aimClear® Search Marketing Blog

With seventeen years of industry experience under his belt, it’s an understatement to say Thom Craver knows what’s up with the World Wide Webz. Currently working as Web and Database specialist for the Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology, Thom’s responsible for all Web and social presences. From client consulting to guest lecturing at RIT to piloting one of Rochester’s first Web marketing firms he’s seen the spectrum of search marketing up close and personal. You’ll find his expertise showcased in Search Engine Watch as well as  a monthly column for ComputerLink Magazine, not to mention various training manuals published by SVI Training Products and Technical Learning Resources.

Next month, Thom will lead marketers through the Introduction to Analytics on Day 2 of Search Engine Strategies San Francisco. aimClear’s Matt Peterson attended this same session in the New York installment of SES earlier this year, remarking, “Elementary essentials of analytics were addressed, but there were deep technical chestnuts that would pique the interest of even seasoned marketing vets.” In other words, don’t let the “Intro” angle of Thom’s session fool you; attendees should saddle up for a seriously deep dive into the core technologies of analytics every deep marketer should master.

aimClear had the pleasure of sharing a candid interview with Thom a month outside of #SES SFO. Topics of conversation ranged from shop-talk to dream dashboards and metrics in need of some TLC. Read on for the full effect. Read the rest of this entry »

Motoko Hunt is a powerhouse international marketer with deep-rooted insight and experience working with Far-East markets. In 2008 she established AJPR, a female-led consulting agency specialized in Japanese SEO and SEM. With clients from both side of the pond, Motoko and her team train companies how to connect with Japanese Internet users in an effective and meaningful way.

Whether she’s sharing first-hand knowledge of Japanese online markets in the boardroom, showcasing it in digital or print trade publications, or serving it up to a room of eager conference attendees, Motoko is a bright, familiar face in our industry. Next month she’ll head to Search Engine Strategies San Francisco to psyche marketers up about Getting Ready for Global Business. aimClear had the pleasant opportunity to sit down for an interview with Motoko prior to the event, where we we talked about what channels and regions have got her jazzed at the moment, the best and worst of keyword translations, as well as personal and professional milestones. Read on for the full scoop. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve recently had two transcendent experiences to further frame my now nearly 20-year career as an online marketer. First, I essentially stepped away from aimClear’s offices in Duluth and Saint Paul for 6 months to write a book about Facebook Ads. Then, literally as the book was completed, I had heart damage fixed. During cancer treatment over five years ago, my aortic valve was seriously impacted by chemo and radiation. Both the book project and open-heart surgery took me away from my decades-long daily study of SEO for weeks at a time. Both experiences turned out really well, were essential and deep, made aimClear an even better company, and provided me with magnificent perspective I would not have realized by other less extreme experiences.

Any CEO, whose company grows over five years from only him to approaching 20 souls, needs to trust the team. I knew aimClear was totally cool because now, these years later, we’ve got an office full of brilliant SEO brainy-types who practice state-of-the-art social, PR, SEO, PPC mashup strategies and tactics with vigor, wit and thought leadership. After each chunk of time away, the team briefed me so I never got personally very far out of sync with SEO changes. From daily vicissitudes in Facebook, YouTube template changes to Google’s +1, I asked for and received comprehensive studies from our team whenever anything important evolved. Still, being away from my beloved SEO study broke my heart. Well, it was broken already. The whole thing was very ironic.

Still, temporarily stepping aside made me a much better marketer. The unexpected silver lining was that constantly returning to SEO news tuned out to be a bit like perspective gained by a lonely parent who rediscovers his children after weeks away at summer vacation camp. Though I was (truly) stunned at how significantly SEO had changed each block of time away, not too much had changed at all.

In fact now that I think about it, not much has not changed at all since the days of “Fetch,” “Archie” and my hot little 14.4k Modem (V.32bis) (2400 baud) modem. Heck, not much of marketing’s essence has changed for hundreds of years. As I wrote Killer Facebook Ads, the book became much more about marketing, beyond just Facebook Ads.  After completing the book, the sabbatical from the daily SEO grind to repair my heart gave me some unpressured time to assimilate things, to think and I felt inspired to see things clearer than before. SEO is ever new and barely ever changes. Long Live SEO! This is the first installment of two, the second half of which will be published later this week. Read the rest of this entry »

Debra Mastaler‘s link building skills are among the most respected in the online marketing industry, and girl knows her stuff. When she’s not pouring over industry resources to stay up to speed, the President of Virginia-based interactive marketing agency, Alliance-Link, services Fortune 500 companies and top international SEO firms alike, offering custom link-building campaigns and link training. A common-sense approach and breadth of experience make Debra’s two-cents on link building shine.

You’ll find Debra’s insight on link building showcased in guest columns across Search Engine Land, Search Engine Guide and Search Engine Journal, and on the stage at industry events a la Search Engine Strategies. aimClear had the pleasure to share a casual Q&A with Ms. Mastaler a month outside of #SES San Francisco, where she’ll take the stage to tour attendees through the basics of link building. Interview topics ranged from link building best practices (as well as no-nos) to the impact of social signals… even hypothetical Grim-Reaper-awesome-power-type situations. Read on for the full scoop. Read the rest of this entry »