Engineering Magazines

Search engine marketing is by far the most efficient and effective way to advertise your business. With over 86% of internet users using Google as their search engine, the need for your business to show on the first page of Google has never been greater.

Many people are unaware of search engine marketing and just take for granted the results that appear when they search for something on a search engine such as Google.

However, search engine marketing seems to defy to current doom and gloom of the recession. Think about this:

“The average Britain spends 164 minutes online everyday, compared with 148 minutes watching TV”

Over half the world’s population now has access to the web and nearly 90% of them find what they’re looking for using search engines. 36% of people think that the result at the top of the first page is the market leader and 80% of people make their choice from first page listings alone. With over 21 billion web pages wanting a first page position how can you get your website on the first page.

This is called search engine marketing and I have listed a few techniques and tips to get you started with optimising your website to rank well on a search engine. Remember that this is a basic guide to help to you on your way.

Link building

First we have to look at how search engines rank a website and decide which order to list them. The simple (very very very simple) version is, Google changed everything the way many search engine rank. The initial creators of Google (Larry Page and Sergey Brin) wanted to create a search engine that could rank a website for quality and list them in order of quality to the user. The way they decided to rank a website was to count how many other websites link to it. If other websites link to it then it must be good. So, essentially links mean votes. Like I said, this is the very simple version and there is so much more to it than this but it is a great place to start as it holds the most importance.

See who links to you and then see who links to your competitors and try to muscle in on some of their action. Simply go to yahoo.co.uk, then in the search box type “link:yourcompetitor.com”. This will bring up a list of websites linking to your competitors website. Then contact them and ask them to link to you too. Don’t be stingy. Make sure you have links going out from your website. Important though that you link to high quality websites, i.e. If your website is a property website, have links to the relevant governing bodies, Wikipedia or the largest property portals. Search engines will see your site as being a good place to get good content. Submit your website to online directories. This can be very boring and takes hours. But once you have had your site accepted in to a directory. You’ll have a link back to your website. Remember. The more the better. Subscribe to forums in your niche. You can include a link in your signature straight to your website. Remember though. Do not spam on a forum. Forum users will not like it and the moderator will probably kick you off. If you use a forum properly though you will find it quite engaging. Read blogs relating to you niche market. This is very educational as well as beneficial for link building. Read the blog then leave a comment about that blog. Don’t forget to include a link to your website though. Just don’t make it too obvious.

Social Media (web2.0)

“Facebook”, “YouTube”, “Flickr”, “Myspace” – These are all social media websites. They provide a means for people from all over the world to join online and share information. The way in which people communicate vary though. “Flickr” allow people to upload photos and share them with other users or even comment on pictures uploaded. “Youtube” allow people to upload videos etc. The number of people visiting these websites to share information is in the millions. So maybe you could use these social communities to spread the word about your website. Social media is a great way to connect with hard to reach people that share the same interests. There are a number of ways to do this.

Make your content interesting enough for people to want to view it. Then,unlike search engine optimisation, change the content often, This will make people want to keep visiting you. Make it easy for people to tag or bookmark your new content. Bookmarking is very fashionable at the moment. The most popular way of doing this is by getting an “addthis” button due to its ease of use, however, there are many buttons available. Use more than just text in your site. Create a video and submit it to a video sharing website like “youtube”, Create a PDF version of your content and create an audio version too. Submit it to appropriate websites. Don’t forget the link back to your site. Blog.Blog.Blog then blog some more. The simple truth is that the majority of internet users love blogs. So do search engines. Create a blog and use it. A lot. Submit it to sites like “technorati.com”. If it is good enough people will link to you and then share and tell others about your writings. Make friends. The social media community, are very social and friendly. They will want to talk to you and ask you questions. Make sure you are polite and take time to answer any messages. Negative feedback spreads faster than positive feedback.

Pay Per Click

This is a method in which you pay to get people to your website. Have you ever done a search on Google and found there are two columns. The Colum on the right is called sponsored links. They are adverts from businesses. They do not pay anything for appearing there but they do pay when you click on the advert (pay per click). This is a very fast way to get people to your website but you do have to pay. I would recommend getting a pay per click company to help here. It will save you a lot of money. However, if you must have ago your self here are some very basic tips.

Budget. Make sure you create a sensible budget and stick to it. Don’t get in to a bidding war. Don’t just rely on pay per click as the be all and end all for your business marketing. PPC is great for promoting specific products and services very quickly but you always have to pay for the result. Analyze your cost per click and cost per acquisition closely. Then compare it to your other marketing activities. See which one works best. Remember that sites such as Google take into account the quality of your website content being marketed more than how much you are bidding. PPC is my favorite part of search engine marketing due mainly to the sheer speed of return on investment BUT make sure it is done properly other wise it can be devastating. Always have two ads running at the same time for each product but with different ad text. Google will use the most successful advert for you and show that advert more often, helping you gain more traffic. Change to poorest performing advert and see if it improves. Keep repeating. This will eventually lead to you having the best possible advert showing.

Search engine optimisation

Remember the two columns we just mentioned. Search engine optimization is the are of optimizing your website enough for Google to rank it on the left hand column. This list is ordered on how relevant your website is. And you don’t have to pay for these listings. Ever noticed how all the big companies appear at the top of the first page. Now we should as “which came first – The chicken or the egg?”. Search engine optimisation is generally split into two categories onsite optimisation and off site optimisation. The first, when done property is very important but it will only get you to the starting line. Offsite optimization is the race itself. A good search engine optimisation campaign should include all the search engine marketing techniques mentioned and when you really get into it you can learn the more advanced techniques. Below are a few basics.

Include your keywords in your domain, title, meta tags. The first thing a search engine spider will read is your domain name. i.e www.yourdomain.com. This doesn’t mean anything to a search engine so ideally use www.yourdomain.com/your-key-words, or even better www.your-key-words.com . Then the next part is your title. Don’t just have “home Page” or “Front Page”. I would have “your domain – your key words”. This also matches the domain name. Then repeat the same in your meta data. And sprinkle it throughout your web page. Keep it readable though. Make each page different. This helps search engines differentiate them and should lead to them indexing each of your pages separately. Get a site map and submit it to major search engines. Don’t pay for this service though. It amazes me that people actually charge for this. Just type into Google “sitemap” and you should be presented with website that will generate you a sitemap for free. Keep going. Older sites generally rank better than new sites. It is believed that older websites must be more reliable. As there is nothing we can do about this just focus your time on other offsite optimisation such as link building, social media optimization and if you just can’t wait, Pay per click. Search engine optimisation is a long term solution but boy is it worth waiting for. Validate your HTML code. Visit “validator.w3.org/ “.This will ensure that web browsers show your website correctly and helps search engine to index your site. There is no point in optimising your website if it doesn’t work properly.

Other useful tips

Get Google analytics. It is one thing having a website but you need to know what people are doing when they are on it. Google analytics is very comprehensive and FREE but it does not report in real time. Woopra however does report in real time. The choice is yours. Before doing anything else you should get one of these other wise how will you know your efforts are paying off. If you decide to use a company to undertake your search engine marketing campaign (recommended) make sure you choose your search engine marketing company wisely. Don’t just go on recommendation. It is going to be a long working relationship so the important thing is that you get on with them. Do your own research on the industry. Think twice about search engine marketing firms that say they can guarantee a first page listing in a short time, the methods they use WILL end up in your website being banned. BMW found this out the hard way.

Search engine marketing is not an easy option but when done properly will bring untold rewards.

This is by no means an exhaustive list but it will give people new to the concept a few things to get on with and research. Look out for more articles that will start to break the subjects down into more detail.

In the world of auto mechanics an engine swap is just about the biggest job you can undertake. No matter what kind of car you drive its inevitable that the engine could possibly fail. If your car has very high miles its almost a given. You have a few options if that happens. You can sell your car as is, pay to have a new engine installed, or take the liberty of doing it yourself. The level of difficulty that changing an engine has changed with automotive technology. The newer and more advanced your car is the more technology goes into making the engine work. Back when carburetors were used things were much simpler. Changing an engine basically consisted of disconnecting a few wires, motor mounts, trans mission, radiator hoses, and throttle linkage. The same basic process still applies on modern engines but it just involves a lot more work. There a many more connections, hoses and cables that need removed.

When changing your own engine the basic challenge is to disconnect everything and put it back exactly how you started. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph the age of your car is where the complexity issue comes in to play. Basically it is the same process but, the older the car the easier the process. When undertaking a job of this size you should be sure to have all the needed tools to perform the job properly. Not having the correct tools can lead to damage of parts and a lot of lost time. You can spend more time working rather than looking for the correct tool to perform the task. Overall spending a little money on the right tools can save you a lot time and money in the future. Depending on where you vehicle was made will determine whether you will need metric or standard tools. European and Asian will require all metric tools and almost all domestics will take standard.

When selecting an engine you must be very careful and be completely sure that you have chosen the correct engine. Thats not something you want to find out when installing the new engine. Again, as automotive technology has advanced so have engines. In the past if you could make an engine fit in the engine compartment you could make it work. The electronics of modern cars makes this virtually impossible without major modification. Fuel injected cars are much more complex. They involve electronic controls rather than manual controls. Basically the most important thing to remember is: Do your research. You need to know the exact model, year, and engine displacement of your vehicle.

Once you have obtained a new or used engine the real work begins. Prior to starting you need to purchase all engine fluids to replace once you have completed. Most cars will require the hood to be removed for full access to the engine area. You should mark the bolt position on the hood hinges to make for easy alignment when reinstalling. Drain all your engine fluids, drain coolant, disconnect all wiring, throttle linkages, fuel lines, and cooling hoses. Be sure to remember what you removed and where it came from. Its a good idea to take photos of all areas of the engine compartment. This will give you a good reference for reassembly. Next, remove the bolts from the motor mounts, transmission and exhaust. Once you have made certain that nothing is still attached to the engine you can begin slowly lifting the engine out. Obviously this will require an engine lift and chains. Carefully remove the engine from the engine bay and set it aside.

The installation process is basically a reverse of the removal. Carefully set the engine back into the engine compartment and bolt up the motor mounts, transmission and exhaust. Its a good idea to replace the motor mounts, belts, hoses, plugs and wires in this process. This just allows for much easier access to all of these components. This could save you a lot of time and work in the future. Reconnect the wires, hoses, and linkages. Once everything is reconnected you can move on to replacing all of the fluids. Your coolant will require a complete refill due to to the lack of coolant in the new engine. Once your fluids are replaced check for leaks and double check for loose connections. After everything has been checked and secured your ready to start it up. New engines will require a break in period. This will be detailed in your new engines documentation. You should test drive your car and watch for anything abnormal. When finished test driving check all of your fluids and top them off in needed. If everything goes as planned you should be ready to hit the road again.

This article is not really meant to be a complete guide. Its basically an outline on what is involved in the process. If you are planning on changing your engine yourself you should know what to expect. Its not a process that you want to get partly finished and give up. It is a pretty difficult task that takes time and effort. Its impossible to create one thorough guide due to the fact that almost all auto makes are unique. A good tip is to purchase a complete repair manual for your make of vehicle. There are some great publications for every make of car. You get what you pay for when you by a repair manual. The higher the price, the more thorough manual you will get. You should have a decent amount of mechanical knowledge before attempting this job. If you have any doubts you should probably leave it up to a professional mechanic. Overall be sure that you have the will power, knowledge, tools, and time before taking on a job like this. If you enjoy mechanics this will be a rewarding and educational process.

Engineering is a complex and growing field. There are many types of engineers including: aerospace engineering, agricultural engineering, architectural engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, environmental engineering, industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering and more. Studying to be an engineer can be costly, but fortunately there are a lot of scholarship and grant opportunities for interested students.

Here are just a few to choose from:

1. BMW/SAE Engineering Scholarship – This annual scholarship is provided by BMW AG in recognition of its commitment to excellence in engineering. BMW is world famous for designing and building luxury, high-performance passenger cars and motorcycles. This scholarship is in support of the SAE Foundation to ensure an adequate supply of well-trained engineers for the future. One $6,000 scholarship will be awarded at $1,500 per year for four years. A 3.0 grade point average must be maintained to renew the scholarship.

2. Edward D. Hendrickson/SAE Engineering Scholarship – Hendrickson International, a Boler Company, established an endowment to underwrite the scholarship in memory of the late Edward D. Hendrickson. One $4,000 scholarship will be awarded at $1,000 per year for four years. A 3.0 grade point average and continued engineering enrollment must be maintained to renew the scholarship.

3. SAE/Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies Scholarship – The Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (Ford PAS) Scholarship was developed by the Ford Motor Company Fund. This annual scholarship is provided by Ford Motor Company to high school seniors who are a past or present student of a Ford PAS program at their high school or in a Ford PAS after-school/weekend/summer/college program. This scholarship is in support of the SAE Foundation to ensure an adequate supply of well-trained engineers for the future. One $5,000 scholarship will be awarded in the freshman year only.

4. SAE Women Engineers Committee Scholarship – The SAE Women Engineers Committee established this scholarship to encourage young women graduating from high school to enter the field of engineering. They are committed to increasing the diversity of SAE membership, especially by promoting the participation and leadership of women. Applicants must be female, have a 3.0 grade point average and be accepted into an ABET accredited engineering program. One $2,000 scholarship will be awarded for the freshman year only.

5. Tau Beta Pi/SAE Engineering Scholarship – The Tau Beta Pi Association, the engineering honor society, is the world’s largest engineering society. Founding in 1885 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Tau Beta Pi has initiated more than 492,000 members in 122 years.

Six scholarships valued at $1,000 each will be awarded for the freshman year only.

6. TMC/SAE Donald D. Dawson Technical Scholarship – SAE and The Maintenance Council of American Trucking Association have established this technical education scholarship to honor the leadership of Donald D. Dawson. One scholarship will be awarded each year. The student will receive $1,500 a year for up to four years as long as a 3.0 grade point average and continuing engineering enrollment is maintained.

7. Fred M. Young Sr./SAE Engineering Scholarship – The Young Radiator Company established this scholarship in memory of the company’s founder, Fred M. Young, Sr. Mr. Young started the company in 1927 and saw it grow to become a major force in the field of Heat Transfer. One $4,000 scholarship will be awarded at $1,000 per year for four years. A 3.0 grade point average and continued engineering enrollment must be maintained to renew the scholarship.

8. Detroit Section SAE Technical Scholarship – Established in 2001, this scholarship is sponsored by the SAE Detroit Section to encourage children and grandchildren of current Detroit Section members to pursue careers in engineering or the sciences. The Section recognizes that there is a need for more student candidates in these fields, as a shortage of qualified graduates is expected in future years.

Two $3,500 renewable freshman scholarship will be awarded. Student must maintain a 2.5 grade point average and remain in good standing at the college or university in order to qualify for scholarship renewal. A student having completed a two-year program may continue for an additional consecutive two years at a second school offering a complete engineering or science baccalaureate degree program.

With a healthy employment outlook for the next 10 years, it is no wonder that distance learning civil engineering is offered by numerous Universities, Polytechnic Institutes, and Colleges, across the country. Civil Engineering is the oldest form of engineering. And Civil Engineering has never ceased to be the largest engineering endeaver as well. Even to this day, with 237,000 civil engineers on duty, it is America’s largest engineering branch that accounts for 16.4% of all engineering jobs in the country.

What it Involves

Distance learning civil engineering involves taking either a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or a Master of Science (M.S.), in Civil Engineering through the online or distance mode. M.S. in specializations like Structural Engineering, Construction Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Hydraulic Engineering, are also available through distance learning civil engineering.

Though 2-year Associate Degrees are also available, it is only as a bridge to a B.S. Degree, since a Bachelor’s is the minimum entry-level requirement for the industry. However, an Associate Degree in Civil Engineering Technology is acceptable for the career of Civil Engineering Technician.

In the USA, Professional Engineer (PE) license from State Licensing Boards is needed by Civil Engineers if they want to play a role in infrastructure work affecting the public, and the training for the two PE exams, ‘Fundamentals of Engineering’ and ‘Principles and Practice’, are also available through distance learning civil engineering.

Compared with the B.S. degree, there is both more demand as well as options for the M.S. Degree through distance learning civil engineering. The main reason for this is the industry’s increasing demand for specialized civil engineers like Structural or Environmental Engineers. It is also driven by a recent recommendation of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to the US State Licensing Boards that the minimum educational qualification for Professional Engineer (PE) license be upgraded from the current Bachelor’s to a Masters level.

Why Civil Engineering?

Unlike many engineering branches, the demand for Civil Engineering has a direct relation with population growth. In fact, this is why Civil Engineering continues to be the largest engineering branch in terms of employment, compared with equally conventional branches like Mechanical Engineering or modern branches like Computer Science, which is mainly due to this direct relation with population growth. More people mean more apartments, and more people also eventually lead to a larger employee pool – thereby increasing both residential and commercial construction.

The demand for Civil Engineering also has a direct correlation with economic growth. This is because, periods of economic slowdown will leave no funds for infrastructure development, while periods of economic growth will provide surplus funds that will be gobbled up in no time by the pending infrastructure needs. In the coming years and decades, economic slowdowns will be better predicted, if not avoided, thanks to the better interventional strategies by institutions like the Federal Reserve. This will leave funds ever available for infrastructure development, and will generate steady demand for Civil Engineers in the coming years.

Most Civil Engineering projects like roads, bridges, tunnels, dams, railway lines, airports, seaports, water supplies, sewage systems, buildings, etc. are also heavy on maintenance and repair, and such regular work contributes to the great demand for Civil Engineers. The need for high-speed, highly-safe mass transportation systems like underground or undersea railways is another major driver for the advancement of Civil Engineering.

Civil Engineering of today is also a professionally satisfying career, with good salaries and technologically updated work. Though average salaries of Civil Engineers are not very high, many of them draw as much as US $95,000 and none of them draw below US $43,500. They also get to work in high-tech areas like earthquake-resistant designs, and make heavy use of tools like Computer Aided Design / Engineering (CAD/CAE).

Why Distance Learning Civil Engineering?

Almost all online or distance courses in any branch of engineering would require work in the industry to meet coursework requirements, as coursework in on-campus labs is not possible. Civil Engineering has the greatest advantage on this front as civil work is abundant everywhere, and this is the main reason why so many Universities and Colleges offer distance learning civil engineering.

It is the best option for technicians, surveyors, and other junior technical staff working in the industry, who want to upgrade themselves to the status of an engineer. Indeed, the majority of those going for a B.S. degree through distance learning civil engineering, are already working in the industry. Practicing Civil Engineers already having a Bachelor’s Degree, also find this the best option, as there is professional pressure on them to specialize further in the field, without upsetting their regular work.

When a Civil Engineer grows from an employee to a Consultant, the Professional Engineer (PE) license will become increasingly important. It is widely expected that soon an M.S. in Civil Engineering would become the minimum educational qualification needed for this, and distance learning civil engineering is the best option for this.

What to Expect From Distance Learning Civil Engineering, in the Future?

As of today, the number of M.S. Degrees in General Civil Engineering is much more than M.S. in the Civil Engineering specializations like Structural, Construction, Environmental, Geotechnical, Transportation, or Hydraulic. However, this scenario will rapidly change, reflecting the increased demand for specialized Civil Engineers. The result will be that Distance Learning Civil Engineering will be offered by more institutions, and that it will be offered with more majors and specializations.



By: Jim Zorn

About the Author:

Engineering generally involves the application of scientific principles for practical uses. The quintessential examples of engineering are the pulley, lever and the wheel. These simple principles have had far reaching impact on our lives and this is the role that engineering plays in our lives – it makes things easier.

Engineering incorporates an extremely broad variety of disciplines. If you are looking for a career in engineering then it is important to recognise that there are a number of different branches to engineering and picking the right area at an early stage of education will help you focus your study. Engineering was originally divided into two sections, military engineering and civil engineering. Military engineering dealt with the improvement of military items such as weapons and fortifications. Civil engineering focussed on things such as bridges and buildings. The different varieties of engineering include,

Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace Engineering is concerned with the design of aircraft and spacecraft and the related areas in this field of study. This branch of engineering was initially known as aeronautical engineering and focussed solely on craft that stayed within the Earth’s atmosphere. The main problems that craft face these days are the high levels of atmospheric pressure that an aircraft faces. One of the main jobs a aerospace engineer faces is managing the pressure levels and temperature whilst ensuring optimal aerodynamics and improved propulsion.

Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering looks at how we can convert raw materials into useable commodities. It makes the most of chemistry and physics as well as maths to convert raw materials into more valuable forms or pioneering new techniques for improving existing materials for practical use. Chemical engineering covers an enormous range of products. For example chemical engineers work to improve, ceramics, plastics, chemicals for agriculture, fuels, explosives, soap products, pharmeceuticals and food additives. So a chemical engineer could work on a wide variety of things from developing bombs to creating perfumes.

Civil Engineering

Civil Engineering focuses on design and construction. This is usually concerned with structures such as bridges and buildings and infrastructures such as roads and other transport facilities. Concentrating on the development of the physical and natural environment, Civil engineering deals with structures such as dams and canals, alongside the more common structures such as buildings. The discipline incorporates a number of sub categories such as municipal engineering, environmental engineering, structural engineering, water resources engineering and surveying.

Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineering looks at electrical systems such as electronics goods and all branches of electronics and aims to make them more useful to the individual. Electricity has been a focus of interest since the 17th century and the usefulness of electricity has improved insurmountably ever since. Electrical engineering is used in electronics, power, micro-electronics, signal processing, telecommunications and computers.

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering is concerned with the design and implementation of physical and mechanical systems. These can include items such as engines, kinematic chains and other similar equipment. Mechnical engineering focuses primarily on incorporating the principles of physics and applying them to practical uses. Mechanical engineering can be applied to a number of different fields. Mechanical engineers can be used in automobiles, aircraft, watercraft, medical devices and machinery.



By: Shaun Parker

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