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Showing posts with label chicago seo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicago seo. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Are Trained Monkeys Doing SEO?

I am wondering - quite seriously if trained monkeys are doing SEO in offshore companies. This has got me thinking after visiting some very simple looking directories. Most of them are just asking for basic things:

* Name of the site

* Description
* Meta information, (sometimes)
* Keywords

They are looking for you to plop them into a submission box and send it off. This is a very busy part of getting your pages indexed but it is not the only way to do it. Now instead of waiting for weeks, if not MONTHS to get attention you can do this in a few hours.

But still, I am wondering what these off shore SEO firms are really doing? Maybe now I am beginning to understand why this is so cheap.

THE DISADVANTAGE
The problem with hiring someone for four cents an hour is that they don't do a complete job. Just plunking pages into directories is only a small part of the equation. You have to do a lot more to get this whole thing to work right. In fact you have to do a heck of a lot to get your pages set up properly so they will get picked up in the first place.

Doing a half job will only result in confusion. You certainly won't nail 8 out of 10 top spots like the way we do it. But still a lot of companies are turning to these sweat shops to handle something as critical as online marketing.


Scary.

And its getting closer to Halloween. I guess that makes this article quite timely.

Posted by Cantu on Oct. 24, 2007 at 9:00 AM

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Temporary Heroes - The Dangers of Link Buying

For $1600 a month I can make you popular.....

Seriously.....


Well, you don't have to wait for me to do it. You can do it too just by purchasing your own links. So let me rephrase myself. You can make yourself popular - for a while.


The problem with buying your links is that you have to maintain that buying relationship each and every month. The second you miss your payment you lose those links. You lose all those incoming links to your site. No doubt this is going to make your Google PR slip. So in a sense you will go from a PR 9 to a dud in literally overnight.

This is going to be a problem for you if you want to establish yourself as an expert online. Google is watching people who buy links or obtain links on questionable terms. These sites will get dropped from the index and that is worth mentioning.

THE HIGH COST OF FAME
As I go through these link exchange sites I am somewhat astounded at the cost of these services. I may understand if this is a one time fee but this is an ongoing monthly thing that can literally shake and break your foundations. This is where a lot of your money is going to go -quite literally - right down the drain.

But thats not the worst of it. The worst part is that Google and other search engines are watching and may punt you off for good.

Posted by Cantu on Oct. 23, 2007 at 12:14 PM

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Stop Waiting To Be DEFINED - Avoid The Inevitable

No matter what cause you choose to side up with you will be faced with critics. This is for anyone in the arts, music, programmers and anyone with a free thought. There are those who take action and live in a state of " CAN DO " and those who sit on the sidelines and kick their heels into the dirt and live to criticize.

THE PROBLEM WITH ONLINE MARKETING
There is no one good way to get to an online destination. There are many ways to achieve the goal. In fact, getting top rankings may include blowing a fortune on pay per click. But more commonly there is a more schematic power structure that you must be aware of. Taking something as complex as online marketing to a corporate level is dangerous ground. It is here where doing simple calculated steps can get tripled, and quadrupled into repetitive costly steps that prove ones worth..... hence, the EGO.

But lets be perfectly frank here. This is where "individual achievement" can fall into the picture. This is where promotions are created and where one can earn the corner office. This often takes place in a marketing production agency but what about the investing client? He/She is often taken for a ride - promised the moon and is quite literally left stranded there to fend for oneself.

There are lots of tools being asked for in a typical SEO job description. If you look closely list at the growing criteria for these positions you will notice one disturbing thing. No two SEO job descriptions are alike. And why is that?

1. There are too many 3rd party software packages that can do the job

2. There are too many combinations that may or may not work
3. Depending on the team, it is left up to trial and error

4. The sales copy used is too dry and is not niche market focussed

The end result is questionable results. The end of a SEO job shouldn't be an open ended question. It should have results built in that can be identifiable.

HOW DO WE GET 8 OUT OF 10 TOP SPOTS?
The last thing you will want to do is wait around to be defined by a studio. You want your product in front of the right people. You have to have this type of perception online as well as offline. It is amazing to me how many companies ignore both facets of this very critical fact. There are too many things that can go wrong when you ignore your niche market.

Most notably....


** The wrong type of traffic shows up
** They do not have an inclination to buy anything
** They have stumbled upon you -- often, not sure why

Your ROI will suffer.

Keep in mind too that when you get a web marketing campaign kicked off and you hire a firm you are taking on THEIR culture. They may be a bit fuzzy on the edges and may not be able to deliver something that is best suited for you. This could be due to the fact that they are swamped with too much work to deliver a high quality customized job.

** And any combination of 3rd party software will deliver you questionable results.
But most importantly not every studio works the same exact way.

But here is the most important rule of them all.... KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE.

Posted by Cantu on Oct. 3, 2007 at 10:13 PM

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Thursday, July 5, 2007

IPHONE PODCAST


Click here to get your own player.



"Cantu Blurts Out More Truth - IPHONE MARKETING"

Who is going to grab the gold in the Midwest? Will Chicago have more vision than Michigan in this historic moment in mass media? The revolution is here and the technology is in place for perhaps one of the most fantastic moments in recent memory.

Take a listen.....

Ted Cantu posted this on July 5, 2007 at 9:55 pm

Monday, June 11, 2007

REBEL MARKETING - On the "Ike Engelbaum Show"



"REBEL MARKETING - Kicks Off on the Ike Engelbaum Show - June 7, 07"

This episode completely bypasses all of the traditional marketing routes and delivers content straight to the real fans. That is what Rebel Marketing is all about. This is the true message of what it means to be a real - rebel marketer. This is the most powerful program of its kind in existence because it also uses traditional SEO, (Search Engine Optimization).

This type of marketing is worth taking a look at....

Keep in mind that traditoinal Infomercials are very expensive to produce and they have a starting rate of about $125,000 just to get started.

For more information on how this can help check out this great resource:
SEO Revolution for Michigan area businesses.

Posted by Profit Secrets on June 11, 2007 at 1:35 pm.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Link Buying Catastrophes And Other Acts of Bravery

".... Like Doing The Texas Two Step In A Mine Field.... (Oh So I Hear...)

BRING ON THE "EXPERTS"

Its always refreshing to see the dawning of a new age. Internet marketing is on a new plateau and smart companies have latched onto it. But along this winning curve comes a sinister shadow lurking in the background.

In a recent bid for new projects The University of Michigan reared its ugly head and butted into a few of my business deals. Apparently these guys have self nominated themselves as "experts" in the field of Search Engine Marketing... and that alone is laughable.

Even stranger yet as I drove by their media department on State street last week I noticed the entire building was in a state of rubble. The U of M have sided with the State of Michigan and they are deciding whats in YOUR best interest when it comes to online marketing.

These guys may have good intentions but its downright frightening when you bring on these technocrats into the picture. The "scene" is doomed from the start when you have individuals who self nominate themselves as experts in the field. Its the consumer who ends up getting screwed, even if they agree to pay half of the bill.

The criteria they base their knowledge on is very limited. They simply have no concept of what it takes to make a page rank properly. There is a kick back system in place that is not too well known but its crap business

Your state.... Illinois could be next.

MORONS COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES
You don't have to wait for the State to come and stomp your company into the dust. Your enemies in the big city come in many different shapes and sizes. In most common cases they come in the form of Advertising Agencies.

A recent post on Craigslist got my attention. This large advertising agency has declared themselves the new "Bad Boys" of Search Engine Marketing. Only one little problem. These guys were awarded a large amount of money to start up a department and have no idea what they were doing. I was exchanging emails for a while with the "CEO" of this new partner and startup.

It didn't take me too long to figure out this guy had no idea what he was getting himself into. The questions I will post below should wake you up and startle you a bit.

** "What exactly is a blog ??"
** "Are site maps really necessary??"
** "How do I get our sites into the right directories??"

Good lord. And this guy was trying to dangle a golden carrot of only a thousand bucks a week to hold his hand through this SEO Process. Yes I know after four months I will be "fired" because thats how these heathens operate.

Word to the wise -- "You're going to need a BIGGER carrot".

By the way, these groups and so many others I talk to say that buying links is A-OKAY. But before you take their "advice" and get yourself banned and blacklisted. I want to take this to the REAL expert.....

Check this out....
Matt Cutts, (Google Kingpin) on Link Buying
http://www.seobook.com/archives/002232.shtml#start_comments

Don't be a sucker.

Posted by Ted Cantu, on May 16, 2007 at 8:45 am and can be found at http://www.1seomichigan.com

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Getting a 10% Keyword Density !!!

"These People Are Nuts !!"

The mere idea of it is totally nuts. The consistent arrogance of this radical idea is just flat out crazy. But just recently a few SEO firms in our area - as well as a few well picked over national experts are doing just that.

This goes a little beyond just keyword stuffing, (titles, tags, headlines etc.) this also goes into the body copy. Over using keywords in every facet of your online presence is not only risky but very stupid and dangerous.

10% is like.... A LOT OF KEYWORDS to use in one shot. Depending on your overall word count in your sales copy you are still looking at a very dense page. There are about over 100 uses of the same keywords in your sales copy and this can get you blacklisted, (banned ) and get your pages yanked offline.

Coming Up Next Time:
How To Destroy Your Credibity !!

Posted by Ted Cantu on May 14, 2007 --- Cantu can be found at Http://www.1seomichigan.com

Friday, May 11, 2007

"Does Your Site Deserve To Be Seen Onilne?"

"What Does Your Company Really Deserve?"

A pat on the back or a shoe to the pants?
Thats pretty blunt but we're used to straight talk in the city of Chicago. Unfortunately a lot of companies fall into the 'shoe to the pants' category when it comes to Search Engine Optimization. There is really no sense in playing - Hide and Seek - when you are running a business online.


Here is some rather disheartening information on the matter....

"Search engines are fast replacing the yellow pages as a place for consumers to find businesses. People Google everything – from a business name to find the phone number, to product names to find companies that sell a certain model, to types of services to find companies offering them. But when you’re not selling online and you don’t have locations across the country, does it make sense to be found in search engines like Google? Let’s look at offline buying and how location matters."

Source:
http://www.bigoakinc.com/seo-articles/should-be-found-search-engines.php

The article doesn't really go off into the price gambit which in reality reaches startling heights. Running full page ads, quarter page ads and even double full page ads can be extremely costly. How costly? You can put your business in the Yellow Pages for 17k a month. The smaller ads will only run you 4k depending on what market you are in.

Its a scary proposition. But its one that needs to be addressed. So lets start thinking about the following scenario. What does it take to get your business noticed?

* Val Pak Ads - $4,000 depending on area

* Full Page Ads - $3,000
* Crains List Online - $2,500 - $5,000
* Postcard Mailers - 20,000 deployment on .29 cent stamps

These types of marketing forget to mention on critical factor. You will need to hit the marketplace at least three times before there is any visual stickiness going on. They will have to get comfortable seeing you and be able to recognize who you are as a marketer. This is going to be a real hard pill to swallow if you are on a very tight budget.

Its hard to get "familiar" when you are on limited funding. You need to be tenacious and look for a back door. There is a little more on this at:
http://911copywriters.blogspot.com

( I talk a bit about building online Blogging Uber Networks - with RSS and Social networking. )

Are People Really Reading The Yellow Books?
What are people picking up to find your company - a phone book or a mouse? These ads are very expensive to start and maintain. The popularity of phone books and ads that are found in them are declining.

More and more people are going online to get their informtion on different topics and subjects. There is a very good reason for this......

  • People can get services explained
  • Customers can read online and look for advantages vs disadvantages
  • It takes your company out of the "price game"
  • You can run consumer reports right off the sites

The most important reason for adding search engine optimization then becomes a different ball of wax altogether. Its NOT about getting to the top of the search engines - although that CAN happen. But however, it is more about getting the right type of clientele to get into contact with you and making deals.

It reverses the lead funnel approach. It makes you the center of attention who is reaching out to the customer base and extending an offer for free information exchange. And the best part is that your people can subscribe to you directly while making a decision on whether or not they want to buy your product or service.

Anonymously.

Ted Cantu posted this on May 11, 2007 at 7:29 am. He can be found at http://www.1seomichigan.com

Thursday, May 3, 2007

The Disappearing SEO Directories

"Where Are All The Great SEO Directories Disappearing To?"

Between you and me I am spammed out. I have just spent the better part of the evening looking for great places to promote my site. Even some of the best places that looked good to me have turned up missing all of a sudden. There are a lot of great SEO directories popping up MIA.

What gives?

Where oh where can you promote your site these days? You better break out a pen and paper and start creating a great directory for yourself. These places are coming and going and you want to take note of where your site is being listed.

What is the Problem With Free Directories?
A lot of directories have good intentions but no cash coming in. This means that a lot of them are destined to become cyberdust in a few months. This can be bad news for you.

Another problem is that a lot of them do not have people to manually post the entries. They are always looking for editors who want to do this job.. in some cases for free. This can be very advantageous for you to take this on. But between your blogging and podcasting and updating your web pages do you have the time?

Paid Directories Cost.... eeeek MONEY!??
Some paid directories are worth the money. This is particulary true with niche markets and industry specific markets. This definately holds true for even other SEO people out there. It not only gives your site a nod to the search engines but also lends credibility.

The game keeps changing. Be prepared.

Ted Cantu posted this on May 4, 2007 at 1:18 am. He can be found at http://www.1seomichigan.com and has a podcast show at http://www.podomatic.com

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Internet Marketing Seminar at Automation Alley

"LIVE - Internet Marketing Seminar to be Held at Automation Alley, Troy, Michigan"

If your company has a Michigan office or have sales people in the Metro Detroit area listen up. SEO Search Quest is giving out a Internet Marketing Seminar at Automation Alley, in Troy, MI.


Here are the details...

Dynamic New Developments: Internet Marketing
Presented by: SEO Search Quest


Description: SEO Search Quest invites you to attend An Internet Marketing Briefing centering on the industries dynamic new developments. The purpose is to illustrate new tools, techniques, strategies and how to create powerful online infrastructures. We will explore the concrete elements of how to get high traffic rankings on Yahoo and Google. We will also be discussing how to get Michigan business web sites in a position to compete with Global markets.

** There will be a bonus afternoon session.

Location: Automation Alley Headquarters2675 Bellingham Troy, MI 48083

Date: Monday April 23

Time:
8:30 a.m. Registration
9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Briefings
10:30 - 11:00 a.m. Available for questions and consultations


Cost:
12:00 – 1:00 pm - Break for Lunch
1:00pm – 2:30pm Briefings
2:30 – 3:00 pm Q & A
3:00 – 4:30 pm Bonus Session


There is no cost to attend.

posted by Profit Secrets, SEO Search Quest on April 19, 2007 at 8:41 am

Friday, April 13, 2007

SEO Podcast - Features Online Marketing News For Entrepreneurs


Click here to get your own player.



"New SEO Podcasting Show Gets Syndication...."
Here is the latest episode of SEO news from Chicago - Detroit based, SEO Search Quest. There are some news announcements on this episode featuring a recent decision to hold an information forum at Automation Alley in Troy, MI.

The show will be lead by Ex-Art Director and entrepreneur Ted Cantu. The point of putting together this informative freeform Online Marketing group is to showcase the new techniques of online marketing and dynamic strategies that are under utilized in our mid-west economy.

Posted by Ted Cantu - SEO Search Quest, on April 13, at 10:57.