November 20, 2009
Friday Recap - Little Genius Edition
Welcome back to Friday, friends. There was no major news this week. Oh, wait. There was that one minor blip on the radar -- a.k.a. the release of Twitter's new, official retweet feature.
The long and short of it is that no one likes it. Lisa Barone dissects the many shortfalls of the function in Why Twitter's New Retweet Feature Sucks. (Tell the Wall Street Journal I said hello, Lisa!)
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Google also had some news to share this week. The source code for Google Chrome Operating System has been opened up to developers. That news and other updates were shared by Google during a press conference this week. You can find coverage of the event across the Web, but readers got a special treat as Matt Cutts joined the liveblogger corps.
Microsoft announced that their anticipated cloud computing system, Windows Azure, will be fully live early next year. The company is inviting software developers to create programs for the platform, hoping to catch up to the cloud computing pack leaders Amazon and Google.
And Yahoo!'s playing catch up in the social search arena as the search engine introduces Twitter results, as well as photos and videos, to their news search results. However, unlike the direct access secured by Google and Bing, Yahoo! will be using Twitter's public API to incorporate tweets.
Twitter added a new API to the family this week, the Twitter Geotagging API. Now tweets can be geotagged to display location information about where the tweet was posted from. The feature is opt-in only, and is not available on Twitter itself, but through third-party applications.
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As the wave of holiday season giving rolls up, search aggregator LeapFish is using Twitter as a tool to donate a Make-A-Wish gift to a young boy and his family. A simple tweet and LeapFish will donate $.05 toward sending a four-year-old to Disneyland. They're still far from the $10,000 goal. Won't you take a moment and tweet?
With Thanksgiving less than a week away, we've officially entered the winter holiday season. PPC Hero offers us search and shopping statistics, popular gift categories, peak shopping days, and Yahoo!'s holiday campaign best practices and tips.
As I get myself in shape for the eating marathon that is Thanksgiving, it's hard not to send out a wish of support to all the poor, deprived waffle lovers in the country. Breakfast lovers are renewing the cry "leggo my Eggo!" ever since the waffle maker announced that a shortage would exist until the middle of next year. Here's hoping none of your loved ones have waffles on the wish list this year.
SEO industry thought-leader Danny Sullivan wrote a search marketing industry retrospective on the 10-year anniversary of the first search marketing conference. What were marketers talking about 10 years ago? Human powered engines, cloaking and that little engine Google.
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Hard to believe that big monster Google was ever a baby, but it's true. How are these for some fascinating facts about babies? New research shows that newborn babes cry in their native tongue. Picking up language patterns from the womb, babies come out crying in the familiar inflections of the local language.
One doctor of linguistics has performed his own language experiment with his newborn, speaking to his kid only in Klingon for the first three years of his life. The result? One adorably nerdy three-year-old.
We may never fully understand the mechanics behind language acquisition, but for some, it sure is fun to try. One mystery I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole is the Riemann Hypothesis, an unsolved math problem that turned 150 years old this week. If you're more adventurous than I am, give it a shot. Solving the problem comes with bragging rights and a cool $1 million. [Also a lifetime supply of pocket protectors, nerd. --Susan]
In coming-down-the-pipes news, Twitter's co-founder has confirmed that corporate, for-pay Twitter accounts that offer additional feedback and analytics will be launched in a matter of time. Meanwhile, rumors about a Google-branded Android phone have been all but confirmed.
Slightly more certain is the fact that 2010 is just weeks away. How did the first decade of the new millennium pan out for everyone? It's been quite a ride, hasn't it? The Webby Awards has published its list of the ten most influential Internet moments of the decade. It boggles the mind that these formative events only occurred in the last few years when it's hard to imagine life any other way. I mean, like whoa.
Things I learned from Boing Boing this week:
- One can have a spiritual experience at an aquarium. Or just by watching an online video of an aquarium.
- Though we once thought warm bloodedness was a trait of every mammal, a recently discovered extinct goat was cold-blooded!
- Money has always been in fashion, but origami takes it to the next level.
- Kitties are cute. Okay, it may not have been a learning moment, but in a must-see vid shot from a police car dash cam, one kitty worked his magic, thus proving that kitties are cute! [And that that policeman was dedicated. He was going to get that ticket written, affectionate snugglekitty or no. --Susan]
- While I thought it was just a fiction dreamt up by The Pirates of the Caribbean writers, the rising and setting sun can actually flash green!
Posted on 11/20/09 at 12:21 PM | Comments (0)
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November 19, 2009
Sticks & Stones May Break Your Bones But Ignoring the Online Convo May Crush You
Conferences are a hub of learning, growth and progress in the SEO industry. They're part of the glue that connects members of the community, offering a cherished opportunity for forging relationships and friendship.
And no matter how many conferences they've been to, most attendees almost always walk away from a conference with new professional knowledge in their head or with new business connections stored in the BlackBerry.
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But if there's a lesson in human nature to be learned from time spent at a conference, it's that when interacting with an audience there are two channels to pay attention to today. Forget the fact that you're interacting face to face, because there's also a conversation happening right behind your back.
In a blog post for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Marc Parry writes about tweckling, or heckling a speaker on Twitter. It was during a higher education conference last month that one episode of tweckling lit up Twitter like a Christmas tree, the episode becoming the poster child for the dangers of disgruntled audience. Scratch that. The audience didn't even have cause to be disgruntled. They were just bored.
Bored and looking for entertainment with other sympathetic or tortured audience members on Twitter.
The incident was enough to make conference organizers consider new ways to integrate the Twitter stream into the event.
Steven W. Tally, a strategic marketing consultant at the university, points out that people are accustomed to commenting about articles they read online. Now they want to comment in real time about speakers, too.
"We're going to have to get used to the fact that you're not speaking to a group now -- you're really leading a conversation," Mr. Tally says. "And if you're not listening to the other people who are participating in that conversation, it's not going to have a good outcome for you."
Now take a trip with me over to the Econsultancy blog for their analysis of Razorfish's Digital Brand Experience Report. After surveying a thousand Internet users about how they engage with brands, the findings showed what we all could have guessed: digital interactions matter.
According to the study, 65 percent of participants said they made a first purchase from a brand due to an online interaction. And a whopping 97 percent said that their decision to buy or not by a product has been influenced by an experience online.
Mosey over to Marketing Pilgrim to read up on PostRank's blog reader engagement study. The gist is that on-site engagement is dropping off while off-site engagement continues to climb. Brands may have enjoyed the measure of control afforded by keeping the conversation on-site, but that's not really up to them anymore.
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Learn the lesson taught by poor Mr. Galper at the higher-education conference. No, not whatever he was sharing in his keynote presentation that day. I'm talking about the lesson being acted upon by the conference organizers in the fallout of that infamous presentation. In planning for future conferences, some organizers would like to see Twitter feeds broadcast on the screen as the speaker talks. Not only would it lessen the chance of snarky anonymous Twitter commenters bashing the event, it could prompt speaker-audience interactions.
There's no ignoring the online channels, and why would you want to? At best, you gain customers, visibility and brand credibility. At worst, you become the laughing stock of the playground. And there's little consolation in the fact that you didn't know they were calling you names in the first place.
Posted on 11/19/09 at 5:14 PM | Comments (1)
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November 18, 2009
A Competitive SEO Advantage in Studying the Times - SEM Synergy Extras
On today's episode of SEM Synergy, I speak with my guest Bas van den Beld about search marketing in the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
What does the Berlin Wall have to do with search marketing, you ask?
Bas is a Holland-based Internet marketing consultant, the co-host of the internationally-focused SearchCowboys podcast (live Tuesdays at 2 pm Eastern/11 am Pacific), the editor of Europe's most popular search marketing blog, and (perhaps most intriguing of all) he was an historian in a former life.
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In an article on Search Engine Land, Bas indulges his inner historian by looking at how tearing down the Berlin Wall shaped the face of global commerce and, in turn, search marketing as we know it today. What do you think the world would be like without the European Union, a single European currency and the spread of wealth that resulted within a unified Europe? A very different place indeed.
Many search marketers find a competitive advantage in keeping up with the latest news in search and online marketing. There's a lot to be gained from analyzing how things that happen today can affect tomorrow.
From new FCC regulations to changes in Google's terms of service, today's events send a ripple straight through to the future. And so, we continually polish up our crystal balls, hoping to foresee what's coming down the line.
In a similar way, there's much to be learned by looking back on the past. Understanding the catalyst of a chain of events or finding patterns in human behavior and psychology is just as potent a power as seeing into the future. Well, mostly because the latter isn't possible, as far as I know. Our analysis of the past and present is all we have to go on to improve our future.
Today there's this heightened awareness that what's happening now, what happened last year, and what happens tomorrow will greatly affect the political, economic, and emotional future. And the current upheaval of the global economic crisis has made a serious imprint on consumerism in the U.S.
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In a post on the SageRock digital marketing blog, Joanna Orcutt shares a story of how her father's perseverance through tough financial times shaped her own work ethics and lifestyle. I can share a similar story about my grandpa, who was raised during the Depression and who forever after, no matter how much money accumulated in the bank, considered himself a poor man. There's no denying the domino effect.
Looking through an historian's lens, there are already patterns that have surfaced in the wake of the latest recession. In her post, Joanna points to a study about the four main consumer segments that have emerged.
Steadfast frugalists, involuntary penny-pinchers, pragmatic spenders and apathetic materialists display very different behaviors when it comes to spending and consumption. And different strategies will need to be created to target each of the different groups.
At the same time, according to a study by Lightspeed Research, these four groups are unified by a desire for information. In a difficult economy, a critically important brand offering (outdone only by the desire for discounts) is news analysis, new ideas and new ways of thinking.
And maybe, with this appetite for fresh and intelligent thinking, there's something we marketers can take away from consumers. It's not too early to start looking toward the future through the fading light of today.
Posted on 11/18/09 at 5:33 PM | Comments (0)
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November 17, 2009
Got That? 6 Compelling PubCon Takeaways
After attending PubCon Las Vegas last week, Marty Weintraub kindly offered to share his major takeaways with PubCon-deprived BCI blog readers, and we are thrilled to have Marty's unique wit and sharp analysis on the BCI blog. You can also find more of Marty's PubCon insights, along with search and social media marketing news and recommendations, on the aimClear search marketing blog and on Twitter, @aimclear.
Marty Weintraub is owner and principal of aimClear, an Internet marketing firm in Minnesota. Marty has been providing organic search engine optimization, traditional and social pay-per-click management, and social media/feed marketing services to national clients since 2001. He is a popular conference speaker and regularly contributes to such respected search industry publications as Search Engine Land, Search Engine Watch, and of course, the aimClear blog.
I'm back from from PubCon '09 in Las Vegas. There was cool new information mined and lots of reinforcement for what we already know and do. Usually at these conferences a few tidbits stick in my mind to keep the brain thinking. These factoids are top-of-mind reflections from PubCon:
1-Measuring Social Media is the Wild Freakin' West
A lot of SEOs believe that URL shortening tools don't send referral data, the global guts of web analytics. This is wrong. URL shorteners are just redirects. The truth is that analytics don't get referrer information if customers' interactions happen on installed software like TweetDeck. Got that? If the user's action happens on a Web page, you get referrer data. If it happens in installed software like Facebook BlackBerry, dude, there is NO referrer.
Paraphrasing analytics savant (and inventor of ClickTracks) John Marshall: "Where this leads you to, is that the referrer report is an unknown component in your data which is bad. Social media campaigns are not going to meaningfully show up in your ROI reports. SEOs are NOT going to get accurate ROI figures, not even close the way this-gen' analytics tools are wired. It may NEVER work properly. It's clear that Google Analytics is not sufficient in itself for tracking social media efforts. Don't wait around for ROI reports to show social success. Find other ways to measure.
2-Link Building is Dead, Long Live Public Relations
Dude, fancy link-builders are starting to sound more and more like my father's PR firm in '74. The only difference is that now the loot-booty includes links in the form of web citations as opposed to "mentions" in paper publications, radio and TV. In those days the way to garner audience-influencing buzz was by sponsoring events, writing guest articles, personal relationships and actually doing things that were newsworthy! Influence was purchased then at parties on yachts and in smoke-filled Mad Men bedrooms and bars. It's totally the same as now (except for some of the smoke).
The bad news is that Google's BS detectors are ever more advanced and affiliates that used to rake in cash are crashing and burning in droves. The good news is that you can still purchase authority the same as it ever was.
Let's just say it out loud folks: the differentiation between a PRWeb online press release and a paid link is the quality of the editorial PRWeb proffers. Chambers of Commerce one-off personal relationships that Google can't ever track or catch still work great for citations. In these cases Google clearly respects paid links or just plain can't see them. Umm, what do you think we pay those Chamber dues for? Thanks to Todd Malicoat, Roger Montti, Aaron Wall and Rand Fishkin for the outstanding PubCon Session.
3-The Vast Majority of Web Sites Need Help Badly
For the entire three days, PubCon runs a series of site clinics where audience members bring up their work for critique. I had the pleasure of sitting on a panel with Derrick Wheeler, Amanda Watlington, and Brian Combs. While several of the sites we reviewed showed tons of promise, I was surprised that they were not more buttoned down on average.
I believe that any PubCon attendee willing to put their work on the line is likely more motivated that the average Web site owner. Take into consideration the common flaws of sites reviewed at PubCon and extrapolate things, and I.M.H.O. there have to be SO many sites that totally suck! No wonder it's so hard for Google to index things. Just have a look at Google SERPs for many queries... dude, so many of them suck because so many sites suck. </rant> (Got that? :) )
4-New SEO Ranking Factors Could Get Ugly
It was clear from PubCon conversations that load time as a ranking factor is just the tip of the iceberg folks. Hold on to your shorts, especially if Google socializes even a small percentage of its users with Google Wave. While it's obvious that the link graph will survive as a statistically relevant clue for search engines, we're on the edge of the behavioral-ranking-factors' razor blade.
Metrics like PostRank and emerging real-time search channels may well influence ranking in the future. It was clear at PubCon, in between the publicly spoken words, that users' engagement will influence ranking factors in the future. They do already in the form of personalized search and other methods search engines do not disclose. SEO is dead, long live SEO.
5-Matt Cutts Copied My Haircut
Got that?
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6-We Are Not Alone
Hey, in our lives as search marketers, it sometimes seems like family, friends and the "traditional" marketing communities don't understand a word we say. It's like blah, blah, blah and they think we're geeks. They make fun of the fact that somehow we're always plugged into iPhone apps or BlackBerry texts. No so at PubCon.
If you want to really feel part of something, these types of conferences (PubCon, SMX, SES) will set you free. These people get it. I love PubCon because there are SO many search marketers there who understand what it means to live our lives, professional and personal, on the grid. I find refuge in these Post BBS pioneers who took over the known marketing world.
Posted on 11/17/09 at 10:37 AM | Comments (2)
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November 16, 2009
Achieving Strong Themes through Silos and Data Mining Server Logs in the SEO Newsletter
The monthly SEO Newsletter will be blazing its way into inboxes tomorrow. It's so stuffed with the last month's news, it's safe to say you could have been Rip Van Winkle the past few weeks and none would be the wiser after your reading of November's SEO Newsletter.
For a preview of what's to come, check out some excerpts from this month's articles.
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Siloing - How to Theme a Web Site for Clear Subject Relevance
Siloing is a way of arranging a Web site's contents according to themes, which facilitates search engine optimization. Search engines catalog information logically by subject, which allows them to easily find and return the most relevant Web sites for any user's search query. The more organized your site contents are, the clearer your site's subject relevance becomes to search engines as well as to users.
The term "siloing" is accepted SEO-industry jargon now, based on the idea of agricultural silos. Farmers, of course, have to keep different grains in separate silos. If barley, oats and wheat were all mixed together, the mixture would lose its value and no longer be sellable as anything other than just generic "grains."
Similarly, a Web site's contents must be clearly categorized into themes in order for a search engine to know what it specifically contains. You can achieve clear subject relevance and the best SEO benefit by siloing your site contents.
Focusing SEO Efforts with Server Log Data
The ability to track a consumer's interactions with a brand or business from initial exposure to completed conversion is one of the most exciting and useful developments to happen to commerce since the advent of the Internet itself. Finally, business owners are able to see, in records generated straight from the source as they happen, what's working or not working with customers visiting a Web site.
One of the most basic sources of this data is a Web server log. Analyzing the data stored within a Web server log provides a business owner or Web site optimizer with an educational resource about the behavior of visitors to the site.
By knowing the most popular pages, products or resources on the site, an SEO can devote time to bettering these profitable areas. By identifying stumbling blocks or less popular areas of a site, an SEO can manage their time when improving these resource drains of the site. By understanding current interactions on the site there can be improvement of future interactions and experiences.
If you'd like to subscribe to the SEO Newsletter, head over to that handy "Subscribe to our SEO Newsletter" field in the right-hand sidebar of this page and prepare to witness a search industry newsletter of epic proportions! Mwahahaha!!
(So I might have caught a strain of sleep-deprived crazy syndrome after working on the newsletter this weekend, but I pinky swear, it's a keeper.)
Posted on 11/16/09 at 4:55 PM | Comments (2)
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November 13, 2009
Friday Recap - Freaky Friday Edition
Happy Friday the 13th! That doesn't freak you out, does it? Okay, it freaks me out a little, too.
But I keep telling myself that's silly, because really, look at all the cool developments over the last week!
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For starters, PubCon Las Vegas has been going on all week, bringing together thousands of search, social and affiliate marketers to the U.S.'s party capital. Blogger Gil Reich has compiled an ever-growing list of Best of PubCon moments from the conference.
Coverage of PubCon can be found across the blogosphere, including TopRank Online Marketing Blog, Search Marketing Sage, Search Engine Roundtable, and Outspoken Media.
As you may know, Outspoken Media's chief branding officer Lisa Barone has a way with liveblogging. She transforms conference reporting into a straight laugh riot -- at least I think so, anyway. And this week Lisa's fresh and direct instincts and marketing skills were highlighted in Hudson Valley Magazine's People to Watch. A big congrats to my blogger BFF!
Google Caffeine, a new technology that Google says will improve indexing infrastructure, is now live at one data center, and the full roll out can be expected after the holiday season. Google's ambassador to the search marketing world Matt Cutts wrote on his blog, "I know that webmasters can get anxious around this time of year, so I wanted to reassure site owners that the full Caffeine roll out will happen after the holidays." Pretty sure that means big changes are on the way!
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch's latest denunciation of Google grabbed headlines. The chairman and CEO of News Corp. said that after his publications begin charging readers for unique content, they will block Google from crawling and indexing the content. Is Google feeling threatened? What do you think?
In what's being called a turning point for mobile advertising, Google acquired mobile display ad network AdMob for $750 million. As explained in Google's official blog post announcing the deal, "iPhone and Android users browse the Internet more often than anyone else [Morgan Stanley], contributing to Google's 5x mobile search growth over the past two years." As expected, it was only a matter of time.
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Google is testing skippable pre-roll video ads in an attempt to find out what kinds of people skip ads and what type of ad content performs better than others. The tech titan is also experimenting with a hybrid programming language that cross breeds Python with C++... I don't know what that means, but it sounds important, no?
Matt Cutts explained how the search engine generates SERP snippets and titles -- an especially curious occurrence when titles and snippets don't adhere to Meta data. The information is available in a video that is posted on the Google Webmaster Central channel on YouTube.
And for a fun story to end this Google story time, Ann Smarty has charming rounded up of installations and real-life imitations of Google services. What a pervasive cultural phenomenon our frenemy Google is.
Enough Google for you? How about some Twitter in the mix?
Best. Twitter. Account. Ever. @sh*tmydadsays (but without the asterisk) will be turned into a TV series on CBS. The comedic gold that fits into 140 characters is constant entertainment. I can only imagine what lolz will come out of 30 minutes!
Following the inappropriate comments he made on Twitter, running back Larry Johnson has been released from the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs. Apparently, even super athletes aren't exempt from the newest rule in the employee handbook: watch what you say online!
Twitter is rolling out its official integration of the retweet, though on first review, it doesn't look like it will be as easy as the adoption of other user-created features that came before it. I want to be able to add a personal touch to retweets, so could you get on that, Twitter? [Ev explained why they did it the way they did but...meh, I don't like it. --Susan]
I think they're on the right track though, very unlike the worst application of Twitter to date, the Twitter-equipped bathroom scale. I mean, it's a wonder this wasn't thought of earlier. Broadcast your weight to all your Twitter followers. Sign me up. Not. [Well, it's motivational? Maybe? --Susan]
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Twenty years ago this week the Berlin Wall was torn down. And with it Europe and the world changed. Bas van den Beld breaks down the ways that the fall of the Berlin Wall transformed the face of search marketing. It's a fascinating exploration of history, the present world, and what might have been. [Bas will be on the next SEM Synergy too! Got questions? Send them over. --Susan]
Sometimes you don't wonder what could have been -- you wonder what the heck that was! This point is illustrated in the 25 funniest vintage tech ads, where anyone from Elvira to Bill Cosby is a worthy mascot for that computer the size of your desk.
For Christmas, I want whatever the fellow with the bolo tie and the don't-mess-with-me mutton chops is selling. Okay, no, I really want one of these that says #justsayin. How great is that? [I want one that says #leverage. It's apparently my most used hashtag. Look, I'm a fan, okay? Don't judge me. --Susan]
While we're dreaming of the holidays, Matt McGee tackles the question "Is it too late for holiday SEO?" as part of his small business search marketing mailbag. Yes. I mean, no. I mean, read the post.
And finally, Friday the 13th is historically a day of superstitious spooky stories. Why else would we get all worked up over a day with a funny number that falls right before the weekend? Stories are powerful things. So if you're looking for a way to spice up a blog post, check out 14 Types of Stories You Can Tell On Your Blog.
Things I learned from Boing Boing this week:
- Thank you to all of America's veterans and service men and women. Americans and man's best friends everywhere salute you. [That post is instant tears. But good tears. --Susan]
- YouTube upgrade! The online video site will support videos in HD beginning next week.
- A review of the week wouldn't be complete without the video of the lucky woman who survived falling in front of an oncoming train.
- IP slums are becoming a growing problem as ghost towns proliferate online.
- A cool, zoomable diagram to really put things in perspective.
Posted on 11/13/09 at 12:00 PM | Comments (1)
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November 12, 2009
The PPC Hierarchy of Needs
Success in pay per click search advertising requires a mind that's methodical and adaptive, empirical and intuitive, structured and creative. And that's not all. For an established campaign, many tasks of PPC marketing are done continuously and sometimes even simultaneously.
It would be easy for a PPC professional to become dizzy just thinking of all the tasks and requirements of the job. But the overwhelming responsibilities can be managed when considered in their proper order. Some tasks of a project will be more effective and efficient when other tasks have been accomplished beforehand -- a PPC hierarchy of needs, if you will.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a popular diagram that illustrates this concept as it applies to human psychology. This diagram has done much to raise awareness and to bring theoretical order to the complex system of psychological motivators.
In the same way, this PPC hierarchy of needs diagrams and orders the multifaceted requirements of search engine advertising. Like Maslow's Hierarchy, the PPC hierarchy of needs diagram is a pyramid where needs at the top of the pyramid can't be fulfilled until needs below it are met.
Analytics & Performance Evaluation
Analytics data and continual performance evaluation is the backdrop for all PPC efforts. A PPC campaign is not stagnant -- it evolves and develops through a cycle of trial, error and improvement. Any pay per click campaign requires repeated testing and revising of ad copy, landing pages, and keywords. Accessing and analyzing data is required to make informed decisions at every point during the campaign optimization process.
Through analytical data, a PPC professional can evaluate the performance of keywords and ads, adjusting the bidding for maximum return on investment. Based on query reports, a search engine marketer can identify and test new keywords as well as knock out negative keywords. Analytics data makes it possible to optimize campaign settings like time of day and location. Keep in mind that evaluating ad performance requires on at least a couple hundred clicks for reliable empirical data.
Account Structure
Before a PPC campaign can be started, an account has to be created and properly structured through the respective search marketing platform. Every ad platform has unique requirements that must be considered. The initial credit card and contact info must be set up before an account is generated. Then, creating a strategic structure for the campaign is a critical step in creating a foundation for a relevant, high-quality campaign.
Within campaigns are ad groups, and within ad groups are keywords. It is very important that the theme is fully aligned from top to bottom. When crafting the account structure, keep Quality Score and relevancy in mind. Pay attention to whether the keywords match the ads and the ads match the landing pages. The account structure is where you set yourself up not only to manage the campaign most effectively, but also to earn the best Quality Score.
Keywords
Keywords are where the potential customer starts his journey to your site and service. Targeting the right keywords is key to search engine marketing. Build your keyword list to tightly fit the theme of the ad group. Developing and refining the keyword list is a constant requirement, and equally important is identifying negative keywords that can dilute the campaign effectiveness.
It's the search marketer's role to direct the right traffic to the site and to maximize the potential for conversion once on the site. Identify a list of keywords that have proven profitable to the site, maximize their potential, and continually test new keywords to locate new opportunities.
Landing Pages
Once you have set up the ad group and it's centered on a tight theme, you'll be able to decide where queries for those keywords will be directed on the site. There might already be a page on the site that would serve as a fitting landing page as is or with minor edits. Or, a new landing page may need to be created that is optimized for the keyword.
All landing pages should include a strong call to action, a usable design, and persuasive messaging that reflects the value proposition. Communicate to readers where they are and make clear the value of the potential conversion. Qualified post-click marketing best practices apply.
Ad Copy
With a well structured campaign, a strong set of targeted keywords and a landing page just waiting to convert visitors, a PPC marketer can begin to craft the element that connects these dots: the ad itself. Like the landing page, an ad should include relevant keywords and a strong call to action. It should also be crafted with principles of optimizing for the conversion funnel in mind. The consumer's initial awareness, resulting interest, subsequent decision and following action can be considered in conjunction with proper keyword usage for the greatest overall effect.
When developing ad copy, an advertiser is working with limited space. Most search engine ads are made up of little more than a headline, a web address and a description. As you create ad copy, keep in mind the open opportunity to test new ad copy and keywords. Once an ad has attracted enough clicks, a search engine marketer will evaluate and analyze the keywords and ad copy, bringing the marketer full circle through the PPC hierarchy of needs.
If you liked this post, you may also enjoy the SEO hierarchy of needs.
Posted on 11/12/09 at 2:13 PM | Comments (4)
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November 11, 2009
Information Consumption and the Real-Time Web - SEM Synergy Extras
On today's episode of SEM Synergy, Bruce Clay, Inc.'s weekly podcast on WebmasterRadio.fm, I interviewed the CEO of a newly launched search engine and aggregator that seeks to bring search up to speed -- at least to a pace that's as fast as the Internet evolution.
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LeapFish is a Web search aggregator that has been designed with the new Web in mind, culling content from traditional, social and real-time Web sources into a customizable interface that acts as a dashboard for the Web.
The recent public launch of LeapFish boasts a number of features that help users search and share content across popular sites, locate real-time content and create a custom search experience fitting of online life today.
Founder and CEO Ben Behrouzi was our guest and I had a chance to ask him about LeapFish and what benefits can be found in a customizable Web dashboard that integrates social, real-time and rich-media content.
As Ben explained, significant changes have come about thanks to social networking and community platforms. We can receive breaking news as it happens. Everyone has the power to be an online publisher. Rather than rankings calculated by machines, our trusted contacts, colleagues and friends act as information filters, sharing only the highest quality content that strikes a chord with like-minded friends and followers.
Add to all that the ability to feed social media content, along with traditional search and rich media, directly into a search engine or aggregator through APIs and other technologies, and it's clear why a robust Web search and aggregation experience is the next logical development for search.
There's no doubt that we've become increasingly dependent on our online social networks to provide us with breaking news, product or service recommendations, and the most worthwhile opinions and analysis. But what's on the flip side of our info consumption?
There's a weak link in the honor system that real-time content sharing relies upon, and this point was highlighted by last week's tragic events at Fort Hood. In NSFW: After Fort Hood, another example of how 'citizen journalists' can't handle the truth, TechCrunch blogger Paul Carr uncovered the dark side of real-time content: the lack of accuracy and the sensationalized nature of unverified reports from the scene. Carr writes:
Unsurprisingly, Moore's coverage was quickly picked up by bloggers and mainstream media outlets alike, something that she actively encouraged by tweeting to friends that they should pass her phone number to the press so she could tell them the truth, rather than the speculative [BS] that was hitting the wires.
There was just one problem: Moore's information was [BS] too.
While the Internet has ushered in new means of communication and commerce, the unreliable nature of word-of-mouth communication is nothing new. It's gone by other names: gossip, rumor, hearsay. The risks of trusting flawed info are familiar and something we deal with everyday. The Internet simply magnifies the issue.
Sure, misinformation can be written off as something easily corrected down the line. But our brain power is a limited resource.
With so much information available at our fingertips today we find ourselves spending additional time and resources to consider the source of content. There are incredible technologies now available and we can decide what to engage with, but the heightened access requires us to be ever-more discerning of our information intake.
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Super brain Frank Schirrmacher raises the comparison of information consumption to food intake (among other heady, enlightening ideas):
I think it's very interesting, the concept -- again, Daniel Dennett and others said it -- the concept of the informavores, the human being as somebody eating information. So you can, in a way, see that the Internet and that the information overload we are faced with at this very moment has a lot to do with food chains, has a lot to do with food you take or not to take, with food which has many calories and doesn't do you any good, and with food that is very healthy and is good for you.
When it comes to the object of our attention and brainpower, learning is a lot like eating. Culture, experience and personal taste play a big role, though through the Web and progressive technologies, the whole world is now our oyster. With increased access to the expanding Web, we have a dual opportunity to broaden our taste buds and to be picky connoisseurs. As the saying goes, you are what you eat.
Thank you to Ben Behrouzi and LeapFish for joining us on the podcast today. You can read more from Ben on his blog benbehrouzi.org and follow him on Twitter, @benbehrouzi.
Posted on 11/11/09 at 10:48 AM | Comments (5)
See more entries in Search Engines, Social Media
November 10, 2009
Rich Snippets: A Golden but Missed Opportunity to Enhance Search Engine Listings
I admit that I'm not always on top of the latest technological innovations. I still haven't built a Twitter list, customized a Google news section, or finagled an invitation to try out Wave. (Fortunately, Susan and Virginia usually have this stuff covered and I learn by sitting between them.) So it didn't surprise me to find that back in May, Google introduced a feature called "Rich Snippets," and I hadn't even noticed.
What are Rich Snippets?
Rich Snippets offer a way for Web sites with certain types of content to enhance their site's search result listings in Google. All the Web site has to do is add some HTML code (in the form of microformats or RDFa) to structure that data in their pages so the search engines can recognize it. And even before Google started offering this six months ago, Yahoo! enabled microformats in SearchMonkey back in 2008.
So what does it look like? A Rich Snippet shows up as an extra line in a search result, inserted between the title and description text. Here are two examples:
The Rich Snippet can contain a summary of user reviews, range of prices, or other specific information, which is meant to give searchers convenient summary data at a glance about that Web page. Translation: Rich Snippets increase the size and value of your listing on a SERP to show additional, user-targeted information. Result: You theoretically can attract more eyes, more clicks, and more conversions to your site.
"It's a bonanza!" I thought. Google graciously allowing webmasters to enhance their listings on search engine results pages, just by adding a few HTML codes on their own site? Amazing! I started running all kinds of searches just to see this in action.
What surprised me was how infrequently Rich Snippets showed up. Besides Yelp, which was a beta partner with Google in the Rich Snippets rollout, very few Web sites seem to have taken advantage of this feature.
Why Don't More Sites Use Them?
Could it be that Web developers and SEOs simply missed the news announcement? Maybe like me, they were just too overwhelmed by the waves of new features rolling out one after another from the search engines. Or did they see the news but decide it wasn't worth the effort to implement Rich Snippets at all?
Whatever the reason Rich Snippets might have been overlooked until now, the feature is worth considering — it's an opportunity to improve conversion rates through increased visibility in the search engines. As Tim O'Reilly observed when Google first rolled out Rich Snippets (emphasis added):
Rich Snippets could be a turning point for the Semantic Web, since, for the first time, they create a powerful economic motivation for semantic markup. Google has told us that Rich Snippets significantly enhance click-through rates. That means that anyone who has been doing SEO is now going to have to add microformats and RDFa to their toolkit.
The good news is that lots of Web sites should be able to take advantage of Rich Snippets, even in Google's current limited rollout, especially sites with user reviews. Virginia found some interesting survey data for tomorrow's SEM Synergy discussion. A Shop.org study called "Holiday '09 Will Happen on Social Networks" addressed all the ways that online retailers will use social media to capture their share of the ever-growing online holiday spending pie. A side note in the report stated that a large portion of online retailers have "revamped" their Web sites to make it easier for visitors to shop. And 40.6 percent of site owners surveyed said they have added or revamped customer ratings and reviews.
That means many sites now have user-submitted reviews for products and services. These sites should consider structuring their review data to potentially enhance their search engine listings with Rich Snippets. Any site with people profile types of pages can do it, too.
Will the Feature be Expanded?
More types of Web page data may be eligible for Rich Snippets in the future. Google is currently experimenting with Rich Snippets for products and for businesses and organizations. But if and when this feature is expanded in the future, how widely will it be adopted?
The lukewarm reception Web sites have given Rich Snippets so far may be sending an apathetic message to Google. Sure, the search engines won't guarantee to put Rich Snippets into your SERP listing, but if you mark up appropriate data and then tell Google you're interested, the potential is high that your listing will be enhanced. However, if people don't choose to use this capability, why should the search engines expand it?
In the meantime, Rich Snippets are still relatively rare in search engine results. This creates an opportunity for a competitive advantage and increased visibility that make the effort worthwhile for any Web site containing the appropriate types of content. I suggest that it's a golden opportunity, not to be missed.
P.S. To see if Rich Snippets are being shown for any Web page, you can use Google's testing tool (recently released in beta).
Posted on 11/10/09 at 2:59 PM | Comments (4)
See more entries in E-commerce, SEO Tips & Tricks, Search Engines
November 9, 2009
Rupert Murdoch: Media Mogul in Crisis or Cutting Edge?
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Murdoch's at it again. Chairman and CEO of the massive media conglomerate News Corp., Rupert Murdoch stated during an interview that he plans to block search engine giant Google from News Corp. sites.
From the interview with Sky News Australia:
Interviewer: [The search engines'] argument is that they're directing traffic your way. That when someone goes to Google and punches in a topic, searches a topic, and gets a link to a news Web site, that's someone who wouldn't otherwise go to your Web site.
[...]
Murdoch: What's the point of having someone come occasionally, who likes the headline they see in Google, come to us? Sure, we can go out and say we have so many millions of visitors, you'd better advertise, and so on. The fact is, there's not enough advertising in the world to go around to make all the Web sites profitable. We'd rather have fewer people coming to our Web sites but paying.
Deep breaths, now. Let's all stay calm.
Chances are your initial reaction is to come out of the gate swinging. [Actually it was rather inappropriate giggling and a very tasteless senility joke. I apologize for the ageism. --Susan] We've been conditioned to do so thanks to our training and experience as evangelists of the Web and the power of search.
Murdoch's not the only one to get this warranted reaction out of us this year. The National Association of Realtors® and another the Associated Press have both raised their voices in outcry over Google taking credit for unique content without giving back much perceived benefit.
In the past I've fallen on the "stop fighting the inevitable and make it work for you" side of the fence, but let's take a look at this multi-faceted debate before jumping to any conclusions.
On one side of the ring, "Dancing with the Stars" fan favorite Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says that Twitter changed the game. While Google refers traffic, Cuban writes, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter do that and then some.
TWITTER AND FACEBOOK are platforms that allow the news sources, like newscorp to post breaking news and gain value from their brand. Google does not. In other words, if I trust a newspaper, tv or any brand, I can follow it on twitter and expect the news to come to me. The concept of "If the news is important, it will find me" works better by the day.
Playing referee, Guardian tech editor Charles Arthur recognizes Murdoch's comments as coming out of frustration over the end of the news industry that was, and eventually every publication will have to decide if the price is right. What will bring in more revenue: advertisements contingent on high traffic, and thus, search engines, or reader subscription model? (And are those really the only options?)
Representing the defending champ, Internet marketer Andrew Shotland gives us an example of exactly how well the subscription-based method worked in another familiar medium: radio. When one popular radio personality committed to subscription-based SiriusXM radio, the writing was on the wall. "Out of sight = Out of mind. NoIndex = NoVisibility."
And of course, Google has no trouble shielding itself from blows, reminding us that there's a simple solution for any publisher who wants to keep content out of a search engine index.
Think of how much attention has been given to an organization deciding how to use its own content. Google has openly given publishers a clean and simple solution to opting out of the index (along with any benefits that go with it). Why does it bother us so much that a mammoth publisher like News Corp. wants out? I wonder if it's because we've worked so hard in evangelizing the business and Web community that it kills us to see an argument from the other side of the debate get such high visibility in the mainstream media.
The way I see it, if News Corp. finds a profitable and viable way to charge for their own content, the more power to them. And if not, guess who will be knocking on the door of search engine marketers everywhere in no time flat?
Posted on 11/ 9/09 at 4:49 PM | Comments (4)
See more entries in New Media
November 6, 2009
Friday Recap - Fine Fall Edition
Crisp fall weather has come again, and it looks like we've got a beautiful weekend in store! Before you put on the house robe and hunker down with a log of cookie dough and a new episode of Ugly Betty (What?! Isn't that how you start your weekends? [No, I dropped Ugly Betty in favor of Numb3rs and Dollhouse. --Susan]) here's a recap to ease your brain's transition from work to weekend.
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Google fans are excited about the new Droid smartphone for Google's Android mobile operating system. Google skeptics, meanwhile, are finding solace in the fact that the company's buddy-buddy relationship with the White House administration is getting some mainstream exposure.
The search engine and Internet service company has announced a new product for retailers. Google Commerce Search is a storefront that e-commerce business owners can put on their site to make searching for products easier. On first glance it looks like a pretty cool tool to offer visitors, but it sure does cost a pretty penny! Minimum fifty-thousand a year!
Digital marketing conference ad:tech is in New York this week. You can find assorted coverage across the Web, including Microsoft's reporting of the State of the Industry panel and Bruce's slide deck for his presentation on SEO best practices (pdf) as part of SMX@ad:tech.
10e20 compiled a list of November's hot topics in social media. Knowing the popular topics of the day is a great place to start when aiming to create popular and sharable content. And who doesn't love holidays, movies and the latest tech toys?
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For a nostalgic stroll down the memory lane of toys, check out the most popular Christmas toys, going all the way back to the holiday season of 1960. In '69, were you all about the Hot Wheels, or does your best Christmas memory lie with the Care Bear craze of '84? [I totally remember getting a Cabbage Patch when I was little. --Susan]
Or wait, is social media actually the hot toy this holiday season? A report from Reuters suggests that consumers aren't the only ones excited for what the holidays may bring. Retailers and brands across the country are relying on social media to be a strong team player over the next few months.
We're also deep into American football season, so I'd be remiss not to include a football-themed post on the 10 fundamentals of local SEO. Thanks for the pep talk, David Mihm!
Social media super stars like Twitter and other status update services have seen a jump in users, says the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Younger Internet users, those connecting with mobile devices, and social network participants make up the three main groups driving the growth.
Over at Facebook, I'm willing to bet there's been a good amount of head scratching and brainstorming going on following one spammer's creepy confession. Dennis Yu walked TechCrunch readers through his process of gaming the Facebook ad system and flooding it with scammy, misleading, and highly profitable content.
Yu's dealings make up but a small part of the aptly dubbed fakeosphere. The FTC is cracking down on ads (or more accurately, scams) parading as blog posts and user-generated testimonials. I know Halloween is over, but consumers beware.
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That level of skeezy can only be followed by a unicorn chaser. Of course, I'm the one writing here, so you're getting a baby turtle chaser! These kids are going to be such lady killers when they grow up. *Squeal!* Time to take a trip to Sea World!
Babies have definitely been cause for celebration in the search realm of late. Loren Baker, president of Search Engine Journal, found out he and his wife, Janna, have a boy on the way. Google co-creator Larry Page and his wife, Lucy, welcomed a boy into the world yesterday. WordPress developer extraordinaire Joost De Valk cuddled up with his new baby girl for the first time this morning. [And tomorrow, I'm hosting my sister-in-law's baby shower! Huzzah! --Susan]
Internet marketing newsletter and Web resource Web Marketing Today ushers in its 15th year on November 9. If you aren't subscribed to Dr. Ralph Wilson's power-packed newsletter complete with actionable articles and expert-laden video interviews, really, what are you waiting for? Congrats to all!
A thread on webmaster forum WebmasterWorld suggests that Microsoft's search engine Bing is honoring 301 redirects after gaining a notorious reputation for not doing so. Wonder if it has anything to do with MSNBot 1.1 being put out to pasture. MSNBot 1.1 may not have been "old" but it sure seemed a little bit senile.
A new forum has been launched by SEO Phill Midwinter, and he's come out the gate with a bang and unique insights into optimization strategy for semantic search. As Phill explains, Google uses semantic data (technology that identifies the meaning of words based on their relationship with one another) which we can see through Wonder Wheel, the AdWords Keyword Tool and related searches in SERPs.
In a two part series, Phill breaks down his technical tactics for semantic search engine optimization. He's explained the concept to me before, but getting a formalized version complete with diagrams did wonders to help deepen my understanding. The step-by-step process Phill outlines is primed for adoption and adaptation.
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Next week Internet marketers will be converging on Vegas to attend the search, social media and affiliate marketing conference PubCon. I know super-bloggers will be reporting all the action live (or close to it) on Search Engine Roundtable and Outspoken Media. And if you know of other media outlets providing coverage, feel free to drop a link in the comments.
Not too busy gearing up for PubCon to chime in on a convo I started yesterday, Outspoken Media's Lisa Barone challenged my admonition against the controversial, saying that strongly worded blog posts force readers to face assumptions, potentially leaving us wiser and more open-minded in the process.
Also challenging assumptions, keyword management platform WordStream offers up five SEO myths and proceeds to bust 'em wide open with dynamite and rubber mannequins. ...Or am I thinking of Mythbusters? Take a look at these common assumptions of the SEO's handbook and consider what you believe and why.
Things I learned from Boing Boing this week:
- Mind control through sound and light? La la la... I'm not listening!
- It's possible to make beautiful music resemble like an alien encounter.
- AT&T is suing Verizon for comparing apples to apples.
- How does China prepare to host next year's World Expo? By banning pajamas in public, of course.
Posted on 11/ 6/09 at 3:36 PM | Comments (0)
See more entries in Fun Stuff
November 5, 2009
Don't Be Controversial! (And Other Inflammatory Statements to Entice You to Read This Mild-Mannered Advice)
They say different people learn different ways. Some people learn by seeing. Some learn by hearing. Some learn by doing. In truth, it takes a little bit of everything to become a subject master.
Let's take blogging, for example. When I took over the position of BCI blogger, I couldn't get my feet wet fast enough. The bar so high and the shoes I was slated to fill were so big. I wanted to prepare myself with as much knowledge as possible. Copyblogger, ProBlogger and Lisa's volumes of writing made up my blogger workbook, and I tried to soak it all in.
After I started writing for the blog, I learned a lot from the process of doing. And my brain overloaded frequently as I listened to the Internet marketing advice shared in interviews on SEM Synergy and attended SEO training and industry conferences. Basically, no sense was off the hook when it came to getting me up to SEO snuff.
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One of the techniques I hoped to master quickly was the art of attaining blog comments. How does one earn the engagement of blog readers via comments? Luckily there are many good resources on the subject, but there was one recurring recommendation that didn't sit right with me: be controversial.
Take a strong stand. Share an unpopular opinion. Challenge the status quo. Whenever a writer takes a controversial stand, it's always accompanied by a raging waterfall of comments. The technique works, no doubt.
But at what expense?
Avoiding Extremism
As a defender of language's honor, I do my best to adhere to the rules of the English language and to respect the rich history of our language. I try to stay away from the realm of the nagger and focus on using my words carefully and deliberately to communicate my inner thoughts with respect and sensitivity.
I've witnessed the ways that language can hurt people, even stirring up arguments where no conflict exists. When I began to pay attention to debates between two opposing viewpoints, you know what I often realized? There was a false dichotomy built up around two points of view that weren't mutually exclusive. Far too frequently we like to talk about "one or the other" when in truth it's really more like "a little of this and a little of that."
You have to be involved in social media marketing!
No, you have to be implementing search engine optimization!
You're both wrong! PPC is the real money maker!
Imagine this same conversation string without the "no" and the "you're wrong", because really, all of the above offer something uniquely valuable to the marketing mix, complementing one another and strengthening the overall reach and resonance of the message.
Life's not black and white. And neither are marketing or blogging.
On the Flip Side...
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Now, before you think I'm not listening to my own advice (yes, I realize that an admonition against polarizing language is a black-and-white statement in itself) there's another side to the coin worth discussing here.
The upside of polarization is that it may actually add to the development of a discussion. And that's in the way strongly worded statements force us to reevaluate our own beliefs.
In defense of the devil's advocate, Dave Fleet explains that by considering an opinion that doesn't match your instinct, you're pushing yourself to better understand why you believe what you do. By considering and sharing a contrarian point of view, you can:
1. Decide if you really believe what you think you believe.
2. Consider an alternative that might shape your thinking.
3. Invite others to decide what they believe.
Open yourself up to the possibility that someone else is right, and realize that that doesn't necessarily mean you're wrong. And considering the fast pace of change in online marketing, understand that great advice today could be harmfully misleading next week. Steering clear of extremism is usually a good way to avoid strategies that backfire when the rules change.
Which brings us back full circle! Take care when sharing strong opinions -- I don't mean you should censor yourself, but think through the potential consequences. And be willing to embark on a journey of self discovery when you do share your opinions as well as when you come across the opinions of others. All anyone has is their experience to guide them, after all. And no one knows all the answers.
Posted on 11/ 5/09 at 3:52 PM | Comments (2)
See more entries in Blogging
November 4, 2009
Bye Bye, Old Media Thinking: CNN Leads the Way in Online Video Strategy - SEM Synergy Extras
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The rising importance of online video is the topic of the day on today's episode of SEM Synergy.
CNN -- a media outlet that before a few years ago was best known for its 24-hour television news coverage -- launched a newly redesigned site last week. Central to the new design is the prominence of video.
On the home page, the editor's choice of must-watch videos runs across the screen. Head to any category landing page -- Politics, Entertainment, Tech, and so on -- and you'll see a number of videos featured above the fold.
CNN isn't the only site looking to capitalize on the presence of video in online properties. A study by social media analytics provider Sysomos uncovers the wide-spread adoption of video embedding by bloggers and overall video viewing trends.
Examining video embeds and links to videos on blogs, Sysomos looked at 100 million blog posts published from July to September of 2009 along with twelve major video platforms. Findings showed that men and women across the world are including links to videos on their blogs. As a friend said to me the other day, "Videos are the new pictures."
I'm already late to the party. Typical.
Now, if I'm not alone, let's back up a second and listen to Bruce's perspective on why video is an increasingly important element of any site, shared during an interview with ReelSEO, a video marketing and SEO company, earlier this year. Check that out and come right back, okay?
Videos are engagement objects™, or elements and applications that cause the user to actively participate on a Web site. Google's Universal Search highlights the need for videos, images and other engaging content as such features are featured prominently in page-one search results.
My guest Topher Kohan, SEO coordinator at CNN, talked to me during the podcast about CNN's Web 2.0 strategy, what the process of redesigning the site was like, and how he managed to keep SEO in the loop from the very beginning.
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One point that really stuck out to me during our convo but didn't get a lot of time during the podcast was CNN's approach to the Web, not as an alternate channel, but as a critical appendage of the holistic-minded media organization.
While some news organizations push Web visitors to the television, CNN sees Web users as an influential audience, deserving of at least the same amount of time and effort as is given to catering to TV viewers.
As a television news org, CNN has a lot of video in its archives. If users can find, view, and share video online, and all those interactions can be tracked and measured with unprecedented accuracy, isn't online video an investment worth at least investigating?
Retailers are facing the same situation. Once upon a time Web site visitors could be directed to call or visit a brick-and-mortar location. The Web was a tool for funneling people down a non-Web-based conversion cycle.
But business models have necessarily evolved as confident shoppers aren't going to put in the time and effort it takes to bounce from your site to the store when an online alternative is available.
The Web is no second-class citizen, and video holds a high place in the court of the king. Get the picture?
Posted on 11/ 4/09 at 4:20 PM | Comments (3)
See more entries in Online Video / Video SEO
November 3, 2009
With Twitter Lists Come Great Responsibilities
Ug. Lists. Sometimes I feel like they control my life. To-do lists, both at work and at home. Lists of groceries to stock up on, books to read, songs to download. And as the holidays approach, so does the annual list of presents to buy.
My relationship with the list is one of love-hate, to say the least.
Just as lists can keep us organized and to the task at hand, lists can also keep us captive to their rigid boundaries and lack of mercy. Even more disturbing, lists can actually hurt others.
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The other day Christopher Hart shared his concerns with me. He'd seen a large number of Twitter Lists suddenly crop up as the microblogging site rolled out the feature to a greater number of users. The lists he'd seen so far had ranged from playful to helpful and were clearly being used as an organizational tool.
But oh, what if?! It wasn't long before Chris got to thinking of all the ways Twitter Lists could be abused. After all, history has proved it's only a matter of time before shady abuses are dreamed up for all new technologies.
And that's when it hit him: With lists come great responsibilities.
As Chris mentioned to me, think of the lists throughout history that have caused pain and suffering to those included. Just a small sampling:
- McCarthy's list
- The Hollywood blacklist
- Nixon's enemies list
- And who could forget those cruel worst dressed lists?
Ouch!
Okay, as much as I'd like to joke about the situation and just laugh it off, Chris's concern is a real one.
I'm a bit late to the debate as many bloggers, including Chris Brogan and Robert Scoble, have shared their initial thoughts. (For a great round-up of articles and posts on Lists as well as an intriguing argument about how Twitter Lists is proof that social media misunderstands itself, I recommend Justin Kownacki's post on the subject.) But I haven't seen much attention given to the reputation management aspect of Twitter Lists.
It's only a matter of time until companies like Ripoff Report start creating their lists. And it's likely that those are lists you and your company don't want to be on. [It's a little like Facebook groups but instead of people joining groups they agree with, you're just labeled whether you want to be or not. --Susan] *Shudders* --Virginia
We can hope that Twitter will be quick to put protections into place. But as we know, spammers and scammers and those with a bone to pick are a rather determined bunch.
Then again, maybe there's someone who stands to benefit from list abuse. Anyone think I should take bets on how many less-than-favorable lists everyone's favorite cable provider gets itself on by month's end?
Posted on 11/ 3/09 at 5:12 PM | Comments (5)
See more entries in Reputation Management
November 2, 2009
Shifting Search Marketing Strategy
Less than two years ago, when I was introduced to the search marketing industry, I (naively) thought I knew what search was.
Today I got my Google Wave invite and floundered around there for a bit. Last week I played around with Google's new Social Search experiment. With all the new uses, integrations and features search engines are adding to their results, it's enough to make a blogger dizzy.
Is anyone else left asking, "What's next?"
Along with the changes to search, the online evolution has brought about a change in user behavior. Turns out that after a rough year of economic uncertainty, Internet users are keeping their eyes wide open to identify scams as well as sales pitches.
Spending any time on the Internet's watering holes, social networks, reveals that seemingly innocuous games and messages from trusted friends can elevate your participation to victim status with the click of a link. [This is why you should trust no one. --Susan]
Some users may have extended their caution of online content to the realm of the marketer as well. At last week's Digital Publishing & Advertising Conference (DPAC4) attendees learned that consumers have new-found pride in their ability to bypass marketing messages. As if it weren't hard enough for a business online, now the audience is actively trying to tune out the message.
Despite the great abuse potential of social media content to harm brands or defame individuals, on the search side, we see the engines eager to integrate social media into main results.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt has made it clear that he thinks social media and real-time content plays heavily in the future for search. Determining how to rank real-time social media content is, according to Schmidt, "the great challenge of the age."
Faced with an mistrustful audience and a new search opportunity, social media is a crucial frontier for any online business to be on. Thought it's worth considering just where the value of real-time participation lies.
For all the weight put on real-time content within search engines and all the time spent on online social networks, for all the new features being added to search and the lack of trust Internet users have for overt marketing...
As recently as last week, I said SMM wasn't a requirement of SEO. After connecting the dots with some new information I'm actually reconsidering whether social media marketing has in fact become a vital requirement of search engine optimization. I mean, really... what's next?
Posted on 11/ 2/09 at 4:54 PM | Comments (2)
See more entries in Social Media
October 30, 2009
SEO Spooksters!
Happy (day before) Halloween! It's the annual Bruce Clay, Inc. Halloween party today, and as you might know we take this holiday very seriously.
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| Bruce Clay, Inc. Halloween 2009 |
Bruce has been out of the country for the last week -- out in Milan for SEO ToolSetTraining. We thought we'd give him a proper welcome back to the office. What do you think of our thoughtful decorations?
Turns out I blended right in with a look I like to call mummy turned TP monster.
All that's to say our cauldron was overflowing with fun! Everybody looked amazing and got into the spirit. You can check out all the costumes as well as some of our luncheon fun on our Halloween 2009 Flickr album.
It's time for me to go unravel some trouble like only the undead can do. So until we meet again...
Happy Friday, happy weekend and happy Halloween!
Mwahahaha!!
;)
Posted on 10/30/09 at 3:15 PM | Comments (2)
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October 29, 2009
Friday Recap - Thursday Edition
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I know you're used to getting your recap on Fridays, but tomorrow's our Halloween party! That translates to the entire BCI crew in spirited costumes having wicked good fun. What can I say? We love to dress up!
So there's a good chance tomorrow will be a pretty hectic day, and since I plan to be among the undead, I can't really count on much brain capacity. I figured why not serve up some recap while I've got the necessary presence of mind?
The Internet commemorates its 40th birthday today. Kind of. There are lots of milestones that could be counted as the "birth" of the Internet but the one that happened forty years ago today is the connection of to nodes of ARPANET. It's like a big deal or something. Yay, Internet! [Officially Over the Hill. --Susan]
Turns out spending a couple hours a day online may actually be good for your mental health. A study suggests that the onset of dementia may be prevented or slowed by the brain stimulation caused by surfing the Web. If that's the case, in sixty years there will be a whole bunch of sharp, old SEOs out there still doing their thing!
Or course, every tool that can be used for good can be just as easily used for trickery. This week a slew of celebrity robberies were blamed in part on the Internet.
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A group of teens (who went to school in my home town, actually -- go Chargers!) are suspected of burglarizing a slew of homes belonging to young Hollywood stars. Police say the thieves used celebrity Web sites to track the celebrities' whereabouts, providing the burglars easy access to empty homes and all the cool stuff therein. Spooooky! [Dear horrible people on the Internet. I never leave home and I have a shotgun. Love and kisses, Susan]
One of the suspects blamed her criminal activity on bad friends. Now that Google's testing out the social space, it may be a little easier to stay connected with friends -- hopefully just the good ones. Social Search launched in Google Labs this week and a bald-headed Matt Cutts has the honor of the intros.
News around Yahoo! was slightly less celebratory as Geocities said its goodbyes, taking a slew of personal, free Web sites with it. Bing, meanwhile, got into the holiday spirit with Halloween-themed ads. Together, the pair postponed their self-imposed search deal deadline citing the "complex nature of the transaction".
Members of the search industry obviously keep up with the big three engines, but have you ever considered your alternatives? Over at Search Engine Watch Carrie Hill rounds up and categorizes AdWords alternatives, including PPC, cost-per-impression and cost-per-lead ad programs.
Directories have been touted as a potential source for inbound links. But one of the oldest and most authoritative directories, DMOZ, is notoriously difficult to get into. Seeking to uncover this thorn in the SEO industry's side, Debra Mastaler talked to the Open Directory Project's editor in chief in a revealing interview posted on Search Engine Land.
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Finally, as October rolls to a close, so does National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But the need for care and giving carries on. The search and social media marketers are supporting the cause through TwakeUp, a social media campaign in which all money raised will be given to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. You can make donations to this campaign through November.
Things I learned from Boing Boing this week:
- One pro photographer has shared his tips for taking incredible pics with nothing more than a li'l ol' iPhone 3GS.
- The White House went open source this week.
- Bees may have developed a taste for human tears. [AUGH! --Susan]
- Disney's Haunted Mansion has real-world roots!
Posted on 10/29/09 at 3:39 PM | Comments (3)
See more entries in Fun Stuff
October 28, 2009
Any SEO Psychics in the House?
At SMX East this month, a panel full of big-name search experts took part in a roundtable discussion centered around critical, forward-looking questions posed by Search Engine Land's Chris Sherman.
- Where's the search industry today?
- Is there even "traditional" media anymore? What kinds of needs do you see larger brands having?
- Is Twitter a flash in the plan? Any thoughts on social media's place going forward?
- With more narrow and precise targeting options, we're starting to see some backlash. A study from UC Berkley found that more than 60 percent of participants felt that targeted ads weren't okay. Are we going to be able to take advantage of these sophisticated technologies?
- The emergence of Bing and Bing's partnership with Yahoo are among the biggest changes in search. How's having two players rather than three going to change our space?
- If we came back in five years, what would we be talking about?
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After attending and liveblogging the panel, What's Next in Search: the Bigwig Crystal Ball Panel, I got to thinking about the evolution of search, how it became what it is today, and, in the ever-fluctuating space, where it might be in five years.
So I thought I'd ask a couple of the most tuned-in experts I know these very same questions. Today on SEM Synergy, Bruce Clay and Susan Esparza answer the series of questions that were asked of the Bigwig panel. And their answers really opened my eyes to a picture of what search can and may become in the not-so-distant future.
These are concepts that directly affect many of our livelihoods, and I'm sure you've all considered these issues at one point or another. So in the name of growth and revelation, I thought I'd ask you to add your thoughts to the conversation as well.
I thought of creating a poll, but with such open ended questions it would be impossible to contain all possible responses in a series of multiple choice answers. I thought of creating a survey, but burdening people with a survey is not what I'm looking to do. Instead, I thought an open conversation would be best served through comments on this post.
If any of these questions ignite your passion or get you thinking, please share your thoughts in the comments. You can check out the liveblog coverage for the panelists' answers and today's episode of SEM Synergy for Bruce's response. I can't wait to find out your predictions and to start piecing together a forecast for the future of online search and SEO.
Update:
Staring at the open-ended questions above, I realized it might be easier to get feedback on the individual responses that have been offered up already. So I've rounded up the answers from the original panelists along with Bruce and Susan (all paraphrased, mind you). Read them over and vote for all the answers you agree with it. Or, fill in the blank if your answer isn't represented.
Here are the panelists:
Greg Boser, President and CEO, 3 Dog Media
Andrew Goodman, Founder and Principal, Page Zero Media
Sara Holoubek, Consultant, Columnist and SEMPO Board of Directors,
Jack Menzel, Group Product Manager, Google
Kristine Segrist, Search Managing Director of MEC Interaction, GroupM Search
Julie Sun, Director, Digital Marketing, MTV
Posted on 10/28/09 at 11:59 AM | Comments (2)
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October 27, 2009
Digital Advertising: All Grown Up?
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There's a birthday in our midst! Digital advertising counts its 15th birthday today! And my, what a long way its come.
Fifteen years ago today, the first banner ads hit the Web. Granted they were tacky, awkward banner ads, often missing basic elements, like, I dunno, calls to action... but eureka, advertising had discovered the Internet!
Since then, digital advertising has evolved into the measurable, multi-faceted, major force of marketing it is today. And indications show there's still improvement underway.
Premier publishers are scrubbing clean their digital ad inventories of the scummy ads that turn off audiences. From The LA Times article:
But the monkey -- indeed, a whole class of flashy, shaky, maddening advertising collectively known as "punch the monkey" ads -- is going away, or at least slinking off to some forgotten cavern of the Internet where few will ever see it. Like MySpace.
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One ad network representative said that publishers and advertising are realizing that "Those kinds of ads can really alienate users, drive traffic away and erode the brand."
Woo hoo! Advertisers have gotten past the point of generating junk to recognize it for what it is!
Doubts about the value of online advertising are a thing of a past. Questions about how the format works have been answered. Next stop, making the content better and the formats more engaging. There are exciting times ahead in the online advertising space.
Everyone has some growing pains to go through, and digital advertising has been no different. But with quality, trust and engagement in mind, the growth can be positive and beneficial for advertisers, publishers and consumers.
Posted on 10/27/09 at 4:30 PM | Comments (1)
See more entries in New Media
October 26, 2009
Is Social Media Marketing a New Requirement of SEO?
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Here's an interesting question worth a minute of pondering for any SEO practitioner:
"[I]s it now a necessity for an SEO to have practical social media skills?"
James Duthie posed the head tickler in a post on SEO Scoop last week called "Is social now a compulsory SEO skill?"
The question came out of discussions he's had with other members of the Internet marketing community, and he and his friends aren't the only ones thinking it over and forming their opinions. So since James has opened the discussion up to everyone, I'm gonna go ahead and share my answer to the question.
I say no.
One of the most important qualities of a successful SEO is a drive and ability to keep up with the ever-changing search space. Knowing the guidelines set by the engines, the technologies available, and searchers' changing behaviors requires that the search marketing professional update their understanding on a regular basis.
Accepting that an SEO's knowledge base is constantly growing translates to keeping up with new trends, technologies and opportunities. So when social media marketing came along, it was easily rolled in to the domain of search engine optimization. And maybe, unhelpfully so.
Adding to the confusion, the distinction between search and social media marketing is further blurred by the search engines' mad rush to become the social search destination. (In case you're wondering, Search Engine Land's Danny Sullivan spells out what Google Social Search and Bing Twitter Search are in necessary detail.)
But when it comes down to it, despite any overlap, the needs and goals of search engine optimization are different than the needs and goals of social media marketing. One can effectively perform both SMM and SEO, and most of us do both daily, though there's a difference in how each is approached. So here's a breakdown of how they differ and distinct the needs of each.
Unique Audiences
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If you look at the intended audience of SEO and SMM efforts, you'll find a pretty clear difference. As James points out, "One aims to satisfy robots (SEO). The other aims to satisfy humans (social)."
Step one of content development and design: know your audience. If your primary audience is Googlebot, get to know Googlebot and his likes and dislikes inside and out. Have an audience of middle school teachers in the American Midwest? Know their needs, the issues on their plates, and what pushes their buttons.
Similar rules for very different audiences. Keeping search and social separate helps professionals focus their efforts on the right audience.
Unique Environments
Of course, all audiences have their unique preferences, and when it comes to search marketing and social marketing, some of these preferences are clearly spelled out in the form of terms of service. A marketer must remain familiar with the terms of service for the stated marketing platform, be aware of any updates or changes to policy, and learn how to achieve success with their goals while staying true to the rules set by the platform. Additionally, a marketer must be aware of the risks involved in marketing through those platforms.
Unique Goals
The goal of social media marketing is to communicate with a community of humans. Indirectly, the goal of SEO is the same. But with SEO the attention is focused at the search engines with the assumption that humans will be reached through the engines. So while the eventual goal is the same, the initial one is not and, as marketers know, that makes a difference when it comes to strategy and tactics.
Unique Tactics
Social media marketing dictates a familiar tone, a multi-directional conversation, quick response times, and a constant stream of content. The approach for social media marketing is to build community through genuine conversation.
Search engine marketing requires a character of authority, in-depth technical knowledge of how the Web works and renders, and heavy analytical monitoring. The approach for search engine marketing is to gain high search engine rankings through perceived Web site relevance and code crawlability.
The Intersection
Of course, there are a number of commonalities and complementary aspects of search engine marketing and social media marketing. Social media can be used as a tool to achieve a goal of search engine optimization, and vice versa. Regardless of who is in charge, the two must go hand in hand. This is true of all marketing mediums -- from traditional print ads or radio spots, to the latest opportunities for video overlays and social media contests.
Cooperation and communication are key to a holistic marketing strategy, but with differentiated and critical tasks occurring in both the search and social spaces, I say search marketing and social marketing are both worth representation, resources and responsibilities all their own.
Posted on 10/26/09 at 4:45 PM | Comments (21)
See more entries in Search Engine Optimization, Social Media
Virginia Nussey
Susan Esparza
