There. I said it. I’ve been thinking it for years, and now I’ve just come out and said it. Pardon my frankness but I feel like a broken record lately, as I am continually trying to do damage control because someone Google’d themselves and didn’t see what they were expecting to see in the search results.

You may have done it yourself, or perhaps your boss just stormed into your office asking what the h-e-doublehockeysticks you’re paying for this worthless SEO stuff. It’s ok, you’re not alone. Google rules the world and we all want to win in Google. But it’s time to set things straight and really drive this point home: stop Googling yourself. What you see in the search results will be different than the person next to you, and different than what you see two hours from now.

About a year ago, Search Engine Land posted this great article on search rankings. In the article, they listed a few of the causes for why you and I see something completely different when we search:

• Personalized search results based on our own search history
• Influenced search results based on our friends’ search histories
• Local search results
• Brand mentions in social media and on web pages
• Query deserves images, video, products, news or other types of search results
• Query deserves freshness
• Query deserves diversity
• Brand mentions on social media and the web
• Over 500 algorithm changes a year

So now you get it. And hopefully I’ve convinced you to stop looking at those rankings. Business owners and marketers are catching on. Software providers have stopped including ranking reports in their service offerings. Now what? Don’t worry, I’m not gonna leave ya hanging! Here are some great tips on how to refocus your energy and make better use of your time.

If you Google the phrase “ranking reports are dead” and skim the results page, you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. Sometimes a Google search alone is very telling. But here are a few that I really like to highlight, and you’ll find lots of juicy tidbits in here on what you can do to measure success in your SEO:

Bruce Clay, the guru of the industry, and the founder Bruce Clay Inc., the company that I get my SEO certification through, made this prediction about ranking reports a few years ago. In our industry, Bruce makes a lot of predictions. And he is always right. Over the years, I’ve come to trust his predictions and when he talks, I listen.

And this article explains the problems with ranking analysis in great detail as well, and illustrates how things can be wildly misconstrued. The moral of the story: focus on RCS = Real Company Stuff. That’s right. We say it all the time. Create a good user experience, and quality content that naturally attracts traffic and links. There’s a reason why I’m still doing this after 14 years, and why things like Pandas and Penguins don’t affect my clients.

Rest in peace ranking reports. We had a good run… back in 1999 when all I had to do was stick a keyword in a meta tag and my job was done. Ah yes the good old days.

Seriously. It’s just that simple.

I hear the question all the time: how do I succeed online? How do I win with the search engines? How can I get more visitors to my site, more Facebook fans, sell more widgets… Many people look for a magic bullet or some secret sauce. They think Google is some amazing entity that will only grant you a top ranking position if you can crack their code.

Yes, SEO (search engine optimization) does take some know-how and to win in Google requires some knowledge of how to optimize your website, get good links, and create quality content. But you must start with one simple rule: Be Awesome.  No bullet, no sauce… just awesome. Well, maybe some awesome-sauce. But heavy on the awesome.

I have a little thing I like to tell people when I’m talking about what I do over beers. “I can’t polish a turd”. That’s right. I just used the word turd in a blog. Now I’ve really blown all of my blogging etiquette rules out the window. But I digress. Think about it. If you come to me with an awesome business, then I have the tools and experience to help you get people to your site and get those conversions. But if your business is not awesome, or you have a product that just isn’t that spectacular and no one wants to buy it, then no amount of SEO in the world (or magic bullet or secret sauce) will help you sell your turd. Sorry for the language, but let’s just call it like it is.

In my 14 years in the digital marketing industry, I’ve seen a lot of awesome and I’ve seen a lot of, well, turds. Ok I gotta stop using that word now. When a good digital marketing plan was applied to the awesome, it was like a match made in heaven. I won’t explain what happened to the others, but let’s just say they didn’t rise to the top. It takes more than just a good marketing company to make something a success. You must have something marketable in the first place.

Take, for example, a lady who is opening a business in Cincinnati soon. Her business advisor is so impressed by her ambition and her drive that he posted a blog about this woman’s adventures in starting her own business. With the guidance of a digital marketing company who is (you guessed it) awesome, the blog was posted in a way that made it easy to share in social networks. They were also advised to simply reach out to family and friends and share the story. Go ahead and read that blog. You’ll see the ton of comments that came pouring through. And she had over 100 likes on Facebook when she posted the story. You can’t buy that kind of traffic! It was natural and real and awesome! As a digital marketer, this got me all excited. Comments and likes and social shares… oh my! This is the thing that we always hope will happen, but isn’t always easy to make happen. But when you’re awesome, it just happens naturally.

So ask yourself, are you awesome? Is anyone going to buy what you’re selling? If the answer is no, can you make it awesome? Dig deep and be as awesome as you can be. Then, when you implement a good digital marketing strategy, it will be a lot more fun and a lot easier than if you were trying to polish a … you-know-what.

As a marketing professional, I was interested in seeing how businesses marketed themselves before internet, radio or television. They had some unique and cool ways to let  people know what they did and many of the signs are considered artwork – beautiful, hand crafted pieces that served a purpose: to draw customers. The demo on how to  make a neon sign was really great. – I always wondered how they did it.

The Curator, Tod Swormstedt, had the idea for a sign museum in the ‘90’s. His family owns and publishes trade magazines, with one of them being “Sign of the Times.” SOTT is a trade pub for the sign industry and Tod worked there most of his adult life. He’s had 28 years experience with the art of making signs and gave us a first class tour of the American Sign Museum, complete with explanations on the timeline of sign making. He’s a gracious host and has a thorough knowledge about his craft. And, he makes it fun with stories and examples.

The Sign Museum itself is like taking a step back in time. Old signs, salesman samples and sign making materials are prevalent throughout the warehouse. As Tod tells you the story of this or that particular sign, you sense that he is passionate about the art and he tells a pretty good story. He talks about what and where this particular sign is from and its significance to the business owner who displayed the sign. There are so many types and genres of signs that I can’t name them all here but a trip to the American Sign Museum is recommended and well worth the tour fee.

The last part of the tour is the most spectacular, though. They call it “main street” and it features some huge, neon signs that have been lovingly preserved and saved from the dumpster by Tod. There was a big globe with neon light around it and he showed us where a bullet went in on one side and came out the other side. And, there is a great replica of an old gas station, complete with gas pumps as they were in the 30’s, if I recall the year correctly. As a main street should, it looks like an actual “main street” with shop fronts and window signs, signs on awnings, brick, walls, and also hanging. There are lots of neon signs with movement and a special display of signs that you will recognize as local to the Cincinnati area. They even have a neon light making shop on “main street” and it was really cool to see how they actually make neon signs!

I was interested to find that this early form of marketing was always ahead of its time. Shop keepers would be sure to have something painted on the window or door, or  hanging from above to let you know where they were and what they did. Of particular interest to me were the trade signs that made a trade business stand out. For example, a shoemaker would have a hanging sign in the shape of a shoe so there was no mistaking what he did. A builder used a giant sign shaped like a hammer, a key makers sign was
in the shape of a key and so on. Some had lights, some did not but they were all fascinating and lent themselves well to early examples of marketing that worked.

For more information on the American Sign Museum, click this link to their blog and be sure to tell Tod I said a big hello!

The dark side of social media

Social networks like Facebook, Google+, and Twitter have millions of users worldwide. Because of their expansive user database, having accounts in these networks is a must for any small business owner and internet marketer. Social media is a free place to promote your brand, products, and services. It’s a means for exposing your business to potential customers and increasing traffic to your website. Social media can also be used for research when trying to find out about market trends. More importantly, you can use it to interact with customers and build their trust on your brand.

Amidst all the benefits of social media it’s worth noting that trust is just as fragile online as it is offline. The same social networks you’re handling are breeding grounds for negative remarks. Dissatisfied customers can leave comments on your fan page or start a controversial hash tag. Once they go viral, how others perceive your business will be greatly affected. Articles that are damaging to your reputation could also be published online and shared to your social media networks for everyone to see. These articles can be just as damaging especially when published by trusted websites.

A bad reputation is bad for profit. People now have little reason to patronize your business. Having lost their trust, your sales will eventually suffer and so will the traffic of your company website. It doesn’t really matter if the bad impression resulted from fabricated or fallacious information. What matters is how people see your business. You want them to have trust in your brand. Fortunately, the social networks that damaged your reputation may be used to rebuild the lost trust.

Rebuilding your tarnished brand

When dealing with crisis, it is best that you become transparent to customers regarding what’s going on. A crisis could be the hacking that took place on one or more of your accounts, a server maintenance, or any other website issue. Prompt updates will prevent users from leaving negative feedbacks and alleviate the frustration of disappointed customers. You should have a high speed internet provider advised by Broadband Expert to ensure prompt action.

• Apologize for any inconveniences through social media. Provide assurance to dissatisfied customers by informing of the actions taken to resolve the problem.
• When things get resolved, update your networks to inform your followers and appease their anger.
• Be swift in addressing issues. People would appreciate it more if you promptly responded to a problem rather than taking days to come up with a speech. It shows more sincerity if you were quick on your feet. Besides, speed is more important in damage control.
• If there is regular server maintenance, you need to make three separate announcements. The first announcement should be done before the server goes down. Inform them of the time, date, and how long the maintenance will take place. When the server is finally down, update your social media the second time. The third updating should be done after the maintenance when your website is accessible to the public.

Not all problems should be addressed promptly though. Lawsuits and negative reviews or opinions about your business are examples of these situations. When faced with these adversities, you have to be careful with what you say or avoid talking at all. Here you can take some time to reverse the damage.

• Avoid making comments that will further damage your reputation. If you do decide to respond, have proper etiquette.
• Focus on the positives. Maintaining the continuity of your business will eventually drown out any negative perception. If your business needs to improve its services or products, do that.
• Launch a social media campaign. The hype created by a successful campaign will push down damaging articles or reviews on the search engine results page (SERP).

Keep in mind that when trying to rebuild your reputation, your accounts must be handled by individuals that have full understanding of your brand and how the social media works. Sometimes it would be easier to hire an expert on social media and online reputation. This is not to say you can’t handle it on your own however. Just don’t forget that good reputation is good for business.

This article was written by Kenneth Javellana. He writes for topics like social media, search engine optimization, and internet marketing during his free time. Kenneth also writes for his business at Broadband Expert, a leading high speed internet adviser.

Aside from being a super cool feature, adding this to your digital marketing strategy can help your business rise to the top. Think of the person who’s never been in your bar, but while searching for a new hang out, sees your super cool spot full of people enjoying their drinks and having a great time. Or think of the person who’s searching for a local tanning salon and takes a virtual walk inside and sees how clean and classy your location is. People love photos, and they love to play with fun little gadgets online. The Google Virtual View will help you stand out.

Here are a few of our favorites, and they might just spark some ideas for you!

Covenant Tattoo, Fort Collins CO: Our favorite feature? The dude with the shake-weight. We LOL’d all over the place on this one.

Washington’s Sports Bar & Grill, Fort Collins, CO:  That’s right, there’s a guy Tebowing in a sports bar.

Atlanta Spa & Leisure, Atlanta, GA: Hot tubbing anyone?

Clean Freak Car Wash, Phoenix, AZ: Talkin’ about the car wash… yeah.

And our personal fave: Planit, Baltimore, MD: Of course a marketing agency would have a super cool virtual view. But take a walk around for a while and you’re going to see some crazy stuff. Can you spot the winged angel? That’s right… wings.

By now, you’re wanting to know “how can I get this on my site?”, right? Have no fear, Bare Knuckle is here. We can do this. Check out the details on our local search marketing page. Then, contact us to let us know that you’re ready to Knuckle Up and get your Virtual View on!

Google has been using personalization for a while, using your geography, language, context from previous queries, topicality and context of your search. When Allison and I both do a search for “bacon” and see the top pages, we get a lot of different things. This is entirely centered on our search habits. Ironically, most of my results look like gift items and Allison’s is more about actual food. Google totally knows that while I don’t eat bacon, I buy bacon gifts for Allison, and Allison totally eats bacon on everything.

At the top of the screen, above the AdWords, there are pictures of your Google+ friends and the personalized results. Allison got 20 results and I got 10. Take a look at the difference and similarities in our social search results.

Allison’s Results 

Rebecca’s Results 

Google basically saw what Allison talks about versus what I talk about, and what our friends talk about to customize our search. Google knows that Allison makes a lot of Lorum Ipsum jokes and that I watch Steven Colbert and follow Danny Sullivan, that Allison will make pancakes and crispy bacon while worrying about SOPA, while I’d rather play on Facebook and post petitions there. But, since we’re both friends with Chris Giddings, we saw his picture of something bacon-y in a pot.

Basically, Google just wants to help you find out more information about what you talk about. Your search habits show a little bit about you and Google knows the web’s content.  Getting you the most relevant content, as fast as possible is the motivation of Google. Endorsements from your friends, saying this “this is a great article” is not just about bringing up information but encouraging interaction, encouraging you to ask your friend about what that big pot of something bacon-y tasted like.

Now, not only the stuff on the web is going to be coming up in your search results, remember those pictures of Vegas? Yeah, those that you were tagged in on G+ that only a small group of people are privy to? Those are going to start showing up in your search results, and the search results of the others in the group that the picture is shared with. If I have an embarrassing picture of Allison and I, we only have it shared with each other on G+, it will only show up in Allison and my search results. While that picture of shame is showing up in your search, it won’t show up on your mother’s search.

Google doesn’t use Facebook or twitter information, because they don’t have access to that private data. They can only use what is public on the web, so if your Facebook stuff is all private, don’t worry. Do you want your results to start showing up in your friends Google Searches? Then just get a G+ account and start Facebooking! Err. . . sharing!

Do you think this is awesome? Then keep Googling on, my friend. Are you totally freaked out and want to turn off your personalized search? No fear! Check this out.

When you see the button with the head is dark like above, that means that your results include your social circles. Click on the world next to it and you will not see your social interactions. You can also edit your sharing settings by clicking on your picture, then select your “Account.”

Hopefully you’re not too freaked out about the new changes to your search, but instead excited to get feedback from your friends about planning a trip to Maui without even having to talk to them!

Clients have come to us complaining that former designers are holding their websites and designs hostage when they decide to take their business elsewhere. It’s always a good thing to have a great lawyer on your side and we have the best, Mike Marrero from Ulmer & Berne in Cincinnati. Thankfully, Mike has decided to blog for us and share some of his great wisdom! Not everyone has the same strict code of ethics that Bare Knuckle has, so we want to spread the word on how to protect yourself and your data.

Whenever you engage ad or branding agencies or Web designers to create an ad campaign or your Web site’s content for you, make sure that their deliverables and end product belong to you.  Don’t assume that they do just because you’ve shaken hands and paid in full.  You need a written agreement that spells out that those deliverables and end product belong to you.

If you employ creators and Web designers to design and develop your advertising and Web content, their work product automatically belongs to you.  Not to them.  But if – like many companies – you hire independent contractors or advertising or Web-design agencies for these tasks, rather than employ them, their deliverables will belong to them.  The only way to avoid that result is for you and they sign an agreement that spells out that, in exchange for the negotiated payment, they are transferring to you their rights in their deliverables and relinquishing any right to re-use those deliverables for another client.

You should insist that the agency or independent contractor sign an agreement with this crucial transfer-of-rights requirement, before the agency or contractor begins the project.  After-the-fact attempts to effect a transfer, like sending a check with an endorsement-line notation that the agency’s signature on the check is its agreement that the deliverable was a “work made for hire”, may not work.

Most savvy agencies and designers are fully aware of this issue.  They don’t let you know that, unless you and they sign a written agreement, they still own their deliverables.

By the way, a word on “works made for hire”:  The U.S. Copyright statute provides that certain kinds of specially ordered or commissioned deliverables are works made for hire.  The statute also provides that the client who ordered or commissioned the deliverable will own all rights to it so long as the parties sign an agreement that specifies that they intent the deliverable to be a “work made for hire”.  But the statute applies only to certain types of deliverables.  And package or product designs, print ads (like brochures, logos, and point-of-sale pieces), Web and other electronic or interactive media (like web sites, HTML e-mails, banner ads, and PowerPoint presentations) are not among those types.

So, never ever permit an ad agency or Web designer, or anyone else creating something for you that you expect to own, even to begin a project for you without a written agreement like what I’ve described above.

About Mike Marrero

Mike concentrates his practice in trademark law, such as trademark clearance, prosecuting trademark applications and office actions before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, opposition and cancellation actions, and litigation.  His areas of expertise include copyrights and licensing, business planning, shareholder and investor relations, mergers and acquisitions, advertising and promotional law, and administrative law. He has extensive experience representing closely held corporations in business matters, venture-capital funding, acquisitions and divestitures.  He was in-house counsel with a Fortune 500 company for more than 10 years in intellectual property, acquisitions, divestitures, administrative law and truth-in-advertising matters.

Contact Mike:
mmarrero@ulmer.com
513.698.5078
600 Vine Street, Suite 2800
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2409
http://www.ulmer.com

Chris Silversmith from Argent Media addressed the issue of trying to get a twitter account started. You follow everyone who is cool and get no followers back, right? He suggested that you go ahead and buy some followers. You can get 1,000 followers for $47. Do we agree? Eh…? He’s an authority, so let’s listen. This can increase the chance of REAL people following you because no one wants to be the first to follow. Chris also suggested using autofollow can increase the chances of your becoming recommended, try Social Oomph or Twellow.

So here’s a list of Chris’ top recommendations of being awesome on twitter:
1. Search the bar for related themes, genres, names of authorities in your fields, etc. This can help you engage in the community that is interested in your product.
2. Don’t merely broadcast, you have to be a part of the community. Interact, read posts, post back, follow people… it works!
3. RT Generously! It helps improve your visibility to those who are the posters and gain their attention.
4. Post news of interest about your company. If it’s not interesting, don’t post it!
5. Curate content that’s fun and popular. Puppies? Entertaining infographics? YES!
6. Make yourself endorse-able (ie. don’t be boring and don’t just talk about yourself)
7. Try social characters! They’re super fun but don’t over-do it! www.semclubhouse.com/special-characters-for-twitter
8. Schedule out tweets with links to your old blog content. Why not recycle it if it’s awesome? It can generate a lot of traffic to your site.
9. Timely by DemandForce – Autoschedules your tweets to the best time slots based on the results of your last 199 tweets.
10. Inspirational and uplifting tweets are always a favorite, just make it awesome and not like those motivational posters.

So, what do you think about buying twitter followers and these tips?