Update Copyright for 2009
Don’t forget to update your copyright information for 2008. Most websites and companies have some sort of copyright webpage that needs to be updated for 2009.
In today’s world of template run websites the change is relatively easy to make. There are many different CMS Systems and blogs. The most common is WordPress and perhaps the easiest to change without an advanced knowledge of code. To edit the footer in WordPress:
From the admin panel select Appearance -> Editor -> Footer -> Change Copyright Year -> Update File
* Copyright image from Business Image
SEO Break – Back in the Saddle Again
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!
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.
. 05 Oct 08 | Blogging, Business, Charity, Contractor, Employment, Freelance, Google, News, SEO, twitter | Read on | Comments (4)
What is search engine marketing?
Search engine marketing by definition is marketing and advertising through search engines.
If you do a quick search on Search Engine Marketing you will find all types of answers. The most practical answer is advertising through search engines. Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing are two different marketing techniques. Both use search engines, both use keywords, both can be found on the same search engine result pages (SERP), but both are different. They are different in their approach. Search Engine Marketing, or SEM, is paid or sponsored search often called Pay-Per-Click. The most commonly used tools for sponsor search is Google Adwords or Yahoo Search Marketing. Search Engine Optimization is for free organic results and used with page content and many other factors discussed at this site.
Both Google Adwords and Yahoo Search Marketing use keywords. They use keywords as a way to sell advertising space. Advertising space? If you have ever noticed along the top and bottom of most Search Engine Result Pages there are links. Those links are being paid to be there. Most all the times the ads are purchased based upon search terms or blocks of search terms.
What does this have to do with search engine optimization? With a joint effort of search engine marketing and optimization can produce a major Return on Investment (ROI). SEO is a long term investment and SEM should be used for the interim. Together the two different approaches can make a big difference on ROI. Using a Pay-Per-Click campaign to "kick start" a marketing campaign is a good idea. Pay-Per-Click offers very little direct SEO advantages besides traffic and visibility. Visibility leads to the potential of bookmarking and linking. Traffic brings search agents to the site also.
Back in the old days, summer 2007, search marketing occasionally gave excellent links. With many sites hosting paid listings on their site, much like SEO by Chris, search bot crawlers would occasionally index paid ads from these text link advertisements. Hosted ads are not supposed to be indexed or crawled, errors do happen (after all humans program the search agents). An ad appearing on a page often means that the ads are contextually relevant giving a credible link. Since October 2007 less of these type of indexing errors. Since these errors are not supposed to happen and should continue to be phased out as indexes are updated.
So what is Search Engine Marketing to Search Engine Optimization? Together in tandem they are part of complete online marketing strategy. Effectively used they will produce a maximum return on investment.
. 20 Feb 08 | Marketing, Online Marketing, PPC, SEM, SEO, SMO, Search Engine Advertising, Search Engine Optimization | Read on | Comments (0)