Your Search Advisor is now a Mac shop. All one of us. Well, two if you count Zach the intern who still owns a cooler Mac than his boss. I must be paying him too much, which is hard to comprehend because he works for free. Sucker.

Until yesterday, I ran nearly every facet of my business from a well-worn 3-year old HP Pavilion DV5000. She was a great little workhorse. Like most workhorses though, she steadily and unknowingly worked herself to the point of failure and had to be put down. Her battery, power source and AC adapter would get so hot I can only refer to it as “going nuclear”. It actually melted the internal workings of the AC adapter. Yes, I smelled smoke and my first reaction was “Hallelujah”. I had been waiting for it to kick the bucket and knew it was only a matter of time.

Within a day I had broken all emotional ties and didn’t even wait for the signed death certificate before shopping around for a newer, sleeker MacBook. I picked up a mid-range white model at the Apple Store in Briarwood Mall and I’m now in the process of transferring all the files, music, photos, and games from the old system to the new. I borrowed an AC adapter to revive the HP just long enough to dump everything on my external hard drive and re-image the hard disk with a fresh install of Windows XP. This baby ain’t done yet. She’s got eBay written all over her.

My new MacBook and I (I’m taking name suggestions, btw) are still solidly in the honeymoon phase, but I can already tell we have some serious issues to work through if we are going to survive the inevitable buyer’s remorse. For instance, the HP had faithfully stored dozens of passwords for me so I wouldn’t have to remember them each time I wanted to log into my favorite web apps. So now I’m locked out of a few until I take the time to reset each one. And I had PC versions of Photoshop, MS Office, and several other borrowed expensive software suites that will now have to be downloaded again replaced. I’m sure I’ll be able to shed my emotional baggage before too long.

So, MacFolk, I ask you to leave a comment with one or two of your favorite Mac programs that I can’t live without. I already know I need VMWare Fusion, Windows XP (I can’t work without some Windows-only software), TextMate, and a few others. What else would you recommend?

Anybody else think it’s ironic that the The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad bothered to put a copyright statement in the footer of every page on the official site? I know the Chinese government talks a big game about shutting down copyright infringement and IP piracy, but you have to admit it’s a little funny when other people plagiarize the Chinese authorities for fun and profit.

Google search results for this phrase from the official site turn up “about 29″ copies of the same content:

As an image of Olympism, Coubertin thought the rings had deep significance: that of the union between men. He multiplied the image to create a total of five rings. He designed and commissioned the Olympic flag to mark the 20th anniversary of the IOC’s founding, on 23rd June 1914 in Paris. (original citation)

Oh, make that 30…

It’s no secret that most Search Engine Marketers really enjoy the challenges and rewards of Search Engine Marketing. It’s the thrill of the chase and the hunter instinct that motivates us to pursue customers or prospects online, learning from past efforts, and refining our strategies to increase our effectiveness over time.

We are internet fishermen.

The author fishing on Captiva Island, FL.

We sit just off the banks of the sea of information that is the internet. We cast a line out with a lure meant to attract our desired target. We hope to reel in “the big one” that we just KNOW is lurking out there somewhere.

Just like successful fishermen, we learn to think like our prey. We study them, figure out where they congregate, learn their habits, likes and dislikes. We understand what motivates them to take action. We know they are fickle creatures that will scatter at the first whiff of an artificial hook.

Just like successful fishermen, we obsessively check and re-check our tackle. Are we sending the right message at the right time in the right place? Is our target hungry for what we are serving or are they likely to pass in the hopes that something tastier comes along? Is our offer presented in an irresistible way? Are we simply splashing around or do we have a legitimate chance of hooking a lunker?

Just like successful fishermen, we have to BELIEVE that the next cast is going to land the fish of a lifetime, the stuff memories (and a few “fish tales”) are made of. If the lure comes back empty, we take note of the conditions that created an unsuccessful attempt and use that information to increase our chances of success on the next cast.

This metaphor could go on forever, but I think you get the point. Whether you are doing Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC), or both, Search Engine Marketing is about trial and error. It’s about being able to scan the seemingly endless ocean of opportunity and knowing where, when, and how you are going to present your message. It’s about learning how to adapt successful strategies and tactics from one industry or target market to another because just like lakes, no two are alike. Fish respond differently based on their geography, history, culture, species and other environmental factors.

Anybody can throw a line in the water and get lucky by waiting long enough. Good internet marketers know that enduring success is not random, but rather the byproduct of preparation and opportunity.

But hey, a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work. Are you sure you are fishing where the fish are, or are you merely bobbing around?

Ahhh….perspective. No matter how connected we think we are to the revolutionary technologies that surround us, we still have to remember that we don’t quite live in The Matrix yet. Meatspace is the original MySpace.

(credit)

So far my Valentine’s Day has been pretty good. The wife liked her present (tickets to Mamma Mia in Detroit this weekend) and we have some good steaks and a fine wine lined up for dinner. There was some chocolate too, but I couldn’t wait and ate it all yesterday.

This is the one day when I know that going the extra mile is mandatory and so I prepare mentally and financially in advance to make the most of it. Of course, Valentine’s Day is a made-up holiday and I wouldn’t be doing any of this if it weren’t for the high expectations I set before we were married, back when I thought I had to try harder. But that’s beside the point. I made my bed, now I have to lie in it.

Despite my best efforts on February 14th, why do I occasionally find myself in doghouse on the other 364 days of the year? Because sometimes I don’t make an effort to go the extra mile and do the little, unexpected things that would truly make my wife happy when she least expects it. I don’t think about those things on a daily basis. I’ve become complacent.

Now for the metaphor. Consulting is a relationship business. It’s about treating your clients, prospects and partners with the same amount of intensity and dedication 365 days a year, rather than just focusing all of your efforts on one particular project or task and thinking you have it made. Take care of the little things, and the rest will take care of itself. Go above and beyond. Treat your clients to unexpected surprises and show a little more enthusiasm when things seem routine. Be thankful for your time together and do everything you can to make the relationship mutually beneficial. Even though it’s a lot easier for a client to move on than it is for a husband or wife, that doesn’t mean you won’t wake up one day to find yourself stuck in a rut, or worse, breaking up.

Best of luck to those of you in relationships (business and personal). And to the single people out there, you never know when opportunity will come knocking. Happy Valentine’s Day.