1. Ensure Your Domains Have Accurate WHOIS records

Sounds simple but you wouldn’t believe how many domain registrations have been made using the wrong details. Too often the domain vendor would slip their own details into the owner or administrative details. The person who dealt with the “internet” would register company domains with their personal email then move onto a new job a few months later.

Incorrect records can cause a nightmare when you come to update or transfer the domain in the future. The owner/admin email holder can transfer the domain away.

Ensure that your details and email are on the administrative and owner contact fields of the domain. Running a WHOIS check will help but the contact email addresses can only be seen through the private panels of your domain provider.

2. Make Sure You Own Your Domains Legally

It may come as a surprise but WHOIS records are not proof of domain name ownership. Make sure you have access to the account with the domain registrar and have printed off invoice receipts for your registration.

3. Setup Your Own Domain Expiry Reminders

Don’t put all your trust in your domain provider. They may drop the ball or fail to contact you for the renewal. Registries have little sympathy once you have lost your domain, nor does the domain speculator who snapped it up.

Setup expiry reminders on your chosen calender application, use a birthday reminder service like HipCal or a dedicated domain tool like URLPad. Make sure you have reminders on 2 different email accounts, in case one fails.

4. Backup Your Sites – Regularly!

Again many rely 100% on their hosts for this. For WordPress sites you can backup the whole blog or just the database on regular periods and send it to a newly created Gmail account. Cpanel, Plesk and other control panel systems usually provide backup facilities for your whole site – use them. Software like SyncBackSE (Windows) or Filezilla (Windows, Mac and Linux) will help you maintain a synchronized copy of your files on your local computer.

Make sure you keep a few copies of your backup. An external Icy Box and a few old hard disks is an effective & low cost solution.

5. Invest In Decent DNS

Too many low grade hosts have their name servers placed on the same box as their hosted sites. If the server goes down, so do the name servers which can result in many hours of downtime, even after the server itself has come back online. That downtime is expensive for your business.

For a small fee you can buy a high quality DNS service or you may find the DNS at your registrar is sufficient. These name servers should update very fast across the internet, be backed up and have a fallover system.

This move will give your sites some security against long periods of downtime. In situations where your host has failed completely you can also switch the traffic to another provider.

6. Own Your RSS Feeds

Service at Feedburner has been rocky in recent months. Alternative services such as FeedBlitz and PostRank are waiting in the wings. Other services may come in the future. The lesson here is to make sure your RSS feed is delivered on a URL you control. That will let you change providers without loosing valuable subscribers.

Make sure you use a service which lets you create a CNAME record to point their branded URL towards your domain. Both FeedBurner and FeedBlitz allow you to use your own domain name.

7. Buy Your Vanity and Brand Domains

It makes sense to grab the COM/ORG/INFO/NET versions of your company domain name and any key brands you have developed. If you have plans internationally then also grab these extensions in your target countries. Domain registration fees are nothing compared to the legal fees you run up reclaiming these.

On a personal level, register your name domain (firstname+surname.com). Keyword domains have a natural advantage in ranking for these terms – ensure they are under your control.

8. Start Filling Your Vanity or Brand Results

Defend against online reputation attacks by filling these SERPs with your own entries. These results will defend you against low level ORM attacks and targeted link building can make them even more powerful.

Finding good sites for this is not hard, look for authority sites where you can place your profile. Here’s a couple of good site lists to start your efforts.

9. Control Your Short URLs

The recent death of the Zi.ma service was a wake up call for everyone using a shortening URLs service. If the service fails, then all those links fail, leaving you with no way to redirect that lost traffic. If you using short links in link building efforts or for affiliate marketing then you need to roll your own solution.

These are many URL shortening scripts on the market, for a small fee GentleSource ($29), PlusPHP Short URL Script ($59) or for free, e.g. Shorty

10. Use Your Own Domains For Email

Defensible email means using your own domain rather than a branded service. If you use Gmail then use your own domain name with them or sign up to Google Apps. Yahoo Mail and Microsoft Live Mail also offer services using your own domain.

Like your RSS feeds, this approach would allow you to switch providers without loosing your email address.

11. Keep Your Content On Your Own Domains

Always build content on your own domains, otherwise you’re at the mercy of the service provider. They may offer to export your data but that often means loosing links, traffic and historical trust that you’ve built up over the years.

So roll your own blog installation rather than using a hosted blog solution like WordPress.com or Blogger. Also keep it in mind when using third party sites like Squidoo, Google Knol or Twitter. These sites are useful but never forget that this material is most strongly defended on your own domains.

12. Set Up Malware Alerts

If Google, Firefox or IE flags your site as containing malware they will stop their users viewing your site. This can be as devastating as a hosting failure. The sooner you know about this the better.

Make sure you get early alerts on Google’s blacklist from Google Webmaster Center or SerpGuard.com. You can also set up Google Alerts for known malware keywords, as detailed here by Patrick Altoft.

** Hurricane Ike Prep by Cayobo one of the artists who make their work under a Creative Commons license at Flickr – thank you!

However if you are planning on hitting Vegas next week, I’d like to meet you so here’s a list of the available out-of-hours events to date. I’ll try and keep this page updated but make sure to follow Joseph Morin (PubCon Evangelist) on Twitter for all late breaking party & events info.

PurposeInc FightClub

• What: PurposeInc have arranged a unique training session with Coach Shaun Tompkins, trainer of Randy Couture, the 5 X Heavyweight Champion of the world.
• When: Tuesday Nov 11th: 2:15-3:30 pm
• Where: Xtreme Couture Gym. 10 minute cab ride from Treasure Island
• RSVP Required? The event will cost $149 and you can sign-up here.

In-House Marketers Meetup

• What: Dan Perry has kindly organised an unofficial social event for in-house SEO/SEM marketers.
• When: Tuesday Nov 11th: Time TBA
• Where: Looking like the Isla Mexican Kitchen at Treasure Island Hotel. There are 90 types of Tequila and the average meal is around $30.
• RSVP Required? Yes it would be helpful to know the numbers interested in attending. Leave a note on Dan’s blog to indicate you’re interested.

SEOmoz Search Spam/Wherewolf Party

• What: SEOmoz are hosting a game of “Wherewolf” the popular card-based conference game. Great fun last year, well after everyone finally learnt the rules.
• When: Wednesday Nov 12th: 7:00-9:00 pm
• Where: Conference Hall
• RSVP Required? Yes you need to email the industy’s most famous SEOmom Gillian. Unfortunately it looks like the event is now full and no longer accepting reservations. As Rand points out below, there are still places left but act fast!

Late Night @High Limit Room Bar at Mirage

• What: Dr. David Klein from PurposeInc has pulled some strings and got us entry into one of the most exclusive bars in Vegas. Read his post.
• When: Wednesday Nov 12th: Midnight – until late
• Where: High Limit Room Bar @ Mirage Resort and Casino
• RSVP Required? None required but you might like to drop a note onto David’s post so he has an idea of numbers attending.

WebmasterRadio.fm Search Bash Sponsored by Microsoft

• What: Those crazy guys at every SEO’s favouriteinternet radio station are hosting a party for all PubCon attendees.
• When: Thursday November 13. 6:30-9:00 pm
• Where: Rain In The Desert (The Palms Casino Resort), 4321 W. Flamingo Rd. (review)
• RSVP Required?: Yes, sign-up required at SearchBash.com. SearchBash parties are open to all PubCon conference attendees but remember to bring your conference badge.

PurposeInc Charity Poker Night

• What: PurposeInc’s poker night was a great event last year and very well attended. Beginner or pro – come and experience a little Vegas at the poker table. Read the post.
• When: Thursday November 13. 9:00 pm
• Where: Venetian Hotel Casino, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd.
• RSVP Required? Yes, sign-up here. Remember to register online at the Venetian Hotel Casino before the night and bring your $150 buy-in fee.

Bonus Tip

Remember to sign-up at Blog4tix.com for the chance to review Vegas shows for free.

Enter Blog4Tix and Bloggers Night Out! Our mission is simple: to get bloggers full access to review big time Vegas shows. You sign up for Blog4Tix, pick out a show you would like to attend, get a free ticket and you can write a review of the show for your blog. You get free content, and the show gets press – WIN-WIN!

Update: Make sure you check out the PurposeInc schedual as well. It contains several other small networking events running over the PubCon week.

Technorati Tags: Dan Perry, David Klein, Joseph Morin, Poker, PubCon, PurposeInc, Randy Couture, SEOmoz, Shaun Tompkins, WebmasterRadio

Don’t worry if you’re new to poker. The number of players combined with some very understanding and helpful dealers meant that no-one felt left out. The unofficial scorecard is the number of free drinks you manage to get off the waitresses, my total of 3 wasn’t as embarrasing as some. heh. Dan Perry managed to walk off with the prize money of $3195, playing against Shoemoney in the final.

Entry to the competition is free but you’ll need to put up $150 to play. That is paid before the event starts. More information here.

PurposeInc has also organised a FightClub for the PubCon event, where you can get some instruction from Shawn Tompkins, trainer of Randy Couture, the 5 X Heavyweight Champion of the world. Randy by the way, will be defending his title against Brock Lesnar on the Saturday night after Pubcon.

The event is open to anyone who has anything to do with PubCon, will cost $150 and you can sign-up now See you there.

Technorati Tags: Brock Lesnar, Poker, PubCon, PurposeInc, Shawn Tompkins, UFC

SearchCamp Philly Online Marketing Conference

The good news, this two day SEO conference is packed with speakers and is available for the amazing entry price of $21! The bad news, it starts tomorrow (6th). If I lived in the US this would be a must-attend for me, even with flights and hotel it’s on offer for a fraction of the cost of a mainstream conference pass. There’s still time, book yourself a late minute flight now!

ThinkTank 2008: Exclusive SEO Gathering

Next up is ThinkTank, an exclusive gathering of top SEO/SEM talent that will take place on the 26th-27th September in San Diego. The conference is a the idea of Dr. David Klein, who organises the popular Poker Championship held at PubCon. ThinkTank promises to be an awesome conference, with many well-known industry names already signed up.

There are no formal presentations, the aim is to create a relaxed atmosphere where the top minds in the industry can share knowledge freely. All attendees will be required to sign an NDA on arrival. Places are very limited so apply now for your chance to attend or check out this competition.

ScarySEO Conference

ScarySEO is the creation of well known SEO David Snyder and will take place at the Hilton Deerfield Beach/Boca Raton on October 24th-25th. Again, places are limited to 50 so this promises to be another close networking event, backed up by quality speakers. The price is also very attractive at only $200 per ticket (register here).

Technorati Tags: Conferences, ScarySEO, Search Marketing, SearchCamp Philly, SEM, SEO, SEO Conferences, ThinkTank