How to Make Google-Ade

By Carl Weiss


Having been a long distance bicycle racer in my youth, one of the first hard won lessons learned was that without proper nutrition and hydration you weren’t going to complete, let alone win many races.  Pedaling for all your worth for 100 miles at a go takes a lot out of the body, no matter how young that body might be.  After running in the back of the pack for my first few races I started taking note as to what the top racers were ingesting both before and during a race.  What I quickly learned was that while you can burn upwards of 5,000 calories during a century race, the last thing you wanted your body doing during the race was digesting solid food.  That in itself takes a lot of energy.  So the secret weapon that propelled me from the back to the front of the pack were hi-calorie energy shakes before the race followed by several bottles of Gatorade during the race.

So why the impromptu lesson on sports nutrition, you ask?  Just as in the world of bicycle racing, when it comes to being a power player online, to the swift goes the race.  By that I mean that if you want to get the 800 lb gorilla in the room named Google to feed you, then you have to feed the gorilla what he wants to eat.  For those new to the game, the gorilla is a picky eater.  Of course with 68% of the search market, he can afford to be.  So what I am going to show you below is the one formula that is proven to please even the pickiest of simian appetites.  For want of a better term, we will refer to this beverage as Google-Ade.

First of all, we’ll start off with a mixture that is 80% content-driven.  The gorilla likes a lot of roughage.  Just because you have Blogger, Google+ and YouTube accounts, that doesn’t mean that the gorilla is going to like you if you only post once in a blue moon.  Face it, an 800 lb gorilla has a healthy appetite.  If you want him to feed you (ie give you page 1 position), then you have to feed him regularly.  The formula that seems to work best at present is to blog weekly, post a video at least bi-weekly and Google+ every day.

I know what you’re thinking.  “That’s a whole lot of bananas.  How am I going to come up with enough food to keep a gorilla sated?”  The answer is easier than you think if you plan in advance.  


Vlogging to the Rescue

When it comes to creating more the occasional video, Video Blogging (otherwise known as vlogging) can be your best friend.  All it takes is a little bit of preparation to write a few talking points down.  Then you can have a discussion with your audience about any topic that hits your fancy. (Below is a vlog done by our own Hector the Connector that tells you the 10 things you need to avoid when making a sixty second presentation.)  

You can shoot the video using the camera built into your laptop.  You can shoot it using your smartphone.  If you want to give it better than average production value, place a green sheet behind you and alter the background to one more interesting than your bookshelves.  Green screen technology is built into even the most rudimentary of post production software.  

However you produce it, the trick to must-see-web-TVis to make these videos short (1-2minute) and to post them every week or so.  Better yet, shoot four of them at a go and then stream one to your audience every week.  Make sure you optimize the videos when uploading them to YouTube by including high-value keywords in your titles and description.



Google is Gaga for Blogs

In fact the gorilla is so crazy about blogs that he owns one called Blogger.  What most people don’t realize is that one of the fastest ways to jump onto page 1 of Google is via blog.  It isn’t at all unusual for a properly optimized blogpost to jump from Blogger onto page one in less than a week.  Again, you have to make sure that your post isn’t just a wad of words.  Crafting a blog is one of the tricks of the trade you will need to learn in order to use this tactic effectively. 

Rule Number One: A blog is not an ad.  The last thing your audience wants to read is a pitch for your latest product or service.  What they want to read are things that will solve problems, timely tips, or copy that makes them laugh.  Just like the gorilla, you need to please the crowd if you are going to make blogging pay off.

Mine the News Feeds for Gorilla Snacks

One of the easiest ways to have the gorilla eating out of your hand is to use Google+ on a daily basis.  That doesn’t mean that you need to craft a new post each and every day.  Far from it.  One of the tactics that I use to great success is to mine the news feeds for information that would be of interest to my audience.  How do I do that?  On iGoogle there is a tab that reads, “News.”  The news is then broken into categories listed on the left hand column.  Once you click on a category, a list of sub categories will be displayed.  All you have to do is find a topic of interest, click over to the story and then share it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ at the push of a button.   I mean, what could be better than using Google+ to help you feed Google? 



Cross-Platform Means Doubling Your Pleasure

Another power tactic is to cross one platform with another.  Don’t forget to embed your vlog in your blog.  Don’t neglect to post your blogs and your videos on your social nets.  They don’t call it Mixed Media for nothing.  Just as with great scotch, Google-Ade tastes best when blended.

A Pinch of This and a Dash of That

While optimizing your website is still one way to generating results on the world’s most popular search engine, it isn’t the only way to generate the desired result.  (Not to mention that making Google-Ade is a great way to enhance your SEO.)  Personally, my goal is not to be on page one of Google.  My aim is to have multiple links on page one.  I don’t want to simply see my website on a high value keyword.  I want my website, my video, my blogpost and a social post or two to be found there too.  The trick to doing that is to give the gorilla a five course feast that he can’t ignore.  Because when it comes down to it, what do you feed an 800 lb gorilla?  Anything he wants.

When he isn’t cooking up online marketing tactics, Carl Weiss also cooks up good eats on his Man Cave Munchies web TV series on YouTube.  His online marketing sites include W Squared Media Group, Jacksonville Video Production and Club W Cubed.  He can also be heard every Tuesday at 4pm Eastern on BlogTalkRadio. 

The Shortcut to Online Success

by Carl Weiss

When it comes to working the web, everyone is always looking for a shortcut to getting on page 1 of the major search engines, particularly Google.  The problem is, with 240 million websites already online and another 130,000 sites entering the fray daily, generating a page 1 result is getting harder and harder to accomplish with any rapidity, especially if you rely solely on the pig-in-a-rut methodology of traditional SEO.  That's not to say that traditional search engine optimization shouldn't be part of your armada of online marketing technology.  It just shouldn't be the only thing separating you from page 1 of the major search engines.

Besides, while SEO is an important part of developing your web presence, it isn't the only way to generate results.  Some would argue that it isn't even the best way to generate results.  Why?  Because virtually every search engine shakes out the carpet from time to time by updating their algorithms.  If you have ever seen your search engine listing go from page 1 to page 5 overnight, this was in all likelihood due to a search engine "update."

Updates have an adverse effect on your on-site SEO that can leave you scrambling to make up for lost ground immediately after an update hits.  But what if there was a way to get on page 1 of Google that didn't rely on your website at all.  And what if this technique could not only solidify your position online but actually be 5 times more conducive to getting a prospect to take action?  Do you think that would help you grow your business?

Lights, Camera, Online Video Action

If you really want to get both the attention of prospects and googlebots alike, what you need to do is create a series of optimized videos on YouTube.  That's right, video alone can get you onto page 1 of the world's most popular search engine.  If you have ever done a search on Google and seen a video pop up on page 1, you have just witnessed the phenomenon known as "Mixed Media."  Google searches through more than   websites looking for relevant results to display on page 1.  It also looks for photos and videos as well.  By creating and wrapping a YouTube video with titling and text that contains the keywords you wish to gravitate to on Google, you will increase your chances of rising to the top.  Posting the video to your social nets and embedding it in your blog isn't a bad idea either.






When you consider that Google only displays 1 or 2 videos on page 1, having one of your videos appear there gives you an advantage over the couple dozen websites that are pulled up on the same search.  That's because it is a fact that people are 5 times as likely to watch a video as visit a website.  

More importantly, video is also the perfect way to convert clicks to cash, since it can introduce your company, employees, products, services and best customers to the public. In a minute or so you can take prospects for a virtual tour that enhances your credibility, gives them a solid reason to do business with you and reduces buying resistance.

So, if you are looking for a competitive edge that can propel you to Google page 1 in 30 days or less, start shooting video.  It's the one shortcut to online success that pays off in a number of ways.

Carl Weiss is president of http://wsquaredmediagroup.com and owner of http://jacksonville-video-production.com  He co-hosts the weekly Working the Web to Win radio show every Thursday at 4pm Eastern on Blog Talk Radio.  




Gaga for Google+

by Carl Weiss


Lately I have been reading that some people consider Google+ to be something of a ghost town.  I beg to differ.  Not only isn’t Google’s social network a has-been, if anything it has been growing both in popularity and functionality.  Especially now that Google has folded Google Local into the mix, G+ should not only be a vital part of any optimized marketing mix, but it also offers a number of nifty features that are lacking in other networks.

Google Plus reports having generated about 100 million users since opening to the public in September. Depending on whose figures you use, this number could easily be more than 250 million users since anyone with a Gmail account has instant subscription access to G+.  While being a far cry from Facebook's roughly 900 million accounts, that’s still nothing to sneeze about.

Google+ Full Featured, Powerful and Easy

First and foremost, Google+ is full featured, powerful and easy to use.  Unlike Facebook, learning how to operate and feed G+ is relatively straight forward and intuitive.  Everything from adding and organizing your contacts any way you want to communicating with them  is extremely simple.  Once added, your contacts are accessible in Gmail, linkable to your Google Calendar and Docs, chat and YouTube.  Even better, for those seeking to become G+ wizards, Google offers Google+ University which provides an extensive knowledge base. 


What does +1 mean to you?

Everyone knows that the best kind of advertising is word of mouth.  Well, by hitting the +1 sign on any Google search, you are in essence giving it your seal of approval.  This not only provides the site owner a boost SEO-wise, but it also shows the public who endorsed the site when they search the term on Google.  More importantly, you can also mouse over the +1 and share the same item with your friends on G+.  And you can also embed the +1 button onto your website, which makes it convenient for people to point, click and recommend you as well.  So the +1 is your first, best and easiest way to add SEO value and word of mouth marketing to your website.



Features, Features and More Features

Anyone who uses G+ will immediately notice how feature laden it is.  Everything from photo to video sharing is a point and click away.  Games too.  Many people will quickly say, “So what.  I can do that on other social networks.”  And they would be correct.  That’s because when Google created G+, they emulated the best features found on other social networks.  But they didn’t stop there  Want to search locally for the best coffee shop or Chinese restaurant?  Click on the Local button which contains ratings from Zagat.  In fact, you can search the entire Google Local database by entering a query in the dialog box at the top of the page.  Try finding that on other social networks. Want to video conference with up to 25 friends at once for free?  That’s what the Hangout button is designed to do.  Once activated you can either email or point and click on any of your friends who are Google+ members.  An invitation will be automatically sent out and they can join the discussion at will. 

Even Small Features can make a Big Difference

Google+ has also paid attention to many of the small details that other social networks have ignored. For example, they have made it extremely easy to embed videos, pictures and links to any posts. More importantly they have made it possible to edit, delete, link, block comments and lock the post even after your post is published. I don’t know about you, but being able to edit posts after the fact and control comments is a useful feature that I would like to see all social networks embrace.


It just keeps getting better and better.
Remember, Google+ hasn’t even reached its first birthday, which means that it is still experiencing growing pains.   As time passes you can expect Google to add apps and yet more features that not only make the G+ experience an A+, but that also communicate with and through the world’s most popular search engine.  If that doesn’t make the public go gaga over Google+, then I don’t know what will.

Do yourself a favor and make sure you include Google+ as part of your overall social media marketing strategy. Leaving it out would be a big mistake, especially since Google owns 60+ percent of all internet traffic!

That’s our opinion, we would like to hear yours? (Don't forget to hit the +1 at the base of this article.)



Since 1995, Carl Weiss has been helping clients succeed online.  He owns and operates several online marketing businesses,including http://wsquaredmediagroup.com and http://jacksonville-video-production.com and the SEO Club http://clubwcubed.com
He also co-hosts the weekly radio show Working the Web to Win every Tuesday at 4 pm Eastern on http://blogtalkradio.com/workingthewebtowin