73 things I have observed, believed, or practiced in 2005.

1. Search Engine Optimization is fairly straight forward there are no secrets.
2. Search Engine Optimization is marred by the fact anyone can discuss online and seem like an expert.
3. Online Marketing is where its at, and that should encompass SEO
4. The best blackhat stuff is not detectable by the search engines or people.
5. If you can’t program or pay someone to program you will be stuck using the same tools as everyone else.
6. Statistics and math are where its at. There are no fast answers in this business.
7. I’d rather spend time promoting my stuff than a clients. If I fail its my problem and at least I didn’t have to listen to my client
8. SEO is not a panacea for not having a product of your own.
9. Go to a conference its so much better discussing this stuff in person and honestly its more fun.
10. Forums are the suxors but you need to pick at least one to keep abreast of issues you may have missed.
11. Just because someone can argue well online doesn’t mean they know jack shit.
12. If you don’t have your own data to draw your own conclusions then you don’t know anything despite how much you read.
13. Don’t spend to much time arguing online. Its pointless. Spend that time proving or disproving your ideas for yourself.
14. If you want to make money with affiliate programs and your just starting out keep making sites. Make them big and small and in between but keep making them till your fingers bleed. Once you have a hundred then go back and see what is the most successful and then spend time on those.
15. The thing that is in the shortest supply online is creativity.
16. Don’t be afraid to be wrong and listen to the counsel of those who are honest.
17. Always try to find the successful mans networks, once you do don’t be an ass and out them just look and learn and if you feel like it warn them how you did it.
18. Google is not as smart as it seems.
19. Just because a search engineer is nice, smart, witty and reasonably honest doesn’t mean he isn’t your adversary.
20. Forums are good for getting clients. Help people out when you can for free and you’ll see what I mean.
21. What might have been true yesterday might not be true today.
22. Yahoo and MSN have traffic to send too
23. Don’t assume everyone knows what you discovered already when you study your stats. Save it for yourself.
24. Don’t underestimate how much your knowledge or programming skills are worth.
25. Read a book on marketing from a semi unbiased source. I prefer SCORE and the Small Business Association.
26. Remember its the world wide web and there are opportunities to be had in oversea’s markets.
27. Someone thinks you are an idiot.
28. Someone thinks you are a liar trying to fleece them.
29. If you charge for something make sure your potential customer knows that up front.
30. Don’t be afraid to tell someone you want money.
31. Get some exercise
32. There are two types of people in search & affiliate marketing, the Amway/Quixtar type hoping to get rich and keeping the faith and the business type which gets results and focuses on analysis, statistics, and sales.
33. There is always a guru willing to sell you a product to solve your problems.
34. Don’t be afraid to spend money for information, just try and buy it from someone who is honest and not a cult leader.
35. Write often, it doesn’t matter if your a sucky writer most people never take the risk of writing in the first place.
36. If you are a sucky writer get your college texts on writing and read them when you can. If you haven’t gone to college go and take a course in writing
37. SEO is not a replacement for a business plan
38. Be suspicious of a search professionals that run a forums, many are trying to build a cult following.
39. Read a few good articles on pricing strategies to make sure your not screwing yourself.
40. Initially you are going to fail in business often, make sure that if you succeed it is worth it.
41. Set goals and timelines for evaluations to determine if you business plans are working.
42. Don’t confuse business strategies with morality.
43. Read a book on ethics before you try to discuss them.
44. Integrity is not something you can get back after abandoning it.
45. Be honest but remember you are trying to make a sale so don’t give away to much. I know its a tough one to resolve sometimes.
46. You can’t convince customers they need a solution if they don’t know they have problem.
47. Don’t try to recruit potential customers by pointing out their problems unless asked.
48. Put yourself in a position where your customers seek you.
49. Treat your customers as if they were kings and queens. Its easier to retain them than to acquire new ones.
50. The cost of inaction is great.
51. A website, building, computer, or desk is not a business people are.
52. Luck favors the prepared.
53. Try your best not to flame people or sites. It does you no good and makes you look bad.
54. Most people are good.
55. A business budget, even a rudimentary one is required
56. Roboform is the coolest.
57. SEOBook was great I wish I had read it sooner it would have saved me a year or more of reading forums.
58. A Wall Street Journal subscription will pay for itself many times over.
59. On the web you can make money off of your mind but its still a lot of work.
60. I don’t care if you think there is a sandbox, I do and I plan for it so its not a big deal but it would be nice if I knew a way around it.
61. Don’t build your business on another business’s free services.
62. Its easier to sell a tangible good than a service.
63. Books that offer advice similar “Buy low, sell high” are crap. Always ask yourself “Is this to good to be true ?”
64. A good listener is well rewarded.
65. I hate its promotional “speak” and hyperbole but I actually found “How to win friends and influence others” useful.
66. Making a sale is a multi step process.
67. You have to spend money to learn things. Sometimes that means changing an ad layout on a successful page and losing money you would have made the other way. Sometimes it means buying someones knowledge.
68. If the web page is red white and blue, has four feet of text to scroll through, has red bold letters with yellow highlights, and has an offer where the seller is giving away $1300 of free items along with his great guide to X think of it as a tribute to the late Corey Rudl and close the page.
69. A bar full of internet marketers is a funny thing to watch.
70. Email sucks for real communication.
71. There is a big play to be made in local search and it doesn’t involve making a local search engine.
72. Reasonable good graphics can set your site apart from others
73. Usability and seo sometimes are the same thing

Post 100.. by the way :-)

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