Top Of The List News - 2010-11

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I am attending SMX Advanced TOTL to Attend SMX Advanced Conference

Keeping Up to Date at Premiere SEO Conference of the Year

April 2011 With advanced tracks in SEO, Social Media, Paid Search, Tools, Local Search, and something called "Off the Beaten Track," Top Of The List will continue to update their skills and knowledge. This in turn is passed along to our clients. "We're attending the International Search Summit workshop this year too," says President Beverly Mapes. "As our clients begin to look globally, we want to help them with their global website marketing."

The conference is being held June 7 and 8, 2011 in Seattle, Washington. SMX Advanced is the only search marketing conference designed exclusively for experienced internet marketers.

Welcome SignIntroducing Linda Becerril!

PPC Specialist and Multilingual Professional brings expertise; talent to Top of the List

September 2010 — Top of the List is pleased to welcome Linda Becerril as the newest addition to its team of SEO experts. As Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Specialist and Multilingual Professional, Becerril will assist in all aspects of PPC campaign management.

"Linda brings a wealth of expertise to her position," President Beverly Mapes said. "Her background in business and sales is ideal for the SEO world. Best of all, her background and fluency in Spanish open doors for businesses seeking to improve their SEO and reach Spanish-speaking customers."

Linda graduated from Davenport University with a degree in business and has over 15 years of experience in sales, bringing increased revenue and productivity improvements to national and international corporations. She also studied in Mexico City, receiving a certificate from the Mexican-North American Institute of Cultural Relations. But her true passion for the Spanish language, she says, stemmed from her husband.

"My husband is a native Spanish speaker. After we met, I became immersed in both the language and culture of Mexico" Becerril explained. It is this unique background that gives her an edge in sales and customer service.

"Marketing and SEO for Spanish-speakers is about so much more than knowing the language," she said. For Top of the List, it's important to know about subtle cultural differences to really make a connection with potential customers, and meet our clients' expectations.

Linda looks forward to bringing her energy, passion and talents to Top of the List's PPC campaigns. "Clients can count on me to help their PPC campaigns take off," she said. "Whether their target customers speak English or Spanish, my goal is to drive traffic and revenue to their websites."


BloomIQ Logo"Blooming" With Excitement

Top Of The List welcomes new client BloomIQ
July 2010 — Top of the List is honored to welcome gardening expert BloomIQ as the newest addition to its roster of clients. BloomIQ comes to the aid of novices and green thumbs alike with its interactive flower and garden design tools that help users select the best plants for their homes.

BloomIQ Flower Garden Design "We are thrilled to partner with BloomIQ for their SEO," President Beverly Mapes said. "Bloom IQ is at the forefront of innovative, user-friendly tools. They've truly put themselves in their users' shoes and stepped out of the box—something Top of the List values in its own SEO work."

The BloomIQ tool makes plant selection fail-proof by filtering results based on the garden's location, amount of sunlight, and even the preferences of the gardener. "Whether you're looking for deer resistant flowers, fragrant plants, or container garden ideas, BloomIQ can help you find the ideal mix of flowers and plants," Mapes said.

BloomIQ also offers a reference library of garden collections, organized by theme (flowers that attract butterflies, shade flowers, sun loving plants) and even color combinations. Expert tips from gardening pros can help even the novice gardener feel like a pro in no time.

"With Top of the List's SEO expertise, BloomIQ will reach more potential gardeners than ever before," Mapes said. "And I'll learn tips to improve my own garden—so it's truly a win-win!"


MiddlesexMD-logoTop of the List Welcomes Middlesex MD

June 2010 — Top of the List is proud to welcome MiddlesexMD as its newest client. One of the web's most comprehensive sources of information on women's sexual health, MiddlesexMD offers products and resources to guide women through intimacy issues related to menopause.

MiddlesexMD Photo Founder Dr. Barb DePree, an OB/GYN and menopause care specialist, explains her dedication to women's sexual health. "Many women are uncomfortable talking openly about issues related to sex after menopause," she said. "But there's absolutely no reason why any woman can't have great sex after 40, 50 and beyond. Middlesex MD offers a tasteful, comfortable environment where women can ask questions and learn about ways to improve their sexual health."

As part of their SEO package from Top of the List, Middlesex MD will receive personalized search engine marketing on targeted keywords. "It's an honor to work with Dr. Barb, who has over 20 years of experience in her field," Top of the List President Beverly Mapes said. "It's very important to us to help Middlesex MD reach its key demographic and highlight its unique role as a resource for women's sexual health."

Middlesex MD is not only a resource for dealing with conditions such as vaginal dryness and sex after menopause, but also offers an online store with staff-reviewed products such as sexual lubricants, kegel products, and small vibrators. "For women experiencing menopause, many sites selling these types of products may seem intimidating, distasteful, or targeted to younger women," DePree said. "Middlesex MD fulfills a vital role by providing honest reviews in a comfortable environment that honors our sexuality as we age."


SMX West LogoTOTL Staff Attend SMX West Search Conference in Santa Clara, CA

March 2010, Santa Clara, California — Take hundreds of SEO professionals, over 50 social media conference sessions, and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, and what do you get? Search Engine Land's SMX West Search Conference, one of the premier conferences in the SEO world. Grand Rapids' own Beverly Mapes, President of Top of the List, and Search Marketing Specialist Nicole Vesota attended the 3-day conference on social media and the latest SEO technology.

Top Of The List in front of the Yahoo Booth "Top of the List is thrilled to bring cutting-edge tips and tricks in SEO to Grand Rapids," Mapes said. "Our clients will gain advantages in the competitive SEO world that others simply don't have."

Vesota agreed. "One-on-one networking with industry professionals from Google, Yahoo and Bing at one of the premier SEO conferences in the country was incredible. Our clients' SEO packages will be even stronger than before because of what we've learned."

Keynoting the conference was Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who made his first-ever appearance at a search marketing conference. Ballmer touched on hot topics like social media, the future of Twitter and the merging of Bing and Yahoo search functions.

Top of the List staff are already hard at work applying lessons from the conference to their SEO and social media work. As Mapes put it, "Our goal is to ensure that our clients aren't just at the Top of the List— they're also ahead of the game."