News and Clip ==> Yahoo’s getting a new home page, and someone has a screen capture.

The biggest change is the customizable left nav bar featuring Yahoo properties that now allows people to add or edit links to outside sites through an “application gallery” that opens up via tabs at the top and bottom of the section.

Link ==> Yahoo Readies a New Home Page – PC World

Screenshot of Yahoo’s Alleged New Homepage at Mediapost.

Important? ==> This could be the first of many changes designed to make Yahoo more competitive with Google, who is dwarfing the former King of Search at the moment. A decade ago, we didn’t know what a Google was, remember, and Yahoo has somehow survived all its competitors, and though it should be all but crushed by Google, is still around. Don’t bank on a TKO yet. As long as Yahoo continues to fight for search dominance, it’s not over.

And until then, whatever traffic Yahoo can bring you is good for your business. So don’t abandon a Yahoo search strategy just yet.

This eXtreme edition is a fully skinned version which will make it look exactly the same as the screen shot no matter what OS you are using, Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT/2000, Windows XP, MAC OSx, or Linux. It will change most elements in Firefox.

To access Theme Option, goto : Tools –> Add-ons –> Themes –> [Right click on "Noia 2.0" Theme] –> About Noia 2.0

MorganLighter

So you’ve added your site to Yahoo Directory, maybe paid the fee for a fast response. But now you have a question about your listing. Think you have to wait to get an answer via email? Think again!

Now, before I tell you what cool thing the Yahoo Directory team is doing on Twitter to help you, please remember the following. I will highlight it for emphasis, as it comes directly from the person behind this Yahoo identity on Twitter:

the quickest, most effective way to get a site reviewed for listing in the Directory is here – https://ecom.yahoo.com/dir/submit/intro/

Please don’t tweet them requests for inclusion. Because if I find out, I will personally shame you in public. And no, you won’t get a link out of it. Nothing but embarrassment and shame.

Okay, with that out of the way, follow Yahoo Directory on Twitter for updates, @ them for help. Oh, and if you don’t know how to use Twitter effectively, reply and I will make you guys a list of free resources for learning.

Who else have you encountered on Twitter doing awesome customer service?

So last week?

Started with a flood in the basement.

With my computer down there. Then the phone was down. Then a power outage. Brief but ill timed. Gees Louise.

I was totally offline for a minute, then a frayed power cord really knocked me out. I threw up my hands, then went ahead and took my weekend from the evening of the 30th until the morning of the 2nd.

Throw in Halloween, and the California fire aftermath (Some friends were evacuated but no one was hurt, thank God) and it made for a hectic week.

And what do I come back to?

Not only do I have to play catch up all weekend.

But there are now new Google Phone rumors. Supposedly they’ll say something today. If past records are any indication, it will be when everyone is looking at something else, say around 9 pm Eastern.

What I really want to know is, what will Google Phone mean to me?

And, isn’t it funny how much Google deals with press the way Michael Jordan did?

But I ain’t one to gossip. So you ain’t heard that from me.

I also heard on Google’s blog that they’ve teamed up with the rest of the social world except Facebook (and Yahoo but not really), to start Open Social.

And one of the first apps out the door was hacked within 45 minutes. Everyone‘s talking about Open Social.

The big question? Of course, it centers around Facebook. Will they or won’t they? Meanwhile, did anyone ask me if I wanted my social to be open? Of course not.

From what I hear, open might not be the word for it anyway.

But I ain’t one to gossip. So you ain’t heard that from me.

And then there’s the whole announcement of this Yahoo HeadSta KickStart thing.

Dammit, Yahoo. You’re where I keep my alter-ego, entertainment blogger/poet/writer personality. All this… functionality is going to make me have to come out of the “I don’t use my real name on those other blogs” closet. Which I will hate, because I don’t want all those cuss words to come up under a search for my name.

Oh wait, I don’t have to because LinkedIn already exists. And if I wanted to socialize with those people, or share news in an automated fashion, rather than connect on a strictly professional level?

Facebook already exists.

It’s like this. I’m sitting in the living room to watch the game. I’ve got my cozy recliner chair. All my beverages in the cooler next to me. Dinner tray loaded with snacks/goodies. Remote in my hand.

Someone brings a new chair into the room. Maybe a better chair. Am I going to jump up, turn off the game and move to a new chair?

Are you kidding me? I’m already in the chair I like, the chair I know, the chair I sit in every week. My stuff is already set up the way I like it. If I like this seat? Unless your chair can walk on water, I’m not getting up.

If you want me to leave Facebook, take a note from the Godfather: make me an offer I can’t refuse.

I may rant more on this topic later. But for now, let’s just say that I heard that these moves by Google and Yahoo are being seen by some of even the least savvy consumers as that punk move known as, if you can’t beat ‘em , copy ‘em.

* cough* “‘em” = Microsoft/Facebook * cough*

But I ain’t one to gossip. So you ain’t heard that from me.

Wanna know how your website ranks?

This tool will check if your website is in the top 100 results of the four major search engines, namely, Google, Yahoo, MSN and Altavista.

Give it a lash.

MorganLighter

Here’s a nifty little tool that’ll let you know how many pages of your website have been indexed by the search engines thus far. A tool that will give you an indication of your traffic patterns. Neat or what?

This tool supports all major search engines – including – Google, Yahoo, MSN, Alltheweb, AltaVista and Hotbot.

“See me, feel me, touch me, heal me”. The Who, Tommy, 1969.

MorganLighter

No, this isn’t about your popularity with the opposite sex, or with your friends, or even me.

We’re talking about Link Popularity! The link popularity – the amount of incoming links to your website, as if you didn’t know, is one of the most important factors for achieving top positions in search engines. The more quality links you can get the better.

With this tool you can check the link popularity for any given page – just enter your URL. You will see how many links have been already ‘noticed’ by the major search engines – Google, Yahoo, MSN, Altavista, Alltheweb and Hotbot.

Well, what the heck are you waiting for? Charge!

MorganLighter

News –>This job listing was on the news page for Technology:

Quote –>

Yahoo! News is looking for a Back-end Engineer who is passionate about online news and wants to take the No. 1 news destination on the Internet to even greater heights. This is a unique opportunity to join a talented team that is creating the next generation of news experience and put your stamp on it. You’ll have the chance to work with some of the leading content companies in the news field, who partner with us to provide the highest quality news, photos and video. You’ll help shape unique, original, multimedia news packages. And you’ll help set the standard for how user-contributed content and social media are integrated into a complete news experience.

Thoughts –> I find job listings quaint when I see them for big companies in the Technology sector, even online. In the same way that employment listings are often said to be posted in the paper during job market slumps only because they have someone in mind already, and they’re attempting to comply with self-imposed company policy by looking like they’re searching, seeing a listing for a job for Technology news seems totally nuts to me.

If I worked at Yahoo, I’d be keeping my ears to the blogging door, listening for an under-valued, but accurate and non-bias blogger whose head was in the space I desired. Someone like me would be a horrible fit, because on any given day, I have a strong Google bias – except on the days when I have a strong Yahoo bias.

Still, I think there’s someone suitable out there in the Blogosphere. Especially if they were going to be working with user-contributed content and social media, I’d also be looking at the writings of some of the people in companies I had recently bought. If they needed training, heck, that’s why Yahoo makes the big bucks.

Then again, maybe it’s rare to find software engineer who doesn’t write. Or maybe Yahoo does have people in mind, and they post job listings online for the same reason some companies post ads in papers. (Seriously, that’s not a myth. I worked in HR for a hot minute. Really opened my eyes.)

Of course, there’s much to be said for the theory that thinking the way I do is why I don’t own a company like Yahoo in the first place.

Since you’re here, you can stay and follow the link to the site and then go back and visit all the previous sites that have been posted today. You’ll find if you do visit all posts, you’ll have a better understanding of page ranking, and thereby, you’ll probably have a big a** grin on your face. And it’s all been brought to you by FreeTrafficTip.com!

This is the last of the Firefox add-ons. In Short:

Want clues to why Google or Yahoo! ranks pages? If so, this is the Firefox extension for you. SEO for Firefox pulls in many useful marketing data points to make it easy get a more holistic view of the competitive landscape of a market right from the search results.

How can you get this information? Well, I’ll give it to you. SEO for Firefox.

Thanks to all of you for stopping by.

MorganLighter

We’re on the home stretch, peoples.

SEOpen 0.8 Homepage by Damian who provides us with some basic tools to help with search engine optimization. Including google backlinks, yahoo backlinks, PageRank check, http header viewer, and more. All features are available by right-clicking on an open area of a web page, or by using the included toolbar.

Well, spank me twice and call me Shirley!

MorganLighter

Yes, we’re still at it – bringing you more than you thought you deserved. (Tongue in cheek). So, are you ready for more?

Buckle up.

The next tasty treat we have for you is Social Meter.

Social meter scans the major social websites to analyze a webpage’s social popularity. Currently they’re scanning Bloglines, Del.icio.us, Digg, Google, Rojo, Shadows,Technorati and Yahoo My Web.

Awesome – and, yes, I’ve already checked it out for you. Here’s the doorway to get in.

MorganLighter