Real Estate Blog Lab

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Mark Madsen was a little wired up on caffeine and throwing out some great one liners the other day in a comment.  He recommended I come up with a comment spam seal that could be put on comments and then go ahead and publish them.

I had to laugh at first then thought about how we often take things way to serious and how much fun it might be to have just such a seal we could all use to edit comments that are clearly spam in nature.

I usually just send them to askimet and be done with it.  Sometimes it is obvious it is comment spam.  You know they didn’t read the post.  They fill the comment with links to themselves or a product they are pitching, etc.

There are others that do seem to have something to contribute then polute the comment with a pitch.

I came up with the little version of the graphic I created for a post about comment spam and included it in my response to Mark.  Last night, in the middle of the night I had the idea to write this post and provide a link to the image so you can simple swipe the code in this post and save it in your google notebook or past it somewhere you can copy and paste it easily into a comment.

Comment Spam Can Seal Code

<img class=”alignright” title=”CSStamp” src=”http://www.tucsonazrealestateblog.com/CSStamp.gif” alt=”" width=”100″ height=”100″ />

Some of these middle of the night ideas turn out to be vampire ideas,  (They can’t stand the light of day).

This might be one of them or maybe not.

You don’t need any CSS.  You don’t have to download and host the image.  I’ll always leave it up so it won’t ever become a broken link.  I give you full permission to use this logo in any comment you desire to label as spam on your blog or blogs.

Sometimes it is more fun to make fun of an annoyance than to be annoyed by it.

In most cases if you see this on a comment here at the Lab I will have removed the link URL to the spammer’s site unless there is humorous value in leaving it.  Then an rel=”no follow” will get attached to it if necessary.

Are you ready to have some fun with spam?

On September 12th I wrote about “Hosting Your Own Image Files“, which by the way already has a PR 2 ranking for those following such things : )  In that post I asked about what others were doing for hosting their images.  Self-hosting or using something like Flickr to host your blog images and link back to them.

Windmill Power Generator At Night

For the past month I’ve been hosting my images for the Lab and the Tucson real estate blog I author on Flickr to see if two things would happen.

1. Would my blog and individual posts load faster ?
2. Would the overall size of my homepage decrease ?

After a month of testing I have to say NO to both of these questions.

I notice no increase in the speed of the blog loading.  I do notice a decrease in load time when the home page is being loaded and often see Flickr is one of the links taking time to load on the page.

I’m going back to hosting my own images even if it is more work.

If You Are Hosting on Flickr

If you are hosting on Flickr I’ve learned a couple of things I’ll pass along to you.

Image on Flickr but not visible on Flickr

There were some images I wanted for blog posts I didn’t want showing up in my Flickr stream.  Some were small, some were modified to fit a particular post.  Some were not the size of image or quality I wanted displayed on Flickr but were perfect for an insert into a post.

Hint:  Upload the image and set it to private before you link to the image in your post.  The image will appear in the post but not in Flickr.  If you do it the other way around, link to it then change it to private you break the link and will need to get the link code again.

Violating Flickr Terms of Service

Flickr TOS and Captions

You embed images in a post by going to the image page on Flickr, chose view all sizes and pick the size you want to embed in your post.

There are two sets of links there.  The bottom link is a single link to the location of the image.  However, if you use that link in a blog post it states under the link code this is a violation of the Terms of Service with Flickr since you are not providing a link back to the image page on Flickr in that code.

Here is what it says:

Remember! Flickr Community Guidelines specify that if you post a Flickr photo on an external website, the photo must link back to its photo page. (So, use Option 1.)

If you are using it to send in an email you can use that link, but if it is to be published the top link is the one to be used on a post.

If the URL in your post start with: http://farm4.static.flickr.com you are violating the Flickr Terms of Service.

Putting Captions Around Flickr Links

There is a simple two step process to put a caption around a Flickr image in your post.

1. Select the image and size you want for on your post.
2. Copy the image ULR at the bottom, the one you aren’t supposed to use in a post.
3. Click in the Add media button in your post and copy the URL into the first line.  FIll out the title and caption and save.
4. Go back to the Flickr page and copy the linking code.
5. Click on the HTML tab and between the Caption codes insert the new link.

The caption codes to start and finish will have [ these around them ]  paste the link between them and you have a caption around your image and not violated Flickr TOS.

You can’t start with this code because it won’t validate in the Add media window as a valid URL.

Picnik and Flickr

Another tip and a gotcha at the same time. You have to have both a Flickr and a Picnik account. If you have an image in Flickr but it is just not quite right and you want to do a quick edit you can click on the edit image button in Flickr and it will take you to your picnik account.  A quick tweak of the brightness and contrast and save the image back to Flickr.  The Gotcha: But if you already linked to it, you will have to do it again, it changes the file name when you save over the existing image.  Do this first before you link to it.

I’m not saying you should or shouldn’t use Flickr to host your images.  I still might do it from time to time for the sake of speed.  It is much easier to do when I’m on the road and blogging to link to a Flickr image than to FTP one up to my site and link to it.

For me the answer to the original question “Is the Weight Worth the Freight”  The answer is YES.

Post Tags: captions , Flickr , picnik , tucson-real-estate

How is that for a keyword rich catchy title.

Another Line in the Water

I was doing some checking back and forth between the settings for one of the Tucson blogs and the Lab and noticed I had the option about no index tabs checked for the Lab and unchecked for the Tucson Blog. I mentioned two days ago about those tags being indexed in Google for that blog.

I looked at the explanation for not indexing tabs and it said “Check this for excluding tag pages from being crawled. Useful for avoiding duplicate content.”

This might be a legitamite concern and the author states on the plugin page itself this is helpful if you are having duplicate content issues. However, I have the Tucson blog set up to display excerpts not full post text when returning a search on tags. I think this should deal with any concerns about duplicate content. I’m open to suggestions and differing opinions on this issue.

I’m not suggesting you turn this option on or off. I’ve never seen tags indexed until recently. I have stated on numerous occasions I consider each post and search result a line in the water to attract readers and potential buyers and sellers. If they happen upon one of my sites by clicking on a tag search so be it. I can’t tell you how many times in my life I was looking for something entirely different when something else I was looking for popped up in a search. I bookmark those and come back. So I’m inclined to want my tags indexed.

However, I use tags judiciously. I don’t put a lot of them in each post. I select tags which I think are keywords to the post and post topic. If I make an off handed remark in a post about something that might generate traffic but it is not specific to the topic I don’t include it as a tag.

Anybody wanting to weigh in on indexed tags here is the opportunity.

Post Tags: All in one SEO , indexed tags

Starting a Post with an Image

If you start a post with an image even if it is just a small image to the side of the text the image code will be the first words of your post. To see this when composing your post click on the HTML tab and see the code at the beginning of your post. This is what the bots see.

If you aren’t using a plugin like All-In-One-SEO or you aren’t writing/pasting in your own excerpts more than likely your search results will show the image code and not the words you want people searching to see. Here is an example of what I’m talking about:

ReBlogWorld BlogWorld Take Away

caption id= align=aligncenter width=500 caption=REBlogWorld Conference Lift Off October 15, 2009][/caption] First, I don’t usually write this kind.
www.realestatebloglab.com/real-estate-blogging/
reblogworld-blogworld-take-away/ - 82k -

Not very interesting is it? This isn’t the information you want readers to see to entice them to click on your link.

On yesterdays post I filled in the excerpt and the indexed result for today is:

Latest PR Update Some Interesting Observations

Sep 29, 2008 … It was early on Saturday morning September 27th when I was on my little PR1 blog For No REal Reason when I looked up and noticed the little …
www.realestatebloglab.com/blogging-in-general/
latest-pr-update-some-interesting-observations/ - 83k

This is what you want those searching to find, not caption information about the image that starts the post. It starts telling the story and leads the person searching to what to know more.

The easiest way to handle this is to use the All-In-One-SEO plugin and check “Autogenerate Descriptions”

I’ve just checked this option for the Lab so I don’t have to remember to do this on each post.

You want to make sure the excerpt included in the search results say what you want to convey to the potential reader or person conduction the search.

Sometimes I write a specific excerpt if the first sentence is not what I want as the “Auto generated Description”.

It pays to pay attention to the words in your excerpts. Getting your post indexed is the first step; getting it clicked is the next logical step. You can greatly increase the likelihood of that happening if you have interesting and targeted excerpts which support your Title and post topic.

Post Tags: All in one SEO , descriptive excerpts , excerpts , SEO

Posts Indexed Faster PR Trailing Behind

It was early on Saturday morning September 27th when I was on my little PR1 blog For No REal Reason when I looked up and noticed the little bit of green that had been there was missing. Hum! different data center? Nope PR update. I lost my lowly little PR.

I quickly checked my other blog home pages. No gain, but no loss either. Next up my Fable of Do Follow post with a PR4 ranking was now a PR3. Many of the other PR3 posts on site were now PR2. There was definitely an update and there were going to be a lot of unhappy campers.

Today I noticed something I haven’t noticed before. I play this little game every time there is a PR update. I go back in my post stream and find the latest post to be in the index or have gained PR. The closest I usually get is two months. Any thing written sooner does not show any PR.

PR Update Reflected in Much Newer Posts

This morning I was adding a comment to a post I wrote on September 13th. It had a PR2. This post was less than two weeks old at the time of the update and I was already seeing PR assigned to it. (this is one of the interesting observation)

Post Tags being Indexed

Finally I’ve been getting some interesting Google Alerts on a couple of my blogs. It seems the tags on posts are being indexed big time by Google. I’ve not submitted tags in my sitemap. Yet here they are rolling as as indexed in Google. About 4 to 10 of them a day. I don’t know that this is a good thing or just an observation. I do know that if I google search “Blackberry Curve Tucson” it comes up as number 1. Why anyone would Google that I don’t know, but it is an interesting observation.

It not only comes up #1 but the secondary result displayed is my home page link. I call it “Playing the game of Tag with Long Tails“

Post Tags: blackberry curve , PR Update , tags indexed

Widgets were built into the basic structure of Wordpress about a bazzilion versions ago.  One of those widgets native to Wordpress is the RSS Widget.  It is a very powerful tool for WordPress bloggers but I don’t see it being used very often.

We all know that fresh content is one of the things Google bots love.  Feed them regularly and they will return to eat more often.  But is isn’t always easy to keep fresh content ready for the hungry little bots and like birds if you don’t keep the food our they will find other places to eat.

Using RSS Widgets

One way to keep things changing is through the RSS widget.  Here are a couple of ideas to get you started.

Author Multiple Sites  RSS Feed

If you author more than one blog you could be feeding content back and forth between them in an RSS Widget.  It is easy to copy your feed into the widget and select the number of post you want in the feed.  This way every time you publish a new post you create new content for both blogs.

You can Feed Any Feed

If you can feed it you can put it in an RSS Widget.  Want to let the readers on your blog know what you are tweeting about on Twitter.  You don’t need a widget from another source.  You can put your twitter stream in an RSS widget and display it on your blog.

I’m not saying this is a good idea.  From some of what I’ve read in tweets you wouldn’t want that on your blog.  But it illustrates it can be done.

RSS Feed a Hashtag

Hashtags are used in Twitter to create a kind of thread.  You simply put a # in front of number, letter, combination there of and you have a hashtag  anyone starting a tweet with the same hashtag make it search able for that particular tag.

You could create a hashtag, create an RSS feed for that tag when searching for it on Twitter then past the feed URL into an RSS Widget on your WordPress blog.  This allows you to tweet specific information to your blog by including a hashtag.  Probably better than your entire Twitter stream being displayed.

Multiple Blogs, create a hashtag for each blog and you can tweet directly to the specific blog,  Micro blogging within your blog.  Creating fresh new content on the fly.

RSS Feeds are Good Food For Bots

These are just a few ways you can use the RSS Feed widget built into Wordpress Widgets.  If you want to see some of these widgets in use check out For No REal Reason I’ve got several of them running on that site including a hashtag widget.

Post Tags: hashtags , rss-feed , Twitter , widgets , wordpress blog

I’m thinking about creating a designation for Comments in an effort to make managing comments easier.  I’m doing this for two reasons.

Do Follow SEO Lists

There are now multiple lists of blogs which allow or use “do follow” on their blogs comments.  These list have lead to an increase in what I refer to as comment spam.  These are comments like “Great Post” “Wow, I really got a lot out of this” “Your blog has a lot of useful information”  You get the idea.  These are usually posts using keyword spamming (taught to them by the same SEO guru publishing the list) in the Name field. Another sure sign of this kind of spam comments are the ever changing urls used in a string of comments left one after another in a short period of time.

As I wrote earlier in the post on Lucia’s Link Love Plugin you can set a limit to the number of character acceptable in the name field to trip a switch and remove the “do follow” from the comment.  I like this and find it helpful.  I’ve recently heard some “SEO types are saying this selective do follow will be penalized by Google”  Hum, why would they do this?  But, if they do, then there will be on do follow plugins activated, or all comments of this type will be deleted in moderation, better yet, these types of comments will be designated “SPAM” and Askimet will flag any comment by this author as such.

Active Rainers Let Loose on The Blogosphere

I recently joined Active Rain because of an assignment for REBlogworld in Las Vegas.   I find Active Rain to be the best peer to peer industry related social network and forum bar none.  I say this without malice, it is the closest thing to a Real Estate Blogging Cult there is.  They even call themselves Rainers.  They comment with abandon for “points” for both posts and comments.  It is like a giant RE Video Pinball parlor where you can rack up points for just about anything and get your name put on the “Highest Scores Board”.  It is the Place of Virtual Real Estate Life.

However, I’ve discovered they don’t always stay confined inside that life.  Some of them inadvertently venture out into the Blogosphere and view leaving mundane comments on do follow blogs as another type of “Point System”.  (Rich I wrote this just for you, I thought you might be missing Active Strain : )

The LBC Designation for Comments

Therefore, I’ve decided to create a Link Back Comment or LBC designation for comments.  If you are commenting on a blog and it is just for a link back, use the LBC at the beginning of your comment to designate it as such.  It is like using a hashtag on Twitter.

This will save you the time of reading the post. (Which most don’t anyway).  It might also keep your comments from being reported as spam instead of simply being deleted.  If you are in need of a link back because you don’t have the time to create quality content yourself then using the LBC in front of your comments might get more of them published on blogs.

It also tells readers of a post and the comments associated with the post they can skip this comment since it isn’t really adding to the discussion in any manner it is just a self serving comment for the LBC author.

This will make it easier for legitimate readers since they will not have to wade through these mundane self serving comments to get to those that really do contribute to the discussion.

Here is an example:

“LBC Great post, you really said a lot of interesting things here.”

Bolding the LBC is optional, it might be a good idea however to make it easier to spot for readers so they can skip it.

There might be a few LBC bloggers that read this and I would like you to leave a real comment on the idea and not an LBC comment.

I would also like to hear what other bloggers think about the idea. Would you approve LBC comments?  Would you use them as a quick way to identify comments to delete or send to Askimet Spam?  Is it just a bad idea and we all need to learn to live with mundane comment spam and the occational Rainer that escapes.

If you’ve read this far what do you think?  Is my tongue firmly planted in cheek?  How many times did you smile as you read this, how many times did you laugh out loud?  If you should get an LBC designated comment would you be willing to share it or just delete it and keep on smiling?

Post Tags: Do follow , LBC , Link Back Comment , Rainers

REBlogWorld Conference Lift Off October 15, 2009

First, I don’t usually write this kind of post here at the Lab. But I’m writing this one for several reasons.

• I have to thank Todd Carpenter and Jason Berman for putting together a fantastic conference for REBloggers
• I need to suck up to both of them because next year (REBlogworld09 October 15, 2009) I want to speak and not mock debate Rich Jacobson (inside joke : )
• Because this conference tied to BlogWorld itself, it was like putting the chocolate coating over the desert. It made it all so much sweeter.
• Because I want to let REBloggers know they should start planning and budgeting for next years conference.

Several Times this weekend as the Blogworld conference was winding down I was asked about the best take away I have from the conference. I had to think about this and the real answer to the best take away didn’t come to me till I finally got some sleep last night.

My Greatest Take Away From Blogworld 08

After this conference I realized I’m not a Real Estate Blogger.
I’m a Blogger that writes about real estate.

Till this conference I wouldn’t have made the distinction. Now I understand. I will blog. I am a blogger. it might not always be about real estate but I will always blog.

REBlogWorld 2009

Plan to come: if you are a blogger or thinking about blogging or starting to blog. It is an amazing event and experience. It will energize your blogging. The fellow bloggers you meet, the encouragement you will get is worth the trip. It will fill you well. If your writing/blogging tank is running on fumes, or worse, on empty, this will fill your tank. The ideas, conversation, (parties) will let you network with some bleeding edge bloggers and thinkings in Real Estate today.

Thanks again to Todd and Jason, all the speakers who made the sessions a joy to attend and in my opinion held their weight even as a part of the greater BlogWorld Conference.

Now back to the Lab, where did I put my coat, Oh, Yeah, I live in Tucson we don’t have coats. : )

Post Tags: blogworld , Jason Berman , reblogworld , Todd Carpenter

REBlogWorld

ActiveStrain.com “Outside in the Rain” is an Outside Blog set up to demonstrate the difference between an Active Rain Outside blog and an Open Source Wordpress Blog.

It is a tongue in cheek look at Outside blogs which Rich Jacobson and I will be debating at REBlogworld on Friday of this week ( Sept. 19,2008 ).  If you want to poke around and have a chuckle you are invited to ActiveStrain.com  “Outside in the Rain”

“Working Hard to Get It Out - Real Estate Blogging with Training Wheels - Who is Your Audience?”

Looking forward to meeting a lot of Lab Rats there and even a few that just like to hang around the lab.

If you get there early be sure to join the group at Gordon Biersch
for the pre-conference meet up.

Get there before 6 pm.  ActiveRich is buying the first round, you definately want Active Rain to pick up this tab for you : )

I know I’m looking forward to it.

Post Tags: active rain , reblogworld , rich jacobson

Blogging From A Covered Wagon

There has been a lot written about comment spam including the taboo comment example of “Great Post”.  Did you know there is a time when it is appropriate to to leave a comment “Great Post”.

Today I had a “Great Post comment which inspired this post.  The person who left the comment apologized for leaving it and sent an email saying it would be all right to delete it.  We all know of the unwritten rule of thumb about leaving “Great Post”.

I think it is a great goal for all of us as blogger to be able to say “Great Post.  Someday maybe I’ll be able to leave a comment like “Great Post”.

Here are some examples of when it is okay for you to leave a “Great Post” comment

• If everyone knows you by a single letter:  T
• If everyone know you by a single name:  Jay
• If everyone knows your avatar:  
• If everyone knows you by your nickname: GotBob
• If you are a nationally recognized blogger: Linda Davis
• You have spoken at a national conference: Inman, NAR, REBlogWorld, Bloodhound Unchained, etc. ( This might be a stretch )
• You started blogging in a covered wagon:  YOU know who you are  ( Most of the name on the list above )

If Scott Kelby left a comment on a photo of mine “Great Capture Dave”.  It would be fantastic.  If my neighbor with his browie instamatic and camera phone did it I would delete it as patronizing or self serving.

A Goal to Attain To

Once I thought having a PR 5 blog would be like blogging heaven  ( don’t get me wrong I still do : )

Now I think attaining a status of being known and respected as an authoritative blogger I can leave a comment “Great Post” and have the author of the post treasure it.  That is a good goal, maybe even a great post goal.

Post Tags: comment spam , Great Post , instamatic , rule of thumb