Cshel Chicago SEO, PR and Web Development

Spine-health launches new design, usability enhancements

Posted on 30. May, 2008 by Carolyn Shelby.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Spine-health, a leader in online back pain and spine surgery information, announces the launch of their newly redesigned Web site. The new look marks a second wave in a series of usability enhancements that include additional functionality, improved speed, and enhanced navigation.

The initial phase of usability enhancements focused on behind-the-scenes technology and laid the groundwork for future growth.

“In February, we kicked off our improvement plan by implementing new systems that allow dynamic content serving, significantly increased the site speed and provided the room we needed to grow and continue improving,” said Mark Achler, CEO of Spine-health.

As part of the new software roll-out, the entire library of more than 2,000 physician written and peer-reviewed articles, plus the blogs and contributions of 10,000+ active users were ported into a completely new content management system.

“This second phase is exciting because it’s a truly visible sign of the progress we’ve been making. We’re very excited to continue expanding and enhancing our content and functionality to better serve our members and visitors,” Achler added.

Spine-health serves nearly 1,000,000 unique visitors per month, and features in-depth content, written by physicians and peer-reviewed, on pain topics specifically related to spine and back conditions. Spine-health is considered an authority on topics like back pain, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, lumbar and cervical spinal stenosis and co-morbidities of those conditions such as depression, stress and sleep problems.

Spine-health can be found online at http://www.spine-health.com/

Popularity: 68% [?]

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SEO 101: Starting Your Own Social Network

Posted on 31. Mar, 2008 by Carolyn Shelby.

Special guests Rhea Drysdale and Steve Bristol from LessEverything.com join me, Brian and Ne0 on SEO 101 to discuss the benefits and advantages of running your very own social network… Completely coincidentally, they’re also pimping LessEverything’s recently released open source social network platform, Lovd.

So why would you want to start a social network?
In addition to adding coolness and generating additional traffic for your site. Branded social networks help build your brand by creating a community for your users and fans. The users connect with other like-minded people and while bonding with each other… they emotionally bond with the brand… that turns users into fans and fans into brand evangelists.

Let’s not forget that a social network also creates additional ranking opportunities for your site. More content, more potential spots to occupy on the SERPs.

So why is Lovd so special?
Lovd is a) really cool looking and fully featured right out of the box, b) FREE, c) open source, and d) supposedly very easy to install and run — if you’re familiar with Ruby On Rails. I say supposedly only because I am absolutely NOT familiar with RoR, and will have to defer to Steve’s expert opinion on that topic.

If you’re interested in adding a unique facet to your site, and you (or a geek you love) are familiar with Ruby on Rails, go check out Lovd — check the system requirements, demo, features, etc — then download it and give it a spin. It’s open source and you can’t beat the price :)

Popularity: 100% [?]

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Friends on Facebook equals guilt by association?

Posted on 12. Mar, 2008 by Carolyn Shelby.

Okay, this is a really coarse summary of this article because I’m not terribly familiar with the scandal in question… here goes:

There’s apparently some big financial scandal going on in Paris. According to a story that appeared today on FT.com, the police searched a broker’s desk, confiscated his computer and detained him… because he’s listed as a friend of a co-worker (Jérôme Kerviel, CFA — guy at the center of the scandal) on Facebook.

Seriously.

Mr Zabraniecki is understood to work as a cash equities broker at SG Securities, part of the corporate investment division, executing trades for the equities derivatives desk, where Jérôme Kerviel, the man at the centre of the scandal, worked.

Police also searched Mr Zabraniecki’s desk and confiscated his computer and some documents.

Mr Zabraniecki was among Mr Kerviel’s friends listed on Facebook, the social network website. He is 29 years old and joined SocGen in March 2002, according to social network websites.

Note to self: Be a little more picky about which friend requests I accept from now on.

Since when is it relevant to report when people are friends on Facebook? I suppose it is relevant when it’s really the only incriminating thing the police could use as an excuse to go searching your place of business and arresting you… which begs the question… since when does being friends on Facebook equal guilt by association?

I mean, if I’m friended by someone who gets popped in California for carrying a personal consumption quantity of weed in his car, does our Facebook association then give the police probable cause to come to Illinois and search my car and home?

Just crazy. Glad I don’t live in France.

Popularity: 61% [?]

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