1. If I had to do it all over again I would change the name of my blog. I wanted to be anonymous when I first started blogging because I was working in law and politics at the time. So I called myself Blog Bloke. (Actually a friend had given me that name and I have never forgiven him since).
2. I began as a political blogger and It wasn’t long before this blog soon morphed into a blog about blogging. But in hindsight I probably shouldn’t have named it Blog Bloke because it doesn’t sound professional. Then again who’da thunk a name like Google would be what it is today. Food for thought. Hmm.
3. And speaking of professional I am reminded of someone grabbing the problogger name and copying my niche when he knew diddly shit about blogging or technology. Proving the old addage that image is everything. That took brass balls on his part and the rest is history as they say.
4. One of my first blog domains was called InstaBloke. It wasn’t that long until it had grown into a Google PR rank of 7 (which was pretty awesome), so when I changed it over to Blog Bloke I lost a lot of Google juice and never fully recovered. That was a mistake.
5. At the time I didn’t really mind, and in fact I liked it that way because I just wanted to have some fun with it. It never occurred to me to try to make money with it cause I just wanted a podium to express my opinions.



6. Instead I probably should have kept my Blog Bloke handle and used a more serious blog name and domain. Yes, I think I made another mistake.
7. But I tried to make the best of it by learning my craft and creating a really amazing blog (in my humble opinion) with great original content and amazing design, logos and images. My Blog Bloke avatar is a mockup of a Forbes-style poser in case you haven’t figured it out yet.
8. Then I got into a few rumbles along the way with some thieving marketers. Although I believed they deserved what they got, sometimes things got a little out of hand that I regretted and I had focused too much attention on them instead of doing my thing. In fact I had even quit blogging once or twice because I got so discouraged and let them get the better of me. That was also mistake.

But I have since realized that I have put far too much work into this blog to just lay down and let the bastards win. So I decided to hang in there. I love blogging so much I wouldn’t be surprised if I die here at the keyboard. (Which will be a long way off, I hope).

The reason that I am writing this is to share so you can learn from my mistakes. But it is also cathartic in a sense because despite the mistakes that I have made I am going to roll up my sleeves and make the best of it. I will prevail. I still have a large following of readers and I’m thankful for that.

I have blown off course at times, meandered here and there, dabbled in tongue-in-cheek humour, gone off on a few rants and got into come rumbles along the way. And admittedly it was a lot of fun.

But it’s time to get serious now. Thanks to friends I have been reminded that I still have a lot of knowledge to pass on and it would be a shame not to share.

And so dear friends henceforth you will be seeing a new Blog Bloke. I hope that you will stick around and enjoy the journey with me.

And while we’re at it, why not share what you have learned from your own blogging experience. I would love to hear from you and I’m sure that my readers would like that as well.

Cheers.

Marketers today are a dime a dozen.

Why?

Because they follow the same format.

1. They have the typical photoshopped pic; 
2. All shiny and spiffed up in their sunday-best business suit;
3. Airbrushed with tons of makeup, hair done to the nines (or shaved head preferably for the men);
4. A huge smiley face, bleached white chiclets (aka teeth);
5. The same pose, arms folded over chest, grinning a-la-Forbes style;
6. With an in-your-face email opt-in form adorning their header and profile;
7. Cornball business name (e.g. ‘Pro Social Media Labs Inc.’ whilst running their empire out of a bedroom);
8. Outrageous (and unverified) claims of income and social media expertise. (Who’s your guru);
9. In-your-face landing pages and email pop-up forms. (They call it permission marketing. I call it permission spamming. You always wanted to be on somebody’s list didn’t you. Rhetorical);
10. A cheesy headset microphone strapped to their mouth preaching to the choir. (Hello … can you hear me now);
11. Link bait titles. (We love those don’t we);
12. Or variations of the theme (your mileage may vary);
13. All the while recycling those old ”tips” for the upsell (many that they stole from me);
14. Etc., etc., etc…

Sound familiar? Seriously! Yawn. You know what I’m talking about. Some of these dudes are downright scary and look like snake oil salesmen more than anything else. (And some look like the person sharing your church pew last Sunday. Purely coincidental of course).

A long time ago I started something called “Contrarian Blogging“. Just like they tell you to not follow the crowd when it comes to investing, well the same goes for doing business online.

I call it Contrarian Marketing (or Un-Marketing).

Don’t reinvent the wheel. Dare to be bold. Dare to be different!

(By the way, I created the avatar on the right as a parody of the Forbes-style marketer).

So how can you be different? By not copying what others have done before you. Go in another direction.

To boldly go where no marketer has gone before.

Whatever you do be authentic. Be Real.

Do you want to stand out from the crowd? Then un-market yourself now and let me show you how.

I’m creating a new series of UnMarketing articles for your reading pleasure.

OMG! I even created a new “marketing” category just for it. Will wonders never cease.

Stay tuned dear friends. More goodness to follow…

After writing my recent post “Google’s Matt Cutts Says Black Hat and Link Spammers Beware” it seems that Google doesn’t like my criticism and the proof is in the proverbial pudding.

Let’s start by looking at the body of work that I have put into this blog. Let’s consider the fact that I have been blogging longer than most. The fact that I pioneered blogging and social media. When I started blogging blogs didn’t even have a comments section. There were no RSS feeds and I coded my own from scratch, and taught other bloggers how to do it.

Not Your Average Bloke

The fact is I am the first blogger to create the ‘blog tips‘ niche, long before any of the other copycats had even heard of it.

Let’s look at the design of this blog. I created this blog from scratch with my own two hands. I did all of the design. All of the logos and graphics I created in Photoshop myself. I did not borrow a theme from somewhere else. I did not outsource the work like the others have. The fact is I did all of the coding, and as you can see it is a hell of a lot of freaking work.

There are not many out there who can claim the same pedigree that I have. So if anybody should be considered an “authority” (as Matt Cutts likes to put it) in blogging and social media it would be me.

The Blog Bloke.

Anybody who reads me knows that I have been in a feud with the Google gang over the past year or so. I don’t like the direction that Google has been heading. Well I am now seeing the fruits of that feud.

My traffic has dwinddled. I have all but disappeared from my own “blog tips” niche in the SERPS. Apparently I didn’t make the cut (pun intended) and yet the plagiarising hacks are still there. This is absurd. It is criminal.

I have NEVER made money from this blog. It is a labour of love from the heart. It is a public service. I have stayed true to my ethics and remained independent and avoided being soiled by the big pockets of special interests.

(Matt Cutts the Spaminator)

So this is the reward I get. Being purged by Google. “Purged“. I like that word. It reminds me of the Hitler and Stalinist era. Like his counterpart Hitler not only purged the competition but he also invented public book burnings. Well this book ain’t going down in flames.

Some things never change and power corrupts absolutely. I’m the last person who deserves this crap and they can’t silence me. So it’s time to get down to some in-depth analysis into what the Google beast has really been up to and whether or not it knows what the hell it is doing.

I’m going to do an analysis of Google Search using my own blog tips niche as an example. I’m going to analyze Google Plus and tell you why it is not achieving or why it is even there in the first place.

Does Google really know what the f*** it’s doing? I asked Matt Cutts himself for an explanation. I’m still waiting. If Cutts can artificially boost the ranking of his favs (as he boasts) then it stands to reason he can sink those who he dislikes.

In other words I’m making Google et al my special project. It ain’t personal. Just business.

Stay tuned … there is more to follow.

This show is an extension of the post that I recently wrote titled Google’s Matt Cutts Says Black Hat and Link Spammers Beware. Trust me when I say you don’t want to miss it.

Here is the show description:

Long time online privacy advocate, search engine analyst and blogger, Blog Bloke describes the recent changes made to the Google Plus social media platform and what they mean. Blog Bloke provides analysis of the changes, how they relate to other social media platforms, and the reasons for the changes. Blog Bloke offers advice for returning the better features of the previous Google Plus layout and how to utilize the better aspects of the new format. Blog Bloke also discusses the effect of Google Plus on search engine rankings, and also the impact of the changes for mobile users. Blog Bloke also offers his thoughts on the recent updated statements from Google about how they are addressing the constant challenge of spam.

You can also find all of my shows on Blog Talk Radio here. Or click on the radio shows link below.

My energy level was a little low as I have been suffering with clusters of headaches lately. But all in all it was a great show and very revealing. In case you missed it live you can listen to the recording here. Let me know what you think.

That is the question a new video from Google’s Matt Cutts answers about what we can soon expect with respect to SEO and search engine results.

Below are 10 points that Matt addresses in his video:

1. Penguin Update: The next Penguin update (which is expected to launch soon) will go even further than before. I can hear the screams already.
2. Queries: Spammy queries will soon come under scrutiny of the Google microscope. Nuff said.
3. Swimming with the Sharks: Matt Cutts says Google will travel “upstream” to terminate link spammers and any unfair advantage they got. Will the Blog Networks be included? I highly doubt it.
4. Judgment on the Advertorials: The Google god will get medieval with advertorial sinners more than ever now. No more link juice and there must be “clear and conspicuous disclosure“.
5. Better Link Analysis: Cutts promises Google is getting even better at link analysis. “We’ll see if that bears fruit or not“. Whateva.
6. Warning and Removal Of Hacked Sites: Google is working on new features to better detect and warn us about hacked sites. This is a good thing if it really works.
7. Damn the Domain Spam: The number of times the same domain name shows up in Google’s search results (”clusters“) is supposed to diminish this year. I see this happening far too much in my own blog tips niche. As always it’s the phonies who are the worst offenders.
8. Boosting “Authority”: This one really concerns me. Google will artificially give a ranking boost to certain sites that it deems an “authority“. It’s hard to believe that Google is actually admitting doing this and it opens Pandora’s Box to playing favourites. What goes up will unfortunately bump others down. So the question begs to be asked … what will determine who is the “authority“. Matt Cutts? The most Plus Ones? LOL. Sounds more like an opportunity for Google bias to me.
9. A Reprieve from Panda Hell: Apparently Google wants to “soften” the blow on some sites (mine included) that Panda had screwed the pooch. So Google admits that it made a mistake. God forbid.
10. Google to Earth: Google claims (again) that it will improve communications to us in Webmaster Tools. We shall see.

(Gina Trapani, Leo Laporte and Jeff Jarvis at Google I/OQ)

Now that’s what I’m talking about. This is why nobody else bitches about Google. Who wouldn’t like the VIP treatment. (Rhetorical).

But seriously I’m not holding my breath for this update. This sounds more like Google fudging the search results than anything else.

We’ve heard too many promises about how Google is going to do this and will fix that. There seems to be a lot of experimentation going on but nothing much really changes does it. The information resellers continue getting away with content theft, Google has its favourites (um, I mean authority sites) and honest bloggers are lost in the shuffle as usual.

It’s no wonder the establishment bloggers aren’t complaining. They have the most to gain. If I was a rookie blogger today I would be screaming loud and hard right now.

My first venture as an entrepreneur I used a bookeeping program called Quicken and learned how I could alter the results by tweaking the filters. I could make bad data look good to the unwary eye by giving more weight to what I wanted others to see. Push the desirable stuff to the forefront and throw the rest to the back of the bus.

It’s no different with search engine algorithms, and that’s what most people don’t realize. It’s not a one size fits all process. Nor is it rocket science. It’s tech art, and the artsy fartsies at Google can’t resist meddling with the results. It just goes from bad to worse. Or like the old addage says, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Readers have often asked me if Google will throw me to the back of the bus for speaking frankly about this sort of nonsense. Well all I can say to that is it’s a fact I am one of Google’s most outspoken critics. My past battles are legendary and I am definitely on their radar. I have heard of other bloggers being targeted by Google and I have my own war stories to tell. Nor am I invited to their gala events.

Nuff said. Indeed Google does play favourites and shit often happens. Time will tell if things get any worse. Or like Tom Hanks once said “who knows what the tide could bring”. Especially when it comes to Google.

Remember when we were all so enamoured with Google’s “unbiased“, “do no evil” and “intuitive” search results? Well I think it’s safe to say that is all in the past. It’s about self-serving corporate interests and to hell with whomever or whatever gets in the way. It’s about elitism and protecting your own. 

The Google god has spoken. Yes it is depressing. Still don’t believe me when I say that SEO is a Dog Chasing its Tail?

P.s.: Check out the follow up Blog Talk Radio Show titled Google Plus Changes and What They Really Mean. You don’t want to miss it.

UPDATE: WTF! This is criminal. I have been purged from my own blog tips niche. The worse part is irrelevant blogs that only posted a single page are even ranking higher than me. How can Google justify this when I am THE authority and created the niche! Google’s algorithms are a complete clusterfuck.

Online reputation sites such as Kred and Klout will be discussed.

We will also talk about social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus and even Blogs, and how we can use them for managing our online reputation.

It will be a fun and educational experience for all.

Here is the show description:

Social Media Practioner and Community Manager at Social Media Farm, Jewel Fryer; and long time blogger and influential online reputation spokesperson, Blog Bloke describe the importance of maintaining your social media reputation for your business and career success. Jewel Fryer and Blog Bloke provide ideas for establishing a positive online reputation on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn And Google+. They offer advice for creating solid and effective profiles that evoke confidence from clients or employers. They share ideas for avoiding the mistakes in posting text and photos that can derail a business, career, or potential employers. They will point out how employers routinely look up current or potential employees on social media sites, and how a bad impression can spell the end to a promising job or career. Learn how to keep your social media profiles looking their best.

You can also find all of my radio shows here. See you there!

P.s.: For the record, I didn’t “nod off”. LOL

In case you missed it live you can listen to the recording here. Let me know what you think.

But seriously one thing that I like about Twitter is it forces us to condense our thoughts down to a few characters. That makes it a perfect medium for creating quotes.

Over the years I have created a quote or two (otherwise known as Blokeisms), and instead of letting it disappear into the twittersphere I thought it would be smart to list them here. That way I will get credit. (Ya know what I mean.)

So here they are listed below in all their glory. I hope you enjoy them. Just remember my tongue-in-cheek sense of humour. (I know, it doesn’t always translate well in the written word.)

Here goes:

1. If you want engagement then be engaging.
2. Let’s face it. When it comes to choosing between reality and blowing smoke .. the smokers win every time.
3. The most successful people in life tend to be the ones who learn to manipulate the best. Unfortunately they can also be the most unethical.
4. The need to feel constantly connected through technology is an emotional dependency and should be treated like any other disorder.
5. When you are pretending to be an “expert” only a phony would outsource.
6. Is it asking too much? We need politicians driven by ethics and common sense. Not by political agenda and feathering their nests.
7. I’m making changes in my life. Stop wasting time with insincere people who take but give nothing back. Words without action mean nothing.
8. First and foremost Google is an advertising company that caters to marketers. ‘Original‘ content? Who cares so long as it’s ‘content’.
9. Being a good blogger is more than just being a good writer. It is also wearing many hats, including being a techy.
10. Any of those who claim to be making money I always ask for proof. None so far have bothered.
11. When you are trying to build authority in the SERPS don’t take shortcuts. Be ethical and think the Long Tail.
12. I would say most exaggerate incomes from blogging. In fact most of the bloggers that I know make it from other sources.
13. Another week of chasing a buck. Trying to be fab. Wooing followers and generally BSing our way through it all. Let the games begin!
14. Working hard only goes so far. Another well known euphemism is it’s not always what you know .. it’s who you know. Colloquially speaking, it’s more familiarly known as brown-nosing.
15. Without exception everyone with a large follower list has either leveraged off some affiliation with another person, business, association, or cheated (buying followers).
16. Personal attacks just for the sake of hurting someone is being a #troll. Intelligent, erudite tongue in cheek humour is allowed. Valid, constructive criticism is not being a#troll. “Valid” and “constructive” being the catch words.

There are plenty more where those come from. So please stay tuned for part 2.

It was a lot of fun and educational experience for all.

Here is the show description:

Social Media Practitioner and Community Manager at Social Media Farm, Jewel Fryer and long time blogger Blog Bloke describe how Facebook can expand and build your business. They add their thoughts on Twitter, and how recent Google feeder changes affect bloggers. The guests share their ideas for utilizing Facebook more effectively, and how Facebook business pages present an opportunity for companies seeking to build new relationships with customers. Jewel Fryer and Blog Bloke present their ideas for ensuring that businesses gain maximum exposure and benefit from Facebook and other social media. Learn how to put the relationship building power of Facebook to work for you and your company.

You can also find all of my radio shows here.

In case you missed it live you can listen to the recording here. Let me know what you think.

LOL

Yesterday Google announced it is closing down it’s popular online newsreader Google Reader. To most of us this news was a shocker including Herr Hitler himself. It was to be expected it would be met with a lot of negative reaction and not even Hitler was fooled by Google’s latest kerfuffle. Here is what he had to say. (Warning … extreme rant alert.)

To most of us this news is a shocker, and not surprisingly it has been met with a lot of negative buzz on the web.

Here is what Google had to say:

We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make it easy for people to discover and keep tabs on their favorite websites. While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader. Users and developers interested in RSS alternatives can export their data, including their subscriptions, with Google Takeout over the course of the next four months. Source

Declining over the years? Give me a break. It’s more like social networks such as Google Plus are gaining prominence.

This is just more smoke and mirrors from Google my friends. It’s sleight of hand, bait and switch. Bring in the new and phase out the old.

It’s about Google pushing it’s social agenda down our throats at the expense of bloggers.

The fact is Google Reader is an extremely popular newsreader and is indispensable for bloggers and web apps like Feedly that rely on it. That Google can be so cavalier about telling us (nonchalantly at the bottom of a list) speaks volumes to me.

Yeah right, as if it is no big deal. Nice try Google.

To tell you the truth I am totally miffed reading this. I suspect this is Google’s way of sounding the death knell for blog newsfeeds. All those years of painstaking work nurturing a following down the drain.

Well good luck with that Google. How dare you. So I’m thinking…

1. This is Google’s strategy to kill off RSS for blogs and push it’s social agenda on us.
2. Does it seriously think we will just pack in our blogs and run to get a Google Plus account (if we don’t already have one)?
3. Does Google really expect us to get all of our information from Social Networks?
4. What will be next on the chopping block. Blogger perhaps?
5. (Maybe not, so long as Google keeps making advertising dollars from all the splogs. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.)

I suppose it was only inevitable following Feedburner’s demise. But this is definitely an attack on RSS for blogs (and blogs in general) given Google’s social agenda. Mind you I didn’t say Google will be successful, but it is an attack nonetheless.

Still don’t believe me? Then read what I previously wrote three years ago ‘Google Declares War on the Blogs‘.

(Update: Today even Hitler agrees with what I wrote last night.)

Well you know what I say to that. Fooey on Google. It ain’t gonna happen. Nope. Who needs it.

Even if I have to hand-code my RSS from scratch and distribute it myself just like the old days.

RSS and Blogs are here to stay.

It just goes from bad to worse. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The sooner I can divorce myself from the Google god the better off I will be. 

Thoughts?

2nd Update: The New York Times chimes in.