Searchology is delighted to announce our new social media research tool. The new research tool was developed and designed by Mr. Sean Bogert and Alton J. Duderstadt II. The new tool is designed for business owners, brand managers and human resource departments. This tool helps users find information posted on social media websites and search engines.

Once a search is conducted, the user can download findings from social media outlets and the top search engines like Google and Bing. This is a new tool designed for ease-of-use and fast access to potentially thousands of links and tons of information.

Find out more at www.socialsearchlive.com.

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While most of us may believe that the aforementioned is a major issue…there is a bigger issue that is NOT being covered by the mainstream media and issues that are much closer the the very core and fabric of our nation. Our very freedoms are under direct assault by those who hold political office.

What I find interesting and a little frightening is this: the Occupy movement has awakened sleeping giants. The giants – those who seek to stop any type of protest in its tracks. The Bill of Rights allows freedom of speech, freedom to peaceably protest, right to petition our government and freedom of the press. These are the rights of Americans and this is not up for debate…until now.

Over the course of 2011, there were hundreds of protests in the Middle East which toppled governments and dethroned dictators. It was called the Arab Spring…and it’s primary communication tool was the Internet. Demonstrators and protesters used texts, social networks and Twitter to topple oppressive regimes. On one hand it was a true force of democratic will, propelled by well oiled and socially connected people. On the other was the most basic desire for freedom of oppression.

Simple desire created massive change and the vehicle that helped the people do it was social media.

When the Occupy Wall Street started to pick up steam…those in power in the U.S. started to get a little unhinged and are now pulling the plug on freedom, privacy, the press and you. Politicians [left and right] and corporate America do not want to change how we do business nor do they want to change that was once promised.

Don’t believe me…take a look at some recent stories -

1. Freedom Index for the United States [now ranked 47th].
2. Drones patrolling New York
3. Homeland Security can now keep track of those “reporters” using social networks and social media outlets
4. The new National Defense Authorization Act which allows the president to kill American citizens and indefinitely detain them with out trial or council.
5. Failed attempt at full blow Internet censorship via SOPA.
6. Failed attempt at additional Internet censorship with the Protect IP Act.
7. Chicago’s mayor added on higher fees and stiffer penalties for the G8 summit.

The good news is items 5 and 6 failed. The bad news is we are teetering very close to a point of no return. Every move we make…as a reporter, blogger, or social media hipster or college student may be watched, monitored, collected and used against us in a court of law [if we are lucky]. In addition, you may end up held without trial, without legal council, without even being told why.

All of this seems like it has been specifically created and designed to curb, stop or totally shut down any unrest the current political and socioeconomic climate may bring about. By any means necessary. By all powers available. All in the name of security.

Social media and social communication has provided people around the world with a new voice and new tools to cause change. These new communication tools are extremely potent and to those in power…may be deemed dangerous. The status quo types don’t like change. They are making way too much just the way things are…thank you.

As Americans may agree, terrorism is a real threat. The individuals who darkened our skies on 9-11 are not unique…they succeeded. There are others that wish to do the U.S. it and its people harm. That is beyond tragic, sick and inhumane. However, as Americans…our parents, grandparents and millions before our time, bled to provide us the very freedoms we enjoy today. Online and offline. In private, on our person and within our own homes.

Freedom is that warm blanket of security we have all enjoyed for so long but have continually failed protect ourselves from ourselves. We are the government [as they are elected by us] and now they are digging into everything we hold dear in the name of security.

Let’s be honest. Osama Bin Laden is dead. Many of the top Al-Qaeda rank and file are dead or in GitMo. Many of the treats we once faced are now the size of a small kitten. Sure, there are more bad guys…there always will be. But what are we willing to give up for JUST A LITTLE MORE SAFETY?

I am not writing this post out of fear or conspiracy or hysteria. No. I am writing to sound the alarm that something is coming and it will be a fight for our online and offline privacy and freedom. Lets hope we as Americans are up for the fight. Paying attention is the very first step.

In closing, New Hampshire’s licence plate reads – Live Free or Die. I don’t think it will ever come to that again. The American Revolution ended in 1783…and if we continue to ignore the signs…we may not be able to stand up at all – as we will all be in Internet shackles with no one on the other side to hear our message or help.

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“…social and mobile networks will dominate the online traffic landscape in a big way…The game is no longer about the comforts of your website’s ‘Walled Garden’, but about the risks and rewards of arriving on the social network.” Webtrends -article.

So what does this mean for your website presence? Where do you allocate your budget and resources? How is it possible to have a share of voice in social media, mobile, search engine optimization and paid search at the same time? 

As the Internet continues to explode and fragment, it is more important than ever before to ensure your company has a solid footing in all of the channels [as mentioned above] or risk loosing branded website traffic and new visitor website traffic. It is not just traffic you stand to loose…it is sales, conversions, leads and return on your online marketing investment. How can you gain footing in all of these spots without taking away from others? The simple answer is you cannot. 

Budgets need to be reallocated to target the online markets. Your target market is already online by means of cell phones, tablets, portables and yes, desktops. Where is your budget? Take a look at your traditional media spend and revise your plan to include more online opportunities versus less track-able forms of branding and advertising. 

There is no perfect solution to finding your audience and converting them into a sale, lead or other metric. But the fact is the Internet is where the money, people and opportunities are. If your site, company and brand are not online in mobile, social, SEO and other forms of paid advertising…you simply do not exist. If the current trends continue it is very possible that your company may cannibalize itself into nonexistence. Why would this happen? By not paying attention to what and where your audience is…the chance of eating yourself from within due to inaction increases exponentially. 

So what can you do to work within these spaces and attract your audience? Allocate the resources or perish. Find someone within your company who can work on your social media and communicate with fans and followers. Work on your website with new and fresh content [no excuses] by way of blog entries and new articles. Use paid search and “click to call” to target both search engine results and the mobile audience. Of course all of this depends on what your key performance indicators, goals and company objectives are.

I’ve long said, “Situation dictates situation.” Deep analysis, accurate tracking and resources all play a major role in how you attack the ongoing shift in the online realm. The fact is you can no longer ignore the online space and allocate less to these online channels. More than 10% of big brand budgets are now allocated to online marketing efforts. I would recommend more than 20% to 40% should be dedicated to Internet efforts. Again, situation dictates situation. The facts are clear ~ take on the online space, measure, improve and succeed or risk being eaten up internally and by your competition. 

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Facebook now claims 800 million users, Google has millions of queries per day, and an estimated 193 million [plus] Gmail users is creating the perfect storm. Our private information and business information is now available for all to see. If you really want to break into someones account…I’m sure it can be done. More importantly, what is the government’s role in seeking this information? Why would they want it? And why do they keep accessing our information without our knowledge?

Recently the U.S. government request information on 6,000 Google accounts and Google complied. More and more our information is being tapped without warrants and without our permission. The Patriot Act gives our government fantastic powers while stripping away our rights as U.S. citizens. What are they looking for? They are looking for the bad guys of course. But can there really be that may bad guys out there? What sets off red flags within the system in order to have your personal data searched? Who knows. But there is something very devious going on here. More questions are raised than answered.

The U.S. constitution grants all U.S. citizens the right to privacy and protection from illegal searches and seizures. Apparently this is not stopping anyone from creating false profiles to access your information on Facebook or Gmail. Our Bill of Rights is not stopping the U.S. government from accessing your data.

I promise you if you file for a Freedom of Information and attempt to find out what the government knows about you and if they have accessed your data…you will probably get a heavily redacted statement which will tell you nothing. In the process of filing, you will end up with a red flat to boot.

I’m not trying to be anti-government here nor am I want to fight the system. I am calling out the breech of our constitutional rights as Americans. I am calling out the abuse of power and informing the Searchology blog readers that it is getting very very creepy out there on the inter-webs.

America was founded with the blood of Native Americans and eventually buy a group of people who believe in real freedom. They had no idea what was coming back then. No idea about computers or how fast things would change as or little world turned. Real freedom is personal expression, free speech, personal privacy, and protection from those that seek to infringe on these rights. Our rights are inalienable and not up for debate. However…

The digging into our personal lives continues. Without regulation of the regulators we are all doomed to having our personal rights violated on a regular basis without our knowledge. Is there anything we can do about this? No. No, there is nothing we can do. Not really. We can be aware that this is happening and that the infringement of our rights is a starting point of discourse.

Many are wondering why there are protests all over the United States. Many wonder what the Occupy Wall Street Movement is all about. As a supporter of this movement and a attendee in Occupy Chicago I can tell you this: the movement is about our rights. It is about fairness in all things. Fairness in treating corporations as corporations and not as individuals. Moreover, it is about freedom of expression. There is no doubt in my mind that many protesters are not being toughly vetted by U.S. officials. They did it to John Lennon, Dr. Martin Luther King, and many others. Why with all of this technology would they not target little ole’ you and me? Of course THEY would.

It is said that knowledge is half the battle. The more informed we are the better we can act to protect ourselves. The warning here is not so much that we are under constant surveillance but that the possibility exists for all of us. The protection of our rights is not negotiable but after 9-11 everything is now [and has been] on the table. Knowledge is power…so search and seek safely…your very liberty is on the line.

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Let all of us in any business remember that without our clients and consumers we have nothing. No business, no revenue, and zero credibility and no pot to cook in. How we treat those that spend their hard earned money and revenue on our products and services is critical to longevity and long term success. Respect, honesty, transparency should run both ways in any healthy relationship. Is it time for the ethics lesson? Yes, it is.

There are certain industries that rank at the bottom of the barrel on the respect meter. Lawyers and car dealers are the first to my mind. Coming up fast behind are the Internet marketing outfits. Over my nine years in the industry I continue to hear stories of how clients are being held hostage and treated terribly throughout the business relationship and ending contracts by such firms.

There are certain things that your SEO agency and Internet marketing firm should NEVER do to their clients.

1. Withhold important information regarding account access.
2. Falsify data as it pertains to reporting [of any nature].
3. Use trickery and nefarious tactics to gain the upper hand on a client.
4. Over charge for services that they do not deliver on.
5. Over charge for services as a general rule.
6. Fail to divulge strategy for SEO and online marketing.
7. Treat clients with disrespect.
8. Arrive late for meetings [this happens more often than you may think].
9. Claim ethical “white hat” SEO practices when in reality they use “gray hat” or “black hat” strategies.
10. Fail to provide transparency regarding SEO and online marketing methodologies.

So what can you do as a potential client for one of these companies? READ YOUR CONTRACT! Don’t read it once…read it several times. Grill your potential account managers, sales people, and the executives of the company. Yes, the executives. They are the individuals who set the standards for all to follow. If you smell any shady business…RUN and do not look back.

Unfortunately, not all companies are equal and not all companies set fourth a set of ethics and standards. Make sure you thoroughly review and dive into the company you trust your marketing to. Some care more about their bottom lines than they do for the service of the clients they serve. 

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