The WebBits newsletter provides updates, tips and tutorials for IBTechSolutions clients and Joomla users. We hope you find the information in this newsletter to be useful.

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Google Changes May Affect Your Search Rankings
Part 2 of a 2 Part Series
Written By Dan Torchia, Dan Torchia Creative

Last month, we discussed the changes Google made to its search algorithms and how it might affect search rankings. The best strategy to retain your rankings is also a good web practice: regularly add content that is relevant to your customers.

This doesn’t have to be painful. “Regularly” doesn’t mean constantly. But it does imply consistency, which means adding content every few weeks, not every few months. “New” means for your site, but not creating something from scratch.

Content is All Around You

First, don’t yet worry about writing. You need ideas first, but if you look around, you’ll find that content are all around you.

Imagine a map with your business in the center. Think of concentric circles that expand outward from the center to the world at large. You’ll find ideas within:

• Your business: You’re the push pin in the center of the map. Don’t overlook your daily activities, because such things as adding product lines, hiring someone new or solving another customer’s problem, etc., are interesting to your customers.
• Your vendors or suppliers: Next talk to your vendors and visit their web sites. Look for a news tab or a blog. Depending on their size, vendors and suppliers often have communications department that create materials that you may be able to use, including studies, online brochures and videos.
• Your industry: Let’s expand the circle a little farther out. Events and activities in your industry may be of interest to your customers. As you read industry magazines, newsletters and web sites, keep an eye out for something you can use.
• The world at large: The media – newspapers, magazines and TV networks – covers almost every industry with a general reader in mind. Create news alerts for your business, your vendors and suppliers and for your industry and current industry topics. As you get notified, you can examine the coverage to see if there’s anything you can use.

How It Works

Here’s a real life example: While working on some content for a client, I visited a vendor’s site to get some background. On the news page, I found a press release detailing a study the company had commissioned to gauge the attitudes small business had toward their service offering. We briefly mentioned the study in a blog post and sent readers to the vendor’s site for more information.

Because we just mentioned the study in the post and linked back to the original page, we did not have to get permission. Using something in its entirety, such as a brochure or a video, would require permission if you didn’t have it already from the vendor.

The Next Step

With some ideas, taking the next step – the writing – will be easier. In next month’s newsletter, we’ll discuss some practical writing tips.

Top update the content or settings in an existing module on your Joomla website, log into your Administrator and follow these directions:

1. Roll over the Extensions button on the Top Menu.
2. Click on Module Manager.
3. Sort or Filter the list to locate the correct module.

• To Filter the modules, use the Search Filter or Drop-Down Filters in the Module Manager. In Joomla 1.5, you can search for a module using the Search box in the upper left corner of the Module Manager. You can also use the Drop-Down Filters to filter by Template, Position, Type or State.

• To Sort the modules, click on the Column Names. In Joomla 1.5, you can sort by Module Name, Enabled, Order, Access Level, Position, Pages, Type and ID.

1. Click on the Module Name to be edited.
2. Edit the module text or settings as needed.
3. Save or Apply . (Use Apply to keep the edit page open while viewing your changed in another browser window.)

All directions are specific to Joomla! 1.5.

Each month IBTechSolutions will shine a spotlight on useful Joomla! Extensions. Extensions are components, modules or plugins developed to add functionality to Joomla!-based websites.

If you would like to improve your website with one of the extensions we feature, contact us at support@ibtechsolutions.com.

Google Maps Plugin
Do your customers need to see where your business is located? Or, do they need to know where your event is located?

Con: There aren’t too many cons to be found where this plugin is concerned. If anything, there might be so many customizable options that it can be overwhelming.

Just a reminder, IBTechSolutions performs weekly hosting maintenance every Sunday morning from midnight to 4 a.m. During this time, there is a chance that your website may be offline.