About a month ago, I decided to start a proxy. Well even though some of you don’t know what a proxy is, I have to do this introduction. Well I started a proxy, I am well familiar with these proxies, but I thought lets try to see whether they still work. Yup now my site Ekey Web Proxy is making about $1 a day and I don’t do anything. Not bad eh. So I thought about writing a series of posts in which I will first explain what a proxy is, then I will show you guys how to make one, than one will show how to advertise and monetize a proxy.

Well a Proxy is a server which reaches out to another server (website/file/etc) and download it to itself and than show it to its user. Confusing eh. Well The image below will describe how exactly the proxy server works.

You can see How the server reaches for the files in step 1, than download it in step 2, and than it displays the files to the user in step 3. Now why the hell people go through all this when they can just go the site directly?

Well sometimes they can’t. Take schools, (Not Universities) but the high school I went to wouldn’t let you go to games websites, myspace, facebook, or any other site like that. Than people would use web proxies because proxies run the site from its server rather than the original server and most times the administrators ban the ip of the original sites, so the proxy work. Sometimes they are even used for logging into forums, or other sites where you want to be anonymous. There are anonymous web proxies that will hide your IP, so you won’t be traced. Proxies are also used at the work places and for the same reason because corporate often block game sites, or other type of sites.

While proxies sound all good, there are disadvantages to these also. Proxies load slower than the site would load. Duh, you can see all the process in the image. Another risk is your information being shared. Well since you are using the proxies to login to your profiles, your password must go through the proxy server. Sometimes encrypted, and the other times unencrypted. The unencrypted passwords, or information can be used against you. I know I don’t do stuff like that, but people can possibly use those also, so please please please do not login to your bank account, or enter your credit card numbers using a proxy.

Why Do I use a Proxy? Well as a webmaster, proxies are often helpful to see whether the DNS is updated. Sometimes your Internet Service Provider (ISP) doesn’t update the dns immideiately, so you can see that through a proxy. Also sometimes, your own server acts weird and block the IP. Say you went to some other place and couldn’t remember your password, and got locked out of the system. You can use the proxy to fix that. (Thats why I keep a personal proxy)

In my next post I will go over about how to create a proxy. Stay updated, if you are not you will miss it. Subscribe and You won’t miss it! Guaranteed..

Well this question was asked in my previous post by Pablo Savard. While it is an easy question to ask, it is a hard one to answer. I will try to do my best in explaining this because I believe many people have this question on how to determine the quality of a web directory. If you learn this, you will not waste your money with the spammy directory submission services.

Quality Content

Evaluate the content of that directory. Content includes, listing, articles, category structure, so first thing you should look for is the unique category structure. There are tons of directories out there and I can say about a third of them might have unique category structure, rest are just using the category dumps. Now you should look at the directory whether the site offers quality articles that is helpful to the users. Romow Web Directory has updated their design a few months ago and set themself aside from many others. Each category you would enter you will find related articles for the users. Last but not least, look at the quality of the listings approved. You need to visit few of their recent listings, or look at some of the sites they have approved to determine the editorial integrity. I once submitted to stpt.com and they rejected idk.in because they said the site was new, It have potential, but it is not eligible to be listed in stpt.com because my alexa was low and it was very new, so you have to check onto such things like that.

Whereas there are some sites that will approve just anyone. For example: SEO Court, this used to be one of my directory which I started in the beginning to practice and try the tricks and then I sold it to this guy. They did not change anything on the site. Didn’t update or did anything. Admin password for the directory admin panel was the same, so was the email. When I had the site, I advertised it alot, so it became a popular free directory when it got its PR 4. Now I tried contacting the owner, and he didn’t reply. I just wanted to ask them to change the admin email. Then I tried to login and see whether they have changed anything, and the password and user was same. This is almost about a year ago. I went in and saw about 32k listings pending approval. Recently, I visited that site and saw it got a PR 6 on the update on homepage, but all other pages were 0. I don’t know how that happened, but cutting the long story short you will see their latest listing page. It just approves about any site. Want to see a few example? This one, one more, and another one. No if you are thinking it only had 3 bad listings, its not true. I just pointed out 3 .. There are tons more. Focus on their editorial integirty because you don’t want to be linked from a site that also link to the bad neighborhood, such as MFA sites and others.

Popularity

Look at the site’s popularity. Well if you are going to submit …[Look inside for my favorite top 15 list, and much more]

I want to gain backlinks, and gain them quick… First thought of a beginning webmaster who just learned about websites. Thinking what is the success behind all the other bigger sites, and the first thing that pops up is their keyword rankings in search engines. That is due to backlinks… Not noticing the fact that the other site is well established and has been online for quiet some time. They have tons of backlinks yes, but it took them time to gain all those. Well not many people understand that. Since they want to gain backlinks, they will go ahead and do everything and anything possible that will cost them lowest amount of money and effort.

Question rises, what is the quickest way to get a backlink? Directory submission, but man that takes too long. Lets hire one of the services offering MANUAL directory submission for just $5. Biggest mistake of your life as you can loose all the credibility of that site by doing that. While I am not saying all of these services are a rip off, but a good proportion by which I mean almost all of them are a rip off. Manual Submission?? If it is a manual submission, how can one even show a report as what I see that most of the reports were generated by a software, and it shows Success: Yes, Date Submitted, and Time Stamped. Do you still think that was a manual submission? How many of you will go ahead and do 100 directory submission for $5 and put down exact time and second and put down which one was successful and which one was not. I know I won’t, and not many people would either because $5 USD doesnot worth enough. Not in U.S, not in any other country for that sake because the electric bill you would spend on using the computer far outweighs that $5, rest aside the internet costs, so this will eliminate those who will say Countries in Asia would do it.

It is simple that these people are using softwares, and claiming it to be manual. Yeah, the only manual part of the software is that you have to enter captcha on some directories, the form is auto-filled and its being run by a software. Some reports even have the link to the software and their copyrights at the bottom. How stupid is the user to believe these services?

Now next thing is how trustable is this service? Maybe the person just did the service once, and never did it again, and is keep generating the same report over and over? Half of these auto submissions are spammed. Do you know why? Because they submit your sites to paid directories and leave without paying giving the editor no choice but to remove the listing. You might gain 100 views from $5 .. that is expensive but neither of the editors were targetted users. I know that when I was running my directory, I didn’t look at any site that didn’t pay, so there you go you lost one user who was like me so now it is 99 users for $5. I am sure I am not alone in doing so.

Ensuring the quality of directories. How many free directories are really quality directories? Not many because they will just approve anyone, and most don’t even survive more than a year because they are sold, and than sold again, and than left alone, and than shut off.

In the final line, what I am saying that these directory submission services are a waste of time and money. Note: I have nothing against directories, and you should submit links to them, but submit to quality directories. Really hard to think that the guy will submit to 100 quality directories for $5 because I can’t even think of 100 quality free directories, and I have been keeping up with directories for about 2 years or so. Avoid these services, otherwise your site will be blacklisted among the directory owners, and many others because theser submission services will leave without paying them and they don’t know who is doing this. For all the editor know it is your site, and you are submitting it and leaving without paying. Don’t give your new or established site this reputation.

Well, Friday I recieved a package in mail. Zain actually brought it up with my mom yelling there is package were you expecting one. I said Yeah … Just so I get to open it not my mom lol Well Zain and I opened the package but before opening it I saw the logo and it was Market Leverage. Yup the same Market Leverage who you have been seeing on many major blogs.

I know I signed up a while back and what I have realized is that they really personalize each publisher. I got a call within 24 hours from their crew. They were very nice and they explained me how everything works. Also, one cool thing is that you no longer have to wait to get the offers accepted to publish on your website. If you want an offer approved faster, call your manager and they will do it for you.

Than they personally emailed me. Dina is a very nice person. She liked Balkhis, and they ended up buying 4 ad spots on Balkhis as you can see them on Balkhis. Well very kind of them, they sent me a cool package.

The package includes:

2 GB Pen USB Drive
1 Golf Polo Shirt with Market Leverage Logo on it (Nike)
1 shirt which is very cool it says I am blogging this
1 Cap which have Market Leverage Logo on it

Everything fitted me, and nothing fitted Zain Maybe he needs more publicity eh.

Now this is some good way of marketing. I personally emailed them back thanking them. Now I really need to take some time out and visit their headquarters as they are also located in Florida and only about 2 and half hours away from me. They said I can come over anytime just have to give them a little notice so I can meet the whole crew

Well lets watch in real what they got me. I have a video and couple pictures.

Thank you Market Leverage for all the cool stuff. Now what are you guys waiting for. Join the most friendly and the best Affiliate Marketing Network. Join Market Leverage.

Well you know what a Dot Com Life Style is? Well it is when you don’t have to go to work and you can spend time with your family all day. Lets see while all my cousins and brothers and my parents were at work. I was home with Zain, yup the youngest member at Balkhis. We were having quiet alot of fun, and I was recording him on the video camera. One of the most funniest thing happened. He was jumping on the bed, and falling and than getting back up. But in this video he kinda lost his balance and you know what happened…………. Watch this short funny video to find out.

If you want to send a link to you frieds feel free to do so. Note: He was OK after the fall no serious injury as I caught him from his leg.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGIqaQ3tNFA
Revver: http://revver.com/video/892586/baby-falling-from-the-bed-americas-funniest-video/

Note these videos get on these video sites before they get on Balkhis, and some videos I don’t post on Balkhis, so If you want to stay updated feel free to subscribe to either youtube or revver … or both

I am thinking about sending this short video to Americas Funniest Video Show. What do you guys think?

I just think that I am lucky because I am sure my parents would like to see this one live also. You know they say moments like these are priceless, for everything else you got MasterCard

Well yesterday was hectic Busy, You want to know what I did?

Well my cousin and my partner Amanda Roberts of Wordscrawl.com were graduating from the same High School, so I went to their graduation parties. Two separate ones. Both of them I had alots of fun. Amanda M. Roberts graduated as a Saludatorian of the class. #2 in the class. She was even featured on the local Newspaper, Palm Beach Post’s Picture Slideshow. Check it out here. Click on Palm Beach Lakes, and it is the photo #10. Musarrat is also featured in Photo #27

Well I played basketball at the first party, and you know me as I am almost 6 feet 5 inches tall, I am a decent player. Check the air time in this photo.

Man I think if I keep jumping like this, I will have no problem flying

Move onto Musarrat’s party, and you will see some cool stuff here. Once again two of my cousins missed it because they were at work, and one came back from work in time. Well he have a decent looking cake and he is getting all the love.

Time to eat the cake … Rub it on his face

Well I couldn’t post it all last night because I was crazy tired from Basketball, but here it is. Nothing more valuable than family, and Dot Com Life Style let me have that. I love everything about it.