Recently in Portent Interactive Category
As I get deeper and deeper into the roles of director and get more involved with the personnel decisions and training, it occurs to me how very little people actually utilize the resources available to them when scoping out a company like Portent. And how those little things are actually applicable to any job or internship, not just Portent or the industry. So for those of you looking to “break into the biz” or curious on what we look for, I’ll lay it right out for you and challenge you to make my job hard. Not in the way where
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Continue reading Applying to Portent
Well, here we were waiting all winter long for the Green River to crest its’ banks, meet the black wall of sandbags that block the trail from nothing but people (since water goes around things afterall) and our patience was finally rewarded. OK, it’s not THAT bad, but it is rather inconvenient as we are now all banished to working from home (normally that would be great) for the next few days. Of course this is the week that it’s summer in Seattle (we only get one per year) with highs predicted around 90F. Yes, I realize you East Coasters
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Continue reading Portent Floods Finally...From the Inside
Wappow Search and Social Workshops are holding great beginner, intermediate and advanced courses this month! I know they’re great because both Ian and myself will be leading sessions! (Hey, you’ve got to brag modestly somewhere, right?) Learn how to build your business and manage your brand online. 1 day of intense learning from search engine optimization (SEO), paid search marketing (PPC or SEM), and social media marketing (SMM) from some of the most respected professionals in the industry. So if you’re looking for an introduction, building on your skills and networking with others in an audience driven style of presentation,
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Continue reading Huzzah! Workshop Series in Seattle
I work with some of the funniest people around. And when it came time for them to show off their incredible sense of humor, they stepped up. I give to you, the best birthday card I’ve ever gotten. I think. I have a pretty bad memory of birthday cards, but this one I will never forget. First up is the cover: In which I replace Stuart Tosh, Pilot’s drummer extraordinaire. This great little joke is due to the fact that I will from time to time start singing the infamous lyrics: It’s Magic, you know! Never believe it’s not so!
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Continue reading Happy Birthday Evan!
Standing up and talking internet marketing is one of my favorite things. And no, I’m not being ironic. I really do love it. So, here are some of the speaking gigs I’ll be at in the next month or two: SMX West: March 2-4, 2010, Santa Clara. I’m a panelist in Analytics Action Plans For PPC & SEO, Day 3. You can get a nice discount for an SMX West all access pass if you use the partner code ‘smx15speaker’ on the registration page. SEMPDX Searchfest: March 9th, 2010. I’m on a reputation management panel. I’ll talk about various dirty
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Continue reading Where I'm speaking in the next 2 months
Who says on-the-job research can’t be fun - and heavily caffeinated? Last week, Portent Interactive took a field trip to the Seattle headquarters of what is quickly becoming our tastiest new client: Zoka Coffee Roaster & Tea Company. In the Name of Research A field trip seemed like the logical thing to do - even the biggest coffee junkies among us admitted that drinking four cups of Folgers a day did not a coffee-expert make. And getting to know our clients - their passions, their work ethic, their product - is a huge perk of the job. So who were
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Continue reading Portent Interactive Visits Zoka Coffee
Todd Mintz interviewed me for Search Engine Journal. If you’re looking for a chance to embarrass me at the next internet marketing conference, this interview has lots of good material: Read the interview here. You can follow Todd Mintz on Twitter at ToddMintz. Recommended reading! Also, best title award goes to @AlanBleiweiss:
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Continue reading Interview on Search Engine Journal
In January of 1995, I took my one credit card, purchased a Pentium 75 PC (running the latest version of Windows 3.0) and a business license, and launched The Written Word, Inc. That company is now named Portent Interactive. The date on that first business license is January 7, 1995. So, as of tomorrow, we’ve been around for 15 years. For perspective, when I started my company: There was no such thing as wifi; My 2800 baud modem was state of the art; Google and Yahoo! didn’t exist; Actually, neither did Firefox, Blackberry or cell phones that weighed less than
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Continue reading 15 Years
We’re expensive, I know. A long-term engagement with a quality Internet marketing agency is pricey. So we’ve developed a 1-on-1 consulting package that lets you get started without breaking the bank, and without a long-term retainer contract. As part of the program, you get: A custom report listing 10 things you can do to improve your site. 1 hour of 1-on-1 consulting with me, via phone, to explain the recommendations. If you’re a blogger, a small business or just want to test out Portent’s expertise, the 10Things package is perfect. Click here to learn about it, and to sign up.
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Continue reading The 10Things Site Review, by Portent
I’ll be running the Curmudgeon’s Web Copywriting Site Clinic on Tuesday at SES San Jose. 10-11 AM. Bring your web site and I’ll put it up on the big screen, walk through tweaks and changes to copy, and hopefully teach a little at the same time. Here’s all the info: Tuesday, August 11th, 10:00am - 11:00am The Curmudgeon’s Web Copywriting Clinic
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Continue reading Speaking at SES San Jose
