SparkToro Blog

Posts by Rand Fishkin:

Data Hiring Startups

Making Agency Numbers More Transparent

Rand FishkinBy Rand Fishkin
Benchmarks are an incredible tool for business owners and operators. They tell us where we sit on the spectrum and make our strengths and weaknesses transparent. Without them, we’re often left to wonder – am I any good at this? (Kitchen pie chart via Jotun Türkiye) Here’s a conversation I recently had with the founder of a marketing agency: Founder:…
Data Marketing

Queries & Clicks May Influence Google’s Results More Directly Than Previously Suspected

Rand FishkinBy Rand Fishkin
For a long time, folks in the search, technology, and marketing worlds have surmised that Google is using query and clickthrough data to bias search result rankings. I recently observed several examples of this via some industry colleagues (that, unfortunately, I cannot share publicly), and thought, “what the heck, let’s give it a spin.” On April 30th, at 6:03pm Pacific,…
Events Marketing Personal

Elite Privilege, Ivy League Schools, and Uncommon Advice for Building a Network

Rand FishkinBy Rand Fishkin
Geraldine and I don’t have kids, but for some reason, the last few months, I’ve spent innumerable conversations talking to our many friends with children about the tradeoffs of public vs. private schooling. As is my nature, I couldn’t help but research the topic on the web. And in nearly every piece I read, the same few messages emerge: Private…
Hiring Marketing

What Can SEOs Do That No Other Marketer Can?

Rand FishkinBy Rand Fishkin
I recently read an article by George Nielsen on SEJournal entitled What are SEOs Even Good At Anymore? It struck me that this is a topic about which many folks in and around web marketing professions are curious about. With some of the recent changes Google’s made around link building practices, brand biasing, and intent matching. And, since my opinions…
Marketing

Content Marketers Could Become Their Own Worst Enemy

Rand FishkinBy Rand Fishkin
Content is powerful. It helps websites and companies earn traffic, earn amplification through social media, build trust with an audience, all at a cost far lower than traditional or online paid marketing channels. But, sometime in the next few years, I’m worried that it may become a more challenging, more risky, and less dividend-paying investment. The problem is (or will…
Data Marketing

Survey Data on the Growth/Shrinkage of Web Marketing Channels in 2014

Rand FishkinBy Rand Fishkin
I recently downloaded ExactTarget’s 2014 State of Marketing, and found the data extremely compelling. Here’s what they had to say about methodology and respondents: The 2014 State of Marketing survey was conducted online from October 24, 2013, until November 1, 2013. The survey was sent to more than 48,000 marketing professionals and a total of 2,651 marketers started the survey,…
Marketing

The “Click-My-Bio” Litmus Test

Rand FishkinBy Rand Fishkin
I’m guilty of giving some bad, incomplete advice. I talk a lot about how to engage with influencers and how to earn the attention and awarenes of folks who might help you amplify your messages to a larger audience. It’s a good tactic and I stand by it. If you’re trying to reach people, building connections with the folks who…

Keep up with SparkToro®