If you type ‘Tony Shepherd’ into Google you’ll sometimes find me at the top of the rankings and sometimes some DJ bloke from London with the same name.
At the moment it’s him – I’m fourth.
If however you type ‘Tony Shepherd Internet Marketer’ not only do I have the top position, but I also have second, third fourth …. in fact every single Google position on the first page is mine. Pretty good .
But I’m still fourth if you type in my own name. Not too bad because my name is relatively common, which in IM is not always a positive thing. If I was called John Smith I’d be happy to get on the first page but if my name was Byron Rocketboost III I’d pretty much expect poll position.
My point is that it doesn’t really matter. When people search for you or your products in an Internet Marketing sense, they’re happy to look all the way down the first results page. And from (a bit of) research I’ve also found that if they don’t find you the first time they’ll refine their search by typing in an additional phrase or the name of one of your products or whatever.
So I think Internet Marketing (and male) ego are what constantly makes me try to get position number one for my name, even if the entry is about how I defraud little old ladies or steal children’s Christmas money (both of which I’ll be giving up as a New Year’s Resolution)
But now I’m delighted to report, both my Internet Marketing ego AND male ego is happy, because my name is now being used as a keyword for Google Adwords! More than that, when you type in ‘Tony Shepherd’ it’s MY adwords ad that appears above that of my DJ nemesis’
Does this mean I’m now more famous than my DJ rival?
Possibly. And I was happy with that for a while…until curiosity got the better of me and I clicked on his link. And now I have a new crisis on my hands because not only is he better looking than me, but he’s younger too!
So now I’m desperately (beer in one hand, mouse in the other) scrabbling round the Internet trying to find out how much a Capital Radio DJ earns…..
And if it’s more than me, I might have to change my name to Rufus Ganglehorn…
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