SEO in 2011

Posted on January 4, 2012 by graceynewman

I found this great infographic that outlines all the Google Algorithm changes that happened in 2011 and I added some more links for you, enjoy!

The January and February updates prevent the JCPenny SEO issue and the Forbes Link Issue from happening in the future.

The infographic mentions that Matt Cutts (Head of Google Spam Team) announced 10 changes to the algorithm, here is the link to read all 10.

Top Google Algorithm Changes of 2011 by HigherVisibility

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2011 Wrap Up: I wil be blogging more in 2012!

Posted on January 1, 2012 by graceynewman

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for my blog!

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,900 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 48 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

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How we talk VS how we write

Posted on June 7, 2011 by graceynewman

Isn’t it so much more interesting to hear someone speak about what they do versus read what they put on their resume?
Have you ever visited a website and read the ‘About Us’ section and became even more confused?
Why do companies do this? It wastes your time and their Advertising budget.

Some of you maybe familiar with the fast food brand Chick-fil-A. Their company mission statement is “Be America’s Best Quick-Service Restaurant.” That’s it! Not: “We up hold the highest standard of quality and serve you with prompt customer service…(insert run on sentence).”

Simple and to the point. Why is this so important?

1. Advertising is expensive
2. Consumers have short attention spans, it takes at least 5 times to absorb an idea
3. Consumers are very busy and can be easily distracted by other technologies

Make your ‘About Us’ page in easy to understand language, write it how you talk.

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How do you know all this stuff?

Posted on June 1, 2011 by graceynewman

I get this question a lot. And every time I answer with the truth “I studied and I study every day.”  I get the same loaded “oh.” When they say “oh” it sounds like “Oh… so you didn’t get a degree in this?” As if studying on your own and having real experience is  worthless compared to a MBA. Of course getting an MBA is one heck of an accomplishment. But, being self-motivated and studying on your own is a different kind of accomplishment…

In honor of Seth Godin, I call this Linchpin school… Let’s go to class. Who’s with me?

This post was inspired by:

The hard part by Seth Godin
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/05/the-hard-part-one-of-them.html

Filed under: Personal Branding | 2 Comments »

Take my course and get a job – Success Story

Posted on April 8, 2011 by graceynewman

I received an amazing ‘thank you’ from a student that completed my Understanding Search and Online Marketing Course with MediaBistro. I love seeing that she was able to take what she learned, apply it and get the ultimate return on her investment… A JOB.

While taking Gracey Newman’s “Understanding SEO” course and her 3-hour seminar, I used a detailed SEO PowerPoint presentation prepared for the class to showcase my skills on ten interviews.  They were all blown away. Two weeks after the six-week SEO course ended, I was hired for a full-time position as a copywriter and digital marketing analyst at a major SEO/interactive digital marketing agency called Steak Digital.  This came after years of searching for a job on my own.  Pretty amazing. – Janie Ho


Upcoming MediaBistro Courses:
SEO Essentials: Secrets of Internet Marketing -3 Hour Seminar May 12th, 6:45-9:45
Understanding Search and Online Marketing -6-Week Course: Tuesdays, May 24 – June 28, 6:45-9:45

Filed under: Personal Branding, SEO, Training | Leave a Comment »

How the new Facebook features effect your business.

Posted on March 21, 2011 by graceynewman

Like = Share

Facebook recently launched some new features for business pages. Here are 3 new features and how they will effect your business. The question is “How will users react?”

1. Use faceboook as the admin or as yourself
This is great! No real down side here. The ability to like and comment on my company’s posts as myself instead of asnthe company is great. You can now also like other company pages and comment as your company.  Win, Win.

2. The like button is now the same as share
If you haventhe facebook like button on your website or blog post, when users hit the like button they also put in on their own wall. This means it will show up in their friends’ newsfeed. This new feature is great for the companies but, once the users figure this out will they be a little reluctant to use the like button?

3. Facebook comments plugin
This is great for companies! This plugin essentially makes users verify their identities by authenticating who they are via their facebook profile. This is great for preventing comment spam (for now).  It also allows people to comment as a company instead of as an individual.

  • Does it make the user an automatic facebook fan? No
  • Does it posts the comments to the user wall? No, it shares the article and states that the user commented. Their friends have to click to read the article and scroll down to see their comments.

As a company using facebook as a marketing tool we should be excitted. But, I wonder if once users catch on, they will start using the ”Like” button less.

What do you think?  Will users start using these features more or less since thensharing features are now enhanced?

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Weekly Picks: Bad reviews can now hurt your search engine rankings

Posted on December 5, 2010 by graceynewman

Very interesting week! Google changes its ranking algorithm to factor in negative reviews. Record sales for online retailers during Cyber Monday (good news for the economy). 5 million people check-in to Foursquare and more:

Google Changes Its Rank Algorithm In Response To DecorMyEyes Story
http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/01/googl/

Being bad to your customers is bad for business
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/being-bad-to-your-customers-is-bad-for.html

How the Fortune 500 Use Social Media to Grow Sales and Revenue
http://mashable.com/2010/12/02/fortune-500-social-media/

Customers pay by swiping smartphones, not credit cards
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-12-01-mobilepayments01_ST_N.htm

eBay Cyber Monday Mobile Sales Up 146 Percent, iPhones Dominate Transactions
http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/01/ebay-cyber-monday-mobile-sales-up-146-percent-iphones-dominate-transactions/

Boom! 5 Million Users Check-In To Foursquare
http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/01/foursquare-hits-5-million-users/

YouTube Officially Launches Ads You Can Skip
http://techcrunch.com/2010/12/01/youtube-officially-launches-ads-you-can-skip/

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Weekly Picks

Posted on November 15, 2010 by graceynewman
Google vs Facebook

from hudsonhorizons.com

From the new Google Preview Search, the Google vs Facebook showdown, FREE WiFi on Airlines, to Groupon… A lot happened this week you should know about:

Want a job? BraveNewTalent launches smart Facebook app for social recruitment
http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/11/08/want-a-job-bravenewtalent-launches-smart-facebook-app-for-social-recruitment/

Google Spreads Free Holiday WiFi Beyond Virgin To AirTran And Delta This Year
http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/08/google-spreads-free-holiday-wifi-beyond-virgin-to-airtran-and-delta-this-year/

Google Now Lets You Preview Search Results Before You Click Them
http://mashable.com/?p=434643&preview=true

5 Big Brands That Are Rocking the Social Media Space [Mashable Awards]
http://mashable.com/2010/11/08/big-brands-social-media-2/

Facebook’s Gmail Killer, Project Titan, Is Coming On Monday
http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/11/facebook-gmail-titan/

Google Offers Staff Engineer $3.5 Million To Turn Down Facebook Offer
http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/11/google-offers-staff-engineer-3-5-million-to-turn-down-facebook-offer/

Yahoos Freaking Out Over 20% Layoff Rumors
http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/11/yahoos-freaking-out-over-20-layoff-rumors/

HOW TO: Activate Your Brand’s Super Influencers
http://mashable.com/2010/11/12/activate-super-influencers/

As Groupon Grows, Will Small Business Be Left Behind?
http://mashable.com/2010/11/12/entrees-to-go-groupon/

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Weekly Picks

Posted on November 7, 2010 by graceynewman

I am going to start bringing you my top picks every week from TechCrunch, Mashable, SEO, Social Media News.

Top Picks:
What your phone says about you: TechCrunch
http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/04/iphone-android-blackberry/
TechCrunch


13 Business Blogging Dos and Don’ts For Creating Relationships
http://www.smallbusinessbranding.com/2796/13-business-blogging-dos-and-don%E2%80%99ts-for-creating-relationships/

Social Networks Are Not Killing Our Social Lives [STATS]
http://mashable.com/2010/10/28/social-media-report/
Local Deals Come to Facebook Places -Mashable
http://mashable.com/2010/11/03/facebook-deals-platform/

Google vs. Bing: Correlation Analysis of Ranking Elements
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/google-vs-bing-correlation-analysis-of-ranking-elements

Citysearch Lays Off Editorial Employees, Less 3% Of Staff
http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/01/citysearch-layoffs/

How Much is Your Brand Worth to a Fan?
http://www.conversationagent.com/2010/10/how-much-is-your-brand-worth-to-a-fan.html

comScore: Q3 E-Commerce Spending Up 9 Percent To $32 Billion
http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/01/comscore-q3-e-commerce-spending-up-9-percent-to-32-billion/

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Job Search Tips: Your Social Media Profiles

Posted on November 6, 2010 by graceynewman

Google Rourself

If you are searching for a job you probably have spent a ton of time on your resume. But, after you make it to the HR desk, what do you think happens next? Most savvy employers will Google you… Uh Oh

So, Google Yourself:

What comes up? Facebook? Twitter? Foursquare? LinkedIn? What would prospective employers see?

1. Profile Images: Look at your FaceBook profile picture, your Tweets or FourSquare Checkins. Would an HR person think these are appropriate? People have been fired as well as not hired because of what was on their Social Media profiles.

2. Twitter: Watch your tweets. Did you ever tweet anything bad or a customer service issue? Tweet anything that breaks the no religion/politics rule? Make sure all of that is off your wall. Take down anything you don’t want to be asked about in an interview.

3. Foursquare: Are you checking into a competing business? Are you checking into strip clubs, churches, political rallies, 10 bars in a night? Stop, remove or hide your Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and FourSquare.

It is your choice to censor, hide or stop. But just be mindful. Work and personal lives were at one time easy to separate but, with all the social media openness out there, it is a fuzzy line.

How to Hide Your Social Media Profiles:

Facebook:
How to Set Facebook Privacy Settings

Twitter:
1. Log In
2. Click “Settings” on the top right of the screen
3. Go to the “Account” tab and check “Protect my updates”
4. Click SAVE
More Info

FourSquare:
How to set FourSquare Privacy Settings

After you clean that up, setup a Google alert so you can keep tabs on your online image.

Filed under: Job Search Tips, Personal Branding, Social Media | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Online Marketing Course in New York City

Posted on October 29, 2010 by graceynewman

Media Bistro

Understanding Search & Online Marketing.
November 3 – December 15 (no class No class Thanksgiving week)
Wednesdays 6:45-9:45
Location: 475 Park Ave South, New York City

I am the instructor for this course. I am going to cover a lot of Marketing topics from Basic SEO, Social Media, Blogging and more. Trust me you will learn a lot in this course! The goal of the course is for you to apply what you learn immediately. So it will be great for professionals who are already working.

Click here to see details about the Marketing Course. Please pass this on to someone who might be interested!

If you have any questions, leave a Reply below:

Filed under: Personal Branding | Leave a Comment »

LinkedIn: Not your online resume-your online elevator pitch.

Posted on October 16, 2010 by graceynewman

Your LinkedIn Profile is not your online resume it is your online elevator pitch. But before you get your 30 seconds to pitch, you have to be found in LinkedIn search results. You must get your profile 100% complete and then you can make it stand out. Here are some basics and some tips that will get you LinkedIn inbox full with new networking connections and inquires from prospective employers.

 

Get your profile to 100% Complete:

  • A current position
  • 2 past positions
  • Education
  • Profile summary
  • A profile photo
  • Specialties
  • At least 3 recommendations

 Don’t just copy/paste your resume  keep it brief and interesting:

  • Do some keyword research about your career field and find some buzz words. Use them in your profile so you will be found in keyword searches. Use these sites for research: 
  • Use a progessional photo. No cropped bar photos or group photos.
  • Have a good Headline… Tell people what you do and how you can help them
  • Update your status weekly and/or use Twitter 

Use Applications:

  • Tripit is a good one for business travel
  • Put a Blog Feed in your LinkedIn Profile
  • Add a Reading List
  • Presentations
  • See more

Recommendations:

  • Get some recommendations and give some recomendations. Make sure they are well thought out and give actual examples not just “she is great”

Networking:

  • Join groups and interact/ answer questions- contribute something meaningful
  • Read status updates of your connections and use that to stay in touch. Especially if they change jobs
  • Connect with people you know or people you have done business with. 

More Tips/Resourses

Have more tips? Comment Below.

Filed under: Personal Branding, Social Media | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Marketing Course at Media Bistro in New York City

Posted on August 29, 2010 by graceynewman

Media Bistro

Understanding Search & Online Marketing.
September 15th – October 20
Wednesdays 6:45-9:45
Location: 475 Park Ave South, New York City

I am the instructor for this course. I am going to cover a lot of Marketing topics from Basic SEO, Social Media, Blogging and more. Trust me you will learn a lot in this course! The goal of the course is for you to apply what you learn immediately. So it will be great for professionals who are already working.

Click here to see details about the Marketing Course. Please pass this on to someone who might be interested!

If you have any questions, leave a Reply below:

Filed under: Personal Branding | Leave a Comment »

Is it rude to take notes on your smart phone?

Posted on July 23, 2010 by graceynewman
Notes v smartphone

Retro note taking at Google Affiliate Conference, Chicago, IL

In conferences especially I see people typing on their laptops, net books, iPads and even smart phones. It seems that all except the later have become common at seminars and meetings as an acceptable medium for note taking but, what about smart phones?

Well, I do not think we are there yet. Even though there are great apps for note taking like Evernote, the perception is that if you are on your smart phone you are not paying attention.

Being at dinner with a friend and using your smart phone too much = rude

In company meetings you will see people sporadically looking at their smart phone to check email = acceptable

But imagine someone typing on their smart phone during a one-on-one meeting… Even if they are taking notes, the perception is that they are not paying attention.

Is it still rude to be on your smart phone during a meeting? What do you think?

Filed under: Gadget, Personal Branding | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Self promote: If you don’t think you rock, why should they?

Posted on June 23, 2010 by graceynewman


People get scared to put themselves out there because they think only the best person deserves it. And they doubt that they could possibly be the best. Politicians for example, do you really think that was the best of the best? Probably not, odds are there as someone better who just didn’t speak up.

Is there a job at work that you want but they are hiring from the outside? Ask for it. Put together some valid reasons for them considering you, remind them of your background and be assertive.

You can even offer to earn it: Do the job for the same pay, produce results and then ask for the compensation later.

Fake it till you make it. Does the job require skills that you need to brush up on? The internet is a wealth of knowledge full of free information and training: YouTube how to videos, bloggers, only training and more… get to work!

Oh no you say!? “That is dishonest and not representing myself correctly…” Ask your self this: would you rather have a lazy genius working for you or an someone with average knowledge who is motivated, driven and ready to do whatever it takes to be successful?

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Boost up your brand when you get down

Posted on June 18, 2010 by graceynewman

boost your brand
Ever get down, frustrated with work, angry with someone, or just feeling off about yourself for no particular reason?

It happens to everyone, but here are some ideas to keep your head up by promoting your self:

Change Direction.This will distract you and take the focus off your problem and put the focus back on you:

  • Go blog about something -don’t rant about your problems though (no one wants to read rants). Make it something meaningful and engaging.
  • Do something nice for yourself, hot bath, spa treatment, go for a long walk, eat some junk food, by something, whatever. Indulge yourself a little.

This will distract you and take the focus off your problem and put the focus back on you!

Filed under: Personal Branding | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

RSS feeds can make you smarter!

Posted on May 12, 2010 by graceynewman

RSS Feed ReaderWe all have the best intentions when we find a great blog or website. We subscribe to the email list or to the RSS feed… and then we NEVER read them again. Why? Because we don’t have time to go all those websites every day.

I have the solution: Google Alerts, Google Reader and an RSS Feed Reader for your phone are tools that can make you smarter! Here are the 5 steps:

  1. Go to www.google.com/reader and sign into your google account.
  2. Go to a blog and click the RSS subscribe icon. You can always find it in the address bar or on front page of the blog:
RSS Subscribe Button

RSS Subscribe Button on Blog Page

RSS Subscribe Button in Address Bar

RSS Subscribe Button in Address Bar

3. Choose Google Reader from the drop down:

Google Reader Selection

Choose Google Reader

4. Put anRSS feed reader app on your smart phone. Search your the App Store on your phone, here are some popular feed readers:

    - Andriod: News Rob
    - iPhone: Google Reader App
    - Blackberry: RSS Reader

5. Read the RSS feed of the Blogs when you have down-time, instead of playing solitaire. Read them on the subway, on the bus, waiting in line for coffee, etc.

Keeping up with the blogs will keep your creative juices flowing and make you more savvy about you industry! Here are some blogs I follow:
* Tech Crunch
* Blog Catalog
* Copy Blogger
* Mashable
* Reach Personal Branding

See my previous posts about using Google Alerts to get noticed online and keep up with your competitors.

Filed under: Gadget, Personal Branding, Tech Tips | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Should we censor our social media updates?

Posted on May 4, 2010 by graceynewman

Social Media Status UpdateShould managers take our personal status updates with a grain of salt or should we censor ourselves?

I remember visiting my mom at work and she used to have funny Garfield cartoons about work hanging up… are social media updates the same or taking it a step further?

My personal strategy is to make sure that whatever I put in the status updates would be appropriate for everyone from my best friend to my mom to my boss.

A few of my FaceBook friends that have worked with me or do work with me now. Even if you do not have any co-worker FB friends, you still should be aware that potential employers can see Twitter updates and LinkedIn statuses…

Some Akward Status Updates for the boss:

Vent-fest with Lisa (co-worker)“

Not only did you tell the world you were upset about work… You dragged Lisa down with you.

I don’t want to be here, wish it was the weekend”

I am SOOO Bored” (10:34am Monday)

Have you ever posted anything you regretted? Do you think managers should ignore or should we keep our social media appropriate for all audiences?

Filed under: Personal Branding, Social Media | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Bad Personal Branding Example 1:

Posted on April 29, 2010 by graceynewman

No to bad branding

You should only have 1 personal brand and not show different faces to different groups. An oldy -but-goody example of this is Spirit Airlines circa 2007. This CEO hit the reply all button and showed the outside world his other brand:

Please respond, Pasquale, but we owe him nothing as far as I’m concerned. Let him tell the world how bad we are. He’s never flown us before anyway and will be back when we save him a penny.”
-Ben Baldanza Spirit Airlines CEO,  2007.

Lesson 1: Beware the Reply All and Forward buttons.

Lesson 2: This CEO should have been communicating a good brand both inside and outside the company.

Filed under: Personal Branding | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Focus on you

Posted on April 23, 2010 by graceynewman

By Gracey Newman
Focus on you and your goals. Yes, this sounds very selfish but, think about it… You can have the most impact on your organization if you just accomplish your own goals.
Quit worrying about things that you cannot control and prioritize your goals.

1. Focus on what you can control

It does not help you to get involved in things that do not directly effect your job and your goals. Don’t worry too much about things that are someone else’s focus/goal. Of course there are exceptions but overall take care of your stuff first. Don’t waste energy and get yourself all worked up over things that you cannot have any impact on. Save that energy for your goals, you will be much happier and more productive.

2. Prioritize: If everything is important then nothing is important

There are TONs of things that you need to do everyday and there are many things that do directly effect your goals. But, you still have to rank something first and something last. Sounds scary but trust me, you will be more focused and get more done this way. Think of this order as a compass, if the thing you are working on does not DIRECTLY impact your goal stop and refocus.

Filed under: Personal Branding | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

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