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As part of my day job I see & work with "younger" criminals who are third generation unemployed. The term we use is learned helplessness. They argue to have few opportunities, no prospects and no future. With nothing to lose they often drift in to alcohol and drug abuse. Using state benefit to fund a feckless and aggressive existence they become, confrontational and very predatory. This behaviour is not challenged enough by my colleagues and we have for a very long time tried to listen to the voice of our youth, we try to understand the problem and we make allowance for a poor economic outlook. I call it making excuses.
Well I am sorry but when I left school at 16, poor grades, jealous of my brother who was the clever one I was forced by my parents to look for work. I had to pay my way in life even though my prospects looked bleak. At my fathers "request" I started a five year tool making apprenticeship. The first year was about learning to respect my qualified peers who in turn repaid that respect by teaching me the job.
At 20 my hobby and interest in Rugby League gave me an opportunity to turn professional. I made a good living from both roles. As I became too fat and too old (for the rugby) my engineering job took me around the world several times. Made redundant twice, I looked for other things to do. Following in my brothers footsteps I went to university at the tender age of 38. Got a degree in Community Justice and Law and started my current role as a Probation Officer. I also set up a business with my wife and I do work seven days per week.
The point I am trying to make is that

Bizzare, I went to work today thinking about what you said, determined to resign and put 100% into the Hornsea Ink Shop however, sat at my desk making plans and doing the math. I get a call from senior management asking if I would be intersted in an even better promotion! Oh decisons decisons..I want the shop to suceed so that I can be in control of my future and my wife gets to have more time off. The only issue, the market is so unpredictable, Google moves the goal posts too often and you don't get gurantees...

Steve, this is one of them, I have made friends, I don't feel stupid, I am learning and without any doubt, the best thing that ever happened to our small buisness. I even get drunk and join in, how cool is that?

Just got back from holiday, Had an awful day at work becuase I have just been told that I "narrowly" missed out on a promotion becuase......can't remember the exact phrase used but it started with "bull". Anyhow, told to re-apply in 6 months. My cunning plan..going to build my buisness empire so that I can resign before they give me the job..ha ha ha Oh I am drinking..
Good to be back, come see us at the Hornsea Ink Shop

I agree that forum posting has its place but many people still argue that good quality links to relevant sites impact on your organic ranking in Google. On this basis (and when I get back from Holiday) I am going to set up a friends of MLF page on my website. I know it

Ok, I have played with google adwords for about 8 weeks now, at some cost I might add. Had some good traffic and high CTR's, but my question is: Do people feel that this method is cost effective or does it just underpin a poorly designed website by forcing traffic to you? Could I achieve simmilar results by "paying" a lump sum to an SEO? Just a thought

The Real Hornsea Ink Shop
There is only one ink shop in Hornsea (but I will explain this reference another time)

Thanks to all for your replies, Steve arguably hit the nail on the head when he listed the stats from MLF, my site duplicates this exactly. As a result I have dropped the idea of optimising for Bing and Yahoo etc. Just got to sort out the Royal Mail, who keep sending my freepost to another address in Hornsea, they then charge me for it even though I have to collect it myself. But that is another rant on another page when I find the time. Why can't life be simple?

My poor little shop

I am amazed, your chart and figures match my website exactly with google taking 93% of the share. I will look at Yahoo (for the wife) but I won't be spending too much time on it. Don't know how Yhaoo and the others survive?

Ink & Toner

Thanks, that is a relief, the only issue I have now being my wife. Just how can I explain that Yahoo is in a minority and is not that popular without being called an idiot? She spent an hour last night telling me why everyone should use Yahoo and she argued that becuase all of her (female) friends use it for all the gossip, it has to be the best platform to advertise on. When I showed her the stats, her argument was simple..Google is rubbish and that is that!

Hornsea Ink Shop

Ok here is a question, I have spent some months targetting Google using all the tools on offer. Google Analytics now confirm that "google" accounts for 97% of my traffic "thanks" its going well..! However, natural search results suggest I am only getting 3% from bing, Yahoo, Ask and the rest. Do I have to start again? Do I need to learn how to use another set of tools? Why can't my bloggs, forum posts and general input be seen by Yahoo etc? My wife called me an idiot because she only ever uses "Yahoo" and that should have been my priority according to her, Just How was I expected to know that?

Any and all help will be appreciated.
catch to later

My Google enhanced and "Growing" shop.

Thanks Steve, not exactly what I was after but it is a start. I read the blog with interest, but need a little more statistical data. I have been looking hard but have been distracted becuase I just purchased a new refilling machine. It's Taken me all day to work out how to use the thing! To make matters worse I am on holiday, (from my day job) this week! I will keep looking and feed-back if I find anything of note.

My Ink Shop