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<title>CrossRidge RSS Feed</title><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/index.html</link><description>News From CrossRidge</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><dc:rights>Copyright 2011 David Raymond</dc:rights><dc:date>2011-01-13T18:44:00-05:00</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.realmacsoftware.com/" />
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<lastBuildDate>Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:55:28 -0400</lastBuildDate><item><title>Google&#x27;s URL Shortener</title><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2011-01-13T18:44:00-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/88b59f9a7338adc7f248afdb1c6f6638-13.php#unique-entry-id-13</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/88b59f9a7338adc7f248afdb1c6f6638-13.php#unique-entry-id-13</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The Google URL Shortener at goo.gl is a service that takes long URLs and squeezes them into fewer characters to make a link easier to share, tweet, or email to friends.   For example, the short URL http://goo.gl/l6MS is a convenient shorthand representation for the long URL http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/making-urls-shorter-for-google-toolbar.html.


Why use the Google URL Shortener?


People share a lot of links online.   This is particularly true as microblogging services such as Twitter and Google Buzz have grown in popularity.   With character limits in tweets, status updates, and other modes of short form publishing, a shorter URL leaves more room to say what's on your mind.


Our primary goal in making this service publicly available to all users is to harness Google&rsquo;s global production infrastructure to provide users with the following benefits:


...	&bull;	Security - warning message if the short URL points to a suspected malware, phishing, or spam website


	&bull;	Speed - fast resolution of short URLs (in a few milliseconds)


...Goo.gl short URLs are randomly generated, and the mappings of short URLs to long URLs are publicly accessible.   Additionally, the short URL to long URL mappings are:


	&bull;	Immutable - once created by you, no one else can change them


	&bull;	Irrevocable - once created, they do not expire.   Note, however, that Google reserves the right to remove any goo.gl short URL, for example for spam, security or legal reasons]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Marketing - A False Savior</title><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2010-12-27T18:46:44-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/240bec7ee3b3b269493943ed5d0106ec-12.php#unique-entry-id-12</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/240bec7ee3b3b269493943ed5d0106ec-12.php#unique-entry-id-12</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Marketing is not a savior.    In the recent past, I&rsquo;ve worked with organizations whose only message was that &ldquo;marketing would solve all of the ills that the company was facing.&rdquo;    Then I looked deeper.


More often than not, marketing is used as a scapegoat.    When I recently asked what my client needed to increase revenue, they answered &ldquo;better and more marketing.&rdquo;    When I asked specifically what that meant, their answers had nothing to do with marketing.    &ldquo;Better service.&rdquo;    &ldquo;Broader product offerings.&rdquo;    &ldquo; The right pricing.&rdquo;     &ldquo; A better economy.&rdquo;


Marketing can only tell a story and it can only be successful in that telling if the story is authentic. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Google Wave - So What?</title><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2009-12-23T18:01:11-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/e736e9163aebb1fbe3d5715ff3789455-10.php#unique-entry-id-10</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/e736e9163aebb1fbe3d5715ff3789455-10.php#unique-entry-id-10</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The following is a good summary from CNN&rsquo;s Doug Gross concerning his experience with Google Wave.    It is still too early for me to post my own observations, but those presented here are pretty close to my initial opinions.  


I got Google Wave -- now what?


OK, so it's a little early in the game to call this one a total fail.   But after the breathless anticipation that greeted Google Wave and the hot rush to get an invitation for its beta testing, lots of users found themselves asking, "OK ... now what?"


Google, for its part, released an 80-minute tutorial video -- leading some observers to argue that if you need an hour and 20 minutes to explain what your product does, you might be in trouble.


It's designed as a platform to allow users to communicate and collaborate in real time -- a tool some predict will be used effectively by developers in the future.


But for now, it's inspired the creation of a Web site -- Easier to Understand Than Wave -- on which users compare the online tool to other sometimes obtuse subjects (Both Ozzy Osbourne and the geopolitical climate of Southeast Asia are easier to understand than Wave, users voted, while Sarah Palin and Scientology are both more difficult).]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Why SEO Efforts Fail</title><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2009-10-23T12:28:39-04:00</dc:date><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/7d2705330ec6ad343ff487cd71553aae-9.php#unique-entry-id-9</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/7d2705330ec6ad343ff487cd71553aae-9.php#unique-entry-id-9</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I've been talking to a lot of current and potential clients recently concerning the results of SEO strategies that once seemed to work but have now appeared to be providing diminishing results.    They point to the typical SEO 101 tactics that have been applied to their sites, show me the analytics for the past 12 months, and ask if their investment in SEO has been in vain.


For smaller organizations, it is hard to explain that while SEO has a beginning, it never has an end.    In short, SEO cannot be viewed as a project - it is a commitment.    For resource-strapped business, the concept of a financial and time commitment required to make SEO a success is not what they signed up for.    So their ranks fall and results falter.


SEO is never a one time thing, because it is like marketing.   Anyone who tells you anything to the contrary is simply lying. 
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Why Meta Tags Don&#x27;t Matter to Google</title><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2009-09-23T14:44:31-04:00</dc:date><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/c5c18ac86f4354131850b5640c5cfe24-7.php#unique-entry-id-7</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/c5c18ac86f4354131850b5640c5cfe24-7.php#unique-entry-id-7</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Google: Stop Suing Over The Meta Keywords Tag, We Don&rsquo;t Use It


...From:  http://searchengineland.com/google-stop-suing-over-the-keywords-tag-we-dont-use-it-26194


Google is telling the world what every seasoned webmaster and search marketer should already know: The keywords meta tag has no impact whatsoever on how Google&rsquo;s search engine ranks pages. ...  And while Google often needs to be somewhat ambiguous when talking about how it ranks pages, the message in today&rsquo;s blog post is perfectly clear:


&ldquo;Our web search (the well-known search at Google.com that hundreds of millions of people use each day) disregards keyword metatags completely. 

...Google&rsquo;s blog post also talks about an imagined clash between two web site owners, Bob and Alice, over Bob&rsquo;s use of Alice&rsquo;s business name in his keywords tag and copying of other words from her keywords tag.   Although Google doesn&rsquo;t mention actual companies and doesn&rsquo;t reference a specific lawsuit, the video that accompanies the blog post does mention lawsuits that involve the keywords tag and Google&rsquo;s search rankings. 

...&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really not worth suing someone over because, at least for Google, we don&rsquo;t use that information in our rankings even the least little bit.&rdquo;


If this is a case of Google offering information in relation to a legal case, it&rsquo;s not the first time.   Back in 2006, Matt Cutts wrote a post on his blog confirming that an SEO company and its clients had been banned from Google&rsquo;s index.   At the time, well-known SEO Aaron Wall was being sued by the SEO company that had been banned, and Matt&rsquo;s blog post refuted some of the SEO company&rsquo;s claims.


Back to the keywords tag: It&rsquo;s worth mentioning that Google&rsquo;s webmaster help has an entire page about meta tags and the word &ldquo;keyword&rdquo; doesn&rsquo;t appear on it once.   And as long as we&rsquo;re clearing up some SEO basics, I&rsquo;ll also note that Google&rsquo;s blog post confirms that the meta description tag is also not used for ranking pages.   If you want even more, see our in-depth post, Meta Keywords Tag 101: How To &ldquo;Legally&rdquo; Hide Words On Your Pages For Search Engines (which among other things documented how Google does NOT use the meta keywords tag).]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Adobe and Omniture Deal?</title><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2009-09-16T18:22:04-04:00</dc:date><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/8babb8e2f7e43ce0110d8a3c31839c1b-6.php#unique-entry-id-6</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/8babb8e2f7e43ce0110d8a3c31839c1b-6.php#unique-entry-id-6</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It was a surprise to me today that Adobe would seek to acquire Omniture for $1.8 billion.    For those of us in the SEO profession, I'm not sure what to make of this.  ...  I'm still looking at the details, but here is a good summary from CNBC's John Letzing:


..."Microsoft may view [Omniture] as a strategic asset in its battle against Google...for search-engine market share," JMP Securities analyst Patrick Walravens told clients in a note.


Microsoft's interest in Omniture may stem from a desire to bolster its relatively new search engine, called Bing, according to Walravens.   He wrote that Omniture's technology could help Microsoft better tailor its online advertising for individual users. 

...Omniture shares closed Wednesday at $21.88, up $4.55, or 26%, while shares of Adobe fell $2.27, or 6.4%, to $33.35. 

...Microsoft had more than $30 billion in cash and equivalents on its balance sheet at the end of June, and has signaled that it may begin to seek out acquisitions more aggressively.   Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell reportedly told an audience in New Zealand earlier this week that "coming out of the [financial] crisis, there will be acquisition opportunities we didn't have before."


...In some ways, Microsoft would have been a more logical suitor for Omniture, according to Joe Davis, chief executive of closely held rival Web-analytics firm Coremetrics.   That's because Microsoft could theoretically gain insight into a broader set of user interactions with its online properties, whereas Adobe may be limited to the videos or Flash animation that it helps develop.


...However, Collins Stewart LLC analyst Sandeep Aggarwal told clients Wednesday that, in addition to Microsoft, other rival bidders for Omniture could include network equipment giant Cisco Systems Inc. 

...Cisco has made comments in the past about its need for "companies engaged in online ads, ad-campaign tools, and Web analytics," Aggarwal wrote, saying "[Omniture] fitted those requirements nicely in our view."


...If completed, the Omniture acquisition would be Adobe's largest since it paid some $3.4 billion for Macromedia Inc. in 2005. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Google and Latent Semantic Indexing</title><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2009-09-13T07:06:00-04:00</dc:date><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/75f72ed13e6886f6020e3f801fcf0361-5.php#unique-entry-id-5</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/75f72ed13e6886f6020e3f801fcf0361-5.php#unique-entry-id-5</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The foundation of what it takes to achieve positive relevancy scores in the eyes of Google is constantly shifting.    Recently, the shift many sites are experiencing may be a result of Google's apparent focus on Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI).    LSI allows a search engine to determine what a page is about outside of specifically matching search query text.  


...In addition to recording which keywords a document contains, the method examines the document collection as a whole, to see which other documents contain some of those same words.   LSI considers documents that have many words in common to be semantically close, and ones with few words in common to be semantically distant.   This simple method correlates surprisingly well with how a human being, looking at content, might classify a document collection.   Although the LSI algorithm doesn't understand anything about what the words mean, the patterns it notices can make it seem astonishingly intelligent." source


Latent semantic indexing can also be used to look at the link profile for the individual pages on your website.   If all your links are heavy for a few particular words or phrases and light on other similar phrases then your site may not rank as well.


...As Aaron Wall suggests, there are a variety of options to know what words are related to one another.


    * Search Google for search results with related terms using a ~.   For example, Google Search: ~seo will return pages with terms matching or related to seo and will highlight some of the related words in the search results.


...    * Write a page and use the Google AdSense sandbox to see what type of ads they would try to deliver to that page.


...If you simply focus on specific keywords and never back them up with relevant content or other related keywords, LSI is going to lower the value of those pages.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Holistic SEO</title><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2009-09-05T18:18:29-04:00</dc:date><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/44b067e38018cf0db655469693dc1588-4.php#unique-entry-id-4</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/44b067e38018cf0db655469693dc1588-4.php#unique-entry-id-4</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It seems that there is a belief that SEO is something that can rapidly "fix" whatever is holding a business back.    And the "quick solutions in seconds" providers are everywhere trying to convince you that your lifetime of web sins can be wiped clean for a small price.    You can search the internet and find a mind numbing number of returns on "SEO in 5 Minutes" or "Rank #1 with Google."    The theories, processes, arts, and sciences of SEO are easy to come by, but the results are not.


If you think that SEO is a quick-and-easy day job, bad dog. 


...I could never provide value to a client if I came in claiming to have the "formula" to provide a number one ranking with Google.  

...If you are a "SEO provider" and have taken the Google Professional Advertising Certification test to become an anointed SEO/Adwords god, hold on a click.  


The day-to-day tactics taught by Google provide a great base for the mechanics of developing campaigns from a tactical standpoint.  ...  What is missing is the true value of deep thinking a SEO/SEM pro can provide.


I can teach anyone the value of graphic asset naming conventions, keyword density, meta tags, and analytics in 24 hours.  

...But I want to get to the deeper needs of a company that often can only be addressed by the art of SEO as opposed to the science of SEO.


...I'm not sure yet if this was a deliberate strategy, but it seems like they would want to be top of mind within and outside of the brand.  


...The SEO process should be designed only after the client's business goals are well reviewed and digested.  ...  What's important is to make sure you don't focus on one step (such as link popularity) at the expense of the others. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The Right Size</title><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2009-02-23T18:25:15-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/2befb8e16af55c080438bd3501b22378-3.php#unique-entry-id-3</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/2befb8e16af55c080438bd3501b22378-3.php#unique-entry-id-3</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I have been a marketing &ldquo;professional&rdquo; for over 20 years.    I&rsquo;ve been a leader in large organizations and an entry-level employee in under funded start-ups.    As you can imagine, the landscape of business has changed quite a bit during those years.    In all cases, there are endless debates and discussions on how to select outside resources to help deliver key company brand assets to the market.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Programmers and Designers:  A Match Made in Hell?</title><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><category>None</category><dc:date>2009-01-29T18:13:26-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/6b326466fc87fce5b231af1ec5e7b51b-2.php#unique-entry-id-2</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/6b326466fc87fce5b231af1ec5e7b51b-2.php#unique-entry-id-2</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[When I say programmer, I mean anyone from a legit software developer to a fresh-out-of-college fireball that knows nothing more than how to make a contact form send an email. ...  But in todays &ldquo;website as a faceplate&rdquo; world, neither profession can offer a complete list of services to satisfy even the mildest small-to-mid-sized growing company.


The result is a spiderweb of outsourcing and virtual personas being displayed by companies in both fields, striving to meet clients&rsquo; needs, and trying to appear capable even though they are not. ...  They would rather outsource than hire a full-time employee whose skills are only used on occasion, because most of their business is derived from their core services. 

...First of all, Designers and Programmers, although (today) their client base is very similar, have almost no overlapping educational requirements at most universities, excluding Gen Ed.   I speak from experience when I say that the word/s &ldquo;programming&rdquo; or &ldquo;web applications&rdquo; are hardly ever mentioned by a web design teacher, if mentioned at all. 

...The fact is, two professions that are forced by clients (&rdquo;The real world&rdquo;) to work together, get no preparation by the universities supplying the skilled workers.   A designer doesn&rsquo;t need to know the skills of a programmer (and visa versa), but it would be nice if he/she were at the very least, prepped about the reasons programmers and designers need each other.


...The average web designer (This article refers to university-educated designers, but is meant to also refer to self taught professionals) starts off in college taking drawing classes as gen ed courses. ...  Instead, Graphic Design majors are stuck learning the deeper meanings of Buddha hand gestures in paintings by somebody whose name you can&rsquo;t even pronounce, when all they want is to learn how to design for the web. 

...On the other side of things, Programmers aren&rsquo;t taught much about design, or how to work with a designer. 

...When working together across both the design and programming disciplines, the best results and happiest clients are directly related to how well the (sometimes deceptive) design/programming companies work together.   The best way to move forward and stay ahead of the game is to find a reliable partner, be it programmer or designer, that is willing to wear your hat and even go to meetings with you when needed. 

...Having one Graphic Designer on board could save you thousands in outsourcing, and teach your team priceless information about the layout in front of the code, and how the scripts manipulate what the user sees. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Clients Gone Wild</title><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><dc:subject>Blog</dc:subject><dc:date>2009-01-17T15:05:57-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/decba3ec8c1fa90fcd54f2678bca5a0a-1.php#unique-entry-id-1</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/decba3ec8c1fa90fcd54f2678bca5a0a-1.php#unique-entry-id-1</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I ran across this the other day and found it too close to home.    Any resemblance to current CrossRidge clients is purely coincidental.


From Design Matters: Logos Published by Rockport (c) 2007, Rockport Publishers, Inc.


These are some real, well-meaning quotes from clients who were attempting to keep the design process on track.


&ldquo;Are you sure we couldn&rsquo;t use something that looks kind of like Disney&rsquo;s logo?&rdquo;


&ldquo;Can you add a drop shadow or a cool bevel to the logo?&rdquo;


&ldquo;I like this logo, but let me take it home and show my wife.    She&rsquo;s the artist in the family.&rdquo;


&ldquo;We&rsquo;d like to run a contest where our employees come up with the design for our logo.&rdquo;


&ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to be able to see my logo from an airplane.&rdquo;


&ldquo;Could you match the logo color to my bedroom walls?&rdquo;


&ldquo;I love them all...can you combine concept one and two with the type of concept three?&rdquo;


&ldquo;Can we put these logo designs in the Student Union for everyone to vote?&ldquo;]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Recession Marketing</title><dc:creator>david.raymond@crossridgeinc.com</dc:creator><dc:subject>Blog</dc:subject><dc:date>2009-01-17T13:34:02-05:00</dc:date><link>http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/2ef4e284897ff7f4b61658befe3d68e6-0.php#unique-entry-id-0</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.crossridgeinc.com/Blog/files/2ef4e284897ff7f4b61658befe3d68e6-0.php#unique-entry-id-0</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD) is worn on the corporate faces of many organizations and is often reflected in the spending plans and bottom lines as plans are downsized and employees run for cover hoping it will end soon.


...A recent study by University of Texas and Pennsylvania State University, Turning adversity into advantage: Does proactive marketing during a recession pay off, found that organizations that have a proactive marketing response in a recession achieve superior business performance even during the recession.


The study finds that there are three key traits an organization should have in order to make this type of approach successful:


	&bull;	An Emphasis on Strategic Marketing - Successful companies already used segmentation to differentiate customers and personalized marketing communications to develop strongly positioned brands. 

...	&bull;	An Entrepreneurial Culture - Companies saw the recession as an opportunity to gain an edge over the competition and invested in risky new proactive marketing to customers


	&bull;	Enough Slack Resources to Refocus on Proactive Marketing - Companies had underutilized resources such as staff, cash reserves and production capacity that they could quickly refocus on proactively marketing to customers.


...It may seem self-serving to say it, but cutting your marketing budget is one of the first mistakes businesses make during times of economic crisis.    But all you have to do is a little bit of historical research to discover that there is truth to this statement.


According to Terry Brock, Marketing and Technology Coach, &ldquo;Tough times have a lot of benefits for those that have that indomitable spirit to succeed. 

...When you cut or eliminate marketing, you in affect are sending a message to the market that you are closed for business.    When times where good, organizations would pump resources into building a brand message and the assets to support that message.  ...  To re-establish a positive image of your brand once it has gone &ldquo;dark&rdquo;, is very costly and often impossible to overcome the negative impression in the mind of the consumer.


...All we can do is focus on the caring and feeding of our businesses using smart, logical, and unemotional strategies and tactics.  


Success can and will happen in this environment, but it is less likely if marketing is not involved.  
]]></content:encoded></item></channel>
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