Common sense strikes back, it seems, as I can’t swish and flick my SEO wand the last couple weeks without hitting someone who’s talking about being on the “first page of Google.”
The first page of Google. Right, yeah seems like common sense, doesn’t it. We all want to be there. “Get on the first page of Google in 30 days.” “First page of Google in two weeks.” “First page of Google 5 minutes ago…just sign here, step right up everyone’s a winner!”
It makes my soul hurt. Here’s the problem with all that: Google doesn’t have a “first page.” Read that one more time.
What people mean when they say “the first page of Google” is page one of search results for a particular query. But that’s one, single search phrase. It’s unique to that phrase. Conclusion: Google has as many first pages as it has search phrases submitted to its system. Where’s the “common” here?
So when someone says “page one of Google” or “the first page of Google,” ask them what specific search phrase they are referring to. Because I guarantee the guy offering to put your wizbang store on top isn’t going to be able to do it for the term “wizbangs.” It’s too general, too competitive. Try “purple wizbang cylinders” and then maybe you have a shot.
But that’s a completely different “first page,” isn’t it?
A client said in a recent meeting about his service (paraphrasing here):
“A lot of our customers want things very simple, and I always have to tell them the simpler you want it to be for you, the harder and more complicated it is for us to set it up.”
I heard this and thought to myself, wow – he could be talking about web development. He wasn’t, but I am.
The “Easy Website” Button
We also have many clients who come in and say they just want things to be simple and easy. This is understandable, as I imagine few people really enjoy complication.
So what does an “easy website” mean to our clients? Usually it has to do with the user interface and how difficult or easy it is to make changes to web content like events, blogs or photos. But often the easier this is, the harder it was to make it so. In other words the road to “easy” can be packed with complications.
You need drag-and-drop capabilities? We understand – that makes it way easy for you, or even your visitors. But to get that done we’re talking about quite a few hours of programming, or at least tossing a few bones at a third-party dev for existing software, which still needs to be integrated. Basically it’s easy for you, difficult and time-consuming for us. Which means it’s also expensive for you.
The trick is to find a balance between what you can spend and how easy you really need things to be. Can you live without drag-and-drop?
Change is hard. How many times have we heard that? Change is hard because it involves risk, effort, and some level of emotional investment. We don’t like that stuff – it’s uncomfortable. We fear it (This is one case where “it’s more scared of you than you are of it” doesn’t apply).
The status quo is predictable. It’s controllable. It doesn’t involve any new or extra effort. We like that stuff – it lets us coast and enjoy what we have. It’s all warm and fuzzy. Curl up by the fire with a good book and a cup of status quo. Oh yeah.
But the status quo can change. And when it does …Read more »
The Black Hills Home Builders Association recently help a seminar for its members and invited RSA to come speak to them about social media for business. It was a great time with a small, intimate group, and we fielded quite a few questions. Here are a few of those questions, including our answers.
What is Twitter?
I’ve written about Twitter here a coupletimes. In short, it’s a networking tool, a way to engage in conversation with people around the globe. It may be new technology, but it’s still just people talking. Sign up for an account and post, 140 characters at a time, about things that matter to you and the people you wish to interact with, whether they be customers, prospects, colleagues or friends.
Try using Twitter’s search feature to find people talking about topics of interest, and begin to engage them. Keep in mind every “tweet” is an invitation to engage – people want to hear from you! …Read more »
Q: I get a lot of clients asking me a number of variations of this question: “What’s the Next Big Thing?”
This is good! They’re interested, they’re anxious – they observed the boom of social media and they want to get in on the ground floor of whatever new craze comes along.
A: So here is the answer: it doesn’t matter. The corollary is that no one really knows for sure. Yes, you can speculate all day long – and people have – but the reality is no one knew Twitter was the Next Big Thing until it was.
Well I can tell you the Next Big Thing is data and communication implants, but it’s nothing more than wild speculation. Also, scary.
Among people who are reluctant to get involved in the web, social media, SEM, and mobile marketing, I get the sense they think they’ve already missed the boat, and so they ignore it. They’re waiting around for the Next Big Thing, instead.
Well yeah, you’re missing the boat. But guess what: Das Boot is a ferry – there’s always another chance to hop on and join the party on the other side. Stop waiting around for the Next Big Thing, because if you’re not already involved in This Big Thing, chances are you’ll completely miss the next one.
On Saturday we headed west for my first Murdo in May classic car auction at Pioneer Auto. After a quick trip to Murdo, I was really getting excited and wondered how such a small town in rural South Dakota can attract so many car enthusiasts.
I lost count of the number of people attending, but there must have been several hundred car lovers enjoying the day. …Read more »
Yesterday a few of us had the opportunity to attend the first Day of Excellence in Rapid City. Hosted by Leadership Rapid City, the one-day conference focused on fostering personal and professional growth.
We showed up to the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center yesterday, coffee in hand, interested to see if the speakers would have anything to teach us (and praying they would be funny). More than 1,200 people had the same idea, and luckily, we weren’t disappointed. …Read more »
I guess the reasoning is that becoming a “fan” is too much of a social investment for people, resulting in lower page activity than Facebook desires. I get that. There are plenty of brands, organizations, causes and such that I “like” but wouldn’t consider myself a “fan” of.
The problem is they took away fans, but replaced them with… nothing. What do you call those people now? Likers? Former fans? We have a verb replacing a noun, and it just doesn’t work. They thought “fan” was a little too high on the approval scale, but they overcompensated by plummeting to a mere appetitive whim. Blaaaaaah. It’s weaksauce (that’s right, weaksauce).
Like it or not (I’m punny), it seems to be a permanent change. So no more Fan Pages. No more fans. We’re all just people again.
But the burning question I think we’re all asking is this: where the DEUCE is our “dislike” button?
Last week I went to Sioux Falls to attend the first ever OTA Sessions, and I’m glad. It was a great event with plenty of interesting speakers, attendees, and ideas.
The organizers of OTA Sessions sought to demonstrate the creativity present here in the Midwest, and to develop more of the same through presentations from regional and national names, and conversations among some of our local best and brightest.
That all makes sense to me now, but I had a hard time explaining it to people …Read more »
*It is far easier to ensure good customer service than to repair the damages of bad service – like trying to repair a broken window. (Photo credit: Shoes on Wires)
Why are any of us in business? I think that’s a question more people should ask themselves. Sometimes, I don’t know why some businesses bother to go on.
Lately service, or rather a lack of it, has really got to me. I recently ordered some replacement glass for my new house from a local (nameless) company. One of the windows was cracked when I moved in. It was delivered after two weeks which is when the trouble started. Not only was the glass too big, but I also had to pay a Glazier for a window that wasn’t fitted.
The glass company happily took the window back, admitting that it had measured it wrong (good so far). They said that they’d let me know when the new glass was ready. Fast forward six weeks; one more incorrectly measured pane of glass, and I am now fuming. For some time they weren’t even answering my calls; even the shop was closed when I went to visit. Eventually after several phone calls – and a call to the owner’s personal residence – I have a new piece of glass that is supposed to be going in this weekend (I’ll keep you posted). What really annoyed me was the lack of contact and severe delays with no explanation or apology. Rest assured I won’t be going back!
If I contrast this with another story of poor service, it illustrates how things can start out bad, but turn out for the best… …Read more »
*It is far easier to ensure good customer service than to repair the damages of bad service – like trying to repair a broken window. (Photo credit: 
