Tag: big deal

SEO Basics – SEO Factor

It’s no secret that having a keyword or 2 in your domain name can have an impact on your rankings. In fact, in some cases

Read More »

Though this doesn’t happen as often as it did 5 years ago, we still bring on clients to whom we suggest either re-writing the URLs

Read More »

After a few years of providing services to the hotel industry, there are a collection of issues regarding SEO I see on a regular basis

Read More »

From the moment you realize you need to hire someone to handle your online marketing efforts, you are immediately faced with a very importance matter.

Read More »

The guide I wrote on Google Places SEO received/receives quite a bit of traffic. Obviously, this is a big deal to small businesses; what

Read More »

There is one question that we are asked more than any other, and we get it even to this very day. The thing is, it’s

Read More »

I want to talk about a situation I see quite a bit these days. Let’s say you have a website designed. Let’s also say you

Read More »

The Internet is built on links. The search engines find websites via links from other site and visitors find appropriate pages via navigation links. All

Read More »

I first wrote this post in March of 2008. I was browsing some old files and happened upon this one, and realized that it is

Read More »

I’ve heard this question 4 times this week, and it’s only Tuesday. “How many pages do I need to make my website effective to the

Read More »

June 24, 2012
QA | SEO Factor

The guide I wrote on Ranking in Google Places received/receives quite a bit of traffic. Obviously, this is a big deal to small businesses; what with Google Pages listings showing among organic search results. I’ve been tracking the types of search terms that come through to the article, and wanted to answer some of […]

November 26, 2011
SEO Factor » Blog Archive » » 5 Reasons I Don’t Follow You On Twitter

5 December 2008 One Comment

So, I’m no Twitter celebrity. I’m actually very conservative with who I follow. As such, I have a few guidelines that I use to determine whether or not I would follow you on Twitter, and what you should do to overcome them.

Keep in mind that these aren’t really reasons that I am a jerk. Rather they are things that most people look at, and what each point reflects about your Twitter account. This should help you get those that you are following to return the favor.

All images are taken from a real account, but the identity is hidden to protect the spammer individual.

1. No Picture

This is the first thing I look at. Mostly because it’s the first thing anybody would notice about your Twitter account when they view it. This tells me that you aren’t taking this seriously at all. Maybe you’re even a spammer, and I would be better to not follow you in return.

Fixes
Put a picture up. Anything at all will do. It doesn’t have to be a pic of you if you’re uncomfortable with that, but at least get a logo or something.

2. No Activity For Weeks

Again, this tells me that you aren’t taking it seriously. I’m not looking for 50 Tweets a minute, but some activity is a good sign. It should be noted that a few days of inactivity is no big deal. Sometimes you have to actually get some work done, yeah?

Fixes
At least say hi. I would say an average of 3 tweets a day is my minimum.

3. No Bio

Along with the picture, if I don’t see a bio I think “spammer” right from the start.

Fixes
Got a site? Put it up there. Got a short bio? Put it up there. Really, anything to tell me anything at all about you shows me that you gave it some attention.

4. Extremely Low ‘Following’ In Relation To Your ‘Followers’

I’m not talking about the “A-Listers” that have 50,000 followers but only follow 2,000. I’m talking about the guys that have 5,000 followers and only follow 20. This tells me that you once followed them to get them to follow you, and then unfollowed them.

Fixes
This is a conversation. Take part. Surely with every 5 followers one of them has something interesting to say. check them out.

5. Excessive Self Promotion

We all share out sites and posts from our own blogs. That’s OK. The problem comes in when I look at the last 10 tweets and only see links to your blog. This means that, again, you are talking but not listening.

Fixes
ReTweet something interesting. Help some of your followers promote themselves by tweeting something they posted. Talk about something other than your own blog all the time. Whatever it is, don’t just get on Twitter to push yourself.

In the end, again, it’s about the conversation. I want to feel that we will be able to share with each other. And believe you me, I’m not alone. If you do want to converse, by all means, follow me on Twitter.

March 23, 2009
The Internet Hates Cops!!

I saw an interesting story on the news today here in Jacksonville, FL. The story was relating to the website ratemycop.com, and its validity in the eyes of the resedents here in the city.

With a massive poll of 2 people, WJXT Jacksonville returned the results. Half of the 2 people said they would use the site as a means of both investigating a police officer, and as a way to contribute experiences. The other half of the 2 people stated that they would take any information on the site with a grain of salt.

This is a pretty interesting topic. There are plenty of resources on reputation management on social sites that allow for visitor input in regard to services, but how does a government agency handle this? Would the same methods apply? 2 points came to my mind during the story. The safety of the police officers on the site, and the impact on an officer’s reputation.

They Know Your Name
I wondered how listing an officer’s first and last name would affect their safety. The site owners stated that they are not listing anything that isn’t publically available, and the FOP stated that they will also be viewing the site for any serious threats, but I don’t really think that’s good enough. Besides, a visitor may leave comments anonymously, increasing the chance of poorer remarks. There’s a good number of violence offenses towards cops in this city as it is, a public record of negative instances that may not be accurate would only hurt the situation.

You Better Play The Part, Buster
Having a number of freinds in law enforcement, I can tell you that perception is a big deal. As an officer, you have to not only act fair and with integrity, it has to be obvious that you are doing so. Cops come under so much fire on a regular basis, that even seemingly irresponsible behavior can have an impact on their career, regardless of their actual character. Again, visitors are not required to leave a name. They are required to start an account, but we all know how easy it is to fake the stuff required. What’s to stop someone from leaving very negative and slandering testimonials about an officer?

The thing about this story that got to me is the point of the site, and our general view of police officers as a country. So many times I’ve had a conversation with a friend complaining that they got a ticket by some “stupid cop” for speeding. Normally, they were indeed speeding. “Well,” I ask, “don’t you think you deserved the ticket then?” I also get a little offended when people talk about how “mean” a cop was. To be honest, if I had to pull strangers over all day, wondering if the next angry 16-year-old punk has a gun, I wouldn’t be the most pleasant guy either.

Cut ’em some slack. And be mindful of the information you get on the Internet; it can be produced by anyone.

With this, and any other post, please read the disclaimer.

July 24, 2008