Engine Problems? Call a Professional
Posted by on January 31, 2006 at 01:53 PM
My trusty Jeep wouldn’t start on Sunday. So, being the son of a GM retiree that spent many years working on the line and teaching me at a young age which wrench to fetch, I was sure I had diagnosed the problem – it was the starter. However, since the Jeep is more difficult to work on than my old Chevy Nova (and my dad lives four hours away), it made sense to visit the mechanic.
Sure, I wanted to do the repair work myself, but I simply don’t have the time, tools, and workspace I wish I had. Through word-of-mouth, I knew of a good mechanic in town to contact. He arranged for the tow truck to haul the ole’ Cherokee in and soon began his diagnosis.
A few hours passed and the phone call came. Sure enough he had my Jeep running. Knowingly, I asked, "It was the starter, right?" All those years of holding the flash light under the hood, fetching the wrong size sockets, and dropping tools into the engine compartment had taught me a little something about car repair.
But surprisingly, the starter was just fine. Thanks to new spark plugs, a distributor cap, new wires, and $350, my trusty Jeep was back on the road.
The Jeep’s engine is more complex than a 283 Chevy small block, and more complex than I had thought. And as many business owners with a website are now realizing, Google and Yahoo! are complex engines to understand as well.
Fortunately, I understand how these engines operate, at least well enough to diagnose what needs to be repaired in order to get a client better results.
Much like my mechanic's customers, our clients need to trust and understand that this is what we do, every single day. We are search engine mechanics… I mean marketers. Website owners may think they have an idea of what is wrong, from all the articles they have read or the advice a colleague gave them, but the truth is you need to get your hands dirty to discover the real problem.
Once the problem is uncovered, then the repair begins, and it takes time. And just like a car, regular maintenance is needed to keep it running smoothly.
Have you been pitched a quick SEO fix for an attractive price? Tempting, I know. I’m not sure about you, but I want a trusted mechanic to do a thorough job so I’m not back again next week, or so I don’t break down on my way to the ski hill. And I know it’s going to cost some money because my mechanic is a professional and not some friend of a friend who happens to know a little about car repair.
I know a little about car repair. Do you want me fixing your Jeep?
The Year of the Fire Dog
Posted by on January 30, 2006 at 11:10 AM
Happy New Year! Chinese everywhere are celebrating the year of the Fire Dog or Sleeping Dog. We're having some auspicious first days, too, here at Oneupweb. Today for example our new website just went live. We'll officially be launching new services later this week. Stay tuned for some other new adventures later next month. So I thought I might check out what the Fire Dog promises for us search marketers in the coming year. (I promise, no Jean Dixon-esque remarks about Ashton or Demi.)
Overall Commerce Suffers
Good news for us search marketers really. Our services will be in greater demand as businesses try to efficiently reach every customer and reduce marketing budgets. Other more financial astrologers point to our industry's growth—SEMPO expects 43 percent growth to $5.75 billion in 2006; Safa Rashtchy, at Piper Jaffray touts 41 percent growth but estimates the total industry at a whopping $14 billion for 2006.
Professions Thrive, Peaking in Spring & Summer
Apparently there's a lack of water in the upcoming fiery year, which means that communications dry up along with commerce. Balance that against a penchant for pros to thrive. I interpret that as, "amateur commercial communicators have a triple whammy against them." So be professional; focus on best practices and earning your client's long-term loyalty. As for spring and summer... Well, from an internet retailer perspective, spring is a good time to start natural campaigns for the 2006 holiday season. And summer is the time to deploy A:B Labs research for your holiday pay-per-click campaigns. Often our B2B clients have new, approved marketing plans and budgets in spring, especially those that use the calendar year as their fiscal year.
Ahh... Loyalty & Kinship
Man's best friend is the pinnacle of loyalty and the year of the Fire Dog supports reliability, faithfulness and fidelity. During the upcoming year, "great things are accomplished with kin, not alone." The rugged individualist won't have the faculties to prosper. Great for us. I'm still high off of the teamwork that went into our new website. Our dedicated, loyal colleagues are driven. And we've had some big hairy goals, requiring a lot of hard work. Plus, our recent growth means we have lots of new Oneupweb team members here, supporting our new services. And more are on the way. (Check out Careers for open positions.)
I'd like to point out that our industry could use a dose of kinship and team work. Search engine reps and paid search managers need to work together, proactively, continuously. Those of the industry focused on grousing about competitors—you're boring and no one's listening. Spammers—you're all alone in the desert and you will perish, eventually.
Thank you to those in our industry who've worked to improve our collective credibility and professionalism. I'm talking about those tireless SEMPO board members, industry pundits who discuss best practices and journalists covering success stories.
Looking forward, the Fire Dog will be good for professional search marketing teams using best practices.
Why won’t Google comply with the U.S. Department of Justice’s subpoena, and what does this move mean for online advertisers?
Posted by on January 27, 2006 at 08:58 AM
There has been a lot of speculation regarding the reasons Google refuses to hand over a week’s worth of Internet search queries, from a list of 1 million random web addresses to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The government is working to build a case for the need of the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), which was shot down in 2002 for its broad scope. The DOJ needs to show how the COPA can protect minors, while maintaining the rights of adults to view pornography on the internet.
The DOJ first subpoenaed Google, among other search engines, a year ago, but the search giant continues to hold out. Mercury News reported that Google has refused to hand over the data due to privacy concerns and the concerns over the revelation of company trade secrets.
There has been a lot of talk about the real reason Google won’t give up the data. The big question is whether Google is really concerned about user privacy and trade secrets or if there’s more at stake? What could the harm be in turning over aggregate search data?
The suggested reasons for the holdout are wide ranging. Just to list a few.
• The discovery of the shear number of pornography related searches performed each day might leave a sour taste in the mouths of Americans, leading to a backlash against the engine and its outrageous stock price.
• Handing over search data to the government, Google algorithms and other critical trade secrets could be exploited, leaving Google at the mercy of Uncle Sam.
• The potential loss of revenue that Google currently enjoys through the online advertising of pornography.
• Deep concern over the privacy of users and the true belief in fighting for First Amendment Rights.
The effects of Google handing over the search results to the DOJ are unknown. Could complying with the subpoena hurt Google’s image or even worse, its main source of revenue? AdWords could take a hit if restrictions are put in place. And how would Google make up for the lost revenue; raise the paid search costs for other advertisers? What if Google lost some of its trusting followers for stepping outside of its carefully crafted image by working with the government?
Maybe we’ll never know. Google has already held out much longer than any of its competitors and seems poised for a good fight.
Commoditizing an Art
Posted by duncan on January 26, 2006 at 08:45 AM
Picasso was approached by a woman on the street. She asked him to create a sketch of her likeness. He agreed. Within minutes Picasso proudly handed the woman a unique but perfect likeness of herself. He then spoke, "That will be five thousand dollars please."
"Five thousand dollars?" the woman asked. "But it only took you five minutes," she added.
"No, it took me a lifetime." Picasso replied.
What Picasso was driving at was that he spent his entire life perfecting his craft. Maybe search engine optimization isn’t fine art that can be hung on the wall, but Picasso’s point is relevant. Search engine optimization, done thoroughly and properly, is not a commodity and never will be. Marketers and business owners should beware. They are being overwhelmed with quick fix offers that promise top natural search engine placement at a bargain price.
The companies offering these magical solutions on the cheap are preying on the uninformed. Search marketing is hot right now. It has been a hot topic for the last three years at least. It is too easy to believe that high rankings can be bought at a discount price. The uninformed are easy prey because they just don’t understand all the jargon. Often they can be convinced by a persuasive sales person or a well done micro site offering quick fix software. They want to believe that this SEO thing doesn’t cost too much.
The key is to get informed and talk to SEO vendors at many levels before you make a decision. Get past the myths of SEO. Meta tags do not get you to the top of the search results. Software can’t optimize your site using best practices. Links from junk sites are more likely to hurt you than help.
Remember that Google, Yahoo, and MSN each only have ten natural/ organic listings on page one of their results. In most cases these days, those ten listings sit on top of another 50,000,000 pages that didn’t make the first page. This is a tough game and it takes the resources, technology, and years of knowledge from top search marketing firms to get to the top of the engines without violating best practices.
The woman would be smart to purchase the sketch from Picasso. She should consider it an investment that will grow in value over the years. SEO done right by knowledgeable professionals is the same; it is an investment that will grow over the years.
Suggestions and Stones May Break My Bones
Posted by angie on January 25, 2006 at 01:55 PM
As integrated search marketers, we rely on the Internet for much of our daily communication and research. As Americans, we rely on it for much more. Accounting for a large percentage of daily usage, the Internet, and Google in particular, has become one of our main sources for information. “Google it‎ has become almost as commonplace as using the word run as an action verb in our language.
With all the time and effort we put into the online community, they must love us; right?
Being the curious person that I am I decided to give it a whirl, to “Google it‎ and see how we faired.
My search topic: Americans are
Google Suggest: Americans are stupid.
Dumb
Idiots
Fat
Ignorant
Lazy
Evil
Terrorists
Crazy
Obese
Wow. No sugar coating there. That pretty much sums it up. These things may all be true but can’t you cut us a bit of slack Google? We have to have some good qualities don’t we? Thinking of a different topic I decided to try a more serious approach with a topic everyone seems to have a different opinion on. What’s Google’s though?
My search topic: President Bush
Google Suggest: President Bush is endangering my retirement and the retirement of millions.
An idiot
Stupid
Moron
Liar
I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess we know how Google voted in the election. Okay, well at least we know that our president isn’t any better than the rest of us. Not that that really makes me feel any better. How about trying something a bit more exciting- hopefully.
My search topic: Yahoo is
Google Suggest: better than Google
Well finally an answer to my question. All this time if I really wanted to know what Google thought I should have just asked Yahoo.
Communication at its Best/Worst
Posted by jak on January 24, 2006 at 04:17 PM
We’ve all played the old game of “telephone‎ in school. You remember, you sit in a circle and someone starts by whispering something into another person’s ear. By the time the message gets back around to the originator, “big fluffy bunny‎ has become “Bobby floats barges.‎ This not only happens on the colorful mats of room 101, it occurs every day in the business setting thanks to email messages and automated voicemail.
In today’s high-tech, “send me that on my Blackberry‎ world, you would think that business would readily embrace some of the tools now available to cut through the phone tag, and Fwd: Fwd: Fwd along game. But as the bits and bytes seem to disappear with each Fwd and misinformation runs rampant, people continue to resist the new information management tools available to them.
There are a few products out there that could help companies better manage the information they receive. Microsoft SharePoint Team Services and Wiki web pages are web-based solutions designed to increase and simplify communications. These sites should be used to post messages, store documents, and add contact information. By moving to a web-based system, information can be viewed by all persons concerned with a particular project without interference. If documents are revised there is an historic, “version record‎ of those revisions. Web-based systems such as these allow you to post changes on a project simply by adding them to the SharePoint or Wiki site. All concerned persons are afforded access; they will know the status of the project quickly and easily.
With the implementation of these systems, miscommunications between office personnel will improve markedly. Important details should no longer be left out. There will be less frustration. And “Bobby floats barges‎ can return to the days of recess.
The Marathon of SEO
Posted by on January 23, 2006 at 12:52 PM
As a newcomer to the world of search engine optimization and marketing, I’ve thought about what aspects of my life have best prepared me for Oneupweb. I’d like to say it was some college class that I took or some past work experience. Never did I imagine long distance running, specifically the marathon, to encompass so many elements that I see in this industry and company.
Marathoners and SEO teams are unique groups of people. They come from diverse backgrounds. They are motivated, hard-working and driven. Both groups are organized, meticulous and great at multi-tasking.
A marathoner carefully lays out their training schedule attempting to be in peak condition at precisely the right time for the particular race they plan to run. This requires a great deal of planning and organization to fit 60 -100 miles a week into their schedule. Runners are fanatics about accuracy, whether its time or distance.
Oneupweb parallels this in many ways. A client’s business or service is carefully analyzed and a precise plan to generate targeted traffic to a client’s website is set in motion. Oneupweb is fanatical about detail and accuracy from tracking spends on PPCs to the precision of ROI trax.
Marathoners and Oneupweb both know how important it is to be part of a great team.
A marathoner might be out on the road logging the miles, but behind their success on race day are family, friends, training partners, shoe and clothing manufacturers and retailers, race officials and volunteers just to name a few.
A Project Manager at Oneupweb might be the one who works with the client one on one, but behind their success on the search engines are the marketing, programming, creative, sales and administrative teammates that help to make it all happen.
Marathoners and SEOs have their own unique language.
Marathoners may go out for LSD one day and hit the track for some quarters or a ladder the next. A fartlek workout might follow. Then a time trial with negative splits could be scheduled later in the week. The shoes they wear might be straight-lasted or curve-lasted, slip-lasted, board-lasted or combination lasted, contain EVA, polyurethane, air, gel, hydroflow or cantilevers. I haven’t even started on the clothing.
At Oneupweb you may check the PPCs one day and use ROI trax the next for some banner ad evaluation. A Keyword and Competitive Analysis might follow. Then some Keyword Purchasing could be scheduled. I’m still learning this. You get the idea.
The marathon and search engine optimization are still struggling to get the respect that they deserve.
On one hand is the pulse of the client, the other the pulse of the internet. A marathoner would know. That great rhythm when you feel you could go on forever in the zone.
Like a marathon training program, you start out slow; develop a base, get some miles under your belt. What might have been long and difficult once is now easy and makes sense; your ROI was worth the effort. You are hooked. You like the results. You want more…
Cybercrime: Protecting Your Customers
Posted by steve on January 23, 2006 at 11:05 AM
Businesses small and large have a growing concern over cybercrime, and for good reason. An article posted by E-Commerce Times provides statistics proving that cybercrime is on the rise. The article states that, according to security firm Symantec, "during the first half of 2005, 74 percent of the top 50 malicious attacks contained code to steal account logons, passwords and other sensitive data, compared with 54 percent the previous six months." It goes on to say that both keystroke logging programs and the hijacking of online accounts are escalating as well. In fact, The Sans Institute points out that with an estimated 9.9 million U.S. households using computers for online bank transactions, cybercrooks have potential access to an estimated $24 billion in deposits.
It's no wonder why cybercrime has become such a major concern. Not for users, though. A survey conducted by America Online Inc. revealed that 20% of home computers were infected by a worm or virus, 80% of systems contained spyware or adware, and more than two-thirds of home users believe they are safe from online threats. This misconception of safety is causing a lack of precaution, and perhaps an excess of trust as well.
Millions of people shop online everyday. They willingly give out their credit card numbers trusting and sometimes falsely believing it is safe to do so. But shouldn't it be? Companies not only owe to their customers to provide a secure channel for e-commerce transactions, they owe it to themselves. Optimizing your site will eventually lead to an increase in traffic and sales. But what's the point if you're not protecting the sensitive information your customers have given you.
Cybercrooks are becoming savvier. They are finding ways to circumvent firewalls and anit-spyware programs, making it important for companies to update their spyware protection software on a regular basis. What if your computer is already infected, though? This possibility makes it just as important to be aware of evidence that spyware is on your computer, such as an onslaught of pop-up ads, a sudden change in your Internet's homepage, new and unexpected icons in your toolbar, or sluggish performance. For more clues that spyware is on your computer and the steps you can take to lower the possibility of becoming infected, visit OnGuard Online.
So, you've optimized your site. You are now positioning well. And these positions are leading to conversions. Conversions that are the result of trust. If a customer provides his or her credit card information to your company, they trust you. If you are not taking the proper precautions to ensure a safe and secure e-commerce transaction, you are betraying that trust. Word-of-mouth is a powerful thing, and with the proliferation of Internet blogs, it has become even more powerful. E-commerce is great, and not only for businesses, but customers as well. But it can also be great for cybercrooks. So if your company is involved with e-commerce, just make sure you arm yourself with the knowledge and tools necessary to use it safely.
Search Engine As Web Browser - A Double Edged Sword?
Posted by vern on January 20, 2006 at 09:29 AM
Nielsen/NetRatings recently reported that 43% of online searchers use their search box like an address bar to navigate the internet. Most often a searcher will enter a brand name such as eBay or K-mart and the like to navigate to those sites. It’s an interesting short cut that's becoming standard operating procedure for many.
Ken Cassar, chief analyst at Neilsen/NetRatings, states that "the search engine is the focal point of the online experience for Internet users." This is further evidence that search is being wound ever tighter into the fabric of life online. That’s great news for SEO's, the search engines and investors in those businesses. But there is a dark side (isn't there always?) to this behavior.
Go to Google and type - abercrombie in the search box. Sure Abercrombie & Fitch is the top natural search result. But what about those sponsored links? Now Hiring: Home Typists, Make money instantly, Earn $1,000/Day. What do they have to do with Abercombie & Fitch? Nothing, other than the fact that they are using the abercrombie keyword to trigger their PPC ads.
The rather inelegant term for this is bidsquatting. A feeble attempt to generate ad clicks by bidding on popular keywords, even though totally unrelated to their business. A harmless practice you say? True, the amount of clicks and resulting lost business from these ads may be insignificant. Surely, these bidsquatters are wasting their time and money. And the damage to Abercrombie is probably minimal. So what's the big deal? Well, search on the keyword phrase - Abercrombie & Fitch and things get a bit more serious. PPC ads for discounters and outlet shopping are listed.
Abercrombie & Fitch has spent a great deal of time and money to cultivate their trademark and brand image. Companies often overlook trademark protection on search results pages. An ever larger portion of internet users navigating by way of their search boxes are being exposed to PPC ads that may have no relationship to the desired destination website. The potential for lost sales and damage to the brand increases with every visit to a search results page.
Bidsquatting and trademark infringement, like click fraud, are becoming more prevalent. Sharpen your swords! Arm yourself and take action against the bidsquatters and infringers. Your bottom line and brand image will be better for it.
Will Link Churn Remove the B from A/B Testing?
Posted by dave on January 17, 2006 at 03:09 PM
Which is better 1 or 2? 2 or 3? 2 or 4? As you sit in the optometrist's chair blurry eyed and dilated, a marketing marvel is happening to you: A/B testing. Your doctor of vision is building on a proven practice, which they know will help you reach the goal of clearer sight.
A/B testing for web sites works in the same way. It tests and builds on what marketers already know, to come up with a conclusion that helps focus on a specific goal.
Simple and effective, A/B testing utilizes a constant from which aspects of a page, such as the image and link text, can be tested. To be truly successful, A/B testing may involve changing link text or an image multiple times until that eureka has been reached and users begin to convert.
But, with the ambiguous advent of Link Churn, could Google be threatening this form of testing?
Point 59 of a recent patent application states that adjusting linking in the short-term may result in penalization. If this occurs, will A/B testing become a bad-business practice? Is Google essentially saying that we have to choose one link and be bound to that link for months? Which is better, 1 or 1?
So, is the sky falling? Is Google going to start to penalize the sites that utilize A/B testing? Is this once innovative and proven Internet marketing tactic going to go the way of the Dodo because of Link Churn? Not yet. Google understands the importance of conversion testing. In fact, in their own analytics tool they have a section dedicated to conversions. A/B testing still offers you with a way to measure the actual behavior of your real-world customers with confidence.
In short, keep testing and keep learning. Your bottom line will thank you for it.
Protecting the Brand - Online Reputation Management
Posted by chip on January 16, 2006 at 01:10 PM
Search engine marketing is known for increasing a company's profile, establishing an online presence, increasing traffic, and ultimately growing the bottom line. However, the full scope of internet marketing goes well beyond that. A well planned and properly executed strategy can become a valuable resource for branding efforts and corporate reputation management in the online space.
The internet has become a primary source of information and one of the first places people turn to when looking for anything from weather updates to humorous T-shirts, to information about your company. With so many people turning to the internet as a primary source of information, it has also become the place they turn to express their opinions, both positive and negative alike. The evolving world of blogs and message boards has created an opportunity for virtually anyone to share their satisfaction, and vent their frustrations, with your brand. Effectively operating in the online space, and managing the corporate reputation, is proving to be a challenge for many companies according to the recent E-Commerce Times article: Internet Branding: The Corporate Image Challenge of 2006.
As the internet continues to evolve into an ever competitive space, it is increasingly important to offer the user more than a flashy website, or an online version of your brochure. Your site is your online storefront and should relate your branding messages. Even more difficult than managing your brand on your website however, is the task of managing your brand off your site. Suppose for a moment that there are negative blogs and message board posts about your company that show up in the search engine results pages (or SERPs) when people are researching your company name. If they are presented with negative statements and attacks on your reputation when they are seeking information, could this affect your business? You bet it can. The degree to which this type of activity can damage your reputation and your business can be significant; especially when these are among the first exposures a potential customer has to your brand.
Internet marketing strategies can play a significant role in managing your online reputation by addressing these negative messages and positioning your company site above the negativity. For instance, offering an official company response to negative press that appears in a blog will not only show that you take ownership of your problems, but that you take steps to correct them. Addressing an issue and detailing the ways you have corrected it, can be a great chance to turn negative press into a public relations opportunity. Going beyond simply gaining positions for targeted keywords, a combination of smart search engine optimization techniques and traditional public relations activities, such as our PReach press release optimization service, can prove to be beneficial in the branding efforts that can be so important to a company's long term success in the online marketplace. In the face of negative messages, a company and its brand can benefit a great deal from strategic Internet marketing efforts that include corporate reputation management.
Up Against the Jordan Bulls of Search
Posted by on January 13, 2006 at 12:56 PM
I don't think there's anything inherently virtuous in rooting for the underdog (unless that underdog is journeyman Paul Shirley) but I loathed the Jordan-era Chicago Bulls. One of the greatest teams of all time? Undoubtedly. Beautiful basketball? Absolutely. 72 wins in one season? Obscene. And that was the problem. You knew that as long as Michael Jordan wasn't off somewhere playing D-league bocce ball, the Bulls were going to win it all. There was no drama, no suspense. Just the nagging feeling that it was all just coming too easily, and that the Bulls weren't really GOOD for basketball as a whole.
Google is the Jordan Bulls of search. To its fans, this is a good thing. Google offers a great product in superior packaging. And if you believe the "Don't Be Evil" mantra, you can feel good about rooting for Google as its stock price attains Shaq-esque bloat. Like the Bulls of days gone by, being a Google fan puts you in good company. Google fandom transcends the home court. Sticking an @gmail.com after your name is like sticking a black, red, and white #23 on your back. Google makes your life better. It's predictable, it's comfortable, it's happy. And until Larry and Sergey set their sights on the pro bocce ball circuit, it always will be.
But what if it's coming too easily? It's a quality, respectable product, just like the Bulls were - but what if Google isn't really GOOD for the internet as a whole? Google has become so ubiquitous with search that it's a verb unto itself. It seems the vox populi feels that any new thing Google does is going to be the slickest, coolest, most ethical thing, because, well, it's Google.
Competition is a good thing. It's what keeps us from resting on our laurels. Google has dominated the search market for so long without a true challenger, it's getting boring, and according to some, maybe even a little bit evil. And even if it's not, what is there to motivate Google to offer the best product it can? It's time to shake things up. Do we leave it up to the perennial also-rans Yahoo! and MSN? Or is there a shrewd upstart waiting in the wings? Either way, it can only be good for ratings.
How the State of Michigan Can Teach You About Feedback
Posted by keirsun on January 12, 2006 at 02:46 PM
I am browsing a website that claims to be an important resource for the "World's Business Leaders" when I discover my quest for business enlightenment may soon reach Gilgamesh proportions.
Nearly every site link I click lands me on a blank page with only the top-navigation bar present, or worse yet, produces a full-screen advertisement that leads me nowhere. Being the helpful person I aspire to be, I proceed to look for a friendly Feedback or Make a Comment link (hoping, of course, that it works) to alert the appropriate parties of the error, and make a comment or two about those ads.
Here's where I face the second challenge in my crusade for online business knowledge - I can't find a link to a Feedback form anywhere. Nothing. Nada. Naught. Nil. Even the Contact Us link takes way too long to stumble across.
So, what do I do now? You guessed it. Adios. I'm searching for the next crucial, global business resource quicker than you can say "User-Friendly". And at my next stop - The Official State of Michigan Website - I find the information I need along with a feedback form I can really sink my teeth into. It's perfect. It asks me to kindly copy and paste the distasteful URL and error, provides me with a comment box to describe my objections and offer a peaceful solution, and even wants to know my browser type, obviously so a team of government webmasters can narrow down possible causes of the infraction. It's short, sweet and, best of all, I don't have to give my name. Like a lot of people, I like to remain as anonymous as possible.
I guess it all comes down to time. Webmasters can be so busy maintaining their web sites that they don't always have the time they need to make sure the thing is actually functioning correctly. That's where an easy-to-use Feedback page comes in handy. Similar to a restaurant comment card, a Feedback page can help point out what tastes bad in your cyber buffet. Sure, you will probably get a few mind-numbing rants about the salad bar sneeze-guard, but if you take user comments with a grain of salt, a Feedback page can offer extremely valuable information. And if you ask, people will even tell you exactly what changes and/or updates will make your website more useful to them, and to those who have yet to find their voice.
Mobile Search: Coming to a Screen near You
Posted by on January 10, 2006 at 08:32 AM
The New Year has ushered in a number of high-profile partnerships in the mobile search space, confirming our prediction last summer that as go the major search engines, so goes mobile search. Recent events have also confirmed that savvy marketers and developers need to start thinking about making the move to XHTML sooner rather than later. Mobile web browsing is on the cusp of making the leap from "need it now" applications to recreational and research applications. Here's a recap of the stuff that's too important to miss:
What has legions of devotees and a sleek, minimalist design? If you answered Google or the Motorola Razr phone, you're correct. And now Google and Motorola have teamed up to integrate Google search technology in all future Motorola phones. With the push of a single key, Motorola users will be whisked directly to Google for all their search needs.
Google has also announced that it is partnering with Opera to become the default search engine in the Opera Mobile and Opera Mini browsers. The Opera Mobile browser is available for smartphones from several manufacturers, including Nokia, Motorola, and Samsung.
Cingular and AT&T in the US will soon be able to use the new Yahoo! Go Mobile package on Nokia mobile phones. In addition to mobile search, Yahoo! Go Mobile includes email, instant messaging, news, and more.
Why bring the web to the phone when you can bring the phone to the web? That seems to be the reasoning behind the development of the Skype WiFi phone. The phone (manufactured by Netgear) will enable Skype users to make calls wherever a WiFi internet connection is available. Given that free and reliable WiFi hotspots are few and far between, the Skype phone is probably not a threat to standard cell phone with mobile search and browsing capabilities.
Phone manufacturers, carriers, and search engines are realizing how lucrative such partnerships can be. As search becomes an integrated part of the next generation of cell phones, it will become an integrated part of cell phone users' lives. And visibility in the top positions will be more important than ever.
Fear of a Black Hat: Inside the “Shadowy World” of SEO/M
Posted by Christopher on January 04, 2006 at 08:39 AM
One of the liabilities of working in the field of search engine optimization and marketing is the cold fact that, without a year of tedious explanation, hardly anyone understands what we do. Explaining my job to politely interested relatives is roughly the equivalent of explaining the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principal to a dog. My mother’s resorted to telling people I “work with computers,‎ experiencing, obviously, zero irony. C’mon, ma, who doesn’t? I’m pretty sure the last time I bought a Slurpee the guy ran my sale through one a them infernal machines.
The Newsweek article ("Hotwiring Your Search Engine." Stone, Brad. December 19, 2005.) helped a little, in its Newsweek-y way, at least in that I could say “look, mom, Newsweek! They know what I do!‎ Sort of. The subtitle “Inside the shadowy world of ‘SEOs,’‎ didn’t do me a whole lot of good. Further, the article was peppered with terms like “manipulate‎ and (I like this one) “slyly unethical.‎ Nothing was mentioned in the meat of the article (the helpful accompanying graphic, at least the “Fair Game‎ column, was better) regarding how SEO/Ms not only use techniques to get our clients better search results, but that we assess the usability of the clients’ sites and help them recognize and remove roadblocks. We provide relevant content that we hope will not only generate search engine results, but interest among web users. Still, because our vocation is not only involved with the internet--which even today leaves a bad taste in the mouths of many Americans--but with how the internet works, we’re “shadowy.‎ Now my parents equate what I do to something that’s maybe not illegal, but maybe one day will be, once The Law figures out what we’re doing.
Apparently, according to a Pew/Internet study called “Digital Divisions,‎ 22% of Americans, and thus my relatives, not only don’t care what I or anyone else who “works with computers‎ does, they never will. Indeed, some of them “don’t like it,‎ they “hate computers...[as they’re] what’s ruining the world‎ (take that, global warming!) and think “it’s the devil’s work.‎ Dude, that’s black hat. That’s not the way we roll.
We’re pretty much regular folks, here. Many of us drive pickup trucks; many of those trucks are American. Some of us are parents; some aren’t. We shovel, by necessity. We try to support our home (Detroit) sports teams, which isn’t easy. We, almost as a whole, enjoy soup. We don’t conjure. We’re not con artists. We don’t trick the nice folks at Google & Yahoo, etc., to rank our clients’ sites higher than they should be. We use time-tested tools like exhaustive research, meticulous planning, and ethical, hard work to make things happen. And, thus, there is no “shadowy world.‎ I do occasionally wear a black hat, but it has a Detroit Tigers logo on it. And I’m definitely more embarrassed by that than I am by what I do for a living.
The Varying Degrees of SES Chicago
Posted by duncan on January 03, 2006 at 09:30 AM
The Windy City lived up to its name in early December of 2005. The Search Engine Strategies Conference swooped into town and took over the lower floors of the Chicago Hilton. Three types of attendees visited us at our booth. I liken them to the three types of people I saw dealing with the frigid temperatures Jack Frost cooked up for us.
Being from Northern Lower Michigan, the Oneupweb crew is no stranger to cold weather. We share Lake Michigan with Chicago, although we are further north. The biggest difference in our weather and Chicago's is that we get several feet of snow to enjoy along with the cold weather. In any case, we brought a team of experts with many years of combined experience dealing with all things search marketing as well as cold weather related. We were prepared to stay warm and talk with all comers about their search marketing goals.
We met many marketers who were in the process of evaluating their current SEO/ SEM vendors. They brought a couple of different jackets, hats, gloves, and sweaters. They knew they needed to wear just the right combination of these items. If they got it right they could go outside and not only be warm, but actually thrive. Yes, some people spend extended hours outside in the winter and have fun and are never cold. It comes down to your gear. SEO and SEM programs are the same. It is not just about getting by, but about succeeding and surpassing expectations. This group knows that SEO goes way beyond rankings and paid search marketing is more than just having an ample budget. They have had a taste of the good life. They want to get to a point where, like a winter Olympian, you can wear a streamlined, well fitted, body suit and be warm even on the coldest and windiest of mountains. These folks know the right vendor can help them put the right variables in place to win gold in their search marketing efforts.
Another group came in a little less prepared for the cold. Yes they had a good jacket, and those wool socks were great for waiting in line at Buddy Guy's Legends, but they lacked a hat, gloves, and proper layering. Luckily, one of the companies on the expo floor handed out scarves. These marketers want to keep their SEO and SEM efforts in house. They want to assemble the right team members and give them the right tools to do it without a vendor's help. They were anxious for any tips we had at the booth about how to get it right, but mostly they spent their time in the many informational sessions listening to the speakers and absorbing the knowledge. My guess is that some did OK. Others may have wandered out into the cold and started to shiver just as they thanked the doorman for holding the door.
The last group, which appears less and less at these SES events, was the poor folks who were just thrown into the whole SEO/ SEM game with no clue. These were the people outside with nothing but the free scarf. They had no idea how to stay warm. In fact they didn't even know Chicago could be so cold. How could this all be so complicated? I feel for this group because they hear a million things at these events but have little practical knowledge to filter it all into something meaningful. They aren't sure if they need help from a vendor, or whether to do it themselves, or worse yet, whether search marketing is even a real marketing channel that holds value. We are always patient with this group. It is not about selling them on our services, but rather about showing them that there is a reason that a North Face GoreTex jacket pant combo, a double fleece lined hat, and a pair of snow clogs are well worth the extra few dollars. After all search marketing's potential to grow your bottom line is as real as the winds of Chicago in December. Cold can also be Gold.
