Category Archives: Clients

Why Social Media Users Revolt

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Dave Linabury of Detroit ad agency Campbell-Ewald put together a great primer on how to manage fights and disagreements in online communities. It’s appropriately titled “When Social Media Attacks“.

Not only does he have a fantastic understanding of online group dynamics, he is an Omnigraffle wizard and comes up with the slickest presentation slides, posters and visuals I’ve seen in an advertising agency. To be honest, many advertising “creative-types” could learn a thing or two about simple concept visualization.

If They Fight, They Care

The real lesson for anybody that participates in or facilitates a social community is,

“If your members aren’t squabbling every once in a while, there’s a good chance that your community isn’t all that compelling to people. If they fight, they care.“

Don’t be afraid of dissent or in-fighting amongst members, but don’t ignore it either. Click the image for full-size goodness and feel free to re-post it with proper attribution.

When Social Media Attacks (click for full size)

When Social Media Attacks (click for full size)

Full Disclosure: I freelanced for Campbell-Ewald in the fall of 2008 on several client projects and new business pitches. I really respect the digital work they do and it’s a great group of people. No foolin’.

Free Google AdWords Credits for New Advertisers

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AdWords Certified ProfessionalGoogle just hooked me up with a bunch of $100 AdWords advertising credits (free money!) to assist new advertisers with getting up and running with a pay per click advertising campaign.

Of course, there are a few caveats (their rules, not mine):

  • The credits can only be applied to a new (less than two weeks old) AdWords account. Get yours.
  • There is a one-time $5 fee to open a new AdWords account. I am not sure if the $100 credit will cover this.
  • You will need to register a credit card with Google to cover any cost overages.
  • The new account must be linked to my Google AdWords Professional Account which allows me to manage multiple clients’ campaigns.

If you haven’t tried AdWords to promote your business online, this may be your best chance to try it for free.

Here’s how it works:

  1. First, I highly recommend installing a website analytics package on your site. Google Analytics is a nice, free option. This will allow you to track your new visitors’ activity on your site. Need help? I am also a Google Analytics Qualified Individual.
  2. Sign up for a new Google AdWords account.
  3. Email me your Customer ID number (10 digits, XXX-XXX-XXXX), which will appear in the top-right corner of your account dashboard.
  4. I will send you an invitation to link your AdWords account to my Professional Account. This way, you don’t ever have to share passwords or billing info with me and you can control/restrict/cut off my access at any time.
  5. When you log back into AdWords, you will see the invitation from me. Once you accept, I will have be able to manage your account remotely (although I won’t, unless you want me to).
  6. I will apply the $100 credit and you can start spending your free money!
  7. Check out the AdWords Beginner’s Guide to learn the basics.

That’s it. No obligations, no spending requirements. You can de-link your account from mine any time you choose after you spend the $100.

Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact me.

Behind the Scenes at YSA

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted about the inner workings of Your Search Advisor. Of course, by “inner workings” I mean the various thoughts rattling around in my head. Here are some updates I’ve been meaning to pass along to you, dear reader.

Finally Back in Ann Arbor!

As of today, my wife Elizabeth and I are Ann Arbor residents once again. After the first two years flew by (1 in Ann Arbor, 1 in Flint), her residency program is entering its final 6 months back at the U of M hospital. We’re both excited to be back in town and closer to good restaurants, friends, cool parks, and my office.

We’re so close to the action that I can start commuting by bike again. Call me “green” if you will, but I do it primarily for the fresh air and convenience. I can ride the 1.6 miles to work in under 9 minutes versus 17 minutes of driving, looking for a parking spot and walking the 3-4 blocks from the “free” parking. Oh, and it’s not very fun on rainy days (like today). I was soaked!

Website Redesign

Continuing the “green” theme (albeit for different reasons), I’m about two weeks away from launching a revamped version of YourSearchAdvisor.com. Ross Johnson is putting together an awesome design concept and we hope to have it up by the end of June.

Here’s a sneak peak of the new logo which will give you an idea of the direction we’re heading:

Your Search Advisor Logo

New Monthly Client Newsletter

Any day now I’ll be sending out the first issue of a new monthly (to start) client newsletter. There’s so much happening in the Search Engine Marketing industry that I’m finding it harder and harder to keep all of my clients up to date on the developments that matter to them. More importantly, I want to make sure they know how each development impacts them and what they can/should do about it.

It’s not just for clients though. Anybody can sign up here:

You will also have the option to sign up for a “Breaking News” email that I will only send if something happens that requires your immediate attention.

Last Call for Internship Applications

I am looking for an intern this summer to help with some research and client prep work. It’s a great way to learn the basics of Search Engine Marketing and help out on some actual client work.

If you or anybody you know wants to learn more about it, here’s the blog post with more details.

Google Analytics Myths Busted

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I’ll admit I have never heard clients express concerns about Google Analytics, but I suspect that’s because they don’t know which questions to ask or what to look for in a website analytics package. That’s why it’s a good idea to check with a qualified consultant for guidance and support when choosing, implementing, and interpreting an analytics program.

In their effort to answer the more difficult questions from people like me, the GA team posted a list of the “Top Ten Myths About Google Analytics” on their blog. Of course, some of them are a little salesy (#10 in particular), but it’s still helpful information for some clients that need a little more evidence in their decision-making processes.

Here are the myths:

  1. “You get what you pay for.” Google Analytics is free, which means the system is down a lot.
  2. Google Analytics is basic and doesn’t have any “advanced” features or metrics
  3. Google Analytics only supports third-party cookies
  4. Google Analytics is not really accurate
  5. It’s not possible to export your data from Google Analytics
  6. With Google Analytics you can’t control your data
  7. There is no professional support for Google Analytics
  8. Google Analytics does not support A/B or multivariate testing and isn’t well-integrated with other tools
  9. You can’t segment data in Google Analytics
  10. You have to spend a lot of money to get “real” web analytics

Now read the original post for the truths.

Host Your Website on YouTube

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Forget paid hosting packages and haggling for parked domain names. Just do what my friends at Boone Oakley did and host your website on YouTube:

According to the initial stats, the “site” is performing wonderfully.

Disclaimer: I have partnered with Boone Oakley for search engine marketing support for some of their clients. Despite being a little weird (in a good way), they are great people.