Entries from August 2008 ↓
August 28th, 2008 — Link Building, SEO Techniques
When it comes to driving qualified traffic to your website I personally find that Wikipedia is great. Aside from being #1 for almost every term on the planet until Google tweak their algo’ to bump Knols up there, Wikipedia gives you the ability to research and rapidly deploy link bait under a wide variety of niche topics.
Step 1. Do Your Research
Hit every keyword you can think of and look through the wiki content that appears in Google. Then specifically look at the resource links at the foot of a page. This will tell you what information other people are linking to.
Step 2. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
Now go back to your client and ask "do you have any information like this lying around". I typically find that 9 times out of 10, there’s a tonne of documents that with a little tweaking can be put to use.
Step 3. Think Resource
Following standard blog link bait strategies, simply compile top 10 lists or lists in general of software, service providers etc around complimentary products and services.
Step 4. Don’t Sell
I repeat, don’t try and sell your product or service as part of this information. Users can sniff advertising a mile away so when you’re writing the content don’t be tempted to use it as a platform for selling a product or service, even if you’re reviewing/comparing a product. Be impartial!
Step 5. Time to Convert
Now you’ve got some meaty link bait written it’s time to think about conversion. Remember Step 4? This doesn’t mean that you can’t add advertising for internal products and services alongside the information, or write a hook at the foot of the content that wraps it up and directs people back into the site, or even better, use selected links within the document text to key products and services (don’t overdo it).
How have i made best use of this link bait idea?
- Added lists of open-source applications for complimentary software solutions with accompanying adverts targeted at solving issues for each niche
- Created product reviews for competing hardware
- Created network diagrams and technical solution walk-throughs for technology concepts
… its as easy as that.
Oh and by the way. I’m still looking for a new job.
August 21st, 2008 — Web Design, Work Related
Although it was originally a quick n dirty solution focusing on conversion and SEO, the new Xrio.com website has been picked up by CSSBunch.com.
… and before you ask, no, I didn’t submit it, its a genuinely un-coerced feature 
August 17th, 2008 — My Life
With immediate effect I am actively putting myself out there and looking for a new position.
If you’re in the market or know someone looking for a talented front of house team player who can:
- Sell / account manage
- Project manage
- Consult (marketing and web)
- SEO / internet marketing
- Design (graphics and web/ui)
- Code (HTML and CSS)
- Manage teams
Sound interesting? Call 07719181166 or email markrush@gmail.com and view my Full Resume
Work: Xrio 07 – 08
- Project: Xrio.com – Quick re-design of the corporate website to improve search engine placement and increase conversion.
Result: 300% increase in enquiries and 200% increase in visits.
- Project: Faster – Design of micro-site introducing end users to the concept of load balancing and bonding to improve their internet speed. This project accompanied a PPC campaign and resulted in validation of this strategy.
Result: Broke into new domestic market and introduced project to customers unfamiliar with the term ‘load balancing’
- Project: Icon designs for an appliance management application
- Project: UI Design and application work-flow for an appliance management interface
- Project: broadbond.com – Concept design for a micro site used to promote Managed Bonded ADSL services.
- Project: The Inside Man – Email marketing campaign used to strategically leak details of new products prior to launch.
August 17th, 2008 — Link Building
Just through that the few of you who actually came to my talk might appreciate my crib-sheets as a reminder of the topics covered.
Link Building for SEO
What makes a good link:
- anchor / alt
- relevant site/content
- indexed
- do follow
- inline
- semantic
- deeplinking
- geographic
Badlinks
- sitewide
- unrelated
- not indexed
- no follow
- 100+ outbound links
Direct:
- send them a code snippet and details of the page you’d like your link on.
- making use of domains/microsites
- credits
- wrap and link from home and other target pages, otherwise link to internal credit page and link out from there
- site explorer
- partners
- accreditation
- associations
- competing site analysis
- Hubfinder (www.linkhounds.com/hubfinder/hubfinder.php) buying links
- link exchanges – do use but for 3rd party domains/blogs
- do follow blog comments
- newsgroups
- wiki with link bait
Directories:
- what makes a good directory listing
- List Directories and pricing
Generated:
- inter site linking
- press releases (urlwire, prweb, sourcewire)
- blogging & guest blogging (blogger/ wordpress)
- forum posting
- social
- articles
- cms trials (expression / bigcartel / shopify)
August 17th, 2008 — My Life, SEO Advice, SEO Techniques
I’d like to thank everyone for putting on such a good event this year, tho maybe trying to fill 2 days was a bit of an error (I expect the open street map guys thought it was ace), I thoroughly enjoyed both days, learned lots of new stuff and met some great people.
I’ll start in reverse with the end of day 2 if that’s OK as its fresh in my memory – Schedule is here.
Day 2
- Introduction to Textmate - An apple based text editor that’s code centric and has some brilliant features. Luckily for us PC boffins there’s a PC version called E Text Editor which is a faithful port of the Mac version and works just as well. Seriously, if like me you spend 99% of your time out of Dreamweaver in a more code based editor (I use the bog standard Notepad) give this a go… it could change your life.
- Secret Stuff - A discussion from a geek chick about the ‘secret’ goings on at BAE, namely true UAV’s that fly around without human direction. I apologise for making wise cracks about ‘when is Sky Net going live as i plan to find somewhere safe to hide’ and my general geekyness about new aircraft as I closely followed the x-prize between Boeing and Lockheed when it came to pitching for the Joint Strike Fighter.
- Surreal Presentations – Basically pick a topic, Google for a Powerpoint about it and present your findings in a funny way – great fun!
- Business 2.0 – Basically a brain-storming session about how a more business focused, support based forum could be generated on the Geekup/Barcamp template where business owners can get together to discuss and get help with sticky situations. I thought this was a great idea and will happily share my 8 years experience in running a small studio with anyone who participates.
- Ask The Hodge – 2 questions, How and Why… Don’t think Dom got around to answering either (probably called me a smart arse)
- Breakfast - Yum, I hadnt had time to eat
Day 1
- Games, Beer and Pizza – (drink, drink, eat, eat) Whoah… think I should be going home now.
- Startup Mistakes
- Build an Iphone App in 20 mins
- Affiliates 101
- Lazy web
- Link Building for SEO
- Design Vs Usability
- SEO Is Evil
Famewhore images: Me, Me. Mopre soon as people post them up to Flickr
August 11th, 2008 — SEO Advice
Just discovered 2 Amazon services that I think would work well in the armour of the average commercial SEO consultant. The first is Sell on Amazon, a service that enables you to add and sell your products in the standard Amazon framework… nice!; The second is Amazon Webstore, their own ecommerce solution. For those who are intreagued:
$39.99 (£20.00) monthly fee plus 6% – 20% commission on sales
$59.99 (£30.00) per month plus 7% commission
Ive just one concern about Amazon Webstore…
When you check their SEO functions you get this image:
All I have to say is TSK! TSK! …just how long has it been since Meta Tags were actually useful for SEO? C’mon guys. If you’re serious about this service then pay some attention to post 1999 SEO practices!
August 7th, 2008 — Link Building
August 5th, 2008 — Link Building, SEO Techniques
Just reading a post on Digital Point forums about certain websites that give you the ability to auto generate content in a legiitmate manner.
Before you start, I am well aware that without internal links to these pages the benefit will be small, however in an effort to validate every ‘grey’ technique with possible white benefits I am willing to give it a try.
It sounds interesting so here’s my links to these pages to ascertain whether they do in fact add benefit to a domain:
(Note the use of keyword rich anchor text on outbound links)
Domain Tools
Anchor text relates to the page title of your home page.
Aboutus – Nofollowed
Lets see how these bad-boys work 
Update – Found some new ones
URL Trends
Dont know where it gets the anchor from but its keyword rich!
Whois
Anchor based on domain name.
Quickwhois
Anchor based on domain name.
Iwebtool
Anchor based on domain name.
Dawjee
Generates links to all these sites.
SiteTiki – Nofollowed
Quarkbase
Alexa
Basic Website Review
August 4th, 2008 — Web Design, Web Development, Work Related
There’s been quite an in-depth thread on everybody’s favourite design news forum QBN.com (the new version of NewsToday.com) about the international recruitment company, Aquent’s advertisement on a popular Elance style design brokerage 99Design for a new website design with a ‘prize’ of $500 for the ‘winner’. What’s more important is that Aquent has chosen to contribute to the thread and even have a Blog post about it on one of their sites.
Now I’m all in favour of No-Spec! and believe that designers deserve to be paid a fair whack for the works they produce, something that in my opinion these brokerages fail with as the designs produced to fill the ‘brief’ are far from sufficient as the briefs tend to lack 99% of the information a designer needs to make an informed choice in the production of effective work.
A day or so ago they acknowledged that this was a BAAAAAAD idea … however the process in reaching the decision and communication involved make really interesting reading for anyone considering such using a brokerage service.
August 1st, 2008 — My Life, Web Design
Just been given the heads up that one of my past creations, an ecommerce site called ioSilver that sells silver jewellery, has been featured in the illustrious Smashing Magazine as a design that demonstrates “Vivid Imagery in Modern Web Design”
Its also sub categorized under “Sex Appeal”
Having works independently published in sites like these is often a great way of getting a pat on the back and feeding the ever hungry ego which is the air us designers breath! It’s a welcomed nod of the head that lets me know that I’m doing all right which I need from time to time:)
So have a look at the article here.
