Speaking Engagements – Scott Fish

This page will be updated as I am invited to speak at various search marketing and travel events.

Full Set of Presentations and presentation details after the JUMP.

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Quivira The Legendary City of Gold & Riches

The Legendary City of Gold & Riches: Quivira

Throughout history many tales are told and stories are share of mythical places around the world that have taken explorers deep into uncharted territory.  None is more famous that the legend of Quivira,

Spanish Conquistador Francisco Vazquez de Coronado first mentioned the mythical city of Quivira in 1541 when he was exploring parts of New Mexico and the eventual southwestern United States.  Driven by his desire to find the mythical Seven Cities of Gold or “Seven Cities of Cibola.”

The story of Quivira is based on Portuguese legend during the 8^th century on a Catholic expedition on the island of Antilla.  New Spain (New Mexico/Mexico) was the place plotted for exploration to find Quivira.

Coronado heard from a local Indian called The Turk that a wealthy civilization called Quivira was located far to the east.  Coronado was told that “trees hung with golden bells and people whose pots and pans were beaten gold.” During the middle of 1541 Coronado lead an expedition of 30 with his army and priests (Franciscan friar named Juan de Padilla), along with local Indians through the Great Plains in search of Quivira.

Ultimately Quivira has been plotted to be in central Kansas, although obviously there is no city of gold.  Archaeologists have found several 16^th century artifacts around the area that may have been part of the Coronado expedition.

Many maps of the North America region in the 16^th and 17^th century include the city of Quivira, although its location generally has moved with time.  In general Quivira is places around Kansas, Oklahoma, southeastern Colorado, northeastern New Mexico and the Texas panhandle.

Remaining references to the cartographic region include Lake Quivira and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in the state of Kansas.

New Acquision: 1853 Western States – Smith

I recently acquired this great map showing the western states and territories in the United States in 1853.

An ORIGINAL antique 1853 map of the WESTERN UNITED States from Smith Schools Atlas.The States and Territorie sare individually hand watercolored. The West is shown very different from today. The entire upper Great Plains is shown as a huge NEBRASKA TERRITORY. The WASHINGTON and OREGON TERRITORIES are twice the size of the modern States and extend east all the way to the Rocky Mountains.

The Oregon Territory was created in 1848, and Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859.

The KANSAS TERRITORY extends west all the way to the Rockies and included modern Denver. A huge UTAH TERRITORY, with a population of only 11,000, included all of modern Utah and most of NEVADA, COLORADO, and part of WYOMING. FILLMORE CITY is marked as the “Proposed Capital” of the UTAH TERRITORY. The NEW MEXICO TERRITORY included all of modern NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA, and part of COLORADO and NEVADA. CALIFORNIA had just become a state in 1850 and is shown with a population of 264,000.

Most of the States and Territories have their populations printed on them. The locations of dozens of Indian Tribes are shown throughout the West.

Map measures 10 X 12 inches.

he copyright date of 1853 is printed along the lower border. The original hand watercolors are still bright and vibrant. This map is over 155years old published a decade prior to the CIVIL WAR.

New Acquision: April 1748 edition of Gentleman’s Magazine

1748 Gentleman’s Magazine, London, with Thomas Jeffrys Map.

This April 1748 edition of Gentleman’s Magazine was printed in London and contains 47 pages.  Included in this edition is a folded engraving of city and fortifications of Maestricht by Thomas Jefferys.

Maestricht is a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern Dutch province of Limburg, the capital.

During 1673-1678 french troops occupied Maestricht and it was eventually restored to the Dutch in 1748.  This reclaim did not last long, in the same year Maestricht was retaken by the French.  The Siege of Maastricht took place in April-May 1748 during the War of the Austrian Succession. A French force under the overall command of Maurice de Saxe besieged and captured the Dutch barrier fortress of Maastricht in the final few months of the campaign in the Low Countries. After a relatively long siege the garrison of Maastricht capitulated and marched out with the honours of war. Maastricht was returned along with France’s conquests in the Austrian Netherlands according to the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle signed in 1748.

The map in this magazine outlines the plan to rebuild the fortifications.

Highlighted is an important article on the impressment of Colonists in Boston to work and man ships. Interesting information pertaining to the fact that many of those who settle in the Colonies rarely return to England. The impressment caused riots in Boston and the article is followed by a letter Governor Shirley followed by a response from the Speaker of the Massachsetts Bay General Assembly Hutchinson.

There is also the discovery and sighting of a new comet.

Full-page plan of Cornhill which was devastated by a fire.

A New & Correct Plan Of All The Houses Destroyed And Damaged by The Fire Which Began In Exchange-Alley, Cornhill, On Friday, March 25th, 1748

Cuts of antiquities as well. Songsgeet also.

Very Good, no binding, measures 5 x 8″.

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New Acquisition: Map of greater New Orleans, Louisiana

I recently acquired a great map of New Orleans, Louisiana from 1931.

Title:  Map of greater New Orleans, Louisiana

Published by: WM E. Boesch, New Orleans Association of Commerce, creator

Size: 21 inches x 34 inches. (1 map ; 49 x 67 cm., on sheet 61 x 92 cm.)

Across the top of the map the Lake Front Development & Parkways are shown.  The west end is shown along with the Spanish “Fort” and the New Orleans Airport.

Canal Street and the Audubon Park are highlighted perfectly.  The out for the Canal Street Ferry is also highlighted near the different Warfs.  The US Naval Reserve on  The Bernard Highway is also being shown, just across from a proposed national park.

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This map shows features such as roads, railroads, canals, levees, drainage, land ownership in outlying areas, cemeteries, parks, Parish boundaries, ferry routes, and more. Includes index in margins.

Condition: Very good condition. No cuts, tares, holes, stains, and no repairs. Normal surface wear on corners and little wear on the folds.

This map is also featured in the Harvard Map Collection.

Famous Map Makers: Pieter Van Der AA

Pieter Van Der AA Map

Pieter Van Der AA

1659-1733

Pieter Van Der AA, a famous publisher during the beginning of the eithteenth century was apprenticed to booksellers’ trade at nine, later to be come a bookseller and auctioneer.

Acquiring the map plates of earlier cartographers and map mappers, Pieter Van Der AA, was famous for re-issuing several important maps in the eighteenth century.  His most important work was the Galerie Agreable Du Monde, a 27 volume TOME that was issued in 1729 and contained over 3,000 plates.  What makes this so rare and sought after is the publication size, just 100 sets.  Common among his engraving are large maps with separate frame borders that eventually contained maps printed into the blank area.

Read about more famous cartographers and map makers.

Michael Jackson Dies at age 50

Pop giant Michael Jackson, who took to the stage as a child star and set the world dancing to exuberant rhythms for decades, died on Thursday, TMZ website reported. He was 50.

There was no official confirmation of the reported death and spokespersons for Jackson could not be reached for comment.

“We’ve just learned Michael Jackson has died,” TMZ said.

“Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We’re told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back,” the entertainment site said.

Michael Jackson Dies at age 50

It added, “A source tells us Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived.”

Earlier, the Los Angeles Times said the singer had been rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital by fire department paramedics who found him not breathing when they arrived at the singer’s home.

The newspaper said paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene before taking him to the UCLA Medical Center hospital.

Jackson had been due to start a series of comeback concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer, whose hits included “Thriller” and “Billie Jean,” had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.

The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.

His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.

He lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation.

There were concerns about Jackson’s health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.

Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys — Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael — first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.

Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released “Thriller” in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.

The next year, he unveiled his signature “moonwalk” dance move while performing “Billie Jean” during an NBC special.

In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley’s only child, Lisa Marie, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jackson married Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children, before splitting in 1999. The couple never lived together.

Jackson has three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, known for his brief public appearance when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.

In memorium: Michael Jackson dead at 50
03:20 PM PT, Jun 25 2009

As news reports and shocked reactions ripple around the world about the news of his death, it’s impossible not to reflect on the eternal and profound mark he left on music and pop culture at large.

While there are countless nerve-tingling moments in his storied career, few had as cataclysmic and immediate impact as his performance of “Billie Jean” on the now legendary “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever” TV special in 1983. For anyone who was there or watching it as it happened, it was a moment that literally changed pop culture overnight.

In celebration of the music and memories, here is that magical moment to relive all over again.

Please feel free to use the comments section to share your thoughts, memories and remembrances of the eternal King of Pop.

– Scott T. Sterling

The Three Who Died: Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon

Yesterday began the deaths of three major figures, each of whom played a part in the advertising world throughout their careers. The latest and maybe most relevant is Michael Jackson, who reportedly died earlier today after suffering a heart attack; he was 50. Before him was Farrah Fawcett, who battled cancer for three years before succumbing to it; she was 62. And yesterday we learned of the passing of Ed McMahon who was 86.

Each of these loved personalities lived his or her life in the limelight and as part of their celebrity status were offered advertising opportunities. The ads they took part in stick out in many of our minds (though we’re not airing the Pepsi ad where Jackson’s hair is lit on fire, for obvious reasons). Jackson and Pepsi, McMahon and Publisher’s Clearing House, Fawcett and Noxzema.

Looming Commercial Real Estate Crash: Where did all that content go?

I recently tried to look up where a Hallmark store was in Portland and of course I first searched online.  Perfect… I found one that was close enough to stop by and grab a card.  We headed out and went to the mall where the Hallmark was listed to be at, and much to our surprise, when we asked a local mall employee they said it wasn’t there any more.

That got me thinking, with all the commercial foreclosures that are piling up, there’s a ton of incorrect content online – so where does this content go when a business closes its doors?  Who’s responsible for taking down a business listing or updating a new address for that business listing?

The current commercial real estate market is a nearly $8 trillion industry that is having its troubles.  “Really since the start of the year the trouble is coming out of the woodwork as far as notices of default, foreclosures, bankruptcies,” said Bob White, founder and president of Real Capital Analytics, a real estate market research firm. “It’s growing alarmingly fast.” Currently, some $50 billion worth of commercial mortgages are in default or foreclosure. White and others in the industry say the worst is yet to come.

With $1.72 trillion of commercial real-estate loans outstanding in the U.S. today, and $300 million of that sum coming due this year alone, the Federal Reserve hopes to launch a program by next month to refinance large commercial properties such as office towers and malls. Although the sector isn’t in big trouble yet, rents and occupancies are starting to fall, and the Fed aims to provide up to $1 trillion of new credit to head off a “looming crisis” of spiraling commercial foreclosures.

It sure looks like a lot of commercial property address listings are going to be changing over the next few years.

Defensive Domain Registrations: Blackwater vs. XE.com

Blackwater Worldwide has decided to change their name to “XE”. Here’s more on the article about the blackwater name switch.

So, we all know about xe.com, a currency conversion website.  My initial thought is that there’s no way that Blackwater will be able to get their hands on that domain, so what’s second best?

XEsecurity.com – nope, this was registered by XE.com Yesterday.

XEinternational.com – nope, this too was registered by XE.com Yesterday.

XEinc.com – There it is! This one’s been registered by the Blackwater group since 2004.

It should be interesting to see what happens here, I could easily see XE.com really pushing this trademark issue considering that they are making defensive domain registrations based on the news of the Blackwater name change.

Mastering the Google Content Network

Think about this for a second…

Google has the ability to display text ads on millions of websites that have a reach of millions of vistiors every day.  These sites include well known media outlets, blog networks, and niche communities.  With Google’s content network you have the ability to tap into these sites with targeted and relevant ads.

So why wouldn’t you want to?

Historically Google’s Content network has really had a hard time driving conversions, rather they would drive a lot of clicks, but all of that traffic had a hard time converting.  In the middle of 2007 that all changed, Google started cleaning up the content network and advertisers have been flocking to re-try the advertising medium.  One of the big changes that Google made was allowing you to see which URLs your ads are showing on.

Ok, So How do I Optimize for the Google Content Network?

Daniela Araujo is an expert at optimizing for the Google Content Network and she has some excellent tips on how to drive up conversions within the network.

Here are some tips from Daniela:

* Include in an ad group, not only very specific keywords, but also generic keywords that describe the specific industry or field for each product or service;
* Run separate campaigns on Google content and search, because a keyword may not have equal success in both channels. Also, budgets and bidding can be managed more efficiently when content and search campaigns are running separately;
* Ensure that your ads average positions remain above position three (3), as most sites publish only three Google ads per page;

There are 3 more tips over at Daniela’s site!