For many years, I personally shouted from the rooftops how being a renegade, an outlier, and a defender of non-corporate culture was the best thing since sliced bread.  Let’s face it.  Being able to wear whatever I felt like, say what I believed to be honest truth, and act in ways far outside typical corporate norms was a pretty fun experience.  It was a great ride while it suited who I was at the time.

Yet underneath that public persona, there’s been a more conservative truth to who I am in the world, and in business.  Built on decades of life experience as an entrepreneur, on some great successes and some truly painful failures.  And it’s those lessons I learned through trial and error, through the ups and downs of long-term experience running, managing and participating on advisory boards for many small and mid-size companies that, for quite a long time now, have guided my path.  And ultimately, led me to accepting the offer to work for Click2Rank.

Myopic Business Methods Vs. Sustainable Business Methods

Myopic business methods come from a belief that the short-term is what matters most, and that what we know in how to run a business today must also be how we’ll operate business tomorrow.  If we grab enough money today, surely we’ll have that much more money down the road.  If we create the appearance of a Zappos or a 37Signals, surely we’ll become as successful as them.

Sustainable business methods are based on sound business decisions, internal growth only when it’s justified by judicious budgetary constraint, and respecting the concept of legal ramifications as relates to business governance. They don’t however, come from seeing successful companies we admire and just guessing that we think we understand how they got there.

These are critical concepts that come from knowing that economies change, business models need to evolve, contractual obligations and financial expenditures have consequences, not to mention that  just because there’s money coming in today it does not automatically ensure that we won’t hit lean times down the road.

REWORK – the 37Signals Culture

Just as important, as those realities are, if we don’t truly pay attention to what appear to be subtle factors regarding successful companies, we’re really not modeling ours after theirs.

The geniuses behind BaseCamp and its related products have, what appears on its surface, one of the most enjoyable companies to work for on earth.  They don’t believe in having to have business meetings, a board of directors, or a host of other “corporate” structure methods.  So surely, since they have apparently tossed out all the “rules” of corporate process, then why bother having any such rules at all?

There are a number of key factors many people who read Jason and David’s story overlook.  It’s intoxicating to think they completely abandoned traditional business thinking and yet still found such immense success.  And that intoxication causes people to over-simplify, ignore or otherwise block out some key issues.

In the introduction to ReWork, Jason and David’s bestseller on how they got where they got, they state:

Some people consider us an Internet company, but that makes us cringe.  Internet companies are known for hiring compulsively, spending wildly, and failing spectacularly.  That’s not us.  We’re small (sixteen people as this book goes to press), frugal and profitable.

Nimble, Frugal and Profitable

That one statement, in a nutshell, is one of the core reasons I was asked to take on this job.  As much as it pains some people to hear, the truth is that for all of their previous accomplishments, Click2Rank was far from profitable.  Whatever some people believe the reasons for that are, it’s a fact.  A big fact.

Several people in the company were not productive in the least.  Not because they aren’t skilled, or lack the passion to do the work.  But because the work was not there to justify their presence.  And at least some of the projects that were being worked on, or about to be worked on, were so ridiculously undersold that it was impossible to reach profitability from a 30,000 foot budgetary view.

Other costs of doing business, the overhead behind the scenes, were not being tracked based on sound accounting practices.  So while there may have been talk that the company was profitable based on total contracted client projects, that single numeric was never properly held up to the light of balance sheets or profit and loss statements.  Decisions on company hiring and morale-boosting perks therefore, were tragically misguided.

Click2Rank Was Far From Frugal, Sustainable or Healthy

Up until a few weeks before SMX Advanced, Christine Gibbs, Click2Rank’s CEO, had a hands-off approach, as she has the responsibility for running a bigger business with over 170 employees.   She’d had the belief that the company was in good hands, and what was being reported to her as fact was actually fact.  As she was able to pause long enough from those other efforts, it was rapidly apparent to her that not only were things completely amiss, they were wildly and dangerously out of line with sustainable business methods.

Methods that helped her take a company from nothing and turn it into a global success.  So she reached out to me (more on that later) to help provide insights specific to our industry.  As successful as Christine has been for many years running multi-million dollar enterprises, the SEO world is not her specific area of expertise.

So she needed someone she could trust, with the right kind of experience, that both understood the fundamental business process flaws she’d already seen for herself, and to help her nail down the exact industry-specific factors that were causing the larger “regardless of business type” problems she knew had to be addressed.  And that’s where I came in.  And together our findings were monumental…

The Outsourcing Panacea

It’s easy to believe that outsourcing saves costs.  When individual wages are a tiny fraction of in-house staff, it’s tempting to think, based on that notion, that you can then charge a lot less than everyone else, and as a result, automatically become profitable.

Sadly, if that’s all you see or consider, if you overlook the true costs involved, it usually turns out that outsourcing can cost you a lot more than your initial belief.  So in the case of Click2Rank, the actual costs of outsourcing were much higher than they had been made out to be.  And at every turn, purchasing decisions and “culture-related” spending was beyond unjustified based on what real world profit-and-loss statements showed would be reasonable.

In-House Perks

If you don’t first produce realistic profit and loss projections, nor maintain such fundamental bookkeeping records, it’s irresponsible at best, and reckless at worst, to then decide you’re going to be lavish in your company perks. Presenting the notion of a glamorous big budget lifestyle as a reason people should come to work for a company that is not backed by an equally healthy base of start-up capital is one of the single biggest reasons so many dot-com era companies imploded in such spectacular ways.

Anyone who lived through that time-frame, including myself, (I owned a company that got hundreds of thousands of dollars of seed funding and was on the verge of signing a deal for $15 million in 1st round funding when the collapse happened) knows now how foolish and dangerous such a policy is.

So Click2Ranks “perks” and hiring carrots were anything but wisely decided upon.  They created the illusion of an amazing company to work for. One that had the appearance of being on solid financial ground.

Billable Rates

Something I had to learn the hard way regarding business is what to charge for services rendered.  A severely under-priced offering will, eventually be the death knell to a business.  Yet time and again, all too often, sales people think it’s perfectly acceptable to charge a rate they think will get the contract.  Regardless of business finance, balance sheet reality, or true overhead expenditures.

Quite often this comes from a short-sighted desire to bring in clients.  The project may be quite sexy just because of the client name, or the potential achievement that can then be touted as a “look what we did for X” mentality.  Just as often though, it’s due to a scarcity mentality, the belief being that “we have to get this one because it’s in front of us to have…”

In reality, if you don’t first understand the real costs of doing business, if you don’t have the financial resources in the bank to tide you over until you reach long-term consistent positive cash flow, you’re doomed to bleed the company dry.

When I came on board, Click2Rank had at least one contract on the table at the whopping billable rate of $75 an hour.  Including at least some hours from the then senior-most manager. I don’t care how efficiently work is performed- $75 an hour is unrealistic in professional services businesses.  When it’s for 80 hours of work, it’s unhealthy.

Company Culture

If you’re going to create a relaxed atmosphere at the office, with unlimited energy drinks, round the clock work hours, come-and-go-as-you-please policies, you do so at the expense of understanding the ramifications such an atmosphere may bring.

You need to consider the possibility that if it’s too relaxed, employees are going to fail to grasp the fact that you’re working in a professional services industry.  As though you’re instead, a garage start-up.  Everyone’s going to lose sight of the desire or need to have an outside life.  People are going to become so free-for-all-ish that even when you work in the same building as your parent company, themselves being a business casual yet truly professional environment, you’re going to be seen as the black sheep.

People are going to disrespect your space, your work-flow, and your ability to contribute to their success as relates to internal projects.

Your staff will, in turn, become stressed to the breaking point.  Work that should take hours will take days.  Work that should take days will take weeks.

At Click2Rank, the biggest single fail-point in all this was that internal projects (the sole initial purpose of the company’s existence) fell by the wayside.  Initial achievements all those months ago languished and never got past half-success.  Causing severe road-blocks for the parent company to grow and take on even bigger opportunities.

And employee morale was, in truth, tragic.  Families were frayed to the point of ever-increasing pressure they should never have been put under.  Coupled with their feeling disrespected, misled and lacking in any kind of healthy leadership, the potential for individual breakdowns had become quite real.

A House of Cards

Myopic business methods are ultimately built on a house of cards.  They’re short-sighted, they lack true understanding of what makes a great company successful in the long-term.  They may give the initial appearance to be the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Yet over time, the surface appearance inevitably gives way to major flaws.  Because that surface appearance isn’t truly built on sound business practices, they’re not sustainable.

Sustainable business methods ensure the foundation is much stronger, more likely to weather the ups and downs of any business life cycle.  They’re designed based on modeling one’s business after other companies that have been able to grow and succeed through decades of ups and downs.  The culture built isn’t just on the surface.  It runs through and through.  It ensures the most likely chance for long term success because it doesn’t just consider appearances.  It considers stability, structure, and consistency over time.

Words used after I came on board and began bringing order to chaos have included “relieved”, “excited”, “finally respected”…

Exceptions To A Rule Don’t Themselves Justify Choices

Myopic business methods only succeed in the long-term in very rare situations.  Extremely rare. Sure, they’re the ones that grab headlines the most in the tech sector.  They’re sexy.  They’re the stuff that makes up “the grass is greener” illusion most people become enamored with who work for more traditional companies.

In reality, most myopically run companies fail miserably.  The short-term ride is wild, for sure.  It’s even fun for a while.  But inevitably, most such companies end up leaving everyone disillusioned, saddened, and in severe personal and familial crisis.

Sustainable business methods don’t all succeed either.  Yet they succeed more often.  They offer a better likelihood of opportunity for more people within the company.

Click2Rank was in such disarray when I came on board that a complete sea-change was needed. The person needing to steer the ship on a day to day basis was going to need to really grasp the underlying issues, the causes of the symptoms, and the best way to bring about change.  It would take someone who happens to have the vast combination of experience I have.  A young, shoot-from-the-hip, “act now and figure it out later” gun was not going to work to fix this.  It’s what got the company in the mess it was in to begin with.

Jerry Maguire Syndrome

Jerry Maguire ended up going on to start his own thing.  He got the opportunity to run his own ship, do things his way. Yet if you know the whole story, you’d know that when he did so, he ended up learning several very harsh and painful lessons – things he’d refused to see, acknowledge or accept before he went his own way.  And just as important, life became filled with more hardship than he could have previously anticipated.

Well, for me, the reality is I was Jerry Maguire.  I had to go through many years of pain, suffering and disillusionment.  Personally, it led to me turning to pot and alcohol in order to just cope enough to get by. I ended up sleeping on friends and families couches.  A shadow of my true inner self.

My life became even more of a mess than I thought possible.  I caused wreckage and destruction along the way as well.

One day however, August 27, 2004 to be exact, I woke up.  I found God.  “My way” was no longer the illusion I’d made it out to be.  Real world reality took on a whole new light and meaning.  And it was at that point when I began to shed the Jerry Maguire belief system.  It slowly, over time, became less and less about me having to prove to the world that I was right, and more and more that first and foremost, we’re placed on this earth to be of service to others.

Each of us has unique gifts, passions and talent.  Yet if we don’t get out of our own way, we’ll never rise up above ego long enough to see those used in a way that not only elevates us as individuals, but truly helps others to reach their capacity as well.  If we don’t give up having to be someone who thinks they have all the answers, we never truly learn to model ourselves after others.

If we don’t continually have the willingness to be honest with ourselves and others, the courage to change and adapt in healthy ways rather than self-centered ways, we’ll never grow, evolve and mature.

So too, do these same principles apply to business.

Miracles Happen For A Reason

For the past several years, as I’ve ceaselessly worked to build myself into a respectable, productive member of society, I’ve also consistently looked to a higher power – a greater truth, bigger than me, to guide me.  I’ve steadfastly applied the concept that each of us has those unique gifts, passions and talents.  And I’ve held true to the understanding that when we show up this way, with integrity, to the best of our human ability, doing the right thing for the right reasons and not for ego sake, that miracles will happen.

That’s how I came to meet Christine Gibbs. Regardless of the “surface” reasons we met, the fact is that we met.  And that first day, a simple act of kindness on her part moved me so much, that it moved me to tears.  I was that humbled.

That, in turn, led me to want to learn more about her.  So I read her bio, and one of her articles.

Key Transforming Moments In Life

And here’s where you may choose to write this off as too bizarre for your preference.  Yet if you do, you may miss out on a pretty amazing thing. So hang in there with me just a little longer.  It’s worth it.

It was in that very moment of reading Christine’s bio that I honestly felt moved by something greater than me.  In a way I’ve never felt before.  And in that moment, I also felt that Christine is someone I need to model myself after in business and life.

So when, a few days later, Christine reached out to me for guidance on righting the Click2Rank ship, I knew within a few minutes discussing that situation, that I was the person for the job.  It all clicked.

Big Things Become Even Bigger

Initially, we both thought it would just be a 90 day gig.  I’d come in, perform a true soup-to-nuts business audit to fill in the industry specific blanks in her already thick folder of documentation, and together we’d develop processes, methods and systems for turning things around.

As it turned out, in short order, the severity of the problem, the deeply woven flaws in the fabric of the company became clear.  And unavoidable.

So when it went from “consultant” to “Director”, I prayed.  And I discussed it with the people most dear to my life.  My support group.  Personal and business relationships I have come to understand as also being critical if we as humans are to ever really get to the point where we can make sound decisions, and go from ego-based judgment calls to discernment.

A Big Vision Requires An Even Bigger Vessel

I’ve had a very big vision for where I might be able to go in life with my unique gifts, passions and experience.  Yet as a consultant, the culmination of that came this year.  Like Justin Briggs shared this past week, I too had goals that, through those years of struggle, scraping and clawing my way back up, I kept focused on.  And like Justin, I reached the pinnacle of those when I was invited by Danny Sullivan to speak at SMX Advanced.

It was in that experience I was left with “what’s next?”  “Where do I go from here?”  And “I’ll be 52 next month – can this consulting thing, as fun as it is, get me where I need to be in 10 years? At my age?”

See – that’s what’s so powerful.  I recognized that week, that consulting would most likely not get me to that next end-goal I knew it was time to focus on.  It’s a big goal.  To be able to do even greater things than I’ve already done – in business and in life.  It didn’t feel like the right vessel, that it wasn’t big enough.

And that’s why to me, it’s even more amazing how I was led to the opportunity to take on this responsibility.  As clear as anything I’ve ever felt, I knew so vividly that this was the right opportunity for me that I left all my belongings, save what would fit in my car, behind to move up here.  Even when it was just going to be for 90 days, I had packed everything away.  Which it turned out made it effortless for me to then give away after I got up here and it turned into an offer for a permanent position.

And since that day, everything about this career choice has fallen into place, come together and otherwise unfolded effortlessly.

Nothing In Life Is A Sure Thing

Now just because I’ve moved up here, and taken on this position, and just because I report to one of the most dynamic, successful and visionary people I’ve ever had the fortune to meet and work with, does not itself mean it’s a guaranteed success right out the gate.

Needing to completely change an entire company’s direction, get our internal house in order before we can even think about taking on new outside clients, and build a truly stable foundation for success is going to take a lot of work.  It’s going to take the commitment of everyone involved.  And the support of a lot of people and resources.

There are going to be a lot of challenges, a lot of perceived obstacles as well.

Yet at the end of the day, when time has passed, whatever comes to be, I’ll be able to look myself in the mirror, knowing that I’ve once again made the decision to follow my heart, do what I love, and make myself available for God’s will in my life.  And along the way, I’ll have done my very best as a human being, as a manager, as a business leader, to help those around me.

Why I Joined Click2Rank is a post from: Search Marketing Wisdom All content copyright protected - all rights reserved.

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I watched the event live, and tweeted snippets from the event, so I figured I’d post them here for those of you who weren’t able to watch, or weren’t aware of the event…

I’m showing them here in sequence, rather than in the typical reverse sequence that comes from live-tweeting…

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Ok here we go – Google’s about to announce this RFID chips for web sites thing… http://www.youtube.com/google

Cool: submit questions about the RFID Chips for web sites to insidesearch2011@google.com

Amit is saying “even with Schema, we need more help understanding sites. RFID for web sites will help”

“With RFID for web sites, Google will understand a site’s intent instantly…”

“We agreed to Schema.org with Microsoft and Yahoo, knowing we had the upper hand with RFID for web sites.”

“Think of Schema.org as the first child, RFID for web sites as the second child of search” #Quote #AmitSinghal #InsideSearch

“Its important that you get that first organic result right. RFID for web sites will help us do that.” #Quote #AmitSinghal #InsideSearch

“At Google speed is the 3rd pillar of quality search. RFID for web sites will resolve that.” #Quote #AmitSinghal #InsideSearch

“With RFID for web sites, you’ll have a great user experience on mobile” #Quote #InsideSearch

Cool. RFID for web sites – instantly translates a site for you based on your native language! #InsideSearch

“Mobile speech has grown by a factor of six in a year. RFID for web sites lets you interface faster.” #InsideSearch

“The new Speach.Interface aspect of RFID for web sites will ensure mobile search is more accurate” #InsideSearch

“230 billion words worth of data from queries. RFID for web sites processes that instantly. ” #InsideSearch

“Mobile has opened a world of possibilities. RFID for web sites will let you explore that world.” #InsideSearch

“With RFID for Web Sites, we can predict what you will want, even better” #Quote #Google #InsideSearch

“RFID for web sites – you won’t have to decide which SERP to choose – we’ll do it for you” #QUote #AmitSinghal #Google

“Google Instant Pages – RFID for web sites lets you see 500 pages at once” #InsideSearch

“Get to the next page before you click your mouse, thanks to RFID for web sites” #Quote #AmitSinghal #InsideSearch

“With RFID for web sites, you’ll be able to learn Spanish in a day” #InsideSearch

Lots of cheering in the live feed audience as they’re describing how RFID for Web sites helps students cheat on tests..

“RFID for web sites combines Dragon Naturally Speaking with lazy ass people’s mind models” #InsideSearch

“RFID for web sites – the next gen Google Goggles. ” they’re calling it “Google Gurgles” #InsideSearch

“RFID for web sites will let you take a grainy stolen logo and get a crisp version” #InsideSearch

Search by voice, search by image, Google Gurgles – all thanks to RFID for web sites… #InsideSearch

Google Instant + RFID for web sites – “Faster than instant” #Quote #AmitSinghal #Google #InsideSearch

“RFID for web sites – flip web pages faster than changing channels on your TV” #Quote #AmitSinghal #InsideSearch

“Sure, there will be antitrust lawsuits because of RFID for web sites. We’ve got the money to fight it” #InsideSearch

“We understand RFID for web sites will kill Adobe’s business model. Too bad.” #Quote #Google #InsideSearch

“At Google, we don’t want to alienate SEOs with this, so only SEOs will have RFID for web sites licenses” #InsideSearch

“RFID for web sites will initially be priced at $35,000 per site.” #Google #InsideSearch

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Okay, there you have it.  A complete recap of the most important things Google communicate at today’s event.

*disclaimer – if you actually believe they said any of this stuff, you may want to lighten up a bit.  Because RFID for web sites is really something only I could come up with… really.

Alan

Google Announces New Features – Live Tweeting Recap is a post from: Search Marketing Wisdom All content copyright protected - all rights reserved.

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This advanced SEO panel, at what many people consider the single most important search conference in the U.S., will include Micah Fisher-Kirshner, SEO Manager, Become, Inc, myself and Mark Munroe, Director Search Audience, MerchantCircle.  And it’ll be moderated by Danny Sullivan himself, so I’m not only going to have to have a killer presentation, I’m even going to have to be on my best behavior – no tweet-rants allowed!

Topics I’ll Cover

During my presentation, using real world examples, topics I’ll cover that ensure success at Google, Bing and other key referrer sources include:

• Proper Information Architecture
• Content Organization
• Topical Separation
• Off-Site UGC (User Generated Content)
• Optimizing for Other Search Sources

Real World Data, Principles & Concepts

I’ll show real world data of what works, what doesn’t and why.  And I’ll help you understand why all of this boils down to the critical need to understand your user’s mind model.

When I’m done, you’ll have a much better grasp of the best way to not only optimize your current site, but how to anticipate where Google is moving down the road, so you can take proactive action BEFORE the next May Day / Vince  / Panda update on the horizon…

So if you’re attending SMX Advanced, be sure to attend this invaluable panel.  And if you’re not, be sure to tell @SusanEsparza she has to live-blog it for you!

Let’s Network!

And if you are attending, and we haven’t met yet, be sure to come by and introduce yourself, or better yet, contact me ASAP and let me know you want to join us for #EpicDinner – June 7th, at the four star Waterfront Seafood Grill at Pier 70, a stone’s throw from the conference!

Come Hear Me Speak on the Google Survival Tips Panel @ SMX Advanced is a post from: Search Marketing Wisdom All content copyright protected - all rights reserved.

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We’ll attempt to contact all winners this week. When we do, you’ll need to provide us with a mailing address where we can send your prize.  For the winner of the iPad, the prize was originally a first generation iPad 3G 32GB with WiFi – but since the iPad 2 has now come out, we’re offering you the opportunity to instead choose an iPad 2, 3G 32GB with WiFi instead!

Congratulations to all our winners and thanks to everyone who participated!

Great Internet Marketing Giveaway of 2011 Winners List is a post from: Search Marketing Wisdom All content copyright protected - all rights reserved.

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The contest is now officially closed! Stay tuned for an announcement about who won.  Thank you all for making it a huge success!

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Are you envious of all the people who win prizes yet you never do?  Would you like to own an iPad or an Amazon Kindle?  Do you enjoy reading great books and articles from some of the best minds in the Search Industry?  Well here’s your chance to win an iPad, win a Kindle, or one of fifteen other great prizes!

We recently announced that 2011 is going to see epic changes here at Search Marketing Wisdom, and wrote again with more great news.  We’ve got ten new authors all committed to contributing articles – either as guest authors or regular columnists in 2011, we’ve got lots of great new stuff to tell you about in the coming weeks, and even more amazing changes in the works…

Already, just in the first week of the new year, two of our newest authors, Dana Lookadoo and Michelle Stinson Ross have posted their first SMW articles. Michelle wrote about her excellent (and dare we say “wise”?) 2011 Social Media Resolutions, and  Dana reminded us that if you want to be an SEO Ninja, it requires training!

So in celebration of Search Marketing Wisdom’s epic transformation in 2011 into a more diverse, dynamic and informative place to learn about and discuss all things related to Internet Marketing, we’re putting on our first ever subscriber giveaway, with some amazing prizes!

Seventeen Amazing Prizes:

That’s right – not one prize, nor two or even five – but seventeen!  OMG If that isn’t epic, I don’t know what is!  And they’re not just any prizes either.  Nope! We’re not talking about some cheezy dime-store junk here people. We’re talking about some awesome stuff – truly amazing prizes!

• 1 Apple iPad WiFi 3G 32GB (fast, connected and lots of storage!)
• 1 Amazon Kindle DX 3G (the largest Kindle available!)
• 5 Copies of Vanessa Fox’ book Marketing in the Age of Google
• 5 Copies of Cindy Krum’s Mobile Marketing book
• 5 Copies of Alan K’necht & Geri Rockstein’s book The Last Original Idea

What’s So Amazing About Those?

Sure – you’re thinking – I’ve seen a dozen iPad giveaways, countless Kindle giveaways.  And by now you probably have.  Except you need to put this in context.  At Search Marketing Wisdom, we may now be the up-and-coming best ever Internet Marketing blog on earth – except we’re still in the very first stage of our growth, with ZERO funding, ZERO advertisers, ZERO financial backing of any kind!

That’s right – we’re operating on a shoe-string here, people.  So when you think about it THAT way, try to tell us THAT isn’t an amazing thing!   That’s over $1300 worth of prizes based on current retail value!

So What Do I Have To Do?

Okay – we’re going to give you FOUR chances to win.  Yes – that’s right – for each step you take, you get another chance to win!

So here are the four ways you can enter – each way gets you ONE entry.

1.  Subscribe to the Search Marketing Wisdom blog by email (fill out the form in the upper right sidebar)

2.  Tweet the following: (click on the tweet to automatically send this to your twitter stream)

I just entered the @SrchMktgWisdom great Internet Marketing Giveaway of 2011 http://seoaud.it/omg

3.  Follow @SrchMktgWisdom on Twitter

4.  Become a fan of Search Marketing Wisdom on Facebook

That’s it.  That’s all you have to do!  Any single way gets you one entry – the more ways you go, the more chances you have to win!

But Why So Much?

Why go through all that footwork?  Because we want to you to show our authors that you are as excited to read their articles here as they are to be writing them for you!  And we want you to be connected with us so that you can stay informed as we roll out everything we’ve got in the works.  Believe us – you WON’T want to miss out on hearing what’s on the horizon!

Even better News

Even  better – if you’re already a subscriber by email, or you already follow us on Twitter, or you’ve already “Liked” us on Facebook, that step is already done – you simply need to complete the rest of the steps! 

So? What are you waiting for?  Get to it.  Subscribe, Follow, Like, Comment!!!   And be sure to let everyone you know about this awesome opportunity – share the excitement!  it’s going to be an Epic year!

______________________________________________________

Bonus Chance!

This is a BONUS chance only – you have to have taken at least one of the four “official” steps described above…

If you want a bonus chance to win, leave a comment here letting us know what you think of this contest as a way to celebrate all our great new authors coming in 2011.

______________________________________________________

Terms and Conditions

UPDATE 1/7/2011 – In addition to U.S., U.K., and Canada, we’ve opened the contest up to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Israel as requested by readers!

Yeah – we have to have this here…  We just want to say “blah blah blah”, but uh, if that’s all we said, somebody would probably try to sue us for some loophole…  SO here goes – contestants must be 18 or older at the time of the drawing(s).  The contest runs through April 15th, 2011 yeah – that’s a long time – but hey – we want as many people as possible to have a chance to win.  And uh, we have to save up our quarters and nickels if we expect to actually PAY for all these prizes, okay?

All qualifications must be met prior to 00:01AM Pacific on April 16th, 2011 and you can not unsubscribe or unfollow or un-like us during the running of this contest or until all prizes have been awarded if you wish to remain eligible.  Contest open to all U.S., Canadian, and U.K. citizens, except as prohibited by law.  Taxes on prizes awarded are the sole responsibility of winners.

You must be a human- bots that retweet, like, follow or comment are not eligible. Real humans who perform actions similar to bots will also not be eligible.

Winners will be randomly selected from all participants on April 17th, 2011.  A list of winners will be published here at SearchMarketingWisdom.com no later than 7 days after drawing. Only one prize per winner.  Rules and prizes subject to change based upon legal requirements or availability of prizes at the time of winner selection.  Any change made will be published at SearchMarketingWisdom.com.

If you are a winner and your name is listed here, we will attempt to reach you by the method of contact you have provided (email address, Twitter account, or Facebook).  If we can not reach you by that method, it is your responsibility to contact us and let us know how to get hold of you.  Prizes must be claimed by December 31, 2011.

Win an iPad Win a Kindle: The great Internet Marketing Giveaway of 2011 is a post from: Search Marketing Wisdom All content copyright protected - all rights reserved.

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And before I realized what happened, I’d invited a dozen people, and already, nine of them have come on board – either as regular contributors or at the very least, occasional guest bloggers.

That humbling whirlwind itself was beyond spectacular.  Yet even with that, I soon recognized that the site is going to need a face-lift – to present a more professional image, and next thing I knew, I hired a professional design company – they’re already working on the new design!  Except a face-lift wasn’t enough – I now have a very serious responsibility to those contributors.

It’s No Longer All About Alan

I thought – I’m going to be just one of many voices, so I can’t continue to use this blog as a means to prominently promote my own forensic audit services the way I used to. It just wouldn’t be fair or right for my business to profit so directly on the coat-tails of the blogs writers.  My integrity for fairness wouldn’t allow that.  So I’ve removed all the pages that used to exist describing my personal business offerings, my list of clients, and my “trophy” page of interviews.

I’m rapidly working to migrate that content to my own new site, and will announce that in the coming days.  But in the mean time, by removing those pages, I now open this blog up to be a truly neutral playing ground.  A place where every contributor can participate, knowing that there’s not even an implication of a hint of me using their experience, their insights, their powerful teachings in any selfish manner whatever.

Everyone Benefits

Not only will all these great contributors benefit from such a change, but too, you, our readers – both loyal and new, will benefit.  Because the site is now a truly neutral space for you to come and read, hopefully learn, and even participate in the discussion, without ever having to feel awkward about that hook sitting there tempting you to bite and become hooked into my own stuff.

But Wait! There’s More!

Okay so when I first announced the change, I introduced you to just a few of the people coming on board.  Since then, I’m overwhelmingly delighted to announce a few more people who have joined the fold – either as regulars or guests in 2011!

• Virginia Nussey (Industry Op-Ed, Commentary and more…)
• Cindy Krum (Mobile Marketing)
• Nichola Stott (SEO Branding, PR, and all around search industry rock star!)

Yes – Three more absolutely stellar people, I believe… and yes, that’s three more women   I tell ya – those guys out there, they really need to recognize the opportunity here!

But Wait! There’s More!

You’re just going to have to stay tuned, because there’s even more announcements on the horizon – not only regarding other contributors – we’re talking about blog features and services we’ll be providing as well!  Yes, it’s going to be a truly epic 2011 after all!

- Alan

Search Marketing Wisdom Goes Neutral is a post from: Search Marketing Wisdom All content copyright protected - all rights reserved.

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So Why Change A Good Thing?

As proud as I am of how far along this blog has come since my first article in 2007, (from no readers to my most successful articles having been viewed upwards of 9,000 times to date), I only have X amount of time these days to show up for this blog.

I then had an epiphany wash over me recently (read that yesterday morning before the sun came up).  It’s time to take this site beyond my voice.  Yeah, yeah, I love hearing my own voice.  You know that already…

The reality is this site DOES average between 10,000 and 15,000 visits a month.  And with that, comes a sense of responsibility to provide quality content, based on current industry reality.  Which means more than just SEO.  And since I’m not an expert in all areas, and that aforementioned limited capacity I’ve got, it’s time to bring on board others who can deliver great content…

A Powerhouse Of Authors

The first big change you’ll see here is the addition of some of the most intelligent, passionate and knowledgeable authors you’ll ever have the fortune to read.  For starters we’ve got

• Michelle Stinson Ross (Social, blogging, a bit of everything)
• Dana Lookadoo (SEO, Engagement Optimization)
• Annie Cushing (Analytics)
• Angie Nikoleychuk (Copywriting, optimizing content)
• Amanda Orson (Affiliate Marketing, Local SEO)
• Pamela Lund (PPC)

While I’ve associated a specific area of expertise with each author, they’ve got free editorial reign, so they’re going to be writing about whatever they’re moved to, even diatribes if they want…

Schedule

Schedule?  What Schedule?

We’re still working out writing schedules – some will contribute more frequently than others, and every one of us has a lot going on in 2011. Yet whether you see one article in a year or once a week,  twice a month then none for a couple of months, I promise you, every one of these people is someone you’re going to want to pay attention to if you already aren’t doing so.

All Women?

Hey – I only came up with this crazy idea yesterday morning, and I’m still waiting to hear back from some people, including, yes, amazingly enough, some great guys… So chill out okay?  Besides, women tend to follow their intuition more, and in this industry, that gives them an advantage.  So shush your horses there and just recognize how much you’re going to learn here!

More To Come

And if you thought adding these great people to the list of authors here was epic, just wait – keep your ears perked, your eyes focused, and your breath bated…

WTF is bated breath anyhow?  No, I don’t have the energy to go look that up because I’ve been up since 2AM (it’s now just after 1AM the next morning).  And time for me to go rest my brain.  It’s been a long, amazing and magical day for Search Marketing Wisdom…

Anyhow, more authors are on the horizon, and the site itself is going to transform as well…

So here’s to a magical and blessed 2011 for everyone!

Alan

Epic Change – The New Search Marketing Wisdom is a post from: Search Marketing Wisdom All content copyright protected - all rights reserved.

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Jaamit Durrani, by all accounts from people who truly were his friends, lived a life with passion.  He gave his heart to his work in SEO.  Never afraid to answer a question, help someone new to the industry, Jaamit was beyond well respected.  He was admired.  Appreciated.  Loved.  By many.

And in the year or so I was able to sporadically connect with him, Jaamit became someone I too admired and respected and appreciated.

Our Industry Family

Whatever some people believe, those of us who walk the winding path of search marketing, at least those among us who know each other to one degree or another, well, many of us see our group of renegade, opinionated, passionate, intellectual, geek-addled souls, as a family of sorts.  And the bonds we share go far beyond a common industry awareness and similarity of service offerings.

These bonds go deep indeed.  No, not as deep as brothers and sisters, nor as deep as warriors in a violent armed conflict.  Yet brothers and sisters, and warriors we are, nonetheless.

When one of our own faces adversity, we rally around and extend a helping hand.  When one of our own achieves some great personal goal, we cheer and commend.  When one of our own shares news of sickness, suffering or loss, once again, we’re there to the best of our ability to support them through.

And so it is today – this day of mourning, as we bow our heads in prayer, remembering Jaamit, one of our own.

Jaamit, whereever you are in this moment, you are already missed.  Your presence of course, will live on in our hearts.

I bow my head in memory of Jaamit is a post from: Search Marketing Wisdom All content copyright protected - all rights reserved.

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My first experience attending one of these was actually their pre-cursor – Search and Social Spring Summit, held this past spring in Tampa.  I had so much fun in such a short time it was beyond awesome…  From there, I then had the fortune to be able to attend #BlueglassLA, in Marina Del Rey.  Which itself was epic simply because my heart is in Venice Beach   And that first “official” Blueglass event was even more powerful for so many reasons…

Connecting On A Deep Level

Being able to connect in person with people I’d met online previously – well, if you haven’t ever yet had the opportunity to do so, you’re missing out on some of the best personal life memories a person could ever have.  In Tampa, it started out with Jordan Kasteler introducing himself to me in the lobby of the hotel, the day before the event, and the next thing ya know, I’m cruising out to lunch with Jordan and half a dozen people…

I was able to hang out with my best Twitter friends Annie Cushing (BOOTS!), Tall Chic Vic (LEGS!), and Alysson Fergison (my sister from another life on another planet!), Joe Hall (Dude – let me hitch a ride on that tricked out set o’ wheels!), Christa Watson (my ex virtual fiance’) all of whom I’d become good friends with online previously. We laughed soooo much at that conference it was like a non-stop comedy show at one point…

Humanizing The Online Persona

Rae Hoffman actually dragged me into the fold out by the pool during the conference – really showing that though she’s got that rough and tumble attitude my inner New Yorker can appreciate so much, she’s also one of the best people you’ll ever have the pleasure to meet and get to spend time with…  And thanks to her, I got to meet and connect with Aaron Chronister and his wife Jen – someone with OMG  level singing talent, Michael Gray, Melissa Fach and her husband, and Sean Dolan – a totally upstanding guy (good thing – since he and Rae are now engaged…)

Epic Moments and 2AM Pizza!

And OMG hanging out by the pool til 2AM, with Rae, Aaron, Sean, Melissa, Todd Malicoat…  non-stop laughs!  I just cant remember who it was that went and bought pizza for everyone – I mean, it was two in the morning!  And here we had like six large pizzas…

The day after the conference, I hooked up with Peter LeShaw and Kathryn Katz for lunch – a great way to wrap up a networking-social-fun-packed conference…

And at #SSSS, I had my first experience of people coming up to me – shy almost – intimidated a bit – wanting to introduce themselves to me, yet as though I  – me- Alan – was somehow a somebody in our industry…  (Which Rae helped me put in hilarious perspective)…  But it was great in the end, because I got to meet Josh Titsworth and his wife that week – and Josh and I have since gotten to hang out IRL after that…

The list of people I connected with including Brian LaFrance, Andrea Gareth, Tony Adam, Dave Szetela, and so many more… over those few days was unbelievable…

LA was Even Better In Many Ways

Blueglass LA was like what I experienced at #SSSS except on steroids!  Like our #EpicDinner (19 friends at a killer restaurant, one long table – great food, non-stop convo and laughter with me sandwiched between two of the hottest babes in the search industry of course!)…

In LA there were hours upon hours of socializing out at the patio and in the lounge, the roof-top party and fully catered dinner…  Meeting Ben Cook & his wife, Chase Granberry, Virginia Nussey, reconnecting with Dana Lookadoo, Brian L (and meeting his wife Christie and his assistant Melinda Dunn), Susan Esparza, Selena Narayanasamy, George Revutsky, Joanna Lord, Kate Morris, Josh T, Michelle Robbins, and of course the guys from Blueglass – Jordan, Loren, Brent, Dave, Chris W (and meeting his wife Danielle, their amazing baby and Danielle’s mom), Selena, Joanna B., Tony W., Gina, Ryan, and Steve…

Not Just Cursory Introductions

All the people I listed above – yeah – every one of them, I had at least one moment to connect beyond a simple “hi – my name is…” moment.  And most of them, I got to talk with more than a couple times…  That’s how great the Blueglass conferences are.  Because it’s not thousands of people, and because it’s always in a killer location, and they go above and beyond to provide an atmosphere specifically for that socializing and networking…

Like the morning I got to have breakfast with Chris, Danielle, her mom and their baby – what a great relaxing way to start a day – with people who are just the nicest, real and caring…

Beyond The Typical Search Marketing Sessions

One of the most outstanding aspects of Blueglass LA was the fact that they had sessions that went far outside the scope of the typical search conference.  Like the session on investor money.  That was one of the best sessions I’ve ever seen in and out of our industry.  The information shared by angel and VC people was priceless.  So I’m really looking forward to Blueglass Fl – not only do all the sessions have killer speakers lined up, – the “How to Buy & Sell Web Companies (the right way)” session should be killer!

Beyond Worth The Low Price

Needless to say, I can’t say enough in terms of positive and reasons why the team at Blueglass is now forever etched in my book as a company that can truly deliver when it comes to intimate, action packed, knowledge infused, socializing hub type conferences.   Especially now that I’ll be speaking at one!  Yay me!

Save 15% Before They Sell Out

So if you haven’t yet done so, you should jump on over to the event sales page and buy a ticket before they’re sold out.  And when you do, use the code sej15  to get 15% off the already ridiculously low price!

Blueglass Florida 2AM Pizza – Plus Save 15 Percent is a post from: Search Marketing Wisdom All content copyright protected - all rights reserved.

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Whether I actually win or not is even less important to me because it just means the world to me that someone felt my blog worthy of this honor.

Search Marketing Wisdom Nominated for 2010 Search and Social Web Award is a post from: Search Marketing Wisdom All content copyright protected - all rights reserved.

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