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Little Fish, Big Pond - SEO Enlightenment

JJ Lassberg — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 19:00:00 GMT

Google: 1,310,000 for litte +fish +big +pond

Ok, I make websites for a living. Well, I do a lot of other stuff too, but one of the things I do is make websites. I make these sites 90% of the time for small to medium sized companies, and of course these days everyone knows (well just about everyone, I do occasionally still run into a person who thinks just cause they have a website for their TOTALLY off the wall widget they are going to instantly sell a million of the dang things and retire on an island they buy with the money, anyway…) almost everyone knows if you build it, it doesn’t mean they’ll come. Enter SEO, Search Engine Optimization that is: SEO, SEM, META-Tags, Pay-Per-Click, etc. I know with a limitless budget I could buy my way to the top, yet all the data out there suggests I can get to the top organically (yes, like the milk that doesn’t have any additives.) Still, no matter how much I read, see, and hear about SEO, I can’t get the Little Fish in a Big Pond out of my head. I mean let’s face it, with 11 billion pages indexed on Google, (and I got that number off the internet, so I am sure by the time you read this it will be out-dated) the Web is a pond the size of Pacific Ocean – and my client’s website is like, well… krill (swim away, swim away…)* As a responsible designer I did all I was instructed to do in regards to SEO on our site as well as on our clients’ and I still had a hard time really having faith in SEO… heresy I know. The internet inquisition would have found me out for sure. And then, it happened, the thing that led to my true conversion… www.savethecenter.org.

At True Light Resources we have a passion for giving back to the world (one of our core beliefs is that through giving one truly receives) and we are very involved on a personal level with the success of The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation (The Center) here in Houston, TX. When we were informed that the City of Houston was making plans to remove The Center from the city owned property it resided on and sell the land to a developer for high-end high-rises, we jumped at the chance to be helpful. We did what we do for all our clients. We encouraged and guided The Center to drive all inquiries and traffic to a newly created website. A central location where they could keep the public informed of what was going on with the “Save the Center” campaign. The site served as a scalable and immediately changeable presence. We called on our dear friends over at Schipul and got Save the Center into a Tendenci site. We felt Tendenci would be beneficial to the movement for many reasons, one the most important… SEO. Tendenci has all those basic SEO guidelines built into the system and bonus, they are great at that little thing called link backs. Well, not so little really… I mean the two most important things in SEO are content and link backs. So, link backs are actually a really big thing, and Tendenci does a really good job at it. Consequently, we had the beginnings of a good Search Engine Marketing (SEM) campaign.

Then, focusing on consistency, we created a suite of campaign collateral; buttons, car magnets, signs, etc. Using the established look and feel, and simply stating the web address, we were able to create low cost collateral materials. We drove people to the site and The Center was able to conserve resources (and for a grass-roots operation and/or small business, that’s a good thing.)

Finally, we had all the pieces in place. We had a dynamic site, with keyword heavy content, embedded links, all the appropriate and necessary META-Tags. We had the ability through Tendenci to add articles easily, to send out news via email, and to continually add new content. We had a system of legitimate link backs in place and were able to make use of RSS technology. We also had a suite of collateral materials driving traffic to the site. If we were students in an SEO classroom, we would have gotten the Gold Star.

Still, I was truly amazed and transformed by the response we got on the site. There were articles written and press conferences held which helped immensely. All the while we kept encouraging The Center to send people to the site. At The Center and here at True Light Resources we dedicated a focused energy to pull all the information about Save the Center into one place. Miraculously, The Center received over 10,000 submissions of their petition to The City of Houston in less than 3 weeks and I am a True Believer. I know those faithful SEO devotees out there will say it’s not miraculous, that it is the system working as it should, but have some patience with this newly, re-devoted disciple.

~ JJ

JJ Lassberg is the VP of Creative Design for Houston based True Light Resources – Website and Creative Design Studio.

JJ has a life-long passion for art, art history, the way things look and work, and how they make us feel. She is committed to creating the most representative marketing materials for clients through one on one inaction. Her artistic talents and unique insight flow into her client’s work, creating materials that are motivating and impactful. She believes in community, in giving back and doing her part to make the world a better place.

True Light Resources is a Creative Design Studio with a unique flair. TLR believes that communication is the key component to providing their clients with a product that is completely representative of who they are. The hands on service model and client interaction are vital elements used to achieve this goal. TLR seeks to learn the essence of thier clients’ companies, the corporate culture, roots, personality, diversity of the people, goals, etc. Using this collected data True Light Resources creates an electronic vision, producing web designs and marketing material as individualized as the clients they serve.

(*) Finding Nemo (and now you know I am also the mother of little children, but that’s a total aside.)

2-Jul-07 2:00 PM

Coming to terms - New deal for the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation is a winning proposition.

Tracey Lee Wallace — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 14:00:00 GMT

Editorial

April 23, 2007, 10:09PM
Coming to terms
New deal for the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation is a winning proposition.

At least 200 people will sleep a little more soundly knowing that the city of Houston and the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation were able to reach an agreement that will keep the center in place. Those for whom it has been a lifelong home will not, as had been feared, have to relocate because the city regarded the center's 99-year lease invalid.

The residents are not the only beneficiaries of the deal, which appears to be a winning proposition all the way around.

The center has agreed to purchase the 6.72 acres in its prime location near Allen Parkway for $6 million, far less than the land's estimated market value, in excess of $20 million. This will secure the property for the purpose of serving those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The city of Houston has achieved its goal of...

Click here to read full article>>

24-Apr-07 9:00 AM

Not Exactly a Win/Win

Tracey Lee Wallace — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 14:00:00 GMT

Not Exactly a Win/Win
by bigjolly | 04/24/2007 8:23 am | Alert moderator

Houston Mayor Bill White has finally loosened his choke hold on The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation. Rather than kick them into the street so that his developer friends could grab the property, he’s decided instead to shake them down for “only” $6 million dollars. And the Chronicle considers that to be a win/win.

The residents are not the only beneficiaries of the deal, which appears to be a winning proposition all the way around.

Winning proposition all the way around? Right. Let’s do the math. The center has to divert $6 million dollars from providing much needed care. The city gets $6 million dollars so that Bill White can purchase more commemorative plaques to give to such deserving people as ...

Click here to read entire blog>>>

24-Apr-07 9:00 AM

Houston Chronicle - Center makes deal with city to buy prime property

Tracey Lee Wallace — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 12:00:00 GMT

April 21, 2007, 12:04AM
Center makes deal with city to buy prime property
Retardation agency will pay the city less than market value for its prime tract

By MELANIE MARKLEY

The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation will pay the city $6 million to buy the prime inner-city property it has occupied for more than 40 years, ending weeks of negotiations over a disputed lease agreement.

The settlement was announced Friday by Mayor Bill White and David Baldwin, chairman of the center's foundation board, before a cheering crowd of residents who had feared losing their longtime home.

"It's a historic day for the center, for its residents and for future residents," White said moments after signing...

Click here to read full story>>>

21-Apr-07 7:00 AM

The Center is saved!

Tracey Lee Wallace — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 01:00:00 GMT

The Center is saved!

posted by Katie Laird at 4:18 PM on April 20, 2007

Good news for those following The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation vs. the City of Houston: the Center is saved!

The Center and the city have reached a preliminary agreement which will allow the Center to remain at its West Dallas location and raise money to improve the Center's campus...

Click here to read entire blog>>>

20-Apr-07 8:00 PM

Off the Kuff - The Center's deal with the city

Tracey Lee Wallace — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 01:00:00 GMT

The Center's deal with the city
Here's what we know so far:

The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation will pay the city $6 million for prime inner city property it now uses in exchange for the services it provides, city officials said today...

Click here to read entire blog>>>

20-Apr-07 8:00 PM

Red Ink: Texas - Is Bill White going for the Trifecta of Shame?

Tracey Lee Wallace — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 01:00:00 GMT

Red Ink: Texas

Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Is Bill White going for the Trifecta of Shame?

Most everyone has heard about Bill White's plan to kick the mentally retarded out of their homes. That news has a number of other non-profit charities scared. First back in 2000, the city renegotiated it's 99 year lease with The Lighthouse for the Blind, now they are going after The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation, but there is a fundamental difference, while the city cited the charter violation as a tactic to force the lease to be renegotiated, they ended up settling for the same $1 a year price for 30 years. But the net result is instead of having a 99 year lease, they essentially ended up with a 65 year one. Who knows what will happen in 2030? Now The Center for Hearing and Speech, next door to the other two facilities is also scared. They too have a...

Click here to read entire blog>>>

20-Apr-07 8:00 PM

Houston Chronicle - City, center for mentally retarded reach pact

Tracey Lee Wallace — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 23:00:00 GMT

City, center for mentally retarded reach pact

By MELANIE MARKLEY
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation will pay the city $6 million for prime inner city property it now uses in exchange for the services it provides, city officials said today...

Click here to read entire story>>>

20-Apr-07 6:00 PM

We are pleased to announce that we have reached a preliminary agreement with the City of Houston

Tracey Lee Wallace — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 20:00:00 GMT

April 20, 2007

Dear Friends and Supporters of the Center Serving Retarded Persons with Mental Retardation:

We are pleased to announce that we have reached a preliminary agreement with the City of Houston that will enable the Center to stay at our West Dallas Location for many years to come.

Under the agreement, the Foundation for the Retarded will purchase the land and leases from the City for a price of $6.0 million. The City will also help provide the financing for the purchase. The transaction will be structured to resolve any and all disputes between the Center and the City regarding the legal status of our leases, and will allow the Center to continue operating from this location indefinitely. The closing of the transaction is subject to approval by the City Council of Houston and the Boards of the Center and the Foundation, and is further subject to negotiating mutually agreeable definitive documentation.

The entire approval process is expected to take approximately 90 days, meaning that we hope to have the transaction completed by mid-summer.

The Foundation’s ownership of the land will enable many exciting future possibilities for the Center. First, it secures our right to occupy the Center’s current campus indefinitely, removing uncertainty regarding our future. Second, it allows us to raise money to improve our facilities, and possibly even modify and expand our campus to meet our communities’ needs for the foreseeable future. The Center and Foundation Boards will work closely with Eva and her staff to identify these opportunities, and plan for the Center’s new future.

While certain risks come with having a large mortgage, we believe we have a good structure to help mitigate these risks, and further believe the long-term benefits and certainty of land ownership outweigh these manageable risks.

We want to acknowledge the support of the City in general, and Mayor White specifically, in working with us to reach a fair resolution to our earlier disagreements. Our situation involved complicated legal, financial, and civil service issues, and Mayor White personally oversaw and led the City’s resolution efforts with the Center.

Every cloud has a silver lining, and our disagreement with the City has been no different. As uncertainty grew regarding the Center’s future, the level of public support has been overwhelming. Over the past several weeks, we have had more than 10,000 people petition on behalf of the Center, over 300 people personally visited City Hall to demonstrate and speak in support of the Center, and we are told that the Mayor and our Council members received hundreds of emails and letters. Family members, residents, donors, members of the media, and even our neighbors in Houston who are not directly involved with the Center, . . .all came to our support. We are deeply grateful for everyone’s support, and hope that you will find a way to help us plot and participate in the Center’s future.

We are also extremely grateful for the early support of U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who helped put our situation on the front burner, both locally and nationally.

Although we still have a lot of work ahead, we would like to pay special thanks to the law firm of Baker Botts. When they became aware of our situation, they immediately contacted the Center and volunteered their services, free of charge. We were extremely grateful for their unsolicited offer, and subsequently have received far more support than we ever could have imagined. Over the past several weeks, we have been advised on a nearly full time basis (24/7) by four of the firm’s senior partners, incorporating various areas of legal expertise. Special early thanks to Joe Cialone, Irv Terrell, Marley Lott, Jennifer Smith, and to their managing partner, Mr. Walt Smith, who personally committed his firm’s "full resources," and then saw his firm over-deliver on this commitment. While there is still much work ahead, thanks to everyone at Baker Botts for their counsel and dedication in support of the Center.

We have also benefited from pro-bono advice from Bracewell & Giuliani and Vinson & Elkins on the legal front, and from Alex Howard of Howard, Frazier, Barker, Elliott, Inc., Gerald Teel of Gerald A. Teel, Inc., and Del Kendall, of Real Estate Research Corporation, as our strong team of real estate advisors and valuation consultants, and Ed Davis, Eric Herrera and others at FrogDog Communications, and JJ Lassberg and Tracey Lee Wallace of True Light Resources. Like Harris Masterson and Leopold Meyer, two of our founding volunteers, and literally thousands of volunteers since them, we couldn’t have overcome our recent hurdles without the dedication and expertise of these critical volunteers.

The next several months will be busy working with the City to conclude the transaction, but we are optimistic it will get done. In the meantime, please be thinking of ways we can continue to improve the Center. The Center was built on the ideas, dedication and commitments of countless community volunteers. With your continued assistance, we can build the Center to new heights.

On behalf of our residents, clients, Board Members and staff, thanks for your continued support and assistance.

With much appreciation,

Jack Manning Eva Aguirre

Chairman, Lease Task Force Executive Director, Center

Wayne Johnson David Baldwin

President, Center Board of Governors President, Foundation Board of Governors

20-Apr-07 3:00 PM

AIA Houston POSITION STATEMENT April 10, 2007

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:00:00 GMT

The Board of Directors of the American Institute of Architects, Houston passed the following Position Statement at its regular meeting on April 10, 2007.

The statement will be presented to the Mayor and City Council tomorrow, April 17, by AIA Houston member Peter Boudreaux, AIA, of Curry Boudreaux Architects.

AIA Houston

POSITION STATEMENT

April 10, 2007

RE: The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation Site Lease / Potential Sale

The American Institute of Architects, Houston does not support the sale and demolition of the buildings of the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation located at 3550 West Dallas.

The Center and the City of Houston are in disagreement over the validity of the site lease, where the Center's architecturally significant facilities are located. Invalidation of the lease may result not only in the destruction of the homes of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities but also the demolition of these historically important works of Houston architecture, which anchor a visible site in heart of the city. The current buildings and prominent site comprise first-class urban design and environmentally propitious use of open land, both concepts AIA Houston supports in general.

The Center buildings are important examples of the architectural trend called the New Brutalism. They occupy a significant place in the history of Houston architecture, particularly in the wake of the recent demolition of the Houston Independent School District Headquarters on Richmond Avenue. The New Brutalism was a modernist architectural movement inspired by the work of Le Corbusier that flourished internationally from the 1950s to the 1970s. New Brutalist buildings usually are formed with striking repetitive angular geometries and are often constructed of rough, unadorned poured concrete.

Howard Barnstone and Eugene Aubry designed the Center for the Retarded (1966), as it was originally called. The Cullen Residence Hall (1978) is the work of S.I. Morris & Associates. These architects are significant in Houston's history and these particular

18-Apr-07 3:00 PM

Supporters to Rally at City Hall for The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation

noemail@savethecenter.org — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:00:00 GMT

****MEDIA ADVISORY*** Supporters to Rally at City Hall for The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation Who: Several dozen advocates of The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation, including parents and family members of clients. What: Rally supporting The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation’s efforts to continue providing educational, vocational and residential services to more than 600 clients in Houston in light of the city’s plan to sell or lease the land it has occupied for more than 40 years. When: 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, prior to City Council Meeting Where: Reflection Pond outside Houston City Hall Why: Advocates will visually and vocally express the growing public sentiment favoring The Center’s mission and the services provided on its West Dallas campus. Background: Under a 99-year lease signed in 1963, the City receives $1 a year. The Center developed...

CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE CALLS FOR A WORKABLE SOLUTION TO HOUSING THE MENTALLY ILL

noemail@savethecenter.org — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:00:00 GMT

Houston, TX – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee released the following statement regarding the current situation at the Center Serving Persons With Mental Retardation: “Today I stand before you on behalf of over 318 constituents of the 18th Congressional District and 600 total Houstonians who rely on the center serving persons with mental retardation who are among our most vulnerable citizens. I am hopeful that all parties involved will understand the importance of taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves. Yes, it is important to expand the city’s economy and provide services for all the taxpayers; however, when the need to care for the disabled buttresses financial concerns such as making sound financial investments to expand the economy, we must understand the value in investing in the care of our disabled. “As we all know, the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation (The Center) is a private not-for-profit United Way Agency, which...

Make a Donation:

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 16:11:18 GMT

The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation and the Foundation for the Retarded are both 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. Donors may choose to restrict the use of funds for specific projects or programs or make a general donation to be utilized as needed. Donations may be utilized for: Tuition assistance Client events, such as summer camp or the annual Holiday Banquet Capital Expenditures, Renovations and Maintenance needs Equipment and Supplies Click Here to Make a Donation Wish Lists The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation accepts in kind donations of needed supplies, equipment or services. Donated items help keep our administrative costs down and donors may be eligible for a tax deduction. Please take a moment to review our wish list. If you find a wish that you are able to fulfill please contact Gifts In Kind as listed above. In kind donations are not limited to the wish list items below, if you...

The Issue:

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:38:36 GMT

The City of Houston notifies The Center of plans to seize the West Dallas campus. On March 23, 2007, Forest R. Christy, Jr., director of real estate with the City of Houston, wrote a letter to The Center notifying us that the City plans to sell the property we recognize as the “West Dallas campus,” located at 3550 West Dallas. The Center was asked to sign a short term lease of three years and agree to then leave the property. Board member Jack Manning is chairing a task force to work through the legal issues regarding the property on West Dallas. The task force includes Eva Aguirre, executive director, and members of the Board of Governors and the Foundation for the Retarded Board of Trustees. They are C. Wayne Johnson, David Baldwin, president of the Foundation, B.Z. Lee and Chris Borreca. “We have a 99 year lease on five acres of property, which was signed in 1963, and which is still fully in effect. And, we have a preferential right to a 30 year renewal on the...

Lorem ipsum survey

noemail@savethecenter.org — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 17:59:19 GMT

Objectives:

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Release Date: 2-Apr-07 12:59 PM
Expiration Date: 2-Jul-07 12:59 PM

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2007-04-02T17:59:18Z

Instructor: Instructor

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