| LED Digest 2632: Content is King, Context his Queen |
|
|
|
==================================================
The LED Digest Moderated Discussion List "Effective Online Advertising, Since 1997" Data > Information > Knowledge > Wisdom http://www.AudetteMedia.com : the LED's Publisher Boutique Internet Marketing: SEO, SEM, Social Media http://www.SEOToolSet.com/training/ : the LED's Premier Sponsor Bruce Clay's Search Engine Optimization Training & Certification ================================================== List Moderator: Published by: Adam Audette LED Digest adam, led-digest.com http://www.led-digest.com .............................................. April 24, 2008 Issue no. 2632 .............................................. .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ====== NEW ====================== --== Unethical Domain Hoarding by NS ==-- ~ Ivan Jimenez "Network Solutions is sequestering domain names you search for..." ==== CONTINUING ================= --== SEO for Flash ==-- ~ Adam Audette "You'll still want to cloak an HTML version." --== SEO Sales Tricks ==-- ~ Lorelle Smith "...can we spin off this thread into 'SEO legal considerations' or something?" ~ Barb Sybal "I'm still shaking my head at everyone's responses." <Moderator Comment> ~ John Smart "Perhaps I should have used a pseudonym!" --== Is Twitter Productive? ==-- ~ Alex Hughart "If content is king, no matter how small/short, context is queen." <Moderator Comment> ========= NEW ===================================== From: Ivan Jimenez Subject: Unethical [Domaining] Practices Hello all, I've been in and out of LED, as work permits so I hope this isn't a repeat of someone else’s rant. If so, it deserves another mention. Network Solutions http://www.networksolutions.com is sequestering domain names you search for and only making them available for purchase through them, at their premium pricing. Imagine talking to a client and after going through many prospective (available) domain names, you agree on a great one. When they go to their registrar, the domain is unavailable. Now you go back to Network Solutions, and it appears available. Days pass, same thing. A week passes, no change. You're thinking these Network Solutions guys were pretty slick by blocking the purchase (probably under the guise that they are securing the domain in the best interests of their p-r-o-s-p-e-c-t-i-v-e customer). BS! Your client on the other hand, is potentially thinking it was a pretty underhanded dirty trick you pulled to get control of the domain name AND charge them $35 for a domain they could’ve gotten for $7-$10 elsewhere. Best case scenario, they know you better than that and either: 1. Unwillingly paid the premium Network Solutions fee because they really liked the domain; or 2. Waited to see if Network Solutions would release the name and someone else got it because: a. People do pay attention to domains that are highly search but not purchased; and b. There is a market for released and about-to-be-released domain names Don’t believe it? Try it for yourself – just not with a domain you want to purchase elsewhere ; ) – and share your experience on the digest. If you’re from Network Solutions, please address this either on LED or personally. More importantly, please ensure me that this is being done not to force a sale, but rather to abide by some regulation. I am not in the domain business so I cannot say for sure, but this smells fishy and I’d expect this from others, not Network Solutions. Thanks. Ivan Jimenez www.swisslogic.com ======== CONTINUING =============================== From: Adam Audette Subject: SEOing Flash Content > The flash is fed through xml and the > developers think that the spiders can be > fed through xml as well, but we are > wondering if a parallel HTML-text version > might be best. - Dale DeHart, LED 2631 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/2046/190/ You'll still want to cloak an HTML version. The XSLT method looks promising: http://tinyurl.com/4yl4nr [metah.ch] There are many other ways to do it too, such as with divs. It really depends on the application. Adam Audette http://www.audettemedia.com -------- new post - new topic -------- From: Lorelle Smith Subject: Sales trick > I think that you could "safely" use this > method without getting many complaints. Of > course you'd want to qualify your clients, > to determine their level of ignorance; but, > if you try it on the right clients, I'm > sure you could avoid complaints -- unless > they met someone who could inform their > ignorance. Then you could have problems, > I'd think. - Tom Anson, LED 2631 Great response, Tom! It's what I would have written but I was so disgusted I couldn't see straight to type. Glad now that I decided to wait and see others' responses. (Adam, can we spin off this thread into "SEO legal considerations" or something?) Doesn't look like anyone else picked up on the fact that the ignorant client/prospect is a LAWYER? I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't accept attorneys as clients for fear of being sued. Especially in the SEO arena, where there are so many misunderstandings. Although my brand of SEO is as pure as the driven snow (Jill Whalen has been my mentor for years), the fact is that *anyone* can sue, regardless of whether they have true cause. It stands to reason that a lawyer will have the fewest reservations about doing so. Their legal costs are nearly nil, for one thing. And of course they aren't intimidated by the legal process like the majority of us are. John, I don't know your circumstances (maybe you have a zillion-dollar E&O policy that pays for all legal costs), but you might want to consider a special airtight contract for your new client -- written by your own attorney, of course. Especially if the client is someone so easily swayed by snake-oil parlor tricks! On the other hand, you *could* sic the lawyer on that charlatan -- I'm sure he could sue the guy for bidding on his good name and representing him without his permission! (Whether he'd win is another story, but I for one would sure love to see a bad guy go down!) Lorelle Smith http://www.PPCsmith.com -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Barb Sybal Subject: Sales trick After reading all the responses, it surprised me enough to respond. I've been in business a long time and the first thing that popped in my head when I saw the original post was that's the perfect execution of "you have to spend money to make money". How could anyone think otherwise? If I thought all I had to do was spend $5 or $10 to get a contract that's potentially worth thousands, I would jump on that idea. Unethical? Bait and switch? Really, people, the internet is part of the real world and the competitor did the right thing by showing that it doesn't take a genius to get good rankings: and it's a good example of cheap advertising online. We can't judge the other person/company because we don't know if there was any discussion of the tactics used (not a trick!) between them and the potential client. I'm still shaking my head at everyone's response. Barb Sybal GFX Printing Services http://www.gfxinc.com <Moderator Comment> Wow! Okay LEDers, check this out. Barb is SO old school she's got an email address with "adventive" in it! That's huge points Barb. Huge. -------- new post - same topic -------- From: John Smart Subject: Sales trick Well, communication is always about learning - I have learned a lot today. Specifically, when playing 'devils advocate' make it more clear which side of the fence you are sitting on. As a follow up, whilst the client (very intelligent gentleman, accomplished Lawyer, novice in this world) was impressed with seeing his name at the top of the list, when I educated him, he was angered, and felt like he had been duped. I was curious to see if these practices were common. It is good that they are not. I have been making sales calls all week - and I am not that aggressive - the best I can manage is apologizing for being the worlds worse sales man, trying to steal there time, but... In all honesty, the English accent is what usually gets me through. Thank you for the feedback - it is good to know that you all care, thank you! I would not follow such a path, and was very frustrated that someone else did - but did not want to post in a heavy handed manner. Perhaps I should have used a pseudonym! Thanks, John Smart InternetDesign.com A Human Touch in a Digital world. -------- new post - new topic -------- From: Alex Hughart Subject: Twitter If content is king, no matter how small/short, context is queen. For the best performance, content needs to be presented in the context of your business, your customers, as well as in a wider social context, regardless of the tools used. The more out of synch elements, the more time and money wasted. Unfortunately, the only way to find out which royal couple will be happy together, is by trial and error. With such an abundance of readily available content delivery methods, it's so easy to get lured into blogging, twitting and who-knows-what. The question then becomes, how to break off those ill-fitted, time-sucking liaisons before they become a major drag. Phasing out and erasing digital footprints, is harder than you think. Take it from a woman who's cursing the day she started a blog. Damn you, LED! Alex Hughart (no, I'm not going to post the link) <Moderator Comment> I will! http://www.theparticipator.com/ I'm a subscriber, and I encourage every LEDer to add this RSS feed to their reader. Top-quality writing and unique insights are some of the treasures here. Only problem is you need to write more often, Alex. (I know - easier said than done!) That's the problem with terrific voices out there with blogs: we want more. More more more. (c) Copyright 1995-2008 Orange Wheel, LLC. All Rights Reserved. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "Love doesn't just sit there like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new." - Ursula K. LeGuin |
