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Video – Semantic Search Marketing Open Forum

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Have we mentioned that semantic SEO is a big deal? Probably more so today than at any point it the past, semantic search (and the structured data that powers it) is a critical piece of successful organic strategy.

This morning, I had the honor of being a part of the first “Semantic Search Marketing Open Forum”. It was an open discussion, powered by community questions. You can check out the full un-edited Hangout On Air below (skip to the the 4:45 mark to get to the beginning) and be sure to join the Semantic Search Marketing Community on Google+.

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Filed Under: SEO

Structured Data for Live Blogs from Google

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Note: this post is more commentary and musings as opposed to a tactics for implementing this new markup. You’ve been warned.

Google announced the public availability of a new schema this week for live blogs. Coming off of Gary Illyes (Google’s) comments during his State of Search keynote this week that Google will be pushing aggressively on both mobile and structured data in 2016, I think this is something we should take notice of early on.

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Filed Under: SEO

Punk Rock SEO

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Preface: This is the blog post version of a talk I’m giving at State of Search today! Wish you could have been there. If you were there, high five! Check out the slide deck here. As you start reading this, fire up the Punk Rock SEO Playlist on Spotify in a new tab. 

I Used to Be a Punk Rocker

I used to be a punk. Well, at least that’s what the 18-year-old version of me would say. That younger, scruffier, and slightly more angsty Mike would probably have some choice words to say to this has-been, sellout, old guy.

The blue mohawk meant I was really punk rock
The blue mohawk meant I was really punk rock

These days, I don’t play in any bands, I shop at Whole Foods, I buy designer clothes from time to time, I have a mortgage, and I own a marketing company. The 18-year-old version of myself never could have called that.

I started playing guitar when I was a Freshman in high school, in vain attempt to become cool. It didn’t work, so I transferred my frustration into playing loud, fast music and becoming a punk. I was in plenty of garage bands, I had a blue mohawk at one point,  I’d go to punk shows every weekend, I broke my collarbone stage diving, and I even had some success with some of the bands I was in. I recorded four albums (a few of which you can find on eBay) and I toured up and down the West Coast. It was pretty rad.

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Seamlessly Switch from Hardcoded Analytics to GTM

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Despite how great tag management tools are, many sites out there still haven’t made the switch. It’s no big surprise, though; to the uninitiated, tag management can seem unnecessary, complicated, or even somewhat terrifying. Not to worry; that’s where people like us come in.

This post will explain how to roll hardcoded page view tracking over to Google Tag Manager page view tracking in a simple and seamless way. What this approach will allow you to do is set up GTM ahead of time, have it running on the site without collecting data, and set it to “listen” for the removal of the old, hardcoded analytics tracking script. At that point, all you need to do is put in a request for your development team/partner to remove the old code and GTM will jump in to pick up page view tracking as soon as the old script is removed. Sound too good to be true? It’s not.

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Reflections on UpBuild’s First Team Day

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One week ago, UpBuild had its first Team Day and it was a pretty big deal. At the start of Month 7 (wow, has it really been that long?) we set aside a full day to get in the same physical space to really get on the same page, work through some tough problems, have fun, and just get to know each other on a deeper level.

Why Team Day?

UpBuild is a distributed team, meaning we all work remotely. We have no office and probably never will. I believe that this allows us to be more flexible in how we work, more agile in how we operate as a company, and more balanced in supporting a happy team.

Being distributed is not without its challenges, but they’ve been fun challenges to work to surmount. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with ways we can stay connected, be in-the-know, and feel like part of a team while all being located in different cities or even different states. One proactive step that seemed like it would help is acknowledging that there are some needs that just can’t be fulfilled by remote work environment and doing something about it. Enter Team Day!

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