Independant Web Consultants

I was asked a few weeks ago by the fine folks at Integrum, a local Ruby on Rails shop to give them a quick SEO 101 session. Josh Huckabee who is a developer there did a write-up you can read here. Integrum is now better positioned to help their own rankings as well as implement sound SEO strategies into their client engagements.

You can find additional and more in depth SEO information on the Arizona SEO website. Be sure to grab the eBook while you are there.

What is the value of maintaining a healthy social garden? At some point it will bear fruit.

How many social networks do you belong to? MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Jaiku, Virb, BestPartyEver, Linkedin, Digg, Purevolume, Last.FM, Pownce, Flickr, Threadless… are we tired yet? At one time or another you may have joined one of these or one of the 1000’s of other social networks out there. You built a little group of friends, and then lost interest and moved on. You left that garden to whither and die in cyberspace.

Yet there may be 1 or 2 networks that you use consistently. Here you have created a quality social graph, participate on a semi regular basis, and are making a “name for yourself”: in these networks you maintain a lush garden.

You Reap What You Sow
Linkedin is a great example. I think one could easily draw a semi-straight line between the energy invested in making new contacts on LinkedIn, and the quality and direct benefit to you these new contacts provide. Your social garden bears fruit, as long as you maintain it.

Here is another great example. My wife Sally (BizGirl) is an avid Twitter user. She has invested much time in tending her social garden that has already born fruit. She has created many useful connections with other professionals, landed a interview with Robert Scoble, and opened dialog with a few VC’s (which is a good thing, since she is seeking funding for her startup).

The Green thumb
While some may see time spent on social networks a waste, it really can be a productive endeavour. The name recognition, branding reinforcement, and personal connections you can make can prove valuable in tangible and intrinsic ways down the line. Tending your social garden is as important to business today as the trade show was 15 years ago.

From an SEO perspective it is a vital part for building links. The content that you push to these networks may generate backlinks to your site which in the long run will help your rankings.

Don’t over fertilize

There is a fine but clearly defined line between being a schmuck that spouts noise all day, and gently finessing your contacts with targeted messaging and marketing. Don’t be the guy that twits 400x a day as you will quickly lose your followers, on the flipside though don’t be afraid to share your ideas and things you find helpful with your network. These nuggets that you pass on may be of help to someone who may return the favor later in the form of a new contact, lead, or personal recommendation.

Bottom line: dedicate some time every week to tending your social garden, it will mature over time and generate ample fruit to your benefit.

Thoughts? How do you utilize Social Networks?

Blogging is simple. As a blogger, the thought of “what should I talk about today” should not cross your mind. In fact, blogging does not have to be an hour long project that turns into a homework assignment. If you read what’s on the net in regards to your industry (or your clients industry if you blog for clients), then you have material to blog about. It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

Blogs are just a collection of your thoughts regarding a specified subject. Right? You really only have 3 things to work off of:

1. You read something in the industry and disagree with it;
2. You read something and agree with it;
3. You design your own ideas and opinions about something past, present, or future.

#1. Disagreement: You were clicking around and ran across an article. Mid paragraph you pull the BS card and fully disagree, or disagree to an extent of the matter, and you might even make a comment about it in their blog. It’s okay… vent away little blogger. You have your own venting corner on your own blog where you can gripe and call them out. Make sure to prove your points with reliable resources of course. Don’t forget to back track links.

#2. Agreement: You read an article and by golly it was like a hammer hitting a nail in full force. Awesome. Not only have you found a blogger you can relate to, but you also have something to blog about. “But I agree with it. Why would I blog about it?” you might ask yourself. Well, as a human being, you have extra thoughts on the subject. More things you might like to add and point out will be helpful for your readers. Again, back track links.

#3. Epiphany: You are lying in bed about to go to sleep and have an SEO epiphany. Being in the SEO industry, I know your brain doesn’t quit even when you lay down for bed. We eat, sleep, and breathe SEO right? So use these ideas for a blog. Get out a pen, jot down your thoughts, let it play out in your head, and blog about it.

So now that you know the 1-2-3’s of blogging, go update yours before it gets stale.