* * *

For the Site Clinic, the panel consists of Hans Koch, Damien Kelly, and Mike Villar.

A Nestle representative stood up and bravely volunteered their (fun, funky, youthful and colorful) Nescafe 3-in-1 campaign site.

Immediately, of course, Hans and Damien fired away with their SEO diagnosis, mostly targeting on-page elements. While the site is very engaging to the eyes, most specially to the youth (which is their target market anyway), the site is also very problematic if you’re gonna look at it through the Search Engine eyes.

Some on-page considerations:

1. Meta tags (titles, keywords, and descriptions) are not optimized. Damien suggests to make the title and description more search-engine friendly. Hans shows how the site shows up in the SERPs — not only does it lack meta descriptions, the only content that’s visible in the first page are the footer items, hence, those are the ones that show up in the SERPs.

2. The page *seriously* lacks text content and keywords. Nuf said.

3. The page is flash-based and overly-graphical. It’s too heavy, and it takes a lot of time to load. Damien suggests to have an html version of the site (both for those who don’t know how to navigate through the flash version, and for SEO purposes).

4. SEO and User Experience wise, navigation is problematic. Mikey suggests to have the “Quick Jump” drop down menu moved up to the top right corner of the page.

5. Source code is too heavy (too many lines). Viewing the source code, Hans suggests to take off several lines of javascript off the code and save it as another file. This way, the SE-readable content is right up at the beginning of the page.

Other considerations:

Maia, our resident Web Analytics Guru, who’s sitting beside me, immediately mentions to me that according to WASP (Web Analytics Solutino Profiler), the site does not have any form of web analytics tool or tracker. If they really want to understand and analyze their market/audience, web analytics is *very* important.

Mikey asks the Nestle representative what the site’s objective is. He mentions that their campaign is to market the Nescafe 3-in-1 to the youth, hence marketing their product to Friendster, and coming up with this portal.

There is much to say about the site, but first of all, they have to re-establish their objectives — Do they want to target online gamers? Friendster users? Young people looking for band gigs? If their objective is to be seen in the search engines, there’s a lot to be worked on. They have to identify their keywords, optimize their page, and most especially, put up a web analytics tracker.

But if they simply want a portal (or a landing page), they shouldn’t expect more than the traffic they’re getting from their friendster app page.

Once again we are reminded how uneducated local companies are about internet marketing and the opportunities that come with it. Soon enough, I’d expect to see Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Globe, and all other big names/leaders in the local industries to start investing on in-house Internet Marketing departments in their own offices.

Nestle has started acknowledging the fact that there is an online market to be reached, and I applaud them for the effort and the conceptualization of this Alien campaign, even more, for immersing into the most pinoy-congested social network, Friendster. How to maximize on this opportunity is the next step to be explored. They’re definitely on the right track.

The panel took in two more sites for the Site Clinic, but the conference was coming to a close, and I became too focused on taking pictures, which I’ll be uploading soon. So yeah.

Need help, Nescafe? You know what to do. Hee. :)

So I missed SMX Advanced alright, but this is my opportunity to root for our local counterparts, acknowledging that SEMCON 2008 is The one must-see event for internet marketers in the country. And while I don’t personally know most of the speakers (and the companies they represent) — not counting Maia Nuguid and Mike Villar whom I work with, and of course, Abe and Hans — I’m banking on the opportunity to network, and to gain new insights as well. :)

Who knows, I might have my own coverage of the event in this blog. Okaay, I hope I don’t get too lazy. :P See ya there, hopefully. :)

See SEMCON 2008 Topics and Speakers HERE. Register HERE.

SEMCON Registration Packages:

—–P9,500.00 for two (2) days, inclusive of meals and conference kit
—–P8,500.00 for two (2) days, for academe and government
—–US$250.00 for two (2) days, for foreign delegate

If you want to score free passes, fly by Abe’s blog to know how. :)

SEMCON 2008
September 9-10, 2008
The Grand Ballroom, Hotel Intercontinental, Makati

And of all these people, “the developers are usually the potential blackhatters.” Or so Benj says. :)

I guess this theory is what made our Search Engine Marketing session at the recently concluded “Tri{php}le Treat @ US Auto Parts Philippines“, sponsored by the wonderful people at PHP User Group Philippines, Inc, really interesting. Ely and I discussed the Basics of Search to a group of PHP experts, and how they can take advantage of their technical skills in learning and applying SEO.

Me and Ely with Clod Delfino, President of PHPUGPH.

“Lovely” and “Magnificent” were the words to describe the day. Heh. Don’t ask. :))

And let me just add that I love the candid shot they took of me, which you can see after the jump. :P (Whoever you are who took that shot, thanks!)

Friendster profile worthy. Yay. Aylaveet!

Tomorrow (May 24, 2008), 9am, at US Auto Parts’ Pasig Office, I’ll be giving a talk about Search Engine Optimization to a bunch of web developers. I honestly didn’t realize until just about 10 minutes ago that it was going to be a paid event. Last I heard, the number of registrants has reached up to 60+. *Faints* Just the same, I’m excited *ehem* to share what I know. :)

Details of the event after the jump. Or, you can just check the PHPUGPH’s event page.

See ya!

PHP User Group Philippines Event

Brought to you by PHP User Group Philippines, Inc. (PHPUGPH), in cooperation with US Auto Parts Network (Philippines) Corp.

Event Details

Date: May 24, 2008
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Venue: US Auto Parts Network (Philippines) Corp.
Training Room 6/F RCC Center 104 Shaw Blvd. Pasig City
(Near Jade Palace)

Topics

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Riz Sanchez, SEO Manager, US Auto Parts Network (Philippines) Corp.

Model-View-Controller (MVC) 101: A Web Development Architecture
Reynold Lariza, Web Development Supervisor, Glocorp IT Solutions, Inc.

Web Application Security by Example
Richard Peter Ong, Lead Developer, Internal Projects, SysIQ Inc.

Event Fee

Php 500.00/head (inclusive of lunch and snacks)

*refundable Php 100 for attendees who have resumes, refundable Php 50 for early birds

PHP 350.00 for those early bird with resume.
PHP 450.00 for those who don’t have resume.

Note:
Limited seats, good only for 35 slots. First come, first serve basis. Registration is open until May 22, 2008. Your registration expires if no payment is made within 2 days.

Payment Details

All payments must be made within 2 days after online registration through bank deposit.
Bank account details are listed below:

Bank: BPI Family Savings Bank
Account No: 6006-6267-67
Account Name: Cherrie Ann B. Domingo

Scanned deposit slips should be sent to chean@phpugph.com for payment confirmation.

Contact Us

For more details or any other inquiries, kindly contact Cherrie Ann B. Domingo at: +639178652412(Mobile), (632) 7253053(Office), chean@phpugph.com(E-mail) or visit our website at http://www.phpugph.com

Hi. Two Saturdays have gone by, and there are still more Saturdays to come! Have yourself listed, who knows, you could be one of the chosen few to be given a slot. :)

(Pasig, Philippines. January 2008.) In recent years, the Internet has become a potent tool for selling products or services. It has also opened employment and income-generating opportunities to many Filipinos. So much so, Internet marketing has become the latest buzzword in the online sphere.

A series of seminars aims at sharing basic information on the creative and technical aspects of Internet Marketing. The “Internet Marketing Bootcamp” will run for six consecutive weeks from January 26 to March 1, 2008. Each session will be held from 8 a.m. to 12 noon at RCC Center, Shaw Boulevard, Pasig City.

IMB, Second Batch (January 26, 2008)

Some of the country’s Internet Marketing luminaries from U.S. Auto Parts Philippines (USAP) will discuss the key concepts and strategies on this emerging field:

• Michael Joseph Villar, USAP Affiliate Marketing Manager, will give a crash course on performance-based marketing, how companies and individuals can benefit from it, as well as the challenges confronting affiliate marketing.
• Alvin Jimenez, Email Marketing Manager, will present the email marketing campaigns and their relevance.
• Rico Sta. Cruz, Creative Director, will discuss the essential principles in Web design and how to apply them to the Web.
• Jennelyn Tabora, Copy Editing Supervisor, will talk about online copywriting and its crucial role in attracting and building readership.
• Gabriel Libacao Jr. and Rhiza Sanchez, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Project Managers, will explain the basics of search engine marketing and how to convert visitors into sales and profits.
• Maia Nuguid, Senior Web Analytics Specialist, will discuss how Web analytics can help in assessing Internet marketing strategies.

Finally, Marc Hil Macalua, USAP Vice President for Marketing, will give the inspirational speech. Web Project Manager Elymar Apao will facilitate the Bootcamp sessions.

Left to right: Ely, Gabby, Rico, Alvin, Mikey, Maia, Riz
Hi, this is us. :)

The Bootcamp is sponsored by the U.S. Auto Parts Network, the premier warehouse of auto replacement and performance part brands in the United States. One of the leading players in the Internet retailing industry, U.S. Auto Parts ranks among the top 100 online retailers in the United States in 2007.

The Bootcamp is open for all professional bloggers, Internet marketing enthusiasts, or anyone who has a background in Internet marketing. Interested persons may send their updated resumés at elymar@usautoparts.net or glibacao@mbsautomotive.com. Qualified applicants will be informed via a confirmation email.

Participants are encouraged to bring their resumes as a Job Fair will closely follow each seminar.

For further details, please visit the following sites:
US Auto Parts Internet Marketing Bootcamp
US Auto Parts Job Listing

Contact Persons:
Elymar Apao
elymar@usautoparts.net

Gabriel Libacao Jr.
glibacao@mbsautomotive.com

Here’s US Auto Parts Philippines‘ very own SEO Team, who decides to go pink today. And good grief, I was wearing pink too. What are the chances huh?? :)

No, no violence happened prior to this very rare event — they all came to work in shades of pink, in their own free will. I did, however, summoned them to take their noses off Omniture and Wordtracker and SEOBook or whatever SEO stuff they’re diggin’ in (they’re verryyyyy hardworking you see, haha), just so I can preserve the moment with my Mac’s Photo Booth.

So with much pride, here’s our *PINK (justfortoday)* SEO Team (left to right): Mito Pontillas (who, by the way, got the top spot in the first leg of Paradise Philippines keyword ranking contest woohoo!), Roane Vista, Steve Bayona, Lauren Cruz and TJ Cafuir. Kuya Gabby ain’t in the pichures because he’s not wearing pink but we all love him very much. LOL.

More pics after jump. Meanwhile, if you want to be part of this wonderful wonderful SEO Team (or any of our Internet Marketing departments), HERE IS YOUR BIG CHANCE. Or, maybe you want to take your chance at teh ultimate 50K signing bonus? Yeah. You got that one right. Go go go! :)

I luuurve you guys. Go pink. :)

Well, at least according to Michael of Basapa.com, who released his list of Top Pinoy Probloggers for 2007 a few weeks ago. I was ranked number four (whoa), trailing behind Teh Yugatech, Bryanboy, and the infamous 13 year old blogger Carlocab.

According to him,

I’ve rank the pinoy probloggers using the Highest Blog Juice (HBJ) per person. At first I was tempted to use the Total Blog Juice (TBJ), but upon closer inspection, I found out that it can skew the rankings. A person can create dozens of blogs with low-ranking juices, and will rank very high on this list. So I gave a much higher weight on the HBJ, which measures authority or popularity of a certain blogger, which is the purpose of this ranking in the first place.

I’m surprised. And honored. I’m not quite sure if I could call myself a problogger at this point. Sure, I blogged for a blogging network for several months at the start of this year, but even then, problogging is not my main source of income. I did get my Nikon D40 with blogging moolah, a percentage of which are from Google Adsense.

So okay, I may not be a hardcore problogger like Yuga, but in some essence, a problogger just the same. And a proud pinoy at that — at least that one I can brag about. :)

Cheers to all pinoy probloggers out there. :)

So there goes a first for me, and well.. what can I say? Who wouldn’t be honored to experience something like this for the first time (and in the first ever Search Engine Marketing Conference too), with some of the best Internet Marketers in and out of the country? There I was, youngest in the lot, looking like a teenager, and being one of the only three female speakers — starstruck as I see those people I just used to know and admire online in the crowd, wondering what in the world I’m doing in a place like that.

Geesh, I must be really blessed.

To have the opportunity to share what I know; To have a chat with The Aaron Wall and his wife, Gio; To sit next to the SEO World Champion Benj Arriola the whole day (Day 2) and get loads of pictures with him (which got corrupted, by the way haha); To spend time with some great guys from SEO Philippines; And to learn from top marketing professionals from various fields.

Yes, that’s how small I am compared to the gigantic event that SEMCON 2007 is.

Photos courtesy of Jen and Sharm.
Good job, Sharm, for capturing my powerpoint presentation too, haha.

I learned a lot — starting from when I stepped down from the stage after my talk, that is. It was quite hard focusing on the speakers BEFORE my talk (welcome to the real world, newbie). Good thing there were lots of great topics after mine, plus there’s a whole Day 2 for me to enjoy without thinking about link building anymore. Hehe.

I picked a lot of insights and was especially inspired by Marc’s talk on Landing Page Optimization; Hans Koch’s PayPerClick Strategies; Faith Ponte’s Email Campaigns; and Dustin Andaya’s Affiliate Marketing success. I would have mentioned Google’s Derek Callow too, but I’d be lying if I said his talk was insightful coz truth is, I was too focused on his face and his voice and his cute Australian accent (ugghh, I melt now, mate) to understand what he was talking about. I would have mentioned Yugatech too but, gah, I’d mention him just to get in his good side, you see, I don’t want to see my name in his tabloid. LOL. Peace, Abe, joke lang. :)

On the other hand, it’s rather sad to hear some people comment that they didn’t learn anything new from SEMCON. I’ve seen a lot of people express disappointments, disagreements, un-met expectations, and getting “just skin-deep SEO.” I guess it’s expected to get feedbacks like this, after all, everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion (maybe next time, they should be the ones teaching the rest of us hehe). I say, if you claim to not learn anything from SEMCON, then good for you. You probably know more than the rest of us! You’re an expert already! :)

Now if you’re an SEO Specialist or a webcopywriter, you’re probably using Wordtracker or KeywordDiscovery for hours every single day of the week to test and compare keywords. Perhaps you already know what KEI and long-tailed keywords are also. But isn’t it interesting to find out how Gio does it?

Or say, if you’re a copywriter and you have your own style of copywriting that already works for you, it doesn’t mean you have to do Jayvee’s style of copywriting. Jayvee, however, shares what he knows and what he has observed (mostly leaning towards his non-SEO background) since he’s got experience writing and handling writers himself.

Joni’s right when she said that being there affirmed what she already know, hence, she became more sure that she’s on the right track. We have to face it, a lot of us SEOs are experimenting with the techniques ourselves. The SEMCON speakers were there to present strategies that worked for them, NOT necessarily absolute truths of what to do or not. At the end of the day, it’s still up to you how to apply what you heard.

I could go on and on. But I’m gonna have to agree with Todd Malicoat when he said, “Hey, there is no secret in SEO.” You deal with the basics, learn from what worked for others and what didn’t, and you strategize from there. I guess that’s what SEMCON was all about.

So hey, SEMCON 2008? What ya say? :)

Anyway, to those who are curious about this whole Search Engine Marketing industry (whether you’re interested to consider being part of the industry, or you’re already doing SEM yourself and you’d like to know the secrets and tried-and-tested techniques of the, err, experts), we present to you, *drumroll please* the first ever Search Engine Marketing Conference Philippines 2007.

Oh, and I’ll be one of the speakers, by the way. Que horror! I’ll be talking about Advanced Link Building Techniques — or at least try to, as I’ll most likely be starstruck and shaky and nervous the whole time anyway. (Aaron Wall is gona be there, ohmy ohmy.) This is going to be my first speaking engagement in front of industry experts so technically, you’ll be witnessing history in this life of mine. (Please be nice, thanks. Oh, and thanks for the prayers too.) Hopefully, it’s not gona be the last time you’ll see me. Haha. *faints* Seriously though, I sure hope I would be able to contribute to the success of this event.

Registration is at P8500 per head. Check out the official website and the list of speakers and topics for mre details. See ya there!

Let me just say that I’ve lost count of the number of times I said in this site that I’m an advocate of women empowerment — of females being exceptional at what they do, excelling in their own fields and in their own rights. Precisely why this site came to be in the first place: my way, as a bewildered female newbie (and a proud Filipina at that) to make my voice heard in a man’s world such as this industry that I’m in.

Having said this (over again), you can tell that I share Miss Noemi and Miss Dine’s dismay on the misconstrued reputation of Filipino women online, as shown in the Google SERPs (search engine results pages) everytime one queries the keyword “Filipina”. True enough, to associate Filipino women with made-to-order brides and sluts is disturbing and unacceptable, when we can proudly say that our country is blessed with Filipino women who are loving moms and wives, world-class writers, bloggers, and webmasters, and successful professionals in their own fields.

So the goal is simple. To reshape the Filipina image online by making a specific website, Filipina Women’s Network (which defines the true image of a Filipina), overtake those sites that defines Filipina as anything less. But aside from our positioning in the SERPs, what’s equally important is to have as many Filipinas make their stand and have their voices be heard on their blogs. One blog post and one link speaks in gazillion decibels. Filipinas Unite!

Joining the campaign can be done in three easy steps. With initiatives by outstanding Filipina moms, Noemi Dado and Dine Racoma, here’s how to make yourself counted:

1. Let us continue to showcase, through our blogs, the stories about the loving Filipina wives and mothers, the professionals, and outstanding bloggers. The Pinoy Moms Network is gaining ground among Filipina mothers around the world.

How?Write at least one entry with the word “Filipina” somewhere in the title of your entry and discuss anything about the Filipina — whether it is about you or some outstanding Filipina Woman you know. Use words like “Filipina, woman, Filipina woman, Filipina sexy woman, Filipina sexy mom, Filipina Mom or Smart and Sexy Mom” in our blog entries. Chances are a few more enlightened women warriors may want to help reshape the Filipina woman’s image by using the same words to capitalize on the wholesomeness of the same words

If you don’t have a blog, start one easily at blogspot.com.

2. Continue with the Google Bombing Campaign but let’s all link to just one of the 2 sites below .

Why?

Wikipedia is already in page 1 for the keyword “Filipina” in the Philippines.

The Filipina Women’s Network (FWN) is on page 1 of the Philippines Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP) so there is a strong possibility to rank this site as number 1 for the “Filipina” keyword.

Note: “The Filipina Women’s Network is dedicated to advancing Filipina women across all sectors, enhancing public perceptions of Filipina women’s ability to lead and fostering the entry of Filipina women into leadership positions.” FWN is a virtual organization based in the United States, perceived by many decision makers in government, corporations, business enterprises, professions, non-profit organizations, and other sectors as having consistently and continuously grown in leadership and influence since 1996. Collaboration with other organizations worldwide? Plans are brewing as FWN members work on their game plan for “Filipina Power 2012.”

How?

In your sidebar or footer, place this link. Don’t just write the word, “Filipina.” Instead, insert the link. The highlighted, linkable keyword, “Filipina,” will be the published result.

<a href=”http://www.ffwn.org/”>Filipina</a>

3. Brand it! Use this “Yan ang Pinay” badge, created and lovingly donated by Jonas Diego, that links to Filipina Women’s Network. (Right-click on the image to save it in your hard drive. Then, upload and display in your blog. Don’t forget to point the link to the Wikipedia or FWN site!)

It’s that simple. Male and Female bloggers, spread the word.

We have the power to shape the future of The Filipina Woman’s Image Online.

Post your Filipina entry at How to Reshape the Sexy Filipina Image in 3 Easy Steps

Credits for the SEO Campaign

Filipina campaign initiated by Search Engine Optimization Expert (SEO), Marc Macalua; The Filipina and “Yan ang Pinay”, Fabulous Filipina Presence and lastly, SEO advice from Rhiza, an SEO Expert in the Philippines.

I’m amazed by the overwhelming response by the Filipino blogging community, and how fast Filipina bloggers heed the urgent call. In less than a week, dozens of bloggers made themselves counted.

Here are some of the blogs who participated the campaign as of today.

1. Noemi’s How to Reshape the Sexy Filipina Image
2. Manila Mom’s Yes, Filipinas Are Sexy
3. BA’s Posting a comment is not enough…Blog about it!
4. PinoyBlogoSphere.com/Pinoy Bloggers Society’s Filipina2007
5. Sir Martin Perez’s The attack on Sexy Mom: False feminism, if there is such a thing (as feminism)
6. Rico of Bayanihan Blog Network’s What Filipina Should Mean Online
7. Alan Jr.’s My Sexy Mom
8. Ladygadfly’s The Revolution: A New Definition of Sexy Filipina
9. Hot Buzz, Hot Biz’s Campaign Redefines the Sexy Filipina
10. FeistyMomma’s I am a Sexy Filipina Mom
11. Maia Jose (Manila Mom)’s Who’s Afraid of the Sexy Filipina?
12. Jane’s How to Reclaim the Dignity of the Sexy Filipina Woman
13. Global Voices’ Philippines: Taking back the “Sexy Filipina” Search Keyword
14. Marc Macalua’s Filipina SEO Campaign (started way back in 2004)
15. Ala Eh, Batangas Blogs’ Transforming Sexy Filipinas even sexier
16. Pinoy Blogosphere’s Compilation of Posts of Filipina Supporters
17. Filipina Soul’s What is a modern Filipina mom?
18. BA’s Let’s bring sexy and Filipina back
19. Jeric of brinknotes.org’s Taking Back the Filipina
20. Flori’s I am a sexy Pinay, hear me roar!
21. Filipina Women’s Network’s Shape the Filipina Image Campaign
22. Filipino Librarian’s The Filipina and Yan ang Pinoy
23. Pinoy Press’ Google Bombing “Filipina”
24. Geri’s Confessions of a Filipina Internet Bride
25. Sassy Lawyer’s Sexy is not sex-starved nor a sex toy
26. Motherhood, Marriage and More’s Mabuhay ang mga Sexy Moms
27. Yoru’s the online journal of a sexy filipina
28. Zahflo’s Proud to be a SexyFilipina Mom
29. Sexy Dyosa’s Blogging: What Gives?
30. Tanikalang Ginto’s How to Reshape the Sexy Filipina Image
31. Auee’s Oh no! A sexy Filipina is out and about beware

Now’s your chance to be counted. Be proud, Filipina! :)