I've been telling clients and prospects for years that there aren't any lasting shortcuts to great search engine results. Back in the ancient days of unrelated meta tags and premium Yahoo listings, there seemed to be ways to game the system and get your site listed higher than your competitors. The problem with that approach was that Yahoo, and on a much grander scale, Google, kept changing the rules of the game, meaning that last week's SEO strategy was a losing proposition today.

The best idea to drive people to your site is the same technique used for generations in any creative field: make great content and promote it with an intensely personal approach. Get your new friends to do your promotion for you. Then do it again.

That's why I found myself nodding in agreement (and not for the first time, either) with Jeff Jarvis today on his BuzzMachine blog. In a post about the increasing personalization of Google's search results, Jeff writes:

But as Google gets better at personal relevance through everything it knows about us — and it knows more and more — then your search for wine may be different from mine and there is no absolute value for placement in results and Googlejuice, no?

What does that mean to brands? The world gets confusing once more. But I think it means that true relevance becomes more important than SEO tricks. It also means that the more relationships you have with people — the more they talk about you and link to you and click on you — the better off you will be.

Imagine... your site becomes a popular destination not because you could outspend your competition, but because you're providing more relevant information. How very quaint.

There are, naturally, always those who will promise the "quick fix" method of getting what you want, whether it's weight loss, debt reduction or search engine optimization. Don't take shortcuts, though, because in the long view the game will continue to change and force you to come up with a new way to cheat.

Here's a better idea: write what you know, write what interests you, write what you really care about, then use the amazing social networking tools we have at our disposal to make connections with others who share your vision. Maybe it's not about having thousands of lukewarm visitors to your site per day, but instead one or two who really care. It's the old concept of a qualified lead. Create your blog or your site for those people, and let Google's organic search algorithms do the rest.

Microsoft to open-source fans: It's all about the love - by Charles Cooper from CNET News.com - "The advance billing had the audience assuming Daniel was about to enter the lions' den. What they got was more along the lines of Mister Rogers talks tech. Brad Smith, who is Microsoft's top lawyer, went out of his way during an afternoon talk before a gathering of open-source die-hards to portray the software company as ready to turn a page in its relationship with the developer community."

Blasphemy! Google Debuts Video Ads in Search Results - by Adam Ostrow from Mashable - "Since the ads do not appear to be immediately obvious, Google purists might not freak out completely over the inclusion of video ads in search results. However, as I said back in February when I learned of the initiative, it certainly marks a significant shift from Google’s once barebones interface."

Should Open Source Projects Accept VC Backing? - by Michelle Dively from OStatic - "[Benchmark Capital's Rob Bearden] says open source companies should strive to become the 'enterprise standard' in their market space in order to effectively monetize their commodities. He also notes that if companies are willing to embrace the idea of making money off their open source projects, then they might be rewarded with an infusion of venture capital cash."

I had the pepper steak combo (with eggroll and wonton soup) at my local Chinese restaurant a few days ago. After lunch, my fortune was "Slow but steady wins the race." I smiled when I read that because I'd just been thinking about the many "get rich quick" methods of internet marketing that are being promoted today. Do a search on Google for "SEO" and you'll find some of them. They may promise to "guarantee" top listings on Google or Yahoo, or suggest they have a special relationship with the search engines that can rocket your website to that coveted number one position.

Just as in the "offline" world, there's no shortcut to long-term success, and search engine optimization isn't any different. There's no easy way to trick Google and Yahoo into listing your site higher. Take it from the folks at Google themselves. So how do you get your website noticed by prospective customers?

The one thing all search engines seem to love is fresh, quality content. Oddly enough, that's exactly what your website's visitors are looking for. They want to see that your business or organization is alive and well, and they want to know enough about you to make a decision whether to buy from you, or join your cause, or take a job at your company.

So here are four basic tips on how to improve your online presence, and in turn improve your rankings in the search engines:

• When writing content for your business or organization website, tell the whole story. Don't skimp on the details. Tell your visitors what you would want to know about your company if you knew nothing about it. Give them the information to make a decision right then.
• Keep the website updated. Think about the many websites we visit in a week that haven't been updated in months or even years. How confident are you about the current status of that company? They might be doing so well that they're too busy to update their website, but aren't we more likely to assume they've gone out of business?
• Consider starting a business blog. Search engines love blogs because there are usually many legitimate links coming in and out of the website, as you link to other interesting content and the media and other websites link to your compelling content.
• Use social media and networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to connect with potential visitors to your site. The more you get the web address out there, the more likely people with find you and pay your site a visit.

There have always been temporary ways to game a system, including search engine rankings. Usually those loopholes are closed fairly quickly, as Google and Yahoo change their methods to keep their rankings accurate. The methods I describe above, however, while they won't bring overnight success, will in the long run build viewership to your website and improve your appearance in the search engines.

Slow but steady wins the race. Don't take shortcuts, invest the time and money needed to create a great online presence, and the rest will follow.

There's another killer on the loose. Who's the target this time? Sharepoint again? If the bullet misses the target, though, will open source CMS platforms get caught in the crossfire?

Since 2005, the following products have been described as a "Sharepoint killer:" Oracle Workspaces 10g, Groove (even after being obtained by Microsoft - apparently it was supposed to be an inside job), Alfresco, CPS Project, O3Spaces, Lotus Quickr, Google Apps Team Edition (just 19 days ago) and, today, Google Sites. Google Enterprise product management director Matthew Glotzbach fingered Google Sites as a "Sharepoint killer" today when it launched, according to Michael Arrington on TechCrunch.

I played with Google Sites for awhile this morning. It's not bad at all, though a bit buggy, as Dennis Howlett describes on ZDNet today. It looks like a slightly more sophisticated Google Page Creator. It doesn't suck, but as a killer, it's a little light on the firepower. Let's say it looks like Sharepoint can walk down dark alleys without any concern about an ambush. But does Google Sites have enough functionality to affect the market for open source CMS platforms?

CMS software alternatives come in three general flavors: traditional proprietary solutions (Microsoft Sharepoint and others), open source solutions (Joomla!, Drupal, Plone, etc.) and software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions (Google Sites, wetpaint, Ning and yesterday's newcomer BricaBox, among many others). Businesses looking to create or improve their online presence don't know or care about these distinctions. They want at least a simple website, maybe add some cool bells and whistles like they've seen on bigger sites - and they don't want to pay a lot of money for it.

Is something like Google Sites or BricaBox the answer for those users? Maybe. If the business isn't looking to spend much money on the site and they don't have the time to learn how to set up a hosted CMS site themselves, I'd even say probably. But many businesses will need a greater ability to customize and add features than Google Sites will be able to provide in the near future, and it's in that market that the open source CMS solutions, and the designers and developers who provide support for them, will continue to have the greatest potential.

If they were really looking to be a Sharepoint killer today, I'd say Google Sites came equipped for a gunfight with a jackknife. Not much of a killer - yet. If it continues to improve, Google Sites may eventually become a challenger to more complete CMS solutions, even Sharepoint. But for today: put down the knife, Google, and get back to work.

Yahoo gets desperate - by Paul R. La Monica from CNNMoney.com   "Investors must hope the search engine is trying to squeeze more cash out of Microsoft because a purchase of AOL doesn't make sense." 

Google Android phones make debut - from BBC News   "The first mobile phones to be loaded with Google's Android software for mobile phones have gone on show."

Study: Artificial Sweeteners Increase Weight Gain Odds - from ABC News   "Calorie-conscious consumers who opt for diet sodas may gain more weight than if they drank sugary drinks because of artificial sweeteners contained in the diet sodas, according to a new study."

A Radical Option For Yahoo: Out-Open Google - by Erick Schonfeld from TechCrunch   "There is another option to consider, though. That is to hit Google where it hurts by truly opening up search."

OpenID Has Big New Friends -  by Carleen Hawn from GigaOM   "The idea of a universal ID to simplify consumer’s lives has been around for some time. With today’s endorsement, OpenID’s potential base has been pushed to nearly 1 billion users."

Do Not Call Registry extension fast-tracked to the President - by Jacqui Cheng from ars technica   "Congress has approved new legislation that will modify the National Do Not Call registry to make it more like the "Never Call" Registry."

Here Comes Trouble: Telephone Number Tyranny - by Daniel Berninger from GigaOM   "Making users cope directly with telephone numbers makes no more sense than expecting people to navigate the Internet via IP addresses."

Look Out Topix - Google Launches Localized News Service - by Duncan Riley from TechCrunch   "It was only a matter of time before Google expanded their news product to compete more directly with Topix. That time has come - today Google added an option for customized local news to its Google News service."

Critical Security Updates for Adobe Reader, QuickTime - by Paul Ferguson from Trend Micro   "This highlights the fact that it not only your Operating System or Browser that needs to be updated from time-to-time with regards to security vulnerabilities — every piece of “third-party” software installed on your PC will also eventually need to be updated when vulnerabilities are found."

1. It works for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Information is available (and buying decisions are made) on demand, anytime.
2. Your business blog lets you show off your expert knowledge of your field and builds credibility in your community... and the world.
3. No more waiting for your web designer to update your home page.
4. It's like cloning yourself. Now you can talk to many people at the same time with just a single blog post, increasing your businesses' reach.
5. Search engines like Google love blogs, because they love freshly updated sites with lots of links in and out - the definition of a business blog.
6. Your business blog site turns your six column inch newspaper ad or your 30 second radio ad into a full-color, full-page marketing tool.
7. We're interested in personality. Humanizing your business through blogging creates interest that's much stronger than P.R. babble.
8. You can stop wondering if your mass email or e-newsletters are being stopped by spam filters or clogged inboxes.
9. You can sell products directly from the site. Use the sidebars to promote your current specials or your key products and services.
10. There’s just not enough room on a business card.

Tips of the hat to: Ryan Allis at ZeroMillion.com & Bill Slawski at SEO by the SEA