Many times I have written about the short list of people in the SEO industry I really admire and trust. Often I also refer to it as my “circle of trust.” It’s people who I have gotten to know over the years, and not only do we help each other, there is a well-established trust that can only be earned over time.
If you are in my circle of trust, I will do anything for you. Being we do ZERO client work, I will send you over anyone who can use your services. (And we get quite a bit of inquiries everyday.)
Lately I am sure you have heard about all the buzz with BlueGlass INC forming.
TechCrunch recently did a story saying that the company is compromised of every notable person in the SEO industry.
I am not sure I would have used the word notable…. I think respectable is a much more appropriate word.
Recently in Las Vegas, I caught up with CMO / Managing Partner Chris Winfield and told him exactly that. Here is how he responded:
Yeah, I was flattered by that part of the story but that wasn’t something that we said or would ever even imply. There are a lot of really talented people in the SEO world that don’t work for BlueGlass.
With regards to being respectable, I appreciate that. I know your thoughts on the SEO community and I think a lot of that stems from the fact that there are a lot of snake-oil salesman out there that give the entire industry a bad rep. I also don’t think that enough people focus on the most important thing for clients (something that I know is super important to you): making money for them.
I would like to point out there are still several people I highly respect in the SEO world that are not a part of BlueGlass… but I am not sure any of them take client work anymore. I am talking about people like Stephan Spencer, Aaron Wall, David Naylor and, of course, the Outspoken Media Girls. But that’s about it… off the top of my head, anyway…
When I first read about BlueGlass Inc forming, I had ZERO doubt of the potential of them becoming the leading full service internet marketing agency in the world.
I do have some deep concerns though.
While on paper it looks like a no brainier, I can tell you from my own experience, forming a company with other self-made entrepreneurs can end up a disaster, not only from a company standpoint but a personal one as well. I think I have tried to form 10 companies in the last 6 years with other people that made so much sense on paper, you would have to be a complete idiot not to do it…. however, only one really worked out — AuctionAds with our partner Patrick Gavin.
As you probably read, recently BlueGlass INC acquired 3Dog Media. With that comes one of the most respected SEO’s ever to walk this planet, Greg Boser. Now I love Greg, but he is one of the most stubborn, hardheaded son of a guns around.
So my next question to Chris Winfield was this. How in the hell are you going to build a long-term successful company with so many self-made internet entrepreneurs who are used to being their own boss?
Here is his response:
This was something that we all thought about from the beginning. When I first brought up the idea to Dave Snyder, we addressed this right away. What we have done is split everyone up based on their strengths. Whatever someone was the best at, that was the business unit that they were going to head up. And we all agreed, YOU are in charge of that BU and everyone else would have to respect that.
And it’s run really smoothly. It’s an awesome feeling to know that you are working with someone who can really focus on making their specialty (within the company) even better every day. It’s a really liberating feeling to have that trust and to be able to ‘let go’ for the betterment of the company. Even though there have been times when things have gotten heated, but I look at that as the ‘checks and balances’.
We have also started the process of looking for a CEO, and we expect to bring someone on board by Q2 of 2011. Again, we want someone who is better at leading than any of us are and can help BlueGlass reach the highest levels possible. We all have the same goal and leave our egos in check at the door.
When you look at the speculated 15 million dollar acquisition of 3Dog Media, you see a ton of assets:
- Talent — BlueGlass picked up Greg Boser, social media expert (and great business mind) Barbara Boser, and, of course, the one and only bad-ass mofo Dax Herrera.
- Clients — 3Dog Media has an enormous client base that would make any SEO company drool with envy.
- Software applications and services — I dunno if I have seen any agency do more with open source software like WordPress and other items. Dax has written many plugins that are widely used.
My next question to Chris Winfield was which one of these assets he was most excited about acquiring and why?
Honestly, the talent side is the most exciting to me. Being able to have Greg Boser and Dax Herrera on your team takes things to a new level. These are people that I have always respected for so long. It’s been amazing to see the things that Greg comes up with when looking at a client’s website or their link profile. And the insight he’s already given us with our software platforms has been amazing.
In closing, I would just like to say I am really proud of these guys for pulling together and really excited to watch them grow.
I have seen a lot of people come and go since I first came into the industry 7 years ago. If they can pull it off, I have no doubt they will dominate the industry. If not, it’s going to be like when your 2 friends (in this case 15) date and then have a bad break up… awkward…
But seriously though, I wish them the best and highly recommend them for any of your PPC, SEO, or social media needs.
About the author...
Jeremy Schoemaker – who has written 2424 posts on ShoeMoney.com.
Hi I am Jeremy Schoemaker and ShoeMoney.com is my blog. 99% of the post here are done by me but you will see others occasionally make guest posts. This blog is fun to write but for my day job I run several online companies.
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{ 135 comments… read them below or add one }
very deep analysis …
yeah! I also think so.
I also think this post is a winner. One thing’s amiss though. I thought we were going to read about Jeff’s Health Converter updates today.
Nonetheless, this one will suffice. Beggars can’t be choosers, you know.
I was wondering the same thing! All the same, this is a great, in-depth analysis. Thanks.
Check out the newsletter. That’s where they’ll publish it, right?
yes
Realy nice!
Thanks for this list, Shoe. I’m thinking of putting up my own Web business and it’s helpful to have on my side experts I can trust — and not just snake oil salesmen.
Sadly, their numbers are increasing. They really give web marketing a bad name.
No mention of Dave Naylor of SEO’s you respect?
I’m sure Jeremy missed a name or two but we could have done the same as well since respectable SEO people can be quite a handful.
GOOD CATCH! I added him…. I wrote this way to late at night
Tell me about it. I also had an episode of forgetfulness a couple of weeks ago when my doctor asked me to recite as many animals whose names begin with “T” during my annual physical exam. Come to think of it, how can you think of animals when you’ve got someone’s finger creeping up your rear? ROFL.
The comment above just made my day!
Yes, Dave Naylor is one of the people whose blogs I know I have to follow for me to learn more about the SEO business. And he’s a really good writer, too.
They are going to absolutely smoke it. The amount of intelligence in that group is absolutely unfathomable.
Any one of Chris, Brent or Greg could make awesome CEO’s for that company, as well as I am sure many of the others.
DK, I apreciate that thought but for the record, I wouldn’t touch that job with a 10 ft pole.
Why not, Greg? Or would you at least give it a thought if and when the time comes?
It will be hard, because they are all big names with ambitions and pride and it will be hard for somebody to manage them
They might just surprise us all.
There’s a lot of potential there. Many businesses right now can benefit from the end-to-end service that such collective of experts present.
Yes, but as someone mentioned, what about small businesses and startups? Would they be able to afford these experts?
I have a feeling that position will be filled in by another recruit.
Georgie, I’m going to guess and say that Shoe’s list was U.S. centric.
For what it’s worth, Dave is not only a good friend, but also the guy who’s name comes out of my mouth most often when I’m asked “who would you hire?”
Another interesting thing about Dave that is relevant here is the fact that originally the idea behind the name 3 Dog Media was us joining forces with Dave and another industry friend. We were all fired up about it, but ran into a bunch of obstacles moving forward that finally cause us to abandon the idea.
In the big picture, that was a good thing because all of us were from the same channel (SEO) and we each have a decent size ego. That would have almost certainly led to some conflicts, which in turn would have led to damaged friendships. And for me, business isn’t worth that.
After that experience, I honestly thought I’d never entertain a similar idea again. But the BlueGlass opportunity was different because of the structure Chris mentioned. When I sat down a thought about it, I realized that the people involved were the people I already go to when projects we’re involved in cross over into areas that our outside our core competency anyway.
They’ve been those guys because I completely trust their knowledge, experience and judgment. So at the end of the day, I realized that working with them in this type of structure wouldn’t be any different. And so far it hasn’t. The only real change is that I’m even more busy than I was before.
If being busier than ever before means a lot of cash and exposure, then it’s just fine in my book. What’s your two cents’ worth on this, Shoe?
This sounds like the three superstars teaming up for Miami Heat. You’re going to be tearing up the league!
Seems like an awesome change then. Kudos and more power to you and Dave!
I see. So it’s more about leveraging others’ strengths to balance out your weaknesses, and others’ weaknesses being balanced by them leveraging your strengths. I love the idea of a BU for each in the structure. Good luck!
LMAO @ speculated $15 mil acq price of 3dog media. We’d all be surprised if it was even 1/10th that.
hmm revenue per year x4 years not sure that sounds so for out… BTW its not my speculation it was the TechCrunch writer.
And TechCrunch hardly ever takes a “guess”.
Can you do another post just featuring women SEO specialists, Jeremy? Females are seemingly dominating the playing field these days and I think they deserve some appreciation, too.
Why not feature small players, too? I know there are a lot of available up-and-coming stars out there.
I like this idea- but making it broader to incorporate Internet Marketing.
So I’m sure ShoeMoney is the next Blueglass takeover candidate… :.)
Hah! No way! I do not play well with others.
Don’t say that, Jeremy. You’re just too modest to talk about the relationships you’ve built along the way when you began establishing your brand and reputation.
I get what you mean man. Some people are indeed better growing their business solo while others make a success of theirs in teams.
Great post Jeremy. $15 million buy out wow.
That was “speculated”. Nobody will say what it was, and I have a feeling it was MUCH less than that.
Maybe. Maybe not. You know how these deals work…
I believe it was less than that too.
Thanks for this amazingly awesome piece about our company. I’m proud everyday to be a part of BlueGlass, and even more honored that others respect us and what we’re doing.
We have some incomprehensible talent in our company and I’m happy to work with and learn from them everyday
Although I would change one thing… I would probably stand on stilts in the company picture next time, seeing as I’m the shortest one in there
Impressive line-up! Congratulations and more power to you guys!
Your team deserves a pat on the back, Selena. However, I still have this question I’ve always wanted to ask: Why does Chris Winfield always tilts his head on the side for a photo? (Now you won’t be unseeing that. You’re welcome. LOL)
Is it just me or does anybody else have a funny feeling that Lisa Barone wasn’t mentioned in the list?
Absolutely re-tweeting this!
Lisa Barone is part of OutSpoken, which is mentioned here. But yes, if there’s a name that comes to mind when you mentioned OutSpoken, it’s Lisa. And maybe Rhea Drysdale.
But he’s really hot and he can pose for photos in any way he likes.
ha! thanks for making this always stick in my mind forever. i’ll be examining pictures now…
Congratulations to you and your team! Looking forward to hearing more about your company moving forward.
Love your work at Search Engine Journal, Selena! Keep it up!
Thanks Manisha
Hats off to you guys!
Since I’ve seen you in SCII a lot, and this title seems to have a “Medal of Honor” type title, are you playing the new Medal of Honor? Sorry, for the off topic question. I was just curious.
C’mon dude. We’ve all left comments on blogs to get some juice back to our sites, but “Discount Pond Supplies”? Really? So do people call you Mr. Supplies or just Discount? You’ve gotta try harder than that.
LMAO. Well, to each his own, I guess. But I wish he wasn’t so obvious. LOL
I wish them the best luck, they look like an awesome team!
“Awesome” is an understatement, my dear. They are so *uber* cool, they make ice cubes jealous.
I couldn’t agree more! I’m thinking of recommending the social media audit service they have to a friend who needs it in his company.
was that a blog or an advertisement?
ahh, I think I’m finally catching on
If you’ve got the web marketing mettle, the Shoemoney blog will definitely give you an ad and a smart post in one cool fix.
If I remember correctly, he said in one of his previous posts that he only do ads for products and services that he truly believes in. In this case, he did say that they’re in his circle of trust. So, yes, maybe it’s both.
Aaron Wall does look fab when he gets rid of the beard. How about growing one just to “update” your look, Shoe? Nonetheless, a superb post as usual. The depth of this analysis deserves a shot of Manhattan for excellence. Cheers!
How about a handlebar mustache just to take it up a notch?
Fancy a Mohawk on your next Shoemoney video, Jeremy?
Goth/zombie face paint paired with leather garments and studs?
Wow. So Aaron Wall founded SEOBook? That always comes up in search when I’m looking for blog post inspiration.
A lot of serious talent there. With the list of services they’re offering, the company is indeed a one stop shop of web marketing.
I think that’s what will make it attractive to clients, not to mention the amazing line up of experts they have on board.
The end to end service could be very useful for a lot of businesses out there who have neither the expertise nor the tools to make their campaigns more successful.
It’s not everyday that you see industry gurus join forces like that. I think that what they’re offering is just what many in this industry and outside of it needs to bring their marketing campaigns to greater heights.
I love their blog already! Interesting reads. Thanks for the heads-up, Jeremy!
I know, right? There’s one article there about tricks and tools on how to make language richer with Google search that was such a great read. I’m looking forward to reading more of their posts.
Check out the story behind the logo. Cool!
I love the fact that it’s being presented as a one-stop shop. There aren’t enough of that on the Web, which right now is mostly a world of gurus, specialists, and 3-4-consultants teams. Very impressive.
I think Stephan Spencer was a PhD student in Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1993. Saw his face on one of the school’s journals my brother used to bring when he went home for the holidays. I don’t think he finished his program though.
One thing I couldn’t forget about Stephan is he co-authored Catalog Age’s research report “State of Search Engine Marketing 1.0″ with Brian Klais. With people like these on board, you’re definitely on your way to greatness!
Where’s the LIKE button when you need one?
I completely agree. Brent Csutoras also has an aura of charm and mystery about him that makes me want to melt.
Totally… I love that guy
I agree .. I heard Brent speak in a webinar last week and have not been able to get his suave and sensual voice out of my head (or my dreams) since.
And Brent’s not too bad on the eyes either
Remember Traffic Power’s brouhaha when they sued Aaron Hall for defamation and other fabricated crap five years ago? That’s right. Epic FAIL if you ask me.
In the United States, blogger Aaron Wall was sued by Traffic Power for defamation and publication of trade secrets in 2005.[49] According to Wired Magazine, Traffic Power had been “banned from Google for allegedly rigging search engine results.”[50] Wall and other “white hat” search engine optimization consultants had exposed Traffic Power in what they claim was an effort to protect the public. The case was watched by many bloggers because it addressed the murky legal question of who is liable for comments posted on blogs.[51] The case was dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction, and Traffic Power failed to appeal within the allowed time. (Direct from Wiki)
In 2005 Wall was sued by Traffic Power for defamation and publication of trade secrets.[2], and the case was closely watched because it addressed the legal question of who’s liable for comments posted on websites and blogs [3] The case was dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction, and Traffic Power failed to appeal within the allowed time.[4] (From Wiki this time)
Whoa man. And the point is? Sounds like you’ve been drinking gallons of Haterade.
I’ve got a feeling we will be in for a BlueGlass shirt review tomorrow…
5 stars for this post. Enough said. Now I’m off to Orange for some Stella Artois with the girls. Congratulations for the excellent post, Jeremy!
Interesting. I have a feeling that we’re going to hear nothing but successes from this company.
Any updates on the Humongo Nation tour, Shoe?
I really don’t have anything intelligent to say but have you heard of this whopper? Resolving to surprise her husband, an executive’s wife stopped by his office. She found him with his secretary sitting in his lap. Without hesitating, he dictated, “…and in conclusion, gentlemen, shortage or no shortage, I cannot continue to operate this office with just one chair.
I know this sounds far-fetched, Shoe, but is there a possibility I can join the BlueGlass team in the future?
It seems like a great company to work for. I certainly would like to be part of that. If only that’s possible.
Jeremy,
I’ve known most of the Blueglass team for quite a while and agree they’ve got a rockstar lineup.
Having sold a few businesses I’m tempted to throw my hat in the ring for their CEO role!
I would like to throw into that list (for different reasons and because I saw them at the a4uexpo in London last few days) Gary Beal at VanguardSEO and Ralph Tegtmeier at Fantomaster.com, both respected and knowledgable in their respective SEO worlds.
Also, noticed a minor typo it says “company is compromised” when it should say comprised. I know you say you make them, we all do, but I don’t think they would want to compromised, in fact that is 100% what you won’t get with Blueglass.
Now, that’s one job that will never be boring.
I noticed that, too: “compromised”. But seriously, I agree that the people in BlueGlass will what make it stand out.
Yes, I know this list is a little bit US-centric, but indeed Gary Beal has been around. He really is very knowledgeable; I guess it really depends on where you are located, too, and what you need.
Thanks for that Guy – funny thing is, I’m from Ohio but moved here to Leeds UK a few years ago
garythescubaguy
Thanks Jim. I appreciate the kudos.
Ralph is a great guy and I had the opportunity to speak with him in London last week. I hope to collaborate with him on further developing the Rank Master tool we have been working on. I met him last a couple ears ago when I was Head of Search at Stickyeyes but only came to appreciate his knowledge since then. He’s a great, genius and driven gent.
I agree with Jeremy here and hope BlueGlass help to restore some integrity back into SEO. It really is awash with self-proclaimed ‘experts’.
Thanks again and I hope to cross paths again sometime.
Surely one of the candidates for the Shoemoney post of the year!
He clearly has given it some thought. A lot of insights there. Made me more curious about the company.
We have also started the process of looking for a CEO and we expect to bring someone on board by Q2 of 2011. Again, we want someone who is better at leading than any of us are and can help BlueGlass reach the highest levels possible. We all have the same goal and leave our egos in check at the door. Great!!
It’s the coming together of brilliant entrepreneurs that makes this venture on the road to success. Put together creative and talented men and women in the same company to do what they individually and collectively do best is nothing but awesome.
The CEO has his work cut out for him/her. They’re one very interesting group. Wishing them the best from Chicago!
That should be interesting. I think it takes a special kind of skills and talent to manage a bunch of geniuses.
Subscribed to the BlueGlass blog. Thanks for the heads up, Shoe!
With the kind of expertise they’re putting on the table, I wonder if the services and products they’re offering is something that small businesses could afford.
Did you see the services they have under social media marketing alone? I wish my boss would hire them for strategic planning and training.
Why don’t you make a pitch then or subtly send the link in an email to your boss?
LOL! Good one! I probably should heed that advice and do some pitching of my own to our director.
Exactly my thoughts! What if I’m say, a coffee shop or a mom-and-pop? When do I stop paying for services and start paying the premium for the reputation of these talents?
Well, I think that would depend on the type of project. But whatever the cost, the potential ROI would more than make up for it.
And ROI in this case would mean more money for the clients.
They’re upcoming conference costs less than what I would’ve expected. Maybe the rest of their offerings are not as expensive as some would likely think. But I don’t think it’s going to come cheap. If you want results, you have to be willing to seriously invest on it.
Good point. I read some of services’ page content and impressed seems to be an understatement at this point. I wish I could avail of some of their SEO services but I don’t think I’d be able to afford it at this point.
Online PR and Online Reputation Management are nice to have services especially small businesses or enterprises. I think both are great additions to the line up of other services they are offering.
Those two are separate services? But I thought reputation management is one of the key roles of PR?
I wonder what their ROI metrics are for online reputation. It’s really tough for me to measure sentiment and what the exact value of it is to the bottom line.
What a great line-up!
Hi Jeremy. I wonder what you think of Tucker Cummings being Content Dev in BlueGlass? Content is king in SEO, and I think she’s royal in this regard. Any thoughts?
I enjoyed reading her recent posts. I’ve learned a few tricks that would be useful in some of my campaigns.
Notable and respectable – both apply to this group of Internet marketing gurus.
I would love to attend BlueGlass FL conference but I’ll be out of the country by then. I hope I’ll be able to attend the next one.
How much is the registration fee?
Use ‘sej15′ to get 15% off registering for BlueGlass FL
Wow, thank you so much for the amazing article about BlueGlass – made me even more excited to be a part of something awesome.
Every day I wonder how I lucked out this way – to be working with some of the top in the industry and to have the opportunity to learn something completely new every day!
I did an interview with Jordan Kasteler of blueglass about a month ago and we discussed seo and ect..so I think the company is doing good things..but sometime you can have too many chiefs and not enough Indians.
Jordan Kasteler
Bluegrass is like the Miami Heat – lots of talent. Of course they will need the sales talent, and I assume they are going to charge a premium for their services. There will still be room for others.
The thing that bothers me about SEO – is it just seems like common sense! Don’t hide backlinks, keep keywords down, blah, blah. All the usual stuff. Twist your site to meet the guidelines of Google — only for them to change the specs anytime they like – so all your hard SEO work becomes pointless.
Why pay for a group of SEO experts to rank you on Google – when all you need to do is create something people actually want to use – and your users will link to your site themselves!
Shoemoney has always said he pays no attention to SEO – and he’s right – if you have a quality, unique, great site – it will get to the top position in the Search engines naturally. If you never see passed page 3 – guess what, your site isn’t giving your users what they want.
I hate how blueglass lists companies like “yahoo” as clients – as if they need any SEO. Most of their traffic will be direct anyway, and type yahoo in Google or Ask, and it will be No.1 because it is such a well known site. “million dollar homepage” still ranks top on all SE because it had a great story, people linked to it – it deserved its top spot. I bet “next pimp” had no SEO and still got to No.1.
“In an industry that does not have much”, from somebody who operates in the MMO market? Brilliant.
lol…ya…believe it or not I am in the middle of one of those upstart that have a lot of talent but..its seems that you can’t fit in the room because of the amount of ego in the room
This company is going places. Honesty is so hard to come by in today’s SEO world.
Why does bluegrass.com have a Google Page Rank of 0???
It’s bluegLass not bluegrass
http://www.bluegLass.com has a Google Page Rank of zero, in spite of having over 18,500 inlinks (which mostly look like paid-link spam). This is definitely NOT a company to take advice from!
Great analysis, this would be surely very helpful.
yeah .. you absolutely right! this idea is great