The Score For your Team Football Carnival has officially begun!!! The link-up is at the bottom.
Although the button above just shows Alabama and Auburn, You can participate in this carnival no matter what team you root for!! If I don't already have a button available for your school, ask me for one and I’ll make it!
Participating is a great way to get to know other Alabama Bloggers, have other bloggers visit your blog, and a fun way to celebrate the onset of football season.
And as a bonus, we have two amazing sponsors that will be rewarding some of the participants!
The amazing Birmingham Gourmet Burger joint, Baha Burgers, will be providing $10 gift cardsto five randomly selected participants. You don’t have to be on the winning team to win one of these – you just have to participate in the Carnival.
And the grand prize is provided by Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe – one winner will be chosen at random from the winning team to get a tailgate party catered by Taziki’s for 10 people!
Thank you SO much to Baha and Taziki's for their wonderful prizes!!!
Here’s how the Carnival works:
You can score points for your team in three different ways:
1. Field Goal: You score three points for your team if you put your team’s button on the sidebar of your blog (buttons will be below). Be sure to comment on this post or the next post that you added the button so I can properly add your field goal!
2. Touchdown: You score seven points for your team if you write a blog post about your football experience/team/thoughts with your team’s button at the top, and you link up to THIS POST (the link-up is at the bottom).
3. Extra Point: You can score one extra point for your team by tweeting or facebooking about the Football Carnival. Be sure to comment on this post or the next post that you tweeted or facebooked!
You can link up your posts anytime between now and Monday, September 6th. The winning team will be announced on Tuesday, September 7th, as well as all of the prize winners.
As far as the prizes go, you will get one entry into the drawing for the prizes for each point you score for your team.
And, as a bonus, you can get extra entries into the drawingsby:
Again, let me know that you earned any of these entries in a comment so that I can credit them to you!! You can put all of your extra entries and information into one comment, as I'm keeping a spreadsheet of points and entries.
Be sure to watch Twitter and the top of this blog for score updates!!
Here are the codes for the buttons. To grab one, just copy and paste the code below the button of your choice. You can either paste it into a blog post or a sidebar (for Blogger, choose an HTML/Javascript Gadget). Let me know if you need any help!
Alabama Large (400px):
Alabama Medium (200px):
Alabama Small (150px):
Auburn Large (400px):
Auburn Medium (200px):
Auburn Small (150px):
Arkansas Razorbacks:
Mississippi State Bulldogs:
UAB Blazers:
Tennessee Vols:
Here's the Link-up - be sure to link the specific URL of your Score for your Team post - not just to your main blog URL. If you have any questions as to how to do this, let me know!! Be sure to go visit the other participants and read about their Football Experience!
Social media has become a part of just about everyone’s life, and if you’re a candidate to be the next governor of Alabama, social media may be essential to your career. Ron Sparks and Robert Bentley both have extensive social media networks spreading multiple platforms. But how important is it for them to be highly visible online? Let’s find out, and then see who would win the election if social media was the determining factor.
According to a Harris poll, four out of five adult Americans use the internet (What’s the deal with that other 20%?), and the average adult spends more than 13 hours online per week. If you’re in your thirties, you spend more time than any adult group online at 18 hours per week. Social media popularity is up well over 40% year to year. Let’s frame it this way, would you be more likely to click a link from a wall post and tweet about a candidate or sit and listen to a robocall on your landline (if you still have one…)? I thought so.
So social media is important, and it’s transforming politics. There’s probably just as good a chance you saw Tim James’ commercials on YouTube as on local television, and who didn’t check out basilmarceaux.com in the last few weeks? And it’s not just the funny stuff making an impact. Do you remember in 2008 when Barack Obama raised half a billion dollars from three million people online? He changed the rules on using the internet in campaigns, captivating millions of young people and generating a grassroots campaign that couldn’t be stopped. I believe that because of the November 2008 election, a politician’s involvement in social media of some sort is now absolutely mandatory.
I know that a candidate’s social media network doesn’t physically get them elected, but I do think it can make a significant difference in a campaign’s ability to get the message out. Sarah Palin post-election anybody? I can’t go a week without hearing on the news about a status update or tweet she’s made to one of her nearly two and a half million combined followers. I also guarantee you that any consultant worth their salt makes social media an immediate and consistent priority for all of their campaigns. So let’s take an assessment of Ron Sparks and Robert Bentley’s social profiles and see if we can guess, based on their social media standing, which candidate will come out on top in November.
Both candidates are doing a pretty decent job at social media. However, I’ve got some advice for each. Bentley is leading Sparks in terms of his social media diversity, with significantly stronger Twitter and YouTube followings plus the Flickr bonus, which is a nice touch for people to see themselves in his photo stream after campaign events. Bentley is probably at a bit of an advantage for overall network presence because of the extra attention he received in the runoff. Sparks should probably utilize twitter more often and give social media a stronger presence on his website, as his links are currently not very appealing and they are down on the bottom left of his home page. He does show progress with his YouTube account, answering questions from Facebook via video, but I’d recommend they edit the introductions a bit before posting to keep the personal touch but make them feel slightly less makeshift.
However, Sparks absolutely trounces Bentley on Facebook because of one key blunder by Bentley. Sparks has both a personal profile and a candidate page. The difference is that someone can only have 5,000 friends on Facebook, which both of them have maxed out (the actual number will consistently hover just under 5,000). With the candidate page, Sparks can have unlimited followers, and therefore an unlimited number of people involved with that aspect of his social media campaign. So Bentley, without any candidate page, has already peaked with his Facebook presence more than two months before the election! He will need to change this as the election gets closer and more Alabamians get more involved in the process. If he doesn’t he’ll be foregoing a real opportunity to connect with voters.
All in all it is a touch call to determine which candidate has the greater social media presence. Bentley is more diverse and has more followers on non-facebook sites, but is making a serious social media mistake by not having a candidate page on Facebook. Sparks has a strong and involved Facebook following and is showing promise on YouTube with the recent videos, but really needs to work on maximizing his Twitter presence. I actually think the social media election for Alabama governor is a toss up right now. Both candidates have strengths and weaknesses, but it’s just too close to call either way. What’s your vote?
Brian is an engineer working in Birmingham, AL. He likes to hang out with his wife, Erica, and his blue great dane, Lucy May. He can be found at his blog or on twitter.
The purpose of this column is to make it easier to keep up with each other's blogs, so that even if we don't have time to read all of the Alabama Blogger blogs every day, at least we get the week's highlights.
So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading! And remember - the best way to get new blogging friends is to comment on other people's posts, so be sure to say "hi" to your neighbors when you visit!
p.s. - please feel free to interpret "this week" as loosely as you like!
**** The Link-Up Is now at the bottom of this post!!! ****
Football season is approaching rapidly, so that means it’s time for everyone to show their school spirit!
Last year, we had the first carnival to see how the blogosphere divided up according to the rivalries of our state. Alabama won last year, and Auburn was second, ALMOST overtaken by Arkansas fans! So I fully expect Auburn to step up to the plate this year and show their competitive spirit.
Although the button above just shows Alabama and Auburn, You can participate in this carnival no matter what team you root for!! If I don't already have a button available for your school, ask me for one and I’ll make it!
Participating is a great way to get to know other Alabama Bloggers, have other bloggers visit your blog, and a fun way to celebrate the onset of football season.
And as a bonus, we have two amazing sponsors that will be rewarding some of the participants!
The amazing Birmingham Gourmet Burger joint, Baha Burgers, will be providing $10 gift cardsto five randomly selected participants. You don’t have to be on the winning team to win one of these – you just have to participate in the Carnival.
If you haven’t tried Baha Burgers yet, you’re missing out! They have the most delicious hamburgers in Birmingham. They have two locations - Chace Lake in Hoover and the Colonnade on 280. They have gourmet burgers of every variety, including Angus Beef, Lamb, Pork, Turkey, and Chicken! You can pick one of their finely crafted and topped burgers, or you can select all of your own toppings from their extensive list! They also have a choice between regular fries and sweet potato fries, both coming with fried okra mixed in with them. It’s a MUST TRY experience.
And the grand prize is provided by Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe – one winner will be chosen at random from the winning team to get a tailgate party catered by Taziki’s for 10 people!
Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe currently has seven locations – six in Birmingham and one in Huntsville - and will be soon opening new locations in Tuscaloosa and Morgantown, WV. They serve up an amazingly delicious variety of Mediterranean inspired cuisine, with choices for everyone.
If you win the grand prize, you can choose a catered meal for ten people of either Chicken Roll-ups with fruit and chips or the Friday Special, which is one of their customer favorite dishes of Grilled Chicken and pasta tossed in homemade balsamic vinaigrette and served on a bed of mixed lettuces with feta, tomatoes, and fresh basil.
SO. Here’s how the Carnival works:
You can score points for your team in three different ways:
1. Field Goal: You score three points for your team if you put your team’s button on the sidebar of your blog (buttons will be below). Be sure to comment on this post or the next post that you added the button so I can properly add your field goal!
2. Touchdown: You score seven points for your team if you write a blog post about your football experience/team/thoughts with your team’s button at the top, and you link up to the Score For Your Team Post that will go up next Tuesday.
3. Extra Point: You can score one extra point for your team by tweeting or facebooking about the Football Carnival. Be sure to comment on this post or the next post that you tweeted or facebooked!
As far as the prizes go, you will get one entry into the drawing for the prizes for each point you score for your team.
And, as a bonus, you can get extra entries into the drawingsby:
Again, let me know that you earned any of these entries in a comment so that I can credit them to you!!
The link-up will go live Tuesday, August 24th. You can link up your posts anytime between then and Monday, September 6th. The winning team will be announced on Tuesday, September 7th, as well as all of the prize winners.
You can go ahead and start scoring field goals and extra points now – again, if I don’t have one for your favorite school yet, let me know and I’ll make one!!
Here are the codes for the buttons. To grab one, just copy and paste the code below the button of your choice. You can either paste it into a blog post or a sidebar (for Blogger, choose an HTML/Javascript Gadget). Let me know if you need any help!
Alabama Large (400px):
Alabama Medium (200px):
Alabama Small (150px):
Auburn Large (400px):
Auburn Medium (200px):
Auburn Small (150px):
Arkansas Razorbacks:
Mississippi State Bulldogs:
UAB Blazers:
Tennessee Vols:
Penn State Nittany Lions:
Let me know if you have any questions about how the carnival works!!
Here's the Link-up - be sure to link the specific URL of your Score for your Team post - not just to your main blog URL. If you have any questions as to how to do this, let me know!! Be sure to go visit the other participants and read about their Football Experience!
Fiona contacted me from Birmingham UK with a series of posts contrasting the two Birminghams. She visited our Birmingham and saw many similarities with her own, and wrote a fascinating series of posts on them. She has kindly offered for some of them to be reprinted here - I'm sure you'll find them as intriguing as I did!
One melted iron ore, the other melted chocolate; both have become tourist attractions in their respective Birminghams…
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, AL
What it is: Now a National Historic Landmark, this blast furnace produced iron for nearly 90 years and helped build ‘the Magic City’ of Birmingham.
Info: Website: Slossfurnaces.com Address: 20 32nd Street North, Birmingham, AL 35222-1236 Tours: Free Self Guided Tours and Cell Phone Tours on Tues-Sat 10am-4pm, Sun. 12pm-4pm, closed Mondays. Book ahead for scheduled or group guided tours. My Flickr set: Sloss Furnaces (34 pics) …or see the slideshow at the end of this post.
Review: I had two hours left of my 24 hours in Birmingham. Fortunately, the Tutweiler Hotel’s hotel valet offered to run me over to Sloss in their airport pickup van for a quick look-see – much appreciated as the entrance was pretty damned hard to find even by car and no easy walk from Downtown.
I happened to be there on a Monday, so Sloss was closed. But a serendipitous open gate on the perimeter meant that I could document some of its web of rusting pipes and smokestacks.
It really is an incredible set of preserved industrial buildings in all shades of orange, red and brown rust and in many atmospheric shapes. It ran from 1881-1970 and in its early heyday of long hours and poor working conditions, many workers lost their lives either to the furnace or its machinery, with several particularly grisly deaths creating its reputation for being one of America’s most haunted locations. I have to admit that peeping through a broken window sent chills down my spine – even though it was a hot summer day – and I scooted.
These days, Sloss hosts a renowned educational metal arts programme and also acts as a concert/event venue - particularly, of course, at Hallowe’en, hence the grisly disembodied hand in my Flickr pics.
Cadbury’s, BIrmingham, UK
What it is: The world’s most famous chocolate factory, with its global roots in the leafy suburb of Bournville, Birmingham, and a renowned social conscience for providing its workers with housing, education, healthcare and other social benefits. While you can’t tour the factory itself, visitors can see how the chocolate is made and hear the Cadbury story at Cadbury World.
Info: Website: Cadbury.co.uk Address: Bournville Lane, Birmingham B30 2LU Tours: Open daily. £13.90 for an adult, £10.10 for a child, family ticket £42. My Flickr set: Cadbury’s Chocolate Factory (37 pics) …or see the slideshow at the end of this post.
Review: After Cadbury’s was taken over by Kraft Foods in February 2010, I felt the need to walk through the Birdcage, the fenced walkway that runs through the factory grounds and on to Cadbury World.
It was a slightly emotional walk. My mother worked at Cadbury’s for many years in the 1970s and 1980s, and in many ways the close-knit community of women workers and the tough working conditions were the making of her as she fought for worker’s rights as a shop steward and began a fundraising career that ended up with the likes of Adrian and Dominic Cadbury, grandsons of George Cadbury, in her fundraising pockets.
Back then there were thousands of workers, mostly women, working ‘on the belt’, placing chocolates manually into assortment boxes for hours on end. Now, the factory itself seems as much of a ghost town as Sloss thanks to increasing levels of mechanisation.
Cadbury World, meanwhile, is thriving as a tourist sideshow showing how the chocolate is made, the history of Cadbury’s through the ages, and, of course, giving visitors the all-important chance to test the wares and buy in bulk at the Factory Shop.
But somehow it seems a bit soul-less and packaged from its origins as a Quaker family business. I was disappointed to see that the factory tennis courts needed weeding, the fishpond has turned to gloop and there seem to be more tankers and lorries than people arriving at the factory gates. All a sign of the corporate times, I suppose.
And yet somehow the original spirit of Cadbury’s still runs through the blood of Bournville. The local village green hosts a number of community events, while last weekend the Bournville Festival on the Cadbury cricket ground still had its maypole and funfair. Best of all, you can still smell the chocolate wafting on the breeze on a good day.
Sadly, there are no guarantees that Kraft will keep the site open or that chocolate will continue to be made here in the years to come. The commercial nature of the plant means that it is unlikely to become a National Historic Landmark like Sloss any time soon. In this respect, although Sloss no longer functions industrially, Birmingham AL is lucky.
Today I want to introduce a friend of mine to you here on Alabama Bloggers. There are so many talented and creative people here in Alabama. Living in a small town that places a high priority on the arts I've been priveleged to meet a few who call my town home. Today I want to introduce you to one of them. His name is John Claybrook. You can check out his personal blog at Discovering Me and keep reading to find out how to follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
Oh and I personally think he'd make a great guest on the Rick and Bubba Show.
God has gifted John with an amazing musical talent and song writing ability, but he is so incredibly humble about it. He has such a heart for Christ and worship and serving others. His self released album Masterpiece is a collection of songs inspired by the hope that God has spoken to him over and over.
John is trying to win a contest to perform at Celebrate Freedom in Atlanta on September 4th and so I wanted to share his original song with you here to see if the Alabama Blogger community could help out. He also agreed to do a little interview here with me. So keep reading and please listen to his song. The more views his song gets on You Tube the better chance he has. I also have a giveaway for you at the end.
Amy: So give us a little biography about yourself. Where were you born, raised, college, family, etc.?
JC: I was born and raised in Alexander City, AL. Pretty small town but approximately an hour away from anything you want to do in Birmingham, Auburn or Mongtomery. Both of my parents were born and raised in Alex City as well. I have two sisters: one is younger than I am and the other is older. They are both incredible people and, along with my parents, have been an amazing source of support for me.
Amy: When did your parents or you first realize you had the gift for music you have?
JC: I'm pretty sure my mom knew early on that all of her kids had some talent in music. I can barely remember it but she tells that when we used to go on trips, whether it was shopping for clothes, or the the dentist's office, or anything, we would all be singing in the car. That's when she taught us to sing harmony with each other. We would take turns singing the melody of a song and she would teach the other two how to sing harmony parts to that. So my mom knew pretty early that her kids had talent and she got to work molding it pretty quickly.
Amy: I know you’re trying to get as many views on YouTube of a song you’ve written to be a part of Celebrate Freedom in Atlanta in September. Can you share a little more about that?
JC: Yeah. The Fish 104.7 out of Atlanta is putting on a contest that will allow the winner to be the opening act for the concert at Celebrate Freedom in Atlanta. It's a big production every year and the opportunity to open for that concert is unbelievable. It's great exposure and you get to share the stage with some of the big dogs in the Christian music industry. They take the top 5 view videos from YouTube (based upon the number of views) and those are the 5 finalists that will compete for the spot of the opening act. The song is called "Favorite Part of Me" and it speaks to the fact that it doesn't matter what our circumstances are or what we've done in our life, God is still there and still loving us with this amazing and unfailing love. The link can be found on my website atjohnclaybrook.com or you can go straight to YouTube and view it by clicking here.
Amy: I know your faith in Christ is the biggest part of who you are. Through some of our conversations we’ve talked about how the legalistic tendencies of some churches can have a negative impact. Did you have a moment at some point in your life where you realized your worth in God wasn’t based on following a man made set of rules?
JC: About two years ago God began a process of freeing me from something that I think we have all struggled with at some point in our life -- Approval Addiction. I was so consumed by trying to make sure that everyone approved of the things that I was doing that I was neglecting the relationship that had already given me approval. I got so lost in trying to do the "right" things and make the "right" decisions that before I knew it, I didn't know who I was anymore. So this journey....that I call "Discovering Me" has shown me that God already approves of us and what more approval do you want? I think that message is the one that we are forgetting to share with others. God wants us to love Him and to love others. Notice He never said to seek approval from others or that others should seek approval from you! Just love God and love people.
Amy: When did you record your first album Masterpiece?
JC: We started tracking on that album in April of 07 and finished with production and mix down sometime around August 07. It was a process for sure but I was glad to see the fruit of all the hard work.
Amy: My favorite songs on the album are Hold Me Jesus and Reign Over Me. Which song is your favorite on Masterpiece? Or is it hard to choose a favorite one?
JC: If I'm choosing a favorite it would have to be either "Reign Over Me" or "In Your Arms". It's difficult to name just one of those tunes though because each one of them has a special place to me. They were each written in a particular time in life and have a different yet significant meaning to each one of them.
To me there seems to be a theme on Masterpiece of God being our refuge, holding us in times we are struggling. At what sort of place were you in life when you wrote these ?
JC: When I was writing the tunes for Masterpiece, I was hurting. There were several things happening that I didn't understand but I knew that I couldn't change. It seemed like things were spiraling downward at such a whirlwind pace that I knew I was going to land on rock bottom and quickly. But I knew that amidst all of that noise and confusion that my God said He would never leave me or forsake me. Life was rough and I didn't understand all of the things that were happening to me but I knew (and this is important)....I didn't have to understand. I heard very clearly "Be still and know that I am God". And out of that brokenness God just began to put these words on my heart like "Hold Me Jesus" and "Reign Over Me".
Amy: I think anyone who creates whether it be writing or painting or anything they can get in a rut. What is your process when you feel like you’re stuck creatively when it comes to writing new songs?
JC: I try to write something everyday. Even if it's the worst thing to ever be put on paper, I write. Sometimes that method works and most days it doesn't! I'll tell you another thing that helps when I am stuck creatively is to read. The bible, or inspirational books or the newspaper or whatever. There is always a story waiting to be told in some new and fresh way. So when I'm stuck and can't come up with something as simple as 'Mary had a little lamb', I read and look for stories that need to be told.
And just for my own curiosity did your mother have to tie you down like I do my child to get you to practice your music when you were a child?
JC: I learned to play a lot of stuff by ear and that drove my piano teacher up the wall. She wanted it played the way that it was written on the page and I wanted to play it the way that I "knew" it was supposed to go! So when it came to those songs and lessons, yes, my mom had to give me some "strong encouragement" to sit down and practice. However, outside of that, I did most of my practicing without really ever being prompted to do so. Music just came naturally to me and I knew I loved it so it was easy for me to sit down and teach myself things on the piano and guitar or whatever I wanted to learn at the time. God blessed me with a gift and I simply try to do my best to give it back to Him.
To learn more about John and find out how your church or event can contact him by clicking here.
Now are you ready for the giveaways? John has graciously offered 3 CDs of his album Masterpiece. Here's how to enter:
1. Listen to his newest original song in the video above and leave a comment.
For Extra entries leave a seperate comment for each of the following:
2. Follow John on Twitter by clicking here and leave your twitter handle in your comment.
3. Tweet the following to see if we can get John on The Rick and Bubba Show: "@rickandbubba, @SpeedyCalvin, @bigvox, @BillBubbaBussey we'd like to see and hear @jclaybrookmusic on your show."
4. Like John's page on Facebook by clicking here and leave your Facebook name in your comment.
(I received no compensation for this post. Nor did I receive merchandise for review purposes.)
This giveaway ends end at Midnight Saturday, August 28th. The winner will be announced Monday, August 30th.
They are giving everyone the opportunity to Nominate their favorite blogs and posts for seven different categories, including Funniest Blog Post, The Must Read Post, Birmingham's Best Kept Secret Blog, Quirkiest Blogger, Best Blog Design, Best Blog Post Under 500 Words, and Most Uplifting Blog Post.
Speaking of August 27th, that's the date of our next Alabama Bloggers meet-up!
we're meeting on Friday, August 27th at 11:30 downtown at The Red Cat in the Martin Biscuit Company building next door to Dr. Pepper Building. Several people have already RSVP'ed, so it's sure to be a great meet-up! As always, everyone is invited - we'd love to see you there!!
Be sure to RSVP here or on the original post if you can come, but still show up if you can come at the last minute. And to tweet about it, use the hashtag #AlaBlogMeet.
This week, link in the best post you've read recently by ANOTHER Alabama Blogger. In your link title, include your name or blog and their name or blog, and let us know in the comments why you chose their post!
So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading!
Be sure to link in a specific post, not just the general URL of the blog.
Fiona contacted me from Birmingham UK with a series of posts contrasting the two Birminghams. She visited our Birmingham and saw many similarities with her own, and wrote a fascinating series of posts on them. She has kindly offered for some of them to be reprinted here - I'm sure you'll find them as intriguing as I did!
Yes, that’s Iron [colon] Man. Though the locals just call it The Iron Man. This tilted 1993 sculpture by Turner Prizewinner Antony Gormley lives in Victoria Square, home of Brum’s Town Hall, Council House and the Floozie in the Jacuzzi (more on that in a later post). It’s 6m-tall with it’s feet buried in the pavement and leans 7.5° backwards and 5° to its left. Why? Who knows. That’s art for you. But it was cast with more than a nod to Birmingham industrial heritage and forging skills. A lot of people don’t like it apparently – it’s ‘controversial’. Me, I think it’s probably the most interesting thing in the square - apart from the random concrete balls, that is. (Picture: Amanda Slater)
Vulcan, Birmingham AL
Just a teensy-weensy bit larger is Bham’s Vulcan, also referred to as the Iron Man. Vulcan is the world’s largest cast-iron statue at 17m tall - the circumference of his waist matches the height of Brum’s statue – and is located in its own 10-acre park complete with visitor’s centre. It has long been an iconic symbol of Birmingham, and is set on a 37m pedestal tower on Red Mountain, which overlooks the city… [cont.]
Italian artist Giuseppe Moretti had it cast from local iron in 1904 and it’s been in its elevated home since 1939. Why Vulcan? He was the Roman god of the Forge, also nodding to Bham’s industrial iron and steel past.
Thanks to Daniel, who was my local host and guide for my 24 hours in Birmingham AL, I not only got to see Vulcan close up but he treated me to a ticket to ride inside the Nasa-style elevator tower to the top. A dizzying experience as you can see from my painted smile and set of white knuckles below. (Pictures: Fiona Cullinan)
I hope everyone is having a nice (albeit way too warm) summer!
Our next meet-up will be Friday, August 27th at 11:30 at The Red Cat in the Martin Biscuit Company building next door to Dr. Pepper Building. If you've never been there, it's an awesome part of downtown that must be seen!
We're usually around for a while, so if you need to come late, feel free to!
Be sure to RSVP if you can come, but still show up if you can come at the last minute. And to tweet about it, use the hashtag #AlaBlogMeet.
The purpose of this column is to make it easier to keep up with each other's blogs, so that even if we don't have time to read all of the Alabama Blogger blogs every day, at least we get the week's highlights.
So, link up, tell us why you linked that post, and let's start reading! And remember - the best way to get new blogging friends is to comment on other people's posts, so be sure to say "hi" to your neighbors when you visit!
p.s. - please feel free to interpret "this week" as loosely as you like!
Many Birmingham-based businesses already know the power of Google’s local search. Appearing in the 7-pack of local results can give you a huge leg up over your competition.
Let’s say you’re a Birmingham-based restaurant. Clearly you want to show up when someone Googles “Birmingham, Alabama restaurants.”
What many businesses don’t know is that you can get even more qualified traffic to your site, and to your store, by targeting longer-tail keywords. But first you’ve got to find those keywords.
That’s where Google’s Wonder Wheel comes in. Google’s Wonder Wheel is a search tool that helps you find new keywords to target. To use it, go ahead and Google “Birmingham, Alabama restaurants.” You’ll see a results page with the local listings at the top, and the regular results below. On the left rail, you’ll see a link that says “more,” click it.
This will reveal several options, one of which will be “Wonder Wheel,” click it.
The Wonder Wheel gives you ideas of phrases people search that relate to your search. Every result is clickable, and clicking reveals the searches related to the search you clicked. These ideas are phrases you can target to get more traffic, and more customers.
So with the “Birmingham, Alabama restaurants” example, some related searches are “Birmingham, Alabama restaurant coupons” and “romantic restaurants Birmingham Alabama.” These, if you have coupons or your restaurant is indeed romantic, would be great phrases for you to target with some of your site’s interior pages.
Hope that helps. If you’re a Birmingham-based business and you’d like consultation on how to get the most out of search, don’t hesitate to contact me with questions.
Cathy Reisenwitz is a Birmingham, Alabama-based blogger, SEO and internet marketer. She is addicted to her Google Reader, longs for her very own iPad, and blogs at the Birmingham SEO Blog.
It was the annual Pro Bass Fishing Tournament in the Shoals. WalMart, the local sponsor, was so packed that cars were waiting to pull into the furthermost parking places in the lot. Normally, my husband and I would have come back at some later time, but caught up in the excitement, we parked in an obscure place and went in to fight the crowd. After loading the car with our newest wares from our WalMart adventure, I proceeded take the shopping cart back to the corral. (I hate carts all over the parking lot). The problem this day was that the corral was a few rows away because of our so-far-away parking space. Ole Boy must have gotten impatient because before I could get back, he was backing out of the space....in MY car... so I truck on over to the car to get in. By the time I get there, he's at the end of the row, ready to enter exiting traffic.
But...as I begin to get in...HE TAKES OFF!!! And I'm only half in!Now you have to picture this, I've got one foot in, one foot out, one cheek in, one cheek out. My head is sticking out above the hood of the car, and the door frame catches me on the "one cheek in, one cheek out" area and propels me, hopping on that "one foot out" alongside the car. Now, I am not a small girl, and I assure you, this was no pretty sight! As you can imagine, I am completed outraged at his lack of consideration for me, not letting me get completely into MY car before he takes off. I'm shouting such things as "Whoa!" and "STOP!! What are you doing??" and he stops....right in the middle of two lanes of traffic going in opposite directions. That's right, folks....I stopped traffic, but not in the way I had pictured in my mind that someday I would... Remember, the parking lot is completely full, and by now, many people are watching the spectacle that I am. I get in the car, and everyone in the parking lot can hear my heated displeasure. I did yell.Uh-lot.
When I finally calmed down, Ole Boy tried to explain. It seems that there was a break in traffic, and someone had motioned for him to come out. So he did! That wasn't a very good explanation in my opinion, so I yelled again. He then said, "I don't see what the big deal is, when I took off, I would just leave you standing there!" I then begin to explain to him just what happened, and how I was hopping along side of the car, half in, half out, etc. etc. etc., and he apparently got a sudden mental image of his not-so-small wife being propelled across the WalMart parking lot on one of the busiest days of the year, and he laughed. And laughed. And pulled over to laugh some more. I resolved in my heart that I would never speak to him again.
As he pulled into our drive way, I calmly got out, got into the driver's side, waited for him to unload the car by himself, and I went to see my Mom for some proper sympathy. I went in and told her my story....and she laughed. She tried not to when she saw that I was not laughing, but that made it even worse for her. I was finding nothing funny about this, mind you. Then my sister walked in, and I began to tell her of my misfortune of the abusive husband and the uncaring mother...and she laughed, and Mom got tickled again. Later, Ole Boy brought me chocolate. Yeah, I forgave him.
