A Fleeting Realization

Life is a journey through a stream of experiences, and each experience is always completely unique. 

These experiences help change you as a person. [never fear change]

Whether you change for the better or for the worse depends on 

how you choose to react to your experiences. 

It is choice that determines your growth as an individual, as a part of a community, and as a human being. 

Experience grants knowledge and wisdom, 

but choice is the hand that sculpts the clay of your life. What you turn into is defined by the choices you have made.

Search and Beyond: Why SEO Is Here To Stay

by Albert Nuel Navarrete

When I visited Moz.com the other day, I chanced upon this post by marketing scientist Dr. Pete named SEO Tactics Die, But SEO Never Will, and I just found it profoundly amusing how the blog came to me at such a perfect time. You see, I recently made a post about the start of my adventure in SEO. There I expressed my belief that the landscape of SEO will change continuously as time passes by, as people continue to yearn for a better way to find information and consume content. After reading Dr. Pete's post, I couldn't help but feel a greater level of excitement to learn more about internet marketing through SEO, knowing that people who have far more experience in the industry hold the same belief as I do in terms of the growth and expansion of our nascent practice. I believe that SEO is still a relatively young landscape, yet it is undoubtedly fertile and brimming with potential. It can have a significant effect on how people find information, and information at this day and age has grown to be a supremely important aspect of our daily lives. 

The growing importance of information

People naturally gravitate towards objects that are useful to the preservation and promotion of better living. That is why man opted to proliferate the the use of fire; that is why the wheel is considered man's most important invention; that is why we humans feel an inherent need to acquire that which brings us the most satisfaction. First, it was the fire; next, it was the wheel; and after the information revolution, humans have sought and continue to seek something that transcends pure and simple necessity: information - specifically, accurate and consumable information. People nowadays frequently rely on timely and reliable information to go about their normal, day-to-day routines. When we want to enjoy a memorable dining experience in London, we go online and search for 'best restaurants in London'; when we want to eat the most delicious burgers Philadelphia has to offer, we search for 'best burgers Philadelphia.' Information has become so deeply integrated in our daily lives that making it readily available at the click of a button has grown vastly in importance over the years. 

The role of SEO

The optimization of the search experience plays a central role in making information available to people when they need it, where they need it. Mobile technology is compacting high-powered computing into designs that can easily fit in a shirt pocket; 4G access is becoming increasingly available, providing mobile ultra-broadband internet access to people wherever they are; online information and search are becoming inevitably entwined with people's daily lives. It is the job and purpose of the search engine optimizer to make the right information known to the people that need it. The effect of SEO is not just confined within the realm of marketing. It also has a cumulative effect on how people will be able to find the information they need on the internet. That is exactly why I think the world of search is an ever-changing landscape. There will always be a need to improve the search experience, to make search results more accurate, to make the right information, product, or service available to the right target market. As Dr. Pete says in his entry, there is no telling how long Google will last as the premier tool for search, but we can be fairly certain about one thing: that engines powering search will continue to develop and exist far into the future, just because of how important information has become to our lives. As long as we live in a world where information plays an important role in society, people will continue to make use of some form of search engine to locate the right information. As such, people who can optimize information and make it available to people when they need it will continue to play a role in society. Dr. Pete's concept of a space egg is quite fascinating, and if anything, it allows us a peek into what search might be in the future. Optimization tactics, search engines, and landscape dynamics might change, but search will continue to exist - at least, that's what I believe. 

“In a world of rapid change, we each need to garner as much useful information as possible, sort through it in a way that meets our unique circumstances, calibrate it with what we already know, and re-circulate it with others who share our goals.” 
― Marcia Conner, The New Social Learning: A Guide to Transforming Organizations Through Social Media

SEO: Hopping on the Bandwagon

by Albert Nuel Navarrete

When I first came across SEO, I had no clue what it meant. Googling didn't help either because I had absolutely no idea what Wiki was saying at that time. I mean, if you read the first sentence of the entry, I doubt you'd get any measure of clarity either. Here's how Wiki explained to me what SEO meant:

"Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or un-paid ("organic") search results."

That just left me with more questions than answers. What is a search engine? How do you affect the visibility of a website/page in it? What are natural/unpaid search results? Naturally, like what Brooke McDonald said in her blog SEO from a Newb's Perspective, you'd think that SEO is something reserved for people in the IT industry, people who can write thousands of lines of code, or do hours of programming, or build websites from scratch. If you approached me while I was still in college and asked me if I was interested in doing SEO to earn money, I'd probably give you a long, blank stare and follow it up with, "What's that?" It was a concept that was far too alien to me.

But after trying my hand at SEO writing (the first online job I ventured into), I figured I might actually be able to earn some good, honest money while doing something that's more or less in line with what I studied for in college (journalism). It was relatively simple: write content - usually a post with 350 words or less - and sprinkle some client-provided keywords in the first, middle, and last paragraphs. Make a title with the same keyword included in it, and you're all set!

Of course, you had to do your research on the topic and get your facts straight. This part I got pat down because, if there was something I learned in college that I'd never forget, it was to always do research and crosscheck information through different sources before doing any writing. That was something all my professors and instructors hammered into me while I was in college, and that was something I realized was particularly useful in SEO writing.

Moreover, I realized that SEO is not just about writing lines of code, or looking at a webpage and seeing numbers and symbols fall down the screen, Matrix-style. You don't have to be a math wiz or an I.T. graduate majoring in programming to have a career in SEO.

In my case, it was all about using what I had in my arsenal - my creativity and strong grasp of writing - to create content that's both compelling and informative. My knowledge and skills in communication and writing proved useful in SEO. Because I was used to making articles, doing research, and talking to people, engaging with users online came easily for me. And with Google shifting its focus away from links to actual website content, people who can create good quality content have become even more important to the industry. People who are creative and are effective in translating their creativeness into writing are increasingly valuable nowadays.

I'm still most definitely a newbie in SEO, and I've still got a lot to learn about it. But that's the beauty of the internet marketing industry. It's continuously growing, evolving, diversifying. There's always something new to discover; there's always a new area to explore. You won't ever find yourself stagnant because there's always room to grow and improve.

What you need is a healthy sense of interest towards self-improvement. More than anything else, what matters is that you constantly find a need to expand your horizons. Because of the nature of the industry, you will always have to keep up with changes. Search engines will continue to alter their algorithms to bring a higher level of satisfaction to the search experience. As internet marketers, our main role is to bring the right kind of deliverables to consumers that need them. That is what makes this industry exciting, and at the same time, challenging.

My journey in SEO has just begun. There's a whole world ahead waiting to be explored. I've hopped on the bandwagon, and I'm looking to enjoy the ride.

Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.

                                                                                                   - Sir Winston Churchill

My two cents on the Dolphin Killer

by Albert Nuel Navarrete

I was supposed to make a blog in response to a post by Rand Fishkin about whether or not you are pushing your team too hard. But I just couldn't collect my thoughts because of this news I got about a person/people killing dolphins off the U.S. Gulf Coast. This is a barbaric act, one that has no end other than the pleasure of a crazed and deranged person. Dolphins usually interact peacefully with humans. I tried searching the internet for cases wherein dolphin attacks have actually killed people, but I found myself empty handed in the end. Yes, they do attack people occasionally, but never in such a manner that one has actually endangered the life of a human being. Which leads me to question the sanity of the person committing these crimes. According to the Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised, a diagnostic tool used to assess psychopathy, here are some of the symptoms of psychotic behavior:

Factor 1: Personality "Aggressive narcissism"

• Glibness/superficial charm
• Grandiose sense of self-worth
• Pathological lying
• Cunning/manipulative
• Lack of remorse or guilt
• Shallow affect (genuine emotion is short-lived and egocentric)
• Callousness; lack of empathy
• Failure to accept responsibility for own actions

Of the symptoms listed, I would like to point out two that are particularly relevant in this matter: (a) lack of remorse or guilt; and (b) callousness or lack of empathy. From what we have seen so far, it is quite clear that the perpetrator of these crimes is capable of inflicting great harm against animals without remorse. Some dolphins were found with multiple gunshot wounds. Others were found in worse conditions. One was found cut repeatedly and severely. One got washed up at Perdido Bay, Florida, with a screwdriver driven deep into its head. Another was found at Dauphin Island, Alabama missing its tail. There was even one that had its jaw cut off. According to investigators, none of the parts that have been taken from these dolphins are of any value whatsoever.

 

A victim of the 'dolphin killer.'

Photo lifted from the Huffington Post.

Authorities are considering the theory that the perpetrator might be a 'thrill seeker' who is getting a 'kick' out of killing dolphins. If that is the case, they better act fast. As of the latest reports, a total of seven dolphins have been found dead. It is highly plausible that the thrill of killing dolphins is wearing off for the criminal by now. The perpetrator might look for other means to satiate the hunger to kill, at which point, it becomes a much more fatal situation because he or she might turn to objects that are at a closer proximity: humans. There is reason to believe such a proposition based on the components of the Macdonald Triad, which consists of three behavioral traits often exhibited by violent offenders. As proposed in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the three behavioral traits are animal cruelty, obsessive behavior towards fire-setting, and frequent bedwetting beyond five years old. Although studies have failed to find enough proof connecting serial killers to this set of traits, some serial killers have exhibited at least one or two of these behaviors.

If the authorities don't find a way to resolve the matter in a timely manner, there are only two scenarios that are likely to surface: (a) the criminal continues to kill dolphins, thus endangering the fragile marine ecology along the Gulf Coast; or (b) the criminal turns his/her attention towards other objects that are in closer proximity, thus endangering the local community. Either way, he/she is a threat that must be put to justice soon.

Lt. Col. Claude Pittman, an officer of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources who patrols the area of the killings, said in an interview with CNN that he had not witnessed a case where a dolphin had been shot in his 22 years of service. This recent spate of killings are worrying, he says.

"You don't know what type of person is doing this," he said to CNN. "Would they carry it any further? I have no idea."

Having a Pet: A Realization

by Albert Nuel Navarrete

I realized something today: taking care of a pet is a lot like parenthood. You see, I have a pet dog. She's a Labrador-Rottweiler mix I got from a friend in my office that I named Derpina (yes, she's 9gag-inspired like that). I got her a few weeks after her mother gave birth to her and her siblings in January. Yes, she's turning a year old a month from now, and she's changed so much ever since she came into my life.

Here she was when I first got her. 

Sleeping on my lap, on the sofa in our living room (d'aaaaaww).

Here she was a few months after, 

when beaubie and I brought her to UP for the first time. :)

I saw her turn from a small pup barely able to walk around on her own to a full-grown dog just barely a year after. When she was a little puppy, she used to run around the house, chasing after this rubber ball we gave her for hours on end. She loved drinking milk, more so peeing afterwards, and she was seemingly tireless, up until the moment she actually sat down on a rag we put down for her in the living room, which worked as her sleeping quarters. We tried making her sleep on a makeshift sleeping basket made out of an actual egg basket and some cloth, but she preferred sleeping on the floor, with her head resting on the lower shelf of our dining room coffee table. In the morning, when she woke up, she'd continue running around and pooping everywhere - typical doggie. 

She used to wake me up in the middle of the night with her little whines and whimpers, and she'd stand on her two hind legs to lick my face as I slept on the sofa. So I'd pick her up and place her beside me. After a few minutes, she'd fall asleep, with her head resting on my stomach or my chest. I didn't realize it then, but it dawned on me just now that she was actually like a little baby, waking you up in the wee hours of the morning and sleeping only when she felt like she was safe and warm and comforted. I had to look after her because she might creep between a bundle of wires, or get too close to an electric socket. I had to be constantly in the lookout for her because she was so small and brown that it would be all too easy for anyone to step on her and hurt her. 

Once she started eating solid food, I had to rush out and go to the market when supplies ran out, even if I haven't had a wink of sleep, and I just came home after working 12 hours in the office (mind you, I am working the night shift too). I've since worked out my measly, yuppie-grade monthly budget to include her dog food because I'm responsible for feeding her dribble-filled mouth. And now that's she's much bigger, I've also taken to the tremendously taxing task of giving her a bath, albeit usually with the help of my beaubie, and occasionally, my little brother. Just to give you an idea of how big she is now, here's a pic:

Our princess with her mommy. :)

She's a tad heavier now, and she's so much stronger. When beaubie and I try to walk her, we end up having to hold the chain together because she lurches forward with so much strength that she could overpower anyone if caught by surprise. She jumps so high now that she can practically lick our faces when she does. And when she stands on her hind legs now, she's nothing like the little puppy that used to lick me in the face while I was asleep, at least physically. She stands almost as tall as a little kid now, with her head reaching up to my chest. I remember, I usually got surprised every time I got home from work because she seemingly grew a few inches overnight. She has stopped growing, or at least it's slowed down a bit. But she's still every  little bit of the small, timid puppy we first brought home. She's still playful, still energetic, still youthful, still loving. Inside, we know she's still a baby, our baby. 

And after I fed her tonight, while rubbing the soft tuft of fur under her neck as she rested her paw on my knee, I realized she's teaching me something - she's teaching me how to be a father. How to be responsible. How to be loving and caring and strict and disciplined. She's teaching me how it feels to worry about your child when you're uncertain of her safety. She's teaching me how to manage my money, how to bring a child to the doctor for shots, and how it feels to actually comfort a baby after one. She's teaching me the joys of seeing a loved one grow beautifully and in good health. She's teaching me that life isn't just about me and what I want. It's also about family and taking care of those you love most. It doesn't matter that I earn a mediocre salary, or that I feel like a trainwreck coming home from work. When she sees me, SHE MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I'M THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE WORLD. She'd wag her tail and jump around. She'd snuggle tightly and lick my face. She doesn't care if I had body odor, or if my breath reeked from stale saliva. She does everything to make you feel that she loves you with an unconditional love.

Beaubie and I usually wonder how long we'd be able to keep her. Our wish is that she'd be able to play with our kids someday, along with other dogs in a house we'd own in Bicol province. We know dog years run faster than human years, and that at some point, we'd probably lose her (my hope is of old age). But for now, we're thankful we have her. And my only prayer is that I'd be able to let her feel the love that she makes me feel - UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

Princess Derpina. :)

“Dogs, lives are short, too short, but you know that going in. You know the pain is coming, you're going to lose a dog, and there's going to be great anguish, so you live fully in the moment with her, never fail to share her joy or delight in her innocence, because you can't support the illusion that a dog can be your lifelong companion. There's such beauty in the hard honesty of that, in accepting and giving love while always aware that it comes with an unbearable price. Maybe loving dogs is a way we do penance for all the other illusions we allow ourselves and the mistakes we make because of those illusions.” 

― Dean Koontz, The Darkest Evening of the Year