Search, Social, and Analytics Ninjitsu – The Monday March 28th Roundup

We’re back with our second roundup on the Cardinal Path blog. No major changes in the tech world this week, other than the iPad 2 coming to Canada. (resulting in several block long lines outside of the Apple Store in Vancouver) Of course, with protests and violence across Europe and the Middle East and the potential for nuclear meltdown in Japan, it’s hard for any tech story to make an impact…

Either way, this week we have advice on how to speed up your database, combining search and social, and techniques for an analytics ninja.

Create

Last week, Smashing Mag wrote this post here on speeding up your website’s database, which looks at how to analyze your database’s load times and optimize its performance.
Next up, Vandelay takes a survey of how several websites develop contact forms. Some great forms here, and you will notice one pervasive theme: they’re short! Only request the information you actually need, and so on and so forth.
One more because it’s a subject close to my heart: Smashing again, with how to choose type faces. Just their quick tips are good: traditional letterforms, good spacing, and a tall x-height. Go legibility!

Attract

Logic and Emotion has a piece on search and social media, and how the two function together. They actually offer a pretty good roadmap for integrating search and social strategies.
Search Engine Journal has 10 tips for improving your SEO with Twitter.

Analyze

L3 analytics has a guide to doing content grouping in Google Analytics. They set up filters for it, but I don’t know, I think I’d use inline filters or custom segments. They may limit the groups you can have, but they also dont require you to muck with filters and wait for the results to propagate.
Of course, Kaushik has something to say about analytics. This time it’s three web data analysis techniques for analysis ninjas (though I wonder how well an analysis ninja would do against an analysis samurai, hmm?)

Optimize

90% of Everything has decided that, well, f**k CAPTCHAs, and you know what? I agree. CAPTCHA systems force your users to work in order to keep your site clean, and it’s really not their job. Fortunately, there are a lot of automated systems to catch and label spam and you should be using those.
the Pulse UX blog has an interesting article on how great Angry Birds’ user experience is, and why. It’s actually an interesting deconstruction of what makes the game so easy to play, and potentially why it has been so successful.

Kent Clark

Some have compared him to the Dalai Lama, others to Kublai Kahn. When he isn't teaching third world children how to purify water with nothing more than a plastic bottle and a garden hose, he is creating mad waves for surfers off the west coast with little more than a paddle. Some say there is a boat involved, others that he walks on water. Little is known about his background. he appeared from nowhere 15 years ago and claims heritage from a land with neither want not need. He makes little comment, stating only that it was a pretty cool place. Fire does not burn him, cold does not hurt him. Words could... but they don't. When he passes, pedals fall off branches. When he speaks, hair tugs at skin, pulling just slightly in his direction. He does not sleep but he does dream. He has muscled his way into the lives of the famous and whispered his way into their hearts. And in the wee hours he plays oboe softly, as if to sooth the night to sleep.