Internet Profits Blog

Google Groups has limited possibilities for promotion, at least after an initial once-through.

Links on group pages are no-followed.

Links on discussions use a redirect from Google. While there is no ‘no-follow’, I would question whether Google follows the link or not. Although other search robots might, and give it weight. In other words, if my site is google.com, and I have a link to yahoo.com using a redirect such as http://google.com/url?sa=D&q=http://yahoo.com, is this a do-follow or a no-follow link?

Perhaps of most concern is the potential email problem. User profiles, and information listed for discussion posts, includes the email address used to sign up for Google Groups. While there is some spam control, certainly not enough for my liking. There is no reason for an actual email address to appear. Period. Otherwise, that is inviting trouble.

Especially when a simply captcha – easily and quickly worked around by spammers – shows a naked email address.

It may be prudent to use a throw-away email to sign up for Google Groups, which is confirmed, and then discarded. That may have some negative consequences in getting group communications, but we’ll see how the spam issue goes.

But it certainly appears that Google does not have a high concern for it’s user’s email privacy.

I suppose if someone just wanted a platform to write some pages and have limited discussions, with no monetization, then Google Groups may be enticing. You may get some group members from other non-techie people, which may be find for your purposes.

But given alternative options, especially having your own website, go with your own site.

Hmmm, a sales page and videos about outsourcing. Were these the most boring videos ever? Is John Reese the most boring marketer ever?

Bottom line: you pay someone else to do all your work for you.

So what is Reese offering – to spend his PERSONAL TIME not doing ANYTHING SPECIFIC, but to be available to answer your questions.

A coaching program is simply an amorphous excuse to offer time for money for nothing in particular. Really? How many prior products has Reese followed-through with long-term? Exactly. None.

About outsourcing? Maybe. Maybe John Reese will be outsourcing himself. Who knows – but have you ever seen such a contradictory product or service?

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Update: Income.com just bit the dust per an email from John. In it he calls himself the worst guru ever and he never wanted the label. He just likes doing things and following ideas.

Let’s be honest. Reese has made a lot of money. As he admits, he has also left even more money on the table. Is there a company, or a project of his, that has not been a one-shot deal which ultimately collapsed?

Perhaps John is finally realizing his strengths – and weaknesses. The latter of which are difficult for most people to accept.

Obtaining personal introspection has nothing to do with how much money one has made.

Here is what I would like to see from JR:

- No more emails pimping products just to get an affiliate commission.
- Focus on ideas and projects which John is great at coming up with.
- If Reese wants to market to the IM community and send emails talking about himself as though he were a guru, ‘outsource’ it to Andy Jenkins or someone else.
- Get a personal life coach.

But who knows. The email referenced various projects and interests, but last I heard Reese had sold literally everything he owns and was backpacking in the wilderness. Seems to me he is still lost in the woods, not knowing exactly what he wants to do.

Here’s a radical idea: turn off the computer and get a family. Amazing what that can do for a person. Responsibility. Stability. Focus. Long-term planning. IMHO, the sort of things he needs.

A new product has been released that scrapes URL from seach engines, called URL Keywordz.   A full review of URL Keywordz is here.

I don’t know the software creator, Robert Matthew, but this is a case study of a perfect product.  Robert has found a need for a product by a specific set of Internet marketers.  He has filled that need with an easy to use, all-around excellent product.  Easy to use.  Great features.  No extra, bloated junk.  Nice design.  Software works without crashing.

After having to recently deal another software creator, Robert Plank, who turned out to be a real jerk, URL Keywordz is a real breath of fresh air.

I’m not the first to say they have problems with programmers.  Gurus like Allen Says have mentioned the headaches and problems dealing with them.  And when they’re jerks who don’t care about customer service or the quality of their products it only compounds the problem.

Robert Matthew, though, has not only put out a well-thought product, when MSN moved their search to Bing, he promptly issued upgraded software at no charge.  No problems.  No customer support issues.  And from what I can tell, he plans on continuing to add great additional features in the future.

He’s hoping Robert Matthew keeps his head on straight and produces a few more products like URL Keywordz.