Cousin bait is the public information trail you leave for people researching the same ancestors as you to find you. Making connections to fellow researchers is every genealogist's dream, not only because it gives you a research buddy, but also because each new buddy can provide you with information you may have never found otherwise. But in the Internet age, creating that trail means understanding how search engines work. Content that may seem intriguing to you as a genealogist may fail to meet the criteria of content search engines. This talk will begin with a basic introduction to SEO, search engine optimization, to demonstrate the qualities your digital cousin bait will need to have. The bulk of the talk will cover specific examples from different, popular techniques for posting content online to evaluate the likelihood of their making your content findable. Finally, safety considerations around making your content findable will be discussed.

Tammy A. Hepps is a technologist, genealogist, and storyteller. The creator of Treelines.com, a family story-sharing website and winner of the RootsTech Developer Challenge, she lectures internationally about combining creative research, cutting-edge technology, and meaningful storytelling to make family history more engaging. She is also conducting original research into the Jewish community of Homestead, PA, once the leading steel town in the United States. Professionally, she has nearly two decades of experience managing the entire product and software development life cycles in a diverse range of industries for companies ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 corporations.

The program is free for paid members and $5 for non-members (applied to membership fee when a visitor joins JGSMD) after their first meeting. Refreshments will be available. Please check our web site at www.jgsmd.org for late updates and for the time, location, and program of future meetings.

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News Tidbits

JGS Maryland has been reconstituted!
JGSMD had its initial meeting on Sunday August 18, 2013 to see if there was interest in the group's reconstituting. The turnout was overwhelming, with 31 people attending with only a few days' notice. Look forward to new programming over the next year!
Some of the attendees: