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#SMX Liveblog: Revolutionizing Decision Making: How The Analyst Will Take Over Business (#ms3)

#SMX Liveblog: Revolutionizing Decision Making: How The Analyst Will Take Over Business (#ms3) was originally published on BruceClay.com, home of expert search engine optimization tips.

“Today, analytics practitioners influence business decision makers. In the future, analysts will own business decision making.” That is a heavy statement from the #SMX West agenda description for the session I am sitting in right now. This session is all about big data, analytics, and how tech of the future (artificial intelligence, metric captures, wearables) will radically transform the way we collect and unpack our analytics data.

You may have noticed this session has a special hashtag — #ms3 — which signifies this presentation is the third session in today’s 11-part Marketing Summit Track. The Marketing Summit Track is special because in this track attendees hear three 25-minute mini-sessions on three different topics during one 1.5-hour session slot, rather than hearing several speakers share on one topic for the full 1.5 hours (which is the standard SMX session format).

In this 1.5-hour block we have the following three mini-sessions bundled:

(9:00-9:25) From Content Marketing to Media Company (#ms1)

(9:30-9:55) The Coming Paradigm Shift In Mobile Marketing (#ms2)

(10:00-10:25) Revolutionizing Decision Making: How The Analyst Will Take Over Business (#ms3)

In this post I’ll cover the third in the 9-10:25 series: Revolutionizing Decision Making: How The Analyst Will Take Over Business. Click the above links to read liveblog coverage of #ms1 and #ms2.

// Start liveblog session

Leading us through this 25-minute talk on the “analytics revolution” is Natalie Kortum (@NatalieKortum), director of analytics and consumer insights at Humana. She’s going to be discussing Revolutionizing decision-making.

Natalie Kortum speaking at the #SMX West 2014 Digital Marketing Summit.

She starts by saying plain and simple Big Data will change analytics (and how we report them) forever.

Not only will more data allow us to better connect with our consumers during specific/targeted phases in their lives, it will also allow us come to more statistically relevant conclusions. A lot of data increases our statistical relevance.

HR is even using analytics in 2014! (They want to get a feel for whether they’ve recruited the right people; whether their employees are going to be star performers or expendables.)

In Mad Men times we used our gut instinct a lot. Today we use DATA!

Look at:

1) High level exporting/trends. Generalized data.

2) Key performance indicators; where are we? What metrics represent success?

3) Business intelligence data exploration.

4) Math modeling.

5) Machine learning

At each one of these decisions you need Acceptance – at every stage you need someone to give you buy-in. To approve what you’re doing; to accept your data; to give you a green light to move on to the next stage.

The difference between a good analyst and great analysts – getting buy in!

The Key: 3 Ways to Nurture Successful Ongoing Analytics

What do I need to create a project that continually gets funding quarter over qurter? Year or over?

1) Make sure your data collection meets a strategic business need.

By this we mean the business itself needs to find it important. Not the analytics team finds it important; the business leaders need to find it important. Stakeholders need to ask about it in follow-up meetings; they need to be interested in it.

2) Explain the analytics in a way that the stakeholders can understand.

How can you explain to your directors — in an accessible way — what the data is saying, and why the data is critical?

3) Demonstrate ROI to stakeholders.

How can you improve this data gives you stronger confirmation than a primal instinct, and that the data collection and analysis is worth the investment.

4 Tips for Communicating Analysis to Stakeholders

1) Walk a mile in their shoes.

What does it the person you’re communicating to need? Ask them! What are your top of mind problems you’re dealing with? What do they need to communicate to their supervisors? What data do they need to give X project value? How can you mine the right data to solve the right problems?

2) Run your presentation past a nontechnical supporter.

Seriously. Make sure your nontechnical volunteer understands what you’re saying before you run your presentation by a stakeholder. Another approach is to pretend that you’re giving your presentation to your mother, or your neighbor; will they understand what you’re saying?

Pro tips:

Only take  two-minutes to explain your methodology.

Use analogies!

3) Create proof points for your techniques.

For example: Are there other markets that are already using a similar approach? Other companies? Other internal resources? Respected industry expert? Can you get examples of their work, or actually get the person in the room with you (if in-house)?

4) Watch your assumptions!

Only show two or three if you need to show them. Don’t get them overwhelmed with maybe data.

How to integrate data into business decision-making

A flow might go like this: [She calls this “the evolution of the non-technical business decisions maker”]

Sure, let’s test it!

Implement it – but I want to approve final decisions.

Implement – but you approve final decisions.

Ok. This is working great. Let’s automate it!

What you want is for your business decision maker to hand you the keys: “You own this! You know it better than I do; let me just give you the context of what I am trying to accomplish, and you mine/collect the data to make it happen.”

When developing your speaking skills it’s remember: We all learn from our failures. Keep trying, keep failing, keep learning.

Circle Up: Google+ Tips from SEO & Marketing Pros

Circle Up: Google+ Tips from SEO & Marketing Pros was originally published on BruceClay.com, home of expert search engine optimization tips.

Once labeled a “ghost town” in 2013, today Google+ is anything but. Google’s burgeoning social platform is projected to overtake Facebook in 2016 according to a SearchMetrics study. Established in 2011, Google+ boasts 540 million active users.

Last week, @BruceClayInc hosted the weekly #SEOchat on Twitter. The topic of conversation was getting the most out of Google+. Find out what marketers including Google+ specialists David Amerland and Mark Traphagen had to say when asked about:

Follow and circle Bruce Clay, Inc. on Google+.

Google+ SEO Benefits
Google+ for Clients
Google+ for Engagement
Tracking Google+
Google+ and Circling
Google+ for Blogging
Google+ Hangouts On Air
Google+ Communities
Google+ Personal Benefits

Feel free to jump to the topic you’re most interested in by clicking on the heading above, or read them all.

Google+ SEO Benefits

1. How have you seen Google+ impact your #SEO? Do your G+ posts or page rank for your brand or keywords?

@DanLeibson: It has impacted our Local SEO process heavily …

@KMullet: Well, since they dropped the Twitter firehose, you can *at least* count on G+ for fast indexing.

@DavidAmerland: G+ connections play key part in serendipitous discovery in search.

@MarkTraphagen: Yes! Google “Google+ page analytics” for example. Has been ranked for 2+ years now. First line of post is treated by Google like title meta tag (include keywords there). Personalized search big factor in G+ SEO. Peeps who circle you will see your content elevated in their searches. You build profile authority on G+ by who engages with you the most. Surprising to many: follower count alone is low correlation to search authority from G+ Relationships count!

@KristiKellogg: Agreed. engagement boosts clout (& @Klout) on all social platforms, not just follower count. The count is irrelevant.

@JoshMcCormack: Definitely. I’ve seen people with 10x the connections and lower Klout.

@VirginiaNussey:  I mainly recommend #GooglePlus participation to a client for Google Authorship and as an additional rankable profile.

@ClairDogg: I’ve noticed quicker indexing when blog posts are shared on Google+. Authorship has greatly helped for traffic.

@Jason White: We’re seeing a lot of benefits with the complete local integration and when used to send traffic across social platforms.

@TannerPetroff: I’ve seen Google Plus pages ranking for all sorts of stuff. Authorship markup is huge for SERPs, too.

Google+ for Clients

2. Do you recommend Google+ participation to your clients and for what purpose? How do you convince them of the SEO benefits?

@AlexPeerenboom: We almost always recommend Google Plus to clients now. Even if their industry isn’t very active. Hangouts are a great tool for content.

@DavidAmerland: G+ is a digital identity service. One ‘easy’ way to stake uniqueness in a crowded web.

@MannixMarketing: Have been recommending Google Plus since day one and now requiring it for local search. #GoogleAuthorship alone …

@MarkTraphagen: We build strategies for clients that bring proprietary audience for them into G+ (Hangouts On Air for one).

Hangouts On Air can be shown and promoted on other social networks. Then invite audience into brand’s G+ community to continue conversation. If a G+ brand page owns an active community, it may help the Google relevance “score” for that brand.

@TannerPetroff: Most of my clients are local, so setting up G+ local accounts for local SEO is necessary. Not tough to convince them.

@ChrisPKing: Convince them of long term benefits of Google+ participation and personalized search immediate benefits.

Google+ for Engagement

3. What content earns the most engagement on your Google Plus? Short posts? Long posts? Videos? Pics? Links? 

@TannerPetroff: I see photos coupled with medium length posts doing really well on G+.

@MannixMarketing: Most engaging posts are generally current event driven (big local festivals or national/global pop culture).

@ChrisPKing: Images work well in Google+ especially with large travel and photography communities.

@DavidAmerland: Content that resonates most closely with target audience needs. G+ revolves around the human factor. Content needs to be monitored and engaged with to thrive.

@MarkTraphagen: Images will get more +1′s & shares, but we do well with long form content that stimulates lots of comments, too. Worst performing on Google Plus –> “Link Dumps” – posts that are just a link with no added thoughts or questions.

Google Plus tip: If you want more quality followers, seek out good relevant conversations & contribute helpfully.

@KristiKellogg: I’ve seen a LOT of engagement with photos on my personal profile.

@ChelseaBeaAdams: Community engagement and thoughtfully tagging those you want to loop into a conversation is really the secret to G+.

@KMullet: Solve problems, answer questions, and be engaging/entertaining.

@DelawareDigital: Oftentimes the amount of engagement on a poor/lazy post astounds me.

@VIPsBond: A picture is worth thousand words, try info-graphics on Google Plus, they can certainly engage people, provided they are useful.

Tracking Google+

4. Do you track any metrics related to Google+? How much traffic is Google+ referring? Any analytics apps you’d recommend?

@MarkTraphagen: I highly recommend SteadyDemand for G+ analytics

@ChrisPKing: I use Buffer on Google+ Pages for analytics.

Google+ and Circling

5. What is your strategy when it comes to following other Google+ users? Do you participate in Circle Sharing?

@DavidAmerland: No. There is a simple criteria: do they produce or share valuable content that enhances my G+ experience?

@ClairDogg: Pictures, with links a close second, get the most engagement, based on my experience.

@MarkTraphagen: I avoid the mass circle shares like the plague. Just adds junk to your stream and no authority value. See my post on what creates authority in G+: How Google Plus Pages & Profiles Gain Search Authority.  I find most of my most valuable follows through people who engage intelligently on my content and posts I’m engaging on. G+ Tip: Circles are most useful for managing your browsing. Create top circles for your most valued follows so u see more from them.

Google+ for Blogging

6. Are you using Google+as a blogging platform? If so, how do you decide if the content is going on G+ or your site blog?

@DavidAmerland: It should be part of your conversation with your audience. Some G+ posts are just G+ posts. Others are better as blog posts. Find the human interest factor in your stories. That will increase their impact.

@VirginiaNussey: #GooglePlus seems to support long-form posts, both as a poster and reader. We’ve experimented with excerpting blog posts on G+.

@MarkTraphagen: Original content on G+ gets appreciated if you do it regularly. Helps build your rep and following there. At Stone Temple, we’re experimenting with original content just for our G+ page.

@KristiKellogg: We do teaser posts, too. The #GooglePlus posts are like a sneak preview of the BCI blog

@PaulaSpeak: Google+ is effective place to summarize your blog posts and link to your site.

@Clairdogg: I have my blog in a central location, my website. Entries are shared on Google+ to appropriate circles.

@ChrisPKing: No, I don’t use Google+ for blogging or any other third party platform. Build your own products on your own domain.

@OldhamJared: I’m not using it for blogging, but would like to.

@Tony_DWM: Connect: G+ profile, authorship, link social accounts (G+ to YouTube), add G+ Biz page (w/ good description) & posts for G+ entity authority.

Google+ Hangouts on Air

7. What Google Plus Hangouts On Air do you participate in or recommend for SEO and Internet Marketing strategy?

@DavidAmerland: Those that allow you to learn something new, meet someone interesting or connect with your audience in real-time.

@MarkTraphagen: We do a weekly Digital Marketing Answers Show, once a month. David Amerland is our guest.

@GrantTilus: Google Plus Hangouts on Air are a great way to create original content for Google Plus. I’ll actually be presenting on producing them at SMX West.

@MannixMarketing: Generally participate in #googleplus hangouts that have reputable speakers or are more local conversations.

@PaulaSpeak: The Hangouts are a rich vein of expert information.

Google+ Communities

8. How are you using Google Plus Communities?

@DavidAmerland: Communities add depth to the engagement and the subject authority.

@AlexPeerenboom: I’m in Communities that are of personal and professional interest.

@ClairDogg: Interact with others with the same interests.

@OldhamJared: Currently using communities as a think tank with other marketers. Also for targeted customer engagement for biz.

@AlbanySaratoga: I personally use #googleplus communities like I do my “lists” on twitter. Quick way to tap into/engage specific groups.

Google+ Personal Benefits

9. How are you leveraging Google Plus personally? What’s the biggest benefit you’re seeing?

@DavidAmerland: I met some awesome people who changed my thinking. I have a direct channel with readers. Can’t get any more real than that. G+ is a true collaborative platform leveraging cognitive surplus. (i.e it helps you get smarter, faster).

@MarkTraphagen: On personal level, greatest benefit of G+ is as a learning community. Another personal benefit of G+ is personal brand building, esp. via Google Authorship. Big discussions w/ really smart people. Via hangouts I’ve actually gotten to really KNOW prominent peeps in my industry before I ever met them. When I go to conferences, people already recognize me from seeing my face in their search results.

@AlexPeerenboom: I’m using Hangouts more and more for client meetings.

@DavidAmerland: Be open. (it’s actually hard to do). Trust requires: Contact>Perception>Assessment>Connection – all steps possible within G+.

@VirginiaNussey: Seems like personally I use #GooglePlus for social community and content discovery and for clients I recommend as #SEO tool.

@ClairDogg: Mainly for sharing content, my own or others. Occasionally, share a private photo. Found a niche who engages.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this week’s #SEOchat! #SEOchat is held every Thursday at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET on Twitter. Learn more about participating here.

Why Local Businesses Need Reviews and 12 SEO-Approved Ways to Get Them

Why Local Businesses Need Reviews and 12 SEO-Approved Ways to Get Them was originally published on BruceClay.com, home of expert search engine optimization tips.

The local search algorithm is so complex that a good local SEO has to look at almost every aspect of the business’s marketing, from the website and ads that the business controls to external citations, links, social media, online directories, and more. Customer reviews and ratings are essential items in the SEO’s tool belt, especially for optimizing local businesses.

Last week, some of the most respected marketers in the local SEO field tackled the subject “Harnessing the Power of Local SEO for Your Business.” This ISOOSI Chat episode (a weekly Google+ Hangout on Air) touched on many topics, but one discussed in depth was why customer reviews are important today and how to do them right.

This article draws from points made by the panelists +Mike Blumenthal (Blumenthals.com), +Darren Shaw (Whitespark), +Ammon Johns (ISOOSI) , +Bill Slawski (Go Fish Digital) and +Carlos Fernandes (ISOOSI) regarding the importance of reviews and ratings for a local business and 12 tips for getting them in a way that’s search engine friendly and SEO approved.

Why Reviews and Ratings Are More Important Than Ever

Ratings and reviews are a huge conversion factor, more influential for getting users to click through and make a purchase than business citations or most other elements of local SEO. If your search result has 4.5 stars and 18 reviews (compared to fewer for your competitors), that’s strong social proof that your product or service is trustworthy. But besides increasing users’ trust, recent search innovations have created new reasons that SEO-minded local businesses need reviews and ratings.

Reason #1: Google Map searches now feature reviews prominently.

Google just updated its map search layout to show ratings and reviews much more prominently, giving users immediate feedback to help them make a snap decision:

Reason #2: Ratings and reviews can influence rankings.

This point needs a disclaimer: Google still (probably) ignores reviews in its organic search algorithm. Nevertheless, in the cutting-edge world of local search, ratings and reviews do impact rankings for at least three types of searches:

Map searches – The new Google Maps features tour even says outright that the “highest-rated” businesses near you will be returned when you search with local intent:

Local Carousel – A study done by Digital Marketing Works (and quoted by Search Engine Land) found a “very strong correlation” between reviews/ratings and Carousel position. Many other factors contribute to ranking, of course, but it makes sense that Google would show the “best” businesses first to increase user satisfaction.

Mobile searches – In Google Now search results for mobile devices, review counts and average ratings affect ranking and are prominently displayed:

12 Tips for How to Get Reviews & Ratings (the Right Way)

These 12 recommendations start with doing a little research on your competition and then quickly move into practical tips and principles. Follow the experts’ advice to get local business reviews in a way that won’t incur the wrath of Google, Yelp or anyone else (except maybe your competitors).

1. Find out which review sites Google pulls from for your industry. A good first step is to do a Google search, scroll down to the local pack (the 7 or so listings with pins in the map), and open the pop-up next to each listing (see example below). The review sites Google links to repeatedly for your competitors would be good for you to get reviews in, too. (Credit: Mike Blumenthal)

2. Have great customer service. Your business needs to have happy customers to get good ratings and reviews. If your service is terrible, stay away from local SEO. (Credit: Ammon)

3. Never pay for reviews. It may be tempting to offer incentives to customers for reviewing your business, but don’t do it. Google forbids giving incentives for reviews. Also, the FTC has legal rules for bloggers that make it dangerous to incentivize endorsements of any kind. Here are real-life examples of what NOT to do:

Don’t give away a free slice of pizza for bringing in a completed review.
Don’t set up a computer in your store where you have customers type in reviews.
Don’t create a Facebook giveaway requiring reviews. (Credit: Mike)

4. Don’t ask anyone to create a Yelp review. Yelp prohibits businesses from soliciting reviews and enforces it vigilantly. But also on a practical note, there’s no point asking for a review because only people with a Yelp account can do it. Better idea: stick a Yelp sign on your window or wall. True Yelp posters will take the subtle hint and possibly write you a review. (Credit: Darren)

5. Encourage customers to write reviews. Encourage your customers to leave reviews using a soft-sell approach. You could make suggestions in your newsletter, ask customers after a satisfactory experience, or put up review-site logos in your place of business.

6. Display printed-out reviews in your place of business. Another soft-sell idea is to display reviews where people can see them. This tells customers you value their reviews, provides social proof that your business deserves praise, and also shows which review sites you’re sourcing. Brilliant. (Credit: Ammon)

7. Don’t force users to a particular review site. Having reviews distributed among various review sites looks most natural to the search engines and to users. If all of your reviews are on one site, Google may suspect that you have automated or fabricated the process. So when suggesting review sites, give your customers a choice of several that are used in your industry (see #1). (Credit: Mike)

8. Use schema markup. If you have reviews and testimonials on your website, you can help search engines understand it with schema markup. Basically, you insert specific codes into the HTML of your web pages to identify what kind of content it is. Having structured data doesn’t impact your rankings, but it does improve indexing and can increase click-throughs to your site if rich snippets are displayed in your search results. (See Google’s support page for Reviews Rich Snippets for details.)

“Anything you can do that helps Google understand what you do better is a good thing … [Using schema markup] is critical in local sites.” – Mike Blumenthal

9. Connect with customers from the start. Set up a simple system for connecting with customers through regular social media or email contact. A local bakery, for instance, has a clipboard to get people’s names and email addresses for its newsletter. Get involved with social media, reach out to customers, and be responsive to their ideas. Being visible on the web can set your business apart. (Credit: Bill)

10. How many reviews do you need? You don’t need that many reviews, just enough to stand out in your industry. Getting a bunch all at once looks unnatural; so does having 200 reviews if your competitors have only 2. Try to get at least one review per quarter. If you ask all your customers, you’ll get a few, and that will be enough to stay ahead of the pack since they accumulate over time. (Credit: Mike)

11. Manage reviews and testimonials. There are many software products that can help you manage reviews and testimonials. One free monitoring tool is Google Alerts, which regularly notifies you by email of any mentions of a search phrase you set up (in this case, your brand or product name). You can also do Google exact match searches (inside quotation marks), social media site searches, and so forth. The point is to set up a system that lets you easily monitor your online reputation.

12. Keep listening to experts. Follow experts like Darren Shaw, Mike Blumenthal and David Mihm on social media. Their posts are among the most informed on the topic of local SEO. (Credit: Ammon)

Last, local businesses shouldn’t focus too much on reviews:

“The goal should be happy customers.” – Mike Blumenthal

 

How to Create Persuasion Momentum with SEM

How to Create Persuasion Momentum with SEM was originally published on BruceClay.com, home of expert search engine optimization tips.

It takes 7 to 13 touches to deliver qualified leads, explains Online Marketing Institute in a recent two-part series (part 1 / part 2). The gist: prospects considering a substantial purchase need time for research, consideration, and then action. As marketers, we need to acknowledge this decision-making behavior, and we need to determine a strategy that captures these touch-points and delivers quality leads and sales.

As paid search managers, we know that most visitors don’t convert on the first visit. In fact about 98% of people don’t convert upon first visit. Why does this happen? Why can’t people just pull the trigger on their first visit to your website? Let’s review the stages of the consideration process of major purchases:

Members of your target audience begin by thinking about their general problem and they start running search queries through the search engines. As those folks get more educated, their search queries get smarter and more specific. Eventually, members of your audience are more aware of their options (you and your competitors) to solve their problem, and they start to make comparisons. At the end, your prospect knows what solution is a good fit for them or their company — and hopefully that’s you!

Sure, the purchase process isn’t always this clean, easy and linear. People hop back and forth between devices, channels and priorities on any given day, and this can be extremely challenging for SEM managers to monitor, manage, and optimize. This is where persuasion momentum comes in. Go ahead and embrace the fact that your audience may need to be touched 7-13 times before they will convert — and forge a plan to get your persuasion momentum rolling!

Persuasion Tactics

As an SEM manager, you have a wide array of tools at your disposal that will help you stay in front of your audience through the entire consideration process. These strategies include varying channels and devices.

Here is a short list of tactics you should consider in order to gain those critical 7-13 touches that should gain the attention of your target audience. Note that this list is focused on SEM/Display/Social; it doesn’t include email, direct mail, phone calls, and other offline touch points. There are numerous other tactics you can add to your persuasion momentum strategy.

Standard Display Remarketing: “Standard” means remarketing that you can utilize via Google AdWords or another third-party platform.
Remarketing Lists for Search Advertisers (RLSA): This tactic is available through Google AdWords. RLSA is also great for targeting competitor keywords for individuals who have visited your website previously. (They are looking at your competitors!)
Video Remarketing : AdWords now offers the option to remarket to people who visit your YouTube page or watch any of your videos.
Social Remarketing: Utilizing FBX to remarket on Facebook.
Facebook Custom Audiences: You may need to get in front of individuals who may have already converted (requested information, etc.). You can upload your email marketing lists into FBX and target these people on Facebook.
Search Companion: This tactic involves targeting the Google Display Network via search queries. This means you target specific queries on Search and your ad shows up on the Display Network.

Remember that all touch points are not created equal. Some tactics target users who are in a passive frame of mind and others target individuals for whom you may be top-of-mind (active behavior). Each of these tactics may have more value to your company and campaign. You will have to conduct some trial-and-error to get the right mix for your business.

Active Behavior

Passive Behavior

The objective of these tactics is to stay visible to your audience. Or perhaps rattle their memory into action when they see your remarketing ad and they haven’t converted yet.

In the future, look for a discussion of how you can structure your campaigns to best utilize this strategy, along with how to establish tracking in order to establish which channels work best for your business.

Optimizing Events Online and In-Person: SMX, Pubcon, Google Hangouts and More

Optimizing Events Online and In-Person: SMX, Pubcon, Google Hangouts and More was originally published on BruceClay.com, home of expert search engine optimization tips.

Hot off the presses, it’s the event optimization edition of the SEO Newsletter. We dive into optimizing your experience at a live event — perfect timing, what with next month’s SMX and Pubcon conferences. Read on for a peak at what the February SEO Newsletter has in store.

FEATURE: Attend SMX West for Inspiration, Education and Network Building

In the feature article, longtime SMX attendee (and SMX Advanced presenter) Virginia Nussey shares many benefits you stand to gain from attending SMX West in San Jose, March 10-13. In Attend SMX West for Inspiration, Education and Network Building, Nussey breaks down those benefits, which include:

Catch up with all the latest in Internet marketing news, digital strategies and search engine developments.
Train with the brightest minds in boot camps dedicated to search engine optimization, social media management, paid search and digital marketing.
Listen to insights from the likes of Google Search Engine Vice President Amit Singhal and Search Engine Land Founding Editor Danny Sullivan.

BACK TO BASICS: A Social Media Guide to Event Attendance

In A Social Media Guide to Event Attendance, I let you in on my top tips for maximizing social engagement, specifically during live events. Those tips include:

Using and identifying the most relevant event hashtags.
Mentioning speakers, influencers and attendees whenever possible.
Taking advantage of 200% engagement increase sharing a photo can cause.

But Wait, There’s More …

In the Hot Topic, learn why Google+ is taking off. Once denounced as a ghost town among Internet marketers, it’s now the place to be thanks to SEO benefits, Google Authorship tie-ins, Hangouts on Air and more. In Education Matters, read up a new online course for copywriters looking to add B2B SEO work to their resume. The Success Works B2B SEO Copywriting Certification Course teaches writers the ins and outs of content creation for the web for B2B businesses specifically, focusing on keyword research, keyword discovery, competitive analysis in the post-Hummingbird era and much more. In addition to all this, you’ll get the roundup of February’s top developments in the Internet marketing space.

Bruce Clay, Inc. is committed to providing thought leadership and transferring knowledge to our many readers through the SEO Newsletter and the Bruce Clay, Inc. Blog (recently topping WebMeUp’s list of “remarkable” blogs from digital marketing agencies). Want the SEO Newsletter delivered straight to your inbox each month? Sign up here. 

PPC Tool Review: Inside the Free AdWords Grader

PPC Tool Review: Inside the Free AdWords Grader was originally published on BruceClay.com, home of expert search engine optimization tips.

Note from the editor: The free PPC grader tool reviewed here is a useful application for:

A small business owner who wants a report card for his AdWords campaigns. Get an easy-to-interpret report that compares the project to others in a like category with similar spend. Use it once and then again later to make sure your management of your AdWords campaigns is improving.
A PPC manager (agency, in-house or consultant) delivering progress reports to a client or manager. If a benchmark report card is taken at the outset of a project, later reports, delivered with compelling visuals, tell a story of your achievements and a smartly managed account.
A PPC manager assessing a potential new client. Get a quick-overview appraisal of an AdWords project’s strengths, weaknesses and low hanging fruit.

In the daily world of paid search, the analyst or marketing agency makes sure that they are providing their client with opportunities of growth and most importantly ROI. Yet, what tools do advertisers consider useful for PPC management? Just recently, Larry Kim, CEO of WordStream, invited me to a live demo of their new PPC auditing tool, AdWords Performance Grader Plus. Now as an analyst that considers herself an enthusiast when it comes to performance metrics and elaborate charts, I was intrigued to know what has changed or improved in comparison to their former AdWords Grader. Plus, any tool that might help with supporting my original analysis in efforts of providing the best results for my clients is okay in my book!

AdWords Performance Grader Plus

The new and improved features now available through the AdWords Performance Grader include:

Performance Tracker.  Reports on your account performance every 30 days offering the advertiser another look at efficiency of their marketing efforts. Providing “overall performance and key metrics trending over time.”
Mobile PPC Readiness Score. Reports on your Mobile PPC efforts, identifying factors of mobile optimization and evaluation.
New and Improved Benchmarks.  Reports on metrics, specifically “competitive benchmarks” where not only does it identify your current performance but also compares your PPC efforts with similar advertisers in your industry. Areas of industry comparison includes but not limited to: wasted spend, quality score, impression share, click through rate, account activity, a few other benchmarks. 

Features of Interest

Now if you were to ask, what AdWords Grader features I found beneficial or worthwhile? Well, from the areas that Larry went over, the metrics / elements I found most interesting were, but not limited to:

WASTEFUL SPEND. Taking into account the negative keywords, how many were created in the last 90 days and how adding more negative keywords to your campaigns will help reduce the waste. Spend is also compared to similar advertisers.

Wasted Spend report in the WordStream AdWords Grader

TEXT AD OPTIMIZATION. Being that Ad Copy does play a factor when tying landing page relevance and contributing to quality score calculation, you want to know what has been working and possibly expand from its identified potential.

Text Ad Optimization report in the WordStream Google AdWords Grader

MOBILE PPC OPTIMIZATION. Confirming if all mobile optimization opportunities have been addressed, specifically mobile text ads, sitelinks, and call extensions.

PPC BEST PRACTICES. Offering additional insight for PPC experts to address if areas are missing or need improvement.

Would I Recommend AdWords Performance Grader Plus?

After reviewing what WordStream’s auditing tool has to offer, I do see myself using the grader as a supporting tool when running an in-depth analysis of an account’s performance. Yet, with real-time data and opportunities being offered through Google Analytics and AdWords, I would use the tool to confirm my reporting, like I would with other tools in my handy analyst toolkit.

What Are Some Areas to Take into Consideration?

Although, I do find the improved benchmarks great with its detailed feedback of a PPC experts marketing efforts, an expansion of discussion on comparison of “similar advertisers” within my industry is up for debate. As it can be agreed, our clients come at different sizes and with different goals, therefore, what “industry” is my performance being compared to?

Final Thoughts

Let it not be mistaken, as an SEM advertiser, I am not saying that this innovation replaces any tool, but to consider this auditing tool as another one to be added to our ever-growing bag. Google AdWords has many great features including the “Opportunities” tab and new interface, but with online marketing consistently changing, we can all agree that with marketing, specifically paid search advertising, the more tools we can use to support or confirm our methodology’s and analysis comes at great benefit, while achieving the ultimate client satisfaction.

SMX West 2014: Liveblog Schedule and Where to Find Bruce Clay

SMX West 2014: Liveblog Schedule and Where to Find Bruce Clay was originally published on BruceClay.com, home of expert search engine optimization tips.

We’re two weeks out from SMX West San Jose. For those in attendance, we’re sharing the Bruce Clay, Inc. schedule here and hope our paths will cross at some point between the expo hall, conference sessions and networking events. You may also want to consider upgrading your SMX experience with a one-day, in-person intensive SEO workshop with Bruce on Monday, March 10, where you’ll get your every SEO question answered from the industry’s leading teacher.



If you haven’t yet registered but plan on attending, get 10% off the cost of any pass and/or workshop by registering with code BRUCECLAYSMXW14. If you won’t be at the show, we’ll be delivering the show to you with liveblogged reports on the BCI Blog from the sessions below.

SMX West 2014 Liveblog Schedule

Day 1: Tuesday, March 11

Time
SMX West Session
Blogger


9:00 a.m.
Digital Marketing Summit Boot Camp

From Content Marketing to Media Company
The Coming Paradigm Shift in Mobile Marketing
How the Analyst Will Take Over Business


Chelsea


11:00 a.m.
The Essential Guide to Social Media Etiquette
Virginia


11:00 a.m.
Digital Marketing Summit Boot Camp

The Display Ad of the Future: It’s All about You
Email & the Audience Imperative


Chelsea


1:30 p.m.
Facebook for Business & Other Paid Social Media Opportunities
Virginia


3:30 p.m.
Twitter for Business
Chelsea


5:00 p.m.
Keynote: A Conversation with Google Search Chief Amit Singhal
Virginia

 

Day 2: Wednesday, March 12

Time
SMX West Session
Blogger


9:00 a.m.
Long-Term SEO: How to Win for Years, Not Days
Chelsea


10:45 a.m.
App Store Optimization
Virginia


10:45 a.m.
Small Company; Big Results
Chelsea


1:30 p.m.
Capturing the Mobile Paid Lead
Virginia


3:30 p.m.
Life After Not Provided
Chelsea


5:00 p.m.
Evening Forum with Danny Sullivan
Virginia

 

Day 3: Thursday, March 13

Time
SMX East Session
Blogger


9:00 a.m.
What’s in My Keyword Research Toolbox
Chelsea


10:45 a.m.
Power Boosting Sales with PLAs
Virginia


10:45 a.m.
Making Sense of the Local Landscape
Chelsea


1:30 p.m.
Pro-Level Tips for Succeeding at Retargeting
Virginia


3:15 p.m.
Meet the SEOs
Chelsea

 

Where Bruce Clay and the Team Will Be During SMX West

Mining for gold nuggets from speakers at sessions is one reason you come to SMX. Another reason you attend one of the industry’s top-flight events is to make connections with individuals and with organizations. Us too.

Bruce Clay and Robert Esparza will be in expo hall booth #406 during office hours, open to sharing our info and offerings to anyone looking for an full service digital marketing agency, an SEO tools vendor, or a 5-star reviewed SEO training course that you can attend in sun-soaked SoCal or have us come to you.
At noon on Tuesday, hear a quick and illuminating presentation by Bruce in Expo Hall Theater A.
Chelsea Adams and Virginia Nussey will be wearing press badges during the day and party hats (perhaps figuratively) at night. But no matter the time of day, we’re all on the hunt to meet our cool confederates in SEO, social and content marketing. Bruce, Chelsea, Virginia and Robert will be around all the networking events, including:

Monday night Meet & Greet: From 6-7 your drink is on us! Bruce Clay, Inc. traditionally sponsors the SMX conference kick-off because we like to meet people and hang out with our peers and colleagues — yes YOU. Join us at the San Jose Marriott second floor Ballroom Foyer.
Tuesday night Expo Hall Reception: From 6-7, the expo hall is the traffic center of the show and we’re up for convo and cocktails in booth #406.
Tuesday night Search Engine Journal Meetup: Join us from 7-9 at Mosaic Restaurant & Lounge as SEJ hosts cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, free for the first 200 registrants. We’re on the list. Get on it!
Wednesday night SMX After Dark: From 9-11 Motif Lounge is the only place to be, SMX attendees. Not only will all the interesting conversation be within the walls and lounge spaces of Motif, but if last year was any indication, so will the best dance beats. You may also make a donation to Dana Lookadoo’s recovery fund at this event.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning Conference Yoga: Start every day off right with a stretch and a sweat on the yoga mat with your fellow attendees in San Jose Convention Center room 212. Virginia has pre-registered for all three mornings for just $35. You can register online or show up and pay in person, with a per-class cost of $15.

Whether we see you in San Jose or in the comments of liveblog posts, we’re looking forward to a great show around the corner.

Content Marketing Chemistry Lesson with Andy Crestodina

Content Marketing Chemistry Lesson with Andy Crestodina was originally published on BruceClay.com, home of expert search engine optimization tips.

Heads up savvy marketers: add Andy Crestodina to your Google+ circles. By following Andy on Google+ you’ll be keyed into a range of weighty and forward-looking content marketing topics, but one place where he’s carved out a niche as an expert is that SEO-critical and evolving frontier, Google Authorship. Yesterday Andy posted findings that authorship rich snippets are on the rise, showing on about 23% of Google SERPs.

Google SERPs with authorship rich snippets from January to February 2014

If you already know Andy, you know he’s an insightful and prolific contributor to the online marketing industry. Andy published Content Chemistry: An Illustrated Guide to Content Marketing after thousands of conversations with hundreds of companies in over a dozen years of web marketing. In 100 pages filled with illuminating illustrations, the handbook makes accessible the social, analytical and truly enjoyable facets of marketing online.

An illustration from Andy Crestodina’s Content Chemistry: An Illustrated Guide to Content Marketing.

We tapped Andy to contribute his expertise to Content Marketing Strategies for Professionals, which you’ll find in chapter 9′s selection ”Google Authorship: How to Do It and How it Affects SERP Rank.” Read on here for a Q & A with Andy for advice on:

How to include testimonials on your site so they make the greatest impact.
How to contribute to publications and best optimize your guest content for authorship benefits.
How to avoid the most common misunderstanding of content marketing in 2014.

BCI: Can you share two or three of your favorite industry blogs?

Andy Crestodina: In addition to the usual suspects, lately I’ve been enjoying the Buffer Blog. The “life hacking” tips are useful and it’s nice to see these topics in my usual mix of straight marketing articles. I also like almost anything by Gregory Ciotti. He often connects brain science to marketing, which is is always insightful.

In your book Content Chemistry you describe content marketing as both art and science. Can you give us three actionable tips on how to keep the balance in 2014?

1. Add Social Proof to Marketing Pages

Adding “Social Proof” to your website will improve the conversion rate. If you have a product or service page that does not include some kind of evidence that you’re legitimate, you’re missing out on leads or sales.  The easiest type of evidence to add is social proof, such as a testimonial quote from a customer. It should be related to the content of the page.

Never make a testimonials page. Visitors are unlikely to click on it so few people will see it. (if you have a testimonials page, just check your Analytics and you’ll see what I mean) Social proof is supportive content and it belongs right next to the service or product it refers to.

When you say it, it’s marketing. When they say it, it’s social proof.

2. Cross the Social Streams

When someone shares something you’ve written on a social network, thank them when you share it again on a different social network. For example, when a follower tweets a post of yours, go share the post on Google+ and mention them with a quick thank you. Now, they’re likely to see the post and +1 it there. You already know they liked it, right?

This is a way to expand your social network by jumping across social networks and bringing people with you.

3. Keyword Research, Research, Research

This is a biggie. Nothing drives traffic like search. And there’s really no chance you’ll rank without being deliberate about keywords. Don’t click publish until you’ve taken a minute to check the Google Keyword Planner for phrases.

Next, check the competition. I use the MozBar check the competition by looking at the page authority of the high ranking sites on page one in Google. Make sure you’re not targeting a phrase that’s unrealistic.

Finally, indicate the relevance. That’s all. Just indicate that your article is relevant by using the phrase appropriately. That means including it in the title, header and body text. That’s it. When it’s works, it’s a beautiful thing…

Finish this sentence:

Content marketing is NOT…  based on opinions.

We see you are a contributor to quite an impressive list of publications. What advice can you give on contributing to publications and how to best optimize authorship benefits? Does quantity matter?

Writing for other websites is a great way to meet people, make connections, help friends, increase referral traffic, grow your social followings and yes, build a link here and there.

Quality is the key. You have to be willing to give away some of your best content or you’ll never get accepted by the best blogs. As with anything, start with empathy. The blog editors are looking for quality, research, actionable advice and true insights. Why? Because this is what their audience wants!

So be generous, write something great and then give it away. You may be surprised at what comes back to you.

Can you share links to your top 3 favorite articles with your byline?

How to Optimize Your Blog

This post didn’t get a lot of traffic, but it explains two of the best marketing tactics I know is a step-by-step approach. Anyone who follows these instructions will likely see better results quickly, both in traffic and conversions.

Lead Generation Best Practices

Even the big topics can be broken down into simple tips. This post shows diagrams for each type of page in the lead generation funnel. It’s a quick way to check if there any any weak links in your lead gen chain. You can fix these by adding (or sometimes removing) page elements.

What Works Better, Lists Posts or Stories? Let’s Ask a NYT Editor

Here’s one I wrote for Copyblogger. It’s an example of a lot of ingredients come together. It’s a universal topic, giving it broad appeal. It’s got the voice of an expert, giving it credibility. It’s got a practical conclusion, making it useful. It was very collaborative to create and to promote.

Biggest content mistake or misconception in 2014:

That changes in Google have completely changed the game. They haven’t.

Do you have any favorite tools or platforms that make a content marketers life easier?

I’m a MOZ user and I’m completely addicted to Analytics. I suppose that’s common. But I’m going to recommend a tool that might surprise you: the telephone.

Nothing short of an in person meeting builds a stronger connection than a phone call (or Skype call or G+ Hangout). Virtually every aspect of content marketing is based on relationships and higher quality communication means stronger relationships. I talk to fellow content marketers on the phone around the country almost every day.

Go ahead. Pick up the phone and dial that person who left that awesome comment on your blog. Call the guy who’s shared everything you’ve written for the last year. Call them all and say thank you. Make plans. Share. Get ideas and collaborate.

Can you share some examples of brands doing content marketing right?

Here’s an example of a local business that has fully embraced content marketing and is seeing the benefits: Jody Michael & Associations. They’re small but totally committed. The blog and the videos are right on topic. They’re creating, promoting and measuring content beautifully.

Are you speaking at any up and coming conferences that our readers can meet you in person this year? Please share! 

Yes, I’ll be speaking at Content Marketing World and at SOBCon. We also run our own conference here in Chicago called Content Jam.

I also applied to speak at the Marketing Profs B2B Forum, but I haven’t heard back. If you’re going and would like to hear me present, send a tweet to Ann Handley and give her a nudge!

What social network is the best for our readers to connect and follow you?

Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+. I’m not a big user of Facebook. Also, I put my best advice into a bi-weekly newsletter on Orbit Media. It’s basically a 5 minute read every two weeks, so it’s not super overwhelming.

What a Website Can Do about “Thin Content” — 4 Common Scenarios and Solutions

What a Website Can Do about “Thin Content” — 4 Common Scenarios and Solutions was originally published on BruceClay.com, home of expert search engine optimization tips.

For many ecommerce sites, sites with hundreds of mostly duplicated pages, and others, fixing thin content may seem like an impossible goal. But thin content is the opposite of the “unique, quality, relevant content” that search engines want to show on results pages. Thin content can hurt a website’s SEO and revenue.

What’s the worst that can happen? Websites can incur manual penalties from Google for having “Thin content with little or no added value” (see this Google Help video for Matt Cutts’s explanation). Other times, sites may experience sudden drops in organic search traffic as evidence of an algorithmic penalty (usually Panda-related). Either way, penalty actions reduce website traffic and impact the bottom line.

What can a website do to fix thin content? Last week’s ISOOSI Tuesday Chat, a Google+ Hangout-on-Air hosted by ISOOSI Research Engine, dealt with this issue. In Making Your Thin Content Phat!, host and ISOOSI President happens every Tuesday at 12:00 Pacific time on Google+. All are welcome.

Should You Attend a Search Marketing Conference in 2014?

Should You Attend a Search Marketing Conference in 2014? was originally published on BruceClay.com, home of expert search engine optimization tips.

A short Cosmo-esque quiz to help you decide if you should attend a search conference in 2014:

Do you feel like screaming “Nobody understands me!” like a teenage girl every time your coworkers eyes gloss over in the middle of your conversation about the latest algorithm update?

If you feel like everyone you talk to looks at you like this when you talk SEO, you should really consider attending a search marketing conference. STAT.

Do you love the conversations you’re having with industry leaders in Google+, but often think of the left arm you’d give to actually have a face-to-face conversation with them?


Do you wish you could walk into a giant Ikea-like store that only carries search marketing tools and casually browse the aisles of options, stopping to ask attendants for demos and help as needed?

If you answered yes to any of the three above questions, stop procrastinating and opt into attending a conference in March! There are two conference opportunities coming up right around the corner: SMX West March 10-13 and PubCon South March 17-20. Register for PubCon before February 28 to get the Early Bird rate, or use discount code BRUCECLAYSMXW14 to save 10% on any SMX pass and/or workshop.

Need more persuasion? Here’s a deep dive into how attending a conference offers a solutions to each of the above listed qualms.

3 Reasons to Attend a Search Marketing Conference Plus 10 Pro Tips to Help You Get the Most Out of The Event
1. Exit “Nobody Understands Me” Land and Start Learning from Your Peers in the Magical World of SERP Nerdery

Imagine being magically whisked away to a place where everyone you meet is equally as excited about Excel shortcuts, semantic markup, longtail keywords, and persona research as you are. Imagine yourself walking up to a total stranger, starting a conversation about Danny Sullivan, or how social signals affect the search algorithm, and imagine that the person you’re talking to knows exactly what you’re talking about, doesn’t gloss over, and actually responds with their own opinions. It’s magic! And if you’ve never experienced it, this sensation of ethereal belonging alone is 100% worth the conference registration fee.

Attending a search marketing conference is like having your favorite WebProNews forum, and all of its participants, come to life for a face-to-face discussion over coffee.

This kind of in-person interaction is really unique to the conference environment, and it can be an excellent way for you or your search team members to use conversation with peers to connect strategy dots. (Sometimes you just need to talk out the pros and cons of an idea and it’s impossible to do that when everyone you talk to looks at you like you’re speaking Pig Latin translated into German. Note: At search conferences like PubCon, everyone speaks Pig Latin translated into German.)

How to Get the Most Out of Your Peer-to-Peer Conference Time:

Talk to people in elevators and sit next to strangers at meal times.

Elevator rides and meals are great times to catch people in moments where they may have a minute to talk. An elevator chat, if done right, can turn into a walk n’ talk, which can turn into breakfast if the chat gets rolling. You both have to be there anyway, why not get to know each other?


Claim your seat in a session early and have a chat with the person who pulls up next to you.

Before you even start talking you know you have one common interest – whatever the session topic is. Use this time to ask a peer’s opinion, get to know someone who you might be able to work with in the future, or simply just to talk geek shop with someone who cares.


If you have a specific question you want to address, make sure to go where you think the experts in that field will be.

For instance, if you have a nagging PPC question, go to the PPC sessions, visit the PPC tool booths in the vendor village, and talk to the PPC session presenters.

You are with birds of a feather! Take it in, ask questions, and enjoy meeting people just like you from around the world.

2. Keep Your Left Arm and Have a Face-to-Face Conversation with Your Industry Idol

We all agree, getting feedback from experience peers is invaluable. Now imagine getting this same feedback from your industry idols; the niche experts that write the online marketing books you read, and manage the blogs you visit daily – like Search Engine Land and Moz.

Casual interaction with industry experts is common at search conferences like SMX and PubCon, and it’s awesome.

4 Ways to Get Some Idol Interaction:

Attend a workshop, like Bruce’s SMX SEO Training or a PubCon Masters Group workshop, for personal time with niche experts.

While these workshops add a little extra to your total conference cost, the small class size and individual attention you will receive in workshops like this offer an elite, custom learning experience that will end up paying for itself.


Prepare questions pre-session to be locked and loaded for Q&A time.

Nearly every session will have an ample amount of time set aside for questions and answers. Pro tip: If you have specific questions you want to ask panelists, one way to take advantage of this Q&A time is to draft relevant questions you want to ask panelists before the session. This bit of planning ahead can help you keep your full attention on the session without missing the opportunity to get your question in front of the experts.


Attend an interactive site review session for a chance to get your site (or social page) analyzed granularly.

Both SMX and PubCon offer interactive clinic sessions that analyze a volunteer’s website or social profile as a learning experience for all in attendance. Of course competition is high in these sessions and everyone’s page can’t be the one (or two, or three) selected to share with the crowd, but just by showing up with a volunteering spirit there’s a good chance your site could be the one getting the free, incredibly public (but also incredibly free!) professional audit.


Meet industry leaders at lunch, social events and after sessions.

During conference events you’ll see industry “celebrities” everywhere, just co-mingling like you and me and every other everyday Joe. I fully encourage you to walk up to your favorite industry celeb, say hello, introduce yourself, and maybe even spark a conversation or ask a question. Pro tip: Approach these idol meet n’ greets with care! Just like you would approach introducing yourself online with care (think how much time you spend crafting a spam-free Twitter bio, or writing a Google+ comment to Mark Traphagen) make sure you’re also taking care to put your best foot forward in real life situations. In other words, think about how you’re presenting yourself before you just spew something you wish you could take back; and try to, at least in a miniscule way, come prepared with something of value to say — something that contributes to a conversation. Believe it or not, you can actually spam someone in person, and no one wants that to be the impression they make on their niche idol.

If you see Matt Cutts and Eric Enge hanging around, take a deep breath, think about what you want to say, and then put your best foot forward.

3. Get Tool Recommendations from Pros and Browse Aisles of Marketing Tools in a Baby Ikea-esque Vendor Village

What if you could get an industry expert to tell you exactly what tools they are using and why they love them? Or if you could browse the aisles of a super market that only lines its shelves with online marketing tools? Sounds like two magical scenarios that would make your job much easier, doesn’t it?

To find both look no further than your nearest SMX, PubCon or other search marketing conference event. If you’re in the market for a tool that will make your life easier, search conferences are truly the place to be.

3 Places to Find Tool Recommendations at Search Conferences:

Tool recommendations are integrated into the majority of sessions.

Even if the session you’re attending doesn’t have the word “tools” in the title, expect lots of tool discussion to happen organically as part of the “how” portion of most presentations.


Sessions dedicated 100% to tool discussion and recommendation.

Both SMX and PubCon offer a series of hour-plus sessions that exclusively cover SEO, SEM, PPC and social media tools, how panelists use them, and why they were selected over alternatives. You can also look forward to dedicated sessions that discuss in-house marketing tools and Excel as a search marketing tool.


Vendor village of tool retailers looking to discuss your problem and prove they can solve it.

Half the trouble of selecting a new tool is finding a new tool. The vendor village is a great tool discovery aid; just peruse the aisles, listen in on conversations the vendor’s are having with other attendees, tell the vendor exactly what features your dream tool will have, and watch demos of tools that meet your criteria. You may even stumble upon an amazing search marketing tool you didn’t even know you needed.

Go Forth, Learn and Commiserate With Your Peers!

It can be lonely living in a world where the majority of folks immediately zone out when they hear the words “algorithm” or “Excel.” It’s hard trying to explain to your husband who Matt Cutts is and why he matters. And it can feel downright isolating always having to turn to online peers for strategy feedback because the people sitting around you have no idea what it is you do.

All that to say, there’s real value in spending three whole days immersed in a world where everyone understands you.

For comic book fans it’s Comic-Con; for roller derby girls it’s RollerCon; for search marketing professionals it’s industry events like SMX and PubCon.

Go be a part of the community this year! Register for PubCon before February 28 to get the Early Bird rate or use discount code BRUCECLAYSMXW14 to save 10% on any SMX pass and/or workshop.