The SEO Chicks are pleased to announce this years “must attend” Networking Party on Wednesday 23rd of February on a boat on the river Thames. Yeah you heard it right, a boat…FUN!

SES London is only a few weeks away (21-25th February) and is set to be yet another fabulous conference with some cracking speakers lined up, sharing their SEO, SEM and Social Media strategies and tips. This year the conference has changed venue and is held at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre, in Westminster. Over 1500 knowledge hungry attendees are expected this year for 3 days of Search & Social Media sessions. But it can’t be all work and no play, so one of our own Chicks, Nichola Stott is organising the party this year; ably assisted by the wonderful, Joanna Butler and myself and backed up with the support of Incisive Media (the people behind SES.)

We went in search for sponsors and are very pleased to have on board Raven SEO Tools as our main venue sponsors (if it wasn’t for them the party would have been in some boring bar) and last but not least our second sponsor Linkdex. Both sponsors have been very generous and put some money behind the bar, so the evening will start off with a FREE bar, though as us search marketers are a sociable bunch its best to get to the venue as early as possible if you are banking on a few free drinks.

So if you are going to SES London be sure to put the networking party in YOUR diary:

VENUE: HMS President
TIME: 7.00 – 11.30
ENTRY: SES conference attendees only (must show conference pass at the door)
CAPACITY: 350 people max (therefore you must arrive early to be sure to be admitted)

The HMS President – this historic boat even has it’s on Wikipedia page

See YOU at the party, whoop whoop!

Finally; keep your eyes on Nichola’s company blog: theMediaFlow blog for updates and further details on the party closer to the time.

The new SEO Chicks website has been live for 2 months exactly (well tomorrow anyway) and we are all loving the new design. We have had some great feedback from readers on the design and look of the new site. So I wanted to write a quick blogpost to thank the fantastic and talented freelance wordpress developer; Katy Bairstow for her fantastic work on designing and developing the new SEO Chicks site!

We were not easy “clients” and must have done a trillion changes and tweaks but Katy never blinked an eyelid to our sometimes ridiculous requests. Katy; THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your help. You are truly a taltented and awesome gekalicious chick!

Katy might also guestpost on SEO-Chicks so if you have any specific programming angles you want her to cover please feel free to suggest it in the comments.

Also don’t forget to follow Katy on Twitter

We are currently in the process of redesigning and developing the SEO-Chicks blog, it’s starting to really shape up and we are all very excited (teaser: The new Logo includes me in a viking helmet, Anita in a gypsy scarf and Julie with a southern belle umrbella…hmm yeah I know that was probably scary rather than enticing). The new blog design will have more functionality more information about all the bloggers and of course look fabulous.

As well as getting a great new design we are also shaking up the blogging, that’s right, you will be hearing alot more from us. A few of the chicklets and chicks have decided to concentrate on other activities and won’t have time to blog more frequently so will unfortuantely be leaving us (Lauren and Stephanie you will be missed!) But as a dooor closes another one opens, SO we have decided to recruit some NEW SEO Chicks bloggers.

This is the chance for YOU to become an SEO Chick, we are recruiting 2 new bloggers!

You must be female (unfortunatley boys a wig won’t cut it)
Be willing to blog a minimum of twice a month
Work within either: SEO, PPC, Social Media or Web development
And most importantly LOVE blogging and all things web!

We also want YOU, our readers to help us choose which bloggers are “cutting the mustard” (as we say in the UK). If you were in SEO 3 years ago (nearly to the date) you might remember the way SEOmoz recruited our very own SEO Chick Jane Copland? So we thought we would do a similar recruiting process (hope you don’t mind Rand). So by sending us a blogpost you have written (must be original) you can become one of the new SEO Chicks!! So here’s what to do:

- Write a blogpost
- Email it to seochicks[at]googlemail.com

The SEO Chicks will then pick 5 finalists for all of our readers to vote for, and of the 5 finalists 2 WILL become the brand spanking new SEO Chicks! The entries will be published ANONYMOUSLY and we would prefer it if you didn’t reveal to anyone which entry is yours if you enter. The deadline for all entries is Friday 25th September.

So what are you waiting for, get writing!!

UPDATE: We have extended the deadline to Sunday 4th October if you still want to enter?!! Mainly due to me having been away and not had time to read and share the entries with the other SEO Chicks So if you haven’t entered yet, get cracking!

EDIT: Google has just retracted their association with the Reed Learning SEO Course and are branding it as a misunderstanding, they were never meant to associate themselves with a SEO Course. Apparently. Please note this course will still GO AHEAD but is no longer accredited by Google. It’s in association with Verve Search and Reed Learning!!!

Reed Learning (a UK training provider) has joined forces with Google and created the Google Marketing Academy, one of the courses within the academy is a Search Engine Optimisation course and I have been confirmed as the tutour for the course.

I’m very excited about being onboard with Reed Learning and promise I will give a truly hands on, educational SEO course that will provide actual ‘how to’ SEO knowledge. The course will go through in detail all the main areas of SEO and also touch on use of Online PR and Social Media Marketing for SEO benefits.

Technical optimisation
Site Architecture and SEO
URL structure (keywords in URL, folders)
Canonicalisation ( use of 301 redirects & canonical attribute)
Use of sitemaps, robots txt etc
Hosting & Domain

On Page Optimisation
Keyword & Competitor research (including tools to use)
Keyword mapping
Content optimisation
Title and meta description writing (making it relevant and optimised)
Other on page areas and factors

Off Page Optimisation
Importance of incoming links
Measurements and tools
Link development techniques

Using Online PR and Social Media to increase exposure and link equity

Universal Search (local results, video, images and news)

Unethical SEO

Web Analytics and Measurements

The course is being held at the Reed Learning headquarters in London and costs £499 +VAT for a 1 day course. The course dates this year are: 7th September or 29th October.

And to our SEO-Chicks readers we can offer 30% off if you book the SEO Course before 31st August! To book your place on the SEO Course visit this page and to claim your discount quote: E9801 when you book.

Ok,so I was going to leave it, not going to get all het up about it. But nah….I’m a Viking, my brain explodes if I don’t say what I think.

SEO Chicks has been going now since June 2007, ok so 1 ½ years isn’t THAt long, but in the blogging world we could have already come and gone. SEO Chicks has done really well (or so we like to think), the bloggers we now have on board are fantastic. Our reputation has grown and our goal has been achieved, yep we are chicks and we know search ;p

When I first looked for domains for the blog I was quite set on wanting to call it “SEO Chicks”, but the domain seochicks.com was taken, it had been bought a while back but nothing was on it. I had to make a decision, should I think of another name or should I chance it? I chanced it and bought seo-chicks both .com and .co.uk But it HAD to bite me in the ass one day, I’m not stupid, I knew it would. But I remain the right to still get pissed off about it (I’m a woman after all). The people that own SEOChicks.com has now finally decided to go live with something on the domain BUT funnily enough the site has pretty much the same colours as ours (ok so a different shade of green)! And It’s 5 women offering SEO, PPC, Social Media etc, but as opposed to blogging about it they are actually offering out their services. But I can’t help but feel a bit cheated, that they are jumping on the success of the “brand” that we worked hard to build. Although SEO Chicks was never meant to be an agency or similar, they aren’t technically saying they are us, but it’s still a bit cunning. I must admit I’m not keen on people thinking these are THE SEO Chicks. Maybe I should buy “THEseochicks.com”, oh wait, I just did!

Ok I will stop moaning now, I just want to make it clear to everyone that seochicks.com has nothing to do with THE SEO Chicks.

Cause we’re the real SEO Chicks, yes we’re the real SEO Chicks
All you other SEO Chicks are just imitating
So won’t the real SEO Chicks please stand up!
Please stand up, please stand up?

Everyone loves a party and this month LondonSEO hosted a BBQ at the Vibe bar sponsoredby Media Centrix – well, it was almost a BBQ. It also hosted a little celebration to congradulate our own SEO Chick LisaD and Jon on their engagement!

Here is the happy couple with a chocolate cupcake each ready to tuck in to the yummy goodness. Look at the size of that ring! WOW!

Regrettably the BBQ people did not show up but having Brivck Lane close by means we had plenty to choose from. Many of the people at LondonSEO went off to some of those fine establishments afterwards.

The event was great with lots of new people – although the August weather let us down a bit. I hope I’ll be seeing more folks coming to these events in the future

It could have been the rain which kept people away – it certainly made it a bit of a challenge for the goodies but twin umbrellas saved the day!

Thank you to Rob a.k.a. EvilGreenMonkey for organising such a great event. I know everyone appreciated the time and effort you put in (well, everyone I spoke to did! ) and I am looking forward to the SMX London one!

Earlier this year I was shortlisted for the �Blackberry Woman in Technology Awards� in the category �Best Use of Technology by under 30 year old woman�.

Last night the award ceremony took place at the Mariott Hotel Grosenvor Square in London. Me and my junior SEO, Rebecca, got to the hotel early to get all dolled up like
cinderella! We then went downstairs to the prestigious award ceremony. A few glasses of champagne and cheeky cigarettes later (not so classy!) we sat down for a 3 course meal. We were sat with a group of people from Blackberry (RIM) and Vodafone, and they were the loveliest people! Especially Harry Clark (Relationship Director Vodafone/RIM), he listened to my nervous babble for hours during dinner and topped up my glass with wine……ehm Harry it�s your fault I�m soooo hungover today? Beverly Knight was doing the entertainment after the award as well, which was awesome..

The Blackberry Woman and Technology Awards launched three years ago and focuses on honouring the achievements of women both within and beyond the IT sector. And help inspiring women choosing a career within Technology.

The award ceremony was very well organised (well done Claire!) and was very classy, it was amazing to be in the room with so many high powered and inspirational women (I know it�s soppy but this is the kind of thing I have always dreamt of). I have always believed that woman are just as good at Technology as men, and I believe the reason there is still a male dominated sector is not because women don�t want to, it�s more likely to be because it IS a male dominated sector and insecurities are more likely to creep up. Woman are more humble and modest, we need to stand tall and be proud when we do something well. Speak UP! Don�t be afraid to brag, if you don�t ask you don�t get.

It�s so important not to get discouraged. Don�t be afraid of what people might think, or what you look like � believe in yourself and what you are saying! If you feel you are being judged, shake it off, keep going! Fuck em, people can judge you, but don�t let anyone define you, define yourself!

Now the power to the woman speech is over, sorry, had to be done though! I can finish off by saying:

I WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The prize was: A designer glass bowl, a new Blackberry Smartphone and �2,500 worth of training (I’m going to use the money on programming courses!!)

I really want to thank ALL the SEO Chicks and Chicklets for all you have done on this blog and in the industry. You all inspire me to continue kicking ass!

Update: People have been asking me about photos, so here are a couple very fuzzy ones =)

Myself and Rebecca sipping champagne – oh ja!

And the Winner Is

Getting my Award – Totally stoked

We have a new guestblogger (SEO Chicklet). Rebecca Scott is one of my girls (ehm sounds like I’m running a brothel), ehm lets try again, she’s one of my (MINE, FILTHY Recruitment Consultants, MINE!) SEO Consultants at Base One. Jeese, I need more coffee this early in the morning. But yes you guessed it, I’m quite protective over her. Beccy started working for me a little under 1 year ago, she had no previous experience in SEO but had great potential, I was right! The force is strong with Beccy

One of her strengths is writing, having a degree in English and drama it goes without saying that whatever she writes is entertaining.

She will be posting her first blogpost today, and it’s freakin hilarious.

I’m so excited to announce Donna Fontenot aka DazzlinDonna as a guest blogger here on SEO Chicks. She is officially an SEO Chicklet. After minor stalking from me and Julie =) Donna has agreed to contribute to SEO Chicks. Now, how cool is that?!!??

I’m going to get a bit soppy here and tell you just how big of a deal this is, for me and the other chicks. Donna is one of the pioneers of this industry, and although she probably doesn’t realise this, one of the reasons I became passionate about this industry. She has the technical knowledge to roundhouse kick any smart arse SEO dude and the humour to get away with it And she is such a damn nice person. Ehm yeah I know, I am her stalker….The first blogs I followed in the SEO world, was Donna’s SEO Scoop blog and SEOmoz, and I read it religiously, so it goes without saying I’m super excited that THE DazzlinDonna will be guest blogging here, right here…wohoo!

Donna will be posting her first post in the next few days, so watch this space!

Finally we can announce our first guest-bloggers. It seems like ages since we first wrote about getting some cool guest bloggers on board. We’ve had a few interested, and we’ve stalked some (ehm Donna).

And since the guest-bloggers are in fact “guest” bloggers we thought it would be cute to call them “SEO Chicklets”. So without further ado, let me introduce you to our first ever guest bloggers!

Jane Copland

Ok if you don’t know who this blonde kiwi bomb shell is, you’ve had your head in the sand for the last year and a half. Jane works as a Search Marketing Consultant at SEOmoz, but is maybe more known as the Moz plex�s Social Butterfly (ehm only with regards to Social Media of course, no pun intended�cough cough). Jane has written two in-depth guides on social media marketing for SEOmoz and has been a speaker at SMX on the same subject. Along with being a pretty smart chick, she is also one of the funnest people to party with and one of the sweetest people I know. We are very excited to have Jane on board to contribute to the SEO Chicks blog, watch this space for some wicked posts.

Happy party chicks, Jane Copland and myself at SMX London

Lauren Vaccarello

Lauren used to work for Forex Trading company as the Search Marketing Director, she then founded lvlogic, an online marketing business specialising in paid search, web analytics and brand and reputation management. I first met Lauren at PubCon in Vegas, where we bonded over a few vodka�, chatting about the Search Industry, conferences and of course women in search. Like Jane, Lauren is one heck of a clever chick and has attitude like only a born and bred New Yorker can have. She rocks!

Lauren with Todd Malicoat at 9 in the morning in Vegas, having eggs and tequila for breakfast.

Welcome to the SEO Chicks Chicklets, you both rock!

oh and lastly a random fact: “Did you know that a goldfish has the memory span of only 3 seconds?” That made me laugh so much today….Ok it’s way past my bedtime, I’ve entered random land.