10 Questions With Lisa Barone

Hey everyone hope your day is going well. Seeing how nobody really loved Bobo the SEO Helper Chimp, I decided that I’ll just pester the hell out of people in the industry with my silly questions instead. My first victim participant is the always lovely and charming Lisa Barone from the Bruce Clay Blog.

10. How large would you say the Bruce Clay Blog reader audience is?

Well, there’s you, me, Susan, Susan’s mom and I think Bruce. So five?No, I’m told we get a few thousand unique page views a month but it’s not really something I pay attention to. It’s very easy to become numbers obsessed and to break into a sweat every time traffic seems to be down or Technorati has dropped your authority score for whatever reason. I do my best to just avoid it. If the numbers are down you start to question your worth as a person and if they’re up you start to believe your own hype. Who needs it?

I think once you form a connection with your audience it becomes less about numbers and more about the conversation and adding to it. For some the goal of their blogs is to bring in the visitors so they can sell ads, that’s fine for them but our blog is based on education and having fun. That’s what we focus on.

9. In your honest opinion, what do you think keeps the readers coming back to a blog like yours?

A blog like ours? What does that mean? What are you trying to say, Matt?

I think people visit the Bruce Clay blog because they’re interested in our perspective on things and they know they’ll be entertained while they’re here. We keep things lighthearted and stay away from personal attacks. I’ve always said that what differentiates us from all the other search bloggers out there is that we’re having way more fun. People read our blog because they want the search news but they don’t want to be bored to death while reading it. Bruce Clay adds a little comic relief to your day.

Also, I think readers are seriously waiting for the day me and Susan kill one another. They’re taking bets to see how long it will take (any day now), who will come out victorious (totally me) and whether or not Bruce will upload it onto YouTube (if he’s smart he will).

8. If you could give one nugget of worldly advice to a new blogger, what would it be?

Be passionate.

Whatever it is your blogging about, whatever your stance, however large or small your readership is, be passionate about what you’re writing about and write what you believe. It’s the only way you’ll ever be credible.

7. I notice that on more than one occasion, you have mentioned that people will comment harshly at you. Have you ever responded to any of these people away from the blog?

Oh heavens no, I’m far too non-confrontational and shy for that.

I won’t say I’ve never approached anyone away from the blog, but it’s the rare exception when I have. In the beginning I used to take it really personal when someone would send me an email telling me I was a moron or launched a personal attack against me These days I try and let it roll of my back as much as possible. It still hurts, and I’m still probably too sensitive about it, but the truth is everyone is not going to like you. Bloggers need tough alligator skin (preferably without the bumps)

I guess it’s the same as the reader numbers – If I spent my time obsessing over getting people to like me I’d go crazy. Plus, I’ve got work to do! There’s no time for ego.

6. Let’s say Google is about to bite the dust. Who would you want to see step up and be the #1 search engine and why?

I’m a total Ask head. They have an extraordinary amount of potential that they’re just not using. I want to shake them, not in a way that would pop blood vessels in their eyes, of course, but enough to wake them up. Maybe a good kick in the shins.

It’s frustrating being an Ask fan because you always end up with a broken heart. You see how great their tools are, their blog search, the new blended search, the underdog spirit, etc. It’s everything users have been asking for. But then they blow it because of their inability to create their brand and because their main index still isn’t strong enough. If Ask is ever able to iron all the kinks out, however, I think they’ll emerge as the one to beat. Or at least I hope so. I’m not giving up hope.

5. Plaid or polka dots?

My adventures in a Catholic high school tell me plaid, no contest. And not just any plaid, but wool plaid. It’s hot in so many ways.

4. In this past year so far, what website has become the most addictive for you and why?

My world would crumble without Facebook. I wake up with it, I eat lunch with it and I cuddle it before I go to sleep at night.

For me the addiction is rooted in that all my friends are there and Facebook ensures that I never miss a moment of their lives. Yes, we all really are that codependent. Facebook is doing social better than anyone else. It’s clean, it’s easy, it’s different, and it’s a total SEO love fest over there. The entire community is enthralled to the point where we’re obsessively updating our status messages, creating groups together, buying one another cheesy gifts and drinks and now there are all those applications to play with. I know some people find the concept of sites like Facebook silly [coughSUSANcough] but it’s really become an amazing networking tool for me. I can’t even tell you the number of faces it has introduced me to and the relationships formed. It’s all very Judy Blume and I love it.

3. What social portal are you using the most and why?

Outside of Facebook, I’m quickly become a total Sphinner Sphinnster…I like Sphinn a lot. It’s nice to have a social news site that’s accepting of this industry and doesn’t want to tie us to the wall and do horrible things to us. It also gives the search community a way to interact that we haven’t had before and I really like that.

2. Any predictions in the search world for the rest of 2007?

Yes. I think the entire search industry will be unemployed in 6 months after spending far too many hours on Sphinn sphinning things, calling themselves sphinnsters and making Sphinn T-shirts. No one is going to get any work done.

1. Who do you tap for the next interview with me?

My vote goes to Jennifer Laycock. She’s smart, witty, and she showed the pork industry why you should never mess with a mom. Team Jen!

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