My new Customer Service Rep

He's sorta cute. Though I may be biased. He's the junior Google Guy.

Google+ is like your Great Aunt Ethel

I've got analogy for how I see Google+ these days. It's something most of you will remember from childhood.

In it, you're the kid. Google is your Mom. Google+ is your Great Aunt Ethel.

You're a kid. You want to play with your good friends, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

But your Mom (Google), says you'd better come and visit your Great Aunt Ethel (Google+). Come, she says, you'll have a good time, and she'll buy you a toy and some ice cream. And who knows what trouble you'll get in if you don't come? Mom is *very* attached to you coming on these visits.

And that's pretty much how it is these days. Google is rewarding sites more and more for Google+ activity, and the bribery will continue. But just like kids not really excited about visiting Great Aunt Ethel, I haven't run into anyone lately who is excited about Google+. People come because they feel obligated.

And that is no way to run a "social network".

Sorry, Google. Drop the bribery. Make a reason we actually WANT to visit. Buy Pinterest. Buy & integrate Twitter. In this kid analogy, buy a bouncy castle, or a Playstation 3, or a pool table. Give us something to do instead of just having Great Aunt Ethel pinch our cheeks and tell us how big we've gotten.

Yours,
Peter Hannah
Pragmatic web marketing for therapists

Behind the Scenes of Shooting New Videos

Hey all,

If you read my posts, you know I am always harping VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO!

Today, I filmed a bunch of new videos for my counseling website, for YourGoogleGuy, as well as a couple of other new website/ventures.

I took out my own Flip HD cam to shoot 3 minutes of behind the scenes, so you can see what you might expect if you hire a videographer.

The video is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig4pjXFC-Ws

Some other notes I'd put in, based on today's session:

* for professional video, noise is a BIG no-no! My officemate had a very loud client, so we took our lunch break. We had to take multiple takes because of seaplanes taking off (I'm on Lake Union), the suite door opening, a phone ringing, and more. Be sure the place you're filming can have some quiet, or else it just might not work.
* I brought multiple shirts to the taping (especially in case I dripped at lunch)
* I averaged about 6 takes on each of the 7 videos. On one, I did 14 takes.
* to me, sincerity and authenticity are more important then reading lines perfectly. I had a few imperfections, but kept the takes because I felt more present.

The more you do this, the easier it gets. You might want to buy a camera like a Flip HD cam (I got one on eBay for $50) and practice.

OK, off to sleep! Take care, Peter
Website Marketing for Private Practice Therapists

Just some fun on a Friday night.

Sometimes surfing on a Friday night just gets plain silly.

Made using the site quickmeme.com :-)

TGIF, Peter

If You Want to Make Google Laugh, Tell It Your Plans

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." - Woody Allen

So, dear readers, if you were reading this blog about 24 hours ago, the ever-silly Google Guy put out his ideas on what would happen with Google in 2012. HA! In the course of under a day, I was proved both right and wrong and perhaps wronger at the same time. But I digress.

Today, Google unveiled (without even consulting me) a very large change to how, and they process search engine results. It's called Google Search plus Your World, and to net it out, they integrated social network results with their old search results to create a totally personalized set of results for each searcher.


Oy vey! Throughout the planet right now, SEO consultants are losing sleep figuring out how this will impact their current Page 1 rankings, and how they will measure success for their clients, now that everyone in the world will see different %*@#$ results. UGH! This does make one of my predictions come true, though!

I still don't know if this will drive people to really *use* Google+, but darn, it will make every web marketer and SEO consultant to include it in their implementations.

OK, I am off to study this a bit more. Let's see how this will all shake out.

Best, Peter
Getting Therapists on Google

Web Marketing for Therapists – Predictions for 2012

 So it’s that time of year – predictions time! What does Your Google Guy see in his crystal ball? Besides a lot of political ads on TV? OK, here we go…

Many Trends Continue – Video, WordPress and Twitter will continue to all grow and become a normal part of web marketing this year. The bleeding-edge and leading-edge marketers have blazed a trail, and the middle of the pack will follow. #JustDoIt

Google+ Straggles Along – Remember all that noise in the middle of 2011, when everyone was SO excited about Google+? Yeah, now it’s crickets. I believe Google+ will be one of those things you do solely for SEO purposes (a +1 page for your business, a +1 button on your website) but don’t spend a lot of time on. But I would spend the time to do those two things, folks.

Facebook – Ch-ch-ch-changes! Facebook continues to change, and the question is whether they will manage it well (and continue to be the “stickiest” site on the Internet) or whether some combination of privacy issues, “spooky” or invasive advertisements, Timeline-backlash, or the depressing impacts of its use will cause the kingdom to start to crumble. I’m not saying it’s going anywhere, folks, just that the win-streak will end at some point.

Facebook Ads – will come of age, as marketers really learn how to take advantage of the treasure trove of demographic data they are sitting on. First adopters will learn lessons, and others will build on them. (Oh yes, keep an eye on YourGoogleGuy.com – you might see something on this soon).

Google – three solid, non-glamorous predictions. First, Google’s classic search engine (the core that most people think of as Google) will only change incrementally. They are too smart to mess with success too much, especially with no one currently nipping at their heels. Second, I predict the same for Google Adwords. Adwords is the “Golden Egg” for Google – it’s where the money is made. They won’t mess with it. What you created in 2008 should still work (with some increased bids). But prediction #3 is – ORGANIC results will continue to change rapidly. They’ll become more personalized. SEO will continue to become more difficult to predict & control. It will be harder to hold onto ranking, and you’ll need more attention on it, if organic rankings are what drive your web traffic.

Smart Phones – since they have become a center of human activity, it will be interesting how it will impact their use. I personally use mine to find things like restaurants, movie theaters, stores, etc. I still use the trusty computer when I am doing more in-depth research. In 2012, I would start making sure your website shows up to some degree on smart-phone browsers.

Siri – Danger, Google, Danger! What some wise people have noticed is that Siri now jumps in where a search engine might have been before. And chooses the results, editing them down for you. This might be the year we start seeing S.R.O. – Siri Results Optimization.

All the best, Peter

P.S. – Superbowl XLVI – Saints over Texans (since my Seahawks are out)

P.P.S. – 2012 Election – Obama over Romney (not politicking, just predicting, folks)

So You Think Adwords Clicks Cost a Lot for You?

Ran into this amazing graphic today. I often hear from therapists how they think paying $1, $2 or $3 for a hot lead.

Well hold on to your hats. You could be in the insurance, loans, or mortage businesses, who pay OVER FORTY DOLLARS PER CLICK. Sorry for the all-caps yelling. But GEEZ, $40 a click! Whoa!

There is a local private practice business that has it just as bad. Attorneys come in at over $47/click. Yowch.

Anyway, here's the info:
http://ppbh.com/how-much-do-ads-on-google-cost

Best, Peter