Archive for the 'SEO' Category
A couple of weeks ago I was invited by the folks at the International Internet Marketing Association (IIMA) to speak on the same topic that I presented at IMC Vancouver 2010: “The Crossroads between Social Media & SEO”. The event will be at 6:00 pm on this coming Wednesday, October 13th, at the 4th floor of the YWCA Vancouver (535 Hornby Street).
To say that I’m excited is really an understatement. Having been to several talks at IIMA by respected professionals such as Darren Barefoot, Jason Billingsley, Warren Sukernek and Richard Goossen, I feel honoured that I’ve been chosen to join the roster of speakers at IIMA.
For those not familiar with IIMA, they’re an organization now in its twelfth year. Their goal is “to bring marketers, agencies and professionals together to discuss the capabilities and potential of Internet marketing”, and judging by past events I’ve attended, they have certainly been fulfilling this mandate.
Below is a sample of what you can expect to learn from the presentation:
- How a well-planned social media presence can increase your search engine visibility.
- The steps you’re probably already applying to search engine optimization, and which can be transplanted to your social media outreach for a stronger presence on Google and Bing.
- How strategic Twitter updates, blog posts, Facebook statuses and YouTube videos can help your search engine rankings.
- Facebook changes that affect search.
I owe a big thanks to Jose Uzcategui, John Hossack, Charity Robertson and all the folks at IIMA for promoting and making this event possible. I’m sure there are other names that I’m failing to mention.
If you’d like to join us, book your ticket online here. The cost for this IIMA is quite reasonable (CAD$38.25 for IIMA member, and CAD$45 for non-members)
I’m sure that many of us will get together at a pub nearby to continue to network and “talk shop” after the event, so feel free to join us there as well, and allocate some extra time for a pint!
Illustration credit: Luc Legay
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to speak at Freedom 55 Financial on how financial advisors can generate leads through social media and use social networks to grow their business. I couldn’t have asked for a better audience, especially at 8:00 am on a Friday! If you think that financial planners are nothing but stifled individuals with suits and ties, you only need to meet that bunch to change your mind. Laughs were had from both sides of the podium!
One thing that struck me almost immediately was that some financial advisors still don’t have a site. In fact, some of them even doubt the value of having one. What an eye-opener: here we are in the online marketing industry, presuming that every single business can take advantage of social media, when many don’t even have an online presence!
So, in true David Letterman style, The Online Strategy House presents you “The Top 10 Reasons Why You Need a Site”. Pretend you can hear Paul Shaffer in the background… and let’s go!
#10 – You prospects will very likely check you out online when deciding whether or not to become your newest client. A Web site is a perfect tool to build their confidence regarding your company.
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So, as it turned out, three days ago I received a question, submitted to me via my page on FormSpring.me. Cole Roberts, a very talented Vancouver photographer with whom I had the pleasure of working while at Magnify Digital, did the honours as the first “human” (meaning, not FormSpring’s own robot) visitor to ask me a question. Below is a copy, and my answer:
Q: How can I get my blog to be #1 on Google search for ‘Vancouver Photo Blog’ : )
A: Hello, Cole – great to see you here, and thanks for being my first (human) visitor to pose a question.
So… how do you get your blog to be #1 on Google search for “Vancouver Photo Blog”?
As you know, this is not an SEO question that can be answered in a short paragraph, but let’s see what I can do to at least help you know a tad more today, than you did… say… 5 minutes ago.
First, the bad news: it looks as though you have your work cut out for you. A quick search on Google.ca shows that there are 17,300,000 search listings for that same term.
The good news: I’ve been following what you’ve been doing on your blog, and you’re on the right track. That contest you ran last year (http://ow.ly/Ywj3), which had the final draw broadcast on video, is an example of content that you can continue to do, to differentiate yourself from your competitors. One idea would be for you to keep on creating engaging, educational, informative, unique content on video, and post it to YouTube. According to data from October ‘08 (eons ago), YouTube, at that time, had more than 65 million unique users.
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A couple of weeks ago I was invited by the folks at the International Internet Marketing Association (IIMA) to speak on the same topic that I presented at IMC Vancouver 2010: “The Crossroads between Social Media & SEO”. The event will be at 6:00 pm on this coming Wednesday, October 13th, at the 4th floor of the YWCA Vancouver (535 Hornby Street).