Blog

SMB & Local SEO with UpCity

Google Maps Pin Drop I get approached by local and small to medium sized businesses (SMB) looking for help with their SEO strategy often. Many of them know they need help, although few of them know exactly what they need help with.

Unfortunately I can’t help them; not that I’m incapable of helping, but my agency isn’t set up to help them. Because Hyder Media specializes in high competition verticals on the national level, I don’t sell any services that are affordable to small and local business. It’s not that I’m too good to work with local businesses, I have just found what works for me and I’ve stuck with it. Continue reading “SMB & Local SEO with UpCity”

Tools I Use

Being a search consultant I have to know a lot of things about websites. Anyone with a basic understanding of SEO gets that there are a lot of factors that contribute to a site’s performance, not only in search but it’s complete performance: from it’s ranking and traffic rates to conversion and retention.

Like any other profession it’s important that a good search consultant have, and more importantly, know how to use the right tools. Continue reading “Tools I Use”

Top 5 Mistakes from the SEO Clinic

mistake Next week I’ll be attending and speaking at Affiliate Summit. Once again I will be a panelist for the SEO Clinic alongside Rae Hoffman-Dolan, Michael Gray.

SEO clinics are always one of my favorite panels to speak on. Not just because I don’t have to write a powerpoint presentation, but because site clinics are a great way for site owners to get specific help with their current problems. Continue reading “Top 5 Mistakes from the SEO Clinic”

Above the Static – Communicating with Emergent Mobile Tech

The way information is broadcast determines how people listen.

Throughout history, the biggest technological advancements have all been ways to communicate more information to more people. Starting with the printing press, the telegraph, the telephone, television and the internet were all giant leaps in our ability to communicate more effectively.

The world is a virtual information fast food joint.Â And today, the ways to broadcast information outnumber the stars. It’s important to know what your customers are listening to and how they are tuning in to hear. Continue reading “Above the Static – Communicating with Emergent Mobile Tech”

Creative Branding – The Process to Making Your Mark

Have you ever written and performed a song? I haven’t. I imagine it’s one of those sublimely transcendent experiences of bringing something truly enjoyable into being.

I say “enjoyable,” but I know that any song that I write will probably be awful. I can barely clap along in time with music, let alone write a song — a clever, popular song, no less.

Branding, much like songwriting, is more art than science. Ask most graphic designers — even ones just finishing school — and they’ll invariably say they “do branding.” But, just what does it take to “do” branding? Continue reading “Creative Branding – The Process to Making Your Mark”

Take Your Eggs Out of the Basket

Egg Basket The internet today is like an active volcano: highly volatile and constantly changing the landscape. It’s impossible to know when something new will erupt and become the new giant to out-shadow all others.

Because of this, now every time there’s a new eruption, marketers flood in to stake their claim at the top. But where does your site fit in? Do you struggle to keep up with every new outlet? Or are you focused on what you know to be tried and true? Continue reading “Take Your Eggs Out of the Basket”

Practical Domaining

My URL is For me, the business of “domaining” has always had appeal and allure. Maybe it’s because of all the stories I’ve heard about millionaires making their money domaining, or because it seems like I’ve heard all of the smartest people online talk about it at one time or another. Yet information on “domaining” seems to be illusive. I wouldn’t by any means consider myself a domainer, but I have definitely had success using what I’d like to call “practical domaining” for my efforts in search and online marketing.

Continue reading “Practical Domaining”

Everything Has Changed Except For Our Way Of Thinking

Thinking Did you hear about the new Google update? Which one? Exactly. Any seasoned SEO has his/her catalogueÂ of stories about how algo updates have affected rankings over the years for better and for worse. The longer you have been in the SEO game, the more stories you are bound to have about search engine algorithms changing and messing up you and your clients rankings. But what has changed really?

Continue reading “Everything Has Changed Except For Our Way Of Thinking”