Would You Promote Someone Who Compromised The Security Of Your Business?

Ok, so HR related conundrum of the day, what do you do when you have someone that has been with your company, 30 years? She is mean spirited, angry, has lots of enemies, and is plan NASTY. Would you promote her to Senior Vice President of your company? Or how about CEO? Wait did I mention she compromised the security of your business, your clients and affected your ability to take care of your family because your clients did not trust you anymore? Ooooh, she also got some of your buddies killed because she would not help them….. So what, oh what in the world am I to do about keeping her employed? Should I promote her to the CEO of my company because she intimidates, coerces and uses her prestige within the company? Or should I fire her ass and say “Good Riddance?” Seriously America, if you are an employer and you have an employee who acts like Hillary Clinton, would you promote her? People who work for a company, would you be upset if this person got a Promotion INSTEAD OF YOU? Be honest you would probably go APESHIT!  I know I would. I would scream nepotism, I would scream that the “system is rigged!”, and do you know what?  I would be right. As Grant Cardone stated- “I’m not a Republican Or a Democrat. I’m An Entrepreneur”. And as the CEO of my company, I will vote what I think is the best for our country, and our economy. And those two are really the same things. This country was made great by people like Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Henry Ford and others who started a business and employed people. If we don’t protect small businesses and allow them to grow (without taxing the HELL out of them), then we are cutting our own necks, as small businesses make up about 64% of net new private sector jobs. ATTENTION crazy Big Government People- The government can’t “CREATE JOBS” without raising taxes. That’s the only way they bring in revenue, besides PRINTING IT (can you say inflation?). This has been a public service annoucement by a concerned citizen, who worked his butt off to build a company and serve his customers, but what do I know, I’m “Entitled”. Image Credit- https://twitter.com/grantcardone/status/692938464518627328

Would You Promote Someone Who Compromised The Security Of Your Business? Read more on: http://mastermindseo.org

This post originally appeared on
http://mastermindseo.org/promote-someone-compromised-security-business/

What We Can Learn From Pepsi Co’s Pivot In The Marketplace

Like Mcdonald’s, Pepsi Co, is not immune to a massive shift in consumer preference. In business and in sports it’s essential to “RUN TO WHERE THE BALL IS GOING… NOT WHERE IT IS.”  If you run to where the customers are right now, by the time you scale up and are really understanding what the consumer wants, trends will most likely be shifting again, and you will be playing catch up… AGAIN. Is Pepsi Co, Too Late In Adapting To Lifestyle Trends? Healthier lifestyle trends which  are being seen across the web and in daily life are being inspired by “Crossfitters”, “inspiration coaches” and people who are simply looking to lead healthier lives. With Pepsi looking to pivot to “healthier drinks”, as in fewer sugars and “less than 100 calories per single serving” (Ok, but what about the artificial sweeteners which are often “More” bad for you than regular sugar?), will they win over consumers who are “half in” on adapting to a healthier lifestyle? With people using a “caveman diet” or often referred to as the “paleo diet”, they are losing lots of potential customers right off the bat, that would be and could be their target demo in the “healthier lifestyle category”. Digital Trends And Spends Pepsi and other large brands are seeing a massive benefit from leveraging social media, with their paid placement through TV ads. Often done in tandem, campaigns have a more effective “push” when done in a coordinate approach. While digital costs  may not be outpacing what  these large brands spend in TV ads, the writing could be “on the wall”. With Paid SMM (Social Media Marketing) and paying “Influencers” for partnerships, plus the staffing costs for creatives etc to run the campaigns, digital marketing is growing and will continue to grow. In advertising you want to “Get In Front Of The Consumers Where They Spend Their Time”, and right now and in the future it looks to be online, and in particular Social Media sites and applications. Is Your Business Running To Where The Ball Will Be Or Where It Is? via GIPHY  

What We Can Learn From Pepsi Co’s Pivot In The Marketplace See more on: MasterMind Service Blog

This post originally appeared on
http://mastermindseo.org/can-learn-pepsi-cos-pivot-marketplace/

Google Home Service Ads Disrupting PPC And Organic Listings

If you do Google Adwords for your business or for your clients this is very important. We have been hearing about this roll out coming for some time, and now it’s in beta mode.  Google is entering the home service lead market. As if they do not collect enough revenue in ads? How will this affect your PPC game if you run ads for your clients? How will it affect your business if you are the service provider? Well, you had better bid correctly and stay on top of your conversions. The new interface looks like it allows the searcher to contact 3 service providers for bids. Better make sure that your phone is on, and someone is there to answer it. If your office is closed, make sure that you have call forwarding enabled. The searcher will be able to select how they want to get contacted for quotes: Phone Call-Better pick up and have a great greeting. Email- Make sure your email is set to pop up on your home screen with an alert. Text Message- Check your phone! This could be bad for marriages…. Lead generation websites or niche directories, pay heed this will affect your ability to get qualified leads, so might be time to look at a slight pivot. If you want to sign up for the beta program (and get on a waiting list) which is currently in the Southern California area:     Click here to read the rest of the original story. image credit- www.cleanfax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/google-image2.png

Google Home Service Ads Disrupting PPC And Organic Listings was first published on MasterMind

This post originally appeared on
http://mastermindseo.org/google-home-service-ads-disrupting-ppc-organic-listings/

What Is SEO? How Does It Work? And Why Do I Need It?

SEO is short for “Search Engine Optimization”. When people say, SEO what they typically mean is the “free” or non paid, organic listings from Google (or other Search Engines).  The paid ads, PPC (Pay For Click) would be considered SEM or (Search Engine Marketing) or paid search. Let’s say that the internet is the library. You walk into a library and it’s not organized and you can’t find anything, you will probably leave. Or, you will ask the librarian for help. Well, no library would survive if it was unorganized and uncategorized. Before Google, the web was kind of an uncategorized mess. Google came in and started sorting and organizing the web. They do this by using their algorithm to read content (words) on the page and code or microdata. Once they scan the website they figure out what the site and its individual pages or posts are about. Google they starts building an “idea” or theme around what the site and its pages and posts are about. They then display the content that is most related to the person who is searching for that answer. Just like when you go to a library and ask for a help finding something. If you keep asking for a certain book or to find info on an author, and the librarian keeps giving you bad directions or the wrong info, you will probably go to another library. Google is the same way. They want you to get your answer and then “terminate your search”.  That way they solve your question, or problem, or helped you buy something. No need to visit another “Library”. Ok Great- I Have Content On My Site And I’m Still Not #1 Yes, having content on your site is essential. But, everyone has content on their site. It’s really a lot more to getting top rankings than that. Over the last few years, “Content Marketing” has been the buzz in digital marketing as well as SEO. Since it is the popular thing to do these days, it seems that just about every website that is serious about increasing their visibility online is producing content. And that content can be images (look at Pinterest, they are almost all image based), video (YouTube) or actual words on a blog post.So with companies and agencies pumping out more content every day, how do you get your business to stand out in the space? Ok, so you have heard my librarian analogy. Now its time for another one. Scenario- you walk into a party where your friend invited you. Only problem is, the friend who invited you is a serious “flake” and decided to “watch netflix and chill”. So you are here all alone at this party. What do you do? Do you leave? Do you start talking to yourself out loud and see if anybody else will some how hear you (and not think that you are crazy) and want to listen and invite their friends over to listen to you? […]

The following article What Is SEO? How Does It Work? And Why Do I Need It? was first seen on MasterMind Service Blog

This post originally appeared on
http://mastermindseo.org/what-is-seo/

Optimizing Your Content For [Near Me] Searches

Google is pushing people toward "Near Me" search types, and populating many "auto suggest" terms when you type in phrases like "Gyms Near Me".  Don't believe me? Open up your cell phone and type that into your device. See what is the first auto suggest term that pre-populates.

Why Is Google Pushing "Near Me" So Hard?

Google is calling instances where people have an immediate need to know, buy, or find something, "Micro Moments".  These micro moments need a result delivered quickly to solve a point of pain. People are looking to find breweries, restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream places and others while on the go.  Think about when you are on vacation. You are walking or driving around a new town and are wondering where to go. Do you stop a stranger and ask them where to eat? Ok, I do but I'm not anti social.  I take what they say and then I "Google" the restaurant's reviews online to see if I would like to eat there. Additionally I'll look for other results from the "restaurants near me" search on mobile.

Increase Of Near Me Search Results Infographic-MasterMindSEO.org

The Rise Of Micro Moments And The Need To Deliver Instantaneous Geo Specific Results

Yep, mobile has been the reason there is such a massive uptick in "near me results". With mobile devices, people search differently. Some use SIRI, others use Google Now's speech to text search tech. So when you are speaking into your device you will ask for different things. Example, "Find a chinese restaurant in Toronto" vs typing a search into your device, most people will type something like, "chinese res" and then stop because "chinese restaurants near me" will pop up on their device and they will simply click it.

Two Types Of "Organic Listings" Results For Near Me Searches

True organic listings which show 1-10, and MAP rankings, which show the blue "directions" button on mobile as well as the "call" button on mobile. With AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) becoming a "legit thing" that publishers and web site owners should be focusing on, how can you capitalize on delivering super fast loading answers and results? AMP up your content!

So How Do I Optimize My WebSite For Micro Moments?

Well, having a steady publishing strategy will help build relevance to your website. If you have blog posts that are content rich, have great images or infographics, and also inner link to your top level sales pages (where people actually buy or get directions- typically a product sales page or the home page) then you will help build trust and authority in the eyes of Google. You can add a specific page to your site that targets the exact query for "Near Me Searches". So if I am looking to rank for "SEO Companies Near Me" in Las Vegas, I would build out a page "mastermindseo.org/seo-companies-near-me-las-vegas", that is not an actual url I built just FYI. In the Title Tag I would include some variation of "SEO" or "Search Engine Optimization Agencies Near Me".

This is a solid basic strategy to help you on page get tighter and increase your chances of coming up in the SERPS for "Near Me Searches". If you want to learn more about Optimizing Your Google My Business listing for greater visibility in the MAP listings you can apply lots of these same principles I mentioned above.

   

The following post Optimizing Your Content For [Near Me] Searches is available on http://mastermindseo.org

This post originally appeared on
http://mastermindseo.org/optimizing-your-content-for-near-me-searches/

How Much Does SEO Cost?

How Much Does SEO Cost?  That is typically the first question that business owners ask us. Well to answer that question, we must actually answer it with a question of our own. What are the goals of the business with SEO? If the goal is to increase rankings to sell a product or service, that has Content Marketing and Organic SEO written all over it. If the goal is brand and reputation management to "push down" bad mentions of your brand or person on the web, that is more reputation management. If the goal is to "get on facebook" and advertise there, thats SMM (social media marketing). SEO as a term has so many associations, some people think Facebook ads are SEO, and Instagram etc.  Those are Paid Social Media Marketing strategies, and are part of an overall branding and digital marketing strategy. So before determining what the cost is for "SEO" we have to define the goal and actual need of the business/owner or decision maker. After that has been decided you should look at the competition. If the competition is Super Hard, we use Ahref's Site Explorer to determine how "strong" the profile of the competition is. If the backlink profile of the competition is on the "lower side" then we price accordingly, if it is "higher" typically higher usually means 60 or higher. Medium is 40-59 and lower competition is the remainder. This is not a hard and fast rule however and pure metrics alone don't tell the whole story. [caption id="attachment_35878" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]

How much does seo cost?[/caption] The topical relevance of a website, which is really how niche specific are the referring websites linking to the researched domain, plays a part in the analysis.  For example, Amazon. So Amazon is the 800 pound guerilla in the e-commerce world. Not only is Amazon it's own Search Engine, as in people go right to Amazon and search and buy from within that ecosystem, Amazon products typically rank on the first page of Google for just about everything that you can buy online. That being said, just because Amazon is a "beast", doesn't mean you can't slay the beast. How? Topical relevance. That one page product listing is "themed" for that particular product offering. Meaning it's dedicated to, oh let's say, "lip ointment". Well, if you have a website that is dedicated to lip ointment (think chapstick), and you build alot of really good content that is backed by research with great images etc, you can eventually compete with and beat the Amazon listing. Why? Because YOUR WHOLE SITE is topically relevant to a particular search. So when we figure out pricing on a potential new client, we also have to take into consideration, who is producing the content? If you have your own writing staff and outreach for white hat link building, then you may only need Consulting. However most businesses, unless they are well established and have a dedicated marketing team are not equipped to Add MORE WORK to their already loaded plates. So, figuring out what level of frequency we need to publish on your website, and the amount of work for our outreach staff (they contact other website owners that are related to your niche about guest posting on their site so that you can earn a legit back link and get access to their audience), all come into play.

Do We Have To Keep Paying For SEO And Content Marketing After We Hit #1?

Have you ever played "King Of The Hill"? It was that crazy game we used to play on tops of dirt piles or snow hills as children. Everyone wanted to get to the top, and whoever was at the top was trying desperately not to get knocked off. So you had typically dozens of kids (yes I played it during school) trying to get to ONE spot. The Internet, and specifically top Google rankings are that ONE spot. Everyone wants to be king of the hill, and they are constantly trying to knock you off once you get there. Maintaining a strong strategy and executing on it, will help you stay there. "To be the champ, you have to BEAT the champ". So everyone is always going to be coming for you.

   

The following article How Much Does SEO Cost? is republished from MasterMind Digital

This post originally appeared on
http://mastermindseo.org/much-seo-cost/

The Ultimate List Of “Gig Based” Websites

Want to become a freelancer, or are you looking to hire a freelancer? Here are the best websites that can help you find who and what it is you are looking for: Upwork-Previously known as oDesk, freelancers at any stage in their profession can easily discover short-term or long term jobs on Upwork. To make Upwork a lot more enticing, rival Elance is now a part of it neighborhood-- which need to extend its reach. Also FreeLancer is becoming Upwork as well- can you say "800 Pound Guerilla?" Craigslist-Craigslist can be used more than just selling and purchasing pre-owned items. It's likewise a great platform to discover freelancing chances in your hometown. However, you can still browse the major cities for freelancing gigs and work remotely. Toptal- If you're a skilled and skilled designer, you can join the Toptal community to protect work from high-profile customers like Airbnb, JP Morgan, or Zendesk. Damongo-Damongo is a microjob site that links freelancers and customers from all over world. Whether you're a virtual assistant, author, translator, programmer, animator, SEO, and even musician, you should be able to discover a freelance task in your field rapidly and easily. Wonolo- Whenever a business needs immediate short-lived work, even for just a day, you'll get an alert on your smartphone by means of the Wonolo App. And, freelancer, called Wonoloers, will get paid the next day. Source Wave Market- This is a niche specific for the most part type of market. Mainly SEO related. If you need Press Releases, Writers or content, this is a decent option. Relatively new but pretty user friendly. SerpSpace- This one is really only for buying IFTTT gigs. But it’s a great place nonetheless. You can’t sell on here, only buy. Demand Studios-For innovative freelancers like filmmakers, professional photographers, or writers, Need Media has one of the best communities to find work given that you deal with their website to demonstrate your skill and attract customers. 99 Designs-When a company requires a logo or website design, they head over to 99Designs to try to find submitted graphic design work by freelancers. They can also work personally with freelancers if need be. Fiverr-Given that innovative projects only cost $5 to $10, you most likely will not earn a living solely working on Fiverr. However, it's a terrific location to begin if you're brand-new to freelancing because you can use it to construct your portfolio. Guru-With a wide range of freelance work work, including legal, engineering, and monetary services, Guru is perfect for the more experienced freelancers. Besides finding a job opportunity, the Master Work Space allows you to manage all work like hours and dedications. SimplyHired-No matter your skill set or competence, you're bound to discover a task through the millions of posts on SimplyHired. You can even search for gigs by area or by checking out the business directory. Fourerr-Fourerr is a marketplace where freelancers in the tech and creative industries can discover smaller jobs. Aquent-Aquent is a staffing company, but imaginative and marketing freelancers can use it to rapidly find gigs in the their city. Peopleperhour-Tailored more to SEO, web designers, and designers, Peopleperhour is a popular platform to find your next freelancing gig. LinkedIn-LinkedIn is the biggest expert network in the world, so it should not be surprising that freelancers like designers can utilize the network's job board to discover work. College Recruiter-Although this website is specifically for current college graduates, freelancers at any level can still use it to scope out the freelancer market and use the helpful suggestions shared through blogs. There's a even a nifty resume critique feature. Findeavor- Findeavor is another micro job site where freelancers can try to find published jobs in a variety of fields ranging from advertising to writing to music. You can also search by price, which varies from $5 to $300. The Creative Group-This is the imaginative division of staffing company Robert Half. Freelancers can get connected with companies who need freelancers focusing on advertising, marketing, or style. FlexJobs-Freelancers, and part-time workers, can easily discover a task opportunity through FlexJobs in more than 50 different profession tracks that have posted by over 25,000 companies. Crowded-Crowded can assist freelancers land a new gig in the most popular industries that have been aggregated by the most popular sought-after platforms. Freelanced-Billed at the biggest freelance social media network, you can publish your freelance task and share your portfolio with this 100,00 plus network. iFreelance-Here you can bid on tasks as well as display your work to draw in new customers. Freelancers can likewise keep 100% of their profits. Real Jobs-This is a totally free service that provides you the chance to look for freelance chances in your location of competence. CrowdSource-This is a terrific alternative for writers and editors who are looking to get high compensation by dealing with big online publishers, media business, or merchants. Smashing Jobs-This is Smashing Magazine's job board where you can get connected with customers all sizes, including big wigs like Amazon, Tesla, and Nokia. Gigblasters-Freelancers can search for jobs by either popularity, ranking, or rate in a wide range of classifications. Project4hire-This is a market where programmers, web designers, graphic artists, IT experts, translators, writers, virtual assistants, HR consultants, accountants, paralegals can easily find tasks. Assist Cove-With Assistance Cove, you can out your freelancer abilities to great use by teaming up with businesses that help non-profits. Krop-Krop lets freelancers develop and share portfolios and signup for their newsletter so that you can get the latest job postings from brand names like Gucci, Forbes, Nike, NBC, and Facebook. Gigbucks-Gigbucks is another site where freelancers varying from singers to SEO expert can find gigs that pay between $5 to $50 for their services. Peer Hustle-Similar to Uber and Tinder, Peer Hustle is an app that relies on geolocation. This suggests that you're only taking on freelancers in your area for jobs that have actually been posted by regional companies. Clients are also required to begin an escrow account, so you do not have to fret about not earning money. We Work Remotely-This website focuses exclusively on remote jobs that can vary from developers to consumer assistance to service management. Skillbridge-If you're an elite freelancer or consultant in sectors like energy, finance, health care, real estate, or retail, then this is the best website for you to secure a strong paying task. MeFi Jobs-If place matters, then you must definitely use MFi Jobs to find based on your longitude and latitude. Greatlance-Greatlance works board, a freelance startup guide, and number of tools and resources that can assist you with time management and legal suggestions. Hirable-If you're a designer, ensure that you end up being a part of the self-curated Hirable neighborhood. You might have the ability to score a gig from companies like Google. Gigdollars-Here's another microjob site where you could possibly earn money to $1,000 for your services. Crew-Signing up with Team as a freelancer indicates that you'll be vetted so that when a company requires a web designer, logo style, or copywriter, you'll be put at ease knowing that you're experienced and trustworthy. IMGiGz-This microjob website focuses more on freelancers who have experience in digital marketing. Gun.io-Gun.io is one of the best places for clients to find top notch designers and designers that have been handpicked by the site. Simply Answer-If you're a specialist in practically any field, like medical or car, you can join the Simply Response community and make cash for your understanding. If you get approved, you can hundreds, maybe even thousands, of dollars each month assisting consumers. LocalSolo-If you're an agency-level freelancer, this is one of the leading sites, it's also free, to get discovered by regional business owners. JobBoy-JobBoy is mainly used for social media wizs who could utilize a little extra dough and build their portfolios. OnSite-This is an invite-only network of freelancers that have actually been carefully curated. Zeerk-Another microjob website where you can post a gig or look for tasks that interest you. HireMyFriend-If you desire a little help from your fellow freelancers, or just good friends in general, then have a look at HireMyFriend. Simply make an anonymous profile that describes your skills and what type of work you 'd like to do. You then ask individuals who you trust to endorse you so that you can make connections in a shared network. Mechanical Turk-Amazon's Mechanical Turk is a solid marketplace for freelancers planning to make some fast cash on Human Intelligence Tasks. YunoJuno-Joining the YunoJuno network not only assists talented freelancers discover well-paying jobs, they'll earn money within two weeks, and have access to unique benefits and discounts. GigScribe-Unlike the majority of other sites, GigScribe lets you explain your abilities and set your pay scale. After registering for totally free, you'll get everyday alerts on gigs that match your talents and rate range. Microworkers-This global has lots of easy tasks ranging from writing evaluations to registering for newsletters. You most likely won't make too much cash, but it's an excellent place to start considering that you'll be evaluated for finishing deal with time. Sologig-If you specialize in IT or engineering, then Sologig is most likely your best finest on finding decent paying gigs. Workhoppers-Built like a dating website, Workshoppers matches customers and freelancers so that the best jobs are managed by the right people. Authentic Jobs-If you're a creative freelancer and seeking to land a task with major business like Apple. Facebook, HBO, or ESPN, then Authentic Jobs may just be the ticket. RapidWorkers-Yet another microsite that has a number of fast tasks-- thus the name RapidWorkers. Again, it doesn't pay much. However, it's a start for newbies. Working Wanderers-For designers, developers, and management professionals who want to work remotely, this is an obvious location to start looking for tasks. Tutor-If you're experienced in topics like Algebra or English, you can tutor college students to make a little additional money on the side. Bark-Bark combines local service professionals together. Business owners search for the services they need-- such as a photographer, cater, or plumber-- and they'll get employed for the task. Short Job-You can make fast cash by completing less intensive projects like transcribing audio recordings to writing material. Taskr-Freelancers with experience in photography, graphic design, programs, or service services can easily find jobs that require their services. Personnel-If you're trying to find more long-lasting projects, then sign up with Personnel where jobs need to be more than 3 months long. TenBux-You can post or search this microjob site to find gigs in a variety of fields ranging from administration to composing. Designers & Programmers. CrowdSpring SEOClerks WPHired Joomlancers Folyo Project4Hire Gigster Developer Meet Designer Crowdsite Get A Coder. DesignCrowd JavaScript Ninja Jobs Matchist Localancers Envato Studio  

The Ultimate List Of “Gig Based” Websites See more on: MasterMind Service Blog

This post originally appeared on
http://mastermindseo.org/ultimate-list-gig-based-websites/