That old Zen koan is extremely well known and people often reference it when discussing if something has any value when no one really knows about it.

It has some application to the world of search engine optimization, in that sense.

We all know that link building services are the lifeblood of SEO. Nothing pleases us more than acquiring (or creating) new backlinks to our sites. However, we need to remember that those links cannot do us a bit of good unless someone is wandering around the virtual forest to find them–and that someone is Google.

Until Google actually discovers and indexes those links, your site cannot receive any real credit or benefit from them. They‘ll just sit quietly in place, doing absolutely nothing.

That creates an impetus on the part of SEO professionals to find ways to encourage Google to index our backlinks. If we want to reap the rewards of our inbound links, we may need to occasionally lead Google to them.

That can be accomplished in a number of different ways. One can create web content in the form of articles and distribute it to directory sites Google regularly visits with links to the pages bearing the un-indexed links in place. This, in theory, will direct Google to explore the page with your link on it after it makes its regular rounds on the article site.

Social media tools provide another possible tool for indexing. The use of Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon and other resources to point people and the search engines toward pages bearing un-indexed links may facilitate their discovery, as well.

Additionally, one can maintain free web 2.0 properties designed, at least in part, to encourage the discovery and indexing of backlinks.

Those are just three potential means of encouraging link indexing. Create SEOs will undoubtedly have a number of other potential tools for the job in mind.

Obviously, these techniques only make sense if one can implement them quickly and efficiently. The value of any one individual link in need of indexing usually will not be high enough to justify a great deal of time and effort. That is why it is important for anyone who plans to make link indexing a regular part of their overall SEO strategy to develop systems and, when possible, methods of automation to perform the tasks. We do not want to find ourselves disappearing into an infinite loop of building links to links to links, as each step is more and more divorced from the site we are trying to rank.

We may never know if a tree falling in an uninhabited forest makes a sound, but we do know that a link Google never discovers will not have an impact on rankings. That is reason enough to look for ways to encourage link indexing. Giving Google a gentle nudge in the right direction may be an occasionally necessary way to secure credit for the backlinks that are pointing to our sites.

Should they call on a social media consultant or expert for assistance or should they just dive in on their own? Some people feel that it’s possible to learn everything one needs to know to get things rolling without third party assistance, but others will tell you that a good consultant is the best way to avoid common problems.

If you do opt to reach for outside assistance, make sure you’re dealing with a qualified expert. A recent post by Carson Brackney, for instance, noted that many marketing consultants who claim to know the social media terrain aren’t able to recognize potential problems and pitfalls in some areas. If you’re going to bring in help, bring in the right help.

At the same time, none of us really wants to sacrifice the quality of our coverage too greatly in order to save a few bucks. We recognize the importance of a good policy and do not want to skimp today if it could cost us a small fortune when we actually have a claim.

Figuring out how to save money and find the best car insurance is a balancing act. If you move too far in either direction, you will find yourself disappointed with the results. Here are a few hints to help you perform it successfully.

First, start by understanding what you truly need from a policy. Before you start doing your comparison shopping for price, think about the kind of coverage you want. Consider policy limits and deductibles in your decision making. You may want cheap coverage, but you need good coverage. You do not want to find yourself in dire financial straits or with inadequate benefits if you ever need to use the insurance.

After you have an idea of what you actually need, you can start shopping for the least expensive policy capable of meeting your criteria. Internet-savvy shoppers may opt to browse various websites offering rate quotations and comparisons. Those who are more comfortable with traditional methods may opt to contact local automobile insurance agents. You should contact multiple insurers, as well as at least one independent agent who can write policies for a variety of different companies.

In most cases, this will yield an affordable policy option. If you discover that none of the available policies will fit within your budget, however, you will want to go back to take another look at your coverage needs. You may need to compromise in one or more areas in order to make things work. After recalibrating your expectations, you can take another look at your options.

The biggest mistake you can make is to approach your insurance needs without simultaneously considering both sides of the equation. If you go looking for the best possible policy–one that may be better than you really need–you’ll end up spending more money than is necessary. On the other hand, those who merely try to search out the cheapest car insurance available will inevitably find themselves with only “paper coverage” that will fail to protect them when they most need it to do so.

With a little consideration, patience and effort you can find out how to save money and find the best car insurance. The importance of good coverage and the advantage of cost-savings makes it well worth the time necessary to perform this personal finance juggling act.

You can find cheap car insurance at EasyQuote.ie if you are looking for good quotes.

Stephanie Chandler reminds us that there are lines you don’t want to cross. She tells the story of a child’s birthday party that turned into an all-out marketing effort for the parent’s tax preparation service. There’s no doubt that many people will find that kind of crossover marketing off-putting and in bad taste.

There’s a time and a place for everything and it’s okay to flip the marketing switch “off” every once in awhile.

It’s a great reminder that the entrepreneurial life isn’t right for everyone and that having an urge to run your own show isn’t proof that you should give it a try.  Being desperate isn’t a reason to start a business.  Nor is hating your job.  The other three reasons on the list are just as compelling.

If you’re just starting to think about becoming an entrepreneur, consider your motivations and check them against TPE’s list.  You’ll probably be glad you did.