Search Engine Positioning

Created a new page on the AA site. I think it explains our attitude about how the search engine side of internet marketing should work.

It's an attitude. It coincides with my research on the concept of "faith". How you position yourself is whom you will become.

Some fellow netrepreneurs get a little upset when I try to explain one of my coaching concepts - "Act Like an Expert". They believe I'm advocating that people pretend to be something they aren't. Really, the concept is "Be an Expert", or "Act Like the Expert You Are". The more you position yourself in the role of expert, the more others will believe it, and consequently; the more you'll believe it. And what you believe yourself to be is what you really are. I'm not saying to act like an expert when you haven't the expertise - quite the contrary. Everyone is an expert in at least one thing. Act like it.

So parallels the art of Search Engine Positioning when it comes to your website. The more that people find your site listed in positions of importance, the more your site is believed to be the top in the field.
- posted by Nathan @ 7/15/2003 11:06:17 PM

 
Sales of the book and video set are starting to come in. I've been working on some additions to the book today. I'll have to mail a link for the updated book to everyone.

Today I did more research on publishing via the internet. There are just amazing resources! Anyone who isn't writing articles on their field of expertise is just missing the boat. The Web is about the sharing of knowledge. The more you add, the more you get. I can't remember who said it: "He who adds the most value wins".

I'm going to make more of an attempt to get my articles published with online media. I don't have a lot of time, but there's a lot of value I can add. And there's a whole ton of misinformation about SEO being hocked around the web. And the purveyors of the misinformation have gone to great lengths to convince themselves that what they sell is true. But I've tested it. They haven't.

One thing most unethical SEOs don't have is a background in math. I was wondering when the 690 math SAT would prove useful - but that background has given me the ability to test theories imperically. I can eliminate all other extraneous daya and really examine the effect of a single factor.

For example, one unethical SEO (spammer) this last week debated hotly a couple of unethical tactics he uses with myself and a few other ethical SEOs. This Mr. Bolger resubmits sites to Google every two weeks. I've tested this tactic, and it is entirely useless. It has no effect. If you are already indexed, and you submit again, Google obviously sees that the URL is already indexed and drops the issue. The only thing that can result from a resubmission is being flagged by Google as a spammer. That's all.

He also tried to defend his use of "gateway pages" (doorways); citing that the doorways were on domains he owns, so therefore didn't jeaopardize his clients. Really? I've seen numerous instances of pages linked to by doorways that were penalized as well. Not only that, but it's just a matter of time before Google figures out a way to mechanically spot doorway pages, and eliminate them from the index.

Where will this man, his company, and his clients be then? Hosed. Just out of luck all of a sudden. He'll have to scramble like Sumantra did and figure out a way as fast as possible to get the traffic back to his clients. He'll spend six months scared to answer the phone.

And all to get a slight advantage over the ethical competition. Fact be known, if they used all the resources at their disposal, there wouldn't even be that slight advantage. It's just laziness. They'd rather automate than build something that's of use to web denizens.

- posted by Nathan @ 7/12/2003 12:02:18 AM

 
I was interviewed on Ted Ciuba's teleconference call earlier today for the product at:

Internet Marketing Interviews

The interview was as a Search Engine Optimization Expert. The call went really well.. I gave away a lot of secrets! I also mentioned some good sources for free traffic on the internet.

He will be including a recording of the interview in his future products. I think I'll include the recording in the Home Study Course at Search Engine Optimization Tactics

Really tried to make a case for ethical, friendly, honest, helpful behavior on the internet. So many marketers have a cavalier attitude about internet marketing - I believe brought on by the fact that your customer isn't physically sitting in front of you. I've found that the more helpful, the more polite and friendly you are, the more business finds its way to you. After all, I wouldn't refer someone I like to a jerk - no matter how talented he was.

- posted by Nathan @ 7/8/2003 04:59:59 PM

 
Free Web Based Email Accounts from TheMail.US!

TheMail.US has been one of our favorite pet projects over the last year or so. It has developed a very loyal group of over 2,000 users that appreciate a non-intrusive free web-based email account. The ownership of the site is in the process of being transferred to a private party that has big plans for it.

I'm really rather sad to see this one go. But the users deserve some updates and a little more time and attention than we can give at this point - other projects have been very demanding.

I'm certain that it can be a real top-shelf freemail site. I'm sure the new owners will make good on the site's potential.
- posted by Nathan @ 7/1/2003 08:24:40 PM