Only a quick one though. I use a variety of tools for SEO including the free rank checker by Aaron Wall. This is a great, free, easy way to check rankings but can be difficult to explain to clients and not the best to present to them.

Well I fixed that, here is an XLSX template that you can just past the ranks into each month (paste as text would be my advice) after you have exported it to CSV. Will only take you a second and it provides you with all sorts of ace summaries and easily identifiable arrows and colours. It tracks 100 keywords across 4 engines on a monthly basis.

It will;

• Highlight new rankings
• Highlight lost rankings
• Calculate dropped rankings
• Calculate raised rankings
• Calculate top 3, 10 and 20 rankings
• Highlight top 3,10 and 20 rankings

It took me ages to mess around with the conditional formatting but hopefully its all working now, this table allows up to a 100 keywords (hide the rest) but should be easy to extend should you require.

This is what it will look like with data in.



No catch, no email capture form the link is here;

No warrenty, no moaning, if you spot a problem let me know and I will try to fix it but no promises, best to get me @craiglparker

I am sharing it purely because it took a while to do and want to save fellow SEOs some time. Also I doubt it will work correctly on anything older than Office 2003.

One note of caution, its using a proper sortable table however each month is a seperate table (for a reason) and therefore you should try not to rearrange your tables constantly or you will mess up comparisons. Set it to A-Z and leave it that way, use the sorts to get overviews and quick data but always put it back to A-Z on save.

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The Easy Part: Bass Strumming

The Hard Part: Picking, I am just rubbish at it

OK I Guess I have not been updating my blog as much as I wanted, that’s mainly because I am super lazy when it comes to blog posts and also Final Fantasy XIV and Guitar are taking up much of my time!

Well I went ahead and bought a Bass and have now had my first official Bass lesson, I really enjoyed it, was defiantly different to guitar and it does feel somewhat more relaxed, maybe that’s because I have only done the easy stuff. I was given the bass line from “Sunshine of Your Love” to go out which (in my newb eyes at least) seemed relatively easy, there is a big stretch but other than that its cool, it definitely sounds cool and even seems to feel cool playing it.

In main guitar news I decided that I should change pick styles, I was using the broad plastic standard picks but my tutor notice I seemed to be holding it to far out so now I’m using Jazz picks, I have noticed a difference but it’s harder to strum but I think my music is sounding better.

I have been playing more Bon Jovi and some Guns & Roses, I really struggled with Don’t Cry and t o be fair I’m still terrible at it, I need to motivate myself to do more picking practice but I suck so bad! I tend to practice my normal strumming and rhythm, more which I know won’t get me past the obstacle in the long run.

Related posts:

1. Guitar Week 7: Barre Chords
2. Guitar Week 6: Power Chords & Riffs
3. Learning Guitar

Check out these few photos from around my house.

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The Easy Part: Apparently forgetting shit

The Hard Part: Barre Chords, at least not as bad as I feared though.

OK so this week saw a major introduction into my guitar playing repertoire, something I have been fearing since I first started playing as I can remember my friends bitching about it 15 years ago.

Barre Chords.

OK so I didn’t start crying in my lesson which is one positive, I did however;

• Forget my bag & music sheets because I left them at home
• Forget my music sheets for this week’s practice because I left them in the lesson room
• Nearly dropped my guitar whilst first trying barre chords

I’ll be honest it wasn’t one of my better weeks however I felt I did at least give them a run for their money and Kirsty was, as ever, super helpful in pushing me to learn.

We did a few Green Day songs this week, one aimed at helping my practice power chords and the other one Kirsty picked because I said I liked it. It’s a song called Misery from Greendays “Warning” album and I always feel it really doesn’t sound like a usual Greenday formula song so it was great to hear Kristy play it and terrible to hear me try the barre chords.

I also aired my desire to start Bass to Kirsty who seemed to think both approaches worked, still got to think about it a little then! She definitely thought it possible so I may well go and buy myself a bass soon. Got my eye on a nice white violin one…

Related posts:

1. Guitar Week 6: Power Chords & Riffs
2. Guitar Week 3: Beginning Chords
3. Learning Guitar

The Easy Part: Riff’s aren’t that hard.

The Hard Part: Reading off Tab at the same time as playing.

This week I had my first real go with an electric guitar, Kirsty lent me one of hers (a beautiful Epihone) and wrote out some tabs for Queen’s “Now I’m Here” which of course, is an excellent song.

The song features a lot of power chords in the intro so the first challenge was mastering a power chord sequence. I have done power chords a little bit with the Whitesnake song so revisiting them wasn’t completely new ground however I am no where near mastering them so it was nice to give it another go.

I definitely struggled with this, maybe more than I ever have before, not because playing power chords is hard but I was simply struggling to remember all the orders and changes that were needed, I think with a little practice I will soon get the hand of it though.

Most of the lesson was used up with my practising the various riffs and chord patterns and I managed to put it together once but I have a feeling that this will be a heavy week of practising.

We then moved on to a riff which was much easier for me however after having a head full of chords and their movements I did struggle to switch between them, still nothing a little practice shouldn’t fix.

Playing electric hooked up to an amp was a really interesting experience, obviously having it pick up every small movement, all my poor switches etc was unnerving but it did sound cool and once I got the hang of palm muting it sounded almost the same as the real track ^.^

If you don’t know the track or want to check out here’s the Spotify Link. Also Don’t forget to check out my “Songs I’m Playing on the Guitar“ playlist.

Related posts:

1. Guitar Week 7: Barre Chords
2. Guitar Week 3: Beginning Chords

The Easy Part: G Major, FTW this one’s easy.

The Hard Part: Holding a pick for the first time.

So I began my lessons with chords, as I assume many people do, mainly approaching rhythm and my first song was Greenday’s “Good Riddance, the central rhythm to Sweet Child of Mine and the same portion for Wonderful Tonight which I embarrassingly decided to forget was by Eric Clapton even though I have heard the song about 2000 since I can remember. I also moved on to the extremely excellent “She Move in Her Own Way” by the Kooks which was a lot harder but rewarding to play.

This of course introduced me to a range of beginner chords, G, D, C, A, Major, B and E minor C9. All fairly easy to make the shapes for but I am still having a lot for trouble switching between them quickly.

Practising has been difficult with my mum in hospital as I amm not getting in until much later, hopefully once this passes I will be able to put a little more time aside…

Related posts:

1. Guitar Week 7: Barre Chords
2. Guitar Week 6: Power Chords & Riffs
3. Guitar Week 9-13: Moving on to Bass

As well as any (occasional) SEM posts etc. that I decide to do I will be updating on a regular basis my progress on my latest project, learning to play the acoustic guitar.

OK so why have I decided to learn to play guitar? Well there is a few reasons;

• I want a brand new skill - I have a decent sized skill set but it is pretty much exclusively made of technical, engineering and language ability, well I do feel I have a lot of creativity I almost never explore it in an actually artistic way, additionally I have never been good at anything artistic which brings me on to point two;
• I want the challenge - because I’m not an artistic person in any way I know this will be difficult, additionally learning and instrument with no musical experience is also notoriously difficult as I have to learn a whole new system of maths, reading and co-ordination
• I am hoping it can help me relax – I love the sound of acoustic guitar, while I am not quite at the mellow out and play phase yet I am still enjoying actually playing and despite how difficult it can be, it’s easy to zone out and concentrate on jsut the one thing.
• Spending more time with a friend - I am taking guitar lessons with one of my friends and we have been frequently enjoying lunch in Nottingham city either before or after the lessons and gives us chance to have a chat we would have usually missed out on
• I love music - and unlike many people who say that, I do mean all music. Of course there are songs and sounds I don’t like but I will always give music a chance, If you don’t believe my check out my Spotify profile, it hosts a massive range of genres and artists and not just the last 3 Kings of Leon albums.

My updates will mainly consist of what i’m learning etc. so if you’re interested in learning too, you may find something useful!

My tutor is Kirsty Proctor who works at the MLC in Nottingham, obviously I haven’t spent too much time there yet but it seems to be a really cool place and Kirsty has an amazing knowledge of music (I get so confused!) and I can’t wait to understand all of it.

Here is my guitar, it’s my first ever and is a Fender Electro-Acoustic

I hope to get more as time goes on and I will be looking for an electric eventually as well as a Bass after I have been playing a few years. My end game is clearly the Lego guitar.

Related posts:

1. Guitar Week 7: Barre Chords

If you’re not reading comics because you think you’re too good for them then a) you’re a prick and b) you’re missing out.

I have to be honest though I have only been a serious comic reader for about 8 years. I do get asked what are my favourite comics a lot so this page is here to answer that question. The following aren’t in any particular order I love them all as much as each other, awww.

Watchmen

Watchmen is just an epic comic. Setting aside the whole “deconstructing a medium” stuff that you could (and people have) write essays on the story and characters are just amazing.

The first time I read Watchmen (about 7 and half years ago) I just wasn’t knowledgeable enough about comics to understand why it was so amazing but I still loved it. The story was amazing and kept me guessing the whole way through and even though the artwork is perfect by today’s standards it’s still gritty and detailed, way more than most of it’s contemporaries.

My favourite character is predictably Rorschach but it’s just because he’s so entertaining. I am not exaggerating when I say the prison interview scene with the psychotherapist is one of my favourite parts of anything ever, I love the rant he goes off into mostly because its true but only the great Alan Moore could write something that intense and still make it fun to read.

It’s a fantastic read and I 100% recommend it, but I also recommend you read a few other comics first, set the scene for something this epic.

Oh what did I think of the movie? It was pretty good, in my opinion it was as close as they could get without making it too much for most viewers. Tales of the Black Frieghter was more disappointing but made up for by the interview on the second disc.

The Authority

The Authority is another fantastic comic, it breaks a lot of comic rules but does it, for the most part, for the better.

The book is full of interesting characters none of which ever turn out to be what you expect. The thing that really sets the series apart though is how harsh it can be be. The unique thing about The Authority is that it looks at a “realistic” stance on Super Humans in our world. They’re dangerous, scary and out of control but they’re also weak, fallible and ultimately still human.

Their story takes them from being a group of proud fighters wanting to make a difference to a destroyed team of soldiers who can’t even control their own ranks and through a hundred other stages. The writing can be horrifically stark but also witty and engaging but it’s always serious, mature and strangely real.

My favourite character is difficult to chose because they all have such human flaws to relate too but I think Midnighter’s attitude gives him the edge and makes him my favourite. Hey he’s gay too so there is scientific proof I’m not a homophobe.

My favourite arc? Probably Earth Inferno or the God one, both have some great merits but I don’t want to spoil them for you so enjoy!

Batman

Let’s face it Batman is just bad-ass. He looks bad-ass, he acts bad-ass, he has awesome gadgets and some brilliant villains but I think the reason I love the Batman stories so much is that, as a character, he is so versatile.

Anyone who has read a decent amount of Batman will agree how different he can be and even comparing Adam Wests Batman to Bale’s more recent outing is a great way to see the contrasts.

The one thing that I love about Batman though is? He doesn’t have any powers, he’s just Bruce Wayne, a man with ambition and resources and it gives him a superiority that no other heroes really achieve. On top of that he is almost unstoppable, Bruce says in the Batman RIP story that Batman has prepared for everything. There are only so many ways a man can be killed, only so many parts of the body that can be attacked or broken and Batman has a counter for them all. Bench pressing 6 feet of dirt through a coffin lid? It’s difficult but far from impossible.

Out of all the stories I think Frank Millers “Dark Knight” batman is my favourite, I love the whole setting of the books and how Batman becomes way more than even he could dream. It’s also an amazing reflection of our society and says a lot about they way things are going and how we can ever win back what we are losing on a daily basis. Hush and Killing Joke deserve a mention too and Hush is probably my favourite Batman art. I am yet to read all star Batman however.

My favourite Batman villain? Two Face. I love the idea of someone so obsessed with fate and fairness that they literally live their lives by the flip of a coin. The ending to A Serious House on a Serious Earth (a famously dark Batman outing) is perfect for Two Face.

The Ultimates

In the wake of the Authority the Ultimates is Marvels go at making it’s superheroes grown up. They did a fantastic job by making the characters we all know and love from the original Marvel world, more serious, more unique and more problematic than ever before.

Suddenly Cap’s patriotic nostalgia was an un-PC social barrier, Stark’s womanizing a source of embarrassment and Hawkeyes loyalty devastating to his personal life. I really enjoyed the ultimates series and the Ultimate universe as a whole and it’s my number one recommended read for people “new” to comics.

It’s hard to choose a favourite character but Ultimate Hulk is just ace, he’s stronger angrier and more emotional than ever but just like always the world needs Hulk, and he needs them.

The best arc so far? The first one! It was fun and original and while all the Ultimates stuff is fun this was just perfect writing, fantastic artwork that came along at the right time for me.
Kick Ass

It really is hard to describe what makes Kick Ass so good. I don’t want to spoil anything for you incase you read it but Kick Ass is a gem.

The story is simple, set in the “real world” normal but slightly wimpy boy decides he has read enough comic books and he should take matters into his own hands. He dons a costume and takes the fight to the streets with fantastic consequences.

Kick Ass never plays out like you expect it to and even up to the last issue (currently pending) we are all on the edge of our seats. Its definitely for mature readers and those who don’t mind a bit of gore and swearing but seriously this book is as good as it’s title boasts.

I think this book will be quite popular when its complete and there is already a movie in the works, get it read first though and make sure you know why you should be routing for Kick Ass!

Best bit so far? I can’t say without spoiling it but needless to say it involves a car crusher and the mob.

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I really struggled to write this section because it’s so hard to get across how I feel about the arts without sounding pretentious, and I assure you that’s the last thing I am when it comes to this stuff.

When I think about it comes down to a really simple point. Our art makes us what we are, without all the things we create how would we be any different to monkeys or a pack of wolves? I embrace media because it’s simply what makes our species so special.

What I really love is that it shows how perfectly humans can work together. Modern multimedia projects from computer games to TV shows require teams of completely different people working as one to craft something beautiful, and when it works it unites thousands, if not millions of people worldwide in appreciation.

I also love the escapism for the obvious reasons, this world can be pretty ugly sometimes but there is something reassuring about going into a world where the struggle is more epic and the odds more extreme, after all if someone as little as Frodo can make the journey to Mt. Doom surely I can get to work in the morning?

All these forms of media manipulate our emotions and i’m proud of that, I’m happy to shed a tear for a fallen comrade or feel inspired by an awesome song and I feel really sorry for people who can’t detach themselves from this quote/unquote real world.

I really could write pages on this so I am cutting it off there but I want to hear your opinions, do you agree, is our media/artistic output what makes us so special? Should we throw ourselves into escapism and live in a thousand different worlds?

For a bit more on what exactly I do enjoy checkout my post on;

• Books
• Comics
• Films
• TV
• Video Games

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Well for starters my real name is Craig Parker and yeah, I love Search Engine Marketing, it’s my job and a little bit my hobby too, that’s why half this blog is dedicated to it. So you are probably thinking…

Why is SEM so Awesome?

I love my job because I work in a field that can change literally in a second, not many people get to do that without putting their lives in danger but I easily get bored of the daily grind and I couldn’t work in any job that’s the same day in, day out.

My main focus inside SEM is SEO and Social Media Marketing but that’s because they were my stepping stones to a broader world.

Not only is the job varied and fun but simply being in the SEM community is fun in itself. Just like some zany soap opera we have over the top characters who provide me with literally hours of interesting reading and video material as well as fight, debate and constantly challenge each other. This makes the field worth researching, worth coming back too which is a good job because without the constant updates, one could easily fall behind.

What else do I love about SEM? I’m good at it. Not because i’m arragant about my abilties, there are plenty bigger deals than me out there, but my passion for the field fuels an ability and I’m just the kind of person who likes making things as perfect as I possibly can. Simple as that.

There are so many different parts to SEM that if I wanted to I could do a different job for a fortnight and never repeat an action, that’s why it’s great. I love exploring new fields, expanding my knowledge and getting constantly better. I have a unique slant on the field as my educational background is in Psychology & Sociology, very different from the typical business studies or marketing backgrounds you usually see in this industry.

Why a seemingly unrelated degree?

I get asked this sometimes, the thing is, it’s not unrelated. The Internet is the single greatest thing to have changed society since the printing press and at the moment, search engines are the motorways (freeways for the USA) of this new world.Â

I feel my knowledge is relevant because predicting reactions to the constantly evolving world of the Internet give me an advantage that marketers don’t have, they react, the chase, they rarely predict without scores of competitor data.

There is a lot more to my reasoning and development, I literally grew up with the net, because I have always been into computers and tech I watched the internet go from 16 member IRC chat rooms to MMORPGs with millions of players, from phone order catelogue sites to some of the biggest retail outlets in the entire world, the whole time I watched this I was paying attention because I knew one day it would matter. Now it does.

How Long Have I Been Into SEM?

Well only since about 2005 but that’s not bad going for someone my age and I’m a quick learner. More importantly I have learnt everything I know now in just a few years pretty much myself and I know a lot of crap “Search Engine Marketers” out there who don’t know half as much and have been playing this game for many more years.

Where Do I Work?

I work at a company called Soula, located in Nottinghamshire England. I want to point out right here that this is my blog and nothing to do with Soula. Anything I say hear has nothing to do with the company and should be treated as an expression of my own opinion.

That being said Soula is a great place to work, we are ocnstantly growing and chaing and I work with a great team of SEM’s designers, coders and more to produce a truley intense digital  marketing expierence, for more about Soula visit their website.

What else do I have tro say about SEM?

Nothing that’s it for now. You’ll find updates form me in the fieldon a pretty regular basis (time allowing) feel free to comment or contact me if you want to know more and follow me on Twitter if you have it, I promice I don’t update 4000 times a day.

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