Sometimes, instinct gives a good indication about what topic will get warm welcome from the readers, and what will be ignored as if it never existed, but instinct cannot be a reliable guide, if you have to write daily or regularly for any magazine, newspaper, online magazine or blog. You need a more reliable system then the instinct has to offer.

Before working on developing any idea into an article or a blog post, you should check how it does on the following parameter:

Do you have something new to offer?

The chances are quite high that the topic you are going to write about has already been covered by the magazine or blog you are writing for. Even if they have not covered it, their competitors must have done that. Do you have anything new to say about the weight-loss program you are going to write about? Any new development or a new angle? Even a fresh point of view can offer the required newness.

Does your writing flow?

If you want people to read what you write, your articles and blog posts need to flow. No one likes bumpy rides. Your words and sentences should help them glide through the paragraph after paragraphs. Do not use jargons, and keep the structure as simple as the writing idea permits. Always remember, your readers have limited time, and in this time, he can either read your article or do other things like, watching television, listening music, or write on Facebook walls.

How will it connect with the reader?

This is the most crucial point. You have a groundbreaking idea, and your writing style makes you hell of a charmer, but still your visitors are not falling over each other to read your piece, why? May be because you have targeted a wrong market, and the readers here are too smart or too stupid for your kind of articles. People will read only if you step up or step down (depending upon where you are) to their level. Can the reader connect with your article?

What’s the use?

Imagine this: you have come home after a long tiring day at office, and you turned on your laptop to read something, or picked a magazine to browse through. Your eyes happen to find an article that has a nice juicy headline, interesting sub-headlines, and even the first few lines are written wonderfully. You couldn’t resist but read it till the end, but here comes the bomb. The article has nothing to offer but a nice flowing style of writing. It doesn’t add even a single word, sentence or idea to your repertoire of the existing knowledge. You feel wastes. Your reader will feel the same, so make sure you are writing because you have something valuable to offer.

Will it entertain?

The entertainment value of any article should not be underrated. People do not read your article just because they feel you are going to redeem them. They do not think that way, nor are they here to get enlightened, though they will not mind it, if the redemption and enlightenment is offered sugar-coated in entertainment. You do not need to preach to send the serious message across. Do not think readers are so blunt.

Learn… in30 minutes

A headline like this will give the reader a definite time frame in which he or she can acquire the skill or knowledge talked about in the article in question.

Example:

1. Learn to Disinfect Your PC in 30 Minutes.
2. Learn Piano in 30-Minute a Day.
3. Learn HTML in 10 Days.
4. Learn Photoshop in 30 Days. (Photoshop in 30 Days).
5. CSS in 10 Easy Steps.

Tried and tested headlines

A “tried and tested” headline infuses credibility in the article. A headline like this suggests that the article following the headline will provide the solution which has been tried by many people and they got benefitted from it. This is a type of testimonial headlines. (Read more on Testimonial Headline)

Example:

1. Tried and Tested Formula for MLM Success.
2. Tried and Tested Method to Make Your Abs Flat.

50 best…tips

“50 best…tips, or 10…tips” or any similar headline gives a definitive idea about the length and nature of the article following such headlines. The article following this kind of headline should be written in a list-format. You can also use subheadings (Tip 1, or X tip 1) to write the article.

Example:

1. 50 Best SEO Tips.
2. 10 Media Marketing Tips for Success.
3. 10 CSS Tips.

Be descriptive, be personal

A descriptive headline builds interest in the article by giving some idea about what to expect. And making it personal helps visitors relate with the headline and the article following it.

Example:

1. Unemployed Mark Found Financial Security.
2. Coward John Defeated Bully Mark.

Learn to…

Learn to… headlines work the same way as do How to… headlines (read How to… headline guide). This type of headline suggests that the article following it will teach the visitors about the topic in question. You can either use a list-like structure for the article or blog post following learn to… headline or split the article or blog post in subsections by introducing appropriate headings.

Example:

1. Learn to Play Guitar.
2. Learn Driving Free.

Step-by-Step Guide to…

Like learn to… you can also use step-by-step guide to… headline to tell the visitors that the article following such headlines will teach certain skills one step at a time. The article following this type of headline should be written in the list format.

Example:

1. Step-by-Step Guide to SEO.
2. Step-by-Step Guide to Protecting Your PC from Virus.

…in Easy Steps

This is another way to write headlines. Unlike the headline writing strategies dealt above, where the signifiers were added at the beginning of the headline, you will need to add “in Easy Steps” at the end of the headline. This strategy is equally effective in pulling visitors to your website. Use list like structure for the article following this type of headlines.

Example:

1. Networking in Easy Steps
2. Learn to Play Piano in Easy Steps

Clean up your desk, as a first option.  Keep your workstation clean and neat looking, as that will always improve your mood and increase the likelihood that you will feel better, and feeling better means productivity.  A clean work station is a happy workstation after all.

Organize that desktop, it’s not enough for your station to just be clean, but you should have everything well organized as well.  The better your organization is, the more you’ll be able to accomplish quickly.  Accomplishing your goals at a comfortable, quick pace will help you feel better, and a positive attitude will help you continue working hard and being as productive as possible.

Don’t let your email ruin your workday.  Everyone has trouble keeping up with their inboxes over the course of the day, but the key is to know when you’re too bogged down, and when it’s okay to give up on trying to keep up with everything for the day.  If you find yourself trapped within the depths of your inbox, try to find the messages that are most pressing, and concentrate on those, leaving the ones that are not as urgent for a later time.  This way you won’t feel trapped, and will be able to keep a positive productivity healthy attitude.

Finally, don’t surf the internet at work.  Reading about stories, or visiting fun websites at work can be bad for your personal morale, as it will remind you that you are stuck at work, even if you do not want to be.  Commit that time at work completely to the job, and focus more on accomplishing your tasks, and taking positives from that.  This way you stay focused, and upbeat about work, not about what else you could be doing with your time.

Well, always reread anything you’ve written a few times, to ensure that your sentences flow naturally, and to clear up any grammatical mistakes you may have made.  Good policy also suggests reading your pieces aloud, as it’s a fantastic method to double check how your writing sounds on the whole.  Reading aloud will give you the opportunity to make sure that everything flows properly, and that all sentences sound complete.

Another widely used, and remarkably effective tactic, is to read in reverse.  This is helpful for weeding out those cursed grammatical errors that you may still miss despite completing two or three rereads.  When you read your piece in reverse it eliminates the brain’s tendency to remember what you’ve written, which can cause you to skip over mistakes without even knowing that you have.

When restructuring a sentence never add more words to the sentence than were originally there, always cut the excess.  The problem with most first drafts of any piece of writing, is that they are much longer than necessarily needed.  Focus on condensing your concepts into as few sentences and paragraphs as possible, that way you can form a short concise work that will appeal to a broader audience.

These are just a few quick editing tips, there are many, many more concepts when you really get more in depth into what the editing process can do for a piece of writing.  But follow those guidelines and you’ll find yourself well on your way to becoming a better, and more complete writer.

One of the most common methods, and one that you should most definitely be employing already, is to keep an idea notepad with you at all times.  Not necessarily an actual pen and paper mini notebook, but something to function as such.  If you have a smart phone, like an iPhone or Blackberry, you can use their note taking features to quickly jot down anything that pops into your head.  This keeps you ahead of the game with a wealth of ideas that you can look to later, when you find yourself in need.

Read.  Can’t stress that one enough.  The more you put your energy towards learning new things, or reading new ideas, whether through books or magazines or online articles, the more information you’re taking in that you can call upon at a later date.  Extraordinarily useful when coming up with a new topic to write about.

Find a friend or colleague to bounce a few ideas off.  Let them know about the concept and tell them some things you were considering, or ways you want to approach writing about the idea.  The input they have could help you guide yourself into a brilliant new direction you couldn’t have thought of on your own.

If you find yourself struggling to think of anything while sitting at your desk, take a break.  Go outside for a few minutes, get some fresh air and clear your head.  You’ll find yourself feeling much more refreshed, and after wicking away the fatigue, you’ll be in a much better place to re-energize your thinking.

Finally, as a last resort, twist around another idea you’ve already read about or heard about.  If you can’t find an idea all to your own, borrow someone else’s.  Don’t just rehash an article or book that you’ve read before of course.  But take what you learned there, or the basic concept, and apply it to your own outlook, and your own unique writing voice to manufacture an entirely new piece of work.

How to guides

How many times have you searched the Internet to find information on tweaking or fixing errors your operating system or software, or fixing your broken car speaker, or to know about buying insurance, etc.? Each time you search for some information to help you do something or decide something; you are searching for How to Guides. Why not help your visitors by writing such helps in a proper “how to…” style?

Example:

1. How to Find a Right Cell Phone.
2. How to Clean your Carpet.
3. How to Fix your Drycleaner.

Best of/Top 10

Best of something or top ten something is a big attention drawer. Using this type of headlines will pull more visitors to your site then you ever expected. More often than not, the article or blogpost falling under such headlines are written in a list format.

Example:

1. Top Ten Benefits of Yoga.
2. Best Antivirus of 2009.
3. Top Ten Videos of 2009.

Tell the benefits through outright headlines

Sometimes, being direct helps a lot in retaining visitors’ attention. Tell the visitors directly about the benefits he you are going to talk about in the following article. Outright or direct headline can also be used to make a bold statement.

Example:

1. Piano lessons in 30 Days.
2. Make Free Calls Anywhere in the World.
3. Work from Home & Earn Six-Figure Income.

Testimonial Headlines

Testimonials are the best way to state the benefits and sell the product. Advertisers have known this, since always. No wonder there are so many testimonial advertisements in newspapers and television. By using a testimonial headline for your blogpost or article, you will reap the same rewards that advertisers have been reaping for ages.

Example:

1. I Lost 30 Pounds Using This Secret Formula, You can lose too.
2. At First I did not Trust Him, BUT He is the Best Insurance Advisor.

Never underestimate the power of a social networking environment that facilitates other peers in your profession.  These types of sites can be incredibly influential for finding out the latest industry news, or important competitive information, like where the best jobs are currently, or which companies tend to care for their employees better.  As you can communicate with others in your professional field you’ll also find yourself making friend easier, and industry friends are always good to have, as that sells who you are to a broader audience.  Never forget, when you’re looking for a new job, you want your name out there as much as possible.

Professional social networking sites are also a great resource for any company looking to hire new talent.  Considering they give you the chance to make friends, meet new people, and really learn about them in an unbiased fashion.  From an individual’s online profile, to also participating in conversations with them, you get a real view of the person and what they could offer your company.  Opposed to the biased attitude anybody looking to get a job has in an interview.

So don’t underestimate the power of a good social networking site.  Probably something a bit more serious than Facebook or Myspace, as these aren’t exactly the best place to have a serious conversation with a stranger most times.  But something more geared towards industry professionals like yourself, or your company.

KISSS it!

Keep it short, simple and sweet. You do not need to be cryptic to sound profound or useful. Simplicity is brilliance. Remove ambiguous words from the headline, and try to limit the length of the headline to 5-6 words.

Which of the following headline makes the article look more useful?

1. X has slashed its shirt’s price by 30 percent.
2. 30 percent off on X shirt!

What in it for me?

This is the question every user asks when confronted with anything that asks for his or her attention. Your headline should provide a definite answer to this question. Talk about the big benefits you have to offer.

Example:

1. Learn to Enhance your Pictures in 3 Steps.
2. Get the Subscription FREE

Announcements

Announcements seed curiosity in the reader. Instead of some incremental advancement, people like to see some groundbreaking innovation, and announcements give them the feeling that something new has come along, which is radically different from what they already have. Announcements satiate the readers’ psychological need for newness.

Example:

1. Introducing All-New iPhone at Never-Before Price.
2. Finally, Life Has Been Found on Mars!

Ask Questions

Ask relevant questions, questions breed involvement. A question offers an entrée into the mind of the reader as it forces the reader to think, and the more your readers will think, the more involved they will become with the article.

Example:

1. Is Your Home Safe?
2. Are You Getting What You Deserve?

Share Secrets

The word “Secret” suggests the reader that some insider information is being shared, so they pay more attention to the article following the headline starting with “Secret”. Everyone wants to be in the inner circle and no one likes to be an outsider. Tap on it!

Example:

1. Secret of Monetizing Twitter
2. Insider’s Secret of Money Making

Solitary reaper

The journey of a writer is solitary one. Your decision to start writing has put you on the path where you will not get any company. All you will get is this: your characters to converse with; your ideas to talk to; your plot to develop; your message to convey; your words to play with.

Switch off your cell phone, disconnect your landline phones, grab a cup of steaming tea, close the door, Hang a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, and venture out.

When to write

If you feel in the zone at 2 AM in the morning, start writing then only; if the morning breeze stimulates your creative senses then push the newspaper reading for the day and start writing from 5 AM in the morning. The idea is to fix the time that suits your lifestyle as unlike 9-5 office job, there is no one fix time for writing.

Writing schedule

Writing requires dedication. You need to be disciplined to become successful as a writer. Start the journey with making a writing schedule. Fix a time and stick to it. I will suggest you to write daily, but if your work schedule does not give you enough free time to write daily then write at least thrice a week. This regularity will seed writing habit in you. If you are just starting out, you can even start with writing on weekends, and then increase the frequency when the rhythm sets in.

Clean up

Remove all the unnecessary things from your writing desk. The more things you will have, the more scattered your attention will be. Keep only those things (Pen, paper, reference books, laptop, desktop, etc.) that you need while writing.

Set a Goal

How much you want to accomplish in the coming week? Start with setting a weekly goal. Divide the weekly goal into smaller daily goals, if you have planned to write daily. Always stick to the goal, come may what! How much are you planning to write today: 1 page, 500 words, 1000 words or 2 pages?

Freshen up

Before you begin writing, you can listen to the music you like; watch 10-20 minutes of your favorite television show; take a 10-minute shower, go for a walk; play with your dog; read a book; sit alone and feel the wind; or do a light exercise. The idea is to remove the unnecessary baggage from your mind and freshen up before you begin writing. This way you will be more productive. You cannot write well, if you are not feeling fresh.

Although as important as good, fluid keyword placement is, nothing is more valuable than realizing the importance of every word you write, not just the ones intended to trigger search results.  All the keywords in the world aren’t going to make bad writing interesting enough to captivate a steadily large audience.  So never undervalue the importance of quality writing, because that’s what keeps the people coming back after they’ve found you on a search engine.

Put yourself in the shoes of someone using a search engine to find the kind of content you are going to provide through your writing.  Think of the words they would enter into a search bar.  You want to use words and phrases like these relating to your topic, fairly frequently throughout the piece, but not so often that the quality of what you’re writing suffers.  Your content should be clearly discernable and comfortable for the average person to read, but you want to stuff those keywords in as often as possible without compromising that quality.  It’s also worthy to note that you’ll have the most effectiveness on search engines by frequently using your keywords at the top and bottom of a page.

Also, don’t undervalue your title line.  This is the first big draw of any page, and the first piece of information that a search engine takes into consideration, so all of the most important keywords you are using should appear in the title.  Form a relevant, concise title, informative but also quick and to the point, so as to grab the most attention as quickly as possible.

Being unafraid to get your name out there as much as possible is usually a very good factor to have in your camp when applying to a job.  Work on increasing your online presence as much as possible, even Google your own name to see what pops up, in terms of your past accomplishments.  If you like what you see, why not throw an invitation for your prospective employer to do a Google search on you, to look up past accomplishments.  Nothing tells the truth like sources beyond yourself with nothing but good things to say.

Don’t waste your time writing about responsibilities you had beyond just previous job titles.  Usually any interviewer can discern the information that applies to them from that alone, and your time is better sent describing the difference you made at the company, and what you accomplished.  That’s what your next employer cares about, what you did at your previous job, not just what you were expected to accomplish.

Let your personality shine, so many people just send in form resumes, and that get’s extremely tired for the interviewer, and makes you appear unwilling to devote time and effort to a project.  Write everything as you would speak given the opportunity to have an interview.  This way you come across as a real person, and who you are is reflected as much as the abilities you can offer.

Finally, never underestimate the value of a few good references.  Well earned and picked references can be the difference between getting a losing a job opportunity.  Just like you would read a few film reviews when trying to find which movie you want to see, your interviewer needs sources about you, so that they can decipher what to expect and if you are the right addition to the team for them to choose.  Good references are key, so always do what you can to ensure you don’t burn any bridges on your journeys through the corporate system.

For a writer, twitter can be useful in more ways than you think, and how you will use twitter depends upon the kind of writer you are. If you are a freelance writer who is just looking for some freelance writing assignments then twitter can not only help you promote your writing services. You can use twitter to remain constantly in touch with your existing clients or your ex-clients as well. It can also help you in getting new clients. Twitter can also be helpful for a writer who wants to get published. You can get the up-to-date information on the different publishing houses and what kind of novels they are planning to publish in the coming years. It will give you a fair idea about what clicks with a certain publishing house, and what gets thrown into trash bin. If you are a newbie then you can use the links shared on twitter to develop or polish your writing skills.

For a freelance writer or blogger who is finding it hard to get ideas for writing on a daily basis, twitter can work as a source for cracking ideas to write on. You can use twitter to see what people are talking about, and what is gaining popularity in your niche. If you are interested in using twitter as a writing idea generator then follow the following steps:

1. Follow people working in your or any related niche.
2. Find the articles from the links shared by people whom you follow.
3. Scan the articles to estimate its worth.
4. Shortlist the article or articles you want to read.
5. Read the article shared
6. Do a preliminary research on the topic discussed in the article to get a deeper understanding of the subject.
7. Write down the main points you want to elaborate in your article or articles.
8. Arrange the bullet points in the order in which they should appear in the final article or articles.
9. Write the article.
10. Proofread it.
11. Publish it.
12. Make a bit.ly link (like http://bit.ly/kdHRb)
13. Tweet it.

You need a clear objective that you want to accomplish, and not something like getting the job, because that goes without saying, otherwise you wouldn’t be at the interview.  You want to have a clear example of what you want to come across in the interview, such as certain skills or experience that highlight why you’re right for the job.  Make sure those come across to the interviewer as fantastic examples of your past experience, or specially trained skill set and how it applies to them and the potential job.

Research the company to a decent degree, so that you know what they are about, how they conduct business, and their mission statement.  That way you can take control through relevant industry questions that apply to you and the job that you are hoping to get.  This way not only will you be able to show your knowledge of the company, but also the interest you have in doing the work necessary to learn about the position and better prepare yourself.

Finally, look for any opportunity to tell a relevant anecdote to showcase your experience, or skill set, showing you not only understand the company and the position, but also to highlight something worthwhile that you did at another job.  Proving your worth to the company you are interviewing for, and relaying the skills you can provide that they need.

Record what you do and eliminate unnecessary things

In order to take time out from your daily schedule, you need to figure out how you spend your day. Start with recording everything that you do in your daily life. Once you have a complete list of things that you do in any day of the week, start striking out the thing you can do without. You will be amazed to see how much time you wasted in idle talks, and television watching. These things are important, but when done in excess, they can kill your productivity.

Cut on rests

One needs to work hard, if one wants to achieve something. You need to cut on sleeping, and lunchtime rests to take time out to write. You can use this time to write down the thoughts that come to you, or even use this time to develop your story.

Write while you travel

Well, this is not always possible to write when you are going from one place to another, but you can always use this time to write down the key points, which you can further develop at your leisure.

Talk to your family and ask for support

Take your family in confidence and speak your mind, tonight on the dinner table. Tell them what you are planning to do. Ask your partner, or parents to look after your kids at least once a week, so that you can have some free time to write. If you have grownup kids then ask them to do the house works once a week to help you in taking time out to write.

- Firstly, dress appropriately.  I shouldn’t even have to mention this one, but some people undervalue the importance of looking well groomed and professional.  In other words, always leave the jeans and sneakers at home.

- Research, research, research.  Make sure you know the company you’re interviewing with as well as possible.  The in’s and out’s of what the company is about, how they function, and the goals they are working towards as specifically as possible.  The more information you know the easier that you can help conversation freely flow, which makes you look like a person interested and informed in the company to which you are applying.  That is always good.

- Ask real questions about the company and the position to outline your interest and willingness to get and excel at the job to which you are applying.   Don’t try to control the interview with your questions however, as that tactic fails about as often as it succeeds, but make yourself appear as interested as you are in the position.  Always do what you can to let the interviewer know that you want the job.

- Don’t be afraid to talk yourself up.  This is your interview, don’t waste your time by not making yourself look like the ideal candidate for the position to which you applied.  Go in confident, and outline the features you have that make you a fantastic candidate for the job, including your desire to do the job.  Stay away from suggesting you are the perfect candidate however, as this is more of a form statement made by too many people, and means nothing more than you are just trying to get a job.  Show real interest, it will make all the difference.

Of course there are many other factors that can determine how well an interview goes and your likelihood of getting a job after applying, but following those four steps is a fantastic start to helping you stand out from the rest of the applicants.

A close observation of your surrounding will bring required depth in your writing by giving you access to the underlying pattern of the society. Observation will make you understand how certain thing and certain types of person work in certain situation. It will help you gauge a person’s response to a certain kind of problem in any specific situation, or in different situations. This understanding will add colors to the picture you want to paint of your protagonist, or of any minor character in your story. You need to have a good observation skill, even if, you want to write fantasy fiction because the understanding you will develop by being observant will help you write a story that will have a connect with the readers.

Asking relevant questions and listening to the answers offered will give you a good understanding of the psychological make-up of any society. While asking questions, do not just follow words spoken, but look for the meaning left hidden beneath the unspoken ones. For this, you need to be a very careful listener and a keen observer.

Such as leaving your iPhone on all the time.  Take advantage of the sleep mode, and don’t turn your iPhone off when not in use, as it takes more extra juice to turn the unit on and off than if you had just left your iPhone on in the first place.  Also try to consolidate your personal and business emails into as few email addresses as possible.  This way there are fewer email addresses to check, meaning your iPhone won’t have to burn energy tapping into the network to keep up with them.

Edit your brightness settings so that your auto brightness is turned off, this way you won’t burn power by keeping your device monitoring your surroundings and automatically changing the screen brightness accordingly.  You also want to keep your screen brightness as dim as possible, but so that you can still see everything just fine.  This way you aren’t consuming any extra power by lighting the screen more than is necessary.

And finally, if you rely on Wi-Fi often for many of your iPhone tasks, make sure that you use it sparingly, and remember to turn Wi-Fi off after use.  Keeping an internet connection like that is a huge power drain on your little iPhone, and you’ll find the battery dying very quickly should you leave Wi-Fi on for long periods of time.  But make us of it sparingly and you’ll be fine.

Beyond that you just want to ensure that at least once a week you’re using up almost all the battery power in your iPhone’s battery to just about the point it runs out of juice.  Then you want to charge the unit until it’s back at 100% power, that way you’ll extend your battery’s long term life, and will consistently reset the device so that your battery won’t lose it’s charge as quickly as it would otherwise.

A PowerPoint presentation with objective data, three-dimensional colorful graphs, round-cornered table with drop-shadow effect, and picture of an attractive female provides useful information, which if understood well can fetch the desired outcome. This “if understood” have a big “If” which never get resolved because data, graphs, tables, bullet points, and unrelated pictures fail to make a connect with the audience, and these things can be blamed for the failure of countless meetings and numerous PowerPoint presentations.

Various studies in neuroscience, psychology and human cognition has proved many time that human mind is not a machine fuelled by logic and rationality. On the contrary, it is an organic entity overfilled with the emotionally charged synapses and is flooded with various chemicals that get charged up by the things happening in our surrounding. A good story increases the flow of these chemicals by drawing cues from the immediate environment of the audience, and thus getting the response the storyteller seeks.

A good story helps you cut through the clutter and reach your intended audience with the message you want to deliver, whereas, a PowerPoint presentation, with graphs, tables, bullet points, etc. just adds on to the clutter. A well-crafted story helps you connect, and it will elicit the response that even hundreds of PowerPoint presentations, and reams and reams of objective data working together will not get.

Since Google, many attempts were made to change the course of the Internet search industry the way Google did, but despite the industry analysts, and self-proclaimed web gurus promulgations nothing happened. Google kept growing larger and larger, heavier and heavier. The David itself has now become Goliath.

Many blue-eyed entrepreneurs launched their dream projects to disrupt the flow, and cut Google down to size, but nothing happened. Some time back, couple of employees left Google and launched Cuil, it was one of the most ambitious launch since Google.  The search engine looked good. SERP was interesting, but not the content of SERP. This baby came and gone without disturbing the peace.

People even tried several spin-offs, from verticalization to localization to search result aggregation but nothing worked. Search result aggregators like Scour even started offering reward point to use its services, and that made people try Scour. Even I used Scour for many days. My motivation was not entirely point earning, I was interested in much more. I was interested in participation. Despite, what I wanted and what the search aggregator wanted, I switched back to Google, and like me many did.

The war is heating up again. MSN, the third largest search engine, has launched it new, improved search engine Bing. MSN is betting its future in the industry on this new search engine. Bing looks promising. The search results are similar to that of Google’s. Bing is far better than the Google Squared, the new search engine from Google. With Google Squared, Google is trying to flank the attack led towards its home page, but Google Squared lacks the vitality to scare off the new entrants. Google need a relook at the weapon it is using for flanking.

Google needs not only worry about Bing, which appears as an improved version of Google, but it also needs to be watchful of Wolfram Alpha. Wolfram Alpha boasts about its power to churn out hard facts and objective data. The search engine is going to be the new Google for data mining, and other kinds of research. A search for your name may not fetch any result in Wolfram Alpha, but a search for an objective data like GDP of a certain country, Dollar exchange rate, weight of moon, depth of Atlantic Ocean, etc. will fetch you the result you were looking for. It will not waste your time as Google does when searching for similar data.

New entrants like Bing and Wolfram Alpha are going to give Google many sleepless nights. For Google, these are the competition worth fighting with. Wolfram Alpha with its power to provide hard facts and objective data, in my view, is going to take away a sizeable portion of Google’s search traffic. People who use Google for hard fact will shift their focus towards Wolfram Alpha. As far as Bing is concerned, it looks just like Google (a me-too) with a better result. Hence, I will not bet my Dollars on Bing.