September 19, 2008

"Are you changing your AdWords campaigns weekly?"

Even if you've found a keyword, or phrase, or landing page, that is working for you... there may be even better options available. How would you know unless you try to find them?

You're not progressing if you aren't trying out new things and taking risks in your business.

Take a risk, jump into the waters of the unknown. You may find treasure out there.

Are you changing your AdWords campaigns weekly?

September 18, 2008

"You're being marketed to and you didn't even know it."

It's true. From the moment you were born, 'til the moment that you die, you have been and will continue to be marketed to.

When people here the word "marketing" or "marketed" they instantly imagine someone sitting behind a desk with a telephone dialing random numbers in order to sell a product that nobody really wants to be. And if you imagine that scenario when thinking of the word "marketing" then you're right. That situation is marketing; that is somebody trying to get you to buy something.

But what if you're being marketed to and you didn't even know it?

Would you still consider it marketing, or would you consider it to be a dirty trick? The truth is that you ARE being marketed to. 24/7. Every day of your life. There isn't a sandy beach or busy office where you could avoid being marketed to. Because everybody is trying to sell something. Hell, your brain is even trying to sell you something.

Whether it's an idea, a product, or even a feeling, you are always being marketed to.

Those people who dress up with titles of "internet marketer" are just making it easier for you to recognize that they're trying to sell you something. But it should come as no surprise. Right now I'm trying to sell you something. I'm trying to sell you the idea that this post is worth reading, that this blog is worth subscribing to. Right now your brain is trying to sell you something; it's probably trying to sell you the idea that clicking away would be your best option.

And maybe it's right.

September 12, 2008

"People want to feel like idiots when visiting your website."

You're an idiot if you didn't know this already.

And - sorry to say - you probably didn't know this if you are reading it, right? So you're an idiot. But there is good news for all of you idiots out there: we're all idiots; at least, in some way or another.

That's why we scourer the internet, isn't it? Because we don't know something and we want to learn about it (or find an answer to a problem, or just discover something new). And when I say "We're all idiots" that includes people currently visiting (and people that may potentially visit) your website. They're looking for an answer to a problem or to learn something new.

That's why you're reading this, is it not? You want to learn something new.

Instead of repeating the same garbage that other SEO and internet marketing blogs post day after day, I'm going to post something that (hopefully) is new for you.

Ready? Here it goes: People want to feel like idiots when visiting your website.

It's true. Have you ever visited a website where all of the content was things you already knew about? Did you stay on that website for very long? I'm guessing you clicked away fairly quickly... about 3 seconds in and you were ready to go to another website.

But what about those websites where the content makes you say: "Duh! How come I didn't think of that?" or "Holy cow! I didn't know that!"? My guess is that you stayed on those websites (the ones that made you feel crazy stupid) a lot longer than the websites whose content you already knew everything about.

Making people feel like they have something to learn from your website (other than the fact that they are idiots, like you) will make them stay longer.

If you manage a blog: making people feel like their idiots is a great way to get subscribers; readers will feel like they always have something to learn from you.

So, what is your website teaching people? Are you putting content out that everybody already knows about? Or are you putting content out there that says "Hey, you're an idiot"?

September 5, 2008

"Chrome can not only benefit Google, but also SEOs and internet marketers."

So, Google Chrome is everywhere now.

From Digg, Sphinn, and Gizmodo, to CNN, The New York Times, and Internet Hunger. When Google releases something new it is certain to make a big splash online. Yesterday I wrote about the impact Chrome will have on SEOs and internet marketers, but today I'd like to touch base on how Chrome can not only benefit Google, but also SEOs and internet marketers. That's right, I said benefit us.

So, how can Chrome help everyone out? Google can use the data (the browsing, clicking, and search habits of users) to make their search engine EVEN BETTER. For SEOs and marketers this information would be easy to look at and use to better target energetic audiences, and for Google... well, such data collection would allow Google to get their search 100% perfect. Can you imagine searching for something and having the very first result ALWAYS be exactly what you were looking for?

Granted, gathering and using such data would have to be a part of their Terms of Service agreement, and that could scare away a lot of potential users. So why not make it a feature, rather than a necessary evil?

If Google had a notification when you booted up Chrome that said something along the lines of: "Hey! We have this great new feature we would like you to try it! It will send us information about what you click on when you search and a few of your browsing habits. The information is securely sent and we will have no way to link the data back to any individual! What do you say, want to try it out and improve your internet experience?"

Would you click on the "ok, do it!" button, or would you click the "hell no!" button?

September 3, 2008

"How does Google Chrome impact search engine optimizers and marketers?"

Google launched it's own web browser today. Now Matt Cutts just needs to write The Book of Cutts and Google can officially become a religion.

How does Google Chrome impact search engine optimizers and marketers?

It doesn't.

At least, Google Chrome doesn't have any real impact on SEOs and marketers currently. But I suspect - and I'm sure many others in the search and internet marketing industry have as well - that Google will quickly implement some great tools and features for marketers. Good things are ahead.

That's not all to think about. Another important thing to consider with Chrome is that it may (just maybe) be the end of visual Google PR. With the current release of Chrome, Google has decided to NOT include a Google Toolbar. No highlighting feature. No nifty bookmark features. No visible PR.

So what exactly does all of this speculation mean?!

Nothing. It's just speculation.

September 1, 2008

"Will gaining links to a domain that has no content on it hurt your search ranking?"

You have a brilliant idea and need a website. Despite not having any content ready for the website, you buy the domain anyway. And now you're set. You're ready to go. Getting a design mocked up and coded, marketing the domain and getting links, doing all of your SEO and a bit of SEM and your website will be a huge success.

But you're impatient (like 99% of all of us). You want to start building your website's reputation by getting links immediately. So you market a bit, advertise a bit, trade links a bit, whatever you consider SEO, before you get the website up.

Will gaining links to a domain that has no content on it hurt your search ranking? How does a search engine treat a new domain that has zero content on at one time and then just a few days later have great, quality content on it?

Well, it turns out that linking to a parked or "non-furnished" domain DOES hurt your search engine ranking.

When search engines see a link pointing to a domain, they follow that link. The content that resides at that link is indexed immediately (with a few exceptions), cached, and marked as a new website.

Now, say, a few days later you get your content up and now you're really ready to rock and roll. Only problem is: the search engines are not going to see your new content for a while. In-fact: the search engines figure you're not worth checking and indexing and caching again so soon because you're new to the game. So they keep the old content (if any was there) and leave it at that.

While you wait for your new content to get indexed you are losing valuable search customers. People searching for your content are not going to find it, because you got a little excited and took a false start.

It's like a race in the Olympics, if you jump or step or leap or dive away from that starting line before everybody is ready for you... you're disqualified.