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5 Quick Tips for New iPad Users

Have you been getting used to your new iPad and wondering how to do the simple stuff that is so easy on your Windows PC, iMac or Linux workstation?

Here are five quick tips for new iPad users to help you get productive and make it work for you. they all work on iOS 5 & 6

  1. See all open iPad apps – To see all open apps displayed on the multitasking bar at the bottom of the screen either:
    • Double-click the Home button
    • Use four or five fingers to swipe up
  2. To close a running app – Touch and hold any icon on the bottom bar until the icons start moving, then tap the minus sign on the icon of the running app to close it.
  3. To switch between open apps – Use four or five fingers swipe left or right
  4. Close a book in iBooks to choose another – Tap the screen once and menu options will appear, then tap library in the top left corner to go back to he bookshelf.
  5. Download PDFs to iBooks via Browser – In iPad Safari tap a PDF download which will download and display in the browser. Touch the screen, and tap the “Open in iBooks” button at the top. When opened in iBooks, the PDF file is automatically added to the library.

Practice the gestures, and the five quick tips above particularly the four finger swipe, and they soon become second nature. Have fun with your new iPad!

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How To Be An SEO Guru

Do you see yourself as a budding SEO Guru and want to spot the next big thing? Have you heard lots of conflicting SEO advice but are not sure which to follow? Have you ever wondered where SEO companies go for inspiration and great advice? Web Marketing and SEO are inextricably linked so that is why this post is titled How To Be An SEO Guru

If you want to be your own SEO guru, or take your first steps on the road to expert status, there are a few simple pieces of advice we wish that we had been given when starting out:

  • Read everything you can about SEO
  • Follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines
  • Study the best SEO examples you can find

Read Everything About SEO
It has been said that if you read ten books on a subject by different authors, you will own that subject. This is also true about SEO, except that you must keep reading in order to stay current. SEO books date very quickly, and techniques that were leading edge two years ago may not work now. Each SEO expert has their own slant on the subject, and can offer something to the jigsaw, but remember, no-one knows it all!

Read every article you can about SEO, watch every video by the SEO experts, and if you can, get to talk to them. Make sure you include Webmaster Guidelines on your monthly reading list, too.

Webmaster Guidelines
It should not need saying, but follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines. If you want to get your website to the top of the rankings for your chosen keywords then it is important to follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines. It is true that there are techniques that might give your site an unauthorized boost, so called “black hat” techniques, but they will not help you if it gets you blocked from the search engine results. The only reliable way to ensure that you stick to the rules is to read the guidelines from the people who wrote that particular book, Google.

When you have read this article follow the link below to Google Webmaster Guidelines and bookmark it, or bookmark this page.

Study the SEO Best
If you want to be the best at anything then you have to study the techniques of the people who are currently rated as the best. Train where the best SEO Gurus train. Attend the conferences and seminars where the SEO experts hang out and listen to them talk. If you can, sign up for at least one SEO training from a renown expert per year, and if possible more. When you are trained by an SEO expert you will get the chance to ask the important questions directly, and of course you get to hang out with them too.

What To Do Next
In the run up to the new year, and the New Year resolutions, how about making a pledge to help you on the way to being your own SEO guru?
Decide that you are going to market your website and boost its position for your chosen keywords
Commit yourself to sign up for tuition from an SEO expert in January
Act now, and look out for SEO tips in the New Year!

PS, where do we go when we are seeking inspiration? Try BrandSEO.com

Have a happy and prosperous new year!

SEO Resources:

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Top Tips For Writing A Blog

We often get asked to give advice and tips about writing a blog. Common questions people ask are:
How much should I write on my blog? How frequently do I need to add posts? What do I do if I get stuck and can’t think of anything to write? While we cover this sort of thing during our WordPress training, it doesn’t hurt to extract a couple or three top tips for writing a blog, just as a reminder. They are:

  • Aim for 200-300 word to start with
  • Write every day if you can
  • Find Inspiration in anything you do

How Long Should I Make My Post?
For a beginner, we advise you to make your first few posts about 200-300 words, about something you are really passionate about. If you find you have a lot more to say, check if you could split it into two or more smaller articles. If you are a prolific writer, then you can make you posts longer, but for a start, aim to have just three bullet points.

How Frequently Should I Write?
Our advice is to publish small articles every day on your site if you can. That way the content stays fresh. If you find that too time consuming, try a small submission every two or three days, or once a week. If you have split a long article into two smaller segments, post the second part the next day

What Do I Do If I Get Stuck?
Anybody can get a block if they are a writer, it is par for the course. If you found yourself going too long without inspiration try this easy sequence:

  • Clear your mind and do something completely different for a while.
  • When you have had a complete break, go and read the newspaper, on-line news, watch TV or surf the net.
  • When you see something which interests you, imediatly write about it!

If you use this technique, you can find Inspiration in anything you do. It really is that easy! Good luck and happy blogging!