So Google Blog Search has changed the way it indexes content.

Instead of  indexing content from RSS feeds, the search now focuses on full content from pages.

According to those in the know at Google the indexing change has “improved the results for a lot of queries, both because we have the full content of the page and because we extract links that are missing from the feeds”.

But change rarely comes without a niggle or two. Some users have reported problems in a Google Groups post when a person’s blog name drew results based on blogroll content, too.

The Google team member does admit that “there have been occasional complaints about the use of the feed content, particularly the problem with partial feeds”.

Google also revealed that it had expected some problems from blogroll matches, but that they “may have underestimated the impact on searches using the link: operator or where the query matches a blog or blogger’s name”.

However, Google is working on fixing this glitch and plans to use the full-page content for searches, but exclude the content that isn’t actually part of the post.

The search engine supremo is hoping to have the problem sorted by the end of this year.

If you thought that grammar and spelling matter less on the internet then take heed of a recent survey.

Almost 40% of respondents asked by GooseGrade, a user copy-editing service, revealed that they had come across blogs and websites with grammatical errors or inaccuracies.

More than a quarter said they experienced these problems frequently, while 14% said “very often”.

But more critically, a third said they abandoned a site immediately if they encountered spelling and grammar mistakes.

Perhaps it might be worth paying a professional copywriter or proofreader to ensure your website is grammatically correct.

Colour plays a significant role in all areas of life – including the design of websites.

It’s widely evidenced that colours influence feelings and emotions.

For example, red is associated with boldness and passion, while blue is often linked to feelings of calmness or authority.

So it is obvious that the right use of colour can be the route to attracting more visitors to a website.

Choose your website colours with care

Here are some common feelings associated with colours:

Red: passion, energy, excitement, power – but also, danger, aggression.

Orange: warm, friendly, energetic – but also, hippy.

Yellow: light, optimistic, happy, bright, rich, kinship, hope – but also, danger.

Green: nature, restful, wealthy, relaxed – but also, envy

Blue: cool, calm, natural, free, peace, trusted, strong – but also, sad, depressed, cool.

Purple: luxurious, royalty, wise, sophisticated – but also, a bit childish.

White: pure, honest, clean, innocent, fresh, spacious – but also plain and vacant.

Black: powerful, elegant – but also, gloomy, mysterious, dangerous

Grey: Sleek, chic, modern, reliable – but also, dull.

Brown: richness, comfortable, strong, credible, nature  – but also, dirty, poor

Pink: romantic, fun – but also, childish and overly girly

Tips for a colour-coded website

Contrast is important: It’s vital that visitors can read text so black writing on a white background is perfect. Black works well on paler shaded backgrounds, too, such as light blue. Use white text on a bold colour with caution in case of colour saturation.

Choose three colours and stick to them: Harmony and identity is good so go for a basic palette of only a few colours.

Natural not artificial: Bold, bright colours can be harsh on the eye, although primary colours work well with promotional style websites. Often, though, more natural hues are more inviting.

Old and young: As a general rule, younger people like bolder colours and older people prefer more sombre shades. So think about this if you’re creating a website for a particular age group.

Men and women: According to research men prefer blue and orange to red and yellow. Women like red more than blue and yellow more than orange. And don’t assume that all women like pink. Another survey showed that blue is a favourite colour for 57% of men and of 35% of women.

But what do you think? Does colour influence your attraction to a website and if so, which colours do you prefer? What colour combinations work for you, too?

Apparently, for some firms it’s “who you know” when it comes to search engine optimisation.

Big companies, with websites running to hundreds and thousands of pages, make the most of partners and sponsors, using them to get links to specific pages rather than a homepage.

For example, take a firm like Orange that may be sponsoring various events. The marketing guys at Orange could speak to the people running an event page and ask them to link through to a topical Orange page, not simply their home page.

Doing this with all sponsoring partners could have a major affect on search engine marketing efforts. For the more partners a company has, the bigger impact this kind or “linking” will make on make to SEO.

Maybe you’re not in the big company league yet, but this information is worth bearing in mind for when you do grow.

Press releases are a great tool for boosting e-commerce search engine rankings – but don`t think that you can get away with a lame release about new products or new designs.

Your key to all-important press coverage is to make things as news-worthy as possible.

To do this, you should find the websites in your field that discuss industry news. Find out what are the current hot topics and try to use an RSS feed to keep in touch with daily news.

The minute you spot a good (or bad) piece of news, this is the time to write up a press release linking the topic to your own website or business. It can be as vague as you like but if you’re first out with the press release, there’s more chance a blogger or news editor will pick up your story.

Fruity number

So, for example, you are a company doing a great trade in local, organic strawberries. You also sell farm-made berry products on your website. A story hits your country’s fruit growing association to say that strawberry yields are the best for a decade.

Now is your opportunity: Get your PR contact to put together a press release that reveals the high level of strawberry yields, and includes detail of your own farm’s produce plus a comment or quote from the farm manager. Add in your website details, too. Then stick this press release on your website and ping it via email to a few contacts.

It’s likely that you’ll get press coverage – and benefit from the wider distribution of your website details on the internet.

Just remember to keep your press releases current, newsworthy and to the point.

If you write a web article or a blog first and then throw on a headline you could be making a huge mistake.

According to research on average 80% of people will read a headline, but only 20% will read the rest of the copy. Therefore, what you write in your headline has the power to attract or put off readers.

Listen to the facts

In some cases a good headline could be the difference between a few hits and hundreds of thousands.

An example of this was an article on Condomunity (www.condomunity.com) reporting statistics showing 19 countries and their respective prices for Durex condoms.

The headline on the site read: “Cheap Condoms, Expensive Condoms”.

But then another website, Environmental Graffiti picked up the story and changed the headline to “World’s Most Expensive Places to Have Sex”.

Now doesn’t the second headline seem so much more enthralling and interesting?

It certainly proved to be the case: While Condomunity received five to 10 visits a day for their headline, Environmental Graffiti had 100,000 visits and 3000 links in three weeks.

First impressions count

A headline is the first, and perhaps the only, impression you will make on a prospective reader and without a great headline or post title the rest of your article may as well not even exist.

So, it’s vital that you write your headline first, before you embark on the full article.

Your headline will also gain a wider audience if you make it strong and focused. Ideally the header should sum up the story in a concise and compelling way with minimum words but maximum impact.

It is not necessary to be clever or smart with a headline – and the puns that you’d most often see in tabloid newspapers do not usually work on the internet where you have only a few seconds to grad a reader’s attention.

And don’t lie. A headline that promises something but then fails to deliver in the copy will not have a reader coming back to your site.

How to write a headline

The best way to write a headline is to keep it simple. Tell the reader what it is you want to sell, write about, inform them about.

Seven of the best headline styles:

Direct headline: Get straight to the point.

Eg. Car for sale – £6,000

Indirect headline: It’s more subtle but very intriguing.

Eg. Tesco Butter Up Young Shoppers

News headline: This informs the reader about a current hot topic or must-read news item.

Eg. SNP leader Alex Salmond interview

What Google’s Matt Cutts see in 2009

Company sues Google over copyright infringement

“How to” headline: Everyone wants to know “how to” do something new.

Eg How to write a winning headline

Question headline: This asks a question but also prompts the reader to empathise with the topic.

Eg. Would you ask a stranger where he bought his cowboy boots?

Are you ready to become a singing superstar?

“Ways to” headline: These are intriguing to a reader because they offer a list and

added value.

Eg. 20 ways to stuff a turkey

Quote headline: These offer a testimonial, and therefore make readers feel there is more to a product or a topic.

Eg. “I wouldn’t eat any other kid of egg,” says Jamie Oliver

“I swear by xxxx tennis balls,” confesses Venus Williams

“WebCreationUK is top of my Santa list,” says Bill Gates

Get the headline right and 80% of people will read on. Get it wrong and you’ve lost 20% of web visitors. Try it and see.