Microsoft (MSFT) first gained an industry foothold in 1980 when IBM agreed to bundle Microsoft’s operating system with each computer sold. As personal computers became more and more commonplace in the 1990′s, Microsoft grew to supply over 90% of these systems with cutting-edge operating systems like Windows 3.1, Windows 98 and others. Times have been tougher for Microsoft in recent years, however, as the global company finds themselves facing stiff competition from virtually every direction, most notably in the mobile market with the mainstream use of smart phone technology as well as tablets. Microsoft has also been working hard to gain more share of the Paid Search market although Google AdWords continues to have a strong hold there.
Things have been better for Microsoft in the past than they are today. Windows Vista was a disaster and while Windows 7 did help to repair some of that, changing technologies have left Microsoft lagging in emerging markets, far behind that of the iPhone, iPad and Android-based mobile devices. Bing continues to lose money hand-over-fist, and just hasn’t seen the kind of positive results needed to unseat top Paid Search networks. Yes, things could be a lot better for Microsoft in 2012 than they are. Does that mean they’ll continue to get worse?
Windows 8 promises to be something unlike Microsoft has ever released. Set for release later this year, the operating system claims seamless integration between PC’s, smart phones and tablets. In reality, the desktop version is more difficult to get used to due to the lack of start menu and some other features, and this could discourage consumers from going all in. The O/S seems to work great on mobile devices, however, which is what Microsoft is targeting. Microsoft’s major competitor, Apple, routinely forces their base to learn new technologies, so why shouldn’t Microsoft?
Microsoft has a long road ahead of them if they want a market share in the mobile market of more than 10% by 2016, and an even longer road to make their search engine, Bing, a household name. Overhead is generally pretty low for a company of this size, however, and the business is structured to weather tough economic storms. It may not be a good idea to put all of your eggs in the Microsoft basket, but if successful, Windows 8 could help to bring them back from 2nd-tier tech obscurity.
So, before yesterday, I had never heard of the Link Title Attribute, which is an HTML tag you can assign to a link that will provide more information via mouseover. It’s a lot like the alt text that can be added to images. There were some questions about whether this would be a benefit to one of the ECommerce websites I am working with, and thus research had to be done.
First off, most of the information relating to the Link Title Attribute was outdated and I had to really dig to find anything I could trust. A lot of the conversations were happening in forums that weren’t really related to SEO or Internet Marketing, and you really should be looking at an industry-specific forum if you have industry-specific questions.
I won’t bore you with more of the details. The bottom line is that the Link Title Tag still has a place in your website, but only in terms of increasing usability. The sad fact is that search engines don’t assign weight to the link title attribute.
We have decided to move forward with our implementation of the Link Title Tag, but only for links where the anchor text is one word, vague wording, or obscure and so specific to the industry that you’d never know where the link could possibly lead without it. These seem like pretty good reasons to add this particular tag.
Success definitely has it’s perks. More money is good. Recognition for doing something that means something can be a very satisfying thing. Taking an idea and turning it into a reality would instill pride in anyone. Don’t forget, though, that success also has it’s pitfalls. If you’ve cashed in with your success, your style of living is going to be higher. And, as some guy some years back said, Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems. Also, with success comes great responsibility. If you have employees then you’re partly responsible for their financial well being. If you do something stupid right before the AFC playoff championship, you get a light shined on you so bright that you’ll wish you were a nobody again.
Classic under-achievers, I’m talking to you. I know you’ve got some great ideas. You sit around and think about the strangest things while you’re watching TV, playing video games or shopping. You come up with some pretty interesting things sometimes, but that’s really where it should end for you. Why? Well, you don’t like things like responsibility or pressure, and if I’m being honest, sometimes you’d rather just talk about doing something great than actually getting out there to do it.
When I was younger, I was a classic under-achiever. My brain was working all the time but I lacked the get-up-and-go to turns those creative thoughts into a solid product or service. I suppose that would be Jekyll. Hyde is more of a lazy guy. He’s not really interested in getting his hands dirty. If that means we miss an opportunity to do something great, then that’s okay. Maybe it’s better that way.
As my life has changed, so have my priorities. My way of thinking has shifted such that it’s virtually impossible to sit still while the world passes me by. If you think about it, I am the victim here. I’d love to hang out all day long and do nothing, be responsible for nobody but myself. But I can’t do that because I’ve stupidly gone and grown as a person. Just because it happened to me, however, doesn’t mean it has to happen to you. Avoiding success is easy if you follow these fundamentals.
Think of a Good Idea
No great failure can occur without first acquiring that great idea. Many of you will already have thoughtful, unique ideas that would add to society if done properly. Some of you don’t. If you already have an idea, you can move on to the next step. If you don’t have an idea yet, take all the time you need. Getting out in society, being around people and being more active is a great way to get the juices flowing. But don’t over-do it. Remember, you’re an under-achiever. Not over. Under.
Get Organized? Please!
Having a good idea is one thing, but forming a strategy is quite another. Successful people do things like make a business outline and formulate strategies to execute the tasks they’ve identified in order to realize their dream. But don’t worry, you can forget all that. In fact, don’t even write anything down. Outlines are for pussies, right? People who are organized are boring! It’s best to keep all this in your head, no matter how complicated things may get up there. Everything will come together when it’s time, right..?
Spend All Your Cash!
So, maybe you actually have some money behind your idea. That’d be something! Even if you don’t, the same rules will apply here. Whether you have a lot or just a little, be aware that spending your money wisely and paying attention to where that money goes is one of the key factors in having a business that lasts. Is that really what you want? If you’re playing to lose, then consider following some of these important guidelines.
- Don’t Shop Around. Comparing prices for goods or services takes time, and the only thing you really save is some money. What’s the point of that?
- Just Pay It. You might have some monthly bills that seem a bit high. The best thing to do here is just ignore it. I’m sure the water company has a good reason for that super high bill.
Getting Serious is For Babies
If you’re meeting with a potential client, you want to put your best foot forward. Or do you? If you get all impressive on a maybe investor, you might actually get some more capital. I know we talked about spending money before so that’s not really the focus here. The problem with spending this money is that THIS money is not your money. If you lose all this money, people are going to hold you accountable. That accountability is the kind of thing that motivates people, so you definitely want to steer clear of money. Here are some ways you can keep your business contacts uncertain, unsteady and a little uncomfortable around you.
- Mobile Meetings: It’s not enough to conduct a meeting at a coffee shop or something cool and trendy like that. Take things up a notch and do your business in the dining area of a convenience store or even an automotive repair shop while you’re waiting for your car.
- Dress Code: Save your clean clothes for the weekend and going out. Also, you don’t have to tuck anything in or button anything up. People will see you coming with your casual style, and they won’t be able to resist. Well, as far as doing business they’ll be able to resist, that won’t be very hard. But in terms of, like, spreading the word that you’re unprofessional and not serious at all, yeah they won’t be able to resist doing that.
Be Accountable, or Always Have an Excuse?
If you follow the above guidelines, you’ve got a snowballs chance in hell of even starting, let alone maintaining anything of substance, meaning or longevity. Failing is easier than succeeding but it does come with it’s drawbacks. The most important drawback to failing is that people are going to hold you accountable. After all, it is your fault, right?
Whatever happens, whoever you piss off, always be sure to have a reason it didn’t go the way you planned. Between you and me, though, you didn’t plan much of anything. That’s okay, because as soon as someone starts to point the finger at you, you’ll have a sure-fire excuse why. The economy was bad, your employee’s were bad, your investors didn’t come through, the list goes on. The good news here is that excuses are a dime a dozen so you’ll probably already have a pretty extensive menu to choose from when things finally do go south.
There are a lot of different factors that go into avoiding success, but if you stay unfocused and keep things light, you’ll surely find that rock bottom you seek. Once you get a taste of success, there’s no turning back. It’s extremely important to avoid that addictive, positive thing in your life with every fiber of your being. Success leads to responsibility and that’s when things start to get really dangerous.
Learn Your Trade
You’re not going to get anywhere if you don’t know what you’re doing, and there’s just no excuse for doing a bad job because all of your tools to succeed are there for you. If you’re new to Internet Marketing, you would do well to start visiting forums like Webmaster World. Other websites are great sources of information such as Search Engine Roundtable, SEOMoz, PPC Hero and SEO Boy. Of course there are a lot more than that, and you can usually find them if you compile a good Twitter following list. Twitter actually makes this easy with their Lists feature which allows you to follow other people’s lists. I have a great SEM Oracles list that will usually give you some excellent article links and point you in the right direction in terms of who knows what they’re talking about and who is totally full of it.
If you’re looking for something a bit more interactive, try picking up a few webinars on the SEM Oracles list from some really great professionals who have been in the business for years and know their way around the block. You can also attend conferences in an effort to network within your industry, or gain some valuable insight from key presenters who you may not otherwise have the the opportunity to hear from. Buying drinks works really well for this, and it seems to be the consensus within the Internet Marketing industry that you do not turn down a drink, not from anyone. One of my favorite conferences is Search Engine Strategies New York which is coming up soon. Check it out if you’re on the east coast!
Know Thy Friends and Enemies
The Internet Marketing industry seems a little off in some respects. On one hand you have a collection of super-intelligent, super motivated professionals who, time and time again, prove that their trade is legitimate and that following the rules of search marketing will undeniably benefit businesses of all types. On the other hand, the industry is also filled with lazy, inarticulate free-loaders who won’t hesitate to take short cuts with your strategies while charging you loads of cash and straight up lying to you about what they’re capable of, and what they can actually do for you.
The search marketing community looks out for their own, almost to a fault. It’s hard to get into the various inner-circles, but you can do it via avenues like Twitter, blog comments and conferences. Once you’re in, you can find a wealth of information in those willing to mentor, offer tips to help, even a great source of work if you really show that you know your stuff. Even if you’ve made some great friends, it’s always a good rule of thumb to watch your step. My impression of the search marketing community is that they can be a fickle bunch, loving you one minute and casting you out the next. Of course, most everyone who gets black labeled does seem to deserve it, but this industry can look a lot like a school of sharks if there’s blood in the water.
Work Your Ass Off
Okay. You know your stuff because you’ve proven that your tactics work. You’ve had enough opportunities to test theories, you’ve showcased your knowledge in forums, blog posts, Twitter, maybe even face-to-face with some of the well known presenters out there. What now?
Work it. It’s time to hunker down and get busy. If the clients aren’t coming to you, go out and get the clients. Don’t bullshit anyone about what you can do for them or about how much it will cost. Be honest, do honest work and you’ll find success in whichever corner of Internet Marketing you find yourself in. At first you’ll take whatever jobs come along, and as you find more success you’ll also be able to pick and choose more which types of projects you want to be involved in.
Being successful in the Internet Marketing industry isn’t easy. It takes hard work, dedication and a love for tedious tasks. Don’t let money be a driving factor in your career choice because I guarantee you that it won’t be worth it if you don’t truly love this profession. If I’m being honest, I think you might have to be a little sick to even stay in this field. That said, go forth and optimize!
