Keyword suggestion from Google, up to 800 terms for each keyword
http://google.com/sktool

PR of pages in Google SERPs - you can set it to show only high PR
http://livepr.ezer.com/google_serps_…nk_checker.asp

Backlink checker - 1000 results, shows PR, anchor text
http://seopro.com.au/free-seo-tools/link-checker/

Google analytics - detailed visitors statistics
http://google.com/analytics

I have just recently caught up with the post by Darren Rowse at the Google adsense blog regarding experimenting with the placement of ads on his sites. It makes very interesting reading and is certainly worthwhile bookmarking it for reference at a later date.

He gives six different sections for experimenting and I am certainly going to put some to the test. I have many different sites that I can use the experiments with.

Now to get started!

The concept is really simple, if you think about it. The publisher or the webmaster inserts a java script into a certain website. Each time the page is accessed, the java script will pull advertisements from the Google Adsense program. The ads that are targeted should therefore be related to the content that is contained on the web page serving the ad. If a visitor clicks on an advertisement, the webmaster serving the ad earns a portion of the money that the advertiser is paying the search engine for the click. For example, you have a site about real estate, the ads will mainly be real estate related.

The search engine is the one handling all the tracking and payments, providing an easy way for webmasters to display content-sensitive and targeted ads without having the hassle to solicit advertisers, collect funds, monitor the clicks and statistics which could be a time-consuming task in itself. It seems that there is never a shortage of advertisers in the program from which the search engine pulls the Adsense ads. Also webmasters are less concerned by the lack of information search engines are providing and are more focused in making cash from these search engines.

The first reason why Adsense is essential for content sites is because it already has come a long way in understanding the needs of publishers and webmasters. Together with its continuous progression is the appearance of more advanced system that allows full ad customization. Webmasters are given the chance to choose from many different types of text ad formats to better complement their website and fit their webpage layout.

The different formatting enables the site owners the possibility of more click through from visitors who may or may not be aware of what they are clicking on. It can also appeal to the people visiting thus make them take that next step of looking up what it is all about. This way the people behind the Adsense will get their content read and making profit in the process.

The second reason is the ability of the Adsense publishers to track not only how their sites are progressing but also the earnings based on the webmaster-defined channels. The recent improvements in the search engines gives webmasters the capability to monitor how their ads are performing using customizable reports that has the capacity to detail page impressions, clicks and click-through rates. Webmasters and publishers can now track specific ad formats, colors and pages within a website. Trends are also easily spotted.

With the real-time reporting at hand, the effectiveness of the changes made will be assessed quickly. There would be time to sort out the contents that people are making the most clicks on. The ever-changing demands would be met while generating cash for the webmasters and publishers. The more flexible tools are also allowing webmasters to group web pages by URL, domain, ad type or category, which will provide them some accurate insight on which pages, ads and domains are performing best.

The last and final reason is that the advertisers have realized the benefits associated having their ads served on targeted websites. Thus increasing the possibility that a prospective web surfer will have an interest in their product and services. All because of the content and its constant maintenance. As opposed to those who are no using Adsense in their sites, they are given the option of having other people do their content for them, giving them the benefit of having successful and money-generating web sites.

Adsense is all about targeted content, the more targeted your content is, the more target the search engines’ ads will be. There are some web masters and publishers who are focused more on their site contents and how best to maintain them rather than the cash that the ads will generate for them. This is the part where the effectiveness is working its best.

There was a time when people were not yet aware of the money to be achieved from advertisements. The cash generated only came into existence when the webmasters and publishers realized how they can make Adsense be that generator.

Link building is very important step to get into the top search engine ranking. There are various way to get the more back links-

1- Article submission and comment posting.
2- Own blog creation and comments on relevant blogs.
3- Participation in relevant forums and place a link in signature.
4- Submission in bookmarking sites.
5- Submission in related directories.
6- Link exchange with good PR sites.

Kick off an AdWords campaign today with $250 in your account. AdWords lets you reach people at the moment they’re searching for what you offer. Your $250 coupon is a great way to try this accountable advertising medium free of charge. Coupon expires January 31, 2009.

More information here

Yahoo’s new CEO Carol Bartz dismissed the idea she wasn’t ready to lead an Internet company and said instead that she’s ready to “kick some butt.”

The comments came during a conference call today that announced her appointment — and gave her a chance to come out swinging at naysayers.

While credited with a turnaround during her earlier tenure as CEO of design software company Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK), Bartz faced criticism as her name surfaced even as a possible candidate for the top spot at Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO). Prior to Autodesk, Bartz was also an executive at Sun Microsystems, and now sits on the boards of both Cisco Systems and Intel.

But she said that lacking experience in search and online media doesn’t mean she can’t perform her new job.

Continued here