Mar
31st

Local Search: Is It Really Ready For The Red Carpet?

Posted by admin on March 31, 2006 at 2:33 pm

A rainy Friday afternoon and I’m in the mood for a movie. I can’t easily recall any recent movie previews and I am not really sure what’s out there. So, I decide to grab the laptop and search for the local movie theater listings. Sounds simple enough, especially since we only have two local cinemas, but what I think will take all of three minutes to find the local movie listings online turns into a major production of trying 3 different Search Engines’ local search functions. I was surprised by what I discovered.

My first instinct is to turn to Google Local search. Google’s Local Search page is definitely more cluttered than Google’s Web Search page as it provides example searches, a very large map of the US and Canada and the familiar search bar at the top.

My local search is simple enough; I am looking for movie theater listings in Traverse City, which happens to be my first search query. The results on Google range from a listing for one of the two movie theaters in town, a local bar and several sponsored links (one for eBay that looks to be selling theater times.)

I click on the first result for the local cinema expecting to find show time listings at this particular theater, Grand Traverse Cinema. Instead, after clicking the link, the location of the cinema pops up on the map with the address and phone number. I’m not interested in calling as I want to find the listings online. So, I click the back button and try the second result which is the Grand Traverse Mall Movie Line Yes, just what I am looking for. I click on the link and am pleased to discover the listings for the day in question. Nice.

It was relatively easy to find the listings on Google Local for one of the theaters, but I could not find the second theater represented anywhere in Google. Also, the abundance of clutter on the Google results page as well as the potential to get lost navigating through irrelevant links and sponsored ads was distracting and really took away from the user/searcher experience.

Yahoo’s Local Search page is identical to its web search page with the exception of the search bar. On Yahoo Local I type in the same query, movie theater listings, Traverse City. I get a results page telling me that no movie theater listings were found in or nearby Traverse City, MI. My first instinct is to ditch Yahoo and try Ask, but I give Yahoo one more chance and add the zip code to my search query.

Ten results appear on the first page. The first result Moviefone: Closest Theaters sends me to a forbidden page. Frustrated and almost ready to give up I click the back button and try the second link which appears to be more promising and thus gives me false hope. MovieTickets.com GKC Grand Travers Cinemas. Movies,showtimes and tickets.Unfortunately this link does not have the show times available for this theater. My search for movie listings on Yahoo Local proved useless.

My last attempt to find quick and easy local movie listings ends with Ask Local Search. Ask’s Local Search page is clean and concise. I like the simplicity of it.

Optimistically, I type in my query and Ask provides me with one result and a map. GKC Grand Traverse Cinema 9 Very nice, I like the fact that I don’t get the clutter that I saw on Google with sponsored ads and other irrelevant links. The only down side is that like Google, the second movie theater is not listed anywhere.

After clicking on the link, I arrive at the local movie listings provided by CitySearch. The page gives me the theater information and show times for specific days, again, very nice. The page even has a spot at the bottom where I can get driving directions. All I need to do is enter my starting address; the destination address is already filled in, very convenient.

For fun, I try it out and type in my home address and click “calculate directions.” The directions are clear and accurate as is the map, but it does take me to the theater on a slightly longer route than I would choose myself. However, the extra drive time is of little consequence especially considering the ease of using Ask Local and the time I could potentially save using Ask Local when compared to the time I could potentially waste using Yahoo and navigating around Google.

Next time I’m in the mood for a movie, I’ll save myself the frustration of using Yahoo and the time of using Google by using only Ask.

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Mar
30th

What We Want and What We Get!

Posted by Jak on March 30, 2006 at 3:59 pm

If you have been using computers and the Internet for a while, you have probably figured out what works and what doesn’t when it comes to searching for the things you want. Most of the younger generation understands the Internet fairly well. Unfortunately, most of the older generation still doesn’t quite grasp the concept. After years of working on computers for the older generation here in northern Michigan, I have found that even though they have used their computers for years, they still cannot find what they want. It should be easier for them to find information on what they want by using simple keywords. If Grandpa Joe needs to get a new pair of underwear, he might type in drawers. A simple search of Google brought up 13,200,000 matches. Guess what? There was no underwear listed in the first few pages. A search for underwear gave me 28,500,000 matches. I probably shouldn’t even name some of the matches on the first page. We need to be thinking about what keywords are most likely to be used for a particular item, and then make a filter process that asks simple questions to narrow the results. I know that I have searched for something and received the “Ungodly Amount” of matches. Then, what I really wanted was somewhere on page 14 of those matches. Companies that are using SEO’s know that being at the top of that search list is the best advertising for the buck. I wonder how many companies out there have ever tried to find their web site by using a search engine, and if they have, were they happy with the results? My guess is that they look at their sites position and just hope that it will get better with time. Meanwhile, Grandpa Joe still can’t find his underwear online because he only browses the first two pages of search results. It’s too bad too, because Grandpa Joe would rather buy online instead of driving to the store. Oh well, maybe next time.

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Mar
29th

Ask vs. Google – An Observation of Search Results

Posted by Keirsun on March 29, 2006 at 11:57 am

I have always considered it a good idea to use multiple search engines when performing a specific search. Since most search engines provide differing results, it just makes sense to me to utilize more than one source to find the best results. I get my news from more than one source, why not my search results?

But when I’m short on time (as most of us are) I tend to fall into a rut of using just one search engine to get a quick answer or make an impulse purchase. For the most part, my engine of choice has been Google. But recently I find myself calling upon Ask to answer my daily searches. Since the dismissal of Jeeves, Ask’s results have been more… satisfying. Coincidence?

Regardless, in the interest of Search and search engine users everywhere, I have decided to perform an off-the-cuff comparison of Google and Ask search results. Specifically looking at the web site that holds the #1 position.

Sidenote: I have purposely avoided opening the Pandora’s box of “search engine tools comparisons”. Aren’t there enough of those critiques (and promotions) out there already. My intent is to focus strictly on the engine’s bread and butter – web search results.

I believe there are 3 basic forms a search can take: Educational, Commercial, and Recreational. So I’ll start there:

1. Educational Search: Split Pea Soup Recipe

Ask #1 – http://www.selectappliance.com/exec/ce-recipe/split_pea_soup

Pros:
* Recipe on First Page
* Simple Design/ Easy to Read
* “Return to Recipes” Text Link – Since this is my landing page I can’t hit the Back Button

Cons:
* None come to mind

Google #1 – http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/cat/232/0.shtml

Pros:
* Links to many Split Pea Soup recipes
* Rating System (4 out of 5 Stars)
* “You Are Here” Breadcrumb

Cons:
* Ads, Ads and More Ads – “Your Are a Winner” Flash Ads – Those annoying “Where are your friends from high school” ads – Pop Up Ads – Google Adsense
* Red Background Color makes for unwelcome feelings

Winner: Ask – I personally prefer simplicity, not overload, when looking for a quick answer, or recipe in this case.

2. Commercial Search: Easter Bunny Costume

Ask #1 – http://www.easterbunnycostumes.com/

Pros:
* Touts “OVER 30 EASTER BUNNY MASCOT COSTUMES TO CHOOSE FROM”
* Page is Focused on Easter Costumes – Even tells me when Easter is this year

Cons:
* Unprofessional Site Design
* Only 1 View of Featured Costume

Google #1 – http://www.hollywoodtoys.com/

Pros:
* More Professional Design (but barely)

Cons:
* No real info about easter bunny costumes except for a clipped off image of some bunny costumes (which links somewhere) and 3 text links scattered across the page that read “Easter Bunny Costumes”
* First text on page reads: “Mardi Gras 2006 Parade Calendar” Isn’t Mardi Gras over?

Winner: Ask – Call me crazy, but I like to have useful info pertaining to my search on the first page I land on.

3. Recreational Search: Fred Sanford Favorite Sayings

Ask #1 – http://www.tvacres.com/catch_y.htm
Google #1 – http://www.tvacres.com/catch_y.htm

Winner: It appears we have a tie “You big DUMMY!”

Overall, I believe Ask produced the more useful results for this minuscule sampling of possible searches. And frankly, it’s good to see quality results coming from another search engine besides the market leader. Search on.

Disclaimer: In the words of Michael Feldman’s guests, “All questions are painstakingly researched, though the answers are not.” Which means, all opinions expressed here are personal. If you don’t agree, make a comment.

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Mar
28th

Taking Candy from a Baby

Posted by admin on March 28, 2006 at 9:16 am

The new Starter Edition of Google AdWords offers a solution to advertisers who don’t have the time or the money to spend on creating an effective PPC campaign… Right? Or, is it just another way for Google to maintain their leadership?

I think the Starter Edition can be compared to taking candy form a baby… it’s easy to do, but in the end all that is left is one disappointed baby. The Starter Edition of AdWords allows an advertiser to set up an account with ONE ad, a list of keywords and a monthly budget, no CPC… but don’t worry Google will figure that our for you. The advertiser won’t be able to run reports, or have any type of tracking through Google. What they will be able to see is the impressions, clicks and total cost of their keywords.

It takes constant management of a campaign, creative ads, strategic bidding, a good landing page, and a little time and money to run a successful PPC campaign. And let’s not forget the importance of conversion tracking. There’s little chance that a new advertiser, with a small budget, is going to be able to come in and be competitive with the big guys who have been there since the start. Think quality score. Think big monthly budgets. Even if the new advertiser makes it on the first page, how many times is their ad going to be able to be shown to searchers? You need to have a presence in order to be successful.

I think that there comes a point when, to protect the value of your product, you need to tell somebody that your product is not right for them. Whatever the reason may be. I used to be an Account Executive for a television station and we had a rule of thumb; if a new advertiser couldn’t at least give us a commitment of X consecutive months at a minimum of $X then we would tell them it would be a waste of their money and efforts. We knew without that commitment from them, there was little chance we could run a successful advertising campaign, one that we would be proud of.

Advertisers who use the Starter Edition of Google AdWords are most likely going to get poor results and walk away thinking PPC doesn’t work; after all, it’s like taking candy from a baby.

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Mar
27th

Shelf Life of SEO

Posted by Anne on March 27, 2006 at 10:07 am

As we move into the information age of technology, positioning on the internet rollercoaster is just that, “a whirl of a ride.” What may be in place one day can conceivably change the next. It’s all about the positioning of a company – where one ranks in the search engine listings can equate to the success or demise of a company. It made me wonder how we evolved to this era of technology. Did we anticipate a wide-world market at our fingertips allowing us the power and ability to promote a product or service? How does one anticipate the juncture in which the market will change or evolve in the next decade? How do we prepare our children and our educators to learn and teach for the upcoming season or passage of time? How, as a society, do we become proactive and not reactive to the demands of the consumers in their conquest of searching for the perfect match in a limited amount of time?

The answer to all these questions came to me during my last visit to our local grocery store. In search of a product that met the desire of my taste buds, I realized that it’s all about positioning. We tend not to look at the bottom shelves for a particular brand since it’s proven to be the most difficult to reach. According to hearsay, bending over causing misalignment of the shoulder muscles with the middle-toe muscle causing life-long damage to the left ear lobe. Of course, one should not reach above ones own shoulder to know that extended height extension wears down the padding of your left index finger causing inability to point or make a point. So you ask, “What is your point?” My reply is that search engine optimization is just that, finding just the right place on the World Wide Web for your product or service. You don’t want consumers to find your website on the 30th page of search engine results, nor do you want them to spend too much time perusing the listings, making them vulnerable and at risk of falling into the laps of your online competitors. You want to be smack dab, ninety degrees, forward motion, in their face. As a consumer in a grocery store or the internet, you don’t have the time to search aisle after aisle for a product, or page after page of the listings; you want to be able to glance at the labels above each aisle or type in that keyword phrase, find your product or the website, make the easy reach and sprint for the shopping cart for the easy purchase. The labels are the keywords, and it’s just a matter of making sure that your product appears in that aisle and positioned at just the right height for the consumer to grab it.

So the next time you decide to pick up a gallon of milk at your local grocery store, think about search engine marketing. The positioning concept is the same, and your ability to find what you are looking for becomes more of a challenge as more products enter the market. And sometimes, even a quality product can find itself at the end of the aisle in the “clearance” cart, one step away from the dumpster. Search engine optimization does indeed have a shelf life; it just depends on selecting the right shelf for you.

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