This is easy.... if you stick to it.

Be a wizzard and be found and sourced as an editorial expert for the media.

Photo by me...shot in the streets of Tel Aviv amidst all the great grafitti.  

1.  Write relevant content and illustrate your expertise on your site's blog.  Do this once a week at a minimum.

2.  Do a reality check with Pear Analytics to make sure your key words and industry terminology is right.

3.  Follow journalists and analysts who you think are relevent to your space, or where you would like to be covered. 

4.  Make a wish list of ten outlets where you think you belong.  Write non-promotional and self serving comments, when there are appropriate artices being written.

5.  Develop an infographics strategy and provide informative, industry related expertise about your space.

This is just a start. 

Follow these five basic rules.  

Be consistent and give this at least six months.

This really works.

The goal here is to be found be the media. 

Most of what I write about here is about Technology Public Relations, Social Media Strategies and Content Development.  

Into the mix, I might toss in something about music, some of the travels I get to do, and the sponsorship develop I help Jeff Pulver on for the #140Conf Events.

Robot shot on location by me in Tel Aviv.

Earlier this year, I had Ryan Kelly and his very smart team at Pear Analytics help me address my SEO strategies. They have a terrific service which returns a report recommending the basics of key word strategies I need to use in order to be found.  They've also just launched a free e-book on SEO for your site.  

While I am a believer in SEO, I don't write for SEO;  I write to SEO, and do so in my own voice.  I think writing to SEO enables you to be real, be strategic, and hopefully be found.

Being Found.  But By Who?  And Why?

Have a plan on how and why you want to be found.  I have specific reasons and so should you.   My goals may be different than yours, but regardless of what your goals are - the point is to have a goal (or goals)....

1.  I want to be found by propsective clients.  

Even in the selling process, I encourage clients-to-be to read my content after an initial call.

Rather than telling him / her about all the successes (and failure) we've had, where we've helped clients like them get amazing press and analyst coverage, or how (supposedly connected we are, I 

2.  I want to help educate clients on how this all works.

When a current client does not get what my team and I are doing, or why we do it, I'll have a converstaion and follow up with a short email which includes a related (and expanded) blog post on the subject we covered.

3.  I want to be found by journalists, bloggers and analysts.

I write about my clients or projects that I am working on in hopes we'll be found and be source material for possible stories, blog posts or analyst coverage.

So how about you? What are you goals in being found, and how are you being found?

I’ve been following my friend, Ryan Kelly’s company, Pear Analytics’ progress over the last two years in their approach of what I would call the democratization and self-empowerment of SEO.

While I know SEO is important, I’ve always had a problem with the notion that being forced to use certain key word, and sometimes certain phraseology, could possibly compromise the quality of my writing and more importantly, my voice.

New Year’s Resolution #1:  Being Found

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to improve my SEO and be found.  As a High Tech PR consultant I work in a very competitive field and wanted to improve my search results not only through better writing, but writing that could be found.

Pear Analytics offers a variety of services, and as a start, I tried their Keyword Research offering, which at $249.00 is a great value. For a little more, Pear can provide the keyword research, competitive analysis (reverse engineering your competitors rankings), and a full site audit on their Starter Plan for just $899.

Upon receiving the initial report (see 2 samples here), I also had a 30-minute phone consultation that helped me understand and focus what I should be aiming to write about in the context of key words.

While most of this turned out to be common sense, the real benefit of this particular service was that it shed light on a ranking of priority of search terms I should be using, and how, without compromising my writing style and voice, I could benefit from their research methodology.

30 Days Later…It’s Working.

I took my Pear Analytics Consultant’s advise and I’ve already seen a difference:  I’m on page one on certain terms, and in some cases page two;  a dramatic improvement of what I was experiencing before.

At the end of the day, this is a combination of common sense, good writing, and on-going publishing. 

 And therein lies the real challenge for many of us:  finding the time and having the focus to write quality, helpful, relevant and searchable content that can be found.

It’s the later where Pear Analytics came through.

Highly Recommended.

Artwork courtesy of Pear Analytics

One year ago, the iPad was announced.  

A little over two months later, on April 3, 2010, a bunch of knuckle head friends all convened at some crazy early hour in the morning to make the trek to the Apple Store LaCantera in San Antonio so we could stand in line to buy an iPad.

SalesBy5’s Chief Inspiration Officer, Nan Palmero joined in, as did Wes Wilson, CEO of Upstack and Brandstack, who bought one to do presentations for potential investors and partners.  Ryan Kelly, CEO of Pear Analytics bought one because his company has an app for the iPhone and wanted to explore the idea of replicating it for the iPad.  Rackspace’s Robert Taylor, bought one for his personal use.  He is an Apple fan and thought it was important buy one and be an early adapter.  (note how Mr. Taylor and I are wearing the same Apple Mothership T-Shirt.)

Almost one year later.. I still love my iPad.  

I'm using mine primarily as a content platform to read and keep on my desk to watch my social stream while I work.  I also like it for trade shows and conferences, so I don't have to lug my regular MacBook Pro to the show.  It's great for movies when I am up in the air.

Very Interesting InfoGraphic from OnSwipe

So, how about you?  

Did you buy an iPad?  Waiting for the refresh model?  Maybe getting or got a Samsung or other brand?  Waiting for Honeycomb?

Chime in and leave a comment.