SEARCH ENGINES DO IT WITH SPIDERS

At least the good ones do. There’s always a lot of talk online and offline about "how do I get to #1 in (insert search engine here, mostly Google)?". The answer is much along the lines of the famous New York quip "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?"…"With practice".

Search engines vary in the exact "how". At companies like Google, their search algorithms are pretty KFC-secret-recipe-for-your-eyes-only guarded secrets. Yet there are some conventionally-accepted "norms" that apply to Google and most others.

The term "spidering" or "crawling" is as old as the "web". If you image the Internet, of even a website being structured very much like a spider’s web, with one thread literally linking to another, search engines "crawl" along these threads and, based on certain algorithms, give "points" that ultimately increase or decrease a site’s ranking.

It’s a little more complex that than, but for the sake of this conversation, lets keep it as simple as we can.

"Spiders" or "crawlers" are little programs that do this searching, cataloging…."indexing" is the proper term. They look at pages in "text mode". Certain HTML "markups" such as headlines, page headers, links etc are weighed and scored. As a site owner, you can regular some of what is looked at and what isn’t, at least by the engines that play by the rules. There are codes that can be added to pages or in a file called "robots.txt" which given specific instructions to spiders.

Having relevant content within the text becomes important, yet there is a fine line between what is good for a site and what is bad. For example, lets use the term "Arizona Real Estate Information". Ideally, when people type this into Google, we want our site to be one of the first ones that appear. So, we put the search terms into our page headers, the "meta tags" which are parts of the page also used for indexing and we try to work it into the text. Too little and it might negatively affect our site’s placement. Too much and we run the risk of having content that looks bad to a visitor and may be considered "keyword spamming" by the search engines.

And this is one piece of the whole puzzle, but it is a piece that you, as a website owner, has a degree of control over.

There are, of course, many other things that affect placement including inbound links from reputable sites, proper HTML coding, site maps, image "alt" tags and a host of technical things.

Sites that are all "Flash" are harder, if not impossible to index because what the viewer may see as text is more or less an animated "picture". Ditto pages that are in fact images rather than text (you can test this out by using your cursor to highlight text on page. If you can’t, then it’s probably going to be difficult to index). The best search engine technologies, which are always evolving, are finding ways around this, to allow much more flexibility in site design. Even PDFs are now routinely indexed if they’re part of a site.

SEO or search engine optimization deals with all these and more, hence the industry is part art and part science…and part luck and very hard to get right and do well, hence a lot of bad press.

Anyway, I thought this might be of interest. If you’re a little technically inclinedyou can download "Lynx", a text viewer, which gives you a "spider-like" view of a site. The results can be quite interesting…

A SEARCH FOR MEANING : PROFESSIONALISM

"He’s very professional."

"That’s a very ‘professional’ look."

"She’s a real professional."

"That was unprofessional."

These are all comments I’ve heard within the past month (not all directed at myself I hasten to add). On the heels of my last article on the subject of professionalism and being a professional (WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU "DON’T KNOW"…YOU’RE A "PROFESSIONAL"!), I decided to pursue the subject in a little more detail because I’m curious as to what really defines "a professional" or "professional behavior".

According to Merriam-Webster, there are two main definitions:

1. the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person
2. the following of a profession (as athletics) for gain or livelihood

The latter we’re pretty familiar with and I think it’s fair to say that we associated "professionalism" in sports with "sportsman-like" behavior. When a well-known sports pro gets into trouble, the word "unprofessional" usually appears in the descriptions or condemnations somewhere.

So, therein probably lies a possible part of the definition: we expect a certain level of generally-acceptable behavior from those we consider "professionals".

Where the bar is set may be a little vague. As Edward Toupin discusses in his post "Professionalism … How do I get one?", what is deemed "professional" in one industry may not be in another. The term is subject to interpretation and influenced by the environment in which on is expected to operate.

There is a neat little slide show I came across on the Texas Library and Archives Commission site quite by accident (which goes to show the web can take you places you never thought of) which includes in the definition of "professionalism" specific words such as "Education", "Competencies", "Characteristics" and "Intellectualism", suggesting that "brains" is part of the the "professional character".

In her blog Linda Lord, reviews the expected behaviors of a "professional": "They tend to be cool under pressure, able to move easily between social settings and handle public events with confidence. Someone demonstrating professionalism is able to omit emotional outbursts when handling stressful situations. They maintain their focus, accept the urgency of the situation, and act responsibly when resolving difficult matters. "

Certainly, this describes more of the expected behavior than the educational or intellectual requirements of a "professional".

My two cents is that we tend to use "professionalism" and derivatives thereof in a wide range of descriptions and actually run the risk of "desensitizing" ourselves to it by overuse. I think it’s open to interpretation. We all have our own views on what is professionally acceptable and what isn’t. I’m not sure I buy into the "intellectualism" part. I think that "professionalism" comes from within. There may be educational and ethical requirements to belong to a "profession" and to be expected to behave within a documented or expected set of behaviors. I believe there are socially acceptable non-professional "professional" behaviors that we expect from "business" people, no matter what industry. I think I’m safe in including:

• Sincerity
• Honesty
• Integrity

Add to these the list of what may be expected in a given industry and you have, in my very humble opinion, a "professional".

So, with the waters muddied even further, from one professional to another, have a great week!

Dave

Articles referenced: Edward B. Toupin (writer and coach) : "Professionalism … How do I get one?", Linda Lord (Human Agriculturalist) : "What is professionalism", Texas Library and Archives Commission : "What is Professionalism?"

G-R-A-S-P YOURSELF – NO ONE ELSE WILL

Hey, if you it can’t G-R-A-S-P, no one else is likely to!

As always, I’m being a little tongue-in-cheek with my acronym, but when it comes to self-promotion, too many people put on the “modesty” hat.

There is nothing wrong with regular self-promotion (also see MARKETING 101 : START WITH YOU”). Call it “self marketing”. Consider these questions:

1. Do you think you’re reasonably good at what you do?
2. Do you know where to find answers if you’re stumped?
3. Do you feel as though you’re a benefit to your clients?
4. Do you enjoy what you do?
5. Do you try and give 100% every time?

If you answered “yes” to any or all of the above, then you should be able to write a whole page in answer to this one:

What are you doing to get the word out?

Is a page too much? How about half a page…? A paragraph?

Marketing yourself is as important as marketing your business. Whether it’s the first meeting and the smile with the handshake or your marketing materials, blog, website, flyers, print ads, online ads, postings, videos, Facebook or MySpace profiles, business card, letterhead, brochure, email signature, ActiveRain profile, newsletter, or whatever, be sure that you’re telling people:

HEY! LISTEN UP!
I’M GOOD AT WHAT I DO!
I CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU TOO!
WORKING WITH ME WILL BE THE BEST EXPERIENCE YOU CAN HAVE!

If you believe that you are everything you answered in questions, 1 to 5, make sure it shows. Take off the “modesty” hat. Get a G-R-A-S-P. Your competition is doing it and nothing sells like good old fashioned

Genuine, Regular And Shameless (self) Promotion

Just keep it sincere

I write about different marketing strategies and techniques, both traditional and non in my online newsletter Webby’s Updates which you can read at www.JDELtd.com and subscribe to if you so choose. You can download this and other articles from by Small Business GENetics site, www.sbgenetics.com

f2p=f4m : A LITTLE PLANNING GOES A LONG WAY

f(2p)=f(4m)

where

f=failure
p=plan
m=motivation

A simple little formula, a variation on the better-known “failure to plan is planning to fail”. Yet many small business owners do just that. As a small business owner, whether you’re a single (self) employee or a small group, you have all the responsibilities of a Fortune 500 company, with a smaller headcount. You still have to consider:

• Human Resources
• Sales & Marketing
• Accounting, Payroll and other “Back Office” functions
• Development and Training
• Business Planning
• Support
• Infrastructure
• Etc

Larger companies have plans and forecasts. You barely have to watch TV to know that such-and-such company’s stock lost value because it didn’t “meet analysts expectations”. But the fact that a huge behemoth of an organization can predict (within a certain target area) how much it’s going to make per share is pretty amazing.

Look a little deeper and you’ll see it’s not magic, it’s just about planning.

I meet different business owners as I ply my trade. Sometimes the conversation goes something like this…

“Hi Joe”
“Hi Dave”
“How’s business?”
“It’s okay. I’m getting by.”
“You sound a little uncertain.”
“Yeah…we’re in a bit of a slump. Somehow this wasn’t quite what I’d planned.”
“Where did you deviate from the plan.”
“Well I didn’t mean an actual plan-”

If there is no actual plan, first of all, how the heck can you deviate from it? Many small business owners make this mistake. They’re intentions are pure and they know they want to build a business, but they set off with a vague notion and little more.

Many of these fail because they didn’t plan. Something doesn’t work out. Money doesn’t come in. Second-guessing begins and it goes down from there.

Your business plan doesn’t have to be elaborate. It doesn’t have to contain lots of words that you’d need a dictionary to look up. It should have a goal or two, a method for getting there and a way to measure success. (See A SIMPLE G-A-M-E PLAN)

It really is that easy.

When setting a goal, make it tangible. “This is where I want / need to be in 12 months.”

Okay, you have a goal. How do you quantify it? Do you have to do a certain amount in sales? Yes? How many? How much? You’ll probably need some clients…yes? Alright, how many prospects can you realistically turn into sales?

You get the idea. With a goal and some simple thoughts, put down in writing, you now have map. Of course, there is more you can do. Budgeting is always a good idea. Ditto marketing ideas. I work with people to help them flesh these things out.

Now, if you’re not happy because you’re not meeting your plan goals, we have something to work with. Where are you deviating from the plan?

You can change a plan. You can’t change “nothing”. You can get back on track.

Failure to plan is the first step towards losing your motivation.

YOU’RE A “PROFESSIONAL”, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU “DON’T KNOW”?

As an true "professional" in most fields, people feel as though all the answers should be right there at their fingertips; they should be a walking encyclopedia in their field, quicker than a Google search with even more relevance.

The simple fact of the matter is that the secret to being a "professional" is (in my opinion):

1. the wisdom to acknowledge that one can never know all the answers
2. the humility to admit this to oneself (and a client)
3. the intelligence to know where to look for the answers
4. the confidence to reassure oneself (and a client)
5. the desire to improve oneself

As a famous quote says (something like), "he who knows everything knows nothing". Beware self-proclaimed "experts".

You’re good at what you do. You can be even better. Professionals never stop learning and growing. That’s what careers are all about.

As a marketing "professional", I can never have all the answers. Every one of my clients is different…but between my client and myself we’ll come as close as we can and find as many of the answers as we are able. That’s what makes my work fun. People are amazing and wonderful! Admitting you don’t have an answer there and then is a small act of heroism, a big act of humility and will gain you respect in the long-run.

If we had all the answers already, what would be the point?

I say this all with true humilty…and I’m still looking for the answers. Who knows where today will go? Have an awesome week!

lol – r u afk or zzz?

DAVE’S FRIDAY FEATURE

Last Friday I finished the week with an article on emoticons. I had some interesting feedback and, as promised, am following up with this Friday’s feature: Web Abbreviations (or Webbreviations).

Whether you’re texting, instant messaging, playing online games, or even emailing, from time-to-time you’ll seen an abbreviation.

Some, such as LOL (laughing out loud) are so commonplace as to merit entry in commercial dictionaries. In order to expand your web diction, below is a list of some of the more (or less) common abbreviations you might see out there.

2nite	tonight
l8r	later
afk	away from keyboard
bbfn (ttfn)	bye bye for now (ta-ta for now)
k (kk)	okay – sometimes written as kk but meaning the same thing
brb	be right back
bio	bathroom (as in I’m going on a bio break)
omw (brt)	on my way (be right there used interchangeably)
bc or b/c	because
bs	(take a guess)
idk	I don’t know
btw	by the way
gl	good luck
cu (cul8r)	see you (see you later)
dnd	do not disturb (have seen this used as "denied" as well)
lol	laughing out loud
rofl	rolling on the floor laughing
eta	estimated time of arrival
noob (n00b)	someone is new to something (derogatory – "newb" or "newbie" is the polite version)
leet (l33t)	elite (meaning cool)
g2g	got to go
gf / bf / wyf / hub / so	girlfriend / boyfriend / wife / husband / significant other
gr8	great
grz / gratz / grtz	congratulations
oxo / xoxo	hugs and kisses
id10t	idiot
imo / imho	in my opinion / in my humble opinion
jk / j/k	joking or just kidding
msg	message
im	instant message
myob	mind your own business
ne1	anyone
u2	you too (not the band)
nm	never mind
omg	oh my God (or gosh)
plz / pls	please
tmi	too much information
ppl	people
qotd / motd	quote of the day / message of the day
qt	quiet
rl	real life
sfx	special effects
tx	thanks
ttyl	talk to you later
w8	wait
w/ w/o	with / without
zzz	sleeping / sleepy

Okay, now you’re totally l33t and will be able to understand what your kids are saying (jk). There are literally hundreds of abbreviations out there. This small list comprises some of the more "universal" ones.

I’ve left some of the less appropriate ones out, but there are plenty of those too.

So, get online and I’ll ttyl!

“I’ll GET BY”

"I’ll get by," said a colleague the other day when we were discuss business cards and following a newsletter article (link here) I’d written on the subject titled "10 ways say it with cards". The conversation was about what I refer to as "marketing makeovers", reinventing oneself. This colleague had approached me with a simple request, "I need to change something because what I’m doing isn’t working."

In the current economic climate it’s easy to feel that way. There is an undercurrent of uncertainty in so much of what we do in our personal and professional lives. Business has suffered across the board. What was once taken for granted is now an uncertainty (just look at GM, AIG or Lehman). Everyone is treading carefully because no one can afford to take a risk any more.

But, back to my conversation. We looked over my colleagues marketing material, and discussed how we could "tune" a few things here and there. One of the recommendations I made was a "makeover" of some of the marketing materials. She responded by saying "oh it’s okay, I’ll get by". What I was proposing was not expensive, I hasten to add, and my colleague knew that. But such is the economy that she wasn’t willing to take even that small chance.

"Do you want to get by or get ahead?" I asked her. I explained that she knew she needed to try some new things, hence our conversation, but a change in approach coupled with a "make do" feeling on the supporting materials is a recipe for failure. As Yoda said in The Empire Strikes Back, "do, or do not, there is no try". If you want to change, then decide to change.

As a marketing person, it’s my job to be honest, otherwise, we would have parted ways and her positive feeling about her new strategy would have lasted a day or two at the most. It was my feeling that the "makeover" was need to shed the "old" image. People like new things. You start a new job, you get a new suit. It makes you feel good and that shows. Yes, money is tight, I can attest to that, but if you want to try and remake yourself, don’t settle for "getting by".

Decide to "get ahead". It doesn’t have to be expensive and, to paraphrase a well-known proverb, "a small change is as good as a huge rest".