Recently I was retained by a firm in Prague to help them select a local search engine or internet marketing professional and one of their first observations and questions to me was; How about we select one of the internet marketing firms listed in the ads.

Seriously people, select an SEO provider that places ads to get their business…. Are you kidding me? The most obvious observation is that the SEO firm or professional must suck. Rather harsh I know, but if your looking to hire someone to get your business to the top of Google or another search engine Do you really want to hire the guy that had to pay to get himself up there with an advertisement? No, you don’t cause obviously they can’t even compete in their own industry so what makes you think they can perform in others.

Anyways, we immediately discounted and excluded 8 SEO providers due to their inability to actually do any SEO on their own website and eventually found a professional organization who met the requirements. Requirements being a good reputation with their clients and the ability to SEO their own website.

I’m not totally opposed to ads, they can compliment the SEO efforts of a professional organization if done right. However if the SEO pro your looking at can’t get their own site ranked then I’d find someone who could.

Thats all for now on this topic. Something quick that was bugging me while I worked on my next post. The next post you ask? Well later this week I’ll focus on the numbers… I ran a poll with TechEast on the IT industry in Nova Scotia and I must say the numbers are terrible. Stay tuned for the post and hopefully some constructive feedback.

Now if you notice in the image all you get is a listing of all their files on the server. It is my under standing that Podium is part of the M5 group of companies. Now one would think that such an organization would test these things before putting them on the web… LIVE?

Just an observation and well I’m curious what kind of SEM pro do they have in each of their offices? Is this another “we will learn it as we do it” company?

Time will only tell. Hopefully they at least get their site functioning… Who wants to hire someone that can’t get their own web presence right?

Update:

Podium Digital fixed their website, thats right they decided that an index page was important. Also noticed that M5 had been visiting my blog, maybe they read this post?

Co-opetition. Competitors working together to succeed and grow a market. It happens in places like Toronto, New York, Moncton, St. John’s…why not in Nova Scotia? For the second year running, the Atlantic Canada Marketing Conference blocked one of the most high-trafficked, well marketed technology news sites in the region from reporting on the event? One would think such an event would look to embrace any media coverage it can get?

The theory of myself and a number of peers is that the AIM Conference is simply an exaggerated business development tool for a select few companies to promote themselves – when enough peers agree, something must be right. This insulated and small-town approach is what has held down the Nova Scotia IT sector from truly growing. Small companies fight for the scraps they can, looking ever inwards to their navels and missing the broader world sitting on their doorstep.

Nova Scotia companies, arrogant in their surroundings of living in the regions largest city, would do well to look at their neighbor to the West in Moncton, Fredericton, St. John and north to St. Johns where companies have found ways to work together and look eagerly beyond the borders to grow their businesses.

Well that is all for now, I am quite busy working with a forward thinking, growth oriented company who wants to make money (and in some senses they are competitor to my business). Business Calls!

So what else has been keeping me flat out…. Where do I start?

intevix, My new business launched with Giles Crouch is going full steam ahead and picking up momentum. Lots of people think what we are doing is great and the services provided will only help organizations better utilize technology. A section from our main page will give you more of an idea about what were doing:

“We’re the firm that works behind the scenes to increase your profits, build your online reputation and improve productivity through effective use of the Web. We don’t design websites or provide software solutions. From project audits, to strategy to online reputation services, intevix is in your court, independent of any vendors.”

Whats coming up? We are launching an open source software product, a media monitoring solution and an analytics and click fraud solution …

Sounds good so far… Visit the site, especially if you need a Hybrid Web Management Consultant

On the Tech East side of things I am keeping very busy…

I have working on a Technology conference called TechOpen. Looks like it will be going ahead in October 2008 with a great line up of speakers.

Another work in progress is the Nova Scotia Innovation and Productivity survey being done in partnership with NovaKnowledge, we are getting set to have this completed soon and launch the results at a breakfast in June.

I am bringing on a writer to start turning out unique content on Tech East. From executive profiles to news affecting businesses in Atlantic Canada I am working to keep Tech East number one in Technology news for this region.

And last but not least my own consulting is still keeping me busy. Companies looking for Halifax SEO professionals and Halifax Website Design services are keeping me busy, helping them enhance and improve their online presence through effective internet marketing strategies.

Well thats all for now, Hopefully today I’ll find out if I’m going to the Mesh Conference, Some great stuff going on at the event and some great stuff to share on Tech East I’m sure. Hopefully I’ll finalize one of my other two blog entries shortly and you’ll have something interesting to read.