Monday, March 18, 2013

What Were Your Keywords For 2012?


I recently heard Dr. Leslie Hewitt speak at my WPO (Women Presidents' Organization) retreat. She proposed an interesting concept: “What would be your SEO?” Since I’m a social technology junkie, she immediately had my attention. If Google’s algorithms were scanning my thoughts and actions for 2012, what would be my top key words? So here goes! A quick brainstorm of what I think my top keywords and phrases would be for 2012: 


  • Sales 
    Credit: twitter.com/THEUNlVERSE
  • Linear motion 
  • Strategic Plan 
  • Manufacturing 
  • Technology 
  • Social media 
  • Skills gap 
  • Technical education 
  • Travel 
  • Food 
  • Wine (a girl has to have some fun) 
  • NAM 
  • CMTA 
  • Strategic Coach 
  • PTDA 
  • AHTD 
  • California 
  • STEM 
  • FIRST Robotics 
  • Education 
  • WPO 
  • Dogs 
  • Cats 

So then, I Googled myself. Here is how close I got (though some of this was for activity prior to 2012). Top terms from the first two pages:

  • Bishop-Wisecarver (how could I forget this?!) 
  • ATX West 
  • Photos of food and wine 
  • CMTA 
  • Women’s Initiative 
  • State Workforce Board 
  • Manufacturing 
  • California 
  • AHTD 
  • Science and engineering 
  • Skills gap 

So, I wasn’t too far off. I think what is important is that you are putting thoughts and energy towards those things that you care most about into the world. It is another way to reflect on your impact in the world and the goals you have achieved.


I then thought about what our WPO facilitator, Allison Tabor, challenged us to do at the end of our retreat. She asked us to define our theme for the year (view Allison's outline of a simple process in her December newsletter). This makes perfect sense to me. I must define my theme in order to drive strategies and targets for my keywords. Thinking about the 2013 goals of my company, I know my theme has to have something to do with speed, innovation, growth, and leadership. I read a blog today that referenced the mantra of, “Move fast and break things” — that’s cool and I like that it implies taking risks and being willing to fail and learn. I am always a sucker for a good alliteration so the words fast and flexible came to mind right away.

Then I thought about the need to have a futuristic viewpoint. We need fresh ideas and that requires a failure-friendly culture. This all adds up to a rough draft of keywords: be fast, flexible, futuristic, fresh, and failure-friendly.

After defining these key words I then headed off to another retreat (my third in three weeks) for my WPO Platinum group. Guess what — our subject of discussion was creating our theme for 2013! I think the universe is trying to tell me something. I left my retreat with a really exciting theme - Pioneering the New Frontier of Manufacturing in America. I then broke this theme into two parts an internal focus that really impacts the strategic plan of my company and an external focus that is more about how I spend my time outside of the company involved in political, educational and manufacturing focused activities.

Looking at it all I am really excited. I think my keywords are supportive and vital to the success of my theme. It all appears to fit together. I’ll know if it was all successful come January 2014 when I am looking back over the year.

Also, I wonder if there is any value in wrapping this into the 360˚ review process? Would my team’s feedback align with my theme and keywords? I see them as my internal search engine.

I would love to hear about your “keywords” or “theme” for 2013. As I progress in the new year, I am definitely going to be much more conscious of my SEO, for as the saying goes, “Careful what you ask for, the universe usually delivers.”

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