LotusJump Blog

Because of the grinding nature of linkbuilding, there are several tools (like LotusJump) that exist to automate aspects of the linkbuilding process. However, it’s widely acknowledged that automation can only take you so far before you’re required to get involved. However, what if that’s not the case? While it may be a slight case of apples to oranges, let’s take a look at how search engines do it.

Take Google for example. A user comes to Google with a human request, such as a question. Google takes that information and runs it through an algorithm that pulls data from an index that was created by another extremely complex algorithm. It then returns what the algorithm tells it was the best response to the input.

Now imagine taking that approach with linkbuilding. You give the engine some human information – the URL you’re building links to, and perhaps some keyword data. The engine goes out and looks at its index of sites, paying attention to both on-page and off-page indicators in order to determine each site’s value, personality, and niche. Then it returns a list of best matches, along with an algorithmically determined link request email for each result, complete with an algorithmically determined email scraped off the site, and some site-specific language. Then, all the user needs to do is accept the result and the software automatically sends. Far-fetched? Perhaps. But then again, an examination of how search technology has advanced is instructive and encouraging.

One gripe that will doubtless be made is that this is an imperfect system. The algorithm won’t always get it right. I contend, however, that while this may be the case, it’s much like a search engine. You don’t get the result you want every time you do a search, but it works often enough to make it worth it.

How big a role do you think automation will play in the future of SEO?

Been thinking about launching an email marketing campaign?  Check out Contactology, our LotusJump spotlight of the week, for your email marketing needs.

We asked Contactology what the inspiration was behind their company, this is what they had to say:

Contactology was founded in 2002 as a web development company.  Around this time email marketing was emerging as an effective marketing channel, and our clients requested a powerful tool to assist in driving revenue growth through email.  We responded by developing an Email Manager, which would later be branded as Contactology.

The email marketing and online survey component of our business grew quickly, and within four years, the business model shifted from service-based company to a software as a service model.

At Contactology, the core of who we are is in the service we provide.  Our application provides sophisticated functionality at a reasonable price.  Our people deliver by providing strategic and tactical advise to maximize the value of email marketing.  Contactology is more than a powerful product – we are a team dedicated to helping our clients achieve a high return on investment.

When asked what achievement they were most proud of, Contactology said:

Our organic growth is a source of pride for our entire staff.  We bootstrapped our business and have achieved 100% revenue growth in 2007 and 2008.  Our revenue growth continues to accelerate in 2009 despite the recession.  We believe this is in part to our philosophy of offering enterprise level features at reasonable prices.

In addition to our growth model, our aggressive product improvements continue to delight our customers.  Our philosophy of listening and responding to the needs of our clients is responsible for the development of our online survey module, and our EasyCast add-on which allows customers to send email marketing from Outlook or any other email client while still harnessing the powers of our mail servers and tracking. Our development efforts always are a direct response from the needs of our clients.

Continuously building new solutions within our product that meet our customers’ needs is a source of great pride and inspiration for the Contactology team.

We asked Contactology why Internet marketing is so important for their company, this is what they had to say:

As a software as a service company in the technology industry, Internet marketing  has allowed us to effectively target and acquire customers in need of email marketing services.  It has consistently provided us with the highest return on investment for customer acquisition.

We gave Contactology a chance to give a “Creative Marketing Tip of the Day”, this is what they said:

We would recommend creative use of triggered emails. This allows you to send personalized, relevant content to customers and potential customers based on events specific to them. For instance, you can have emails automatically sent on a client’s birthday. This helps cement the relationship – a cornerstone of small business best practices

Thanks Contactology for letting us get to know you a little more!  Leave a comment if you think you’re worthy of a Friday spotlight, and tell us why!

We’re excited to spotlight our LotusJumper of the week MODassic Marketing, a Texas internet marketing firm, who has been using LotusJump in-house to help with their own internet marketing efforts.

We asked MODassic Marketing what the inspiration was behind their company, this is what they had to say:

MODassic Marketing is all based on the idea of “balance”.  Our name comes from combining the words modern and classic, an approach we take in both design and the marketing strategies we utilize.  We combine proven traditional marketing theories with new technologies. Additionally we provide small businesses with a balanced approach to marketing.

When asked what achievement they were most proud of, MODassic Marketing said:

We recently produced an online video and viral marketing campaign for a client at  www.Texaplex.com The video uses viral marketing as a way to solve the current economic crisis. We all hear and talk about the “bad” news and that just makes it worse because we become hesitant and don’t spend. However this project gets the good news out there and despite what people hear and think there is a lot of good news, especially here in Texas. The response has been overwhelming.

We asked MODassic Marketing why Internet marketing is so important for their company, this is what they had to say:

The internet lets you segment and narrow in on the most specific of demographics and reach your perfect target audience. Because of this, small businesses are now able to compete on the a level that was once reserved only for large corporations who could afford massive media buys.

We gave MODassic Marketing a chance to give a “Creative Marketing Tip of the Day”, this is what they said:

“Perfection in design is achieved not when you have nothing more to add, but rather when you have nothing more to take away” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Thanks MODassic Marketing for letting us get to know you a little more!  Leave a comment if you think you’re worthy of a Friday spotlight, and tell us why!

We’re excited to announce that LotusJump has launched new features and pricing options to make your LotusJump experience even more awesome.

The new pricing structure is setup to fit any size business or budget - the Basic package costs $24/month, and the Pro package starts at $49/month.

So, the question remains… Pro or Basic?

Basic - $24/month

• 1 website
• 1-3 keywords

Pro - $49/month

• 1 website
• up to 10 keywords
• competitive backlink feature gives you an edge on your competition
• option to add-on multiple domains ($19/month)
• option to add-on additional keywords ($10 for 5 additional keywords)

A special thanks to Mozy online backup for today’s Tuesday Tip of the Week.

Back in November of 2008 we launched our “Computer Nightmare Video Contest”. To enter the contest people had to send us their video depicting their worst computer nightmare - cool prizes aside, we got some pretty awesome videos.

Whether you create your own viral video, or create a viral video campaign – videos are a simple and cost efficient way to add personality to your brand. If you have a good idea you don’t have to spend a lot of money on production to create a catchy video, all you need is a good idea and a vision. Put your video on YouTube, send it out to your clients, ask them to send it to their friends – before you know it, your video has gone viral.

Thanks Mozy for the great idea! To see the winners (and some pretty clever videos!) visit http://mozy.com/computernightmare or check them out at the Mozy YouTube channel!

Leave a comment with your tip and we’ll consider publishing it with a link to your website in future Tuesday Tip editions!

A little humor for Friday. You decide: