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Quite an interesting list Julia, as self confess directory bore, I can't help myself...

The UK Small Business Directory is run by TJ and based just down the road from us. Definitely one worth listing with, and Terry has a no nonsense approach to directories and is well known for the amount of help he gives small businesses, especially related around Google+. He hasn't been around here for a while, so I'll see if I can get him to say hello.

PR wise, just google Pagerank and you will get a sea churn of arguments and confusion as to how reliable PR is, to PR is dead. The toolbar PR is now updated so infrequently, and Google seem undecided what to do with it. The reality is, the algorithm is now so complicated with over 200 signals that dictate search results, that PR just makes up a part of it. We stopped worrying about it about 4 years ago.

To get good PR is all about getting decent inbound high PR links, which then flow to yourself. 90% of our link building over the years has been natural, rather than SEO'd. Traffic and revenue are the only things I monitor

But remember the directory landscape and model has changed in recent years, and it's no longer just about traffic. Directories are now used by search engines to track citations, ie NAP (Name Address Phone Number). The number of citations your business has, (and where) can impact search positions for your business. If anyone needs to know anything about Citations, then head over to WhiteSpark who are citation specialists. In fact a former member of this forum, Nyagoslav Zhekov recently joined them and is Director of Local Search, and a well known figure in the SEO world.

This is why the likes of Yext in the States have become popular. You sign up with them and they blast out your details across a whole network of partners (including our US based site).

In the UK there is a new service launched by ThomsonLocal that also provides a similar service to Yext, which we are part of, www.mylocalleadfinder.co.uk. Later on this year, there will be another one stop directory shop launching, with a loud fanfare and corporate marketing campaign, so watch this space!

There's a lot of mis-information floating around directories, and a lot of bad press and negativity, mainly from older style or script kiddie web directories (hundreds of web links listed on unmoderated pages). The sort of thing that are set up and copied in their hundreds, and offered as "get listed in 1000 directories for $50". All rubbish and will do you more harm than good.

Also traditional high pressure selling techniques and expensive prices from the big boys haven't helped the public perception.

But as a tool to market a business and help your website on it's way, directories still play an important part of your marketing strategy. The key point being part! Individual directories will come down to personal choice, but the majority will allow a free sign up, and if nothing else, give you another citation.  

This is money website has reported on a study done by Kaspersky Lab's an established Antivirus and security provider that most small businesses are burying their head in the sand.

"Kirill Slavin, UK managing director at Kaspersky Lab, said: 'While it is encouraging to see the extent to which micro firms are embracing the latest technologies, this must go hand-in-hand with a strong approach to internet security.

'Micro firms don’t have to become IT security experts. Most of the time it’s the IT equivalent of remembering to lock all the doors and windows when you go out, make sure you have some additional protection and not to leave valuables where others can easily see and get to them."

It's a good point, and I think a lot of us can be guilty of thinking it won't happen to us. We got attacked 18 months ago with a malware attack which gave us a wakeup call. Although no damage was done, it did dent our confidence and made us revisit all of our security, from our server hosting, scanning security, through to transactions, passwords and encryption.

Then this year we were targeted with a VAT fraud, with fraudsters posing as us and utilising our business name, address and VAT number. After this episode, a HMRC security team met with us and advised us to stop publicly displaying our VAT number, which we did.

Unfortunately like most businesses, security reviews and updates to your process tends to get done after the event and not before. So maybe schedule some time to review your own security procedures?

Do you hold customer data, are your invoicing records secure, is your hosting secure, do you regularly back everything up, change passwords etc. 

All food for thought! Anyone else got any security stories to share?

Just to prove Google doesn't just pick on smaller or medium size businesses, it's quite happy to penalise the big boys!

The full article is on Search Engine Land, but it's interesting to see that ebay acknowledges the impact reduced search visibility has had on it's business, and the measures it's taking to rectify it:

"In light of these events, we have made significant investments to get eBay users reengaged, including couponing, seller incentives and increased marketing spend . . ."

In reality, $200million is a drop in the ocean for ebay, when compared with it's total revenue including Paypal. But very interesting that have incurred the wrath of Google and it's directly hurt their pockets.

Scale it down, and their may be lessons for the rest of us to learn.

Moz did an interesting blog post analysis if you are interested in the more technical aspects of Googles penalties.

Anyone else see the lightening last night?

Must have been the best UK thunderstorm I've seen in years. But news coverage of the heatwave did make me chuckle.

BBC news were actually in my town of Stratford Upon Avon interviewing people about the heatwave. Now during the day, most locals will be in work, so anyone walking round will be a tourist which showed from the people they interviewed. "we're from Brisbane, this isn't hot", "I'm from the South of France you crazy English" 

We do seem overly obsessed with the weather though in this country, and 30 degrees, although warm, is hardly life threatening for the average Briton, and most of us are armed with common sense. Listening to some local reporters, we'll soon be declaring a state of emergency...

Hmmm, agree to disagree! Barneys post sums it up, bunch of sharks!

Got to hand it to Google, they do have a lot of developers on their hands!

Very impressive though 

If you go to Google maps, type in London, select the satellite view, then zoom in and use the tilt option on the right hand side of the page.

Also managed to find one for Birmingham... 

Due to popular demand, we have now enabled a Private Messaging facility 

How do I send a Private Message?

You can PM someone by going to a members profile.

1. Either hover your mouse over someone's image/avatar and select it:

Or just select the members image/avatar or username, and this will take you to their profile. If you are using a touch screen device like a tablet, then you won't see a pop up, so just select the users image or username to be taken to their profile.

2. Simply select the Private Message link on the profile, and this will take you to a secure contact page as seen below:

3. This simply emails the member, displaying your forum email address, but keeping the members details hidden. If the member decides to respond, they can email you directly, at which point you can converse between yourselves.

To monitor this system, we are flagging PM's from new members so they will be moderated just to ensure the system isn't abused and to protect the community from unsolicited marketing or spam.

Any members caught abusing the system will be banned, and anyone who wants to complain about unsolicited PM's, please either PM myself, any moderator or contact us.

How do I opt out of the Private Messaging System?

1. Visit your profile (select the "My Profile" tab at the top of the screen).

2. Once selected, chose the "Edit Your Profile" option

3. Within your profile, choose the sixth option down and select "no" to Enable Private Message.

4. Scroll to the bottom of your forum profile, and select the Save option.

No one will now be able to contact you via our Private Message system. To switch it back on, just re-enable it within your profile and select the save option.

We have taken this approach with the PM system as it is a lot less complex than building an internal messaging service, but still allows members to protect their anonymity, whilst providing a means for members to communicate privately with each other, rather than in the public domain.

If anyone has any problems, please let me know.

hmmm insurance companies!

Had a spat with our healthcare provider. Trying to get me to verbally agree renewal over the phone. Asked him if there was any change in the premium (ie no claims, so obviously a bit cheaper) to which I was told our premium had gone up by £120 

No quite sure at which point in the conversation he was going to tell me this, and after I voiced my displeasure about feeling unloved and not a valued long term customer, I was immediately offered the 7% loyal customer discount.

Total bunch of sharks, and now shopping round for a new provider. Does nothing to endear me to insurance companies, be it health care or car insurance

World really is getting more paranoid and mad!

Flying is becoming tedious, belt and boots off, check kids drinks, now make sure your lappie and phone is charged...

Yup agree. The days of satisfying female, race, religion or even sexual preference quotas to prove a point or to be seen to be politically correct should be long over.

I want a cabinet member, ie a senior position MP to be in that job because of an accountable track record of achievement, and have some sort of confidence they can run whatever department they are responsible for.

I couldn't give two hoots, and doubt very many other people do if they are male/female black/white, fat/thin, bald, one legged or lesbian.

Its a bizarre political landscape at the moment, especially after the UKIP hysteria, and with the Scottish vote coming up. To me the old school parties look tired, jaded and almost desperate. I think the biggest issue will be trying to turn round voter apathy, which no doubt this is what this reshuffle charade is all about.