The Expand2Web Podcast http://www.expand2web.com/blog/category/podcasts/ Small business marketing tips and techniques from Internet search expert Don Campbell. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:30:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=The Expand2Web Podcast http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheExpand2WebPodcast Small Business marketing tips and techniques from Internet search expert Don Campbell. Each week Don interviews Local Search experts, small business owners and web consultants to get the very latest tips, tricks and techniques for helping your small business get a steady stream of new customers from Google, Yahoo and Bing searches. Don Campbell no podcast@expand2web.com (Don Campbell) Expand2Web LLC Small Business Success Online internet,marketing,local,search,optimization,seo,wordpress,websites,podcast,small,business,websites The Expand2Web Podcast http://www.expand2web.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://www.expand2web.com/blog/category/podcasts/ Expand2Web LLCinternet,marketing,local,search,optimization,seo,wordpress,websites,podcast,small,business,websitesBusiness/Management & MarketingTechnology/Software How-ToTechnology/Tech Newsdon@expand2web.comDon Campbell Made to Stick – Video Book Review http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheExpand2WebPodcast/~3/lntrJ4lNKyI/ http://www.expand2web.com/blog/made-to-stick-video-book-review/#comments Sat, 10 Sep 2011 21:17:27 +0000 don@expand2web.com (Don Campbell) http://www.expand2web.com/blog/?p=1952

This book turned on many light bulbs for me. You could probably see a whole Christmas tree of lights over my head as I was reading it. Made to Stick – Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die is probably my favorite business book right now.

The authors, Chip Heath and Dan Heath are brothers who share a common interest – they wanted to understand why some ideas and stories are passed around for generations, sometimes even longer. They did a ton of research and deconstructed popular sayings and urban legends to find the common elements.

And in this book they’ve done just that – and created a method to apply to your own messages and stories to make them stick.

My Video Review

The Big Idea

A sticky idea is Understandable, memorable and effective in changing thought or behavior.

In this book, the Heath brothers have reverse engineered sticky ideas like urban legends, proverbs and stories that have been passed on for thousands of years and come up with a method to apply these characteristics to your messages.

This book teaches you how to make your ideas sticky. How?
1) Find the “core” of your idea
2) Translate the core using the SUCCES checklist

The Sticky Ideas Success Checklist

Simplicity – Find the core idea, simple does not mean dumbed down. It means core & compact. Commander’s Intent.

Unexpectedness – Getting attention and keeping interest. Break their guessing machine, uncommon sense. Gap theory of curiosity.

Concreteness – Specific people doing specific things. Start with pre-existing schemes. Novices crave concreteness.

Credible – Types of authority: Experts, Celebrities, Anti authorities, yourself! The Wendy’s commercial. “Testable credentials.”

Emotions – For people to take action, they have to care. People make decisions based on their identity – the consult an ideal self image. Empathy emerges from the particular, rather than the pattern.

Stories – The role of stories. Stories can single handedly beat the curse of knowledge. They show models of how people could act. Spotting stories vs creating them.

A credible idea makes people believe. An emotional idea makes people care. The right stories make people act.

For an idea to stick it must make the audience:

  • Pay attention (UNEXPECTED)
  • Understand and Remember (CONCRETE)
  • Agree/Believe (CREDIBLE)
  • Care (EMOTIONAL)
  • Be able to Act on it (STORY)

Favorite Quote:

“Stories are like flight simulators for the brain.”

Wrap Up

This book is full of practical ideas that I’m putting to use in my own products and marketing. Whenever I am coming up with a new product, design or web page I try to identify the core of my message, and put it through the SUCCES checklist.

Don’t think about it – just get this book and read is as soon as you can. I promise it will be worth it!

You can read the first chapter here: Made to Stick – Chapter One

Listen to the Podcast

Or if you want to listen to this review instead of watching it, you can download the podcast .mp3 file below.

]]> http://www.expand2web.com/blog/made-to-stick-video-book-review/feed/ 2 This book turned on many light bulbs for me. You could probably see a whole Christmas tree of lights over my head as I was reading it. Made to Stick - Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die is probably my favorite business book right now. - The authors, This book turned on many light bulbs for me. You could probably see a whole Christmas tree of lights over my head as I was reading it. Made to Stick - Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die is probably my favorite business book right now. The authors, Chip Heath and Dan Heath are brothers who share a common interest - they wanted to understand why some ideas and stories are passed around for generations, sometimes even longer. They did a ton of research and deconstructed popular sayings and urban legends to find the common elements. And in this book they've done just that - and created a method to apply to your own messages and stories to make them stick. My Video Review The Big Idea A sticky idea is Understandable, memorable and effective in changing thought or behavior. In this book, the Heath brothers have reverse engineered sticky ideas like urban legends, proverbs and stories that have been passed on for thousands of years and come up with a method to apply these characteristics to your messages. This book teaches you how to make your ideas sticky. How? 1) Find the "core" of your idea 2) Translate the core using the SUCCES checklist The Sticky Ideas Success Checklist Simplicity - Find the core idea, simple does not mean dumbed down. It means core & compact. Commander’s Intent. Unexpectedness - Getting attention and keeping interest. Break their guessing machine, uncommon sense. Gap theory of curiosity. Concreteness - Specific people doing specific things. Start with pre-existing schemes. Novices crave concreteness. Credible - Types of authority: Experts, Celebrities, Anti authorities, yourself! The Wendy’s commercial. “Testable credentials.” Emotions - For people to take action, they have to care. People make decisions based on their identity - the consult an ideal self image. Empathy emerges from the particular, rather than the pattern. Stories - The role of stories. Stories can single handedly beat the curse of knowledge. They show models of how people could act. Spotting stories vs creating them. A credible idea makes people believe. An emotional idea makes people care. The right stories make people act. For an idea to stick it must make the audience: Pay attention (UNEXPECTED) Understand and Remember (CONCRETE) Agree/Believe (CREDIBLE) Care (EMOTIONAL) Be able to Act on it (STORY) Favorite Quote: “Stories are like flight simulators for the brain.” Wrap Up This book is full of practical ideas that I'm putting to use in my own products and marketing. Whenever I am coming up with a new product, design or web page I try to identify the core of my message, and put it through the SUCCES checklist. Don't think about it - just get this book and read is as soon as you can. I promise it will be worth it! You can read the first chapter here: Made to Stick - Chapter One Listen to the Podcast Or if you want to listen to this review instead of watching it, you can download the podcast .mp3 file below. Don Campbell no 6:51 internet,marketing,local,search,optimization,seo,wordpress,websites,podcast,small,business,websiteshttp://www.expand2web.com/blog/made-to-stick-video-book-review/ The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs – Video Book Review http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheExpand2WebPodcast/~3/UUfxEDACPKI/ http://www.expand2web.com/blog/innovation-secrets-of-steve-jobs-video-book-review/#comments Fri, 26 Aug 2011 05:44:50 +0000 don@expand2web.com (Don Campbell) http://www.expand2web.com/blog/?p=1777

I love to read. One book that has had a big impact on my life and my business is The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo

Carmine Gallo is a communications coach who has been studying Apple and Steve Jobs for years. In this book, he did a particularly good job of studying Steve Jobs and identifying what makes Steve, and Apple great. Reading this book allows you to answer the question “What would Steve do?” for almost any business situation.

My Video Review

Whenever I read a good book, I have a method for remembering the key points from it. I use a method called “Tag, Cliff and Review”, and I look for a few key things:

The Big Idea

What is the “big idea” that the author is trying to convey in the book? In this book, I think the big idea was this: Having a clear, concise vision for yourself or your company is the key to innovation and success.

7 Principles That Drive Steve Jobs

In Innovation Secrets, the author distilled what he sees as the 7 principles that drive Steve Jobs. He then went into detail on each of them with specific insights and examples.

  1. Do What You Love – “Don’t Settle!”
  2. Put a Dent in the Universe – See over the horizon. Do something great.
  3. Kick Start Your Brain – Innovators question, experiment, network and observe across many disciplines.
  4. Sell Dreams, Not Products – Talk about the change your product will make, what it will allow people to do, not the features.
  5. Say “No” to 1000 Things – “Get rid of the crappy stuff and focus on the good stuff.”
  6. Create Insanely Great Experiences – Change people’s expectations of what a great experience can be. Think about how Apple changed the experience you have with your cell phone, or with their retail stores.
  7. Master the Message – Use elements of a good story, and consistent delivery of your message.

I go into a little more detail on each of these in the video book review.

Favorite Quotes

I also like to pull quotes from the book that I want to remember, or maybe use in a presentation sometime. Here are a few of the quotes that stood out for me in this book:

  • “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
  • “We are artists, not engineers.” – Steve Jobs
  • “We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anybody, and produce bland, inoffensive products.” – Jonathan Ive
  • “People don’t want to buy personal computers any more. They want to know what they can do with them, and we’re going to show them exactly that.” – Steve Jobs

Believe me, there are many more great quotes in this book!

Vision vs Mission Statement

I mentioned that having a crisp, concise vision is one of the key messages of the book that stood out for me. Carmine goes into detail about this. We’ve all worked somewhere and heard the corporate mission statement full of buzzwords that nobody can remember. But how is this “vision” that he talks about different?

A Mission Statement answers the question – what you will make? They are typically long, convoluted and filled with corporate speak.

Your vision is a picture of a better world that your product or service makes possible.

To be a good vision, it must be Specific, Concise and Consistent. Here are a few notable examples of good vision statements:

Apple: “To put computers into the hands of everyday people.”
Google: “To provide access to the world’s information in one click.”
President Kennedy: “Land a man on the moon and return him safely by the end of the decade.”

Wow. Short. To the point. And powerful.

Wrap Up

How did this book change what I do? I was really inspired by this definition of a clear, concise vision and spent the time to think through and write down my vision for Expand2Web. This has become our guiding principle now for products, customer service, and making key decisions about our business.

I hope you decide to read this book, and enjoy it as much as I did!

]]> http://www.expand2web.com/blog/innovation-secrets-of-steve-jobs-video-book-review/feed/ 16 I love to read. One book that has had a big impact on my life and my business is The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo - Carmine Gallo is a communications coach who has been studying Apple and Steve Jobs for years. In this book, I love to read. One book that has had a big impact on my life and my business is The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo Carmine Gallo is a communications coach who has been studying Apple and Steve Jobs for years. In this book, he did a particularly good job of studying Steve Jobs and identifying what makes Steve, and Apple great. Reading this book allows you to answer the question "What would Steve do?" for almost any business situation. My Video Review Whenever I read a good book, I have a method for remembering the key points from it. I use a method called "Tag, Cliff and Review", and I look for a few key things: The Big Idea What is the "big idea" that the author is trying to convey in the book? In this book, I think the big idea was this: Having a clear, concise vision for yourself or your company is the key to innovation and success. 7 Principles That Drive Steve Jobs In Innovation Secrets, the author distilled what he sees as the 7 principles that drive Steve Jobs. He then went into detail on each of them with specific insights and examples. Do What You Love - “Don’t Settle!” Put a Dent in the Universe - See over the horizon. Do something great. Kick Start Your Brain - Innovators question, experiment, network and observe across many disciplines. Sell Dreams, Not Products - Talk about the change your product will make, what it will allow people to do, not the features. Say “No” to 1000 Things - “Get rid of the crappy stuff and focus on the good stuff.” Create Insanely Great Experiences - Change people's expectations of what a great experience can be. Think about how Apple changed the experience you have with your cell phone, or with their retail stores. Master the Message - Use elements of a good story, and consistent delivery of your message. I go into a little more detail on each of these in the video book review. Favorite Quotes I also like to pull quotes from the book that I want to remember, or maybe use in a presentation sometime. Here are a few of the quotes that stood out for me in this book: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” - Steve Jobs "We are artists, not engineers." - Steve Jobs "We don't do focus groups. They just ensure that you don't offend anybody, and produce bland, inoffensive products." - Jonathan Ive "People don't want to buy personal computers any more. They want to know what they can do with them, and we're going to show them exactly that." - Steve Jobs Believe me, there are many more great quotes in this book! Vision vs Mission Statement I mentioned that having a crisp, concise vision is one of the key messages of the book that stood out for me. Carmine goes into detail about this. We've all worked somewhere and heard the corporate mission statement full of buzzwords that nobody can remember. But how is this "vision" that he talks about different? A Mission Statement answers the question - what you will make? They are typically long, convoluted and filled with corporate speak. Your vision is a picture of a better world that your product or service makes possible. To be a good vision, it must be Specific, Concise and Consistent. Here are a few notable examples of good vision statements: Apple: “To put computers into the hands of everyday people.” Google: “To provide access to the world’s information in one click.” President Kennedy: “Land a man on the moon and return him safely by the end of the decade.” Wow. Short. To the point. And powerful. Wrap Up How did this book change what I do? I was really inspired by this definition of a clear, concise vision and spent the time to think through and write down my vision for Expand2Web. This has become our guiding principle now for products, customer service, and making key decisions about our business. I hope you decide to read this book, and enjoy it as much as I did! Don Campbell no 8:33 internet,marketing,local,search,optimization,seo,wordpress,websites,podcast,small,business,websiteshttp://www.expand2web.com/blog/innovation-secrets-of-steve-jobs-video-book-review/ Online Video Tips for Small Business and Affiliate Marketing http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheExpand2WebPodcast/~3/hjKca-GUryw/ http://www.expand2web.com/blog/online-video-tips-small-business-affiliates/#comments Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:52:54 +0000 don@expand2web.com (Don Campbell) http://www.expand2web.com/blog/?p=1638

This time someone interviews me. A friend of mine – Bob Thordarson, CEO of BluCapp, Inc. interviewed me about online video for a webinar he was putting together. He gave me a copy of the final video so I wanted to share it here on the Expand2Web Podcast.

In the interview we shared some interesting stats about how huge online video is, and some examples of small business owners using simple online videos to promote their business.

We also discussed how online video is a perfect tool for affiliate marketing (if done right) and even some killer tips on how to set up and optimize your YouTube channel and videos.

Watch the Interview

Interview Highlights

Here are a few of the things we discuss in the interview:

  • What a huge opportunity online video is for online marketers today, and back it up with some amazing stats.
  • Some specific examples of how small businesses and affiliate marketers are using video to get an edge in the universal search results.
  • A really simple and inexpensive way to make a video even if you are too shy for the camera.
  • And a story of how my daughters (8 and 11 at the time) made $500 by entering an online video contest with a funny product video!

By the way, while editing the transcript, I can see that I said the word “right?” about ten thousand times. I’ll be sure to lose that annoying habit in the next podcast! ;)

Listen to the Podcast Interview

You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. Or you can download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car.

Download the Interview Transcript

“Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript.

Are you using online video for your marketing efforts? Let us know what you’re doing in the comments below; we’d love to see it!

]]> http://www.expand2web.com/blog/online-video-tips-small-business-affiliates/feed/ 8 This time someone interviews me. A friend of mine - Bob Thordarson, CEO of BluCapp, Inc. interviewed me about online video for a webinar he was putting together. He gave me a copy of the final video so I wanted to share it here on the Expand2Web Podcast. This time someone interviews me. A friend of mine - Bob Thordarson, CEO of BluCapp, Inc. interviewed me about online video for a webinar he was putting together. He gave me a copy of the final video so I wanted to share it here on the Expand2Web Podcast. In the interview we shared some interesting stats about how huge online video is, and some examples of small business owners using simple online videos to promote their business. We also discussed how online video is a perfect tool for affiliate marketing (if done right) and even some killer tips on how to set up and optimize your YouTube channel and videos. Watch the Interview Interview Highlights Here are a few of the things we discuss in the interview: What a huge opportunity online video is for online marketers today, and back it up with some amazing stats. Some specific examples of how small businesses and affiliate marketers are using video to get an edge in the universal search results. A really simple and inexpensive way to make a video even if you are too shy for the camera. And a story of how my daughters (8 and 11 at the time) made $500 by entering an online video contest with a funny product video! By the way, while editing the transcript, I can see that I said the word "right?" about ten thousand times. I'll be sure to lose that annoying habit in the next podcast! ;) Listen to the Podcast Interview You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. Or you can download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car. Download the Interview Transcript “Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript. Are you using online video for your marketing efforts? Let us know what you're doing in the comments below; we'd love to see it! Don Campbell no 38:21 internet,marketing,local,search,optimization,seo,wordpress,websites,podcast,small,business,websiteshttp://www.expand2web.com/blog/online-video-tips-small-business-affiliates/ Small Business Marketing Interview with John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheExpand2WebPodcast/~3/5OLkXfdY-aw/ http://www.expand2web.com/blog/small-business-marketing-interview-with-john-jantsch-of-duct-tape-marketing/#comments Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:30:20 +0000 don@expand2web.com (Don Campbell) http://www.expand2web.com/blog/?p=1482

John Jantsch - Duct Tape MarketingMy next guest is John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing. You’ve probably heard of John before – not only does he run the popular Duct Tape Marketing Blog, he’s also published two very successful books: Duct Tape Marketing: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide and The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself.

Those of you who know me or work with me know that I value practical information, and John delivers that in spades. I’ve been a big fan of his blog, and it’s a privilege to have him on my podcast.
duct-tape-marketing-logo

Interview Highlights

Here are a few highlights from the interview:

  • John shares his top five tips for small business to rank better in local search
  • We talk about online reviews and their importance to a small business
  • John shares some key concepts from his book, The Referral Engine, such as how to make your business more “referrable”, and creating a strategic partner network to deliver a better complete solution to your customers
  • We also discuss how “Marketing by Sharing” can help build trust and credibility with your prospects and customers
  • He even answered a few questions from Expand2Web readers, and shared his preferred social networks are and how he uses them to connect with people online

If you are a small business owner, a consultant, or just someone who cares about building good online relationships, there is a lot of valuable information in this interview for you. I think you will enjoy listening to it as much as I did producing it!

Listen to the Podcast Interview with John Jantsch

You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. Or you can download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car.

Complete Written Transcript of the Interview

“Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript.

]]> http://www.expand2web.com/blog/small-business-marketing-interview-with-john-jantsch-of-duct-tape-marketing/feed/ 2 My next guest is John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing. You've probably heard of John before - not only does he run the popular Duct Tape Marketing Blog, he's also published two very successful books: Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Sma... My next guest is John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing. You've probably heard of John before - not only does he run the popular Duct Tape Marketing Blog, he's also published two very successful books: Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide and The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself. Those of you who know me or work with me know that I value practical information, and John delivers that in spades. I've been a big fan of his blog, and it's a privilege to have him on my podcast. Interview Highlights Here are a few highlights from the interview: John shares his top five tips for small business to rank better in local search We talk about online reviews and their importance to a small business John shares some key concepts from his book, The Referral Engine, such as how to make your business more "referrable", and creating a strategic partner network to deliver a better complete solution to your customers We also discuss how "Marketing by Sharing" can help build trust and credibility with your prospects and customers He even answered a few questions from Expand2Web readers, and shared his preferred social networks are and how he uses them to connect with people online If you are a small business owner, a consultant, or just someone who cares about building good online relationships, there is a lot of valuable information in this interview for you. I think you will enjoy listening to it as much as I did producing it! Listen to the Podcast Interview with John Jantsch You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. Or you can download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car. Complete Written Transcript of the Interview “Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript. Don Campbell no 32:13 internet,marketing,local,search,optimization,seo,wordpress,websites,podcast,small,business,websiteshttp://www.expand2web.com/blog/small-business-marketing-interview-with-john-jantsch-of-duct-tape-marketing/ Affiliate Marketing Interview with James Martell http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheExpand2WebPodcast/~3/Yn3s6oMldh8/ http://www.expand2web.com/blog/affiliate-marketing-interview-james-martell/#comments Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:00:37 +0000 don@expand2web.com (Don Campbell) http://www.expand2web.com/blog/?p=1322

James MartellMy guest this week is James Martell, one of the TOP experts on affiliate marketing.

I met James for the first time at Ken McCarthy’s System Seminar two years ago, and he went out of his way to help me with some specific advice on my blog and affiliate efforts.

Since then, I’ve taken James excellent Affiliate Marketer’s Bootcamp, met him at several conferences, and become friends with him and his wife, Arlene.

One of the interesting things you’ll note in the interview, is that James relies on outsourcing for the creation of his websites, graphics, articles, podcasts, and video in order to streamline his business, enabling him to break away from the daily grind.

I think learning how to do this is essential to business success, and it is something I’m working to improve every day too. (I tend to try to do everything myself… Maybe you can relate? ;) )

Getting Started with Affiliate Marketing

In the interview, James shares three tips for getting started in affiliate marketing:

  1. Pick a topic that you are genuinely interested in
  2. Focus in on your niche and understand your visitor very clearly
  3. Get a website that you can manage yourself.

He also shares a special tip at the end that I think you’ll appreciate.

James is always fun to talk with; I know you’ll enjoy this interview!

Listen to the podcast interview with James

You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. Or you can download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car.

Complete Transcript of the Interview

“Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript.

]]> http://www.expand2web.com/blog/affiliate-marketing-interview-james-martell/feed/ 4 affiliate marketing My guest this week is James Martell, one of the TOP experts on affiliate marketing. - I met James for the first time at Ken McCarthy's System Seminar two years ago, and he went out of his way to help me with some specific advice on my blog and affili... My guest this week is James Martell, one of the TOP experts on affiliate marketing. I met James for the first time at Ken McCarthy's System Seminar two years ago, and he went out of his way to help me with some specific advice on my blog and affiliate efforts. Since then, I've taken James excellent Affiliate Marketer's Bootcamp, met him at several conferences, and become friends with him and his wife, Arlene. One of the interesting things you'll note in the interview, is that James relies on outsourcing for the creation of his websites, graphics, articles, podcasts, and video in order to streamline his business, enabling him to break away from the daily grind. I think learning how to do this is essential to business success, and it is something I'm working to improve every day too. (I tend to try to do everything myself... Maybe you can relate? ;)) Getting Started with Affiliate Marketing In the interview, James shares three tips for getting started in affiliate marketing: Pick a topic that you are genuinely interested in Focus in on your niche and understand your visitor very clearly Get a website that you can manage yourself. He also shares a special tip at the end that I think you'll appreciate. James is always fun to talk with; I know you'll enjoy this interview! Listen to the podcast interview with James You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. Or you can download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car. Complete Transcript of the Interview “Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript. Don Campbell no 37:27 http://www.expand2web.com/blog/affiliate-marketing-interview-james-martell/ Local Search Toolkit Interview with Mike Belasco and Mary Bowling from SEOverflow http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheExpand2WebPodcast/~3/FvsattCShsY/ http://www.expand2web.com/blog/local-seo-tool-interview-seoverflow/#comments Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:58:58 +0000 don@expand2web.com (Don Campbell) http://www.expand2web.com/blog/?p=1316

Local Search Toolkit by SEOverflow

New Local SEO Tool for Competitive Analysis – LocalSearchToolkit

Check out this new tool to help you with your Local SEO process. This week my guests are Mike Belasco and Mary Bowling from SEOverflow. They have created a tool that saves you a ton of time in the Local SEO process.

The first step when you get a new Local SEO client is to look at Google 7-Pack for their area to see who is ranking and how competitive it is.

Google 7 Pack Results

Google 7 Pack Results

Drilling in to the different Google Places Page listings shows you which citation and review sources that the top listings are using to rank well.

This is just the start, and it involves a fair amount of manual effort that Local SEOs are all too familiar with.

Never Fear, LocalSearchToolkit is Here!

Well, the fine folks at SEOverflow have come up with a new tool that automates this process – just type in your keyword phrases and it gives you a full report, including:

  • Who is in the 7-Pack
  • What their citation sources are
  • Where they have online reviews
  • What categories they are using

Watch a Quick Video Tour

You can sign up for the beta at LocalSearchToolkit.com

Listen to the Interview with Mike Belasco and Mary Bowling

You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. You can download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car.

]]> http://www.expand2web.com/blog/local-seo-tool-interview-seoverflow/feed/ 4 New Local SEO Tool for Competitive Analysis - LocalSearchToolkit Check out this new tool to help you with your Local SEO process. This week my guests are Mike Belasco and Mary Bowling from SEOverflow. They have created a tool that saves you a ton of ... New Local SEO Tool for Competitive Analysis - LocalSearchToolkit Check out this new tool to help you with your Local SEO process. This week my guests are Mike Belasco and Mary Bowling from SEOverflow. They have created a tool that saves you a ton of time in the Local SEO process. The first step when you get a new Local SEO client is to look at Google 7-Pack for their area to see who is ranking and how competitive it is. Drilling in to the different Google Places Page listings shows you which citation and review sources that the top listings are using to rank well. This is just the start, and it involves a fair amount of manual effort that Local SEOs are all too familiar with. Never Fear, LocalSearchToolkit is Here! Well, the fine folks at SEOverflow have come up with a new tool that automates this process - just type in your keyword phrases and it gives you a full report, including: Who is in the 7-Pack What their citation sources are Where they have online reviews What categories they are using Watch a Quick Video Tour You can sign up for the beta at LocalSearchToolkit.com Listen to the Interview with Mike Belasco and Mary Bowling You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. You can download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car. Don Campbell no 23:59 internet,marketing,local,search,optimization,seo,wordpress,websites,podcast,small,business,websiteshttp://www.expand2web.com/blog/local-seo-tool-interview-seoverflow/ Facebook Advertising Interview with Dennis Yu of BlitzLocal http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheExpand2WebPodcast/~3/RWcLjEK9fTs/ http://www.expand2web.com/blog/facebook-advertising-interview-dennis-yu/#comments Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:00:43 +0000 don@expand2web.com (Don Campbell) http://www.expand2web.com/blog/?p=1310

dennis-yu-photoAre you advertising on Facebook? If not, you might be missing out on a huge opportunity.

In this interview with Dennis Yu, CEO of BlitzLocal, you will learn some killer tips for advertising your business on Facebook.

Dennis is one of the leading experts on Facebook advertising and manages campaigns for large chains and small businesses alike. Some of the things he’s learned blew me away – you’d be surprised about what is going on with Facebook now.

In the Interview

Dennis shares a simple and effective 3-layer approach to advertising on Facebook that doesn’t require technical skills. And believe me, it is based on proven techniques and is terribly effective.

Here are a few sound-bites from this interview:

  • Facebook is the “word of mouth” multiplier
  • People make decisions based on the trust of their friends. Facebook has created a social layer that makes those relationships visible. Their advertising layer is based on top of this…
  • Advertising on Facebook can be easier than Google PPC – target based on demographic rather than keyword phrases
  • But advertising on Facebook and Google PPC is very different for a number of reasons (which we discuss in the interview)
  • How Friend of Fan targeting works
  • How to engage your Facebook Fan Page followers by asking questions
  • How Facebook ranks pages and updates (post quality score)
  • An easy way to get started on Facebook advertising (low cost and no technical skills required)
  • How to lay a foundation for your Facebook Page and Advertising

I think you’ll really enjoy this interview!

Listen to the podcast interview with Dennis

You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. Or you can download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car.

Complete Transcript of the Interview

“Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript.

Are you advertising on Facebook? If so, is it working for you? If not, why not? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

]]> http://www.expand2web.com/blog/facebook-advertising-interview-dennis-yu/feed/ 3 Are you advertising on Facebook? If not, you might be missing out on a huge opportunity. - In this interview with Dennis Yu, CEO of BlitzLocal, you will learn some killer tips for advertising your business on Facebook. - Are you advertising on Facebook? If not, you might be missing out on a huge opportunity. In this interview with Dennis Yu, CEO of BlitzLocal, you will learn some killer tips for advertising your business on Facebook. Dennis is one of the leading experts on Facebook advertising and manages campaigns for large chains and small businesses alike. Some of the things he's learned blew me away - you'd be surprised about what is going on with Facebook now. In the Interview Dennis shares a simple and effective 3-layer approach to advertising on Facebook that doesn't require technical skills. And believe me, it is based on proven techniques and is terribly effective. Here are a few sound-bites from this interview: Facebook is the "word of mouth" multiplier People make decisions based on the trust of their friends. Facebook has created a social layer that makes those relationships visible. Their advertising layer is based on top of this... Advertising on Facebook can be easier than Google PPC - target based on demographic rather than keyword phrases But advertising on Facebook and Google PPC is very different for a number of reasons (which we discuss in the interview) How Friend of Fan targeting works How to engage your Facebook Fan Page followers by asking questions How Facebook ranks pages and updates (post quality score) An easy way to get started on Facebook advertising (low cost and no technical skills required) How to lay a foundation for your Facebook Page and Advertising I think you'll really enjoy this interview! Listen to the podcast interview with Dennis You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. Or you can download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car. Complete Transcript of the Interview “Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript. Are you advertising on Facebook? If so, is it working for you? If not, why not? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Don Campbell no 42:25 internet,marketing,local,search,optimization,seo,wordpress,websites,podcast,small,business,websiteshttp://www.expand2web.com/blog/facebook-advertising-interview-dennis-yu/ Hyperlocal Blogging Interview with Matt McGee from HyperLocalBlogger.com http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheExpand2WebPodcast/~3/OxGrxegMMII/ http://www.expand2web.com/blog/hyperlocal-blogging-interview-matt-mcgee/#comments Sat, 11 Sep 2010 19:08:06 +0000 don@expand2web.com (Don Campbell) http://www.expand2web.com/blog/?p=1294

Matt McGee of HyperLocalBlogger.comWhat is Hyperlocal blogging? How can it help your business?

Matt McGee is my guest this week. Matt writes the popular Small Business Search Marketing blog, and recently created HyperlocalBlogger.com to help small businesses and bloggers learn about local blogging. He is a regular speaker at search marketing conferences across the country, is a U2 fan, and I might add, an all-around great guy.

In the Interview

In this interview Matt shares his insights on Hyperlocal Blogging, and some real-world examples of how some small businesses are using it to help their online presence.

He also shares his top three tips for business owners who want to get started with Hyperlocal Blogging, and some great SEO advice as well.

I think you’ll really enjoy this interview – thanks Matt!

Listen to the Podcast Interview with Matt

You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. You can download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car.

Some of the Links Mentioned in the Interview

We talked about several great resources for Hyper Local Blogging in the interview. Here are direct links to them:

Complete Transcript of the Interview

“Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript.

Do you think this would work for your business? Please let me know what you think in the comments below!

]]> http://www.expand2web.com/blog/hyperlocal-blogging-interview-matt-mcgee/feed/ 4 What is Hyperlocal blogging? How can it help your business? - Matt McGee is my guest this week. Matt writes the popular Small Business Search Marketing blog, and recently created HyperlocalBlogger.com to help small businesses and bloggers learn about... What is Hyperlocal blogging? How can it help your business? Matt McGee is my guest this week. Matt writes the popular Small Business Search Marketing blog, and recently created HyperlocalBlogger.com to help small businesses and bloggers learn about local blogging. He is a regular speaker at search marketing conferences across the country, is a U2 fan, and I might add, an all-around great guy. In the Interview In this interview Matt shares his insights on Hyperlocal Blogging, and some real-world examples of how some small businesses are using it to help their online presence. He also shares his top three tips for business owners who want to get started with Hyperlocal Blogging, and some great SEO advice as well. I think you'll really enjoy this interview - thanks Matt! Listen to the Podcast Interview with Matt You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post. You can download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car. Some of the Links Mentioned in the Interview We talked about several great resources for Hyper Local Blogging in the interview. Here are direct links to them: Planning a Hyperlocal Blog Strategy Hyperlocal Blog SEO: The Series 43 Local Blog Directories Complete Transcript of the Interview “Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript. Do you think this would work for your business? Please let me know what you think in the comments below! Don Campbell no 28:20 internet,marketing,local,search,optimization,seo,wordpress,websites,podcast,small,business,websiteshttp://www.expand2web.com/blog/hyperlocal-blogging-interview-matt-mcgee/ Local Search (SEO) Interview with Will Scott from SearchInfluence http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheExpand2WebPodcast/~3/mA7fFSicPig/ http://www.expand2web.com/blog/local-search-interview-will-scott-searchinfluence/#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:32:53 +0000 don@expand2web.com (Don Campbell) http://www.expand2web.com/blog/?p=1278

Will Scott - SearchInfluence.com

How should a small business get started online? What is the best way to rank for searches in your local area? How could you be using Facebook to get more customers to your business?

My guest in this interview, Will Scott, answers these questions and shares some great tips as well. Will is President of SearchInfluence, a New Orleans based Internet Marketing Agency with over 20 people and tons of clients.

He’s also a frequent presenter at the major Search Marketing conferences like SMX, SES, PubCon and many others.

In the interview Will gives some great advice for businesses starting out on the web – how to best get started with your Google Places page, how to build good citations, and some tricks for defining your categories.

He also goes on to share a great tip about Facebook advertising – and how small businesses can use it to get results. Not many small businesses are taking advantage of this yet, and we both agreed it is a great time to get involved.

I certainly enjoyed this interview, and I hope you will too. Thanks Will!

Watch the Video Interview with Will

Player will appear here


Here is a link to the SearchInfluence Blog that I mentioned in the interview. Will’s team is producing tons of great content, so it’s a great blog to follow.

Also, we talked about defining categories for your Google Places Page in the interview. Mike Blumenthal has a nice tool that helps you determine which categories best match your business, products and services here – Google LBC Category Preview Tool.

Or Listen to the Audio

You can also download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car.

“Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript.

Please let me know what you think in the comments below!

SmallBiz WordPress Theme thumbnail

Need a website optimized for Local SEO? The Expand2Web SmallBiz Theme is a complete small business website theme for WordPress. Click here to watch the video!
 
 

]]> http://www.expand2web.com/blog/local-search-interview-will-scott-searchinfluence/feed/ 6 How should a small business get started online? What is the best way to rank for searches in your local area? How could you be using Facebook to get more customers to your business? - My guest in this interview, Will Scott, How should a small business get started online? What is the best way to rank for searches in your local area? How could you be using Facebook to get more customers to your business? My guest in this interview, Will Scott, answers these questions and shares some great tips as well. Will is President of SearchInfluence, a New Orleans based Internet Marketing Agency with over 20 people and tons of clients. He's also a frequent presenter at the major Search Marketing conferences like SMX, SES, PubCon and many others. In the interview Will gives some great advice for businesses starting out on the web - how to best get started with your Google Places page, how to build good citations, and some tricks for defining your categories. He also goes on to share a great tip about Facebook advertising - and how small businesses can use it to get results. Not many small businesses are taking advantage of this yet, and we both agreed it is a great time to get involved. I certainly enjoyed this interview, and I hope you will too. Thanks Will! Watch the Video Interview with Will Player will appear here var flashvars = { videoUrl: "http://s3.amazonaws.com/expand2web-videos/Will-Scott-Expand2Web-Interview.flv", videoTitle: "Expand2Web Interview with Will Scott", splashUrl: "http://s3.amazonaws.com/expand2web-videos/Will-Scott-Expand2Web-Interview.jpg", useShareFeatures: "true", installLocation: "http://www.expand2web.com/versa/", endType: "", endUrl: "", preAd: "", preAdUrl: "", postAd: "", postAdUrl: "" }; Here is a link to the SearchInfluence Blog that I mentioned in the interview. Will's team is producing tons of great content, so it's a great blog to follow. Also, we talked about defining categories for your Google Places Page in the interview. Mike Blumenthal has a nice tool that helps you determine which categories best match your business, products and services here - Google LBC Category Preview Tool. Or Listen to the Audio You can also download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car. “Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript. Please let me know what you think in the comments below! Need a website optimized for Local SEO? The Expand2Web SmallBiz Theme is a complete small business website theme for WordPress. Click here to watch the video!   Don Campbell no 23:55 internet,marketing,local,search,optimization,seo,wordpress,websites,podcast,small,business,websiteshttp://www.expand2web.com/blog/local-search-interview-will-scott-searchinfluence/ Local Search Optimization (SEO) Interview with Dev Basu http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheExpand2WebPodcast/~3/gBWesUBVQzE/ http://www.expand2web.com/blog/local-search-interview-dev-basu/#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:02:04 +0000 don@expand2web.com (Don Campbell) http://www.expand2web.com/blog/?p=1266

Dev Basu Toronto SEO
This week’s local search interview is with Dev Basu, an SEO expert based in Toronto Canada.

Dev is the founder of PoweredBySearch, an Internet Marketing agency that provides Internet Marketing solutions geared towards lead generation and conversion for clients located throughout Canada and the United States.

He also wrote the excellent Guide to Learning Local SEO and Local Search Optimization that I find myself referring people to all the time!

In the interview, Dev shares some interesting differences between Local SEO in Canada vs the United States, some great tips on local citation sources, and a bunch of other SEO tips and tricks that apply no matter where you are.

Watch the Video Interview with Dev

Player will appear here


(click the arrow above to watch the video)

Or Listen to the Audio

You can also listen to the audio here, or download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car.

“Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript

I really enjoyed this interview, and I think you will too. Thanks Dev!

Please let me know what you think in the comments below.

SmallBiz WordPress Theme thumbnail
Need a website optimized for Local SEO? The Expand2Web SmallBiz Theme is a complete small business website theme for WordPress. Click here to watch the video!
 
 

]]> http://www.expand2web.com/blog/local-search-interview-dev-basu/feed/ 19 This week's local search interview is with Dev Basu, an SEO expert based in Toronto Canada. - Dev is the founder of PoweredBySearch, an Internet Marketing agency that provides Internet Marketing solutions geared towards lead generation and conversion... This week's local search interview is with Dev Basu, an SEO expert based in Toronto Canada. Dev is the founder of PoweredBySearch, an Internet Marketing agency that provides Internet Marketing solutions geared towards lead generation and conversion for clients located throughout Canada and the United States. He also wrote the excellent Guide to Learning Local SEO and Local Search Optimization that I find myself referring people to all the time! In the interview, Dev shares some interesting differences between Local SEO in Canada vs the United States, some great tips on local citation sources, and a bunch of other SEO tips and tricks that apply no matter where you are. Watch the Video Interview with Dev Player will appear here var flashvars = { videoUrl: "http://s3.amazonaws.com/expand2web-videos/Dev-Basu-Interview.flv", videoTitle: "Expand2Web Interview with Dev Basu", splashUrl: "https://s3.amazonaws.com/expand2web-videos/Dev-Basu-Interview.jpg", useShareFeatures: "true", installLocation: "http://www.expand2web.com/versa/", endType: "", endUrl: "", preAd: "", preAdUrl: "", postAd: "", postAdUrl: "" }; (click the arrow above to watch the video) Or Listen to the Audio You can also listen to the audio here, or download the MP3 audio file by clicking the download link below if you’re like me and you listen to interviews on your iPod/iPhone in the car. “Right Click” here to download the PDF transcript I really enjoyed this interview, and I think you will too. Thanks Dev! Please let me know what you think in the comments below. Need a website optimized for Local SEO? The Expand2Web SmallBiz Theme is a complete small business website theme for WordPress. Click here to watch the video!   Don Campbell no 22:26 internet,marketing,local,search,optimization,seo,wordpress,websites,podcast,small,business,websiteshttp://www.expand2web.com/blog/local-search-interview-dev-basu/ Don CampbellnonadultSmall Business Success Online