Over the past few months I have been honing my development skills in addition to getting back in to politics.  As I have indicated before… Once upon a time I worked in Politics.  I have been both a volunteer, activist, and professional in politics for the last 8 years.  Due to unforeseen circumstances related to the current state of the economy I decided it best to pursue using my degree and experience to join on the bandwagon.

I have taken a job on the ground in Oakland County, Michigan on the outskirts of Detroit working for a non-profit organization that shares similar values to me and most importantly the same goal.  After the election is over, November 4th, I will be back in the market pursuing a job as a regular person.  Aren’t we all just regular?  No, or at least a few months ago I didn’t think so.  I had convinced myself somehow that I was special.  In that  last few years I have worked hard and some how imagined myself  to be someone I am not.  In reality my illusion was allowing me to get away from what matters most.  Happiness. After years of working for even higher profile figures than me gave me hopes and dreams to be them.  After spending a summer with my parents taught me that it was all an illusion.  After spending months drifting about my parents house I came to the realization,  “I am regular!“  In fact I want to be regular.

As I came out of my daze I blew a couple interviews, unintentionally just did bad, and realized I love SEO and the challenge to the constantly changing SEO Universe.  But my place in the SEO community is low on to totum poll.  Sure I could rise to the top of the SEO community but that would bring very little to me.  So after this election is complete I will be back in SEO only part-time.  I am going to follow my instinct and go for a regular job with stability and most importantly with benefits.  I will continue to blog for personal fun and work with clients on a part-time basis.  Focusing on smaller numbers of clients will give me the ability to help create the perfect plan all the while not neglecting what is important to me.  I have two personal choices ahead of me.  1.  Return home and hope to get a good paying rewarding job (thinking something in construction or mill work). 2. Move back to DC and work my way up in government or the non-profit world.

The full-time life in SEO consulting is a bit to much stress in combination of high profile jobs is what drove me into the fog and ultimate burn out.  I want a full time job that at the end of the day or week I can look at and be proud of.  Weather that justification comes from hard work on an issue of championing a piece of legislation or helping family farmers navigate the rigors of Washington.  Being able to take a pile of dirt and create something like build a new Eco friendly power plant or make steel pipe that is helping end the dependency on foreign oil.  I want to be able to fulfill a quote may dad says very frequently “When they put me down in the ground. People will say there goes somebody that made a difference”.

How will SEO and your SEO business going to fit into that?  The same way I originally intended for it to be. I am going to put it back in the hobby category and part-time employment.  I am not ending SEO I am just not going to do as much as I was.

In my break I did lots of work on the growing area of Content Management systems and new technology using Adobe Flex.  Those article are sure to come at some point.  So stay tuned for updates.  I am adding an e-mail subscription via feedburner so that it can be delivered to your e-mail.  I have been writing on my personal blog lately about politics and other things.  Just so much going on in the world that needs my attention!

Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office.

In this case I am heading up their team in Michigan’s Congressional District 9.  One of the most highly contested and closest races in the country.  To be asked to spear head this operation is very much a privilege and an honor.

As you know from previous posts I am a big supporter of non-profits and charities.  So instead of sharing a link for charity how about dropping them a donation.  It helps secure more than just your pets and wildlife it protects human rights also.  They are just as concerned with our well being as any other organization.  They are currently in the fight for changing the current state of affairs.  No other politically affiliated organization needs your help more.  Please donate $10 or more.  If you can’t give money try giving them a link and a spot in one of your post.

My most revet post have been off topic and I hope to return to my regular post soon but I wanted to take a minute to tell you about my dad.

My dad is fantastic. He is my hero. My father is the epitome of what a father should be. He has been there for me even before my consciousness was present. When I was born my dad got laid off in part because of the situation President Reagan caused. He was laid off for more than two years. That wasn’t going to stop him from providing for my family. My dad worked every odd job he possibly could. He even started a bust business with some fellow family that he ended up getting screwed in. He always made sure there was food on the table and his family had the best money could provide. He is the type of person that likes to do the work and doesn’t need recognition for it. He views it as his duty. Don’t tell him he did a good job. It is what a father is supposed to do. He is no Hollywood dad as those characters aren’t half the person he is.

He taught me values, built my character, and contributed to the person I am today. He instilled hard work values into me as he is as a union laborer. The rough hands from years of swinging hammers and fixing mechanices were really soft. Soft in the sense that his heart shined through when he touches, comforts, and consules you. His soft and careing demeanor have transfered to me. I hope one day the values I learned from you can one day transfer to my family. I hope to grow and become half the man you are. Dad, you are an incredible human being. A shining example of what a father is supposed to be. I love you and lok forward to the years ahead.

Dad,

As I grow older I realize that one day I may not get to always have you. I can’t imagine a world that we don’t coexsist in. As you know, I only know 1 on of my grandfathers that died almost 16 years ago now. I hope that my children get to learn from you what I have. If not rest assured that that the character you helped me grow to be will shine through. Again, Dad I love you with all of my heart.

Your son,

Chris Estes

A while back I posted about twitter and how I was beginning to use it. As many plans with social media, I failed on my initial trial.

So what makes me a Troll? I always have the nifty Twhirl* twitter console/application open. I never update about what I am doing as I don’t think people are interested in what I am doing. I wish I was as entertaining as these characters. Brian Wallace post about everything, eating popcorn, going to the grocery store, and I bet he twitters in the Tub. Jennifer Laycock talks about what she is reading constantly. How can she be reading if she is Twittering? Kalena Jordan’s “bitch of the day” or latest ranting about who is messing with her in Australia are just out right entertaining. Then theres Matt Cutts’s posting about something that might as well be written in a secret hidden language only Nicolas Gage in Disney’s National Treasure can read.

My life isn’t interesting. I troll around the internet and read about others interesting lives. I haven’t found the greatest utility in Twitter but it is ever entertaining. It is like having a webcam view into the daily lives of ordinary people. The great thing I like about it is that spammers have not yet invaded me. Some of the basics of Twitter allow me to view only the people I want to anyway so I don’t have to worry about them.

So yes when I am on my computer my Twhirl app is open and I am watching you. I might not update often but you better believe I am lurking around.

* Twhirl is an application built around Adobe’s Air. For those of you who don’t know about Air yet you will. I have been watching Adobe Air for some time and super excited about the possibilities. It does have quite a few SEO problems but hey that makes life fun.

Wordpress is attractive for most people because of its cost. It’s Free! Being free and widely distributed makes it vulnerable to security breeches. Due to the constantly evolving risk for security vulnerabilities also means the constant stream of updates. With every update and tightening security means new code being inserted into your database and templates. With every update means new bugs. New bugs means more updates. Checking for updates has become part of my daily routine. The constant updating is time lost. The time isn’t so much the issue as the constant customization of code and re-customization of code. Every plugin and update brings in hours of coding. Why is that a problem? I’m not a programmer. I’m not a developer.

Wordpress is an open source technology that is created by the community at-large. That means that some of the worlds best programmers and developers donate their time for only recognition in return. By the same token that means some of the worst 3rd rate programmers/developers are donating their time also. In most cases I am willing to bet that most of them are mediocre or at least inexperienced. I understand why so many of them would be willing to devote a considerable amount of time. For the great exposure and widespread visibility. Hasn’t everyone done that? As many of as rely upon wordpress being the best and with so many second rate people working the forums and code sections. I think a professional CMS system maybe in many of our futures. If a lot of money is on the line, 15 year old kids programming maybe effective but in most cases they lack the experience to develop for business.

I use Wordpress for most all the site I own. Once upon a time the system worked for me flawlessly or atleast I remember it working that way. I have nothing but problems with it now. The constant change in plugins and updates has left a few of my sites riddled with errors or code that I did not intend to be there. On one of my website there is a plugin that is generating a commented out code that is being run by some backend function that pings another server which is leaching my post and publishing it as there own. I wouldn’t mind so much if they wanted to recive a ping when their plugin is being used but not for scrapping my content. I am tempted to run a local script that just constant pings and injects code into their server. But that is just vindictive. So instead I spend the time learning what they wrote and cutting out the parts I don’t need or ones transmitting to other sources I don’t trust. I put lots of time into my website and to keep it functioning correctly at peak performance in the back end so that the front end is nice clean and jumpin. But instead for a post to go out I spend 30 min writing and another hour fixing bugs. If you are a begining user you probably have no clue what most of the functions are going on in your application. Some of them could be hurting you.

Most day’s I like Wordpress, but today I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. The bugs the incompadibilty of the free templates and plugins is killing me. I have hit a cross roads with them. I am considering a totally different CMS system, Now to find one that I can have control over and only uses the plugin and code that I want to appear. Wordpress without plugins is vitrually nothing but a journal, For some sites that works. For me it does not. The paid CMS systems cost a lot and I am not willing to pay for one.

If you know of any good CMS systems around that would be worth while feel free to share them. I have tested droopal it just doen’t work for me. I have Ideas on how to create the perfect fail proof CMS System. That would be part re-inventing the wheel and someone willing to do it for free. So It looks like I may be with WordPress until my wish magically comes true.

Content Managment Systems are meant to make life easier. For me Wordpress makes it worse. If it doesn’t get better I might just go back to hand filling php templates by hand. Though time consuming and defeats the usability of the greast sections of the Admin section. So because there is no easy answer to the CMS solution I will just have to learn to love wordpress again.

The post, entitled “Status Quo Blogging”, was about standard status quo blogging post. It is by far not a landmark post and serves as a working example of status quo blogging.

To read the post visit Social Desire, the blog “devoted to everything Social Media and Web 2.0.” You can view the post directly at “Status Quo Blogging“.

Then on her post she requested it again on her blog which you can read about on Social Desire. I submitted a guest post which if it makes it through the vigorous filters of Shanna you should see it soon. Stay tunned for the announcement of my guest blog post helping out a friend.

Around the first of this year I made a charity post and since I am in the feel of donating to an organization I would like to do another one here on the end of this post.

My charity of choice for this post is the American Sleep Apnea Association. The American Sleep Apnea Association is the only non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about sleep apnea and to serving people with this common disorder.

The American Sleep Apnea Association is dedicated to reducing injury, disability, and death from sleep apnea and to enhancing the well-being of those affected by this common disorder. The ASAA promotes education and awareness, the ASAA A.W.A.K.E. Network of voluntary mutual support groups, research, and continuous improvement in care.

From the ASAA Website

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Mixed apnea, as the name implies, is a combination of the two. With each apnea event, the brain briefly arouses people with sleep apnea in order for them to resume breathing, but consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.

Sleep apnea is very common, as common as adult diabetes, and affects more than twelve million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of forty, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children. Yet still because of the lack of awareness by the public and healthcare professionals, the vast majority remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences.

Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated. Several treatment options exist, and research into additional options continues.

I read an article the other day about a “Student Twittering his way out of jail“. I have been hearing all the rave reviews about Twitter. I have had an account for a few months but never used it. Since I am going to be moving and I have a Twitter iPhone application setup now I will try it during the move. Check out my updates and follow me along my journey back to Alabama. Follow Chris on Twitter.

Pardon the actual video footage. I couldn’t find a good video to go along with the video. Taylor Hicks is from Alabama just like me. Enjoy!

The experiments

I am going to run an experiment testing sitemap.xml and hanging pages. This will not be a flawless test but it will help me prove my assumptions.

I have been telling clients that if you add a url to an XML sitemap that it will be discovered. Why do I say this? Often times due to different varying factors search engines have a hard time finding pages inside of dynamic content pages. This test is not going to be about accessibility or how content is delivered. The SEO Experiement is only about sitemap files.

The test is going to be limited to hard coding the url into an xml sitemap and see if it can be found. My assumption will not be a solution to linking or standard url structure.

We already know that Google, Yahoo, and MSN will index urls similar to http://www.domain.com/?=123. We also know that pages with session id’s are usually not indexed because of the session variables. What I am trying to prove is that a url listed in an XML sitemap will be found by Google, Yahoo, and MSN without back links and only submitted through the different search engine webmaster tools .

How I am going to do this test is by creating a unique page that is not linked by any other pages and add it to its very own xml sitemap to be discovered. Once I created the pages I will add the sitemap to the webmaster tools section of each search engine. I am going to create another page and add it to a urllist.txt (an old protocol used by Yahoo. In the xml Sitemap I am going to put in 1 page only that is free floating and see how long it takes to get indexed by each search engine. In the urllist.txt file I am going to add another page and see if it is indexed.

Assumptions/problems/and forecast – Hypothesis

The file will be picked up in Yahoo and cached much fast than Google with xml sitemap file. The urllist.txt file will probably not be found on MSN which will be one problem. The other problem with MSN is they don’t yet have a way to add multiple sitemap files through their portal, even though they read robots.txt. The files from the urllist.txt will be picked up first by Yahoo and Google will follow.

Scope

2 html pages

1 sitemap.xml page

1 urllist.txt page

Result

To be continued

Because I don’t want to spoil the experiment I won’t give the specifics locations of the files or exactly how I am going to do it. The experiment could take 1 day or 2 weeks. For now we will see. Stay tuned for the results and summary. More experiments are coming.

After a long break from blogging I am back in the saddle again.  I moved to New York City a little over a month ago and I am long over due on posting.  So over the next few days look for me to publish some new info. 

Some friendly reminders:

Don’t forget to up-date your blog software to the new version.  – The lastest version comes with some pretty nice additions and cleans up the administration area.  Make sure you check it out as it also comes with some DB upgrades.

Windows Vista is still a waste of time.  My new job requires me to use it.  It does have some promising features  but overall it is more problem than good.

Google is updating

In addition to that gem of a find I have also started noticing a Google update happening.  Webmaster tools are updated and Page Rank is being adjusted.  I haven’t heard any official word but some major update is going on.

I couldn’t help but share those two bits of information as I begin final preparations for the beginning of the move.  I am still seeking Guest Bloggers.

Here is your chance.  Due to my impending move and job change I am not going to be able to up-date as frequently.  So if you are interested in guest blogging use the contact form and we can discuss. 

New York City?

Though I am not yet releasing the name of my company… I can share that they have a long list of powerful clients and they have recently launched a new marketing initiative that will incorporate me!

Why are you just now making it public?

Typically I keep these things separate from my personal blog.  A couple days ago I made the career and location change public with a mass e-mail and post on my personal blog.

Due to the pending changes…

In my life I am sure that my frequent post will become even more infrequent.  That is where you come in.  If you have a post that you would like to make I invite you to contact me and we can discuss.

Stay tuned for future updates and to my personal blog for more updates on the move. 

As a search engine marketer I can tell you that social media is marketing. If you have ever been to sites like StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit, or Mixx you have noticed most of the content is geared towards selling something. Whether it be promoting the iPhone or a political candidate it is all a sales pitch. Original intention of these sites was an arena for information sharing. Marketing job boards are riddled with postings for marketers with blogging and social-media experience. Social media has become the new avenue of marketing. I have not seen a major university put Search Marketing in the course guide, I am sure it will eventually be an elective or maybe even a requirement.

With new websites and blogs coming up everyday the source of advertising is virtually endless and inexpensive if not free. Blogging services and Content Management Systems make creating websites very easy. The demand for quality advertising comes at a higher premium although in comparison to traditional advertising it is much less expensive considering the number of potential clients it reaches.

Post about Social Media Marketing

• The Five Pillars of Social Media Marketing
• Wiki about Social Media Marketing
• Social Media Marketing for Small Business
• How Do You Value Social Media?

There isn’t a shortage of information about social media marketing. The key to any successful marketing initiative is to plan and social media initiatives needs to be planned.

As always Feedback is appreciated. After many long hours of looking at the bland design of old I choose a new template from a free template gallery.

I started out looking for a white theme and came back with some intense colors. Give your feedback and share in the link love.

I tell the ads are appear as clutter by the total number of clicks as the ads have been received. The click through rate (CTR) is about .25%. The return on investment (ROI) of having the clutter is very small at best. The postage of mailing a check would cost more than I would actually receive in the check. So for my loyal visitors you will be happy to know that I will soon be removing the sponsored Google Ads. I have looked at other options and non seem worth the investment to have that much clutter. I hope to pursue other advertising methods such as my hosting company. Until I find a better alternative I will let you enjoy banner and advertising free reading.

I came across Andy Hagaans’s Ultimate guide to link baiting – a great post about crafting an article to for linking and social media popularity.

The debate on the “No Follow” continues. – It isn’t much of a debate as much as controversy

I met a new social media friend and rising blog star that goes by the handle Spostareduro and authors the blog Learning SEO Basics

I am going to leave you with one last article about online profiles, avatars, and online reputation.

Subscribe to my feed so when my writers block is over and I complete one of the new and exciting articles I have started you wont miss out.

This article points out good techniques of boosting traffic by commenting on other blogs. I agree this is a great way for exposure and popularity. As a contributor to a few blogs I can say first hand that commenting is one of the best ways to boost traffic. You can help control the links, information, and public image of your blog/company/you.

With the fallout of the “Google Smack Down” in the fall most blogs use nofollow attributes on all external links from their blog. There are some rouge blogs, and movement along with them, that fight the system and aren’t using the attributes. Linking from blog comments will have little effect besides boosting traffic. Ultimately getting more traffic is whats important. As Ramkarthik pointed out some of the visitors will subscribe to your blog feed and become some of your chief commenter’s and most loyal visitors.

I have a few rules of my own when it comes to commenting.

1. Be Polite and Tasteful
2. Always share your opinion in a polite way
3. Don’t use fowl language
4. Use good grammar (this can be hard for even me, as you can tell)
5. Spell Check
6. Only put in links when relevant to the topic
7. Keep the length short no more than two paragraphs (write your on rebuttal and link back to the original post otherwise)
8. Always make a comment that you thought the article was good, interesting, loved it, found it hard to understand your point, an interesting take, or some other nice phrase. The point of this is to make the author and reader know your stance on the article.
9. Only comment if you can contribute to the topic
10. Be Polite and Tasteful
11. A bonus: The author should always be considered the winner of any debate unless they are blatantly wrong. It can be taken as an insult to the author any other way. I learned this the hard way.

I can not state it enough that you must be polite. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing, in fact I disagree with many people (persons wearing black hats and doing SEO for one), that can lead to a positive engagement. All comments should be positive in nature and written with the best intentions. If you aren’t able to be positive then just don’t comment.

I look forward to reading what Ramkarthik has to say in future articles about blog commenting.

Happy Blogging,

Chris Estes