The Daily JDA

When android hits, we are going to see one of the first battles of apple and google. For the most part these two don’t really compete. Now they are going head to head in the battle of the mobile os.

Everyone knew about the iphone before it came out, but no one that I talk to outside the tech world knows what android is - most within don’t either. That’s a fundamental difference in google and apple. Apple is known for big build ups to releases and for big ad and pr campaigns. Google isn’t. Instead google is known for launching quietly and then crushing the competition with superior products. But apple is known for crushing competition too. The difference is really one of style.

So now, the question has to be what happens when two heavyweights colide? My guess is that the world won’t blink at android. My guess is that it won’t be half as asthetically appealing as the iphone. However, my guess is that over time it will crush the iphone.

Why? Not simply because it’s google. I know as well as anyone that google can’t win on name alone. If that were true a mass conversion to google docs would be underway. Google will win because its strategy is better and its better fit for this medium. Mobile isn’t about phones. It’s about the web and messaging. Right now apple’s biggest advantage is its ability to combine two devices into one. But as the way we use our phones evolves the google brand will be the one users are most drawn to. It may be a few years off, but in the long run I believe the mobile world belongs to google

I was in a meeting about seo Friday, and I was left pondering a question I’ve pondered before: where do brands belong in title tags?

There are really just two choices, the front and the back. If you put the brand name in the back, there is a chance a searcher might miss it. They might go to your site and never remember the name because it didn’t make that first impression. They remember the content, but not the brand.

On the other hand, putting the brand in front means giving up valuable keyword real estate. You are potentially sacrificing the only few words a user will ever see to get your brand name out. If it’s an unknown brand, there’s even a chance that will induce someone to skip your link.

So what’s worse? Well, I think our narcissistic and English basis makes us think that the name should come first. We read left to right, and from a hierarchical standpoint it make sense to use: site - section - page. It’s just the way we think. And we certainly don’t want to risk an opportunity to throw our brand in everyone’s face. Consider that and the fact that every uber brand in the world uses this structure (plus some very popular content management systems like wordpress) and you have a fairly compelling argument for placing your brand name first in your title.

But wait… you’re not an uber brand… at least most likely you’re not. So there’s a good chance you’ll benefit more from keywords first. Well… maybe. You don’t need to be Facebook SEOmoz to warrant the brand first title tag, but you also shouldn’t just go for it because that’s what SEOmoz does.

Unless you are well known in your target market, you really shouldn’t be putting your name up front. The key isn’t size, it’s brand awareness in your target market. If your name already means something throw it up front. If it doesn’t (which can be hard to admit) it gets the back seat to content.

Updated: I changed my example from Facebook to SEOmoz. I think this post is more relevant with this example, because SEOmoz is really using its brand recognition in the field to drive clicks.

The main reason I’ve ditched this blog is because I now moblog more than anything, and there is a very simple solution that I like for that. So now I have three options:

1. Continue using my “Stealth Blog” only
2. Use the same software as the stealth blog and create a new blog
3. Keep this wordpress blog and moblog on wordpress… and keep the stealth blog

The third option seems like the best though I have some good ideas for a new blog name which would be my reason for number 2… 2 or 3, I plan to try to get back into public blogging…. just hope some readers come back.

Cdm? Never heard of it you say? That’s because I just made it up. Seo, in reality, is a technical thing. It starts with the way a site is put together and includes things like title tag management. Cdm is often confused with seo, but I think it’s completely different. Cdm is content distribution management. Often thought of as seo, but the traditional thinking on seo really has two parts…and I don’t think it’s right to lump them together. Seo involves prepping a site to be search friendly - all of the on page aspects. Cdm is making sure someone notices. Your site can be technically perfect from a search engine’s point of view, but that really doesn’t matter unless someone thinks your site is worth their time. People think a site is worth their time if they’ve heard about it. You’ll rarely hear about a site unless it engages in some cdm. Furthermore, as search engines become more refined, thee on page stuff matters less. In the end cdm is more important than seo (though your seo should be nearly flawless) and it’s going to be the next big web service market (especially as seo moves in-house or dies).