Bringing Search Engine Marketing to Your Business Doorstep: Jill and Pauline on SEMNE
By Kim Krause Berg
For years, I imagined Jill Whalen, of High
Rankings, crouched over her computer in her sweat pants or pajamas
pouring over web page source code to be optimized for search engines.
She always struck me as passionate about her craft and certainly, devoted
to her newsletter readers every week as she’d patiently answer
their questions.
The first time I met her was in a hotel lobby in Boston two years ago,
when I came as a guest to experience one of her High
Ranking Search Engine Marketing Seminars. She was easily the most
relaxed person in the group. I expected I would like her when I’d
heard she likes to be in bare feet. I can relate to that. When I saw
her the next day, in a suit looking business-like and professional,
it was a small shock. This famous SEO is a powerhouse speaker who not
only pulls off a two-day seminar every few months, but eats lunch with
attendees and makes sure they’re getting their every question
answered by either herself, or her team of presenters.
The desire to be with fellow search marketers is what drove her, and
her business partner, Pauline Kerbici, to launch SEMNE
or the Search Engine Marketing Organization for Individuals and Companies
in New England.
I did a taped interview with Jill and Pauline while covering the Chicago
Search Engine Strategies conference in December, 2006. We managed to
find a quiet place because the press room is usually noisy and hectic.
On this day, I sat down and simply invited them to relax and talk. I
wanted to learn more about their plans for SEMNE.
What gave them the idea?
It was an idea that started slowly, as if on a whim at first, but based
on a desire to, as Pauline said, "network locally."
“This is something both of us wanted to do,” Jill remembers.
They didn’t have any local connections in Massachusetts. I asked
if the intent is to find others in “local search marketing”
or “local business in general”. Jill gave this example.
“You know, when you’re here [at a search marketing
conference] there’s lots of people to talk to, and when you get
home, there isn’t anybody to talk to about it. There are probably
a lot of people out there who don’t get to come to these. They
can’t afford it, can’t get away, or they’re not in
the industry but still want to know about it.”
One day, while Pauline was away on vacation in New Zealand, Jill did
some domain research. It didn’t take long to find what she wanted
and she locked into SEMNE.org.
SEMNE is not officially associated with High Rankings, Jill’s
company. It’s a labor of love for Jill and Pauline. Interest was
high from the start, with two new member signups within the first week
after it was announced late last year.
There are different
membership levels, depending on how people they want to bring. Membership
includes free admission to events and bi-monthly socials, business discounts
and more. Events are paced at regular intervals throughout the New England
states of the USA. They feature a speaker and specific topic, followed
by time for networking and Q & A.
Who is it for?
According to Jill, the main theme is search engine marketing. The target
is not necessarily search marketers, however. Public relations may be
discussed, for example. The hope is to attract small business as well
as larger businesses who want to learn more about marketing as well
as offer networking possibilities in their own areas. They expect that
in time, meetings may become popular and allow expansions into the entire
Northeast area of the country.
One area that SEMNE is primed and ready for is local search and the
changes in marketing and optimization for local business sites. There’s
an increased focus on monitoring your data to track what’s being
said about your company and how your business is viewed by customers.
There are changes in how search engines index and present local web
pages. New information on what’s needed to do this effectively
for accurate local search results is a hot topic. How do you advertise
for a local market on the World Wide Web?
Interestingly, because SEMNE is focused on local markets, we discussed
local search marketing, because now they must tackle local optimization
to market their new organization and reach local businesses. Jill mused
that finding even a local chiropractor in search engines has been largely
frustrating because search results didn’t return local business.
Would SMNE consider starting Chapters of the main organization?
Both Jill and Pauline speculate this as an option for the future, but
for now, they’re focused on getting organized and fine tuning
their present plans. One of the problems with Chapters is that they
are often located in large cities, and meetings are more likely held
there. For those who don’t want to deal with traffic and parking
nightmares, traveling to an event, especially after a day’s work,
is not desirable.
Jill pointed out that just because someone is not a search marketer
doesn’t mean they are excluded or should believe they don’t
belong at an SEMNE event. There are opportunities for general business
to business networking and finding similar areas of interest. The potential
for joint business ventures exists, and all you have to do is show up
and get to know the businesses that are near you.
Mixed into the schedule they plan on holding informal gatherings over
food and drinks. The hope is to provide friendly knowledge-share and
camaraderie in a more relaxed setting. This provides another opportunity
to talk to someone about what you do, with others who do it too or want
to learn how. As Pauline stated, the intent of SEMNE is to exchange,
learn and network.
SEMNE is like a traveling road show, in that they will bring the events
to you and find ways to come closer to where you live and work.
The first event, held March
6 at the Lexington Room at the Newton, MA Marriott, was a pleasing
success. The next event, on Blogging
and Search Rankings, is set for May 2 in Bloomfield, CT.
I wasn’t finished with the interview yet. I had one more question.
Is Jill happy?
It was a strange question. The kind you ask a friend whom you’ve
watched over the years, and you can see them making career course adjustments.
I noticed this with Jill and became curious.
Jill’s clients come from all experience levels. She’s been
in business long enough to generate regular clients. They learn from
working with her. She notes that each time they contact her, they are
clearer about what they want and need. She is listening. She learns
from her newsletter readers and clients about what they care about.
It’s a different perspective. New businesses are self-focused.
After more than a decade of providing SEO services, Jill and her High Rankings
Seminars team aren’t self absorbed. Rather, they love what
they do and want others to know how to do it too, or at least, understand
what’s happening and how it applies to their own business.
Jill staked her claim in the search engine marketing business a long
time ago, in an industry that remains largely male dominated in the
top-tier. Though she’s weathered many storms over the years, and
witnessed the hectic pace of changes in technology and implementation,
one thing has been constant and unwavering.
Whether it be her long-running Advisor newsletter, High
Rankings forums, work with clients, the High Ranking Search Engine
Marketing conferences and now SEMNE, her goal is to help make your website
a success. As long as she can do this, while being her own boss and
getting out meeting new people, she’s happy.
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Bio and Copyright
Usability Consultant, Kimberly Krause Berg, is the owner of UsabilityEffect.com
(www.usabilityeffect.com), Cre8pc.com
(www.cre8pc.com), and Cre8asiteForums
(www.cre8asiteforums.com/). Her background in organic search engine
optimization, combined with web site usability consulting, offers
unique insight into web site development.
Copyright 2006 Cre8pc.com. All Rights Reserved. Reprint rights by Permission
of the Author