Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Affordable SEO for limited budgets and more

Update: I realize this post is long.  Take the time to read it and maybe you can save a few bucks and we can have a little fun :) ... For those (now four?) who e-mailed that I was 'undercutting the industry', that's just ridiculous.  There's plenty out there gang.  The little guys deserve a break.

Part of this post will be a little so-called shameless self-promotion so indulge me this time around??

SEO and Tech Daily is a little over one year old.  (We did it!).

It was more than an experiment in what interests different people, SEO, marketing, engagement, blog promotion and many other spaces that I wanted to 'test'.

Test being the key word here, as any online marketer that isn't constantly watching the changes on the Internet , is factually losing track ... and it's changing more every day.

The reality is, that for well over a decade I, like so many others, have literally loved this place.  The Internet has changed industries, accountability, governments, trade, opinion, and much more.  It's been truly fascinating to watch.

Measured personal decisions were made along the way from keep current with hardware and software, to being, yes, an early adopter of the Internet, and then to the space that fascinated me the most .... Search.

I used to call it 'Playing chess with Google'.

This blog has also been a vehicle for me personally not only to learn more (nobody knows everything ... at any age) but to meet and network with many, many new people that I hadn't met at a meet-up or convention.  My weekly 'outside the box' search has led me to find even more, many of whom have been added to the shared feed and the blogroll, but in all honesty, both are just a sampling of who's out there, whether it be still-to-be discovered brilliant coders, great authors, new visionaries, people that know how to run a company and respond to their target audience, and to the personalities in search and social media, many of whom I still read or converse with every day.

The multitude of brilliant, funny and just great (true) friends that I've met as a result of this modest blog and chat with regularly is simply amazing.

The other reason that SEO and Tech Daily was launched (and I know MANY can relate to this too) was that after 5 years doing in-house SEO, it doesn't take long before you 'disappear'.  People forget who you are. The brand (yes, in this case, my name) was diluted significantly.

Yesterday, more than a few pointed to a new site using the Friendfeed API called FriendfeedHolic. It was after using it that the reality (finally) sunk in that, like Twitter before it, I was spending just a little too much time there.  I have more subscribers on Friendfeed than to this blog.  The reason is simple.  Engagement.  Simply one of the best networking vehicles to hit the web in years, and getting better all the time.  While EVERY social vehicle is a new channel for recognition and potential success, Friendfeed really 'got me'.

It's called compulsion.  It's the same compulsion (as many would testify to) that I give to individuals and others  that seek my advice.  Working a project day and night to a solution.

If you belong in the Top-10 for a particular word, term or phrase, you should be there ... large or small.

I had hoped to put a little more here, here, here (or even here :) prior to launching this new piece.  The personal blog is a must.  Some corrections to the others need to be made.

So here we go:

Firstly, SEO and Tech Daily will continue.  I love this place (and apparently so do many of you).  The tone will change slightly as I move it back to more of a mixed bag, similar to how it started out, while maintaining the important or interesting finds while passing the rest two or three times daily in the shared feed (at right).  Several companies are talking 'sponsorship' positively, so hopefully I can add a few more highly trusted writers here soon.

The days of in-house SEO are over (for me).  My advice to the rest of you struggling with this is that when a developer says he's got a Google killer script and sells it to the CEO ... run! Follow your gut.  Do what you believe.

The days of fairness in marketing begin NOW.  Personally taking on 2-5 of you at a time..., couching, helping, and helping the search engines to discover you.  A balance between 'organic search' and SEO, so that you, yes you, see your fair share.  Individuals and very small companies only.  One on one. You and me.  At a price you can afford....and NO BS.  It's more fun for me that way an there are way too many companies that should be seeing this exposure, including a whole crop that don't even know what SEO is!

There are some GREAT SEO and online marketing companies out there.  Most are tuned to big corporations and do a great job.  Many of you can't even afford to attend a search convention.  (That bothers me a lot).

So rather than have someone break the embargo (??!! :), that's the deal.  The new phone number and special DIRECT e-mail with be posted here in just a little while.  I have NO IDEA what the reaction will be so you may get voice mail (but no 15 minute hold with icky music).  It honestly depends how fast I market it or if that even becomes necessary at all.

Sounds like fun to me?  This guy is NEVER going to retire.  I love this stuff.  There's too much exciting technology ahead.

edited 9 AM Thursday Sept 4