Having walked a mile in Mary McKnight’s shoes, she’s peddling hype.
In June of this year, I’ll be celebrating the twentieth anniversary of my first job in the mortgage industry. I haven’t always stuck to mortgages, but for the most part, I’m a mortgage guy. One thing I can say in all the time I spent, I never once burned a borrower, or gave them anything other than my best effort to help them. Looking around the ruins of the mortgage industry today, I can say with a great amount of pride that I’m somewhat unique in this regard.
I wish I could say the same about my short career selling web sites to the real estate and mortgage industry. I didn’t realize it at the time, but during my stint selling web sites for Myers Internet and Lion Inc, I was selling a decent product wrapped in a bunch of overblown hype. We sold good web sites with lead capture and transactional tools. But while some did quite well, for the most part what we were selling was hype.
Hype that Yahoo an Google were going magically deliver more leads than anyone would know what to do with. Hype that it was easy. Hype that we’d even show them how… for free.
Working at a company that for years owned the number one position in Google for the term “mortgage” made the hype even easier to sell. But we also cherry picked some of our existing client base to help us with the hype. On top of that, we cherry picked their successes, without mentioning all the other work the did to be a success. We sold the sizzle to a lot of people who didn’t understand how hard it would be to create the steak.
With great regularity, the peddling of hype is exactly what I see on RSS Pieces. Take today’s article for instance. I read recently that Mary considers herself the:
“Ann Coulter of the real estate blogosphere - outrageous and thick skinned”
I’m glad to hear it. It should be no problem then for me to criticize her audacity.
Fact: Ranking #1 in Google can improve your real estate leads by 600%.
Fact? I guess so long as she uses the word “can”, she’s technically correct. But the math behind her argument is absurd.
Case Study: When Laurie Manny jumped from the second position in Google to the first and second she went from 5 leads per day to 30. That is a 600% increase in real estate leads. Her traffic also took a flying leap forward from about 3500 visitors per day to upwards of 5000. So, clearly , the number one position in Google is more valuable than the number two position or any other position, for that matter.
This tortured reach assumes that Laurie is now receiving an additional 1500 unique daily visitors to her web site by searching only for the term “long beach real estate”. Further more, this would also have to mean that the 25 extra leads that Laurie is getting are coming only from those extra 1500 visitors. Are you people really buying this?
Don’t get me wrong. I believe Laurie gets plenty of traffic and leads from her blog. This is not an indictment of her. Not in the least. It’s how Mary spins numbers for effect.
My cynical eye suggests to me that this is not even an article about SEO. It’s an add to create hype for her own product. I could see it coming right from the beginning.
I don’t sell SEO and nor have I ever sold SEO services to Realtors. I do, however, help Realtors SEO their sites for FREE and have helped to pull a number of Realtor sites back from Google penalties very quickly. Why? Because SEO isn’t rocket science and enough people have their hands in a Realtor’s pocket for me to need to sell a service you could easily and more effectively do yourself.
But you do have your hand in REALTOR’s pockets Mary. You’re selling them web sites. For everyone who’s ready to rush to Mary’s defense, pause for just one second and ask yourself why you give away free information on your own blog. Mary’s not doing this as a public service. Now go back and read her post again. What’s the point of this article? In my eyes she:
Created a straw man (as if anyone worth listening to says SEO has zero relevance)
Touted the free services she offers.
Bragged about the success of one of her clients.
Mentions the success of a few more.
Recycles the same basic SEO advice she’s covered before.
Reminds you about her webinars
Then closes by suggesting you need lead generation tools.
“Do not trust the horse, Trojans. Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even when they bring gifts.”
March 18th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Wow, I am glad I am so famous in real estate that I get mentioned. I almost feel like Ann Coulter, my idol.
March 18th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Ok, everyone knows I’m a loud mouth. I am. Full disclosure:
I am not a client of RSS Pieces
I am friendly with Mary and John
I read this blog post myself (it wasn’t forwarded to me)
I am also friendly with Jim Cronin (which I have paid to help me with my blog)
Mary reminds me of Greg Swann.
For the record, Mary, as well as John, have gone out of their way to help me out.
I think we all are in this for cash, somewhere, somehow. Why pin HER to the wall?
March 18th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Why Kevin? Because I was highly annoyed at that post, and felt like responding to it. Do I need a better reason?
Anyway, it’s not like I called her a looser or anything.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
you basically called her a snake oil sales gal.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
I did no such thing. I called her on her actions.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:37 am
It’s only hype if it isn’t true. It’s not hype. Just because you worked for a company that peddled schlock doesn’t mean that they are all schlock.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Absolutley Laurie. It’s only hype if it isn’t true. You can prove me wrong right here and now by showing us that you are now receiving an additional 1500 unique daily visitors to your web site by searching only for the term “long beach real estate”
That’s it, no other reason. Not all the posts you write, not the long tail of Keywords, not your work on Active Rain, or everything else you do. Just a move up one slot for ONE search result term.
Amazingly Laurie, I wrote the post partly because I didn’t think she was being fair to you.
March 20th, 2008 at 10:10 am
It may well be hype or distorted statistics but I have gained an amazing amount of knowledge from reading Mary’s blog and attending the “free” webinars. We all have something to sell, don’t we?
March 20th, 2008 at 10:20 am
No doubt Janice. I mentioned in the follow up post that May has contributed a ton of great information to the real estate blogging community.
March 20th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
The article is right on and your instincts serve you well Todd…don’t capitulate.
Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you’re a good business person. The others you mentioned in the post have more class in their pinky than ‘Ann’.
Even Stalin had admirers…poor souls.
April 28th, 2008 at 11:04 am
NICE! Good Job here. I notice that your blog has the name of a well known blogger, Mary McKnight, in the Title tag - good way to generate activity right? Especially if you start out by criticizing her – people love that don’t they? You begin your blog by telling us how you never burned a borrower that you are unique etc. Apparently you don’t mind burning Mary McKnight to generate blog traffic. Then you develop your credibility in the website world with your work selling hype so that we all know you sold hype and you know how to recognize it – even though you must have been innocent at the time. I suppose you could have selected any real estate web company to criticize regarding hype but I ma not sure that would have generated as much attention. Seems to me your post does the same thing as the post you criticized.
Read this one.… http://blog.mariah.com/2008/04/as-much-as-we-thirst-for-approval-we-dread-condemnation/
April 28th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Hi Mark, thanks for coming along out of the blue to visit my site. If you were more familiar with RE.net, you’d know I don’t need to trade on anyone else’s name, nor do I need to “develop” my credibility to my readers.
If you knew me better, you would also know this blog is not being written specifically, or primarily to generate traffic. There’s only a few hundred people in the whole world that I care to reach with this blog.
Nor do I care about keywords in title tags. Interesting though, as you encouraged me to go look, and I see I’m on the first page of Google when searching her name. That’s probably how you came along to see me. I imagine you’re a friend or colleague of hers.
I like Mary as well. If you had spent more time reading my blog, you’d see I’ve recommended her advice on many occasions.
I didn’t “select” Mary based on her popularity. I thought the post she wrote was ridiculous, and replied to it.
It’s very telling that so far, everyone who’s left a dissenting comment to my post has yet to even try to argue that Mary’s math was correct, or her assertion proven. Not even Laurie, who’s blog was the subject of this new math.
You link to an article I wrote about attacking people. This thread proves the central point of it. When you write a post that condemns someone, you can expect the exact sort of response that I got here. I knew that going in, but still felt it needed to be said.
July 15th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I don’t like what you’re saying about Mary McKnight. I feel I owe so much to mary and RSSPieces. I was totally adrift in the huge sea of SEO. I’m a realtor not an SEO specialist, but Mary and her staff helped me get my feet way more than wet. She took a lot of the mystery out of SEO. I feel I now at least have a fighting chance at being competitive. I have been online since 1997. In those days I built my own websites from scratch (notepad html). I didn’t know about tex editors let alone a template and/or content manager.
I don’t care if Mary is profiting from her knowledge. That’s why I paid her. You would have to be a dope to not know that her webinars are designed to draw you in. But she does that by “giving” great information first. This, I feel helps build credibility.
If I had met Mary years ago, I would have been saved from the MULTITUDES of lead generating companies who have sucked my blood and profits for years.
Leave Mary Alone. She’s my SEO Angel.
Angela Chan
http://www.rocklandcountyrealestate.com
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Mary has been going thru a tough time lately. I hope she pulls through as I think she adds value to the blogosphere conversation.
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Why would anyone call Ann Coulter an idol? Here are some real quotes from Ann who is offensive, even to women. Have you ever read her book? I have and it’s filled with proven inaccuracies. I respect what I’ve read and heard about Mary McKnight but don’t place yourself with Ann. That’s low as she has no class to talk about Vets and Diana that way!
Secondly, yes you have popularity! Accept and have some grace with it. We’ve all made mistakes and this counts as one. I agree with you Todd but you were a little rough in some areas even though I feel you have respect for her overall. You just want honesty and fairness in all aspects of business. Respectfully, John Reed
P.S. Mary, I do respect you but you did error in your radio show. You are not the owner of the web domains you mentioned so when you laugh and say that they can’t do anything without you is not true. However, I do think you have the upper hand with your background and it sounds like the partners were cheats. It’s nice to see how many people you have helped. Best of luck on your next project. I’m sure you will do well in the long run.
Ann Coulter’s Statements: All verified.
To a disabled Vietnam vet: “People like you caused us to lose that war.”—MSNBC
“Women like Pamela Harriman and Patricia Duff are basically Anna Nicole Smith from the waist down. Let’s just call it for what it is. They’re whores.”—Salon.com 11/16/00″
[Clinton] masturbates in the sinks.”—Rivera Live 8/2/99
“God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, ‘Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It’s yours.’”—Hannity & Colmes, 6/20/01
On Princess Diana’s death: “Her children knew she’s sleeping with all these men. That just seems to me, it’s the definition of ‘not a good mother.’ … Is everyone just saying here that it’s okay to ostentatiously have premarital sex in front of your children?”…”[Diana is] an ordinary and pathetic and confessional - I’ve never had bulimia! I’ve never had an affair! I’ve never had a divorce! So I don’t think she’s better than I am.”—MSNBC 9/12/97
“I think [women] should be armed but should not [be allowed to] vote.”—Politically Incorrect, 2/26/01
“If you don’t hate Clinton and the people who labored to keep him in office, you don’t love your country.”—George, 7/99
“I think we had enough laws about the turn-of-the-century. We don’t need any more.” Asked how far back would she go to repeal laws, she replied, “Well, before the New Deal…[The Emancipation Proclamation] would be a good start.”—Politically Incorrect 5/7/97
“If those kids had been carrying guns they would have gunned down this one [child] gunman. … Don’t pray. Learn to use guns.”—Politically Incorrect, 12/18/97
“The presumption of innocence only means you don’t go right to jail.”—Hannity & Colmes 8/24/01
“I have to say I’m all for public flogging. One type of criminal that a public humiliation might work particularly well with are the juvenile delinquents, a lot of whom consider it a badge of honor to be sent to juvenile detention. And it might not be such a cool thing in the ‘hood to be flogged publicly.”—MSNBC 3/22/97
“I am emboldened by my looks to say things Republican men wouldn’t.”—TV Guide 8/97
“Anorexics never have boyfriends. … That’s one way to know you don’t have anorexia, if you have a boyfriend.”—Politically Incorrect 7/21/97
“I think [Whitewater]’s going to prevent the First Lady from running for Senate.”—Rivera Live 3/12/99
“My track record is pretty good on predictions.”—Rivera Live 12/8/98
On Rep. Christopher Shays (d-CT) in deciding whether to run against him as a Libertarian candidate: “I really want to hurt him. I want him to feel pain.”—Hartford Courant 6/25/99
“The swing voters—I like to refer to them as the idiot voters because they don’t have set philosophical principles. You’re either a liberal or you’re a conservative if you have an IQ above a toaster. “—Beyond the News, Fox News Channel, 6/4/00
“You want to be careful not to become just a blowhard.”—Washington Post 10/16/98
November 13th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Scroll to the comments of this youtube video to see what actual SEO experts think of Mary McKnight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZuZoyDpFf8
She’s so full of shit that her eyes are turning brown.