Unless someone directly points me to an article of note or a headline via the Sphinn Twitter feed catches my eye, I haven’t done my part to stay up to date with the community on my own.

One Week of Sphinn SEO Lessons (more…)

There’s nothing wrong with having a passion for social media, but marketers immersed in these strategies need to keep their eye on the prize, for there are many compelling and tempting reasons to lose focus.

Twitter Gone Wrong
Consider this (edited) example from a recent conversation observed on Twitter from a marketing colleague of mine: (more…)

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In other words - don’t let this happen to you….

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Consider three main reasons for making that statement:

1.) The traditional search result is a thing of the past.
Search Insider has an interesting post titled “The Last Days of SEO” which talks about a shift from the traditional 10 page search result to a more diverse search experience. The author talks about the concept of Digital Asset Optimization - making certain all of your digital assets (video, images etc) are optimized for all online channels, now and in the future.

In late 2007, Top Rank Blog also wrote a post on Digital Asset Optimization, which argues that it’s not that SEO will go away, but how we’ve been accustomed to optimizing content for search engines will change.

From the post:
As long as there are search engines, there will be some kind of optimization for improving search engine visibility.

We’ll still be optimizing for search (at least some of us), just not necessarily in the same manner we had before.

2.) There are more alternatives to search engine traffic than ever before.
A true statement, but no one would argue that obtaining search engine traffic is also valuable. According to the January 2008 ComScore numbers, over 6 billion US search queries were registered in Google (9% growth month-to-month) in comparison to 3.3 billion videos viewed on YouTube (10% growth from November 2007).

While this shows that alternative ways to find media content are growing in popularity, one can still argue that there is a stable market for acquiring traditional search engine traffic. More importantly, smart website marketers will be evaluating what percentage of each channel’s traffic actually converts for a company successfully visible in both marketplaces.

So it’s not to say that investing in other online channels is a bad idea, but understanding how to drive quality traffic from search engines can be just as important.

3.) There are more SEO resources online than ever before
Hundreds (thousands?) of SEO blogs, SEO related websites, forums and discussion boards, are available for interested parties to learn about best practices, guidelines and fundamentals. The development of easy-to-use tools, SEO analysis programs and search engines’ own features for evaluating search presence make it easier for marketers to comprehend what once seemed like a complex puzzle.

I would argue that the sheer volume of information - free and reasonably inexpensive - simply makes it more difficult to fully understand SEO. Knowing what a best practice is (or is said to be) is one thing; applying it to produce a positive result is another.

Also, most site owners don’t fully understand things like:

• Why internal cross-links are important and how to test and apply them.
• How to tell if an inbound link is effective for search engine rankings.
• How to tell when and what pages search engines crawled when they last visited.
• How video, blogs, and new ways to deliver/present information impact search results.

I don’t believe website owners will find the answers to these topics (and many others) for every situation. That means (to me) that there’s still a fair amount of information to be shared and discussed.

Those that know more want to know more
It was another respected professional who pointed out to me that the person who made the initial comment was the person who was most interested in discussing search engine optimization. And not from a standpoint of “why” but how SEO could be applied more effectively through example and walk-through.

The SEO community probably does itself a disservice by making things sound easier than they usually end up being. Statements like “Content is King” and “It’s All About Links” are much more digestible to the casual listener than actually trying to explain how content gets indexed in search, evaluating the importance of an inbound link or working on internal site architecture.

Website owners are bombarded with information from every angle. When there are only seconds to get someone’s attention, presentation and pointedness become equally important requirements for success of the actual topic being discussed. That’s why more complex conversations about SEO do not often happen in a mainstream environment.

But new developments in search, easily accessible technologies, and a more savvy business owner (looking to better apply SEO to their own website strategy) make me think that there still is a lot more SEO news to share. The real question is where are the interested parties going to go to find it.

The Rowland Scherman Project is a collaborative effort between Rowland Scherman, Bob Korn of Bob Korn Imaging and Dave and Meri Hartford of Artworks! Gallery. Together, they are working to take the original images and using state of the art digital technologies, scan and print the photographs with archival pigment inks on 100% rag paper.

The result is a fantastic display of historical images, from images of Robert Kennedy to the 1960’s Newport Folk Festival to Woodstock. What is amazing is how Scherman was able to capture emotion in each photo, the breadth of historic experiences and the closeness to which he was able to obtain a shot. Imagine walking up to an incarcerated Jimmy Hoffa today, so close that you could actually have him hold the camera as you shot the pose! In addition to a gallery of select prints, there several smaller portfolios to review as well, with prints being sold in 3 different sizes.

We had a great conversation with Dave Hartford and learned that the gallery had been extended to February 24th, with what sounded like limited openings Friday through Sundays thereafter.

There is also going to be a small question/answer discussion with Mr. Scherman on March 8th.

The exhibit is being held right off of Cranberry Highway (in the same plaza with the Double Dragon Inn) and interested parties should check out the project website - RowlandScherman.com for more information. Note that right now, the site is still in development, so there is only a contact page and general information. The project owners hope to have a photo gallery and more details online in the very near future.

Photographs from the Rowland Scherman Project

• The Topic of Discussion: Acquiring High Quality Inbound Links
• The Specific Details: High quality inbound links - from authority websites (think academia, governmental, respected publisher) - require high quality content (think articles, video, widgets etc) designed to be in focus with the marketing strategy of an existing business and its potential customers.

Natural link building. The process of creating something of value, finding authority places to pitch it and being successful in this endeavor.

Nothing sexy. Nothing overly exciting. No presentation accompanied with massive spikes in traffic or voluminous numbers of link building numbers. Buzzwords were not used (even though the term “linkbait” was referenced once, it was in begrudging fashion) and were definitely not needed. More importantly, it’s not what most would consider easy, and natural link building takes time to develop success.

Enge’s arguments for “why” choose this strategy make complete sense, since the end goal is to build a website presence in authority locations, using the most appropriate and recognized methods for building long term link authority. For many business owners, this type of link building will be the cornerstone strategy for their SEO endeavors.

Here’s a breakdown and list of recommendations for small business owners, looking to embark on this link building strategy.

• Gather Your Content Ideas and Build
  Get an idea of what types of content your customers and website visitors want to see, read and use. Focus on building these assets for distribution and to pitch future link opportunities.
  
  

  A specific example was a widget for a real estate client, designed to showcase town information in line with their real estate listings on their web pages. This provides value to the real estate agent, who needs content to enhance the marketability of their listings.

  
  Beyond widgets, think about articles that solve problems frequently asked in your industry, or tools and reference material people will want to come back to time and time again. Note that in some cases, this resource may never reside on the client’s website. It was written purely for distribution to other online resources.

• Gather a Short List of Link Targets
  Start cataloging a list of resources that are appropriate for pitching the content you are developing. Search for high quality, authority websites which already have locations (on their website) where the link opportunity makes sense.
  
  Begin by gathering a list of names, email addresses and phone numbers (yes, phone numbers), among other link building details, where you can begin communicating to, once your content is ready to be distributed.
• Get Personalized in Your Link Requests
  Once you’ve gathered your list of contacts and the content is ready to be distributed don’t slack off with the actual link requests. Each link request must be handled as an individual request. Here’s a short list of things you want to consider:
  • Use the specific name (if possible)
  • Create a unique and authoritative subject line (nothing generic like “link request” or “hello”)
  • Identify why you are approaching them as quickly as possible
  • Indicate why your piece of content is valuable to their website visitors
  • Unless it has already been established to do so, its best to never directly ask for a link
  • Be professional in your delivery

  Eric noted that many publishers and editorial resources have established guidelines for formats, layouts etc for articles and submissions. If you are targeting these types of resources, make sure your content is in line with existing requirements.

• Don’t Forget The 2nd and 3rd Tier Opportunities
  When you’re researching your most desired link targets, it’s not wise to just ignore the rest of the bunch. I would recommend documenting and recording as many contacts for link requests as possible that are relevant to your business.
  
  While you may not spend as much time and energy focusing on these secondary resource, it’s worth reaching out, particularly if you know (through your research) that there is some form of opportunity for receiving content, whether that be articles, press releases, announcements etc.

• There’s More to Quality Link Building Than Just The Link
  One of the key benchmarks discussed when a link building campaign is initiated is the relationship to overall website traffic. If you’re truly building quality inbound links, not only should your search rankings improve (thereby increasing search referral traffic), but the amount of overall visitor traffic should improve.
  
  

  A specific example was a link acquired from a reputable governmental website, which in turn help lead to traffic improvements of over 5 times the original traffic numbers at project inception.

• Use Social Media Channels To Research Content Ideas
  I was glad that last night’s discussion did not turn into a conversation on social media or viral marketing, but it’s important to realize that high quality content may get picked up in some of these high trafficked social media websites (like Digg, StumbleUpon etc) or bookmarked in notable social bookmarking websites (such as del.icio.us)
  
  Spend some time researching articles, resources and content bookmarked that has succeeded in these networks, for generating ideas that have the opportunity to gain as much online visibility as possible in as many verticals as possible. But leveraging the social media community for obtaining inbound links is a completely different topic of conversation.

Does Link Building Really Suck?
For many people, having the knowledge and focus that there is really one way to achieve high quality inbound links is a boon for their SEO endeavors. For others, it’s a challenge that needs to be overcome. The reality of the situation is that (to coin a title) link building is just harder now than most people expect it to be. If you don’t have the time to invest in generating link worthy content than you need to find ways to scale this endeavor, and/or incorporate it into your existing business strategies for website development and marketing strategy.

One final point: Jim Spencer of JBS Partners asked an important question on quantifying this type of link building effort with the sliding scale of alternative strategies people will recommend for targeting inbound links (blogging, directories, press releases etc). I think it’s important to note 2 important answers to this question:

1. A comprehensive link building program always contains more than 1 strategy, so being able to leverage multiple tactics for link acquisition is an important point.
2. Links acquired from content found on authority domains represent what almost any SEO professional would want a client to acquire. This type of link is less likely to experience any decrease in value as a result of the changing landscape of search engine optimization.

Overall, last night’s SEO Meetup was a great experience and contained great discussion amongst the group. If you’re in town when one of these events is going on, I would highly recommend stopping by and spending the time.

Final Final Note: If you are interested in link building and want to learn more, make sure to check out Rae Hoffman’s interview with 11 SEO Experts on Link Development Strategies. It contains 11 questions covering a variety of link building topics such as social media, link training and trends in the search engine marketing related to link building.

For the short term, it appears that Google has had the last laugh.

On January 21st (3 days after the post was published), the Cape Cod SEO home page was removed from Google search engine index. It would seem that this has only affected the home page (for now), as all other pages are still indexed that I can tell.

Check it out:

Here’s the Background:

• I wrote the post, “Would Someone From Google PR Notice Me PLEASE!!!”, which include a great picture of my daughter (proudly sporting a Google onesie), as a personal announcement to friends, colleagues and people who read Cape Cod SEO on a regular basis.
• I created a somewhat sarcastic URL for the post slug: “please-notice-me-great-google-gods“
• I BLOCKED ALL search engines from indexing the post and photos (call it old fashioned, but I still have some concerns about privacy on the Internet) via the robots.txt file.
• 3 days later, the home page was killed from Google search results (it doesn’t even show up for my name!)

Apparently someone at Google DID notice. But if it was the PR department, they had their speed dial right to the Google indexing team.

Digging Deeper Into The Issue
Of course it would seem really strange for a web page to be removed for this type of circumstance, so I had to look a bit further into the issue. What was I doing that could possibly have triggered such an action? I highly doubted my quick post on browser toolbars had anything to do with this, so I focused my efforts on the robots file and the baby announcement.

What I did realize was that I gave a friend a nice shot out but in a reasonably discrete (yet alert-able) manner. While I have website reporting evidence that no human visitor ever clicked the link, I am most certain that a search engine would crawl and have find it.

It could make sense that a questionable linking process (not practice), regardless of intent, would flag an alert that could lead to the removal of a web page; would you agree? Should you distrust Google?

Cleaning Up After The Fact
So as of yesterday, I removed the link (sorry, no potential link juice for those who could have benefited) and removed the block via the robots.txt file. Only time will tell as it pertains to an update in the Google search index and the reinclusion of the Cape Cod SEO home page. I’ll bet they still let me use their Google Analytics tool though.

There’s certainly “things” that I could be doing from an on-page search engine optimization standpoint that I am not doing now, but given the pattern of events, the 2 issues identified seem to be the only things that really were different and/or of potential impact. I always welcome additional opinions or thoughts on this however.

As a parting shot, check out the irony (edited out opinion) of this search result, astutely noticed by an esteemed colleague:

Notice the indented result as well - the post I was blocking!

Update - 1/25/2008
I was really appreciative of g1smd’s comments and analysis over at Sphinn. It sounds like the interaction between the Robots.txt file, timing of Google’s crawl and subsequent indexing updates may all have had more to do with this then initially realized.

Only time will tell with this issue (as it relates to an indexing update and adjustment), based on a few adjustments made, but the information was (and still is) well received and appreciated.

What I appreciate most about the post is the fact that clients and professionals often forget why and what each respective party is looking at or valuing when they download and use a browser toolbar. (more…)

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Just heard by way of Cape Cod Twitterer Dave Caolo that there will be a meetup for Cape Cod Techies next week, January 23rd.
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Found on Wikipedia, courtesy of ABC

Thus, “Must See TV Thursdays” becomes a 2 hour opportunity to tie up loose ends from the regular work day, work on few side projects or catch up on the personal “to do list”.

If you’re like me, using time effectively means the most when the demand for time greatly exceed the supply. Here’s 25 ideas designed to benefit your online marketing strategy, representing “quick hits” for your websites success in search. These are the SEO-type of things I try to accomplish on my Thursday nights. They represent “baby steps” necessary for long-term SEO success in your online marketing strategy.

25 SEO-Related Things To Do During Must See TV Thursdays

1. Use a free keyword research tool to find 5 long-tail keyword ideas that you had not been optimizing for in the past for new content development
   
   
2. Put unique HTML titles & META descriptions on 5 web pages you’ve been neglecting for the past year
   
   
3. Send out 3 personalized link requests
   
   
4. Research and document the inbound links from your top competitor in a given keyword space for link opportunities
   
   
5. Research 2 or 3 of your main competition’s websites for 1 or 2 things they have (on their site) that you don’t have (and want)
   
   
6. Brainstorm how you can do it better than they are
   
   
7. Search for your brand name(s) and find 3 websites you can contact because they reference your website/product but don’t give you an inbound link (yet) to target as a link opportunity
   
   
8. Submit your business address to Google Maps
   
   
9. Check your Google AdWords reports for three profitable keyword referrals that you had not been optimizing organically for
   
   
10. Re-evaluate the landing pages of your worst performing PPC campaigns and ad groups
    
    
11. Re-evaluate the ad copy of your worst performing PPC campaigns and ad groups
    
    
12. Write a blog post
    
    
13. Take a look at Search Engine Land’s Daily Searchcap for 2 new articles or blog posts you may have missed
    
    
14. Check out Sphinn for a new online marketing blog to add to your RSS reader
    
    
15. Sign up for an RSS reader
    
    
16. Comment on 1 or 2 blog posts that you find valuable
    
    
17. Find 2 industry related resources that offer opportunities for article submissions, record the contact information and set a goal of contacting them for information on how to send one of your articles.
    
    
18. Contribute to a discussion in an industry related online forum
    
    
19. Answer 2 or 3 questions in Yahoo Answers, Answers.com or similar service
    
    
20. Create a profile in a new social media website
    
    
21. Review your existing profiles in social media websites and make sure they are as detailed as possible (and that you feel comfortable with)
    
    
22. Vote for 5 stories in Digg, Reddit or similar social news website. Comment on 1 if possible.
    
    
23. Review one of your favorite Stumblers on StumbleUpon
    
    
24. Make an unsolicited (positive) recommendation to someone in your LinkedIn network
    
    
25. Actually watch Grey’s Anatomy. (It probably won’t improve your SEO strategy, but it may benefit your “staying alive” strategy)

Taken as individual tasks, it’s unlikely this one task will specifically lead to top keyword rankings for your website; but as stated above, they’re some of the building blocks that a small business owner can leverage, when the time is precious and the effective usage of time is a priority.

And you can complete a lot more than one or two in that two hour prime-time television window (or at least the 90+ minutes excluding commercial breaks ;-))

I hope you found these ideas valuable and I’d love to hear what other little strategies have worked for your online marketing strategy in the past.

It’s hard to believe that it is already mid-December and we’re focusing on what’s next in 2008. So much has happened in the search engine marketing industry and related verticals (social media, blogging, web design etc) and with over 100 RSS feeds in my RSS reader, it’s hard to keep up, let alone stay on pace. However, every once and while, blog posts are written that just illustrate a new perspective on an idea or concept, or perhaps provide so much valuable information, that it’s impossible not to save and share.

Here’s a look at 10 blog posts that I found to be incredibly valuable and influential for me professionally and personally (organized by date published). It’s by no means authoritative and absolutely subjective to where I am or have been in my endeavors. Hopefully you can find value in these blog posts as well.

Top 10 Most Influential Blog Posts for 2007

1. Andy Hagans’ Ultimate Guide to Linkbaiting and SMM
   I don’t remember if social media sites were as widely popular in the beginning of 2007 as they are now, but this guide provides almost all of the details you need to start creating link bait for promotional efforts in high traffic’d social media websites. Need more assistance? Here are some more specific link bait and viral marketing examples to get you on your way.
   
   
2. But is it SPAM?
   I could probably include a dozen posts from SEOBook that I find of value, but the specific examples herein provide a thought provoking discussion on what you should or should not be doing for your own search engine marketing strategy.
   
   
3. Google Local Search Glossary
   The promise of local search has a bit more luster on Cape Cod than in other places, and this collection of local search terms and definitions is one of the first places to reference when considering how to implement local SEO strategies.
   
   
4. The First Question You Should Ask Your SEO Consultant
   Brian Provost caused a real stir when he wrote this post about the field of SEO consulting, but it made me think a lot more about why I am an SEO consultant and where I want to be, 1, 5 and 10 (plus) years out down the road.
   
   
5. Google’s Power - The Only Thing to Fear, Is Fear Itself
   Maybe I am missing the point, but this post provides inspiration and motivation on ways to create self-sustaining business models and depend less on the stability of other entities (or sole entities) for revenue generation. A must read if you are out there forging your way with an online business model.
   
   
6. Blogging Is About Writing
   Guest authored by Lorelle VanFossen, this post basically sums up about 100 other “how-to-blog” posts out there today, detailing 30 blog writing tips, suggestions and best practices. Of course there is material more detailed out there, but start here to figure out which areas of blog writing you need to improve first.
   
   
7. The SEO Playbook - Welcome to the Rabbit Hole Alice
   This post on SEO strategy is a must read for those getting into the search engine marketing space or even the fairly experienced looking to touch up their skills and background. Easy to digest concepts with an incredible amount of third party links and reference points to follow.
   
   
8. The First Principle of Social Web Apps and its Implications
   What interested me most about “First Principles” is the sheer simplicity of the concept. “For each ‘complete’ user interaction”, the user must receive more value than the energy expended, to complete a given task. Basically, this idea needs to be applied to every online marketing strategy recommended and implemented.
   
   
9. Newsflash: You’re Damn Right It’s a Popularity Contest
   When people started complaining about social media sites like Sphinn, popularity and popular people, Rae Hoffman’s “straight up” way of communicating what really is a key component of search engine marketing was simply a breath of fresh air amidst a lot noise pollution.
   
   
10. “There Are No Secrets” and other SEO Myths
    Are there SEO secrets? I really don’t know because I don’t know if you know what I know about search engines and search engine rankings. It all sounds so easy in blog format; then you roll up your sleeves and need to determine just how easy, and how many secrets there really are.

A Select Group of Posts from Cape Cod SEO
Here’s a quick recap of some of the posts written that came out successfully and were well received. Your comments, thoughts (and disagreements) are always appreciated (note that most of these are from the first half of 2007).

• Thoughts on Wikipedia and Bad Link Building Practices
• Why Michael Gray Hates SEO Bloggers
• Prequel to the SEO Playbook - What To Do Before You Take The Red Pill
• The Impact of Digg on Your Search Engine Optimization Strategy
• How To Create Search Engine Friendly Websites

Wrapping Up 2007
While there certainly is a decent size list of draft-mode posts and ideas left on the table for 2008, there have also been more than enough pleasant surprises and opportunities you simply can’t plan for to take their place. I certainly appreciate and thank all of the people whom have subscribed to Cape Cod SEO via RSS and email and have contributed their thoughts, comments and feedback to the posts written.

In addition, special thanks and appreciation goes out to the following bloggers whom I’ve had the opportunity to meet (offline and online) and work with this year, who have helped me to improve my abilities blogging and as an internet marketing consultant:

Reem Abeidoh, Lyndon Antcliff, Chris Brogan, John Cass, Brent Csutoras, Jason Falls, Eric Lander, Matt McGee, Marc Mezzacca, Wendy Piersall, Brendan Picha, Stephen Pitts, Bill Slawski, Tadeusz Szewczyk, Brian Wallace, Tamar Weinberg, Marty Weintraub and Chris Winfield (hope no one was left out, it was not intentional)

Happy Holidays and wishing you all the best in your endeavors in the upcoming new year!

- Derek Edmond
Cape Cod SEO