What business category would you like to be listed under?One problem with the current Biznik membership directory is that there's no way to browse members by category (for example, you can't browse all the Seattle attorneys). We're about to fix that, and if you've got an opinion about what category you'd like to appear under, please share it with me now. It's kind of important, because we're going to add routes that look like http://biznik.com/members/seattle/pr-consultants. So if, for example, you'd rather appear as "publicist" instead of "pr consultant" let me know now. It's possible that we can dynamically create both, actually. But I want to track members into selecting a smaller, shared set, so that there isn't too much fragmentation around categories.
Hey Dan, as you know from our conversation we have a unique product to offer and under a generic marketing category we would get lost.
So the first one - Marketing Communications
And the second one which is more specific to our niche Marketing Publications for Solopreneurs
Hi Dan, I was recently thinking about this very issue. I wanted to search for members by a certain category and realized it was not possible. It is exciting to know that soon you will giving us this capability!
The logical category for my business would be:
"Home Staging" but
"Real Estate Property Enhancement"
"Interior Redesign"
also describe what I do. It sounds like you would like to have a more generic, widely understood category at this time, yes?
Marlene
Dan, this is great. I'd like to see:
I'm not seeing the relevance to the tactic- perhaps just off site logistics.
The reason the profiles exist with high relevance is from backlinks to the specific profile pages, caused mostly through the editorial links created by posting comments on conversations. They also have primary links coming from the occasional Biznik badge that points at a profile.
Whatever category I would be listed under, I would probably choose to be outside of the category- otherwise I am placing my profile on a page with 5-10 competitive companies that I may or may not endorse. Which is where I don't want to be on big search engines like Google.
One of the reasons I am fairly active on Biznik is because my profile (and activity) sets me apart from my peers, I don't really have the urge to suddenly share my popularity with other people who may not know how to get readership by themselves.
Personally, I can't complain too much- I'm one of the most active members via commenting/etc, so I'll probably near the top of a category I am in,. Yet creating categories of providers for other people will probably force them into the "bottom results" rather than the top, of which only the first few results typically get traffic/clicks on most sites.
However I will probably see a search result drop off if the structure is changed to include another "category" page using my linkage, as now my commentary is driving results for multiple landing pages rather than my profile.
If I stay on top of a category, I get good benefit- as all the less savvy people under me bolster my top position. If I drop off the top however, I just become another clog in machine driving results for the top positions on the category page.
That is the geeky viewpoint. Personally I would opt to go into "other", as my profession crosses many different topics and I would like to classify myself based upon my interaction, conversation, and knowledge. If I categorize myself, then prospects will categorize me... which pigeon holes me into a "barbed corridor" of assumptions around the idea of being a direct marketer, public relations, business developer, social media expert, social media speaker, etc.
This is somewhat the same problem I have when placing an article in the learn section that crosses several ideas.
What Barry said....
Hi Dan, Has there been a lot of feedback asking for this change? My thought on it is that most people looking for a certain type of service can simply search the member directory...
Just give us the option to be listed in more than one category and to create our own as long as at least two people can be listed in it (a good way to encourage colloboration.)
Dan, is this concept designed to help Bizniks find other Bizniks on this site, or is this something that would help our overall showings on Google?
If I had to choose just one, commercial photography. If I could choose two, I'd add editorial photography. And my third would be extreme sports photography.
I would choose Marketing & Advertising category for me to be listed in.
Ditto on Barry's comment.
That being said, if the change is coming, I'd go for "lawyers," "attorneys," and maybe "legal."
Um, you can't see the relevance of promoting members of this community, Barry? Biznik is a business networking community. We take an approach to community building that is collaborative, rather than competitive. That's why a change like this one is completely in line with our goals, and I would hope, with everyone's goal here.
Joe, yes, this is a change that will indeed help Biznik members find you on Biznik. For example, try typing in a search for "seo expert." The first two results are for: 1. a quickbooks consultant. 2. a professional organizer. There currently is no way to browse all of the seo experts in one place, a glaring omission. I'm surprised that you, Barry, an SEO expert, I believe, fail to see the value in that.
Dan:
I do not know why I would come up as an SEO expert. That is odd.
My concern is that for example with my business I do so many different things and professional organizer does not cover it all. How many titles will we be allowed to submit?
Also, how does the mileage search come into play with these searches?
I understand your reluctance to be categorized. No one wants to be put into a box. Especially independent professionals! But I would ask you this: isn't part of the reason you're on Biznik so that you can be found by people who want your services? If that's the case, you need to do some careful thinking about how they might be looking for you, and use those terms in your profile. You've already done that by selecting "professional organizer" as your job title.
As we envision it, the coming changes will give you even more options than you currently have to appear. Currently, you only get one set of keywords - the new structure will give you more (if you're a supporting member, of course :-) Basic members will get one category, while supporting members will get more - we haven't decided how many yet. Probably 3-5.
I see the idea Dan, but I also see the result of what it would do fairly clearly.
I can see the relevance of working together as a community, but I have a technical issue with the idea of categories that directly promote other community members in my field- rather than promoting the community itself as an entity.
If the model changes, rather than be a community of indies I am a competitor in a category with other SEO/online marketers. This sort of effect occurs slightly here in the biztalk chat area, where some people insert random commentary to stay on top of certain results. Right now we are not competitive for business, merely socially / community competitive in sometimes a fun way (I've laughed a few times with people who have been bumped from here to there)
The shift of community member to competitor happens because of the prospects origination from the search engine. They are most likely to do business with the top person, which will drive results for some top members, and the underlying members will struggle to get on top of that monetization. All of a sudden we are not using location to be members of a community, but using our location as a method of lead generation.
Right now- I (and many other members) of Biznik are supportive of other people in similar fields, mostly because we are not in direct competition for the same prospect (community vs lead gen). If I suddenly have to be on top of something (like an SEO category) for lead generation, I have no other option but to be competitive... there is only one top spot.
I'm bringing this up frankly because I'm one of the most supportive-collaborative mindsets I know. If I'm seeing a competitive conflict, then I can only assume that 90% of the community would stumble onto it too.
The only real answer to keeping a natural competitiveness from kicking in would be to not rank the category pages.
The conclusion: If you create a high importance spot on Biznik, you are creating a high importance spot on Biznik. Unless everyone can have one, it isn't fair of me to say "yeah, sounds great" knowing I'm probably going to be on-top of a category and reap the reward.
Item#2
I am not saying the algorithm here doesn't needs work, I have no idea why a quickbooks consultant or professional organizer shows up for SEO.
I love the business networking community of Biznik, but the category idea isn't a networking community item, it is a lead generation item. Category landing pages and onsite member search tools are two entirely different things.
I would probably think it is easier to fix the second item by limiting the searching to information on my profile.
To clarify - my concern (as Barry articulated) is in being "pigeon-holed." But, we all categorize in one way or another, so trying to avoid that is, well, like trying to avoid reality. :)
That said, I like the idea that we'll get to insert ourselves into more than one category, Dan - am I interpreting that correctly?
If I were to choose a category, my first choice is: Business Mentor and my 2nd choice is: Financial Services.
My opinion would be for the categories to be dynamic with the ability to be listed like tags under more than one. Then you could join that which you think you would be searched for with your competition while at the same time be able to create your own category if you don't fit into the norms.
I'm wondering why we need categories. When I type in almost any type of category that I might be listed under I'm already either the top person or nearly the top person in that category. Just because the seo experts can't figure out how to come up first from some one typing in seo expert. Why are the rest of us placed in boxes. I just don't see how a thing like this will make the website any easier to use. Only more competitive. Art T.
If it's possible to dynamically create both paths, then why not let the users define their category or choose from a list of presets. If enough users fall into a given category, then it makes the list of presets.
This way your community emerges from the bottom up, instead of being forced from the top down.
Of course, you need primary categories to provide a starting block for a hierarchy-tree: (these come to mind)
Services Consulting Goods
And, of course, we need a way to be listed in more than one category, as was mentioned above.
Here's the way we see it in a nutshell:
Currently we have one directory for everyone in Seattle. Talk about competitive! Only one person at a time can be on top of that list. Currently it's Howard Howell. You can ask him whether there is any value to being listed #1, and I think he'll say "yes."
We're about to create a huge number different ways to be number 1.
Art- You probably are one of the minority that people rank appropriately for a term, I have searched for a bunch of types here on Biznik and wondered "why are they on this list?" It isn't an SEO industry thing, rather a fairly wide item from what I've had conversations on (a lot of people ask me why things show up different ways online)
Dan- the current directory for me isn't competitive at all. It does have limited space, but Howard simply doesn't do what I do. I don't think anyone on the first page does anything like what I do. I don't think that anyone really competes there, except for all the stranger personal reasons.
Exposure of course is always good, but it can also lead to a lot of wasted time if it is the wrong exposure too.
I also don't see the member directory as being a primary source of traffic.
Right now people go from Google to Profile.
The directory change would be Google to Directory of Like-minded professionals to Profile.
I can only assume that unless I was on top of the category, that my profile traffic would significantly drop if my profile page appeared under results for the member category page in Google.
With the addition of a three step process rather than a two step process, I would think that traffic could go down as much as 80-90% on a specific profile.
On the other hand, the member page would harness most of that lost traffic and channel it into the top positions on the page.
How about general categories like:
home services
then us home oriented people can be listed under sub categories? interior decor/design/redesign or maybe interior designers and interior decorators/re-desigers are two separate categories b/c one deals with getting into the build process and the other deals with pre-existing spaces.
interested to see how this unveils. still grasping exactly what is meaning by all this.
I think a better way for me to describe this is as an addition to what is already there. People’s profiles with a lot of activity will still rank high. This just adds another layer to the site structure to map the directory of members to a particular business vertical. If, for example, you're looking for an seo expert, I think everyone would agree that choice is a good thing. Now you'll have more choices when you're looking to hire someone, and more opportunities to rank highly in getting yourself noticed.
Dan, thanks.
As a point of clarification, do you see this work helping our Google results as well?
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