Hi everyone,

The page isn't quite up yet, but I'm starting to offer free search engine optimization website evaluations. These are totally automated, and have limited information, but free is free right? Contact me today! I'll keep doing as many free ones as I can until I get overwhelmed.

Click on the link to the left of this column for more info!

Cheers from Calgary!
Dan

Labels: search engine optimization

I've just uploaded an Email Marketing Article and a Internet Marketing and Press Releases article in the other articles section.

The main Search Engine Optimization Article has also been updated with new information.

If you have any questions about these topics feel free to get in touch or leave a comment on this board.

The Calgary weather is finally warming up so I may spend more time on my bike but I will get back to anyone who contacts me.

Thanks everyone!
Dan

Labels: calgary, email marketing, search engine optimization, Search Engines

For various reasons, the topic of communication has recently been on my mind. Open and honest communication. Now, I don't want to sound like a therapist here, I'm a search engine optimization specialist. That being said, I'm starting to find a lot of the same rules apply.

If you're open and honest with Google, and provide a good level of regular communication, you'll be rewarded with a satisfying rank. If you try to deceive them, they'll punish you by banning.

Sounds like a divorce to me, and cheating in search engine optimization is called Black Hat. (I stick to White Hat methods, and living in Calgary the white hat is something of a legend).

I find the same reward / punishment system applies to our personal relationships. Be open and honest, keep the content clear and communicate in a straight forward manner, and usually you'll be rewarded.

Sometimes, clear communication over the Internet isn't the easiest thing. If you've ever had someone misinterpret one of your emails, you'll know what I mean. There is no body language or tone to read. I've since learned that sticking to the simplest language that can convey your message is the best way to go.

And also gives the highest ROI, in relationships or in search engine optimization!

Labels: search engine optimization

Today's post has nothing to do with search engine optimization, but in my surfing I've run into a couple of new very cool free tools.

As I have been involved in the hotel and hospitality business for a while now, I pay particular attention when something cool and new hits the Internet that related to the tourism industry.

Check out Kayak Buzz

This site lets you look months in advance and for general areas... like for example Europe. So if I know I would like to go to Europe in the fall, but my destination and dates are flexible, the Kayak Buzz will pick out cheap flights to an array of destinations so I can choose.

Very cool! Apparently there is a cheap flight to London in September, or I could go to Paris in October for less! For those of us without a set plan, this tool is really perfect!

Another fun one: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com

For the fitness minded, this fun little system lets you use Google Maps to pinpoint a particular route and identify the number of calories you burn. (Essentially, a pedometer hooked into Google Maps.)

I plotted out my route to work which I walk everyday here in Calgary, and apparently I burn a whole 70 calories walking there. Not much, but every little bit helps!

For the fitness buff, if you want to know EXACTLY how long your route is, just zoom in and start putting in way points. I'm not sure the calorie count is 100% accurate, but it seems reasonable.

Besides, now I can eat another cookie once I get to work....

Living in Calgary as I do, the weather here can change in a heartbeat. So it seems go the fortunes of Email Marketing.

For a while, Email marketing was the most effective way to reach an audience. Massive email lists were bought and sold regularly. Then came spam. Well, it didn't really arrive, it evolved.

Now there are little programs that surf the Internet looking for email addresses to add to these ever expanding lists. (Hence why I don't put my email address up, except in a photo image which is hard for a robot to read).

Rest assured, if your email address is posted, it's only a matter of time.

As a result, a whole host of technologies have been developed to keep unwanted email out of our inboxes. Yet still some sneak by. In my day job, I manage an Email marketing list of over 150 000, which is completely opt in. Strangely, people seem to forget that they opted in. (It' a travel directory where people can post their own websites in a huge amount of categories.)

When you sign up to get your listing, we ask you to opt in. If you don't, you don't get email from me.

So I recently sent an email newsletter, stuffed with useful information on search engine optimization and email marketing.

A fellow from Virginia then takes it upon himself to call us up and tell us that he was going to call the FBI on us for sending spam. So we check it out, and of course, he did opt in to our list. Also of course, there is a fully functional unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.

Nope, he actually looked us up, and called us. Then proceeded to threaten my boss.

How much time do you have in a day? My newsletters look and are totally legitimate with full double opt-in CAN SPAM compliance.

I can't help but wonder if he trys to find out who is sending the Viagra ads.

Personally, my work email address, which is posted, gets about 20 to 30 spam a day, which is really low thanks to very aggressive server level filtering. Of those 20 to 30, they all get the delete button. I certainly don't have time to be looking for phone numbers.

The best part was, he had opted in.

So we deleted him from our database, and naturally also removed his listing. We're not evil, but he did have a free one way link from our VERY popular and highly rated travel directory, and we didn't want to have to deal with him again.

Point of the story? Sometimes there is just no pleasing everybody.

Labels: email marketing

Well, I spend a lot of my day researching search engine optimization, search engine marketing, analytics and all sorts of related things.

Once in a while, even I get surprised.


Ask.com (formally askjeeves.com)is advertising in the London tube. Check out this picture.

I think Ask.com is just being bitter, I mean c'mon. At least Google SEEMS to do most things fairly. And really, why would Ask be worried about it, everyone has access to everything on the Internet, including them. If they were better at indexing, maybe they would be more popular with users.

But they aren't. Google is currently providing what is seen by the vast majority of the population as the most relevant search results. Shockingly, most people use Google.

Go figure.

As a dedicated SEO guy, I've spent a lot of time getting to know the in's and outs of Google and other search engines. While I don't always agree with everything they do, I have to admit Google seems to be doing the best job so far.

So why the smear campaign Ask.com? Here's a thought. Make a better search engine and compete with them, instead of trying to get politicians to regulate something which can't be regulated anyway.

Ah good times indeed.

Labels: search engine optimization, Search Engines, SEO

A couple people have asked me about Yahoo Paid Inclusion in their search engine, so I thought I would comment.

Yes, you can pay to have your listing appear in the Yahoo search engine. In fact, users won't be able to tell the difference anymore between organic search engine results and paid inclusion ads.

Scary times. Content no longer really matters on Yahoo. It's only a matter of time before someone cracks the system and manages to get a Viagra website up for a search engine keyword request of "Calgary Hotel".

Why did Yahoo do this? No one is really quite sure, and no one I've talked to about it thinks it's a good idea.

While Google isn't everyone's favorite love child anymore, it at least on the outside seems to reward good design and information, as opposed to those with the biggest pocket book. Right now the paid inclusion scheme at Yahoo is a one price shot, but I could easily see it becoming an auction style thing, and then the gloves are off.

The trick is that people trust Google's algorithms, because they've been getting somewhat reliable results from it. As time goes by, Google rankings, arguably, seem to be getting better and more relevant to what users are looking for.

Yahoo Paid Inclusion is the exact opposite and I have no doubts it will get abused. (Personally, I don't use the Yahoo Search Engine for my own searches).

Just another exciting day in Search Engine Optimization Land.

Well, the big are getting bigger. Google today announced it's intention to buy Double Click for 3.1 billion dollars....cash.

For those of you unfamiliar with Double Click, it's the creator of the DART ad buying system, and is the world's largest ad management company. Essentially they buy and distribute online ads virtually everywhere, including MSN and Yahoo.

Big shocker, Microsoft is a little perturbed. I would be too. Double Click buys HUGE amounts of ad space on MSN.com and other Microsoft properties and as a result is no doubt privy to some information that might be considered..... confidential.

In the end, if it goes through, Google will essentially totally dominate online advertising. Sometimes lack of competition is a bad thing. Then again, what is the job of any publicly traded company? To make money for it's investors. Clearly buying Double Click makes great financial sense to Google. We do live in a free market economy after all.

Check out the press release here

Of all the companies in the world that could afford to buy Double Click, I'm far more comfortable with Google than I would be with others *cough*billgates*cough*.

Welcome to Get Clicked SEO Rants & Blog.

From time to time, I'll post new information about breaking
SEO news as well as some stuff that just really bugs me. You're welcome to post comments or ask questions but please keep things civil. I have no problem with a spirited discussion but I won't take slander or name calling.

Do you have a specific topic you'd like to chat with me about? Feel free to post it here. Use the add comment link.

Thanks again and welcome everybody!
Dan

Labels: Alberta, Welcome to Get Clicked Search Engine Optimization - Calgary