Derek's Home & Business Blog Is Moving

Given the recent problems I've been experiencing with Facebook and with receiving no reply from their support team, I have no alternative but to change the domain for my blog. This change is going to start within the next 12hrs and be fully completed within one week.

During the transition, the blog will be offline as I implement the new domain for the blog and transfer the old domain to new servers. Hopefully, this transition should take no longer than 24-48hrs.

Once the transition has been completed, anyone who accesses blog posts on the old domain via search engines, articles, blog directories or social networks etc, will automatically be forwarded to the same post on the new domain. For the technically minded, this is done via a 301 Redirect (domain forwarding) which will ensure web users are forwarded to the new domain and the post they requested, no matter where they clicked the link on the web.

The 301 Redirect also tells search engines that the blog has permanently moved which in return, will automatically update the search results with the new domain.

If you're a follower of the blog via Google Friend Connect, NetworkedBlogs, Email or via the RSS Feed, you do not need to do anything as the changes I make on these services will automatically transfer you to follow the blog on the new domain. However, if you've bookmarked the blog via your browser, you will need to change the bookmark to point to the new domain: http://www.derekjones.co

The bulk of the work is going to be updating blog posts, blog directories and other online services to the new domain. This unfortunately is going to take some time to complete, so please be patient if I don't publish any new blog posts or I'm not on Bloggers Network as often during the coming week.

As a word of caution and because I don't want you going through the same experience as I have, please be warned when obtaining free domains such as co.cc. Free domains are subject to abuse by spammers, which in return are easily blocked from social networking sites such as Facebook. May I suggest that if you decide to obtain a domain for your blog or website, that you purchase one from services such as Go Daddy for example. Try to avoid free domains such as co.cc at all costs.

Finally, the transition should go smoothly and without any problems. However, if any problems do arise, I will let you know as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience and support during this transition period.

Related articles:
Facebook Website Blocking Update
Has Facebook Blocked Your Website?


UPDATE 3:15am: Transition complete! New domain (http://www.derekjones.co) is now live and the 301 Redirect is now operational on the old domain. Blog posts have also been updated (where applicable) to include links to the new domain. Now it's time for bed :)

Facebook Website Blocking Update: All CO.CC Domains Blocked

After doing some investigation, it seems Facebook have blocked ALL co.cc domains from their system. This is the reason why my website has been blocked and not because I did anything wrong. See my recent post: Has Facebook Blocked Your Website?

Does this mean then that if they receive too much spam posts from .com domains for example, they will block ALL of them too? NO and that's why this course of action is so annoying..!!

One of the main reasons why I picked this domain was not only because it was free, but because I was able to have my name as part of the domain. All Top-Level Domains (TLDs) with Derek Jones had unfortunately been taken which is why I chose this one.

With spammers constantly using .co.cc domains for their unscrupulous activities, it seems Facebook will probably continue to block these domains in the future (as this is not the first time they've imposed this block), even if it adversely effects honest, law-abiding people like myself. Therefore, I will have no alternative but to make some changes in the very near future which will probably include a new domain for my blog.

This is not going to be an easy task... simply replacing this domain with another domain on Blogger is not a clear option as it will undo all the hard work I have done over the past 5 months to get a decent amount of traffic plus listings on major search engines and blog directories.

I will have to do something soon though because as of today, I've noticed (while publishing this post) that NetworkedBlogs shortened URL's (plus Dlvr.it and Goo.gl) which are pointing to my blog posts are now getting blocked by Facebook. This means that any new post I publish on my blog will NOT be posted on my Fan Page and the Bloggers Network group.

With receiving no reply from Facebook as yet, what do you think is the best course of action regarding this? I'm open to suggestions :)

Related articles:
Has Facebook Blocked Your Website?


As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on Facebook or subscribe to our feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509 and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
http://www.facebook.com/DereksHomeandBusinessBlog

Has Facebook Blocked Your Website?

In addition to being the Founder and Administrator of Bloggers Network, I'm also a member of six other blogging groups on Facebook. This process helps me to get my posts seen by the blogging community for essential feedback etc.

On Friday, 18th February and after doing a new post on my blog, I decided to post links to this new post on all the groups I belong to. As a result and because (I assume) I posted in succession, my website has now been blocked on Facebook without warning or explanation.

I have contacted Facebook concerning this and hopefully, the block will be lifted soon. If you find your website has mistakenly been blocked by Facebook, use the following form to contact them: https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/244560538958131

Update March 2018: The appeal form is no longer available. You will now need to use the Facebook Sharing Debugger to see the information that is used when your website content is shared on Facebook, Messenger and other places.

The most annoying part about this, is that not only has all the direct links to my website been removed from Facebook including the Bloggers Network that I administer, but all the Facebook "likes" on each post on my blog has now been reset to zero. Furthermore, no blog visitor such as yourself can "like" my blog or any post until the block has been removed. Will these Facebook "like" numbers be reinstated when the block is lifted? I certainly hope so!

I understand Facebook must have safe-guards in place to prevent spammers from spamming their system, but being blocked after posting 6 links in approximately 15 minutes is somewhat "over the top" in my view. If I had known such action would have blocked my website, I wouldn't have posted the links.

As you may or may not know, Facebook do not make it entirely clear (see below) as to what is and what is not acceptable when posting links. I don't want them to give away their algorithm secrets, but some guidelines/clarification (and a warning) would be most helpful to prevent honest users of their system like myself having their website blocked.

This is the only information Facebook provides regarding the above: "Unfortunately, Facebook cannot provide any specifics on the rate limits that are enforced. Please know that the threshold at which you are warned is not a specific number, but rather determined by different factors, such as speed, time, and quantity."

Just be warned that if you decide to post your link in multiple groups in succession on Facebook, you too could have your website blocked. I don't want you going through the same problems I'm currently experiencing.

On a brighter side, at least most of my posts on my blog Facebook Page haven't been removed. This is because any new posts I publish on my blog, the service NetworkedBlogs automatically use a shortened URL and not a direct link to post the new content on my page. If these had been removed, well, I dread to think how I would feel.

One thing is for certain, I won't make the same mistake twice as we're clearly at the mercy of Facebook and NOT the other way around!

Has your website been blocked by Facebook? Please let us know.


UPDATE 31st May 2013: Given the amount of search engine traffic that I receive daily on this blog post, I've just published a new post on how to avoid your website from being blocked by Facebook: Is Your Website Blocked By Facebook?

UPDATE 11th July 2011: Google has blocked all .co.cc websites from its search results because the domain has been found to be too "spammy". For more information on this, see article: Google Plus, Facebook Chat & Blog News

UPDATE 6th March 2011: It has been discovered that posting in succession was not the reason for the block. The reason is that all .co.cc domains have been blocked by Facebook. For more details on this and how this situation was resolved, read these update articles (newest first):

- Move To The New Domain Now Complete
- Derek's Home & Business Blog Is Moving
- Facebook Website Blocking Update


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar on the left-side of the screen or by using the "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow on Facebook and Google+, via Email or by subscribing to our blog feed.

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/djones1509
https://www.google.com/+DerekJonesUK

Be careful in your social marketing efforts!

© 2011. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

9 Questions To Ask After A Site Links To You

Inbound links increase the value of your website in the eyes of Google and the other search engines. And, they help more people find your website and all you have to offer. Each inbound link is like your website just got another vote of confidence.

So, once the link has been set up, your job is done. Or is it?

Getting links to point to your site is one of the most challenging parts of search engine optimization, but link building doesn't end once a link has been set up.

In fact, getting that link should only be the first step in a long-term link building strategy.

Let's talk about this for a minute. Someone received your link request, and went to the trouble of responding. Or, they heard about you, researched you, and maybe even purchased something from you, and then decided to link to you. However it started, he thought it was a good idea to create a link to your site and took the time to make it happen.

Do you just congratulate yourself and move on?

No! The person who helped you deserves a little bit more of your time and attention.

Not only should you send them a thank you for the link, you should treat this like the opportunity it really is. By establishing a relationship with them, you could not only boost your search engine rankings, you could be opening the door to rich collaboration and business opportunities.

Consider these nine important questions for sites that already link to you.


1. How popular is their site?

The more popular the site, the more beneficial it can be for you. Start by checking out the number of inbound links the site is getting, they are a good measure of the popularity of the site. Then you can sort in order of priority and start with the most popular.


2. Which of the sites that link to you are bringing you real traffic?

Review your log files or investigate Google Analytics to find out which of your links are actually bringing you traffic. When sites bring you traffic, it can be for a combination of reasons, for example:

- You share the same target market and their visitors are interested in what you provide

- They've talked warmly about your products and given you a good review

- They've placed your link in a prominent spot on their site

- They get high traffic themselves

For whatever reason, getting traffic is only part of what you need. The next part is...


3. Does the traffic from the sites convert to sales?

As important as it is to get traffic to your site, if none of the visitors DO anything when they arrive, you aren't really too far ahead. The critical question is 'does the traffic they bring convert for my benefit?' Set up Google Analytics to help you find out the answer. And, if you find out that they link to you, they bring you traffic and the traffic they bring converts, then stop reading this article IMMEDIATELY and get in touch with them.

Start by thanking them, and then initiate a dialogue to explore what else you can do together.


4. Have you done them a favor in return?

No? Do so, right away.

Yes? Do so again.

It's very easy to do a favor for someone and being helpful and willing is a great way to build relationships - and relationships are at the heart of successful link building. It might be as simple as sending them an email thank you and asking them to keep in touch.


5. Do you know how the link got to be there and can you put a name to the person behind the site?

It's really important to remember that it's people who make links, not websites. Visualize a network of people linking to you, not just a network of websites linking to you.

Do a bit of research to find out who they are and what they do. What do you have in common? Why did they link to you in the first place? Is there more business you could be doing together? And, as we talked about in question four, what favor could you be doing for them?


6. What social media sites are they active on and have you linked up with them?

With the escalating popularity of social networking, contact through social media is critical today. Because these people have linked to your website, they're relevant to you - and they bring with them a network of friends and followers who are also likely to be interested in what you have to offer.

Follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin or whatever, and respond to their posts, re-tweets or comments. Do that and just watch your network - and your inbound links - grow.


7. Can you say at least one thing that is great about their site?

Make sure you do.

Write a complimentary blog post, add a kudos when you re-tweet, make a positive comment, agree with them, elaborate on their ideas. You'll be getting yourself an even bigger fan.

We all love a bit of flattery and it can be a powerful tool when you are building relationships. Dale Carnegie put it very well when he said, "Flattery is telling the other person precisely what he thinks about himself".


8. What linking text do they use when they link to you?

The linking text that people use when creating the inbound link to you is very important for your search engine rankings. Therefore, you need to know if they are using a really basic 'click here' or if they incorporate more keyword-rich text in the link. If necessary, it is worth the time to make a quick approach to them and suggest they use one of your important keywords or phrases in the linking text. It will strengthen the value of the inbound link for you.


9. Are there any ways you can collaborate, either in content or in business?

If there's really a good business fit between you and a site that links to you, then they're likely to respond positively to any business proposition you may make. Time to start brainstorming. Is there more you could be doing to help each other or generate more business?

In summary, don't view getting an inbound link as the end of the story. If you see links as simply a way to boost your search engine rankings, then you'll miss out on some tremendous opportunities.

Instead, remember that link building is really about building relationships with people and generating opportunity. It is about being part of community, providing useful content to your readers and the people who link to you. Who knows where it could all lead you?

What is the most important element of link building to you? Let us know in the comments section below.


Many thanks to Ken McGaffin, CMO at Wordtracker.com for the content of this article. If you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on Facebook or subscribe to our feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509 and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
http://www.facebook.com/DereksHomeandBusinessBlog

Have a wonderful weekend!

Top 14 Benefits Of Social Media Marketing

There's a lot of fuss surrounding social media these days. If you still haven't jumped on the bandwagon and aren't sure why so many people are making such a big deal about it, here are 14 benefits of social media for your business and you from Success magazine.

For Business:

Establish a Brand and Raise Awareness

Since the majority of the population is already visiting social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, getting your brand name all over those networks can help let people know that you're around. If you have yet to create a company image online, social networks are the place to do it.

Create a fun YouTube video that entertains and informs. Funny videos tend to make their way around the Internet a lot faster than any other kind, so when making a video, keep in mind that you want it to be interesting enough for your target audience to want to share. Using Facebook and Twitter to create a fun online community that your customers will want to visit will boost brand loyalty and drive traffic to your Website, allowing you the chance to make more online sales.


Spy on the Competition

Follow your competitors on Twitter and Facebook and you'll be able to see what they have up their sleeve. Just make sure to provide a better deal than whatever they have going on.


Pitch Products in a More Human, Interactive Way

Since people visit social media sites to get personal rather than be bombarded with ads, discuss your business in a fun way and engage your customers with questions. Ask their opinions and entice them to respond back. This way you're making a valuable connection that will help grow your number of return customers.


Bring Attention to Your Products

Featuring a product on a social media site is one of the fastest ways to bring attention to it. Offer a promotion along with it for your online community members and watch your sales skyrocket.


Increase Customer Loyalty And Trust

Speaking to your customers in a personal way will make them feel like they are talking to a friend, not a company. This will help build their trust in you, which will make them do business with you rather than your competition. It will also improve the chances of customer recommendations.


Listen to Your Customer's Opinion

Social media sites are an awesome way to see what your target audience is saying about your company or your products. Take their constructive criticism and use it to enhance your product to better meet their needs.


Conduct Market Research

Listen to what your customers say about your products and track what links they click on and you'll begin to see what your customers like and respond to. People love to express their opinions on social media sites, which will allow you to hear the truth. Then you can use your new-found information to tweak your product or service to please them as well as continue to post more information and links that they will enjoy.


Strengthen Customer Service

Social media networks allow your company to answer your customers' questions and concerns directly in a timely manner. This will improve customer satisfaction and also save you money on long distance customer service phone calls.


For You:

Build Your Personal Reputation

Social networks allow you to get your name out to the world and talk about things that matter to you. This will help you build a good online reputation, which is critical nowadays if you're looking for a job or even a new business contact.


Display Your Resume

LinkedIn allows you to display your full resume online for any future employers or recruiters to see. This will help bring you new opportunities that never would have existed otherwise.


Find a Job

Jobs are posted every minute on social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter along with the links or information you need to apply for them.


Showcase Your Talents And Establish Yourself as an Expert

If you're passionate about a certain subject, whether it's work-related or a hobby, the Internet is a great place to show off your knowledge. Soon people will be coming to you for the breaking information on that topic, and talking about you to friends.


Enhance Your Business Contacts and Enhance Personal Relationships

Through professional sites like LinkedIn, you can build your number of business contacts and enhance your reputation as an expert in your industry. You can also connect with those long-lost high school and college classmates, old colleagues, and out-of-town family members.


Share Information with Like-Minded People

Connect with other professionals in your field to share information. Where else would you be able to connect with industry professionals across the globe to swap stories and advice?



About The Author: Wendy Suto, President and CEO of Search Circus, specializes in search engine optimization and search engine marketing including social media marketing for over 10 years. Certified in SEO, Wendy Suto only follows natural and organic search engine optimization guidelines with proven results.