Internet Anonymity
June 23, 2008
During the days of the early Internet (web 1.0 as some refer to it), as soon as folks were able to get online they began searching for and participating in the discussion of special interests (such as playing electric guitar) that mirrored their passions. Due to the limitations of technology of the day (i.e. number of characters, folks with similar names, etc), this Web 1.0 world was full of creative and sometimes auto-generated screenames (like johnny6785). A side effect of these limitations gave birth to the dawn of Internet Anonymity where folks could act as they wished online without much fear of having their true identities revealed.
Fast forward a few years. That small discussion board that a person has been contributing too since 1999 has grown dramatically in both number of visitors and depth of content. On the net, johnny6785 has positioned himself as a guru within the realm of all things electric guitar. The Internet has made it possible for him to connect with folks around the globe and develop his online reputation. One problem though……who exactly is johnny6785?
Phaseous Phact: Since everything we do on the Internet arguably will remain there forever, its important to use your real name (or corporate identity) if you wish to positively participate in the disucssion and develop your online reputation.
Online Reputation Management
June 16, 2008
Data is a funny thing. It’s easy to create, but difficult to destroy. Many successful businesses provide data recovery and forensics services. The fact is that even when we think data has been erased, in most cases the data is still floating around somewhere. In the world of blogs, social networking and the syndication of content, this is even more true. An interesting example of this: Back in the year 2000, I was on a business trip in Chicago. While at dinner with friends, I was casually approached and then interviewed by a reporter saying he was covering the 2000 election. Turns out I was quoted in The New York Times, but I had no idea this happened until summer of 2007 via a google alert for my name. This goes to show that anything you say, even many years after it was first published online, search engines are still indexing and serving up relevant information.
Phaseous Phact: When writing an email or posting content online, don’t write anything you wouldn’t want to appear on the cover of the New York Times.
Content is King
June 9, 2008
People often ask me, “What are the secrets to Search Engine Optimization?” When I inform folks that the technology and techniques to properly optimize content for the web has been around since practically its inception, they are quite surprised. With all of the pomp and circumstance surrounding web site design over the past several years, many designers and programmers have lost sight of what is important. They are too concerned in how something looks (want to make something “great”) and pay no attention to how the public will actually find the site they are building! To put it simply, content is king. Without quality, relevant and timely content, no search engine is ever going to find your site. Through the proper use of META data (meta title, meta keywords and meta description) at the point of document publication, combined with how the actual page copy is authored, make all the difference in the world. Especially so, when it comes to how search engines find, index and ultimately serve up your information.
Phaseous Phact: Write into your marketing plan a strategy for regularly releasing new information, content and updates about your company progress. Keep it fresh..keep it real!
The Truth About Links
June 2, 2008
The more credible sources you cite in making any argument, the more sound your argument will come across. The same can be said for how search engines gage your online reputation. If a search engine considers a particular site an authority on any given topic, (for Google this is called “page rank”) it links to content on your website. Chances are those same search engines will put a higher relevance on the content of your site than your competitors. The old-school belief that any inbound link is a good link is out of date. Search engines have become wise to the many link-farms and link-spammers that have appeared all over the internet in recent years.
Phaseous Phact: Seek out major blog sites and media outlets to provide links to your site, since they are more credible.
Why META Data is Important
May 27, 2008
So you’ve invested a lot of time and money in your website. You’ve got a great looking logo and professional copy. One problem though…..no one knows your website exists! Many of my clients have been in theis scenario at some point, and often the solution is (thankfully) quite simple. Once quick look at the source code of any web page reveals that there is not META data entered. Even worse, the exact same META data exists on every page of the site! Search engines look negatively upon both of these situations since they look to META data for clues as to how to index page content. In the case where there is no META information, the search engine is left to figure out what your page is all about. Without meta titles, keywords, descriptions and header tags showing search engines the way, chances are your content is not going to be indexed well. In the case where there is the same META content throughout the site, search engines look at this as spamming….an act which they look down upon and will ultimately penalize your ranking in search results pages.
Phaseous Phact: Don’t leave indexing up to the search engines. Provide accurate META content each time your website is updated.
Is Social Networking Right For You?
May 19, 2008
With booming sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed, etc., many of my clients have asked for my help in the social networking space. Many are surprised when I suggest that they shouldn’t do anything at all. Sure, its a very powerful area to participate in, and has far-reaching capabilities. The ability to build online communities and manage them from central locations is truly something marvelous. However, to truly take advantage of the benefits that these sites and services offer, it takes time. More specifically, its not enough to just create a MySpace or Facebook profile and say you’re an active participant in the social networking world. Quite simply, you have to live in it and make it a part of your daily routines in order to see the benefit of that space. Nobody wants to see an abandoned MySpace or Facebook profile. No one is going to follow you on Twitter if you never post. No one is going to subscribe to your RSS feeds if you don’t have anything to say. So before you take that leap into the social networking space, consider for a moment if you’re willing to shift the way you work and communicate.
Phaseous Phact: If you want to dive into social networking, designate one person in your company to monitor the pages daily. This is an ideal task for interns!
Invent a Word and Own the Space
May 12, 2008
As traffic and the resultant competition on the internet is growing exponentially each day, we need to devise new and creative ways to make our content stand out. Regardless if you’re engaging in organic or paid SEO tactics, if you’re offering the sames services that everyone else is, it will become increasingly expensive to play in that space. If you invent your own space, you own it.
Phaseous Phact: When coming up with new products and services, or even when naming your new business venture, invent a new word that doesn’t appear anywhere else on the net.
Building Your Own Content Cloud
May 5, 2008
Today I judge a new website or platform by its ability to extend beyond itself. I don’t want to have 10 different sites just so folks can learn about me. However, sites like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, LinkedIn, Plaxo, etc, do offer some really great services. The key is leveraging the capabilities of these sites all in one place. Whether its through the use of RSS feeds, javascript applications or other means, each of the aforementioned sites provide ways in which I can highlight the content that I have in each of these different places in one centralized location. So whether its your own personal blog or a Facebook profile, each of these sites provide highly effective ways in which to build your own content cloud across the internet and drive traffic to your website.
Phaseous Phact: It might seem like a lot of clubs to join, but consider getting an account with all the aforementioned websites to further your content cloud. Then streamline all of them!
Why You Need Your Own Website
April 28, 2008
Some might wonder what’s the point in having your own webiste, when there are so many free options out there. With all the benefits that Facebook, MySpace and the rest of the social networking sphere have brought to the internet, keep in mind you’re using a free service and you don’t really own what you’re working with. To that point, you don’t have complete control to steer your messaging and influence whatever discussion you’re participating in. This is why I suggest all my clients that want to participate in the social networking space first and foremost establish their own personal websites with professional branding and design. We’re not talking about the glorified online corporate brochures of yesteryear. Rather, this is your platform for begining and controlling the discussion you wish to have. Add all of the SEO benefits of a personal blog site or the like and you’re well on your way to steering the discussion your way. Just be sure you properly optimize your content.
Phaseous Phact: Get your own brand and website first. Then hit the social networks to further enhance your web presence.
