SEO by Chris Estes

After an unexpected break from blogging I am back from a few months of silence.

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!

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In Michigan I am working with the Humane Society Legislative Fund.  I am heading up their “boots on ground” campaign.

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.

Bloggers have problems too. As much as living the life of avatars and behind the screen name there are real people. Earlier this week on twitter Shana of Social Desire requested help:

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 a blog post over at SEO Factor Giving SEO links to Charity. SEO Factor is a freelance SEO, that has found it in his heart to give the best gift he can give a charity a link. Links are one of the most important factors in Search Engine Optimization. A company often spends thousands of dollars a month on SEO and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) but charities and non-profits don’t always get to spend money on organizing efforts or campaign building on the internet. So at the request of SEO Factor’s Josh Garner I have chosen non-profit.

The non profit I have chosen is Wake up WalMart Americas campaign to change WalMart. We all know the terrible stories of walmart driving down wages and hurting the small business while its leaders make billions in profits. WalMart has started a business that has the potential to hurt freelance and corporate SEO’s. So for my charity I choose them to hopefully help them strike back against Walmart with Free online Marketing.