Rand
Fishkin of SEOmoz
will explain what is meant by Web 2.0 and how user
generated content on the Internet is becoming more
prevalent in our daily lives. Find out how tapping
into the online social communities that are springing
up like towns on the new frontier can help your
business and discover what types of applications
use the Web as a platform and how you can leverage
them to your advantage.
Recorded Live
October 6, 2006
What is Web 2.0?
Web 2.0 is the "new generation" of
the Internet. With more functionality and interactivity,
learn how it empowers users to share in the profitability
of the Web and participate in the growth.
What is User Generated Content?
User generated content is not new to the Internet
but users are developing new “voices”
that are helping to drive the direction of commerce
and socializing on the Internet. Learn the many
ways that your voice can be heard.
The Continuing Evolution of
the Web
As the Internet grows and matures applications
and user interfaces also continue to grow and
mature. Rand will share what he sees as the future
of the Web and how it will affect our daily lives.
SEOmoz, Tools and Rand Fishkin
Earlier in 2006, Rand and the SEOmoz team set
about to help define Web 2.0 and uncover the most
useful and popular Web 2.0 sites. The categories
are numerous and the top three were recognized
for their innovation and ingenuity. In addition,
SEOmoz has authored some excellent and free SEO
tools. Rand will share his personal thoughts on
why is got into this space.
Web
2.0 Awards 2006!: Over 300 Web 2.0 sites
in 38 categories - Rated - Ranked - Awarded. BONUS:
21 Interviews with Founders of Winning Sites
Rand Fishkin Summary
Chatting to eMarketing Talk Show hosts Brooke
Schumacher and Cindy Turrietta, SEO expert Rand
Fishkin, the founder of SEOmoz and the Web 2.0
Awards explains what Web 2.0 really is, and how
today user generated content is becoming increasingly
prevalent and more relevant in our day to day
lives.
SEOmoz
provides companies around the world with consulting,
Internet marketing and search engine optimization
services. Although our home offices in Seattle,
WA serve as their base of operations, they are
frequently found globetrotting across the US,
Canada & Europe. Their goal is to provide
a high level of service and education to businesses,
individuals, non-profits and government organizations
so they can best leverage the unique reach of
the Internet to increase visibility and achieve
success.
What is Web 2.0 and when did it all begin? Towards
the end 2004, Rand Fishkin, CEO of SEOmoz and
his staff from SEOmoz noticed an upward trend
in Internet mediated social environments, where
users generated content, rather than simply consume
it. By 2005, a new generation of services, features
and technologies emerged and SEOmoz began reviewing
and categorizing these sites. Thus, the Web 2.0
Awards was born.
During his interview at the eMarketing Talkshow,
Rand Fishkin spoke at length about user-generated
content as an important attribute of Web 2.0.
He described the evolution of user-generated content
– from its non-interactive predecessor,
the newspaper editorial, to the more interactive
bulletin boards, user ratings, and epinions. Now
sites such as YouTube and MySpace have brought
user-generated content to another level of interactivity.
Fishkin contended that sites like these are shaping
the direction of commerce and socializing on the
web.
Fishkin explained that user-generated content
arose from people’s fundamental psychological
need to be part of a community, to be recognized,
to be a star. Cheaper blogging software had also
contributed to the online publishing revolution.
Fishkin maintained that blogging is an effective
way of improving a business’s bottom line.
He encouraged businesses to join online communities
and blog about their goods, services, or areas
of expertise. Essentially, this is “word-of-mouth
advertising” at an exponential pace.
He asserted that blogs with good content and keywords
will attract visitors. Furthermore, blogs could
receive good ranking by utilizing the collective
strength of its contributors to reach out to the
entire web.
Fishkin also referenced AJAX as the technology
that is marked by Web 2.0 companies. The advent
of AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) has
enabled web applications to behave like desktop
applications. Fishkin pointed to the click-and-drag
functionality used in Google maps, a feature that
was impossible to imagine on the web a few years
back is now becoming commonplace in web usability.
Apparently, personalization and participation
are the theme of Web 2.0. Fishkin discussed syndicated
sites like digg.com and reddit.com, where users
hold the editorial control. At del.icio.us and
stumbleupon.com, users can personalize their search
by using social tagging.
When asked about the future, Fishkin like his
contemporaries predicted that Web 3.0 will be
mobile. He also forecasted another up and down
cycle of the internet, where there will be an
over commitment of capital from venture capital
firms and also a big exit, similar to the 90’s,
but not quite as catastrophic.
Look for Rand Fishkin at the next SES (Search
Engine Strategy) Conference. Perhaps he will be
wearing his trademark yellow Puma sneakers.
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