Tag Archives: conversation marketing
Copywriting Ian Lurie // 5 Dec, 2011
Pink dancing gorillas and web copywriting
So, I went on Fiverr, and hired a pink gorilla to do a video about why you need good web copywriting. Caution – watch only if you don’t need that 58 seconds of your life: I’m not saying this video is bad, per se. I got my money’s worth. If you hire someone for $5… Read More
Random Ian Lurie // 2 Dec, 2011
10 signs you deserve to succeed
I run into a lot of people who feel entitled to success: Business owners with zero capital, below-average motivation and the expectation that internet + them = wealth. But every now and then, I meet people who are clearly going to kick butt. After 16 years of hearing pitches from the entitled crowd, and the… Read More
Internet Marketing Ian Lurie // 1 Dec, 2011
A 3-sentence internet marketing definition
After my post yesterday, I realized I need to come up with some nice, concise definitions for what we do at Portent. Here’s my first try: Internet Marketing, defined in 3 sentences Internet marketing does three things. A good digital campaign: Improves visibility through SEO, paid search, social media and any other relevant vehicles. Builds… Read More
Internet Marketing Ian Lurie // 30 Nov, 2011
Death of an internet marketer
A very short play. The setting: A dinner party about 1 year ago. The cast: Them: An advertising exec from a traditional agency. 15+ years’ experience. Me: You know. Curtain Them: “So, Ian, what do you do?” Me: “I run an internet marketing agency.” Them: “Oh. What’s that?” Me: “We help companies get more leads,… Read More
Design & Development Ian Lurie // 23 Nov, 2011
Server response survey results: Now, with more pepper spray!
Over the last three months, a bunch of folks have used my server response code tester to check whether their web sites correctly respond to broken links, correct links, etc. Per my first post about the tool, I’ve been storing the results—don’t worry, no personal data, just web site, response codes, and a grade—for a… Read More
PPC Ian Lurie // 17 Nov, 2011
Wordstream infographic: How an Adwords Auction Works
I don’t often re-post other people’s stuff, but I love this guide to Adwords auctions from Wordstream: © 2011 WordStream – a certified AdWords partner. (Click the image to visit Wordstream.com and see the full graphic)
Design & Development Ian Lurie // 16 Nov, 2011
10 tips for minimal-mayhem agency site redesign
If you run an internet marketing agency, you have one client you dread more than any other: Yourself. We launched a revamped Portent site several months back, then rebuilt this site a bit later. In 16 years, I think we’ve rebuilt our company site 8 or 9 times. Some lessons I’ve learned: You’re a frakking… Read More
Featured Ian Lurie // 15 Nov, 2011
A really fast site, and Google don’t care
I wrote a post, and this time lots of folks taught me good stuff. See the comments after the post for great info I’d totally forgotten on how Google calculates site performance Google, I’m very… disappointed. You may have noticed that Conversation Marketing is a wee bit more speedy now. Last week, a page on… Read More
Featured Ian Lurie // 11 Nov, 2011
7 ways to trash your Adwords Quality Score
Yesterday I gave a plain English explanation of Adwords quality score: Why it exists and how it (probably) works. Today we get to have some fun: There are soooo many ways to destroy your quality score. I’ll explain the top 7, and give a tip for improving your score at the same time. 1: The… Read More
Featured Ian Lurie // 11 Nov, 2011
Adwords quality score, explained for non-nerds
You may bid more than anyone else for the phrase ‘rubber duckies’ in Google Adwords. But that doesn’t guarantee you a top ranking. Your quality score influences your position, too. You may, for example, be able to get a #1 Adwords ranking while bidding for the #2 spot. Bizarre, I know. But here’s how it… Read More
Analytics Ian Lurie // 10 Nov, 2011
5 cool uses for Google Real-Time Analytics
Google Analytics now has this cool, real-time stats dashboard. At first, I thought it was just fluff—something to use up my spare 2 minutes/day. But, it’s really handy. I’ve found five good uses for it so far: Test social media posts in real time: Send out a tweet, and then watch the result. Send a… Read More
Random Ian Lurie // 9 Nov, 2011
Webinar topics, anyone?
I’m doing a webinar soon(ish). I’ve got three potential topics: An SEO update: Basic SEO advice after Panda. This would target beginner-intermediate internet marketers and site owners. Content marketing 101: A high-level look at the pieces involved in a successful content marketing campaign, and how they fit together. A guided tour of Google Analytics: A… Read More
Internet Marketing Ian Lurie // 7 Nov, 2011
The intersection of brand, style, and SEO
I spent this afternoon in a fascinating branding exercise for a client. We talked a lot about what comprises a brand. A lot of it was stuff I’ve talked about here before: Your brand is the totality of the experience customers have when they encounter you. But it suddenly dawned on me that a lot… Read More
Ian Lurie // 4 Nov, 2011
SEO butthead detection in 5 easy steps
SEO is complicated, and it’s easy to fall for a ripoff artist, or someone who’s just clueless. But there are some easy ways to detect SEO buttheads. Here’s how you can tell if someone making big promises is utterly full of horse manure: 1: The spam e-mail Butthead indicator #1: The unsolicited e-mail. Strength: 2/5… Read More
Random Ian Lurie // 3 Nov, 2011
10 things that made me cry this week
I’m a sensitive guy. I cried when I saw the movie Gallipoli. Of course, my parents had dragged me to see it when I was 11, which is enough to permanently warp anyone. This week, though, has really raised some humdingers: The new Google Reader interface, which resembles a cross between an Etch A Sketch… Read More