Online Marketing Blog

What a year 2006 has been and I would like to thank all the amazing people who have taken part in our firms’ success and especially the readers of TopRank’s Online Marketing blog.

After updating the design, covering happenings in the search marketing industry, publishing numerous text and video interviews and blogging most SES, Pubcon and DMA conferences, the readership for this blog has grown tremendously from a hundred plus RSS subscribers in December 2005 to around 3,300 currently.

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Front door view

I am very happy to say that thanks to the hard work of my partner, Susan Misukanis, TopRank now has a new address on beautiful Lake Minnetonka, just west of Minneapolis. We’ve been looking for a new office space for nearly a year to accommodate our growth and unique style and finally found it on Shoreline Drive in Spring Park.

Lake view from inside

Speaking of growth, I’d like to welcome William Arnovich, public relations specialist and Mike Yanke, assistant account manager to the Misukanis Odden - TopRank team!

Under construction

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I just noticed that Online Marketing Blog was included in the 9rules Network. So far there have been three, 24-hour submission rounds with hundreds of blogs trying to get in, but only a few make it, like Neil and Cameron’s Pronet Advertising Blog. In fact, although I’d met Neil at conferences before, I didn’t discover his blog until I found it on 9rules along with another favorite, Experience Curve.

Inclusion criteria are here, but basically include: passion for the subject, quantity and quality of writing, topics and design.

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When the Yahoo Publisher Network blog editor Michael Mattis asked me to write an short marketing article for small businesses I knew exactly what to write about. As much as anyone, I am a proponent of new and interesting online marketing strategies like using social media for marketing, but I am also a firm believer in tried and true tactics, such as promoting one’s site offline.

After going through the routine hoops with Yahoo, the article has published on the YPN blog today, “Signal to Noise“. The article covers the basics as well as a few new, low cost tactics including:

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Later this afternoon Thomas and I will fly out to Search Engine Strategies in Chicago where I’ll be covering some sessions, doing more video interviews, taking lots of photos and the best parts: learning and networking. I will also be sitting in on the Social Media Optimization panel with Neil, Rand, Andy and Todd.

The session topics I am most interested in involve social media (of course!) as well as video optimization, B2B, big site SEO/SEM, regulated industries and conversions/analytics.

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This Friday I will be doing an online radio interview with eMarketing Talkshow about “Push and Pull Online Public Relations”. I’ll be talking with Cindy Turrietta about the market opportunity with online PR, explaining the concept of push and pull with examples of each as well as considerations on measuring results.

With all the buzz about optimizing and marketing with social media as well as the emerging meme in public relations on the social media news release format, there is an opportunity to help marketers better understand how these concepts can be applied in a practical manner.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Today makes me think of the many, many people who I am very greatful to for sharing insight that has been instrumental to our business sucess, that have made important introductions and referrals or provided opportunities for us to take our biz to the next level. Many of these people probably have no idea what they did that was so helpful, but they did and it is very much appreciated.

• A huge thank you to our clients, who make every day worth it in this business

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Our public relations firm consistently uses the PRWeb Podcast service for our clients, but I’ve not taken advantage of the service very often for our own PR efforts with TopRank.

Yesterday for the second time ever, I personally used PRWeb’s Podcast service that’s available when you select a $200 or higher option for press release distribution. As with the first time, I was totally impressed.

The process is pretty simple. You order a press release to be distributed and pick the $200 level. As you go through the process of enabling or activating the various options for the release, you’ll have the option of scheduling a PRWeb Podcast. Pick a date and time that works for you and you’ll get an email with the phone number and access code.

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I just noticed today that AllBusiness.com had posted the basic SEO videos from the shoot we did a month ago or so. Most of them are pretty short little snippets and turned out ok, but I think we’ll shoot some in our office so we can do multiple takes. I had very little sleep the night before and it appears my facial muscles have a mind of their own.

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Today I’ll be doing a presentation called, “The Truth About Search Engine Optimization” as part of the Visi Data Center 2.0 event.

Basically, the presentation will cover:

• The current search engine landscape
• 5 Myths about SEO
• 5 SEO Tactics To Use Now

I believe there are 400-600 people registered, so it should be a great event. I suspect there may be a few competing (or coopetive) local firms and SEO consultants there, which is good for them because I’m giving out a lot of information in my 30 minutes. However, the presentation is meant for business owners that want to learn more reliable information about what SEO is and what it is not.

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I am very happy to say 3 of our “Marketing for Results” clients made the Business Journal’s list of the 50 fastest-growing private companies in the Twin Cities this year. These are clients that outsource all or a very large part of their marketing and public relations to our agency, Misukanis & Odden. Congratulations goes out to: Writing Assistance, Magnum Technologies and DDL.

I don’t mention my other company all that much on this blog, but maybe I should. Our M&O group provides strategic marketing planning, media and public relations, direct mail, email, advertising, lead management and interfaces seamlessly with TopRank for integrated campaigns that also involve search marketing, social media, blogs and online PR. M&O works primarily with small/medium businesses whereas TopRank clients range from startups to Fortune 20 companies.

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Last week was quite a whirlwind with 3 presentations at DMA06 in San Francisco and then immediatley to Boston for 2 presentations to speak at a private conference being held by a client. We are doing a LOT more of that kind of speaking/consulting. Next up:

Nov 2nd: Visi Data Center 2.0, St. Paul
“The Truth about Search Engine Optimization” - Visi, the largest ISP in Minnesota, is holding an event to launch their new data center with St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman attending. During this event there will be presentations of interest to business and web site owners including my presentation on SEO.

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