Practical Digital Marketing Advice (and Occasional Rants) from the Experts
There's been some excitement in the SEO world in the past few days. It doesn't take much to get people in our industry all riled up, but this one is spurring some real anger toward Google for assuming the roles of Relevance Police, Judge and Executioner.
The issue at hand is that of guest blogging.
David VeldtLet this be a cautionary tale. A tale about what happens when you don't follow your own advice.
In the past six months, I have lost over 40% of my traffic. It was remarkably easy; much easier than increasing my traffic by 40%. I really didn't have to do much. In fact, I did nothing at all.
David Veldt"It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission." - Grace Hopper
These words have given innovators, entrepreneurs and visionaries across the world the justification (not that they needed it) to take bold risks and test new waters with relative uncertainty. Originating from a legendary programmer, few industries lean on this mantra more heavily than tech. For the most part, it is this mindset that has enabled the world of web technology to evolve at a blistering pace.
David VeldtDisclaimer: The following method is one I use on occasion to reach out to industry thought leaders and the like for non-spamming purposes only. Use this information as you will, but please, use it wisely and respectfully.
Whether you're a job candidate that wants to open a direct line with human resources, a link builder that wants to get in with the marketing or IT departments, or you simply misplaced the email address of someone you just met, chances are you've wished for a little black book full of all the most elusive email addresses.
The good news is that you can easily find these email addresses relatively easily and quickly.
David VeldtA couple months ago, I wrote an article in a matter of a few hours and hit the "Publish" button and went about my day. My blog was (and still is) relatively new, so I didn't expect much until I got a couple email notifications for comment approval within 10 minutes. What followed was a roller coaster few days and an article that has been viewed more than 180,000 times.
David VeldtOne of the most annoying things in the digital marketing industry is the constant stream of bloggers declaring that XYZ tactic is dead, or speculating that XYZ tactic will die because of a new Google algorithm update. Now, I'm no fancy-pants doctor, but in every other corner of the universe, it isn't difficult to determine if something is, in fact, dead.
If you need help checking the pulse, I've pulled together a quick list of internet marketing tactics that are still alive and kicking. Poke 'em with a stick all you want, these aren't going anywhere for a while.
David VeldtSince the beginning of AdWords, companies have used various methods to push the boundaries of Google's policies in order to gain additional exposure. One of the most common tactics has been through different forms of double serving, or serving multiple ads for the same company on the same keyword.
David VeldtIt isn't coming. It's here.
There is something dangerous amongst us. It isn't something tangible, and it has slowly been taking over the SEO industry for years in a cold, unforgiving manner. Because of it, our future is determined for us; rather than us being able to take the reigns ourselves.
David VeldtAny successful marketing campaign involves extensive knowledge of your target market and demographic. In the world of SEO, however, we're somewhat limited by what our analytics can provide. We can easily ascertain location, language and even interests based on keyword activity, but anything deeper is difficult to come by.
David VeldtI don't enjoy concerts in the way most people typically do. To the casual observer, it may appear that I don't enjoy them at all; but that would be false. I don't put my arms up, dance in place or sing along. Instead, you'll see me with my hands in my pockets or arms folded, just smirking and watching the band with wonder and enjoying the music.
David Veldt
