Jordan will be speaking about WordPress at Searchfest 2009 which will be held March 10th in Portland, Oregon. Get your tickets now.

1) Please give me your background and tell us what you do for a living.

I started off as a web designer and coder at a very early age. At the time I graduated high school, in 2001, I had started learning SEO being mentored by Jason Miller of EngineReady.com at an ad agency where I worked. From there I still stuck with web design as my primary interest but was full time at an SEO agency by 2003. From there I went in-house at Overstock.com and am now running my own SEO firm with David Snyder called Search & Social. Having worked in-house, agency level, and contract level I definitely enjoy the freedom of being my own boss.

2) Please give me some analysis on why “The Bacon Explosion” was such a huge viral success.

In all honesty, I don’t know how it got started nore am I extremely concerned. Some things just start building perpetual motion and spin out of control. All it takes is a one or two key influencers in a space to A) get the ball rolling or B) really light a fire under something that might otherwise die on it’s own. While I don’t understand the bacon thing myself I still find myself contributing to it on social news sites because I know it’s hot right now. Fads like this don’t last long until people get sick of them like the one word on long domain names thing for example.

3) What is the right way to “make friends” in social media settings like Digg?

Start by supporting their content and contributions. Help them promote their stuff and karma will come full circle. After you feel they’ve likely noticed you helping them out, introduce yourself and strike up a conversation. You’ll be surprised in the friendships that you make and the support you can get when you’re always willing to help people and give.

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