(Part of the series on Sun Tzu's ; The Art of War – from the SEO perspective.)

Sun Tzu said;

There are three ways in which a ruler can bring misfortune upon his army:

1. By commanding the army to advance or to retreat, being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey. This is called hobbling the army.

2. By attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the conditions which obtain in an army. This causes restlessness in the soldier's minds.

3. By employing the officers of his army without discrimination, through ignorance of the military principle of adaptation to circumstances. This shakes the confidence of the soldiers.

SEO Style;

As to, can the SEO leader. You cannot direct your troops,(staff, contractors etc..) from afar. But also none too close. Do not get so distracted or comfortable as to lose touch with them. Building trust and confidence ultimately boosts team morale.

(1) We must be aware of the limitations or advantages in all situations and direct the warriors in a conducive manner. Be fluid and adaptable. Avoid asking them to do what cannot be done.

(2) Do not manage your personnel with the same levity as a client. To be a leader you must lead and hold other to the same accountability.

(3) Know your troops and assign rank (positions and roles) appropriately. Always have the right people doing the right tasks. Also acquire team leaders that are quick on their feet, ready to adapt. This builds confidence from those around them.

Sun Tzu said;

But when the army is restless and distrustful, trouble is sure to come from the other feudal princes. This is simply bringing anarchy into the army, and flinging victory away.

SEO Style;

If we heed the first part above, we must consider the failure to heed the advice. We will break team morale and ultimately others will believe 'their way' to be better. As the cohesive program strategy breaks down from the inside, surely the game is lost.

You will never be truly successful when internal strife prevails.

(tune in Wednesday for the next edition)

Christmas in the Village a Pictorial

Ok, I mentioned last night I was going out with the family, some of ya'll (tweeple) said to take some pics, so here ya go...

For some background, I left the big city life back when my first child was borne and headed to the country. We eventually landed (5 years ago) in a small town of 1500 that is quaint and offers all the goodiness that comes with small town life.

Our main street is maybe a few hundred yards long, has maybe 20 stores and well... that's about the size of it. We don't even have a set of street lights in town, just a stop sign in the middle of town.. Gives you the idea. Each year they close off the main street and the town turns up to get into the holiday spirit. Here's some visuals from last night.

Small town Christmas

That of course are the kidlets... or as I like to say these days, the 'hicklets' since they're true blue country kids. They are Elisia and Adrian... they had a blast.

At the local barber shop (yes, with striped poll and all) they were set up for the kids to make some antlers for the evening. Oh and the antlers themselves? You trace yer hand... very cute.

Meanwhile, over at the local real estate office, Santa and the missus had set up shop. This is a good move because last year? They had it in the funeral home..lol.. strange choice. Nice to see they moved it.

Another tradition around here, a few times per year, one of the local farmers brings his horses and wagon into town. It's a nice ride around the town and the kids just LOVE it. Fortunately it wasn't TOO cold, so it was bearable this year.

Just a couple of pics with the fam'. One with my daughter and of course I had to work one in with the missus, whom just HATES cameras and me posting her pic for the world to see...lol. Hopefully I will avoid the dog house with that one...

And there we have it... there were more pics, but I know yer busy, so that's the quick jist of things. The Legion (veterens center) had story telling and a choir as well. Fun time all in all.

From me and mine to you and yours; Happy holidays!

Over the years we tend to know each other (by sight) from our avatars as much as our names. From the forum daze to the rise of social, they've bee a part of one's online persona. One of the fun parts of that is watching how your friends/followers evolve over time or adapt them for various causes/holidays.

Which brings us to the current holidays approaching. Here on the Trail we started 'cheering up' people's avatars, just for fun, back in 2008 (see the original round here). What was just started on a whim to brighten up the web and spread holiday cheer, has now bee an annual ritual it would seem.

Here's some of the ones from this year so far (we'll add new ones as they happen);

NetMeg	Dean Cruddace
Kristy	Mike
Bob	Dana
Sebastian	Tony
Eren	Lyena
Ryan Jones	Monica
Melissa	Nichola
Rob	Elizabeth
Kaila	Mike
Arnie	Ana
Gerald	Doc

Fun stuff huh? It's surely a good break from all this 'Art of War' stuff I've been cranking out here right? If you're interested in getting one done just track me down on Twitter or Facebook and we'll hook ye up (we do what we can with the time we have ok?).

At the end of the day, it is just a great excuse to spread some luv'n and make the web a brighter/friendlier place. And hey, I've already met some new peeps I didn't know before... it's all worth it.

Happy Holidays to All!

(Part of the series on Sun Tzu's ; The Art of War – from the SEO perspective.)

Attack by Strategem; Part III

Sun Tzu said;

It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack him; if twice as numerous, to divide our army into two. If slightly inferior in numbers, we can avoid the enemy If quite unequal in every way, we can flee from him. Hence, though an obstinate fight may be made by a small force, in the end it must be captured by the larger force.

SEO Style;

When the authority, resources staff and budget are obviously superior, take the long tail first and slowly close the noose. If the advantage is considerable, but not overwhelming, let them know you are there and begin to break them down. If only a slight advantage, then divide through distraction. Make them feel they are in a no win situation and thus resign them to second best.

When coming from a weaker position, work around the edges. The low hanging fruit and long tail opportunities until gains can be translated into a stronger program. When below that point, study, plan and seek appropriate funding to enact at least a minimalist campaign.

Sun Tzu said;

Now the general is the bulwark of the State; if the bulwark is complete at all points; the State will be strong; if the bulwark is defective, the State will be weak.

If the leader, you, are lacking and deficient in the art of war, then surely your people and strategy will also be deficient. By extension, the nation (website/company) will also be weakened by a leader lacking in the skills and art.

(tune in Monday for the next edition)

(Part of the series on Sun Tzu's ; The Art of War – from the SEO perspective.)

Sun Tzu said;

The preparation of mantlets, movable shelters, and various implements of war, will take up three whole months; and the piling up of mounds over against the walls will take three months more.

The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants, with the result that one-third of his men are slain, while the town still remains untaken. Such are the disastrous effects of a siege.

SEO Style;

We have already discussed the need for preparedness. It is integral, when not over done, to successfully winning the battle. But this will take time. Time with no immediate return that is self-evident. That in turn will cause those funding the activities, (the country) to be stressed. Many times you will feel forced into action, before the appropriate moment.

It was once said that is it better to be doing nothing than to be doing much, but accomplishing nothing. Moving in hap haphazardly due to frustration and pressure, will inevitably lead to poor performance.

Sun Tzu said;

Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.

With his forces intact he will dispute the mastery of the Empire, and thus, without losing a man, his triumph will be complete. This is the method of attacking by stratagem.

SEO Style;

And so through the section 'Waging War' we learned to attack laterally, to frustrate but not make an enemy of our competitors. To avoid long drawn out battles in query spaces that can be cash negative. Because we will always have multiple competitors, the less resources spent on any one, will leave more for subsequent conquest.

You must control the battle field and consider what lays beyond any given success. This attitude must be carried onwards never ending until the kingdom's demise.

(tune in Wednesday for the next edition)

(Part of the series on Sun Tzu's ; The Art of War – from the SEO perspective.)

Sun Tzu said;

In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.

Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

SEO Style;

This one is hard to relate, unless of course to entirely take over a competitor is to inevitably buy them out or shatter their brand presence. We can also imply that crushing a competitor on one query space can make them obsessed with 'taking you down' in another. Foster aggression without creating animosity.

A more tempered campaign will enable you to conquer the enemy while not provoking them. Create a sense of futility competing with you and 'allow' them to accept being second best.

Sun Tzu said;

(Thus) the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities. The rule is, not to besiege walled cities if it can possibly be avoided.

SEO Style;

To balk is to counter attack and the junction is you enemies allied against you. We must know the competitors well. When they launch a campaign we must heed and prepare to create a better reply in response.

But when one conducts a campaign, in light of your competitors activities, do not once more participate in long drawn out battles. When they are entrenched in a query space, do enough to keep the engaged, but begin to move to other query spaces while they are distracted.

(tune in Monday for the next edition)

(Part of the series on Sun Tzu's ; The Art of War – from the SEO perspective.)

Sun Tzu said;

Now in order to kill the enemy, our men must be roused to anger; that there may be advantage from defeating the enemy, they must have their rewards.

Therefore in chariot fighting, when ten or more chariots have been taken, those should be rewarded who took the first. Our own flags should be substituted for those of the enemy, and the chariots mingled and used in conjunction with ours. The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept.

This is called, using the conquered foe to augment one's own strength.

SEO Style;

Set out reasonable goals for staff, contractors and all those involved in the effort. Always give credit where credit is due, but more to those most responsible for successes. Create a competitive sense towards all your activities. Enable the 'us against them' mentality. Use your own passion (as a leader) to make achieving goals beneficial emotionally and through perks (money, custom shwagg etc..).

And if you have the chance to associate, mingle or hire away from the competition. Bring them into the fold and be respectful. You are at war with the (competing) nation, not it's agents. Buy them a beer at a conference. This will lessen their own passion to defeat you or see you as a threat.

Sun Tzu said;

In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.

Thus it may be known that the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people's fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril.

SEO Style;

Once again, we cannot sustain a long term cash neutral program. By securing victories in a timely fashion we will earn the nation's (client/boss/site) admiration. You will position yourself as an indispensable cog in the marketing wheel. To have the power to continue to lead, bringing the greatest benefit with the least resource drain will be paramount.

(tune in Wednesday for the next edition)

(Part of the series on Sun Tzu's ; The Art of War – from the SEO perspective.)

Sun Tzu said;

There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare. It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.

The skillful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his supply-wagons loaded more than twice. Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.

Travel lean and mean. Prolonged in our case being carrying on a program with diminishing or minimal returns. Always seek out what has been done by your competitors in the past leverage it in concert with your own approaches. The sooner the program, and by extension the team working on it, can move into a cash positive position, the stronger your campaign will be in the long run.

Speed has it's place over strategy in many cases. Time must be utilized effectively.

Sun Tzu said;

Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army to be maintained by contributions from a distance. Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes the people to be impoverished. On the other hand, the proximity of an army causes prices to go up; and high prices cause the people's substance to be drained away.

Hence a wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy. One cartload of the enemy's provisions is equivalent to twenty of one's own, and likewise a single PICUL of his provender is equivalent to twenty from one's own store.

The greater your expansion of targeting the more stretched the over-all campaign will become. And your presence in each query space can trigger increased activity by those in the space. The great SEO arms race. That will in turn further weaken the larger presence. Once more, develop programs that leverage what has (and hasn't) seemingly been working for the competitors.

Seek to learn what will be the low-hanging fruit and take paths of least resistance where possible.

(tune in Friday for the next edition)