I recently read Nudge, a book that got quite a bit of press coverage here in the UK after inspiring some political decisions on both sides of the floor. Its core premise is that human decisions are not taken on pure economic terms but rather are susceptible to 'Nudges' or changes in what they call 'choice architecture'. I wanted to present a few ways the core subjects of the book can be applied to SEO and business.
Personal branding is the art of showcasing your experiences, accomplishments and perspectives. Like many of you, I knew the importance of this but had always put building a personal branding website on the back burner because I didn't think it was very important and because I felt uncomfortable talking about my accomplishments in such an obvious and self-serving fashion. Recently, my view co...
My good friend, Aaron Kahlow, posed an interesting question during the Online Marketing Summit yesterday afternoon in Portland, OR. Aaron asked:
Dear 2007 Rand Fishkin, Hi there - it's me - your 2009 self. I know it's highly unlikely you'll ever get this email, but who knows? The flow of time could chaotically spasm and somehow drop a printed copy of this on your lap - stranger things have happened. And, in that unlikely event, here's a few quick things you should know:...
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I can always pick out a fool when I hear someone claim they fully get the internet, whether it be a social media snake-oil salesman or a Twitter user with too many followers. The fact of the matter is that while it’s possible (and exciting) to understand one sub-sphere of the internet, there are simply too many spheres for one person to really understand all of them. I simply don’t think it is possible.
Dear Startup CEOs, CPOs (Chief Product Officers) & Founders, I know your time is valuable, so I'll be brief. If you currently have or are in the process of developing a business/marketing plan that includes the phrase "traffic from search engine," do yourself a favor and peruse the following diagram: ...
One of my strategic objectives this year is to get Distilled access to decision-makers closer to the boards of some of our large clients. It should be clear to all of us in search that the companies winning the search game are those prepared to think about it most strategically. I believe that in 30 years' time, the people running large companies will those who understand the unchecked flow of information - the marketers - and more specifically that technically-inclined breed of marketers currently only found in search.
This post is a little different than what you might be used to. Instead of talking at you, I would like to talk with you. I would like to propose a blogging outline, not actually blog on the given subject (yet!). First, allow me to explain myself. I have been under-utilizing my blogging privileges the last three months and I would like to try to make this up to you. I have made the ...
There's no doubt about it - being a startup in any economic condition is rough, and in the current tumult, mind-bending challenges aren't out of the ordinary. However, I, like most other entrepreneurs I've encountered, am a staunch optimist and thus, even in the face of hardship, seek the silver lining. Tonight, I'd like to share a few of the diamonds in the dung pile that are closest to my heart.
I couldn't help but love Chris Yeh's Outline of Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions. It's a fascinating look into the surprisingly predictable psychology that powers human actions and reactions, and I think there are some definitive lessons we can take away from the piece and apply to web marketing. Let's run through the list:
By keeping children and teenagers entertained back in the 1980s, Nintendo has claimed a spot in the heart of the present day internet generation. Nintendo's internet success is widely accepted yet largely undocumented. The tactics below reveal only the tip of the iceberg. ...
There's no two ways about it - SEO is hot again. In the last 6 weeks, SEOmoz has received a considerably higher than normal volume of requests for consulting. Alongside that, we've been getting calls from venture capital firms out of the blue - 7 to date - asking either about investments they're considering in the SEO sphere (and requesting insight) or literally asking whether SEOmoz would like...
This month marks the end of my first year at SEOmoz. I have spent literally hundreds of hours learning and trying to perfect my SEO and marketing skills. Although, I still have a ways to go to catch up with my expert co-workers, I have made a lot of progress. I credit this to the people I have relied on and the many tools that have helped me along the way. The following is a c...
Earlier this year Rand did a white board friday talking about how to get an seo job. A couple of years ago Rebecca covered the SEOmoz hiring process, with a full re-cap of how Jane became a 'mozzer.