Archive for the 'Jim Boykin' Category

I’ve been using the same laptop since August of 2002 and little things have been going wrong with it (though overall I’ve been extremly happy with my old Toshiba), but I’ve been getting the feeling that the end might be near so I decided to buy a new laptop tonight.  I recalled a thread on threadwatch back in October where Nick asked for tips on buying a laptop, and I ended up deciding that I’d get the same laptop as Nick got.

I’ve been using laptop computers as my main computer for over 4 years now. I do have a backup desktop at home, and at the office…but that’s it, my desktop is only a backup. Most nights I pack up the laptop and bring it home.

In thinking about it, all our managers at webuildpages also use laptops (we store info online).

Why even use a desktop?…I just can’t see using a desktop for "important" stuff….if it’s important, I want it portable…and I want it wherever I go…at the office, at home, at a conference (and yes, I make backups before each trip in case the computer dies)…and will take more precausions after reading what happened to Bill.

I think desktops are outdated.

Do you use a desktop or a laptop as your main computer? Why?

I was just interviewed by Aaron Pratt of SEO Buzzbox.

In there I talk about Matt calling me Evil, saying "fuck it" to trying to rank high for "internet marketing" and more. (there’s my tease).

Read the full interview of Jim Boykin by Aaron Pratt at SEO Buzzbox.

Yesterday I hired another "future link expert", and I’ve got another "future link expert" starting in about 2 weeks. Funny thing is, is that I often feel that I could have "work" for another 50 or 100 people, all doing different types of internet marketing tasks.

I remember the first few years starting out, when it was just me, and I was promoting the "We" in "We Build Pages", when I was marketing the phrase "internet marketing firm". Shortly after I started in this game, I realized that 3 SEO’s could do so much more, but the only 3 I had in my "We" was "Me", "Myself" and "I". I recall that often in 2002 I debated on "do I dare hire someone or not?".

That internal debate was laid to rest in Dec 2002 when webuildpages.com went to #4 in Google and Yahoo for "internet marketing". I hired 3 people instantly and within 6 months we had 6. A year we were up to  15. We’ve stayed around 15 since then (not counting about 25 writers of whom we also work with, and a few outsourced programmers). 

There’s always issues with hiring additional people and growning. Some of that is from Todd’s ideas and some from my refusal to work with monkeys, and some of it it just not having the millions to turn tons of "monkeys" into experts, and some of it is just lack of "Time".

I can, however, see that the more you grow and then get comfortable, the more things you see that could be done (for clients or for our own sites). I guess it’s the same on every level of size you are. It’s funny, the game and the dreams can just keep getting bigger. That’s part of my motivation in this game - Dreaming big dreams and trying to make as many of them come true as possible.

Sometimes I dream of being like Barry Diller (Barry Barry Barry Barry). Unfortunately I’m several billion behind now.

I’m sure that I’m not alone in having internet marketing dreams especially in the world of internet marketing where opportunities hit you every day in the face online.

What are your internet marketing dreams?

Search Engine Strategies is right around the corner!

So on the heals of Vegas, we’ve got Search Engine Strategies in Chicago coming on December 5th - 8th in Sunny warm Chicago…haha, yea more like cold and windy Chicago!

Danny’s been asked a lot why they do chicago in december, and once he replied:

Yes, I’ve suggested trying to rework the US shows at least to put events in more season-friendly order. However, Jupiter’s wanted to stick with what’s been done because it has worked and because it feels people have gotten use to certain events being in certain places at certain times.

I’ve heard him joke about having it in Death Valley, but he might not know that Death Valley in December is really Awesome

Maybe now that Jupiter no longer owns SES, maybe we’ll change that, eh Danny?

I’ll be speaking 3 on 3 panels: "SEM Via Communities, Wikipedia & Tagging", "My SEM Toolbox", and "Buying and Selling Links".

SEM Via Communities, Wikipedia & Tagging will be a bit challenging, but I should have some good info to present about these new and exciting marketing techinques that are hot today, and only getting hotter. It’ll just be Jeff Watts from National Instruments and I presenting, with Gary Price (the Search Engine Watch News Editor) moderating (whom I hear knows tons on Wikipedia as well).

SEM Tools,  I did at the last SES show, but my tools for this presentation have mostly changed (catch the show to see what tools I’m using - yea, I’ve got more than our own tools that I use). I’m on with Paul J. Bruemmer from Bruce Clay, Bill Hartzer of MarketNet, Ken Jurina from Epiar,and Todd Malicoat my fellow team member.

Buying and Selling Links - I’m totally honored to be on this one, and I couldn’t ask for a greater group of guys to be on a panel with. This panel includes: THE Eric Ward (whom was on the link building panel with me at WW),  Thomas Bindl of OPTOP, Greg Boser (WebGuerrilla) (A legend himself and recent blogger - a man who speaks his mind and knows his shit),  as well as MR. Text Link Ads - my ole buddy, Patrick Gavin.

I’ve been wanting to speak on "links" as SES for years and this time I snuck in since Debra Mastaler, from Alliance-Link (one of the worlds best Link Gurus) couldn’t make it and recommended that I fill in for her. (Thanks Debra! and Thank Danny!)

If you haven’t signed up to go yet, Go here to get all the info on Search Engine Strategies December 5th - 8th. If you’re coming be sure to say "Hi" to me and tell Danny you want to have the conferences in National Parks from now on.

Have you gone to SES before and are you going to this one in Chicago?

I’ll be away Nov 13 - Nov 21, heading to the Webmasterworld conference, and then to the Grand Canyon to do some consulting with a client.

In my absense, I’m posting links to 15 of my favorite posts covering the past 2 months that I’ve been a blogger.

• How much link spam can you eat before you choke - Nov 10
• Damage Control - Online Reputation Management - Nov 9
• Telling a prospective client, "You’re Screwed" Nov 8
• Screw the Sandbox - buy an old site - Nov 6
• Links within content, linking to content - Nov 1
• Playing with Google’s domain aging factor - Oct 30
• Giving away DMOZ Editor Accounts - Oct 26
• Changes and Paranoia - the sky is falling - Oct 18
• Link Pages are Dead, Long Live Content Pages - Oct 14
• Google top 10 choices for Search Results - Oct 10
• SEO - Then, now, and tomorrow - Oct 12
• Will the Real Link Request Please Stand Up - Oct 12
• Picture of Link Neighborhoods - Sept 26
• I like ‘em old - Sept 15
• Pay Yahoo to Remove your title tag? - Sept 15

Feel free to leave feedback for me. I’m pretty new to blogging and posting my thoughts, and bound to make some blunders along the way.

What do you think of cursing in posts? Do you think words like "screw" sound too "unprofessional" (been accused of that). I’ve been accused of being arrogent too - do I come off as a piss head? Do you hate that I have rotten grammer and often have simple spelling errors? (nothing is proofread).   Any topics you’d like me to cover (might be hard, as most of my post were total "spur of the moment" writings (except DMOZ editor post where I actually spent more than 5 minutes writing)).

Having feedback from you the readers will help me to decide how I will write going forward. Your thoughts?

oh, and if you missed our Cool Internet Marketing Tool or our Neat-O Tool, you don’t know what you’re missing.