SEM Synergy

Interviews from SMX West 2010

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:40:06 +0000

On location at SMX West in Santa Clara, Virginia interviews three prominent personalities in the search world: Ian Lurie, Marshall Simmonds and Scott Garell.

Ian Lurie, president of Portent Interactive and co-author of Web Marketing All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies, kicks off the show. Ian is a presenter during the session Analytics Action Plans for SEO & PPC, and he explains how to predict and pick what terms and pages to optimize for based on analytics data. He also talks about how his agency establishes trust and introduces his services to clients with his 10things small business program.

Then Marshall Simmonds, chief search strategist at the New York Times and co-founder of Define Search Strategies, then talks to Virginia about the topic of his Ignite SMX West presentation, where he muses on how history would have been different if major figures had the Internet at their disposal. He also shares a preview of his presentation on the Industrial Strength SEO panel and the challenges of enterprise search.

Finally, Scott Garell, president of Ask Networks, joins the show. As the number one brand charged with answering questions on the Web, Scott explains that Ask.com is a strong platform for advertisers. He also hints at the Q&A social community that Ask.com will be launching in the second quarter of the year. The community aims to connect experts with searchers, pointing to the abundance of information that hasn’t been published on the Web. Combining innovative technology and connections between people is Ask.com’s strategy.

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What’s the Social Media Buzz This Week?

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:07:39 +0000

Social media is becoming an increasingly potent marketing influence and it’s the theme of today’s show. Bruce, Susan and Virginia kick things off by considering if and how a social media user’s sphere of influence should be considered as part of their lifetime customer value. On a blog post titled Companies Should Factor ‘Social Influence’ Into Total Customer Value, Web strategist Jeremiah Owyang outlines the benefits and risks of accounting for a users social influence.

Shannon Poole then talks to Virginia about her social media strategy for developing business, especially at conferences like the upcoming SMX West. Shannon will be involved in business development for Bruce Clay, Inc., and while at conferences like SMX and SES, she plans to use every tool available to her advantage. Speed of interaction, picking up on cues of interest, and attendance at educational events will all play a part in her business development strategy at search marketing shows. The Bruce Clay, Inc. booth at SMX West is #307. To receive a 10 percent discount on conference registration, use the discount code smx10bruceclay.

Then Susan, Virginia and Bradley examine Internet giant Google’s latest foray into the social space, Google Buzz. Reactions to the new social networking features of Google Gmail have run the gamut from privacy related outrage to the instant acceptance that was never granted to Google Wave. Bradley wants to know what Google Buzz does that other social networks don’t already do. Susan believes that because Buzz has a built-in user base, it will be a well-adopted success for Google.

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Bruce Clay Australia Reports & Training Events

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:22:44 +0000

Today is the first of several SEO training courses being offered across Australia by Bruce Clay Australia. On the show, Bruce, Susan and Virginia highlight the new offerings and resources offered by the team at Bruce Clay Australia, including a recent blog post titled Keyword Research — Factors to Consider. Keyword seasonality is discussed along with keyword regionality. The hosts also consider an approach for long-term optimization of seasonal keywords, a concept described by the freshly minted phrase “keyword mobility.”

Des Odell, director and co-founder of Bruce Clay Australia, jumps in to share lots of news coming out of the office in Sydney. The company has released a report on SEO factors and trends as an overview of high-level SEO opportunities as well as actionable recommendations for taking advantage of each. Bruce Clay Australia has also teamed up with the U.S. offices to report the country’s Internet marketing news within the SEOToolSet Newsletter. In Bruce Clay Australia’s debut newsletter article, readers will find statistics and analysis on the state of the Australian search market, where PPC advertising is much more widely adopted than SEO marketing.

Bradley, Susan and Virginia then take a closer look at the SEO Factors and Trends Report. Bradley appreciates that the report takes a broad and high level view of search engine optimization, yet it is focused on the critical and complex SEO issue of content relevance. Susan explains how the goal of SEO has expanded beyond having the right content, as more and more sites compete for this status. Now it’s about getting that right content out to people when they need it through a speedy site, on the go through mobile-friendly versions, and in multiple ways for different learning types through engagement objects™.

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SEO Education & Trends with SMX’s Chris Sherman

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:58:28 +0000

Search engine optimization has entered the mainstream marketing consciousness. With increased awareness comes an increased desire to learn about and take advantage of SEO potential. Part of an SEO’s knowledge comes from personal experience and part of it comes from the wisdom of thought leaders. On today’s show, Bruce Clay and the hosts consider both of the above means of SEO education. Bruce, Susan and Virginia start the show by reviewing Bruce’s recommendations for SEO research and testing. Experimental research is how Bruce developed SEO best practices beginning in 1996, and he advises SEOs to carefully test their tactics and theories through practical applications.

Chris Sherman then joins the program to share insight into the direction and offerings of the Search Marketing Expo (SMX) Conference Series this year. Chris is the co-chair of SMX and executive editor of Search Engine Land. He discusses what he sees as the overall focus of SMX in the year ahead and how it fits into the evolution of the SEM industry as a whole. Chris talks about the demand for education and networking opportunities and how new sessions and speakers are chosen for the conference line up. He also gives listeners a behind-the-scenes peak at Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s upcoming keynote presentation at SMX West, how the information Ballmer will share is developing day-to-day, and why marketers should be paying attention to Bing.

Finally, Susan, Virginia and Michael consider the criteria for deciding whether or not a training or education event is right for you. Some conferences break down sessions by skill level and subject matter. Some training events focus on specific areas of online marketing, such as local search, advanced SEO or international marketing. Bruce has predicted that the increased demand for SEO education will lead to an increase in training opportunities. And don’t forget about Bruce Clay, Inc.’s SEOToolSet Training, with a standard course and an advanced certification course offered nearly every month on the West Coast, every quarter on the East Coast, and across Australia in the coming months.

Listen to this episode and chat with the hosts of SEM Synergy, on Wednesday, February 10, at 3 Eastern, Noon Pacific on WebmasterRadio.fm.

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Blogging and Authority with Lisa Barone

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:31:45 +0000

Today Bruce Clay and the hosts explore the value of blogging and measures of authority online. A company blog offers many marketing advantages, such as demonstration of expertise, interaction with a community, and communicating a company as personable and value driven. Susan points out that companies don’t need to fear giving up brand control when hiring a blogger. For example, Bruce Clay, Inc. was able to transition from blogger to blogger because while the voice changed, the company’s strengths and values remained. Bruce highlights the fact that while many great goals can be accomplished through a blog, you should know ahead of time that a blog is resource intensive.

Lisa Barone, co-founder and chief branding officer of Internet marketing firm Outspoken Media, visited her former co-workers and friends at the Bruce Clay, Inc. office last week. While in town, Lisa, Susan and Virginia head to a local hangout to drink margaritas and talk about blogging and marketing. Lisa shares her method for generating blog posts and content for clients. She also talks about the importance of self promotion, explaining that promotion can be more important than the quality of content — because even the world’s greatest content won’t be read if no one knows about it.

Lisa is a trusted authority as a blogger and community builder because she has proven her expertise to the community. It leads Susan, Virginia and Michael to consider the qualities of an authority and how one can cultivate authority status. Along with having an expert level of knowledge, an authority also gives back to the community by sharing their research and experience.

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Link Marketing in 2010 with Eric Ward

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:36:55 +0000

Links are crucial to the Web economy today, conducting traffic, visibility, and trust to sites and pages. On today’s show, Bruce, Susan and Virginia start by considering link marketing, not only as it contributes to SEO, but also as it fits into overarching marketing goals. Bruce looks at what makes a quality link, with converting traffic being key, and explains the need to look at links from a holistic point of view rather than an SEO-minded one. Links are just one factor for Universalized, personalized search engine rankings, and balance and synergy are effective underlying marketing strategies.

Eric Ward, a link marketing specialist with a reputation as Link Moses, joins Virginia to talk about link building in 2010. Eric explains his recommended approach for link marketing this year. He talks about the effect of personalization and whether or not that changes the link marketing approach. He also contributes his two cents to the results of a recent survey collected on the Bruce Clay, Inc. blog. Survey participants felt that link buying was not very important while creating link magnet content was important. Tune in to the show to find out what Eric thought about the results.

Then Susan, Virginia and SEO analyst Maryann Robbins talks about the SEO community’s priorities, based on the results of the informal survey on the blog. Optimized site architecture, new audience targeting and link buying were at the bottom of the list, while optimizing for local search, link building through strong content, and on-site optimization led the pack in SEO priorities.

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Conversion Optimization & Content Development with Bryan Eisenberg

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:23:29 +0000

This month, world news has intersected with the search engine marketing industry more than usual. Bruce Clay, Susan and Virginia start off the show by reviewing recent search headlines with far-reaching implications for Internet marketers. A devastating earthquake in Haiti last week catalyzed a global effort to provide relief and rescue to the rubble-stacked nation. Relief organizations were able to raise funds with unprecedented success by allowing people to make donations through text messages and by spreading the word through social media channels. In other news, Google and the Chinese government have been publically at odds this week after Google announced it had been attacked and robbed of intellectual property, with the Chinese government being the primary suspect. Google has said that it will pull its services from the country if it can not come to an agreement about censorship.

Then Bryan Eisenberg, best-selling author of several books on Internet marketing and number five on Invesp.net’s list of the most influential online marketers of 2009, talks to Virginia about his recommendations for Internet marketing in the new year. Bryan shares his prediction for the marketing skills that will be crucial in the coming year, as well as his observations of the increasing mainstream recognition of conversion optimization. If you like what you hear from Bryan, be sure to check out his new conversion optimization certification program with Market Motive as well as his keynote presentation at SES London next month, 21 Secrets of Top Converting Web Sites.

As Bryan sees it, the copywriter is going to be an irreplaceable part of any marketing team over the next decade. Susan, Virginia and SEO analyst Maryann Robbins take a look at ways to brainstorm new content ideas as well as ways to identify content holes on a site. Maryann suggests repurposing correspondence with customers when answering frequently asked questions. Virginia likes to expand upon the company story in order to convey personality and connect with the audience. Susan recommends including basic or introductory content that helps researchers and those new to the product or service.

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The New Community Rules with Tamar Weinberg

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:44:53 +0000

With Bruce presenting SEOToolSet Training this week, Susan, Virginia and Bradley host a show focused on speed on the Web. From Google’s recent push for site speed to the speed and dexterity required of communicating on the real-time, social Web, speed is becoming an increasingly important factor for Internet marketers and businesses online. Read Internet marketer Eric Enge post Will Google make page speed a ranking factor? for an overview of the many areas where Google has been promoting the need for speed, including the tools the search engine has provided to webmasters to help make Web sites faster.

Tamar Weinberg, a writer and consultant specializing in social media marketing, then talks to Virginia about her book The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web. Tamar’s lauded book guides readers to develop a social media marketing strategy and then details the specific tools and platforms. She explains that the etiquette of social media marketing is just like social etiquette offline, and she also talks about the role of content and customer service within social media marketing. Her final recommendation is that businesses enter the social media space as soon as possible, though the effort can be gradual and cautious if bureaucracy and red tape stand in the way.

Susan and Bradley join Virginia in exploring the contents of The New Community Rules, focusing in on the appendix The Ultimate Social Media Etiquette Handbook. Originally published by Tamar on her blog, Techipedia.com, the popular post was included in her book because it accurately and succinctly stands as a social media marketer’s rule book for marketing through social media platforms. Community rules for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, social news sites, FriendFeed, YouTube, StumbleUpon, blogs and blog comments are all included in this definitive guide.

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Looking Forward to the Year in Search 2010

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:16:36 +0000

Bruce Clay’s annual SEO preview features impressively accurate predictions for the year ahead. Bruce’s predictions for Internet marketing in 2010 will be published in the January edition of the SEOToolSet Newsletter. On today’s episode of SEM Synergy, Bruce gives a sneak peak of his 2010 predictions. Bruce expects to see the online sector leading the way to economic recovery in March.

Update: Bruce’s predictions for SEO in 2010 are now available.

Then Paula Allen, Susan Esparza and Virginia Nussey look at the 2010 digital marketing trends compiled by Last Exit. Some trends excite the hosts, while others terrify them. Will social media come to replace e-mail? Will social media become integrated around the Web? Are info graphics the big thing in 2010? Time will tell.

The co-hosts wrap up the show with advice on fighting for and setting an SEO budget for the new year. One of the first steps is getting executive-level buy-in. By doing showing the potential for return on investment and by pulling in as much data as is available, the need for a company to invest in SEO can be made clear and compelling. Company data about the benefit of current PPC marketing can also help to demonstrate the advantages of search engine marketing.

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Looking Back on the Year in Search 2009

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:27:36 +0000

This year we saw a lot of changes take place in the search space, and as the use of Internet accessing mobile devices becomes more widespread, we’ve seen the question of public access becomes a more important consideration. It turns out that public access to the Internet was an important point, interwoven in many developments throughout 2009. Within the European Union, new rules have been passed that would guarantee high-speed Internet connections for all citizens. In the U.S., a debate is being held about public access to federally funded research and net neutrality and anti-net neutrality legislation is being considered by the U.S. government. The idea of Internet access as a right is gaining attention.

Jim Hedger, WebmasterRadio blogger and host of the show Webcology, then joins Virginia to look at the year in search. Mobile’s big break, emerging search deals, and new features at Google all make the cut of top topics of 2009. Jim also shares some insider info about his favorite WebmasterRadio moments of 2009, as well as what to look forward to from WebmasterRadio in the new year, including video integration and new shows in the line-up.

Wrapping up the last show of the year, Susan, Virginia and Michael Terry look back on what they consider the biggest milestones of 2009. Susan felt the effect of Twitter as a budding means of brand dialogue. Virginia was glad to see that mainstream use of mobile devices to accesses the Internet finally hit maturation. And Michael noted that real-time search results signal a change in how people gather and process information.

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