Yearly Archives: 2010
Ian Lurie8 Oct, 2010
New ebook: The Fat Free Guide to Google Analytics
I just finished writing The Fat Free Guide to Google Analytics. You should buy it. Now would be good. It’s chock-full of analytical goodness, including info on: Calculating the value of one visitor to your web site; Setting up goals in Google Analytics; Interpreting analytics data. I worked hard to make this a super-practical, easy-to-apply… Read More
Ian Lurie7 Oct, 2010
Battling copywriting rigor mortis
You can’t decide what to write for your next blog post. So you do a list. Then you do another list. Then you do a list of ways to write a good list. I fall into that trap, all the time. If it’s not lists, it’s sarcastic posts about marketing fads, or cute analogies, or… Read More
SEO Ian Lurie5 Oct, 2010
I talk local search for Boomertechtalk
Linda Sherman and co. just launched a new blog called Boomertechtalk. The site offers everything from backup advice to marketing tips. Linda interviewed me about local search and posted my semi-coherent ramblings on the blog: If I’m a little incoherent, I’ll note that the previous 48 hours included: Me recovering from King Kamehameha’s Revenge. 2010… Read More
Ian Lurie30 Sep, 2010
Can we do content like Apple does hardware?
A thought that’s been germinating in my head for some time: People want content that does the same thing. If you can produce online content – text, ebooks, video, whatever – that makes folks want to read it the instant they glance at it, you can get a major internet marketing win. Apple’s example Apple… Read More
Random Ian Lurie28 Sep, 2010
The blogger’s travel checklist
I’m in Hawaii at Search & Social Woot!, and I keep losing stuff. My cell phone’s USB cable. My tickets to special events. My wedding ring (thankfully found again on the floor in my hotel room). My mind. I have no excuses, but the rash of absent-mindedness has me thinking about the stuff I always… Read More
Ian Lurie27 Sep, 2010
PageRank explained, without math (really)
Whenever I try to explain the concept of true Pagerank – not the fake number you see in the Google Toolbar – I find myself going into all sorts of metaphorical gymnastics. PageRank is like a tree… no, it’s like a fountain… no, wait, an electrical grid… or is it a squid…? At long last,… Read More
Internet Marketing Ian Lurie23 Sep, 2010
10 things to put in your SEO proposal
It’s hard to write an SEO proposal. Clients are skeptical. You’re skeptical. Hell, everyone’s skeptical. But there are some things that can help. These are a few of the components I put into any proposal – these avoid misunderstandings, set expectations and help me seal the deal. The price. Don’t hide the price. Do put… Read More
Ian Lurie22 Sep, 2010
22 things I’ve never said
I’m rapidly reaching some kind of cranial detonation point, I think. Don’t get me wrong – after 15 years in this business, I have colleagues and clients I really like. Through arguments and successes we’ve stuck together and done some cool stuff. But there are those other ones. They’re like a water torture, dropping ridiculous… Read More
Ian Lurie20 Sep, 2010
My first foray into sponsored tweets. FAIL.
Note that I am using ad.ly as part of this test. I am not saying ad.ly is bad. They have a great site, a nice toolset and make no promises. I am suggesting (spoiler alert) that sponsored tweets rank in profitability somewhere below hiring alchemists to try to turn lead into gold. Sometimes, I just… Read More
Ian Lurie14 Sep, 2010
Social media and the multiplier effect
Marketing nerdiness alert! This post has some heavy-duty marketing geekination in it. You have been warned. At last night’s SEMPDX presentation I talked about the multiplier effect and social media. Here’s the multiplier effect as I defined it: The multiplier effect: Each additional quality friend or follower in your network increases the value of all… Read More
Random Ian Lurie14 Sep, 2010
Slides from tonight’s SEMPDX presentation
Thanks, SEMPDX, for inviting me to speak tonight – it was a blast (as always). Here are my slides, if you need ’em. I’ll be writing posts that expand on some of the points in the presentation over the next few weeks. Search and Social Media View more presentations from Ian Lurie.
Tom Schmitz10 Sep, 2010
Optimize for Google Instant Search SEO
As Elizabeth wrote for PPC yesterday, Google released Google Instant Search. By combining a database of search histories, a probability engine and some AJAX programming, the search engine displays the most likely non-paid and PPC searches based on the characters that have been typed so far. Google believes this will save humanity billions of hours… Read More
Ian Lurie9 Sep, 2010
Google Instant isn’t going to end the universe
Here’s the thing about Google Instant: It doesn’t change search as much as you might think. I’m not ignoring the fact that it’s a big innovation. The speed required to make Instant work is mind-boggling. Somewhere in the world lights flicker every time you do an Instant search. But it’s not going to cause SEO’s… Read More
Elizabeth Marsten9 Sep, 2010
Google Instant Search and PPC – What Does it Mean?
I couldn’t resist. A chance to reference double rainbow guy came along and I took it. You know you would too. Google Instant Search launches, SEOs and PPCers alike start speculating, predicting and of course playing with it. But seriously, what does it means for PPC? Here are the basics: Google says ad impressions will… Read More
SEO Ian Lurie9 Sep, 2010
Brand stacking in Google: My SEL column this month
It’s not about Google Instant, but if you want to get a few tips on taking advantage of Google’s new brand stacking feature (so last week) I wrote a column about it: How to grab more rankings with Google’s branded search results