~ Just a bit raggedy at times ~

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Google’s Penguin Update

So the Wall Street Journal has written an article about the Google Penguin update and how it has possibly hurt some small businesses. When you view the article, you’re introduced to a 47 year old man, sitting on the floor playing with his beautiful dogs. As well you’ll learn he is the owner of a company that sells dog supplies. The business owner states that 70% of his customers find his company via Google searches using the keywords “dog beds” and “dog clothes.”  If you’ve had your head in the sand for a while, Google has gone through a major algorithm change here in the past few weeks with the intent of punishing those that are using “spammy,” black hat methods to gain favorable rankings in the search engines, and rewarding those that are following “the king’s” (Google) webmaster rules and regulations. THAT remains to be seen, who those people actually are and who will take a tumble in the SERPs.

Whether you like it or not, Google IS king when it comes to web searches and you have to play by their rules. While Google does not share EXACTLY what you should do, they offer up quite a few things that you SHOULD do. There are some incredibly creative people out there that have tried to circumvent the system by utilizing spammy, link farms where you write one article and they push it to many, sometimes thousands, of websites with RIDICULOUS names in attempts to gain “inbound links.” The purpose of INBOUND links is to get them from a trusted source, not a link farm. This business owner admits he did pay for the links in an effort to gain back his rankings. In my mind, he should be willing to suffer the consequences.

According to Google’s Matt Cutts, a Google engineer, “…The Penguin algorithm update was designed to reduce Web spam, which is when websites try to get a higher search ranking than they deserve by deceiving or manipulating search engines. In many cases, the affected sites had been spamming for a long time.”

Enough said. To be totally above board with your website optimization, my advice is to think about and consider what COULD happen if you utilize some of these “bad” tactics. It’s just like you’d tell a kid: if you cheat, you might get caught. Google is getting closer and closer to catching the bad ones.When we train our clients on search engine optimization, website maintenance and social media, we talk to them about a few things that can seriously ruin your whole day. My first warning is always “don’t borrow information for other sources” – otherwise known as duplicate content. Just don’t steal – basic concept. Be truthful and engaging about your posts, tweets, and blog updates. If you don’t do it or can’t do it, don’t talk about it or suggest that you can. Again, basic concepts. And lastly, know what you are paying for. Internet marketers and search engine optimization specialists (SEO) are a dime-a-dozen these days, and they don’t have a CLUE what to do. If they don’t take the time to read and research and almost INUNDATE you with information requests, you might be dealing with someone that just doesn’t know what they are doing. If they are promising number one rankings ever……RUN. RUN FOREST RUN!

1:58 pm | Categories: Raggedy Moms | Comments Off

P B & J Sandwiches | Site Optimization

PB&J SandwichFOOD for thought today from Lee Odden, Internet Marketing Genius…..

My favorite food metaphor for the relationship between search, social, and content is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with SEO [search engine optimization] as the peanut butter, social media as the jelly, and content as the bread that holds it all together.

Bread. Most people think of the bread as the most important part of the sandwich. While it holds or binds things together, it wouldn’t be a  SANDWICH without it. Right? As with websites, you can’t have a page without content to let clients know whether or not they have found what they were looking for. Content is EXTREMELY important. That being said, just throwing some “content” on the page isn’t going to keep users engaged, which is REALLY the entire intent of a website. Yes? Offering something, whether it is a product, news or a service, is usually the purpose of a website. You HAVE to keep the visitor engaged and using BORING content is NOT going to help you reach your goals. We’ll have to do further elaboration on the FRESHNESS of bread later.

Peanut Butter. I’m SO sorry for those that have allergies to it (sorry Kayla), but my family couldn’t live without it. It’s just a staple – on bagels, on toast, on apples, eating it straight out of the container – it’s just a staple. Just as Search Engine Optimization should be a staple to any website marketing venture. SEO can be broken down into so many different parts, but it all boils down to optimizing the page for exactly what you are attempting to share on THAT page. It waters down the search results when people put too many things in their titles, H1′s, and descriptions. In the long run, you should optimize correctly. FOR PEOPLE. Google/Yahoo/Bing doesn’t buy your product or your service, REAL people do. If “bots” could shop……wow!

Jelly. Yes, you could eat a plain peanut butter sandwich with just peanut butter and bread, but that’s not interesting. Why not jazz it up a bit with some jelly? Jelly is sticky and messy and requires some maintenance – like extra napkins. So does Social Media Marketing. With 900 million people using Facebook (not to mention Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest – my personal favorite), companies NEED to use social media as a way to engage with new and potential clients. But it’s messy, just like jelly, requiring attention and almost constant maintenance. Kind of like eating a PB&J Sandwich with white pants on. I know, it’s  a lot to keep up with, but you just need to do it. Or pay someone to do it.

When the combination of good to great content, social media, and proper search engine optimization, the search engines can drive a TON of traffic to your website. Isn’t that what we are all trying to do? Just remember, it’s not a peanut butter and jelly sandwich WITHOUT any of the parts. Gotta have the bread (content), peanut butter (SEO), and that messy jelly (social media) for it to be a good website. OOOPS – I meant sandwich.

9:47 am | Categories: Raggedy Moms, Social Media, Web & SEO | Comments Off

Tom Brady’s Dad

Photo Credit | Boston GlobeAs a coach by experience, schooling, passion, AND as a mom, I struggle at times whether or not to talk to my kids’ coaches about certain situations. I usually decide against setting up “chats” after I’ve put myself in the coach’s shoes as a coach first (emotional mommy, second), and refresh my mind of the fact that these coaches, for the most part, know what they are doing. NOW, before anyone questions me on this, I’m specifically talking about REAL coaches. The ones that coach for a living, not the “volunteer parent” coaches of youth sports; THAT would be an entirely different blog topic – ha! I’m talking about coaches that have REAL passion for the SPORT as well as working with students of the game, and those that have dedicated their life to it. Again, not the coaches that are simply trying to advance their children in a specific activity or sport. Which brings me to my point.

I just read a wonderful blog post by Brooke de Lench, an contributing author of MomsTeam.Com – Sports Blog, about an interview she had with the New England Patriot’s quarterback, Tom Brady Jr’s  father, Tom Brady Sr. WOW. This blog post is a very interested read pertaining to youth sports and coaching – it’s a short, informational read about how Tom Sr. NEVER talked to any of Tom Jr’s coaches about playing time, troubling situations, times Tom Jr wanted to quit, etc. Take a moment and consider what the type of successful athlete Tom Brady Jr is.

Tom Brady Sr. discussed how he always supported his son’s sporting decisions. That means, he always believed he was arming his son with the confidence and ability to discuss things in a mature way that were troubling to him, as a student of the sport. I’ve written before about how I’m worried about how the younger generations of today and that they are incapable of organizing things themselves, because WE, as parents, have always done it for them. Club this….select that. Gone are the days of “pick up games” in the front yard or driveway, or banging on doors until you find enough players to have a game of kickball down the street. Parents schedule “play dates” for kids instead of the kids FINDING something to do or someone to play with.

It seems that just about every day, I hear of a parent whose first reaction is to “go talk to the coach,” blister the coach on behalf of their baby,”  beg for more playing time, or worse (in my opinion), discuss OTHER athletes. It never ceases to amaze me when I hear about a parent setting up meetings with their kids’ coaches to discuss things outside of what – in my opinion – is important, their child. While I think meeting with a coach is a good exercise especially when a child is struggling with something and the parent believes the coach could either aid the child in a decision process or in understanding a what’s going on. I really think interfering with day to day coaching (unless it’s hurting someone – and feelings are NOT included in that statement) and ……discussing OTHER ATHLETES should be TOTALLY off limits.

Time after time I hear how a parent “went to bat” for their athlete for more playing time or for their child to be placed on a different team, but I’m always amazed when other athletes are brought into the discussion. Maybe another athlete was blasted in the process in attempts to make their child look “innocent” or “better” than another athlete – where’s the maturity in that? You can’t control parents – my frustration comes in to play WHEN COACHES ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN and react sometimes “to get someone off their back.” Thus the struggle. Do I go to bat for my child “because others have”? Am I doing my child a disservice by NOT talking to the coach? My stance has always been, in the long run, these kids’ with parents that “micro-manage” their lives, from social to sport situations,  will NOT be able to function in the real world….because their parents have always done it for them. I tell my kids that “they’ll get what’s coming to them” all while hoping my children are learning something from the process.

As a coach (not that I always do it right), I always dreaded the “explain why you didn’t play my kid more than you did” discussions, especially post game and in heated “loss-related” situations. I HAD A REASON at the time. Normally there was a reason, and sometimes maybe it was just oversight on my part. It happens as we are all human. As a coach, you question yourself enough as it is, “if I had done this, would the outcome been different?” And as a “demand-er of respect,” I at times have been known to bench a kid  that was disrespectful to another teammate (or me) or just in general, a complainer, but NEVER because of the actions of a parent. It’s just not fair, in my opinion, to penalize a child because of the actions of their parent. But wow – is it ever hard to just sit back and take it.

My goodness people. Teach your children how to defend themselves and to ask questions in a respectful, mature way, and stop butting in. Let the coaches do their job. Ask questions when necessary but NOT in a threatening way – think about it. Do YOU want to be backed in to a corner? Everyone now and then, let the kids “handle social situations” themselves. Really, they’ll learn from it. Teach the to be respectful of others whether they like them or not, and to NOT burn so many bridges. And WHY, WHY, would you blast another child to a coach as it is about YOUR kid right? It just makes YOU look stupid, right Coaches? Come on guys…….RIGHT? It’s not just about you and your child……..and remember – what goes around, comes around!

Off my soapbox now! Adios!

3:54 pm | Categories: Family & Kids, Parenting, Raggedy Moms, Youth Sports | Tags: , , , | Comments Off

GOD BLESS PAULA DEEN!

Paula DeenOK America. It’s time to put your “big girl panties on” and get over yourselves. I’m in a mood this morning – beware. Your (mine too) weight/diabetes/heart issues ARE NOT PAULA DEEN’S FAULT! Give me a break. I can NOT believe that papers and reports this morning concerning Paula Deen’s announcement Tuesday that she has had Type2 Diabetes for the past three years. In all reality, this doesn’t affect anyone else, does it? Now if you are a huge fan as I am, and you are concerned for her, the best thing realistically you can do is to pray for her and her health.

My fired up state got started while watching the Today Show this morning, when Ann Curry (whom I love by the way) – as NEWS – discussed all the “upset people that felt betrayed” by Deen’s lack of honesty. WHAT? Why exactly do these public figures owe us anything “personal?” Really. She has built quite a business with her amazing cookbooks and television shows. You know why? SHE’S ENTERTAINING AS ALL GET OUT! She’s as much an entertainer as she is a chef. That being said, why is she EXPECTED to share her personal health news?

My fired up state increased as I climbed in my car to head to work and turn on my favorite radio personalities on 93Q – Tim Tuttle, Kevin Kline & Erica Rico – and they guys were TOTALLY bashing her. Erica was the only sane one in the group. I’m paraphrasing here in a big way, but Erica was fighting on Paula’s side by stating that she is not MAKING you cook her food. You think? Tim & Kevin, well – mostly Kevin, were talking about how bad her cooking and about how much butter and sugar she uses. So. The Jersey Shore reality show stars drink all day every day – does that mean you HAVE to go behave that way? HuH?

Has anyone ever read or heard of Paula Deen beating anyone over the head with her REALLY CUTE pots and pans all while forcing them to make a recipe from one of her books with multiple sticks of butter and cups of sugar. Of course you haven’t. Anthony Bourdain – star of “No Reservations” on the Food Network called Mrs. Deen, ” the most dangerous person in the world.” I guess the intelligence behind that statement explains why I’ve never heard of the guy and don’t even recognize him. Wow. The most dangerous person in the world? Think that’s a bit dramatic?

OK – so she has signed on with a diabetic drug company as a spokesperson. So she’s stands to make some money from these endorsements. Is that wrong for her business wise? Can you blame her? Think of all the stuff Trump has done, does he still have a high ranking tv show? Of course he does…..because he’s entertaining to watch. Watch one of Paula’s shows or catch her on the Today Show….she’s pretty cool. You’d want to sit and have a chat or two with her – but then I tend to like people that have BIG personalities.

I am so tired of everyone blaming these stars for how they are affecting the youth of today. Here’s an idea. TALK TO YOUR KIDS. Tell them that’s not right to suck down a stick of butter or 5 Red Bulls everyday. Or marrying someone you don’t know or don’t love and expect to spend the rest of your life with. Or drinking and driving. OR taking a gun to school and not dropping it when the cops tell you to. OR letting yourself tip the scales at 300 – unless you have a medical condition that causes you to gain weight, try pushing back. Trying exercising. Trying taking responsibility for yourself. Try not hanging out with a “bad influence” or “bad crowd.” Parents are so quick to blame everyone else for their own kids’ issues and missteps…..try parenting. It’s a concept that is lost on a lot of people.

Moderation. Only make ONE of Paula’s recipes a week OR only on holidays. It’s just like everything else. Most things won’t hurt you in moderation. Disclaimer…..I said MOST things.

Off my soap box now. Back to work! Anyone need a website or blog to VENT – ha!

10:53 am | Categories: Raggedy Moms | Comments Off

Observations from Aggieland | Social Media

I had the complete pleasure of spending a Friday thru Sunday in Aggieland – otherwise known as College Station, Texas, as the big kids and I were attending Senior Gulf Champs for a swim meet. This is a prelim/final swim meet attended by all of the usual teams we normally see – teams from just North of Conroe, to Humble/Kingwood, to Beaumont, Port Lavaca, Deer Park, Pearland, Katy, Sugar Land, Spring/Klein, CyFair….you get the picture. A few exciting ads this year are from Colorado and Arizona. So it’s a pretty good sampling of people. All swimmers are 15 years old and older, everyone for the most part is pretty dog-gone fast. There are just different levels of fast. We’ve seen swimmers that are “just exercising” all the way to a few “junior national times” achieved AND we’ve also seen some wicked fast Olympic Trial cuts achieved. Just fast swimming…….

Aggie Natatorium

As I’m sitting in the stands at the BEAUTIFUL Texas A&M University Student Recreation Center, trying very hard to work, my eyes keep wandering to the swimmers in the water, as well as the swimmers/parents sitting around me. I’ve made quite a few observations this weekend while hanging out with this incredibly diverse group of people. You know…..watching people’s social (media included) skills LIVE.

Parents | I don’t understand sitting in the stands for 3 days in a row, from 8 in the morning to 9 at night, and NOT sitting with your team. Seriously? Are you SO into your own kid’s performances that you can’t sit with and cheer on your swimmer’s teammates? You know those teammates that they probably spend more time with than you? I just don’t get it, I know I’m relatively social, but geeez – so are these people. I see some that sit off by them selves as if they are too good to sit with “the masses” – need to look REALISTICALLY at those times again…..

Teen Swimmers | Those dang earphones. Really? You are NOT in school, NOT being preached at or coached. Take the time and get to know the swimmers that you spend 3-4.5 hours with a day,  that share your passion of swimming. You can’t socialize when you are face down in the water staring at that little black line. Turn the dang music off, pack up your earphones and practice the social skills that you need to home for later on in life. And your music isn’t that good anyway – ha!

Social Skills | Wow.  Should I have said, “Lack there of?” As a native Texan and Aggie – yes, I bleed Maroon – there are just some things that I expect from the youth of today. Guys – hold the dang door open for girls. I don’t care if they are a 4 years old with untied shoelaces and dragging a teddy bear, someone you hang with daily or a little old lady fighting an umbrella in this blustery, rainy weather. Hold the door open. You never know when you are going to make someone’s day. Your mom should have taught you that by 15. Pay attention. Yes, it matters. Girls – you can’t whine about the guys “not noticing you” if you are constantly staring at a phone, texting about how cute the guy is WHILE he’s sitting next to you.  Yes, we know you are doing it. Here’s an idea – TALK TO HIM. With words, this is NOT the time to hone your social media skills. Try practicing those VERBAL skills. When you are older and in a meeting at your office of choice, you will not be able to text (if we are lucky). You’ll have to depend on your interpersonal skills that almost every last one of you are lacking. Including my own kids  – yes, I said it.

Social Skills & Competition | In “the old days,” we were expected to root on our teammates (and mean it), not sit in the stands being unsociable, listening to music, and staring at the ground in hopes that no one would talk to us. That was simply not acceptable. Were we competitive with each other? HELL YEH we were. You ALWAYS try to improve your time, but we swam for bragging rights as well as “beating the clock.” In the water, it was no holds barred. This was a very important meet. These kids work all year long for meets like this one. Some are trying to simply better their times, while some are vying for Junior National cuts and Olympic Cuts. It’s the same sport, just different levels of goals. A little extra support from teammates would do nothing BUT HELP! Try it, you might get it back in return.

Digital Social Media Skills | Wow. Where do I go with this one? Parents – do you have a clue what your kids put on Facebook and YouTube? Really. Most of my friends have their kids’ passwords and SAY they are watching their kids’ pages – but there is NO FREAKING WAY they are. The only way kids are going to learn REAL social skills, is if someone calls them out on their behaviors. Like their parents. Like their coaches.  Am I saying ride their butts all the time, no? They have to learn from their social mistakes, but I’ve seen some REALLY rough things – socially rough, not illegal/mean rough – this weekend. I really feel if some of these parents were watching what their kids were writing sometimes, it would get better. Now, some of these parents need to grow a backbone and actually “discipline” their kids as it helps them learn. They’ll still talk to you. REALLY. If they want to eat……

Now……Alexandra – get that 7 paragraph, re-post off your front page. Really.

12:51 pm | Categories: Family & Kids, Social Media, Swim & Sports | Tags: , , , | Comments Off

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