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Barbara Coll: Mother of Internet Marketing
Barbara Coll came to California from Canada after earning a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Systems. She was drawn to the growing opportunities in the Silicon Valley—and wanted to get into the industry while it was still young. For many years, she worked as a product and program marketer for companies including Sun Microsystems, Qualix Group, and Ipsilon Networks. In 1996, at the beginning of the Internet boom, she started her own SEO consulting company: Webmama.com To say WebMama has been a success may be one of the biggest understatements in the industry. Since its inception, Barbara’s company has grossed over $4 million annually, and worked with companies such as Hewlett Packard, Verisign, eLance, WeddingChannel.com, Imperva, Saint-Gobain, and many more. In 2005, WebMama ranked 4 th in San Francisco Business Journal’s list of 100 top-growing companies in the area. It’s also been ranked 27 th largest woman-owned business in the Silicon Valley. Barbara is active in her industry. She helped to found the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO), served as president, and remains a chairperson to this day. She’s on the ad:Tech advisory board and can be found speaking at Search Engine Strategies and the Local Search Conference in her area. Barbara is an advocate of the Spanish-speaking online community, and has been instrumental in convincing companies based in North America to make an effort to reach Spanish-speaking consumers through search marketing in their language. Her team includes Lucas Morea, the founder of Monografias.com, one of the largest online communities for Spanish speakers. His weekly newsletter is read by over a million Spanish speakers. Today, potential clients are beating a path to Barbara’s door, and she finds herself having to turn many away. She keeps her client list small and manageable, so that she can give each one the personal attention her company is known for. If she can’t take on a client, she’ll often take a quick look at their site and offer suggestions on how to improve rankings—charging several hundred dollars an hour for the service. Barbara worked from home in Palo Alto, California, for most of her business’s history. She had to move to an office space in 2002 as her company grew. Most of her employees are subcontractors, and many work remotely. Despite the increased growth, Barbara loves the challenge and flexibility of her job—and working with clients large and small. Useful website Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization
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