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How to Use Your Google API Key as Your Secret Weapon: Part One
by Tinu AbayomiPaul ©Copyright 2004

Just over a year ago, Google.com began to provide access to its' 
web search API to programmers and developers. This provided them 
with a way to utilize the optimum resources of Google's database 
of listings. At first, there were few practical applications 
that would help the average webmaster. 

However, there are now plenty of ways that any site owner with 
an API key can benefit from these innovative programs, and web 
applications. 

And since the licensing of the API restricts the creation of 
tools for commercial use, these resources will not cost you 
anything but some well-invested time. In the next few minutes, 
you'll learn how to use this information to your advantage.

Let's back up a moment and get some of the terminology out of 
the way. This won't be a tech-guru explanation- more like an 
oversimplification to give you a basic idea in layperson's terms.

An API means application programmer interface. Basically, the 
Google API gives programmers access to Google's database of 
listings, which they can then use to create web applications. 

When you get an API key it simply gives you the ability to 
access the interface the programs are based on. Therefore, your 
key will allow you to plug into the application they've created, 
for a pre-determined number of queries. 

So now you can harness the power of Google's database to your 
site's advantage.

How?

First, get a Google API key. 

The myriad of ways sites are using Google API keys are 
astounding. Some of them require you to provide your own
API key to use them. You can get it at no charge here:

http://www.google.com/apis/

Your queries are limited to 1000 per day. But that's more than 
enough for most web site owners. For some of the tools, you 
won't even need it, as the developers seem to be allowing you 
to run tools using their own keys.

Don't worry, you don't need to be a software genius for this 
key to be useful to you. Developers have already built tools 
for you to use, all you'll have to do is find the sites where 
their online applications are housed, and if necessary, plug 
in your key. 

Think of it as a universal password. You'll get the key via
email, then all you'll need to do is cut and paste it in the 
box provided. Which brings us to the next piece in the puzzle.

There are literally hundreds of places you can use the Google 
API key. 

Some people have developed plug-ins you can use with 
database-driven sites. Many have developed tools that will help 
you increase or study your present rankings in Google, resulting 
in more targeted traffic to your site. 

My favorite tool helps you study countless different pieces 
of data found through Google via email, automating hours of 
research. But we'll come back to that later.

I've already written a step by step guide to help you increase 
your current Google rankings. Instead of repeating my brief 
review of those sites here, I've posted that article to a page 
that you can read at 
http://www.freetrafficdirectory.com/increaserankings - it's a 
free online guide that you can start using today. 

I wanted to get that out of the way so we can talk about some 
of the other sites I've discovered since then.

One site will search Google for you and compile a site map using 
the pages it finds for your site in Google. Visit it here:

http://www.tele-pro.co.uk/scripts/google/indexer_info.htm

You can study the relationship between your sites and others 
using GARBO (stands for Google API Relation Browsing Outliner). 
This can help you find sites to trade links with, or sites you 
can link to from your site to provide more information to your 
visitors, and otherwise study the relationship between two sites, 
as told by Google. Read more about it here:

http://www.staggernation.com/garbo/readme.html 

Want to query only the newest additions, for research or for 
tracking purposes? Try Goofresh here:

http://www.researchbuzz.org/archives/001405.shtml 

You can also add Google searches to your site. It's the number 
one search engine, and especially if you have a member's area, 
it can help make your site "sticky", meaning that your visitors 
will find themselves coming to your site over and over to use 
your resources. You can find the script to add this to your site 
here:

http://scriptsearch.com/details/8886.html

Another helpful Google API Tool can help you get users to search 
your site using Google. It uses PHP, and can be found here: 

http://www.thinkbling.com/scripts.php 

To find more applications on your own, you'll first want to look 
around at the sites I have already mentioned, as many of them 
have multiple web based applications developed with their access 
to Google's API, or will in the near future. 

The reason I wrote this article is because it takes a bit of 
digging to find some of the best ones. Here is a good starting 
place that I found, naturally, through Google:

http://www.soapware.org/directory/4/services/googleApi/applications

If you want to search Google itself, you might try search terms 
like "Google API applications", "Google API software" or "Google 
API scripts". You can also start from "Google API" and search 
within results for implementations or the word "key".

To read part two of this article, and learn how to combine the 
Google API key with tools that can traffic to your site, visit 
http://www.freetrafficdirectory.com/apikey2 

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Tinu is a free traffic FANATIC. She has been offered treatment 
for this condition but says it just saves her too much money! 
For more free traffic tips visit http://www.freetrafficdirectory.com 
or subscribe at ftdsecrets-subscribe@topica.com
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