If you’re absolutely paranoid about brand control, you need to secure your domain and other TLD variations (if you’re a global empire, ccTLD too). I think that’s a given if you’re an entity concerned about managing your online reputation.

While cybersquatting (or domain squatting) as a business model works, it’s a cat-and-mouse game. But if I could get away with owning a major Philippine telco domain name (I’ve since sold it), that tells you how iffy intellectual property law implementation is here in the country. Brand managers should pull out their credit card now and start buying unregistered domains close to their brands. If you’re doing this now, consider yourself spanked. No online-aware brand manager ever releases a brand or an advertising campaign without buying the best brandable domain for it weeks, if not months, before roll out.

If you’re working on a limited budget consider getting the .NET and .ORG to go with the .COM you already have. If you’re doing a Philippine-based campaign, buy all three plus the .COM.PH and .PH variations.

Contrary to news reports, I didn’t get lost in the jungles of Borneo. I was just preoccupied with work-related improvement initiatives for the 4th quarter/holiday season and other SEO Philippines initiatives in the pipeline. I also recently just gotten engaged to my loving girlfriend and I’m learning to adjust to the engaged life :)

For Bayanihan SEO contestants, we moved the contest checkpoint dates. Required links and leaderboard app should be up tomorrow (thanks Boris!). Apologies for the very late update.

Ghostwriters, misrepresentation, controversy baits and the Mob. Buti na lang I haven’t been blogging :) So what else did I miss?

Was lurking a few weeks back at Philweavers, the place to be if you’re 1) a web designer and 2) Filipino, and saw the Proudly Pinoy Logo Design Contest thread. I’m throwing my support to this initiative. Hope more designers send in their works of art. Now you know where my next recruitment hunting ground will be. Sayang hindi natuloy yung last candidate :(

Let’s keep this nationalistic flavor going! Paradise Philippines, Proudly Pinoy, Wow Philippines… We can be great!

NOTE: If you wish to join our growing list of sponsors, please visit this thread.

SEO Philippines is proud to announce the launch of the most ambitious SEO contest ever: the P600,000 Bayanihan SEO Contest.

Bayanihan (pronounced buy-uh-nee-hun) is a Filipino tradition wherein neighbors would help a relocating family by gathering under their house, and carrying it to its new location. More generally, the word bayanihan has come to mean a communal spirit that makes seemingly impossible feats possible through the power of unity and cooperation.

SEO Philippines takes the bayanihan spirit to the SEO world with the first ever social SEO contest. After two highly successful keyword ranking contests (Isulong SEOPH and Ituloy AngSulong) that saw individual SEOs fight for the top spot in all three major search engines (Google, Yahoo! and MSN), we’re breaking new grounds by introducing a team-based point system that will revolutionize the way all future SEO contests are run.

The Concept

Here’s how the Bayanihan Point System (BPS) works: Read the rest of this entry »

Looks like we’ve found another niche:

In general, I would avoid the theme auctions at DigitalPoint.com. The quality of themes is quite mediocre, mainly driven by a commercial mindset and quantity not quality. Most of the designers are from places like the Philipines or India. For the most part, their work does not measure up to the best independents in the North America and Europe. For the moment, their work is mostly cheap knockoffs. (source)

Read the rest of this entry »

Guerilla Keyword Research Tip #2: Hunt for ‘recent searches’ or ‘top searches’ pages that give you an inside look of a particular site’s keyword profile.
Read the rest of this entry »

How do you increase offline conversions? Offer free food :P

Any other SEO bloggers coming to Taste Asia’s food fest this coming July 3 (that’s a Tuesday)? Sign up via comments below or via Aileen’s blog. First round of beer’s on me :)

So you have 3 reasons to go: free food, support Ms. Google Philippines and ‘free’ beer! BTW, the beer offer’s good for SEOs only :) and I have the right to tap out pag masyado kayong madami!

We were supposed to launch the contest last June 12 to ride on the nationalistic mood of most people, but last minute changes forced us to postpone the launch further to Sunday, July 1, 2007. Why on a Sunday you say? This will give people equal chances of getting the domain name they want to use for the contest. So folks, we’re now T-minus 12 days and counting!

For the next few days leading up to the contest launch, you’ll see the the official contest site live at BayanihanSEO.com. I’ll also be dropping clues, tips and hints on special contest items so be sure to tune in to any of the following web destinations for updates:

• SEO Philippines Forums
• SEO Philippines Blog
• Macalua.com and this and this
• Comments on blogs of SEO Philippines moderators, members and friends.

Read the rest of this entry »

Update: Download the slides to my E-Commerce Conversion Optimization presentation for Janette Toral’s Advance E-Commerce Training seminar this morning. You can also download this PDF goodie pack on e-commerce trust.

If you’re interested in launching a conversion optimization initiative for your site, please contact me (my contact details are on the sidebar) so we can discuss your requirements in detail.

Be it getting an extra lead/prospect or making that additional sale, driving visitors through the purchase decision process as efficiently as possible has always been the battlefield. You still can’t take away traffic from the equation (from sources like organic search, PPC, email, affiliate marketing, etc.), but at the end of the day, raising conversions is the ultimate goal for any marketer. And let me tell you right now, it ain’t easy. But it can be done.

I’m inviting you to come attend Digital Filipino’s Advance E-Commerce Training this coming June 18 to 20. Catch me talk on June 18 (Monday) from 10:30 to 11:37 AM. It’ll be a knowledge-exchange session packed with tips and techniques for raising conversions for e-commerce sites.

People interested in attending this premium seminar can contact Janette Toral via email.

Update: Eugene tweaked the algo a bit. I’m now a B- :) I should get a B+ after the Chico River whitewater trip (booked and set to leave early August). If you’re interested to join us (10 have signed up so far) please contact me. P4000 for the rafting/hotel/meals and P1300 for the Manila - Kalinga - Manila bus fare. We leave Manila on a Saturday night.

Fresh linkbait. One of the best ones to come out from the Philippines this year.

My Lakbayan grade is B-!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

As you can see, I’m in desperate need for some Northern Exposure. Anyone up for this? At least talo ko si Aileen at Rico :P