry experts is that Google’s domination and loyal following (note that in a recent survey, Bing shows weakness against Google simply because Google usersare happy and see no reason to switch) will be so integrated in so many daily operations that it will be hard for anyone (Microsoft) to challenge it (even when equipped with the Page Rank algorithm).

While onsite and offsite optimization remains a critical part of SEO, there is going to be so many more factors to consider for optimization. It will continue to expand as Google continues its outward reach. Yes, the Internet is still in its infancy and with the guidance of Papa G, it is primed for changes that we can still hardly fathom.

Currently Social Networking is one arena that offers alternative marketing opportunities. These take a lot of energy and commitment on the part of small business owners, and thus the may well be worth outsourcing SMO and well as SEO.

Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation Aims to Simplify Home Office Tax Deduction to Better Assist American Small Businesses

June 25, 2009

Washington, D.C -

Today, U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) along with U.S. Rep. Charles A. Gonzalez (D-Texas) announced the Home Office Tax Deduction Simplification and Improvement Act of 2009, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to establish an optional home office deduction to help ease the burden of the complex tax code on American small businesses.

Under current law, a home office tax deduction can be utilized by qualified individuals who use a portion of their home as a principal place of business or as a space to meet with patients or clients.? Although recent research from the Small Business Administration (SBA) indicates roughly 53 percent of America’s small businesses are home-based, few of these firms actually take advantage of the tax incentive due to complex and rigid reporting regulations. ?The Home Office Tax Deduction Simplification and Improvement Act of 2009 would direct the Secretary of the Treasury to establish an optional, easy-to-use standard deduction to encourage greater use of the incentive.

“With a morass of paperwork attributable to the home office deduction, the time-consuming process of navigating the tangled web of rules and regulations makes it unsurprising that so many small business owners forego the home office deduction,” said Senator Snowe, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.? “By simplifying this vital tax incentive, our bill will give small firms much needed relief from burdensome tax rules, which in turn, will allow them to focus their efforts on developing new, cutting-edge 21st century products and services and creating new jobs.”

“More than half of small businesses in the country are based in the home, but the?current home office deduction?rules are so complicated that many business owners take a pass.?It is our hope that we can help simplify this part of the tax code, and eventually see this deduction actually become a tool to promote the growth of more small businesses, and more jobs and economic activity,?in America,” Senator Conrad said.

“Home-based businesses are one of the fastest growing segments of our nation, providing jobs and nurturing our economy.” said Rep. Gonzalez. “To maximize the job creation role that small businesses can play in our economy, they need the right tools, which we are helping to provide by simplifying the tax deduction regulations.? Our bill provides the provisions to help small businesses flourish. In this troubled economy, I encourage all those eligible to take advantage of this key incentive that will make a positive contribution to our economy by making the home deduction process easier for the nearly 53 percent of American small businesses run from home.”

Thanks to Barbara Weltman for finding this.

(more…)

Please note that this post had been accidentally deleted so I am reposting it.  Also, I invite my long time reader to please post again, as I inadvertently deleted your comment too.  Thanks:)

Additionally, the Legion is concerned that private insurance premiums would be elevated to cover service-connected disabled veterans and their families, especially if the veterans are self - employed or employed in small businesses unable to negotiate more … especially small businesses, would be reluctant to hire veterans with service-connected disabilities due to the negative impact their employment might have on obtaining and financing company health care benefits.

Go here to see the original:�
Sarasota County Veterans Commission: The American Legion Strongly …

Here are the top 10 social networks for entrepreneurs. Each site attempts to help entrepreneurs succeed through networking and gaining exposure.

Entrepreneur Connect

PartnerUp

StartupNation

LinkedIn

Biznik

Perfect Business

Go BIG Network

Cofoundr

The Funded

Young Entrepreneur

-Mashable