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Whenever somebody asks me to look at their AdWords campaign to see if it needs help, the first thing I check is whether they're using negative keywords.  If they're not, I know I can help them -- a lot.  It always amazes me how many companies -- even large ones --...

We recently launched a complete site redesign for Urban Igloo, a DC-based apartment finder that helps connect landlords and renters. We have been working with Urban Igloo on marketing and backend systems development for some time so we had a firm grasp of their...

In my latest newsletter tip article, I cover how to do keyword research -- the critical first step for any SEO project.  The process often takes me 5+ hours, but I've boiled it down to the essentials so that you can do it in 3 hours or less if you're generally...

It’s hard to overemphasize the importance of thorough keyword research for search engine optimization (SEO). Most companies rely on their gut when choosing the keywords to optimize their site around — leading to wasted effort and disappointing results. The 7 steps...

Ever since reading Drive by Dan Pink, I've enjoyed running across anything written by or referencing Harvard's Teresa Amabile -- since Pink is a big fan of her work on worker engagement.  So I was excited to see her NY Times op-ed a couple weeks back titled "Do...

Over the summer, New York Times science columnist John Tierney wrote about "decision fatigue", a recent discovery that willpower gets depleted with use throughout the day, much like a muscle. His most interesting example came from an Israeli prison parole board:...

Last Sunday’s NY Times Magazine has a great piece on “decision fatigue” and willpower, by my favorite Times columnist John Tierney.  It’s adapted from his forthcoming book on the topic with FSU social psychologist Roy Baumeister — the leading proponent of the idea...

KikScore, an online trust scoring service, interviewed me recently about my experience with Marketade and my advice for small businesses.  They’ve just posted the interview on their blog, under the generous title “Turning Sites into Gold.” Thanks to Raj and Brad from...

A few weeks ago, one of our DC area clients received an extremely negative, 1-star review on Yelp.  This was worrisome because the company only has a few other reviews showing on its Yelp page — 2 of which are negative — and because its Yelp page ranks well on Google...

I’ve been going through my “Read Again” articles folder this week and was glad I’d held on to this NY Times piece from last year on “The Rise of the Fleet-Footed Start-Up“.  It discusses the efforts of Eric Ries and Steven Blank to encourage more “lean start-ups.”...

Good web design uses visual elements to enhance ease-of-use (usability) first, while being pleasing to the eye and conveying an appropriate personality second. In many years of detailed metrics analysis and testing, we have seen that trendier or more visually creative...

For our upcoming newsletter I've written an article on How to Write for the Web, which I've just posted on our site.  Here's the intro ... Every week or so, I get an email from someone seeking recommendations for a social media coordinator, an iPad or iPhone...

Speaking of good articles in Wired ... last week I really enjoyed this piece on the power of feedback loops.  The concept isn't new but he offers some fun examples of new products built around the idea of loops.  I may try out the Zeo headband for sleep tracking.  And...

There was some buzz in the last few weeks about a tweet blunder related to the video game "Duke Nukem Forever."  A PR agency got fired as a result, and as the Ad Age story concludes, it's a good "reminder to cut off all access to Twitter when inflamed." But the much...