Social Media Portal interview with Krista LaRiviere at gShift Labs

Profiled - Krista LaRiviere, Co-founder & CEO at gShift Labs

Social Media Portal (SMP): What is role at gShift?

Krista LaRiviere (KL): I'm the Co-founder & CEO at gShift Labs. I provide vision and strategy to the people and the company.

SMP: Briefly, tell us about gShift, what is it and what does it do?

KL: gShift is changing the way people think about and perform organic search optimization. We know that marketers need and want control of their SEO campaigns just like they have control over email marketing and paid search.

Our software, Web Presence Optimizer helps marketers get control of their entire web presence. The software provides insight into a digital footprint with data, competitive and business intelligence, backlink and rank data, workflow and reporting all with the goal in mind to rank higher organically in the search engines.

gShift is really different because we look at SEO as WPO or Web Presence Optimization where WPO = SEO + Social Signals + Fresh Content.

SMP: Can you tell us what event you?re guest speaking at?

KL: I am speaking at SES London (20-24 February 2012) on Wednesday the 22nd February on the panel, ?Why Content Strategy is Crucial for Social Search?.

SMP: Who are your ideal target audience for the session and what can they hope to take away from your presentation?

KL: The ideal target audience for the session is marketers, SEO, content marketers, interactive agencies.

SMP: How would you summarise what content strategy is and why is it crucial for social search?

KL: A content strategy is a plan and schedule for content marketing. Content marketing is the art of understanding exactly what your customers need to know about your products and services and delivering it to them in a compelling way that will inform them and convince them to buy from you.

SMP: What are the low moments of what you?ve been doing so far?

KL: I eliminate low moments from my memory.

SMP: What are the high moments of what you?ve been doing so far?

KL: Helping every single customer obtain higher rankings, visitors and conversions.

SMP: What do you feel the next big step for social media / networks are and what may be the impact upon social search (and content strategy)?

KL: Social media and social networking would not exist with out content. Marketers needs to stop worrying about an ?SEO strategy? and a ?Social Media Strategy? and simply focus on a strong, consistent and compelling Content Strategy.

SEO is simply an outcome of a well-executed Content Strategy. Social Media and Networking is simply a delivery agent just like a web site and a blog.

SMP: What?s going to be the most interesting aspect regarding social media / technology throughout 2012?

KL: How it impacts organic search optimization.

SMP: What are your top five predictions for social media throughout 2012 ?

KL replies with:

• Google+ will dominate.
• Those who focus on a content strategy will win.
• Businesses that have not embraced social media will be very far behind.

SMP: What are your top five social media tips ?

KL replies with:

• Think about how you can build out your network ? Fans, Circles, Followers. Too many businesses overlook this.
• Your prospects and customers want to interact with you. Be there for them.
• Focus on content. The social networks are nothing without great content.

SMP: Best way to contact you and gShift?

KL replies with:

@gShiftLabs
@KristaLaRiviere
krista @ gshiftlabs.com
+KristaLariviere
+gShiftLabs



SMP: What did you have for breakfast / lunch?

KL: Coffee.

SMP: What?s the last good thing that you did for someone?

KL: Volunteered at a kids charity hockey game.

SMP: If you weren?t working at gShift what would you be doing?

KL: Starting another digital marketing software company.

SMP: When and where did you go on your last holiday?

KL: DisneyWorld with my family.

SMP: What?s the first thing you do when you get into the office of a morning?

KL: Log into gShift and look at our digital footprint and how we?re performing in the search engines.

If you're interested in doing a Social Media Portal (SMP) interview, get in touch.