aimClear® Search Marketing Blog

Amy Vernon a.k.a. The Bacon Queen a.k.a. fellow New Jerseian and IRL pal is just about as genuine as they come. With over 20k Twitter followers and the title of “top 15 submitters of all time on Digg.com (and the highest-ranked female ever),” she’s also a powerful social media maven worth paying mind to. VP of Strategy and Alliances at Hasai, Amy’s a familiar face at an array of digital marketing conferences, whether she’s on stage speaking or in the crowd pumping out lightning-fast tweet coverage.

I met Amy at last year’s #140Conf in NYC, and as we “chewed the fat,” so to speak, over U Café grub on the upper East Side, it became apparent why her cult-like following across various social media circles, from Tumblr to Facebook, flocks to her consistently. She works a seriously smooth combo of calculating community manager and super-cool social-savvy friend.

On the advent of #SMX East, I had the pleasure of sharing a candid Q&A with Amy. Topics ranged from “Who are ya, howdidja get here?” to favorite social sharing services, advice for social marketing n00bz and the battle between newsprint & online media. Read on for the full scoop. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

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 »

To online marketer insiders, Addie Conner is a wonderful trade secret. Hailing from her rustic cabin on Walden Pond outside of Boston, she works the Facebook Ads machine at an enterprise level most PPC professionals dream about: running a Facebook marketing subsidiary for The Washington Post.

You’ve seen her speak about search PPC at mainstream conferences where, instead of creating dense PowerPoint decks, she’s more likely to  leverage Nerf balls and dart gun toys to get her point across. But don’t take this congenial young-as-she-looks lady in blue jeans for anything less than the very embodiment of next gen’ marketing meets high finance, in the vernacular.

Recently we had the opportunity to ask Addie a few questions, as she prepared to appear at SMX Advanced, Seattle next week. On Day 2 (June 8), Addie will take the stage on the Facebook Ads, Meet Search Ads session, at 10:30 am PST, along with aimClear’s Marty Weintraub. Read on for the fruits of our candid Q&A. Read the rest of this entry »