The nominees this year are highly controversial, because they are inspired or originated from Matt’s own reading list, and are the posts which he highlighted in his monthly roundup posts as being the most important for his clients and subscribers to read if they missed them.
As such, the Semmys represent a subset of the content that is created, but possibly that also allows Matt to highlight articles that were in some way ground-breaking or were the centre of the news more than useful howto articles which might present excellent content, but are not necessarily “must read”. They are certainly going to be controversial…

Judging is broken down into 2 stages, with 25 judges being asked to come up with a short list of posts in their assigned categories. I am sure assigning judges was a hard task, because so many of the judges have their own articles nominated, and because of quite visible professional ties with other marketers.

The 25 Judges

• Aaron Wall
• Andrew Shortland
• Andy Beal
• Andy Beard
• Barry Schwartz
• Bill Slawski
• Brad Geddes
• Chris Winfield
• Christine Churchill
• David Mihm
• Deb Mastaler
• Eric Enge
• Jeff Quipp
• Jennifer Laycock
• John Andrews
• Lee Odden
• Lisa Barone
• Logoworks
• Loren Baker
• Matt McGee
• Michael Gray
• Rand Fishkin
• Simon Heseltine
• Stoney deGeyter
• Sugarrae
• Tamar Weinberg
• Todd Malicoat
• Vanessa Fox

The Articles I Had Nominated (yes 4 of them)

SEO Category
SEO Linking Gotchas Even The Pros Make
Google Category
Dancing With The Gevil – Defamed By Google?
Digg Favorites Slapped By Google
Blogs & Blogging
Optimizing HTML Links In The Aftermath Of A Blog Storm

For some reason none of my articles about Google and paid links were classed as rants, maybe I need to add some more attitude to those or keep them shorter.
In some ways that is a good thing, it has allowed me to be a judge for the Rant Category as well as SEO Tech

Take a look at those categories and let me know what you think – I will try not to let you sway my choices too much, but if you have a favorite, do let me know.

WordPress SEO Tips & Hacks

Subscribe to Comments Hacks – I am including this at the top of the list because it is highly important. Emails sent out from your domain could cause you problems with email delivery or spam complaints, and the plugin by default doesn’t comply with CAN-SPAM if you or someone else (a spammer) includes a marketing message in your emails.
The danger of overloading your server with emails being sent faster than your host allows is also worth thinking about. I know multiple blogs that have problems delivering all subscribed comments and I am sure the owners are not aware of this.

Just imagine you have 20 people comment on a post, and then you get 5 new comments in the space of one hour – that would put you over the limit on most shared hosting.

Mine are set up to be delivered by Gmail by SMTP – which email host is going to block Gmail totally?

Spam Karma latest release, and I also speculated that I get less spam using it than if I was using Akismet.

My Ultimate List of Dofollow Plugins first published in February still gains links on a daily basis, and has helped convert 100s of people into removing nofollow from their comments and trackbacks.
I have a followup project planned that I will launch within the next week that will provide a way of highlighting blogs that wish to be highlighted as supporting DoFollow.
The page also now includes information on how to remove NoFollow from blogs using Blogger and I hope to be able to include detailed Typepad and MoveableType instructions (I know of 3 people working on this)

How linking to social media and bookmarking sites could affect your search engine performance. The discussion that followed on is just as informative as the post.

Tagging and How Tagging Can Help SEO is one of the primary topics of this blog. I have written a lot of posts regarding the benefits of using Ultimate Tag Warrior (that is a link to the tag).
My analysis of the Google BlogSearch Patent didn’t gain a lot of links from SEO blogs, but then most SEO bloggers don’t understand the benefits of tagging and are too worried about duplicate content (another tag link)

Do you get linked to by the press? I also highlighted how bad some press agencies are with linking.

My attack on Top Commenters plugins caused some uproar. It is great to provide a way to thank the people who comment on your blog, but I prefer to do that by using DoFollow.
If you can understand my milk bottle analogy, you will go a long way to improving the SEO profile of your blog. If you do use a Top Commenters plugin, at least include it using some WordPress logic functions such as is_home() and is_single()

Top WordPress Plugins

I will be opening up the voting for the first round of my cash donations for best wordpress plugins later today (I need to decide which plugin or service to use). I am giving away real money in large chunks to help support WordPress Plugin Development.

Monetization & Blogging Tips

Warning about using Amazon Contextual Links

PayPerPost vs Jason Calacanis turned into an in depth discussion regarding ThisNext vs PayPerPost on Disclosure (you really have to read the comments)

Performancing Metrics Is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing for Niche Website owners and why I recommend Clicky instead.

I write a lot about disclosure in affiliate marketing and blogging. Whilst PayPerPost is constantly being highlighted, the people doing the highlighting are actually as guilty of poor disclosure and unethical practices themselves.

Maki asked a number of bloggers why they display a feed counter and I gave what I believe is the most in depth answer. There are some good tips there for those people who already have an existing mailing list to jumpstart their blog subscription for an insane amount of social proof.
Why don’t Aweber and Getresponse offer a decent email subscription to RSS feeds that reports numbers to Feedburner? Anyone who uses their services misses out on the social proof benefit.
They should also offer their own social proof icons for email subscriptions.

In some ways I hate product launch formula style marketing of services. The scarcity factor makes it hard for a potential buyer to make an informed decision despite all the proof.
Sometimes the materials left over are of huge value, and I recommend you watch the videos from Rich Schefren.

Product Reviews

Stampede Traffic

Sponsored Reviews – with this service you can negotiate with me for paid reviews :)

Volusion Shopping Cart – was I too harsh on them?
Auction Ads

Web 2.0

Is this the Future of MyBlogLog when we finally get an API? Smart internet marketers should already be planning on how the data could be best integrated into other applications.

Tips on using Reddit and Stumbleupon. The StumbleUpon post lists my membership details to a number of social networks… lets be friends. I really should include those in my sidebar.

Sometimes it is amazing the knock-on effect of what you blog about.

My How To Use MyBlogLog post sent Cord some traffic, but the important factor is the quality of traffic sent. Eric from MyBlogLog saw the post, read Cord’s 2 part guide, and then listed it on the MyBlogLog blog, along with some more tips.

I wrote a fair amount about Twitter, partially because it was the talk of the blogosphere, and partially because as with all emerging technology, there were a lot of ethical problems in using it for commercial use. The best way to read full coverage is to use my Twitter tag.

I love Technorati, but they really have problems coping with all the new kinds of RSS and micro blog services such as Twitter, and co.Comment

I had some Digg success earlier in the month, with a story I submitted to Digg actually reaching the front page. The discussion is well worth reading with some insight from Michel Fortin and others.

If spending $97 on an ebook is a major financial commitment, don’t read any further

Ok, for the rest of you lets get on with the review…

• There is no hype in the sales letter
• There is no hype in the ebook
• There is no hype in this review

Another Web 2.0 Social Media Ebook?

After you read the sales letter that is probably the impression you will have, and in fact you will still have that impression shortly after you start reading the ebook.

Here are some interesting facts for you

Pages 56 (+bonus guide on video, crib sheets and tables)

In fact those few references that were included were mainly in facts and figures like usage data.

So What is this Ebook Talking About?

Traffic Secrets

Whilst many people don’t appreciate the value of ebooks, claiming that the information is out there if you look for it, or join and participate in various forums, that isn’t strictly true.
We live in an age of information overload. Quite often different ideas and new ideas take a long time to rise to the surface, or never make it, not because the ideas are not valuable, or supported by hard evidence.

I often see “specialists” in SMO (Social Media Optimization) and SMM (Social Media Marketing) claim that their methods and expensive services can work in virtually any market place.
I am not going to dispute those claims, but that very statement tends to drown out other methods that could be equally effective for traffic generation that might be equally, or potentially more suitable for certain markets.

Traffic Strategy

The fundamental value from this ebook is that it challenges you to examine your social media marketing strategy, and optimize it for best effect.
This is nothing to do with writing better headlines, or coercing top users at Digg, Reddit or Netscape to add you as a friend and to plug your content.

Whilst Laura’s intention was to target the ebook to beginners in social media marketing, in many ways consultants in social media marketing should read it because it will place a new perspective on information and strategies you think you already know.

Professional Writing

Laura has written a lot of ebooks as a ghost writer, and this isn’t her first outing in publishing an ebook in her own name. This ebook oozes quality production with footnotes on almost every page and links to resources that back up the data and strategies she proposes.

The professional tone may also be one of its shortcomings – The Stampede Secret isn’t a light refreshing read, or suitable for people who prefer information in short 400 word chunks.

To get the most benefit you really will have to read through the ebook a couple of times taking notes – in some ways it reminds me of some of the more serious marketing reports you might receive from Marketing Sherpa.

Recommended Audience

Ideal

You are already making money, and probably think you know everything there is about SMM. You might even skim read the ebook once and think there is nothing new, but if you take the time to sit down and read it slowly a couple of times, you will pick up a new perspective.

• Marketing consultants
• Blogging consultants
• Business owners in niche markets
• Owners of Virtual Real Estate in Niche markets including blogging networks
• VCs and Angel Investors
• Researchers
• Journalists

Possible

Beginners who have tried SMM for their niche websites and blogs with little success, and who have money to invest to accelerate their learning process.

Don’t Buy It

This isn’t an ebook showing you the secret route to success and instant wealth. This isn’t something you should spend your last meal ticket on for that one chance of financial independence.

If the price of the ebook is more than you would spend on a night out, think again.

It will probably take you 3 hours to read this ebook unless you have been studying various fast reading techniques – if 3 hours of your time is worth less than $97, this ebook probably isn’t ideal.

You Can Find This Information Elsewhere

I honestly haven’t gone searching for all this information elsewhere, but I am sure somewhere among the millions of pages of content that are created on the internet every day, you would find at least 90% of this information. The value is in the way it is collated and presented.

Just as an example some of what is discussed in the ebook you could find on my blog, and potentially in more depth, especially in regards to things like tagging. Laura even quoted from one of my articles and linked through, highlighting that people should read the article, and the valuable discussion afterwards.

Unique Information

Analysis of one of Laura’s niche sites in a very competitive market (Acne Treatment) with real proof of traffic numbers from Quantcast – not just screenshots.
This isn’t a high traffic site, it is very much a simple niche website, running on WordPress that anyone could create and generate some income – I wouldn’t expect Laura to expose her most profitable sites.

Discussion of traffic strategy – some social media consultants charge $5000 per day to help you formulate a social media marketing action plan. Most of the consultants concentrate on the search engine optimization benefits, and not how to participate in social networks to find real customers.

How to Write an Ebook – whilst this isn’t one of the lessons taught, the production quality and style is something to learn from.

I am going to finish off with a few select quotes from the ebook that don’t give too much away, but at the same time highlight how much different the overall perspective of the information is.

If anything is going to hold you back in being a fore-runner in the new web, the need to measure and record every click or movement to and on your site would be the culprit. The internet is changing at such a rapid rate that controlling and metering every change you make has the potential to stall your success.

Uptight control and playing it safe is seldom the stance of a pioneer. It is the pioneer who wins in profits, fame and visitor traffic – not the followers and whiners. I am not guaranteeing success by any means, nor am I advising you to risk your life savings on some promising new start up, but I am saying that the occasional ‘play your cards or go home’ attitude is one of the keys to success.

Web 2.0 is a very creative, innovative and fluid environment. Most Web 2.0 sites cannot be put in a box and measured in any consistent and reliable fashion – they are simply too young. There is a level of intuition at launch, an element of change and growth throughout the life of the web property, and yet another level of intuition used for assessment when determining a reasonable sale value.

Conclusion

No hype, no bonus, though if I do see enough interest and sales I might write up a supplement to the ebook going into some of the topics in more depth, especially on the benefits of tagging.
I would probably make that available free to all Laura’s customers.
I may even go into some of the topics that Laura has missed – Web 2.0 grows at an alarming rate, and there is a limit to how fast you can research strategies enough to be able to offer conclusive proof.

Disclaimers are unheard of in most ebooks, but Laura takes this to a new professional level, this is just part of it.

Information within this report may be speculation and are therefore within the meaning of the securities litigation reform act of 1995 and contain verbiage such as ‘expected’, ‘anticipated’, ‘estimated’, projected’, ‘believed’ or variations of those.

I have actually been chucking a few emails backwards and forwards to Laura over the last couple of days, and I thought I would include one small excerpt.

You know you really rock! You don’t even ‘know’ me and you’ve given me so
much of your time. It’s a dying art in our world.

I am not going to include my exact reply, because it mentioned names of people that if internet marketers were actively using LinkedIn, would certainly appear between myself and Laura as shared contacts, and over the last 2 years I have certainly dropped by her blog a number of times.

This comment also shows the benefit of “paying it forward” and the value of providing information for free to eventually reach your goals.

There are quite a few expert marketers who normally charge their clients a great deal of money who I correspond with on a regular basis, simply because they have gained value from what I have offered for free.

One of the bonuses that Laura provides is some very specific email support – she states that she will answer 2 emails from her customers, and highlights the importance formulating those questions to receive maximum benefit. She is not going to exclude pleas for help, and win / win relationships can develop to extend the level of help provided.

I have always been happy to answer emails regarding the products I review both before someone makes a buying decision and afterwards, or you can just ask here in the comments.

I gained a great deal of value from Stampede Secrets. I might not realise that value immediately because I already employ many of the strategies and techniques discussed, and it is hard to quantify the effect any changes might have on my income.
Reading the ebook has certainly helped me highlight the action I should be taking to revitalise some of the niche websites I have had for a long time and hardly ever modify, because each is bringing in a small trickle of income.
Laura has helped me realise that it is possible to employ a few extra traffic strategies for these niche websites that could turn the flow of traffic into a gushing fountain.

Disclaimer:- I am one of the few people who received a free review copy of this ebook, possibly because I offered to take a look before publishing, that Laura reads my blog, and because she quoted me in the ebook. To be honest I might not have purchased the ebook just based upon the sales page. That is the value of affiliate marketing in pre-selling, or explaining the benefits of a product in an ethical manner

Despite the fact that Andy Beal thought it was a pain to sign up for the new Jubii service (it seriously is), I thought I would give it a try and give some feedback – 10GB of free storage could be useful, depending on usage restrictions.
The NY Times piece didn’t really give me any indication as to whether this service was just intended to be some kind of integrated Myspace, or dare I say it, something useful…

Initial observations

US Only? – Before I had got to the terms and conditions, I discovered a drop down box allowing me to select my country – the only option was US. I also had to enter my area code – 99999 seemed very suitable.

Terms of Service – Insanely difficult to read – the javascript popup box doesn’t respond to keyboard or mouse-wheel input, so I had to resort to dragging the scrollbar. The window size for reading a legal document was just not suitable. Fortunately they offer a downloadable PDF.

Terms Of Service Are Important

I have a pro account on Flickr, but their terms of service prevent use for commercial purpose, and especially use for hosting web graphics. I know lots of people break this rule, but that doesn’t mean it is a good thing to base your business around.

You could just pay for hosting images and other multimedia on Amazon S3, but that isn’t always suitable and it can be slow. The charges however are a lot lower than from most hosting companies.

Converting the PDF

Whilst the PDF was a useful way to read the terms of service, it was proving difficult to copy and paste text for this overview. There is an easy way around that, just send the PDF to myself as an attachment in GMAIL, to get a “view as HTML” option.

Jubii Terms of Service

4. Purpose.
The purpose of our Website is to offer users a variety of possibilities for publishing (e.g.
private homepages, weblogs, linklists, dating services, discussion forums, upload services) and
exchanging (e.g. via email, chat file sharing) information, data, data banks, texts, links,
software, music, sounds, photos, graphics, videos, news or other material (“Content”).
Content on the Website is offered for your personal (noncommercial) use and may not be used,
copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, broadcast, displayed, sold, licensed or otherwise
exploited except with the prior written consent of Jubii.

Based on this clause, Jubii is next to useless for anyone who has any kind of monetization on their blog. Are they just after the MySpace crowd?

5. Publication of Content/Grant of Rights.

By submitting and contributing Content for publication within the Jubii Service, you
grant Jubii an unlimited, world-wide, non-exclusive license free of charge, including the right
to grant sublicenses, to use, reproduce, publish, display, copy, transmit, store, disseminate,
translate, reformat and make publicly available such Content or prepare derivative works or
integrate the Content into compilations or to distribute the Content and extracts of the
Content and to perform and display the foregoing in connection with the business of Jubii
including with or within advertising as determined by Jubii. This license includes without
limitation the right to make the Content and extracts of the Content accessible as stated in the
preceding sentence via mobile devices, whether now known or hereafter devised, and the right
to adapt the Content to any data format. You authorize the use of the Content which you
place on the Website for the purpose of publishing, displaying and advertising of the Content
with or within Jubii Service, any link to the Website or search function associated with the
Jubii Service or the Website. You agree that Jubii does not guarantee any confidentiality with
respect to Content that is submitted and contributed to the Website.

This is actually fairly standard cover-your-ass stuff, but it effectively allows them to make derivative works and sub license them to others anyway they choose.

6. Copyrights/Privacy/Intellectual Property Rights.

You represent and warrant to us that you have not, and will not (nor authorize any
person using your password), publish any Content that infringes the copyrights,
patents, trademarks, trade secrets or other intellectual property rights (the
“Intellectual Property Rights”) of any person. You further represent and warrant
to us that the addition of advertising to any of your Content (or to Content added
under your password) will not violate the Intellectual Property Rights of any
person.

They are basically ruling out any material published under a Creative Commons License.

7. Rules.
You agree to the following:
(a)
The information which you have submitted is accurate, correct and complete. You
will not provide to us or post on our Website any information that is not correct,
such as an incorrect name, address, email address or any other incorrect
information whether with respect to you or any other person.

Oops I have given fake address details, so I can’t exactly test their service any further – the fact that I couldn’t give real details wouldn’t help me.

(b)
You will not use our Website, or any of the Content on the Website, for any
commercial or professional purposes, or for any other purpose involving solicitation
in any way to sell merchandise, goods, services, real estate or any product. You
may not post any links or telephone numbers for commercial or professional
services.

Even more hyper-restrictive – whatever you do, don’t go posting your favorite recipes, as that might be a precursor to a thriving online business.

You agree not to remove or block any copyright notices, ads or references or links
to the Jubii Service or elsewhere that we place on or near your Content.

So you are not allowed any privacy whatsoever when using the service, and have to turn off all your anti-spyware tools and services so Jubii can serve their adverts.

Limitations on Users.
(a) Users of the Jubii Service will be subject to reasonable limitations on the amount
of storage capacity which we offer and we reserve the right to change or reduce
the amount of storage capacity in our sole discretion from time to time without
advance notice.

So the 10GB storage is just a promotional gimmick, and they can reduce it without notice at some time in the future.

The Missing Security Code

Take a look:-

I am assuming this is a new security method, the “Invisible Captcha”

It is difficult for blind people to fill in a captcha, and use of a captcha that causes people with disabilities problems is certainly frowned upon, and possibly illegal in some countries (IANAL).
Obviously the best way to handle such an issue is to level the playing field, and make the captcha invisible for everyone.

Conclusion

I am prevented seeing anything inside the service, maybe it is not really live yet? I will write a review sometime in the future, assuming they modify the terms of service to allow a little more freedom.

Jubii doesn’t have a front page that makes it attractive to young users, and I believe it is almost impossible to use it for anything else that is useful, at least for my audience.

With all the features I have read about, they could make it extremely useful, we will see what happens.