An Interview with Martin Bowling (@MartinBowling) by UtahSEOPro (@UtahSEOPro)

A friend of mine on Twitter @utahseopro sent me these questions to answer and post on my blog which he is also posting on his blog, Utah SEO Pro Blog.

1. How long have you been working in Organic SEO and Internet Marketing and what attracted you to it?
I started in Web Development in 1999, doing lots of ASP.NET coding. And sometime 2001/2002 some of the people I was doing dev stuff for, started asking for help with their internet marketing. I kind of did it as a side service for a while, then figured hell why not jump in feet first and really do it full time. I like this side of stuff a little more cause I get to use my creative side, I still <3 development stuff and writing code; but getting to do creative stuff has always been a passion of mine.

2. In your opinion, what's the measure of a good SEO/PR/Blogging professional?
Looking out for the clients best interest, making sure that they are doing what they need to do to succeed. Not doing shady underhanded things in their name & being a good part of the community.

3. Whose Blog do you read the Most?
Wow that's a toughie, I have been so busy that I haven't been reading much of anything consistantly but I still check the @SEOMoz blog the most.

4. What's your best "SEO secret" or blogging tactic?
As you can tell from my own blog I am not the model blogger, I do it all wrong and don't write enough content; but something that I tell all of our clients to do is check up on Google Trends and find trending keywords that relate to their industry and blog away :) Cause at the end of the day content is still king or atleast a high ranking member of the kings court.

5. Search engine algorithms are getting smarter, and a lot of people predict Organic SEO services will become obsolete. How do you plan to adapt?
No matter how the algorithms change, they are still an algorithm and still can be gamed steered in the right direction of content :) I will make sure that I help my clients stay at the forefront of what's going on, incorporating emerging technologies into their marketing plan. 

6. Please Describe the biggest challenge you face in your current job.
Not having enough time to do some of the stuff I really want to do. I stay really really really busy (i know judging from my twitter stream most would say I am lying =P ) and don't get enough time to do all the testing and experimenting that I want to do. Also getting clients to buy into my crazy social ideas, that's a pretty big challenge too, alot of people are afraid to put their brand out there - afraid someone might say something bad.

7. Do you have any advice for someone who is interested in Organic SEO, Digital Communications/Digital PR and ORM, but doesn't have a background in it, on how to get started in this field?
Read, Read, Read and read some more. Practice writing, watch emerging trends, study viral memes, goto conferences, network, tweet like there is no tomorrow :)

8. If you could rank for any keyword phrase you don't currently rank for, what would it be? 
I am thinking Zima cause it would still be pretty sweet to see my self top 10 for Zima 

9. Assuming you had never gone into (what you do now), what would you be doing now (professionally)?
I would like to pursue some type of acting or comedy. Maybe even get back into pro wrestling :)

10. Do you have any interest in politics?
I am a political junkie, I love all things political. I like reading Howard Zinn & Noam Chomsky, love watching Bill Maher, Keith Olberman & Rachel Maddow. I'm as wonky as they come with out being a total political insider :) And as you can tell am a little left leaning :)

 

Thank you to @MelaniePhung for writing the questions.

@almacy - A Digital Strategy Expert.
@melaniephung - A DC SEO Strategist.
@martinbowling - A lover of Zima.
@utahseopro - A Utah SEO Consultant.
@fairminder - A Boston Website Design and SEO specialist.
@cyandle - A Google Adwords Professional.
@melanienathan - An Edmonton SEO specialist.
@jackleblond - A VP of Internet Strategy.
@djpaisley - A Digital Communications Strategist.
@vinceblackham - A Utah SEO specialist.
@researchgoddess - A Staffing Social Media Specialist.
@monicawright - A Maine SEO professional.

For Christmas, How About 100 Extra Bucks to Spend in Vegas?

Use Promo Code Zima, Get Discounted Rate on Andy Beal's Online Reputation Management Master Class

Quick story (stop me if you've heard it already): Some of my "friends" played a prank on me, creating a viral meme suggesting that I, one of the world's true beer snobs, secretly enjoy drinking Zima as opposed to, say, a nice snifter of Sam Adams Utopias.

My reputation, of course, was on the line here. Yet the timing was perfect. I'd just finished taking one of Andy Beal's Online Reputation Management Master Classes, which taught me more in one day about online rep management than a full year of reading blog posts. The result? I turned the "Zima Incident" into the best doggone URL shortener on the planet. (Never mind the fact that Andy Beal was the one who got the ball rolling on the Martin Bowling Loves Zima meme in the first place.)

To commemorate the event, the Marketing Pilgrim himself, Andy Beal, is offering $100 off of the registration fee for his upcoming Online Reputation Management Master Class on January 14th in lovely Las Vegas. Having an extra $100 to spend in Vegas is always a good bet, but just remember: what happens in Vegas doesn't necessarily stay in Vegas. All the online reputation management in the world isn't gonna help you if you're caught drinking water from a vase in the hotel lobby after a night of Irish Car Bomb contests that led, as such contests usually do, to Hunter Thompson-esque debauchery in the YouTube age. But I digress.

Look, the master class isn't a bunch of blog posts and a Power Point presentation. It's limited to 25 people, which means you get one-on-one time with the guy who wrote the book--literally--on online reputation management. This is a nothing-held-back, handing-you-the-ORM-playbook kind of seminar, jam-packed with a full day of getting your learn on. This isn't a theoretical seminar either, but full of tips and tricks that are applicable to real-world circumstances. I'm telling you, you'll be able to put this stuff into practice for you and your clients from day one. Andy's the master.

So, head on over to Marketing Pilgrim for the full scoop. Just don't forget to use promo code "Zima" to get $100 more to use on the craps table.

Cheers!

Hey Twitter Why Do You Think I'm @MelissaCruz

Ok so this probably doesn't really deserve a whole post; but today while I was checking on my replies over at my favorite microblogging service twitter. I noticed something very strange.

This is my replies tab, but as you can see ScottPolk is sending a message to MelissaCruz but it says that it's a reply to me (MartinBowling) but my name isn't anywhere in the tweet. I am sure it's just one of those things; but thought it might be worth noting. Let me know if you have any twange happenings.

Don't Vote Tag Five Friends Meme

Matt Cutts is getting the ball rolling on the don't vote blog meme to help promote Google's new voter registration effort, so you just have to tag five friends to get them to register and they gotta tell five more friends, so here it goes

 

My Tags:

Dave Snyder - Cause Angry Voters Are Good Voters :)

Andy Beal - Cause I know he has been monitoring the candidates reputations and knows all the dirt

Marty Weintraub - Cause he's crazy enough to do the right thing no matter what :)

Brian Carter - Cause a little laughter goes along way

Utah SEO Pro - Cause NoFX would want me to make sure he was registered!

So go register, get the facts and get your ass out there and vote! And make sure your friends are registered and voting, it's not important how you vote - just that you do. If you don't participate then we all loose!

Throw Marty from The Train: A Journey To SMX East

Just How Did I Get Suckered Into a 13-Hour Train Ride From West Virginia to Manhattan?

Those attending the pre-SMX East networking event will invariably notice one or more of the following characteristics of a certain SEO:

1. He will be wearing black-framed, ultra-hip and stylish designer glasses.

2. He will talk non-stop, waxing poetic on any number of subjects on which he is an expert, such as the existential themes of Ricky Martin's music; why Cher is the quintessential pop cultural icon of the 20th century; and the ramifications of the power bomb replacing the body slam as the most common weapon in a professional "wrestler's" repertoire.

3. He will be sipping a refreshingly clean and crisp Zima, with a watermelon (or, occasionally, blue raspberry) Jolly Rancher dropped into the bottle for added flavor and color.

The SEO in question is one Martin Bowling. He's the Chief Technical Officer and resident evil genius here at Vec3. I tell you to look out for him and not for me because, naturally, I won't be there at the pre-SMX mixer myself. Neither will my colleague Matt Crist, the other Vec3 guy making the New York trip. It's not that we don't want to be there, mind you. It's just that Matt and I will be traveling to New York on the day of the mixer (October 5) via Amtrak's Cardinal 50 rail line. We will not get there in time for the mixer. You see, under ideal conditions, it's a 13-hour ride through the Allegheny Mountains into Virginia before the line turns north, running through Charlottesville before arriving in Washington, D.C. From there, the train passes through Philadelphia, Wilmington, Delaware and on into New Jersey before ending up, many hours later, in New York's Penn Station.

Now, if you've ever traveled Amtrak, you know the conditions are never ideal. That means, of course, that Matt and I will be on the train much, much longer. Marty? He'll be at the mixer, regaling you all with tales of his days as a trapeze artist on the underground circus circuit, or of his time in a Turkish prison. (I won't tell you his crime; it was a bogus charge anyway, the worst case of anti-American xenophobia I ever saw).

Marty will be there because he's traveling by airplane specifically so he can arrive in time for social (read: drinking Zima) hour. Matt and me? Again, we'll be on an uncomfortable train which will invariably arrive in New York City at 2 a.m. on Monday. We'll have to hail a cab in the middle of the night in a strange city that backwoods West Virginians are undoubtedly ill-prepared to navigate. All West Virginians are hillbillies, you understand, incapable of common sense or rational thought. It will be extremely unsanitary, for example, to walk around Penn Station barefoot. Maybe I should just break down and buy a pair of $10 shoes from Wal-Mart or something. We'll see.

But I digress. This is about our wonderful CTO and his social needs, not any discomfort Matt and I may (or may not) endure on our railroad odyssey from Appalachia to the Big Apple. Have a good time, Marty. We'll see you when we get there.

*********

Since sarcasm doesn't easily translate on the Web, a disclaimer is in order. I hate flying. Hate it. Not only did I choose my method of transportation for SMX East, I'm looking forward to the ride. Having traveled around the country many, many times in my previous life as an old-school media guy (read: newspaper reporter), I've hopped the Cardinal 50 line a number of times and have always enjoyed the trip.

Rail travel leaves a much smaller carbon footprint than driving or flying. It's also quite easy and relaxing. Sure, it takes forever and a day to get anywhere, but it's worth it to keep from dealing with airports, travel delays, turbulence at 28,000 feet and the otherwise kind, comfortable and accommodating nature of our nation's air travel system. Matt is coming along on the train because he's never ridden Amtrak before and is curious to see if I am crazy in endlessly extolling its virtues to anyone and everyone who is planning a business trip.

In addition, Matt and I will be live-blogging and Tweeting the trip through the Vec3 blog and our Twitter page--as we'll also be doing for the three days of SMX East--so keep an eye out for our updates.

Marty? Yeah, sure, keep an eye out for him, too. Trust me...you can't miss him.

Scared Clear Part Duex Or Something for the Kids at Home

Celebrating Meaningless Rankings Or How SEOChumpion Ranks 1st and 2nd for SEO Agency Firm

So last night I am getting ready to watch some tv, being fall there is lots of good tv to watch, before I do I hit refresh on Twummize.com and low and behold this is what I see

Now I know what you're thinking give poor SEOChumpion a break, what did he do to anyone. Well it's not really what he did to anyone, it's just what he is doing that made think about how sometimes people get so fixated on rankings and keywords that they start to celebrate the empty victories. Yeah he is ranking #1 and #2 for "SEO Agency Firm" but how many people are actually typing "SEO Agency Firm" into Google or any search engine. Well let's take a look.

Now of course these numbers are kinda meaningless in themselves but when Google doesn't even have enough data to display anything you know for sure it's a keyword that is not really worth spending any time and effort on, much less touting it as a victory. Now here is a snapshot of what might actually be some money keywords when it comes to SEO

I for one though don't think ranking or not ranking for "SEO xxxx" should be a measure of ones success. We get most of our business from word of mouth referrals, and I think that is because so many people have Googled "SEO xxxx" and been lead to a snake oil seo who is using bogus claims like I can guarantee rankings or I rank #1 for this term, so I must be good right? Taking advantage of the fact most people don't understand rankings and keywords. Preying on their vulnerabilities. But I digress. So we know that this keyword has little traffic, wonder what kind of competition it has. Well thanks again to the twitterverse, specifically mvandemar 

So zero competition, zero actual searches happening in Google. What the hell is the point? You might as well be ranking for laser kitten vertices. Ok so I am getting a little ranty again oops. I guess my main point is that SEO isn't and shouldn't only be about rankings and keywords. A good SEO should help their clients with a well rounded holistic internet marketing strategy, one that helps impact their ROI. Ranking for silly terms isn't going to do your clients any good, isn't going to bring traffic, isn't going to bring leads and certainly without those things won't result in any sales. I would much rather help a client get a good solid foundation for their website, help them produce good content, provide their users with a good experience and then build on that. The rankings will come with time and patience; but getting people ranking for junk - is only going to frustrate them and continue to tarnish the image of SEOs as a whole. I am sure I could go on and write forever about that; but I thought I would list some examples of pointless keywords that I rank for just for fun :) And please share your examples in the comments :)

• I ranked 10th for how fast is mexico sinking
• I rank 3rd for baby got back 25
• I rank 12th for fast result seo
• I rank 8th for best pist off bowling
• I rank 1st and 2nd for online reputation management india

 

Of course I am sure I could go on forever and ever; but I think everyone gets the point! Don't waste your time or clients time talking about empty rankings, and please share your empty rankings - do it for the LULZ :)

Scared Clear or Using The Zima Meme to Get Your Ass to Scary SEO

Contest Introduction Brought To You By Brian Carter

If you haven't heard, Martin Bowling loves Zima. He loves it so much (or so people say), that Google Suggest has permanently associated his name with Zima- they're officially related now.

Martin Bowling Loves Zima is a meme (a viral idea) that was started by Andy Beal and his wife, and has been embraced and fueled by search industry personalities such as Rob @SEOcracy, Sheila @govisithawaii, Todd Friesen, Brian Carter, Todd Mintz, Joshua Sciarrino, Dana Lookadoo, Danny Sullivan, Rand Fishkin, and others.
Now Martin is announcing the Martin Bowling Loves Zima Meme Contest... it's the contest that asks "Who can create the best whatever (video, blog post, tweet series, captioned picture, avatar, twitter background, the sky is the limit - want a great example check out ZimaFan on Twitter) about the Martin Bowling Loves Zima meme?"

The prizes are awesome, the judges are cool, and the contest is going to get a LOT of attention.
Here's what you have to do by October 3rd, 2008

1. Create your thing
2. Put it on the internet, and you don't EVEN have to link to the contest blog post, that's right this isn't a ploy to steal your link juice :)
3. Tweet about your entry with a link & Leave a comment here with your entry (just incase as we all know that twitter is sometimes teh suck)
4. Rinse & Repeat, cause you can enter as many times as you'd like!

Then you wait for our judges' decision anxiously while chomping on your nails, knowing the outcome could change your entire life forever!

The second half of this post brought to you by your regularly scheduled host Martin Bowling

And now on to the good stuff, how is this going to get my ass to ScarySEO? Well here is how these are the fabulous prizes:

1^st place

Win a trip to ScarySEO, (includes conference registration and Two Nights Stay at the awesome Hilton Deerfield Beach Hotel - Sorry Folks Airfare not included, unless someone would want to sponsor it :wink: )

$50 bar tab provide by yours truly, and no drinks will not be limited to Zima only :)

And one of these awesome Zima t-shirts

2^nd Place

So you don't get the free ride to the awesome ScarySEO mini-con, but we still want to hook you up with some SEO knowledge so

SEOmoz SEO Training DVD’s over 7 hours of SEO knowledge from Rand & Crew

One of those awesome Zima t-shirts pictured above.

3^rd place

3 month subscription to Online Reputation Management Monitoring Tool - Trackur.com subscription, so you can make sure you don't have your own Zima Meme disaster :)

Zima t-shirt

 

*Honorable mentions to receive random Zima treasures

 

**Contest will be judged by the following panel of Zima experts: Andy Beal, GoVisitHawaii, Jane Copland, Todd Friesen, Dave Snyder, Brian Carter.

If you need more details about the awesomeness of ScarySEO go check out this great post by Eric Lander (who is also speaking at ScarySEO) and if you don't win or don't enter don't forget you still have time to go register for ScarySEO.

The ultimate in the Zima Meme Zi.ma url shortening

Dr Pete had this great idea on twitter this morning.

 

And I thought to myself wow that has to be one of the best ideas ever in life, it is a must. So I head to google to check out what's involved in registering a .ma TLDcc. So after a few seconds I find out that .ma's are for Morroco, and to register them you need to head to www.internic.ma. So I fire up my browser and head on over to check it zi.ma is available, and LIB it was, so I start the registration process & I am starting to get really excited. I am sure Andy Beal & GoVisitHawaii had never expected the Zima meme to reach such heights. I am all the way through the check out process when I am greeted with.

Ouch! 169 Euros, based on today's exchange rate that's 236.9718 U.S. dollars. Pretty hefty for two years of registration. So I tweet to Dr Pete (hey I am a poet and didn't even know it) that I will probably have to forego that for now, cause I don't have an extra 237 laying around for domain names right at the moment. Then Good ole David Mihm comes to the rescue.

And I thought damn, what brilliant people I am following! So I thought why not see if anyone would want to get in on the Zi.ma Zima Meme train. According to the email that Internic.ma sent me I have 10 days to complete my registration before they cancel it. So just 23 dollars a day, I guess 24 to be safe :) So with out further ado here is the paypal donate link.

UPDATE:

Mission Accomplished!!! Zi.ma has now been purchased. many thanks to @andybeal @chiropractic @davidmihm @johnsantangelo @joshuasci @loribourne & let us not forget @MikeTek

Everyone will be getting link love from zi.ma once it goes live!

Hurricane Ike weakens a bit but still a threat to Southern Florida and the Bahamas

Hurrican Ike although it has lost some strength, still remains a powerful threat as it continues to barrel toward the Bahamas and Southern Florida, forecasters reported Friday afternoon.