I’ve been writing for 25 years. This site is new. I’ve got some serious work to do. In the meantime, have a look at the 1,000+ posts I wrote on Portent.com
In These Uncertain Times, Marketing Copy Can Still Show Empathy
Most of us, including brands and the copywriters that work for them, want to show empathy. Particularly during a crisis. But you don’t need to start your ad with “In these uncertain times.”
Continue readingWhat Digital Marketing Does
Digital marketing is not a business strategy. It connects your customers to your value (your product) when they need it.
Continue readingSite Replatforming: 51 Must-Do To-Dos
I have a love/hate relationship with site replatforming projects: Migrating from one CMS/e-commerce platform/whatever to another is an opportunity. Great things can happen! Yay! Or, you can end up with a feculent pile of badly-written code and shortcuts that bogs down your business until the next time you replatform. This is my stream-of-consciousness list of things you must do for a stench-free project.
Continue readingEvery Shitshow is Different: Running An Agency In A Crisis
If you run an agency, you’re going to face tough times. There’s no avoiding them. These are my experiences and how I (and my agency) survived them.
Continue readingSEO 101: URL Permanence
If you create repeating, date-based content on your site, like an annual ‘best of’ list or buyer’s guide, use the same URL every year. Archive previous years to date-based URLs. That’s URL permanence. You’ll get more SEO bang for your buck.
Continue readingSEO 101: The Blank Sheet Of Paper Test
SEO Rule Number One: Fully describe your content.
Heck, that’s copywriting rule number one.
Everything that describes content should pass the blank sheet of paper test:
“Will this, written on a blank sheet of paper, make sense to a stranger?”
Continue readingMarketing Haiku, 2.0, aka I Still Have Writer’s Block
Yep. I still have writer’s block. I’m so desperate I’m rewriting old fluff pieces and publishing them in a futile display of attention grubbing. So here you go: More Marketing Haiku. I apologize.
Continue readingPutting The Brakes On Python
Python is a fantastic SEO tool, until it breaks your heart. Tools are tools and you need to pick your battles. Ask yourself these questions before you code.
Continue readingWhat’s A Good Outgoing Link? Use Common Sense
What’s a “good” outgoing link? The SEO world has generated a mindboggling mound of utter crap on this subject. I try to simplify and make sense of it all.
Continue readingTools I Use aka Dogs, Starcraft, and Atomic Leafblowers
Ho hum, you say. Stay with me! I promise cats, dogs, drugs, Starcraft, and atomic leafblowers. And yes, all the tools I use, from keyboards to calendars.
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