Archive for August, 2008

The 10 Best Things Learned at SES San Jose by Ninja Jen

SES San Jose 2008, was my first SEO conference and it was an incredible learning experience for a lowly, little ninja like myself.

On the night of Webmaster Radio’s Search Bash, Jim Hedger, asked me a question, “What did you learn at SES?” Well, I didn’t get to answer him that night, but I wanted to. Bearing in mind that we didn’t attend any sessions, but networked pretty hard at night.

Here are the Top 10 Things I learned at SES, because no one can resist a Top 10. Right, Chris?

#10 Selling Raffle Tickets is a great way to meet people. I lucked out at the The Internet Marketer’s Charity Party when Stuntddubl asked me if I’d sell Raffle Tickets. As a rookie, selling tickets gave me a great excuse to introduce myself to all of the great minds in the room, and make money for children, and really what is better than networking for charity?

#9 I’ll only stop for really good swag. Freebies like t-shirts, shot glasses or Frisbees are definitely worth enduring a conversation about a service you may not need, and I will totally put my name on an email list for a back massager. But if we’re talking a pen or coasters, I’ll keep right on walking, so just a thought for marketers, giving away novelties or clever wearables like Shoemoney’s “SEO Sucks” t-shirt, or the BOTW Hoodies (which were EVERYWHERE) definitely make it worth the time.

#8 SEO, in all its forms, is bigger than I had ever imagined. Being a link ninja, the little slit in the masks Jim makes us wear is pretty narrow, so I usually only get to study the science and effects of link building. But getting out of costume for a week gave me a chance to see the seemingly endless streams of ideas and innovation in this industry. It seems as though everyone has a different field of expertise and ideology. I have to admit I have on occasion wondered about the longevity of this field that is constantly changing, and oftentimes seems tenuous at best. But now I have truly come to believe that there is indeed no ceiling without pride. By which I mean, for those who are willing to accept that everything they have come to believe may at some point become obsolete and strive for a a mentality of ingenuity and adaptability above all else, then the opportunities are truly limitless.

#7 Google has heated toilet seats. I can live with out the giant facilities and Wii Wall, but if Google engineers get heated toilet seats, why can’t ninjas?

#6 Linkbuilding is still very much a secret art. Here at the office, the majority of us have developed the capacity to link build with a severe concussion. And granted, we don’t expect many people in our lives to understand what we do, but even the SEO contingency people’s sense of what it means to link build is still somewhat generic or outdated. Here at We Build Pages, the ninjas have long known that we had the highest kick in the Dojo, but now I understand the real power of a ninja army is not in its size, but its insight, humanity and adherence to unindictable philosophy that truly comprises its strength. And of course the fact that, as Dave Naylor can tell you, there may be a ninja hanging above your bed and you’d never even know it.

#5 Discretion is the better part of Valor, SEO, and Conferences.

#4 SES is not like prison. I make this comparison in regards to gaining the knowledge that unlike incarceration, one needn’t pick a brawl with the Poker King on the first night in order to survive, especially if there is a camera happy German around.

#3 My Boss is the MAN. Now you may be thinking, “How do you work for Jim, and not know that?” Well, in a greater sense I did. I knew he was brilliant and frequently referenced, and I knew he was a great guy I’m lucky enough to call a boss and a friend. But now I know that he has also been a guide and a mentor for more people than I could have imagined, when you hear people use words like “god” and “revered” to describe a man you see every day, it’s kind of like finding out your uncle is Bruce Springsteen. Basically, I got a better idea of just how lucky I am to work for the best.

#2 Jack In the box is better in the middle of the night. Whether you walk there with Patrick Sexton, or Frank Watson brings it to you in a cab on a bench outside the Marriott.

#1 SEOs are the coolest people on the planet. While I’ve suspected this for some time now, this past week has confirmed it. Hearing them speak about their craft is like listening to an artist or a scientist, seeing them tell stories about one another is like watching a stand-up comedian, and partying with them is like hanging out with rock stars. I hope that you all will excuse the excessive gushing of a novice, but I can’t help but to feel a bit like I fell down a rabbit hole for five days, and it was an amazing trip. Thank you all for the inspiration and I hope to see you at the next one…hint hint, Boss…

Last week I attended SES San Jose, and I ended up coming back to NY with Patrick Sexton (Feedthebot).

We’ve got really big plans for the future of We Build Pages and Patrick will be a big part of that.

Here’s the press release.

I’m Feeling Lucky!

We’re seeking someone who is very experienced in Perl.

This job is in Troy New York. You will need to move to Troy New York. No Exceptions.

Our ideal candidate:

Is fluent in Perl, PHP, SQL, and Javascript (with experience with AJAX)

Writes code that is easily understood and maintained by others

Can design databases from complex real-world scenarios

Is experienced with regular expressions

Has basic Linux server administration knowledge (can use rpm/yum to install required software; is familiar with configuring Apache web servers)

Is an experienced "hands on" manager who leads by example.

Is able to code while managing a small team of <10 programmers.

—————————-

To Apply
Answer the following questions and email them to my first name at webuildpages.com

Name

Phone

Email

Where do you live

Date you could start (in Troy New York)

Pay you are seeking (do not write "Negotiable").

How many words can you type per minute?

Please list your last three jobs, including dates, your regular duties, salary, and reason for leaving, as well as a contact person and phone number.

List the programming languages / web technologies you know, including level of familiarity and years of experience for each. (if you list it, be expected to be quizzed on it).

List some URL’s of live examples of your work.

——————————

Please pass this on to anyone you know who might be needing a new job and has these skills.

Kurt Krejny of Fathom SEO is causing a bit of a ruckus on Sphinn with his piece about Domain Name Gaming. Basically, he’s irritated with keyword-rich domain names being bought up and filled with useless content that ranks well. I have to agree. What’s the controversy?

First, johnandrews commented that Kurt’s argument is "naive and uninformed." I made a comment about human reviewers to which SpostareDuro replied, "Terrific resolve… in theory."

I’d like to expand upon my argument.

We all know what these keyword-happy domains look like. I’m sure a good number of people reading this have created some. (In the name of experimentation, of course.) And we all know that, while the keywords rock the AdSense and bring in loads of cash, the people who visit these sites are not quite happy with the content they find. That’s why they click on the ads, of course, which is why they’re created so poorly in the first place.

But if we look at these sites with our user hats on instead of our SEO hats, it’s not a pretty picture. They fail at meeting user intent. Hard. And while they may rank well for a while, human reviewers could flatten them in no time.

Kurt encouraged his readers to submit a Spam Report to Google whenever they come across these sucky keyword sites. (Most likely because we want to compete with them, of course.) Commenter berto pointed out that these sites don’t fit the strict definition of spam as set out by the search engines.

Submitting a spam report could still help, even if the search engines don’t kick the sites to the curb for spamming. Why? Because human eyeballs still need to evaluate the spam report, and human reviewers would likely end up demoting sites that aren’t kicked out of the index.

Not convinced? Let’s take Google for example. Google utilizes human reviewers. Now I don’t know how different sites end up getting reviewed, but it would make sense that spam reports would kick up various URLs for them to look at. So if you submit a spam report, and the reviewer determines that the site doesn’t meet the Google definition of spam, that’s not the only thing they’re going to look at.

No, the human reviewer is going to look at the site that you already know is useless, and they are going to recognize that it isn’t "useful." It may have some relevance, if it’s able to dodge the spam label, but being bumped off the "useful" peg should leave room for good results to rank.

And that’s where you come in, with your site that is ready to rank competitively for the keyword that the sucky site formerly dominated. With useful information that meets user intent instead of copying and pasting important keywords into a generic template that uses many words to say nothing. Pay someone to write that useful content.  You paid for the domain; this is just another part of the investment, or else you’re throwing your money away.

That’s one reason I have my job: to create content that both helps boost SERP rank and provides value to the user. So my advice may seem a bit self-serving…

But it also helps you. Because your sucky keyword site may be raking in traffic and ad revenue now, but it’s only a matter of time before one of your competitors hits the spam report button and outranks you with actual content. I will begrudgingly admit that sucky content can serve as a placeholder while quality content is generated, but using it that way is a gamble and a race against time - can you replace the crap with something of substance before your site makes it to human review?

Holes in my argument: Maybe the spam report doesn’t automatically kick a site into the queue for human review. Maybe the human reviewer(s) will disagree with you on the value of the site. Maybe the human reviewer(s) will agree with you, but their evaluation has no real effect on the rankings. Maybe you can fly under the radar and not get caught. BUT… are those risks you’re willing to take?

Sunday morning I’m heading out to San Jose for the Search Engine Strategies (SES) conference with 7 other ninjas.

I’ve actually got a pretty busy week…

Monday night there’s the IMCharity event for the The Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation and the Childrens Hospital.  I’m also proud to say that we’re one of the sponsors of the event.

Tuesday Night there’s the Google Dance. I’ve been at all the google dance’s since they started in 2002. I can’t wait.

 Wednesday night is Search Bash. This is always one of the craziest parties of the year…if not the craziest! (Sumo wrestling this year??)

Between these events we’re planning on checking out San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, and perhaps Rt 1 (Montery, Big Sur), or Kings Canyon National Park or Sequoia National Park.

Chuck gets to attend the day sessions (he get’s the am shift) and everyone else is on the pm shift for networking

I’m excited to share a California experience with a bunch of people who have never been west of the mississippi.

I’ll see ya’ll at night!

If you see a Ninja, be sure to ask them for a light…we’re coming with hundreds of keychain lights that are really cool.

OK readers….I’m going to warn you…it’s another one of those "after 1am…I’m still at the office" posts ….

A Space of my Own - Written May 28, 1988 - (Over 20 years ago), when I was in 11th grade…fyi, I got an 88 on it…I had lots of spelling errors (could you guess?).

I remember a time long gone, a time when my only worry was what was going to be for supper. Back then most of my time was spent in the woods. There was one space of my own, a special space. It was centered around a big boulder that was beside a stream. It was a long walk from home, but to me it was worth the journey!

Every day Mom would pack my lunch for my adventure. I used to head out the door with my lunch and a Louisville slugger to fend off the wild beasts of the woods. I’d scamper off into the forest without a care. I would run along a rock wall until the right moment where I would veer off deeper into the woods. A cliff was in my path so I fell and rolled the rest of the way down. Then I’d spot the rock; it towered above the rest. Running up to it I’d climb to the top and eat my lunch.

After lunch my crumbs went to the frogs and fish. Jumping off the boulder I would start my hunt. I always caught some small lobsters (crawfish) and lizards (salamanders). Tonight they’d be in my room until Mom made me take them back tomorrow.

Every day I was some one new: Billy the Kid, Captain Hook, Reggie Jackson, or Superman. Mom would always call me home too soon so I’d have to run home until tomorrow.

Last month I visited my special space. I set off with no lunch and no bat. As soon as I set foot in the woods, the bugs started to eat me alive. I didn’t remember bugs here before. The rock wall was my path until I saw a snake. I somehow managed to miss the spot where I used to veer off and went way past the builder. After I backtracked, I reached the place where the boulder should have been. All I saw was a rock that was a little bigger than the rest, so I sat on it.

I sat and thought about school, girls, parents, and what I was going to do for the rest of my life. I saw a frog, but it quickly jumped away. Across the crick a ragged rope dangles from a tree where Tarzan had once swung. I couldn’t stay long: there was a lot of work to be done.

I knew that the place was still the same, but the place I remembered as a little boy had changed. Somehow the rock had grown smaller, the stream has also moved closer to the house, and my thoughts have moved to things "more important" than frogs and fish.
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August 14, 2008: Today, more than 20 years after writing the above, I set out to revisit that boulder.

Background: About 5 years ago I had bought my parents house, but this year we moved, and tomorrow my childhood house is being sold.

Today I was doing the final walk-through of the house I had grown up in when I decided that I’d go for one final hunt through the woods to the boulder where I had spent so much time as a little boy.

I started into the woods, knowing that I’d be heading into work right after that…and if my jeans and sneakers got wet, so be it. I wanted to be in the woods.

Memories came rushing back to me the second I stepped into the woods. I knew exactly where I was…it was as if I was seeing things as I did 30 years ago as a 7 year old.

I followed the rock wall remembering where I had found snakes as a kid, and looking around those areas hoping to see a snake (though I doubt that if I found one, that I’d put it through my belt loops to freak out my wife like I used to do to my mom).

Knowing where the earth would be wet, I traversed right to where I expected to come out in the stream, and I followed it to where the boulder should be. On my way I found the tree that held the Tarzan rope, though the rope was gone today (If it had been there…and looked stable, I would have swung on it…..though I knew that was a pipe dream).

I found the place where the boulder should be…and in between fallen trees, I spotted the boulder. I worked my way through the trees and sat down on the boulder and thought.

I didn’t think about the business (like I tend to do 98% of the time)….I thought about everything that I’d experienced through the years, and how it had all led to what I am today, and will influence what I will be tomorrow. I feel good because in my heart I want to make the world a better place, and I’m working to help contribute to helping make the world a better place (FYI, We Build Pages donated over $100,000 to charities last year, and we’re expecting to give more than that this year….this makes me feel so good inside…it’s hard to express)..sitting there on the boulder, thinking about everything I’ve been through in my life (the good and the bad), has made me into who I am today…and the person I am today is one I’m very happy with.

As I looked around I noticed that the stream had taken a new bend, and was now 20 feet from the rock……The rock, like my deepest feelings, hasn’t moved; the stream, like my life, has meandered….but is ever flowing.

My mind shifted to wondering how life was treating the stream. I got off the boulder and went to the water and saw the same little fish like I remembered watching as a kid. I turned over some rock looking for crawfish or salamanders….but found nothing….if only I had more time and had my boys with me…..they’d love this!

As I started back…..I’ll admit that a tear came to my eye….but it didn’t last long, and was quickly replaced with a smile.

The second I left the woods, my mind went right back into We Build Pages mode….and I kept smiling.

* Jim’s note: Feel free to Sphinn this.

Tough love. It’s something I’m going to have to start getting used to as the office consultant on user intent.

It’s hard to tell someone - like your boss, or a client - that their keyword targeting campaign is due to fail miserably because it doesn’t match up with user intent. You know, it fails the Your Mom Test.

I’m learning a lot about SEO. Before Jim hired me, the extent of my SEO knowledge was served up to me by a leading web content portal for which I was an author. There are different sets of rules for SEO writers and SEO gurus. I’m trying to absorb as much of the guru side as I can, but SEO is not primarily my job. Content is my job.

But once in a while, I’m called in to take a look at a web site and look at it from a user prospective.

"Pretend you typed in this phrase," Jim says, "and this was the site you clicked on. Tell me your thoughts."

It only takes me a second or two to establish what I would want to see for any given keyword phrase. (So far, at least, nothing has been overly technical.)

The most common problem I’ve had to point out so far is when a landing page - generally the index page for the site - contains only a passing blurb on the keyword subject.

As I’m going to be heading out soon to enjoy a concert at SPAC, let’s use [Maroon 5] as our keyword phrase. They happen to be one of my favorite bands, so I’m fairly comfortable talking about them.

So my hypothetical landing page that I’m looking at is musicrelatedtermhere.com. The index page is what I’m examining. The homepage blurb explains that the purpose of the site is to provide "you" - as a rock music fan - with all of the latest information on your favorite rock bands, including Maroon 5. The blurb includes one of the band’s latest single releases, "Wak eUp Call," but that is the extent of the band’s homepage coverage.

Oh, and the top link in the site’s navigation is "Maroon 5." Site navigation is a prominent left sidebar. The "Maroon 5" link is the first link visible on the page, right below the homepage logo banner. There’s no doubt about the link’s visibility and accessibility. Users landing on this page couldn’t miss the "Maroon 5" link.

So I click on the "Maroon 5" link. There are rotating band pics, with thumbnails linking to the rest of the band photo gallery. The band’s discography and upcoming tour dates are featured. The Maroon 5 page also has links to a fan forum, some Maroon 5 Myspace graphics, and some downloadable Maroon 5 ringtones. This page is amazing! I love it! This page passes and surpasses any user intent standards I could throw at it.

But it’s not the landing page I’m supposed to be looking at. I press the back button. Oh yeah, that’s right. I have a little blurb mentioning one of the band’s singles. And there’s a link to the amazing page.

Color me disappointed.

But how to explain this to my boss, or my boss’s client?

The easiest way is to describe how amazing the second page is. It’s virtually everything a user could want when typing in [Maroon 5]. THAT is the page I would want to see at the top of my Google results. (Or Yahoo, or Ask.com results. But I’ll be honest - I love my Google Toolbar.)

The homepage? Not so much. Why should I bother with the site homepage when I can go right to the Maroon 5 page? The homepage offers me no real value. A link is of little value. I clicked on a link to get there - the link from the SERP. Why click the homepage link instead of the Maroon 5 page link? As a user, my attention span is short, as is my patience. Sure, the link to the good page is prominent, but why waste my time with an intermediate page?

So what happens to the site owner who is targeting their homepage for [Maroon 5]? A great SEO campaign could very well get the homepage quite high in the rankings. Top 10 for [Maroon 5]? Top 5? Even 1 or 2?

Yeah. Until the search engine does a little investigating. Algorithms may have gotten the site to the top, but some search engines *coughgoogleandmsncough* use human reviewers, right? If newly acquired rank draws human eyeballs to the homepage, those human eyeballs could lead to a manual demotion if that particular human agrees with me about unmet user intent.

So what now? If the keyword campaign has been going for a while, and you get smacked by the HUMAN REVIEW hammer, that’s a lot of time and money down the drain. You have two options: add value to the homepage so that it meets [Maroon 5] user intent, or ditch that keyword for homepage and focus on what you actually offer there.

Chances are, the first option isn’t going to be very feasible when Maroon 5 is only one of hundreds or thousands of bands featured on the site, even if it happens to be one of the most popular ones. If the site runs on a smaller scale, and features only 5 or 6 rock bands, it could work.

But more than likely, it makes a lot more sense to focus your [Maroon 5] campaign on the Maroon 5 page, and target something more appropriately generic link [rock bands] on the homepage.

Take home message: A navigation link, no matter how prominent, does not equate value. Consider your keywords carefully. Make sure you target your keywords on a page level basis, or you could get smacked with the Human Review Hammer.

 * Jim’s note: Feel free to Sphinn this.