According to the release, Adobe is providing optimized Adobe® Flash® Player technology to Google and Yahoo! to enhance search engine indexing of the Flash file format (SWF) and uncover information that is currently undiscoverable by search engines. This will provide more relevant automatic search rankings of the millions of RIAs and other dynamic content that run in Adobe Flash Player. Moving forward, RIA developers and rich Web content producers won’t need to amend existing and future content to make it searchable — they can now be confident it can be found by users around the globe.

Well, that sure is interesting but how real is it? Flash has long been a serious bone of contention between web designers and search marketers. While designers love to incorporate Flash (which I personally don’t understand, especially those awful intro pages that have helped to create the most used call to action on the ‘Net – Skip Intro) search marketers are constantly facing the task of helping a site owner figure out how to undo everything so the site can be found.

The bulk of the release concentrates on the intentions of Google to make the world better by recognizing flash content and indexing it accordingly. In fact, they make it sound like they already do it.

“Google has been working hard to improve how we can read and discover SWF files,” said Bill Coughran, senior vice president of engineering at Google. “Through our recent collaboration with Adobe, we now help Web site owners that choose to design sites with Adobe Flash software by indexing this content better. Improving how we crawl dynamic content will ultimately enhance the search experience for our users.”

Interestingly enough earlier in the release Adobe was a little less emphatic in just how far along this whole process is.  David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president of the Platform Business Unit at Adobe states “We are initially working with Google and Yahoo! to significantly improve search of this rich content on the Web, and we intend to broaden the availability of this capability to benefit all content publishers, developers and end users.”

So which is it? Is it already being done (Google’s take) or being significantly improved to broaden the availability (Adobe’s take)? Gotta love PR. Both points of view presented in nearly the same breath with different takes on the main subject of the release.

Funniest part of all of this is the fact that Yahoo! plays the bottom feeder of the search world even in this situation. Sean Suchter, VP of Yahoo! Search Technology Engineering  says “Yahoo! also expects to deliver improved Web search capabilities for SWF applications in a future update to Yahoo! Search. “ A future update? Since Yahoo! has a tough enough time figuring out what it wants to be when it grows up it seems a search update for them is almost an oxymoron.

Anyway, hopefully there will come a day when this idea reaches beyond the realm of press release and becomes reality. Now that WOULD be a real advance.

SMB Takeaway - While Flash is great for design it is still not search engine friendly. Just because Adobe and Google issue a press release doesn’t mean this issue is resolved, it just means there is a press release regarding the possibility of it being done in the near future. Reading between the lines, this whole thing sounds like bunk.

Thanks and have a great day!

Seems to me that in our world, the idea of talking or communicating about something is replacing actually doing something. Huh? I see it with small businesses all the time. I see it in myself. I have bought in just as much as the next guy. Shame on me. I’ll be honest with you though…..I don’t like it and I aim to make a change.

If you are a small business person interested in making your business thrive through WHATEVER economic climate exists here are some actionable items to actually do:

1.    Stop wasting money on junk advertising. If you can’t measure it you can’t improve it. It’s that simple.

2.    Stop using the economy as an excuse. It’s not going to change when you sit around and complain about it. In fact, it’s our very inaction that is making it worse for all of us.

3.    Admit that you don’t know everything. It says in the Bible that “First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.” Proverbs 16:18 (The Message translation). That wisdom hasn’t been around for thousands of years because it’s faulty.

4.    Take a chance. If you have never done it before don’t dismiss it out of hand. If you have a pat excuse for something new try just putting that aside for a minute and take a good long look at the new option. Stop delaying success with preconceived notions of what will or will not work.

5.    Find a way. Fighters will make it through these trying times.

Since talk is cheap I better take my own advice. I need to stop “communicating” and start doing.

SMB Takeaway – It’s time to “Put up or shut up”. Tough times call for real action which may require change. Do you have it in you to make it through?

Thanks and have a great (and action filled) day.

She uses a great example of how Ferris Bueller narrowly escapes being caught by the ever incompetent high school principal, Mr. Rooney, while cutting school to attend a Cubs game (What high school kid in Chicago hasn’t, right?). Her take on the many ways that Ferris would get caught today is interesting.

“Imagine Ferris cutting class today. First, Mr. Rooney probably would have TiVo’d (TIVO) the game and had the chance to replay every hit caught by a fan. Ferris would have to resist the urge to change his Facebook status to “Ditching school today. Who’s in?” He couldn’t blog about his day afterwards. Nor could he post pictures on Yahoo’s (YHOO) Flickr. And the hardest for any Web 2.0 devotee: He couldn’t Twitter about any of it—not even convincing that snooty maître d’ he was the sausage king of Chicago. (Although he could Yelp about those valets who racked up the miles in Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari.)”

The premise of the article is the idea that because we are so in touch, it’s hard to hide anymore. If the big players are making boneheaded moves like Facebook head of PR Brandee Barker did regarding the Facebook-Microsoft deal just imagine what is happening millions of times every day. Lacy does a very good job of examining the many positives of our new level of communicating as well.

So how does this apply to business? Actually, I am not sure. One interesting point, however, is that it appears that the visionaries like Marc Andreessen and Mark Zuckerberg (do you have to be named Mar(c)k to be a visionary these days?) are convinced that people want to be in touch with everyone all the time so they can make sense of the world around them. Lacy contends that maybe the ways we “stay private” in the offline world are there for a good reason…….we all need some peace and quiet from time to time. I tend to agree.

Maybe one way that a small business person can benefit from exposing his world to the rest of the world is just making sure that the only thing they do over these various social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed is talk about their business. Sure, some of the purists will bark that these should not be commercial venues but who’s kidding who here? The main reason I write what I write is to promote my business and find folks I can work with. I used to be a bit more altruistic until I realized that having everyone know everything I am doing at every minute can be more annoying than exhilarating. The reason I feel this way? Well, as my wife will attest….I screw up a lot …. but you won’t hold that against me now will you?

SMB Takeaway – Social media is still an unknown entity for small business. What is known, however, is that you leave a trail back to all things be they good or bad. Be careful how you use these mediums. Their bite may well be a lot worse than their bark.

Thanks and have a great day!

Here’s an example that literally just happened to me this week. I had transmission work done on a vehicle about four months ago. I was very pleased with the result, the price and the service. Now unfortunately I need to go back for transmission issues for another car (I drive cars until they scream “Uncle!”) and I did a Google search to get the number of the shop again. Well, the first organic search result was from www.insiderpages.com and there were 5 reviews there along with the information I wanted. After reading the reviews, I actually felt like I was lucky that I had a good experience at this shop!  When I contacted the owner to schedule the new work (I am a trusting sort) I told him about what was there and he a bit surprised and disturbed. Needless to say, we will be talking to help him with that problem.

So I go from happy customer to a “Doubting Thomas” in no time flat due to an online rant by an unhappy customer. Well, since all businesses will encounter unhappy customers it is critical for anyone to monitor their online reputation.

Consider doing the following:

1.    Perform an audit of all directory listings that your information appears on and see what is being said.
2.    Use a tool like Trackur to keep an eye on any new information as it happens so you are aware and can take actions to eliminate, refute or least minimize the claim
3.    Update your website and do SEO to get your site found rather than a directory listing so your customers come to you and never have to see the bad press
4.    Contact the customers that were upset and make it right. How you do that is your call
5.    Take the time to understand how your small business may be getting “buzz” other than just the old referral network that you have relied on. The new referral system is the search engines.

To many, this will have seemed elementary but that’s because you live and breathe this stuff. Most small business people (which account for about 95% of American business) have not caught on yet. If you are an internet marketing provider help them understand this important part of the new world economy and set yourself apart as their business partner and not just another vendor.

SMB Takeaway: No matter how small your business you could already have an online reputation. Hopefully, it’s positive but let’s be honest; very few people take the time to say something nice in a review. Most folks, however, can pump out a negative review in mere seconds and they feel like they are getting a measure of revenge. Make sure you know what is being said about you and your business online.

Thanks and have a great day!

Well, those days are LONG gone. Now when you stink at what you do, even if it’s just once, everyone gets the chance to hear about it – immediately. One of the most underrated yet powerful aspects of the internet for business is the fact that companies can no longer hide. When things don’t work as expected people complain and if the person who complains has an audience well you better get the customer service team beefed up.

Here’s a great example. The social media craze has a new darling called Twitter. You get 160 or so characters at a clip to tell all of your “followers” what you are up to, what you are thinking or whatever. It’s instant messaging on steroids. Sounds interesting right? Well, one of the most influential proponents of the service, Andy Beal, has taken umbrage (nice word, huh?) with the inconsistency of Twitter’s server availability. In his latest blast at Twitter and some of its lesser cousins, the headline of his post on Marketing Pilgrim from June 9, 2008 says it all “Plurk Joins Twitter and Pownce on Train to Sucksville”.

Man, what might be said by someone who DOESN’T like the service on a good day? Ouch. Andy has about 10,000 regular readers that will see that and have that message branded into their collective minds. Bad day to be Twitter, Pownce or Plurk, huh?

Now imagine something goes wrong with your company and someone decides to tell the world. There could be a permanent record, so to speak, of your misstep on the internet. That one post or forum entry could cost you a major sale if someone did some digging and found the negative information about you. What do you do then? Stop by tomorrow for some options that will help you manage your corporate image that is out there for the whole world to see….all the time.

SMB Takeaway – Reputations online are fragile at best. They can change rapidly. Be aware of what is being said about you and work to keep the opportunities for complaints to a minimum.

Thanks and have a great day!

Things to consider………

1.    You’re an expert and no one knows it

You are in business or in your job because of some kind of expertise. Own it and then share it. You’re really not doing much good keeping it to yourself or only sharing it with your clients.

2.    People buy people not products

Sure that’s a bit over the top because you’ll buy a great product from a jerk just to get the product but you feel like you need to shower after the purchase. Meanwhile your prospect only knows a bit about you. Your blog can finish the work of relationship building that might mean you win the business.

3.    Broaden your horizons

When you write about something you may be amazed at how you start to see things a bit differently. Maybe a new idea or two might sneak in there and improve your business.

4.    Take a chance,  you might actually enjoy it

When you put something out there for everyone to read it’s actually exciting. What if someone hates it? So what?! Unless you are writing something completely offensive (remember this is a business blog not some political forum etc) you really can’t do any harm.

5.    Your competition

Face it. If you don’t do it someone else will. Why give the competition some kind of edge?

SMB Takeaway: It’s time to start blogging. The 21st century is waiting for you!

Thanks and have a great day!

Since my company does internet marketing (with a concentration in search marketing practices including search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click (PPC) management) it goes to follow that we might develop some nifty tools. Well, we have and we are putting it out there for search marketers of all stripes including agencies, consultants and in-house search marketers to use in their campaigns.

SEMCheck is a great way to get a 30,000 foot fly over view of a site’s search engine friendliness. It’s a great base reporting tool that can uncover some flaws, point out some strengths and simply make you think about your site from an SEO perspective. There are over 20 elements that are examined and the findings can be downloaded in a Word format so you can brand it with your company name. Take a look at a sample report.

SEMCheck was originally “launched” last year and Andy Beal picked it up on his Marketing Pilgrim blog. We had great response initially but due to a number of factors it has taken us this long to relaunch the service. We’re excited because it is one of those rare instances of being able to meet a need in the marketplace without causing someone to crack open the piggy bank to pay for it. SEMCheck is also ridiculously cheap. Individual reports are $12 and the per report price plummets to under a $1 per report depending upon the monthly subscription you sign up for.

Check it out and see how the time savings you get turns into greater productivity for you, your staff or both!

Phew, this shameless self promotion stuff is exhausting.

SMB Takeaway – To check your web site for search engine friendliness use SEMCheck. Save time and money. Get more out of life!

Thanks and have a great day!

I realize that I am about to write something that might make me sound 1) old 2) whiney 3) arrogant 4) maybe all of the above but …….oh well. I might even offend a few folks. I am willing to take that risk. I tend to write about things that I am experiencing and I can tell you that this is a live one.

Working in the internet marketing industry there is an opportunity to see a lot of things. One of the most interesting is the techniques that are called communication either personally or on the business side. Here are some thoughts on a few (not all by any means) of the most commonly used (or underused) techniques.

Instant Messaging (IM) – This can be an incredibly effective tool when used properly. Some excellent applications are for sales and sales support to “talk” to each other and solve problems for the prospect on the fly. It’s great to catch up with friends etc in a quick and informal way. Chat support is OK but it’s very limited. What it’s not, however, is a true customer service tool. Account managers should not be providing service and support via IM. Too many chances for issues. Because of the “on demand” nature of it there can be misperceptions about getting timely assistance. What if you are online at night and your client is too and they decide that they need your help with business right then. There HAS to be a break. Not to mention the emotion that can be read into an IM that simply isn’t there.

Oh, I almost forgot……if you spell poorly you look less intelligent. By the way, there is a huge difference between their and there as well as your and you’re. R U OK if you look uneducated?

E-mail – Relied on WAY TOO heavily in this current marketplace. Its best use is in the form of CYA (Cover Your “You Know What”) because at least there is a written record of a statement whether it’s internal or external communication. The flip side is that what you put in an e-mail in a time of anger or some other emotion is now a permanent record that may not read as good a month later as it did when you were venting. Exercise the 24 hour rule with heated e-mails. Write it in a Word doc, wait 24 hours, read it again and see if it still “works”. If yes, then copy, paste and send. If not, delete it. You will delete more than you send.

One thing e-mail should never be is a way to push responsibility to someone else. What I mean is that if you send an e-mail to set an appointment and if the other party doesn’t reply it doesn’t mean they were at fault. It actually means you are not really trying to get the desired result. Just because you sent an e-mail does not mean you communicated. Ever thought about how many e-mails that you didn’t get a response from were simply never read or were caught in spam filters?

Oh and please remember, if you don’t write or spell well you run the risk of looking unprofessional and foolish in your e-mails. There are a lot of folks who should really consider this as a problem.

Phone calls – Ah yes. A golden oldie. A standard, if you will. Definitely a lost art particularly amongst those who have only known chat rooms, IM, e-mail and other modern forms of communication. I was speaking with a friend the other day who said that she has gone back to calling on the phone because it’s more direct, efficient and it actually builds a relationship. She said that the impersonal nature of almost all electronic forms of “communication” allows for everyone to be less accountable, less truthful and simply less in touch. Simply said, I agree. There are few ways that are more effective in getting things done efficiently with good results than a phone call. Especially these days it’s a lot harder to blow someone off on the phone. With e-mails and IM’s it’s like the old “cup of courage” situation. People may not say certain things unless they have gone over their limit with the cocktails. Same thing with e-mails and IM. People get “electronic courage” and can play a lot tougher than they are. Get that same person on the phone and chances are the result will be quite a bit different.

Well as with everything. There is more to say but that’s enough for now. Next time we’ll talk about a real scary one: face to face communication. Remember that? Get away from your computer and talk to someone …… in person.

SMB Takeaway – Don’t confuse information with communication. Passing information in an impersonal manner (most electronic forms of communication are very impersonal regardless of what the experts say) is just that, passing information. Use some “old school” techniques like the phone to get things done quickly, efficiently and honestly. Sure sometimes it’s painful but there is always growth on the other side of pain.

Have a great day!

Here are a few things that have happened in the past few weeks that may be of benefit to you.

First, I am continually amazed by how little small to medium size business owners actually know about search engine marketing. While nearly all have heard about it there is little understanding of what it takes for success. When someone truly gets it though it’s really refreshing because there is that realization that it is a critical component of success for their marketing and it is something that is more often than not better off put in the hands of experts (whether it’s my firm or not).

Second, there are some real scams out there that are truly damaging to the efforts of small business players. I ran across a particular “provider” who was specializing in delivering “search marketing” to a very specific vertical segment. The sites that were built were actually using frames and there was pressure being put on the “clients” to do SEO. Well, frames and SEO are less than compatible so the whole situation just stunk. Thankfully the guy I spoke with was seeing this and will now have a chance to get his online marketing firmly aligned with 21st century techniques!

Third, is there anything better in business than having really strong partners (both in your business and as complementary service providers)? The relationships that I am beginning to develop with other professionals who provide services that my firm can’t are really making a difference. Having other strong professionals that you can trust and share with is invaluable and I recommend the practice to everyone regardless of your industry.

Last I just have to say that I am truly blessed. I have a great business partner, a fantastic staff, a strong group of informal advisors from my affiliation with C12, and an incredible wife and family. The beauty part of all of this is that if the business went away tomorrow I know that I will be provided for by the Lord and there is incredible comfort in that.

Well, I am going to try to get more serious about this blog thing. I really admire those with the discipline to post regularly and breathe life into their blog. Hats off. You deserve the recognition. Maybe I can play with the big boys one day.

SMB Takeaway: Embrace search marketing, get out of bad marketing deals ASAP, build lasting partnerships in your business and take the time to recognize the most important things in life.

 Thanks and have a great day!

How does this relate to search marketing? One of the best things you can do is to build relevant inbound links. We have gone over that in the past (If Nothing Else Link, Link and Link Some More, May 3, 2008) so here we will talk about one of the best ways to develop these inbound links. The technique is called link baiting. For those of you who are SEO “experts” you can check out now. I understand. If this idea sounds like something illegal or at the least subversive, read on.

The general idea behind link baiting is pretty basic. The more entertaining or controversial your” “bait” (article, Top Ten List, blog post etc, etc) the more likely people are to pick it up and post it, write about it then link to it (or simply get the link that you have embedded in post). Now, not everything that you write as bait will be taken. It’s very much like fishing (hence the name link bait). You need to use the right technique that will create a buzz with whatever audience you are trying to attract.

I think the best way to show this is to give you a real life example. The other day a guy who has a significant following in the search engine optimization (SEO) world, Shoemoney (visit at your own risk because the language is not always professional…you have been warned) posted one of his usual rants about SEO is dying. Well, this created a real ruckus among SEO types. One of the post writers for Andy Beal’s Marketing Pilgrim, Greg Howlett, posted saying he agreed with Shoemoney. If you look at the number of comments for some of the other posts on Marketing Pilgrim the response to this “controversial” statement is tremendous (53 comments) and caused Greg to post a follow up to clarify his statements and the accusations that were tossed his way.

Sounds like a real mess, huh? Let’s do some forensics on it. Although many people disagreed with both Shoemoney and Greg very few will actually remember and hold it against them. So nothing lost there. Shoemoney gets a great link from Marketing Pilgrim which helps his efforts. Greg gets to post a follow up and talk some more. And finally, there are people out on the internet like me who are continuing the conversation and keeping it alive. While a link from http://www.frankthinking.com/won’t make or break them it won’t hurt. I may be one of hundreds of relevant links that have generated by this little “issue”.

So what does it mean for you and the business you are in? Honestly, I don’t know. Each industry will have different opportunities to link bait. Some industries it may not work at all. This is an area that needs to be explored with someone who has some experience. The real benefit is that you can generate some buzz and get some SEO value by getting some relevant links. It also is a great PR move when it works. Expect about a 10-20% success rate on these deals until you see what works and doesn’t with your industry.

SMB Takeaway: Link baiting is an interesting option to develop links for your website. It is certainly something that you should consider. If there is a controversial or hot topic in your industry and you have a definitive position think about how you can leverage that into some inbound links that will help you with the search engines.

Thanks and have a great day!