KML Handbook released!
As many of you might know I am quite a fan of KML. In the past, I released a tutorial, the definitive guide on using KML and sitemaps for SEO, on how to use KML and sitemaps for Local Search and Google Maps Optimization. With Maps and Local Search behavior getting more important in the Universal Search landscape it is important to know how KML can help you get more traffic to your website or how to create better, faster and more beautiful mashups.
That’s why I want my readers to know that the Geo Developer Blog just informed that the KML handbook is now available for pre-sale and it should be available soon!
The KML Handbook is written by Josie Wernecke, the writer of the KML 2.1 and 2.2 documentation. The book covers the basic elements as well as lesser known subjects. Also good to know that Google is officially supporting the book. If you really want to get deeper into KML and want an ol’fashion printed book to explain you all this, pre-order your copy now!
Mozilla be launching Geode - Browsers get Local
Mozilla Geode, Making browsers local
News has, that Mozilla will be launching a Firefox add-on, called Geode, that will enable the browser to enable localized content.
This is again, one of the signs that we’re moving towards a more local web, with even the major players (Google, Yahoo, Apple) tooling up to provide and handle with geolocation information with software like Gears, open location databases and GPS enabled devices like the iphone and Android.
Having a browser that is location aware, enables a lot of possibilities including context-awareness (personalized, localized) features. Above all it should increase relevance, for example in Search, providing locally relevant results (hmm, wait, wasn’t google supporting these guys? 
).
Mozilla Labs is doing cool stuff lately. their Ubiquity tool is a good example of this. We’ll have to wait till tomorrow for more news about Geode. In the mean while you can take a look at the website of VentureBeat where they show some early screenshots. I don’t have a clue how the tool exactly will be working, but it does remind me a bit of Fire Eagle. Now will this plugin also change the way we use local?
Using the SEOmoz Linkscape Tool
Yesterday, after reading this post, I decided to give Linkscape a try. I was very impressed by the results and find this tool really cool. What I like most is the Domain Juice flow. have to admit I didn’t go to deep into its functionality but did get to ran some advanced reports (SEOmoz Pro account needed) and find it very useful.
Of course I was curious about how everything worked and started reading some online discussions about the tool; for example in the official linkscape feedback thread and the discussion on the topic submitted to sphinn.
A lot of people find the tool very useful, but seem to be very bother about everything being so public, out in the open, its a free tool. Hell, I even received Google Alerts this morning that an advanced reports I did on the Linkscape tool was being indexed by Google, as well as the query result pages of others. ( Although these numbers are low and seem to stay low, might even be gone in a matter of time.) Just in case, I notified SEOmoz. This seem to have happened because my report was saved publicly instead of privately. Should have known it said BETA in big fat typograph. Luckily, I have had word they are resolving this issue and I appreciate it.
Now discussion goes on , the public wants the user-agent disclosed, so they are able to ‘block’ it using robots.txt. I suggest you start reading the sphinn comments and discussion in the feedback thread for more info about this.
If you are curious about the Linkscape Tool, register now for free at SEOmoz or register as a PRO member while prices are still considerably low (and don’t worry, they got a 30-day money back guarantee!) and test it yourself!
