Jordan Kasteler

PixelSilk is an extremely SEO friendly web based CMS (content management system). This platform was created with SEO in mind and thus allows users to have a wide range of SEO controls, HTML and more.

From PixelSilk:

PixelSilk is a scalable, Web-based CMS that provides SEO, marketing and Web development teams with the features they need to maximize their online initiatives and gain a competitive edge in their organic search engine rankings. Cutting-edge tools that allow full control of the HTML code, the ability to interact with business and social media applications, open framework structure, real-time SEO feedback and true theme and navigation flexibility are among some of the features that set PixelSilk apart from any other production-level CMS available today.

PixelSilk is a web-based application. Users simply administer and access their Web sites from any internet connection and popular browser. The PixelSilk CMS is a proprietary system designed for mid-sized businesses to succeed online. PixelSilk’s client and server APIs allow for the development of custom business objectives that extends the already flexible features of the PixelSilk system. From social applications like Facebook and Twitter to back-end CRM and sales systems, integrating third party software is made easy through PixelSilk’s extensible framework.

The enthusiasm shown by the company itself isn’t the only place enthusiasm is coming from. A lot of top individuals in the industry have been searching for a different kind of CMS. Just like the abandonment of carts like Zen and CRE loaded, PixelSilk is replacing an antiquated generation of CMS platforms.

“PixelSilk is a compelling argument for a reassessment of every CMS”

– Bruce Clay
CEO, Bruce Clay Inc.

Or take the tour at:
http://www.pixelsilk.com/tour/

Take it from me, having a usable and easy to edit CMS or shopping cart is extremely important; not only for SEO, but also for the efficiency and profitability of your online properties. If you need a flexible CMS that can handle your SEO needs, PixelSilk may just be the CMS you’ve been waiting for.

SMX East, in New York City, was great this year. I was double-booked on two panels at the same time. One being SEO for WordPress and the other was Social Media, Search, and Reputation Management. The Social Media, Search, and Reputation Management panel was a great list of people including:

Moderator:
Chris Sherman, Executive Editor, Search Engine Land

Speakers:
Brent Csutoras, Social Media Consultant, Brent Csutoras, Inc
Rhea Drysdale, COO & Co-Founder, Outspoken Media
Jordan Kasteler, Co-Founder, Search & Social (myself)
Chris Silver Smith, Director of Optimization Strategies, KeyRelevance
Marty Weintraub, President, aimClear

You can find liveblog coverage via @VirginiaNussey here: http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/archives/2009/10/social_media_se.html. My presentation is below:

Affiliate Convention was a great time thanks to the fine people at WebmasterRadio.fm. I had a great opportunity to present on Mobile SEO and Mobile Marketing with Gary Ackerman and Cindy Krum. As promised to attendees, here is my presentation below:

SMX Advanced 2009 was a great time this year with lots of good content, good networking, and fun. I spoke on a panel called “Is Your Site Hosting Ready for Social Media Success” with Curtis R. Curtis, Ken Spreitzer, and Steve Hasselbach. The slides from it are below:

I had the pleasure to present locally on SEO and Podcasting at PodcampSLC in Salt Lake City, Utah recently. The presentation strongly focuses on multimedia in general and the importance of enhanced media in Google’s Universal Search.

Unfortunately, I had to run after I presented in the morning so I missed the rest of the event, but I’m sure it was a great success like it has been in the past. Special thanks to Thom Allen for putting together the event.

Below is my presentation as promised to attendees.

I had the pleasure of presenting at SearchFest 2009 in Portland, OR this week with Rick Turcozy and David Wallace.

I spoke a panel called “SEO for WordPress” and talked about ways of making your new installation of WordPress SEO friendly and I have posted my presentation slides below:

SMX West was great this year. I enjoyed hanging out with old friends and meeting new ones. The panel I did was on 301 redirects with Carolyn Shelby, Stephan Spencer, and Jonnah Stein.

While they spoke more on the technical aspects of 301 redirects I spoke more on how you can use them with social media to leverage higher search engine rankings and more link juice.

A friend of mine on Twitter @martinbowling sent me these questions to answer and post on my blog which he is also posting on his blog: Zima

THE QUESTIONS:

1. How long have you been working in and what attracted you to it?

I started off as a web designer/web developer at about the age of 13 or 14. I just really loved it as a hobby and started working as a web designer after high school at an ad agency when I was 18. They were teamed up with this SEO company. This SEO company was called Engine Ready, run by Jason Miller. He taught me a lot of SEO things. That’s how I first got my introduction to SEO. I wasn’t really in love with it at the time. I later worked as a web designer in house for a real estate and mortgage company. They wanted to get their sites ranked. I said, “I know a little bit about it.” They said, “Take two or three weeks, immerse yourself in SEO, and come rank our sites.” So, I did. For those couple weeks, I spent all my time learning all I could. I got their sites ranked and fell in love with SEO. It was a connection ever after that. I went to work for an SEO agency after that, called WI Works. I worked there for about three years and just recently made a shift to Overstock.com as an in house SEO specialist.

2. In your opinion, what’s the measure of a good SEO/PR/Blogging professional?

Passion, knowledge, and experience.

3. Whose Blog do you read the most?

Probably Search Engine Journal. I love @seosmarty‘s posts on there.

4. What’s your best “SEO secret” or blogging tactic?

If I told you I’d have to kill you.

5. Search engine algorithms are getting smarter, and a lot of people predict Organic SEO services will become obsolete. How do you plan to adapt?

Thinks will definitely change. I wrote a more in-depth post called The Future of SEO and it discusses how Internet marketers will need to adapt to future changes. We’re already starting to see that SEOs are realizing that they need to be more about marketing than just search engine ranking professionals.

6. Please Describe the biggest challenge you face in your current job.

Red tape.

7. Do you have any advice for someone who is interested in SEO, but doesn’t have a background in it, on how to get started in this field?

Read your blogs, follow your industry leaders and really read what they have to say. Subscribe to their RSS feeds. Read Sphinn. Read Search Engine Land every single day. Expect to spend an hour and a half to three hours, almost daily, keeping up with that stuff. Really read what’s going on. Then, take all that knowledge that you’ve learned and test it. Test your own theories, as well as other people’s theories, and see what works for you. What works for one site or someone else that they blogged about or that you’ve read about, might not work for you. Go ahead and test things. Have some testing grounds; your own blog, your own website or whatever. You can’t always test things on clients’ websites. You have to apply what you already know to clients’ websites. Another thing is just practice. Keep practicing. Keep going at it. Keep testing new things. Eventually you’re going to be very good in SEO.

8. If you could rank for any keyword phrase you don’t currently rank for, what would it be?

Viagra.

9. Assuming you had never gone into SEO, what would you be doing now professionally?

I’d probably be in jail.

10. Do you have any interest in politics?

Yes, I have a huge vested interest in politics. My interests have lead me to roads to deeper things in the political system that my life would make my life better not knowing at all. Many people joke that I’m a conspiracy theorists. I call it conspiracy facts.

Well that’s the end of our interview. Thank you to @MelaniePhung for writing the questions for everyone. Feel free to follow me on Twitter (@utahseopro) if you’d like!

Video SEO

@almacy Digital Strategy Expert
@melaniephung DC SEO Strategist
@martinbowling Zima lover
@utahseopro Utah SEO Consultant
@fairminder Boston Website Design and SEO

@cyandle Google Adwords Professional
@jackleblond VP of Internet Strategy @djpaisley Digital Communications Strategist
@vinceblackham Utah SEO expert
@melanienathan Edmonton SEO expert @researchgoddess Staffing Social Media Specialist
@monicawright Maine SEO expert

Unfortunately, I was only at SES Chicago just one day to present and catch a few sessions but from what I saw it was great. I met some great people and even got some decent SWAG.

My presentation was on SEO and Usability but I primarily focused on the usability of submission forms on Websites. A form with good usability will increase conversions on a site and decrease user frustration, form abandonment, and bounce rate.

I tied form usability back to SEO with search engines starting to incorporate user behavior data, like bounce rate, into their algorithms. I won’t talk about that further but I did post “The Future of SEO” mentioning it quite a bit as well as Eric Enge’s post on Search Engine Land and SEO Blackhat’s case study post.

Here is my presentation slides: