Needless to say, there was a central theme that somehow made itself heard throughout all of the mumbo jumbo. With the divide between social and SEO becoming more and more blurry, the actual digital content/assets on the webpages themselves are beginning to take central stage in where everyone wants to lay high importance towards. Without universal understandings of what and how you actually want to optimize a piece of content, you are sometimes better off not putting the content up in the first place. Without a general integration strategy, or even simple plan of attack, the marketing and promotion efforts you have put so much money into, can sometime turn sour! So what do I do?

If you’re marketing yourself personally, this can be a really enlightening experience. You don’t always take a step back and analyze just who you are personally. Whereas if you are marketing or promoting a business or separate entity, this experience can also be very rewarding in that you can take it upon yourself to ultimately understand without a doubt just what it is you are optimizing or selling. Sure you can pick and choose those high trafficked keywords that YOU think will work, but are they relevant to your product… Are they relevant to your product in 6 months?… or even, are they relevant to you business as a whole? As an individual who specializes in SEO, one should take it upon themselves to reach out, talk, and work with everyone in the company who are willing to help grow your understanding. In addition, work on planning press releases, articles, social campaigns, and whatever else around your SEO strategy as well. If you can communicate and optimize your plan, your keywords, and your vision with your company, people will more likely want to jump on board, and help you help them in the long run. Because that is what you are doing right?

Although there are tons more issues revolving around the simple concept of optimizing content for SEO, a good first step in any plan is to INTEGRATE. Sure your body parts can all have separate jobs, but if you want to learn how to dance, you’re gunna need some coordination.

Peace

After the long break from work and some much needed time with my family, I’m back in the office (with a new coffee pot, thanks to my father and mother-in-law) and I’m shifting gears and starting to look deeper and harder into organic search. That crazy thing. I’m not cutting off all ties with paid search, it just is taking a back seat for a while… we’ll see.

To start the year off right, I thought it best to really dive into some of my employer’s more important search terms. Those terms you might be asking?… generic. Highly searched, highly competitive, yet highly profitable. Why do you think you see so many ads for insurance, or online schools, or investing? Those are the people who see the biggest bang for their buck for paying the most for your click. So why is this a problem.

Just as these vertical’s paid search and display campaigns might be gigantic, the affiliate marketers and content creators backing them up are just as big. Are you looking for car insurance or an online degree? Don’t type in ‘car insurance’ or ‘online degree’ in your search browser unless you want a site that will sell your information to the highest paying provider. It’s a system that works, but quite honestly, from a 50 thousand foot level, a lot of discredit goes to those searchers like you and me out there. Are we getting the service that best matches what we want? Probably.. damn, but maybe not. I guess that depends on if you know how to search for the product or service you’re looking for.

So what does this mean for me and my ongoing endeavor for search engine optimization?

Some friends and partners of mine over at KEO Marketing in Tempe, AZ have really pushed an interesting aspect of SEO on to me. “How do we get through all of the mumbo jumbo of content pushers, and affiliate aggregators in our space?” Focus your efforts along side theirs. Better yet, expand our efforts by leaps and bounds.

These affiliate websites have tons and tons of other websites networked together performing single, high output, actions at a time… and with those actions, money goes right to them. But their network of sites do all the heavy lifting.

If, as a business, we can focus our efforts as expansively as they can, shouldn’t we be able to start edging back into the 2nd or 1st pages of some long tailed keyword search results? People are typing huge search terms in these days… because they see that crap! Those are the searchers we want to see come to our site directly.

So what’s the process in doing this? You should know by now… most likely, you’re into search (why else would you even consider reading this far down into my post?).

Peace

See the original post on RyanAndElliott.com!

Before I had decided to title this post, ‘The State of SEO,’ I had originally titled it ‘Is SEO Dying?’ Cool huh? Actually, I had written a 800 word post describing why I thought SEO was on the verge of collapse within the industry and within online marketing in general. I scratched that idea out of fear of backlash from my fellow SEO die-hards out there. Maybe someday I’ll post it (after the fact of course, and then look like a complete idiot).

Instead, ‘The State of SEO’ has become my first entry on RyanAndElliott.com. As I’ve been fidgeting around with my own blog, as well as with work at my actual job, Elliott finally pushed me to create something, so here it is.

What is the State of SEO as we know it?

In my most honest and most deepest opinion, SEO is changing dramatically. There was a time when you could say that for any given company or any ‘New Media’ company out there, SEO was a valid career path. Is this the case now? Maybe, but I don’t think it should be….

Read the rest of this entry at RyanAndElliott.com

View Larger Map

Any ways, if you haven’t noticed, you’re now able to click on various parts of the street view map to zoom in or travel to the specific location of which you clicked. Gone are the days of clicking through streets to find the restaurant you want to go to. Gone are the days of thinking.. ‘Wow, somehow, I’m here when I need to be all the way down there.. it’s too much work to go to map view again just to go to the right location. I’m going to just keep clicking until I get there.’ – Okay so that might just be me, but you get my point. Take a minute to go to maps.google.com and play around in street view. It’s kinda fun!

But whats the point? Why make a good thing better?

So Google Maps isn’t Social Media. It isn’t SEO, or even PPC, but it is content… and you better believe you’ll be finding all three of those things embedded into it sooner or later if not already. Take for example. Google Business Listings. Google was smart enough to tell people.. ‘Hey… we’ve got this application out there that is way better then other maps on the internet, that we’d like to populate with GOOD information.. such as your business! Do you want to be on GOOGLE MAPS?’

‘Sure?’ says Barry Wells of Barry Wells Chevrolet. (Disclaimer: I don’t think there is a Barry Wells Chevrolet.. if there is, you should rejoice in my free publicity!)

Why wouldn’t local businesses want to show up on the map most Googlers, let alone people, use today. – Add features such as kick ass zoom, position warping, and simulated earthquake damage.. this is not available yet, and you’ve got a content factory that people are just going to want to keep pouring their heart and soul into. It’s the Google business model. (If you don’t know the Google business model…. Create Content Theme Parks (Search Engines) -> Slowly Incorporate Advertising -> Make Gazillions… its sort of similar to this video:

Alright so those mind trick videos are kinda dumb; your attention is not on the moving bear, but nonetheless, the bear was there… you can never go back and tell me otherwise. Although the bear is irrelevant to the basketball players, it does ad value to the video. Essentially.. Google has perfected this illusion, so much that it’s not really an illusion anymore. PEOPLE LOVE BEARS!

As Google Maps continues to pull more and more people, businesses, and cool tools/applications that make map navigation easier, why not optimize for this local audience. Make the effort to create the Local Business Listing, or submit some photos for a particular address, or just write a review or two. You know SEO, you know that content is key. Join the local conversation, and you might be surprised at who sees you. But although you might not be a local business owner, you can at at least wave to people when they drive by.

Peace

Any ways, as Q2 starts, and I’m doing the stuff that I thought I hated back in January, I’m beginning to feel less and less threatened by it. I mean come on, who would have guessed I would be lead budgeting, media buying, and campaign managing when I started back in October? Not I. Oh, had my performance review today as well.. went pretty well I suppose, no surprises, and apparently I’m doing a good job. I’m happy. But back to the topic. In January, I would have cried if I knew I was going to be doing this same stuff.. but I’ve stuck through, and truthfully, I feel more invigorated now then depressed. Yeah they’re looking for an Online Marketing Director, but I can honestly say I’ve kept the boat afloat for the last 4 months, and have done some good here and there as well. Now what do I do though? On a side note, I just finished a training session with ion Interactive’s LiveBall… an awesome landing page creation system. I can’t wait to get started.

Now that Elliott is gone, I find myself sorta manning the social media platforms… ie. Twitter, Facebook, etc. Is this what I’m used to? No. Would I like this job? Maybe. Although I’ve been told I should apply, I sometimes feel that maybe evolving the position into a juxtaposition of what I’m already doing now and what Elliott was doing would be nice. I think so. I mean what is social all about? One person? I don’t think so. One of my main SEO goals for Q2 is to create a campus-wide SEO training system for all content creators… yes, everyone. So why wouldn’t I be able to give that kind of guidance elsewhere in say, social media? Before he left, Elliott sold some assets, and started other departments in their own social endeavors. I think personally this was the best decision of his final days here. Give the people a voice and a platform, and they’ll naturally create a following for themselves. How they use it, and how they think they’re using it can sometimes differ, however. Maybe that is what a Social Media Strategist is most concerned with.

Well, all things aside, I think I have some thinking to do. I know I’m not going to be a Social Media Strategist, but also, I know I’m not going to be doing this kinda of SEM my whole life as well.

If you’ve got some time, check out Jessica Sutta in White Lies. It makes you wanna go dancing this weekend, or just have a good time.

Peace

So after a few days of trying to figure out how some of my leads were leaking through the pipes into other systems, I’ve discovered that there are many flaws within our own particular system. In our industry, or any industry for that matter, we deal with web usability on a daily basis.

What do people see first, or what are their eyes attracted to? Are there relevant links/phone numbers/addresses/email addresses there?

In my case, it was a combination of faulty landing pages, bad usability (which might take a while to get fixed), no call tracking, as well as wrong conversions pixels.. ugh. While it’s nothing urgent, a failure to see these kinda dinky mistakes can be irritating to someone who isn’t really looking… its just an issue. That doesn’t mean these people are outta the loop though. When you have a system that is working, and you have multiple account across multiple campaigns, across multiple partners, you’re gunna miss something. The thing is, if its as close to home as your own homepage.. that could be affecting everything all together, the fix could flip your world upside down. Let’s hope it’s not too huge of a 180 (ie. a 360.. but then again I guess that would be fine… I dunno).

That being said, what do I personally have to say about it? … Well,

When creating SEO campaigns, PPC campaigns, or whatever else you’re doing, make sure and create clear and simple navigation routes to your converting actions. Remember your click rules of thumb and sitemap strategies. If you have phone numbers, make them different across different campaigns, or accounts. Maybe even using call tracking to monitor just exactly the number of people coming through. Sounds like heaven to me.

Also make sure your landing pages are clear enough and inviting enough for people to want to convert. Yet… have options for other conversions as well. A landing page with a web form as well as a tracked phone number is a great asset when dealing with hundreds of people going in and out of a simple PPC campaign.

Organically, let loose in devising SEO conversion goals. SERP wise, you never know why someone is going to use your site, so give them options, but make sure you can see it. That way, later on, you’re not trying to figure out why your numbers are wrong.

Any other ideas?

Peace

As my job description has increased by maybe 4 or 5 paragraphs, I think I really need to take a minute or two to revaluate where I am at professional, what I think I can do, and what I’m going to have to step up to do. It’s not all too hard stuff, but the more I dig down into the system, the more I’m realizing that there are quite a few flaws that need eleviating. Quite a few. I’m all about a good challenge though. As long as I can keep my head above the water, feet moving, arms wailing, I might just come out of this alive, and when I do, I’ll be well on shore with more than just a paddle. Oh the imagery and dreamlike helplessness.

That being said, another task I have at hand is looking for some good SEO, PPC, Social Media, or just any kind of Online Marketing Conferences out there. Know of any? I’ve seen a lot of sites out there for SMX… and it’s many dates, but was just wondering if there are others. Any ways, as the week winds down, I’ll be doing a little bit more research. Just thought I’d plant it out there. It’s about time to start thinking about going home though.

Peace

As my friends, colleagues, family, and I make our way into 2009, I can’t help but wonder what she has in store for us. Moving to Phoenix last summer has so far proved to be a great step in Andrea’s and my life. Although she’ll regret it, I know it’s for the best that we stay here and build our career so that someday, we’ll be able to move back to Seattle with some better jobs, possibly new educations, and better networking connections than when we had left. I’m confident we’re heading on the right track. And we both have some good friends to show for it.

My job aside, this year will be pretty interesting for me I think. For one, my manager has just left, and I’m now in charge of a good sum of marketing funds for both SEO and PPC. Personally, I think (Employer Reference Removed) is setting itself up for a year of potentially huge growth, expanded marketing reach, student enrollment, and more. I know its korny, but I’m pretty happy and glad to be working where I am at this point in my life, and in our economic situations. I’m feeling positive the market in general will be looking up soon though. I’m not Cramer though.

Although Andrea is almost at about the half way point in her first year, I know she’s stressing a little. Mostly from the fact that she’s away from home, but still. I can’t really blame her. Socially, I think we both can do better, and I think it’s safe to say that being more social should be a good resolution for myself. Andrea is already a force to be wrecken’d with in terms of the social realm. By the way, there a show in Phoenix on January 8th at the Rhythm Room… Snakes! Snakes! Snakes!, Small Leaks Sink Ships, and Art for Starters. Any ways, my small plug.

Well, all in all, I think 2009 should be an awesome year. Say ‘hi’ to me when you see me. Also, say ‘hi’ to each other when you see each other. I’m feeling more than confident that something cool and big is in-store. I guess all I can do is wait and see.

Peace

There are a few main things subjective search will end up doing. First, the amount of eyes that each website will reach will decrease. Once search engines can correctly distinguish your potential interests and search habits, the more refined and targeted those search results will be. While this might sound negative, you should also consider that… secondly, the people that DO see your results will be a hellva lot more targeted and interested in your results. Also, with more targeted and subjective search results, there is the huge possibility of decreasing ‘gray area’ competitors from encroaching on your selected term.. and meaning as well.

So what does this mean? While today we optimize sites for keywords, the importance of secondary keywords, placement, and structure will get even more important in the coming months. Even though we are pretty hazy on what Google has up it’s sleeves, we know for a fact that customized search results are going to become a standard. Take a look at your Search History in Google, and what do you think Google think’s about you? Are you a professional searcher? Novelty searcher? Maybe even a porno searcher? Good luck trying to find relevant search results for your “rear entry” or “milk jug” search terms. Nonetheless, if you can gauge and understand what your audience or potential audience is searching for or has the tendency to search for, the more power to you. I think in general this just makes the role of an SEO or SSEO more engaging and less repetitive. Go out and do the fun research yourself, and learn what it’s like to be a real marketing professional.

Technology is good, but with the way our trends are pointing, it’s changing heavily and fast. In combination with Social Media, Pay Per Click, Universal Search, and tons more, the possibilities for brand recognition, name recognition, and potential client/customer reach are endless. If you don’t know how your target is searching, you shouldn’t be in the field.

Peace

Moving on to more exciting news, next week is Thanksgiving! Thank God. I’ve been looking forward to going home for quite some time now, but it wasn’t until this weekend when I really realized I longed for it hardcore. Seeing the family, eating the food, sleeping in, it sounds so heavenly right now. More later.. or at least sooner to the actual day.

I suppose it’s now time to get to work. I think today I’m going to try and finish up my recommendations for Microsoft AdCenter, and then maybe go in and begin working with the campaigns tomorrow or something. Then I have that AdWords Webinar tomorrow too. Well we’ll see. Might work on some writing as well. Who knows. Peace