1 in 2? I Need Better Odds Than That!

Posted by vern on May 31, 2006 at 03:33 PM

According to a recent Nilesen/Netratings Inc. analysis, Google's market share is now 50%. That's huge! One out of every two searches is a Google search. If you're in the paid search marketing game, my advice might be to keep your search marketing simple and advertise only on Google. You'll be exposed to half of all search traffic.

One out of two is great odds. How can you go wrong with a strategy like that? Why even bother advertising on any other search engine when success is practically guaranteed? We can look to the current NHL Stanley Cup playoffs for the answer.

Being from Michigan and a hockey fan, of course I root for the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings were the best team in the NHL during the regular season and expectations were running high for another championship. The Red Wing franchise is a juggernaut. Great ownership, well funded, a huge fan base, and arguably the most talented players in the game. A real power play!

If you follow the NHL you know it all went terribly wrong for the Wings in the playoffs this year. They drew the lowly Edmonton Oilers, the #8 seed, in the first round. Pundits predicted a sweep for the heavily favored Detroit squad. Well guess what? Detroit lost to Edmonton in the first round. The Wings are now practicing chip shots and doing yard work instead of heading to the Stanley Cups finals like the Oilers.

How could this have happened to the vaunted Red Wings? They ran up against a team of young, motivated, well-coached, never-say-die players with a burning desire to beat the best. That sounds like a new player in the SEM game to me.

Microsoft AdCenter has Google in its sights and aims to chip away at Google's audience share and someday dominate the paid search market. Google, Yahoo, Ask, and now more than ever, Microsoft are the significant players in search marketing as I see it. Sure Google dominates, but it needs to react to the competition and improve its performance to stay #1. Underestimating the threat of competition, especially a young upstart with a heritage of success, could prove fatal.

A word of advice to paid search marketing practitioners: maximize your results by using the other teams in search as well as Google. Improve your odds by betting on more competitors than the favorite - Great advice in search engine marketing or hockey. Come to think of it, how's Barbaro feeling these days, eh?

Tags
google adwords
microsoft adcenter
paid search marketing

A Fly to Dung

Posted by on May 30, 2006 at 04:42 PM

I'll be honest. I judge books by their covers, and I have since I was little. The true reason why is because I am a designer. I have more books on my bookshelf than I would care to admit that are completely void of plot or character... but they sure do have quality cover artwork. It always happens when I'm at the bookstore and I "want something different". If I know what I want before I go to the bookstore, I'm ok, but if I'm just browsing, I'm in serious trouble. The little blurb on the back of the book sounds so much more enticing when it's paired with a well designed cover and a no name writer from the area.

This goes for books, albums, and now podcasts. I find myself looking for something new and cool, relying on looks and ending up disappointed. For example, I was looking for a fun poker podcast and came across Poker Punk. The title was catchy, and I dig mohawks, so I was set. It wasn't until I actually listened to the podcast that I discoverd the audio quality was remedial at best, content was lacking, and the annoying phaser sound effect was icing on the cake.

So I have learned my lesson... it really is about the content, and not the design. But then again, what got me there? For successful books and podcasts to ads and flash banners, you need both.

eBay Fever - A Newbie Goes Shopping

Posted by anne on May 25, 2006 at 10:43 AM

Okay, you're right! I finally succumbed to peer pressure; I'm purchasing my unmentionables on the web! Breaking promises and a core belief that shopping on the internet would never enter the realms of my simple existence, I agreed to try it once. With sweaty palms and first date jitters, I asked eBay to be my companion for the evening. Now to most of you reading this blog, eBay has been around as long as bottled water. To me, however, the act of purchasing products online violates an additional commandment: "Thou Shall Not Make Purchases on the Internet with a Credit Card." I mean, c'mon, we've all heard of identity theft and once you lose your identity, some say you lose your mind!

In spite of my biased values, I proceeded into the vast unknown of eBay bidding. I remember the lonely, cold, spring night like it was yesterday - the blue, glowing hue from my PC (they were called IBMs in my time) beckoned me to its keyboard, the mouse inched towards my right hand ready for me to take command. A friend of mine told me that the deals on eBay are phenomenal. I thought; let's try it, just this once.

With a new haircut in order, a flat iron hair straightener was in the forefront of my purchasing mind. Amazingly, a "hair straightener" search revealed 14 pages of straighteners to select from. What's this bid button and confirm button? I decided to try it out and see; low and behold, I won my first bid! With the words CONGRATULATIONS skipping across the screen, I was thrilled. Pay Pal had instantly become my new friend, my new confidant, my new-found pal. We would be friends forever. But what's this? United Kingdom? My hair straightener is from the United Kingdom? How did that happen? Could it be that eBay is global? It was never mentioned on the home page - didn't they know I was a newcomer to the world of online commerce? This just can't be; it should have been in the description. Great, I'll just use my back button, read the description, e-mail the seller and just let them know that I can't use this in the United States and retract my bid. Wrong again eBay bidder, you buy it or your reputation is tainted forever. You will be tossed out of eBay world, never again allowed to return to the eBay family. Well at the risk of being rejected by this new-found market, I resigned myself to the fact that a lesson learned is just that, a lesson learned.

Now an experienced online shopper, I sometimes wonder what might happen to this market if there are not enough sellers out there, but plenty of buyers? You know the simple rule of supply and demand - prices rise and the whole concept of saving money by buying online evaporates. Maybe eBay needs to develop a few incentives to entice sellers to list items on its website - just something to think about, eBay.

Well, I hear the eBay howl calling me. I'm running through the alphabet and have almost completed my letter A searches. Tonight I'm searching for adapters; my new hair straightener just arrived. After that bid, I'm moving on to the Arbonne MinC RE9 Set, can you believe it, Arbonne on eBay too. As my fingertips roll across my keyboard, I hear those four keywords from my hubby, "Honey, time for dinner." My stomach tells me it's time for a break. There's no need to search for another letter A word - I think I've already found addiction.

Microsoft adCenter - Foxes Need Not Apply

Posted by on May 24, 2006 at 12:13 PM

I've been excited about the opportunities that exist with the much anticipated release of Microsoft adCenter and recently got a chance to take the reins for the first time. My initial idea behind this post was to share my adCenter paid search marketing experience, however that didn't happen. In fact, I didn't get much past the main login page before becoming frustrated. What lead to my frustration you ask? Allow me to explain.

Around here, the majority of us use Firefox as our primary web browser, as do many people in the tech industry. Naturally I opened up adCenter in Firefox, entered my login and password and was prompted to make my next selection. Upon making my next selection I received a nice caution message from Microsoft, telling me, "You do not have a valid session or your session has expired. Click OK to get automatically redirected to login."

What? Wait a minute, didn't I just login and select a campaign?

After selecting OK, as Microsoft prompted me to, I was taken back to the main login page. Thinking that this was just a fluke incident, I tried to login for a second time. Again, same sequence of events, followed by the nice Microsoft error message. After a couple more tries, I became familiar with the bright yellow triangle and exclamation point, thinking it would be a nice addition to the Microsoft Office Assistant.

After multiple failed attempts at logging in, I gave up and turned to the web community for help. A very brief search proved that Firefox is not compatible with Microsoft adCenter. Let's just say I wasn't the least bit surprised. However, after a visit to the adCenter FAQ page, I was surprised to find out that not only does it not support Firefox, adCenter doesn't support Internet Explorer 7 (beta) or Safari.

I was coming to the realization that I must once again, kick the tires and light the fires under Internet Explorer to accomplish my tasks. After my day-long rant and rave about the incompatibility of adCenter with Firefox, I ran across a helpful tool that solved my dilemma, saving me from running two browsers at the same time - the IE Tab 1.0.9 found in the top extension downloads for Firefox. This handy tool allows me to use Microsoft adCenter successfully, without exiting Firefox.

Approximately 10% of web visitors worldwide use Firefox. I believe it's safe to say this 10% is comprised of many tech savvy individuals. That said, wouldn't Microsoft want to allow these individuals to sign up for services? After all, it's money in their pocket. Just before publishing this, I read a recent post in the adCenter Blog that briefly addressed this issue, moving Firefox and Mac support up on their priority list. Though this puts my mind at ease for the time being, how long will it really take for Microsoft adCenter to take action on the cross browser compatibility issue? We can only wait and see. Until then, set your frustrations aside; download the IE Tab Extension for Firefox.

Tags
microsoft adcenter
firefox compatibility
paid search marketing

The Niche Search Market

Posted by chip on May 23, 2006 at 12:26 PM

The major players of the search engine world are constantly tweaking their algorithms in an effort to improve their results. While each one would like you to think that their results are more relevant than the next, I can't help but wonder if this is where the true opportunity lies.

While I agree that some engines are clearly better than others at what they do; whether they return better results, have a more user friendly interface or simply do a reasonable job filtering spam, this is not what this post is about, and so I will keep these opinions to myself.

What I would like to explore is the potential opportunities of niche market search engines. After all, the major players can tweak their algorithms over and over and when it's all said and done there is only so much they can do in regards to relevancy. While I don't want them to stop improving their results, there will inevitably come a day when our answers aren't always going to be found within the 10 results that are generated on the page of text we call search results. We are no longer in a world with a limited internet, and search engines can not always provide the best information for each type of query.

Not to say that niche market engines don't already exist; there are many already trying to establish themselves in their associated markets and more are popping up all the time.

A few notables include:

Kosmix.com: This search engine allows users to select specific topics that include health, finance, travel, US politics and even video games to perform a search within.

ZoomInfo.com: This search engine is designed to provide information specifically about people, companies and relationships.

Vast.com & Oodle.com: Both of these allow users to search classified listings throughout the country.

Big.com: This search engine doesn't target a niche market, but rather a niche demographic. Displaying search results in a larger format, Big.com is sure to gain in popularity as we all continue to age.

Become.com: This, along with many others, is a vertical shopping engine that allows users to find consumer products on e-commerce sites by a variety of different criteria.

Scirus.com: For the scientific community, this search engine provides a portal to the world of scientific information.

Globalspec.com: This engine is specifically for engineers and targets information and products relevant to the scientific and technical markets.

CitySearch.com: In their words, "Your Guide to Everything Local", this engine allows you to search for products, information and services specific to your geographic location.

Of course we can't forget the already popular travel industry related search engines including, but not limited to, Expedia.com, Orbitz.com and Travelocity.com.

I guess the fate of these engines will come down to good old marketing, as it always does, though. While they do provide a good resource for these niche markets, success will only come after people begin to find them. Once discovered by their target audiences, these niche engines will surely get used, get bookmarked, get recommend to peers and get the opportunity for prosperity and longevity within the competitive world of search.

Use Tools, Feel Human - Is Ask's TV Campaign Working?

Posted by on May 22, 2006 at 09:23 AM

I have to admit, I find Ask.com's "Use Tools. Feel Human" television commercials rather entertaining and humorous. But I find myself wondering if the ads are more than just comical. Are they actually working?

My girlfriend is not the most savvy search engine user. If Yahoo! is the homepage, that is where she searches from. And yes, if she wants to visit the Gap's website, chances are she'll type www.gap.com into Yahoo!'s search box, versus plugging it into the address bar or simply searching for the gap. I've seen her do the same thing on MSN. I'm not even sure if she has ever used Google to start a search. Why would she? There's no content. Google won't tell her that Elliot Yamin was voted off American Idol, or that Eva Longoria topped Maxim's "Hot 100" List. Okay, so I happen to check out Yahoo! every now and then as well. But this isn't about me or my fascination with Eva Longoria. This is about search.

So you can imagine how surprised I was to find her on Ask.com searching for... well, God only knows what, but I'm sure it involved some kind of purchase that I don't understand and, more importantly, have learned not to question.

But I was curious; "Why are you using Ask?" The answer: she had seen the TV commercials and thought she'd check it out. Simple enough. And a simple reminder that consumers are not all that loyal, and can be easily tempted to switch brands.

Jess may not be the most savvy search engine user, but she is a very experienced shopper. And she is a shopper who goes online only when she's ready to buy. There is no extensive research. Maybe a handful of sites are visited before the credit card comes out. Her online demographic provides proof that any search engine can be an important revenue channel, and that online retailers should try to avoid getting caught in the Google silo.

In terms of numbers, I don't know how effective Ask's television commercials have been overall. But if the goal of the campaign is to reach a consumer market that has no loyalty to the Big Three search engines, and could care less about Google's next Beta tool, Microsoft's adCenter launch, or Yahoo!'s shares hitting a new low on analyst day, then it's working.

Tags
ask.com
ask tv commercials
ask ad campaign

New Search Engine Marketing Magazine Just Misses Target

Posted by duncan on May 19, 2006 at 09:41 AM

May 2006 marked the arrival of the first issue of Search Marketing Standard. I pulled my copy from the snail mail box at my home in Traverse City last week. I was quick to start paging through the issue even while I walked up the steps and sidewalk back to my house. Dumping a stack of unwanted credit card offers and local coupon booklets on my kitchen table, I took the magazine to my reading chair to see what it had to offer.

As I began to dig in I found that Search Marketing Standard is a new magazine devoted to the search marketing industry. It comes out of Brooklyn, New York, and the publisher is Boris Mordkich. Current plans are to issue the magazine on a quarterly basis. The mag was a fairly quick read being only 32 pages in length. Many full and half page ads filled the 32 pages leaving less than half of the real estate for articles and product reviews.

Featured articles included information on the biggest myths in search marketing, pay-per-click tactics to consider, an interview with a well known search marketing veteran, and a bid management software tool review. Having been in the search marketing industry over five years myself, I didn't find any new ground breaking information. The articles would however be of interest to marketers that are just learning about this complex industry. I shouldn't be too hard on this first offering as it clearly has value to the beginner.

As I closed the back cover, I decided that I'd give this first issue a rating of 3 out of 4. Between the ads and other graphics there were pictures of no less than 6 bull's-eyes featured in this issue. At work the next day I joked with a colleague who also noticed this right away. We both wondered why so many people feel the need to use the bull's-eye metaphor when trying to sell search marketing services. Well if nothing else it gave me the urge to go throw some darts in the play room at the back of the house.

AdWords Delivery Method Raises New Questions

Posted by on May 18, 2006 at 09:39 AM

While altering the daily budget for a paid search client the other day, I noticed a new setting that's available in Google AdWords Campaign Settings. Not just any setting, but a new option that will likely impact the way most pay per click marketers manage campaigns.

Google recently made available an option on the campaign settings screen called Delivery Method.

Oh, it's probably worth mentioning that what you'll read by following the above link, is all you're going to read from the good folks in Mountain View. Yup, that's right. In true Google fashion, another new feature has been rolled out, unpublicized, and accompanied only by superficial, nebulous documentation to support its users. Extensive digging through Google's own, terminally insipid Inside AdWords blog failed to turn up anything but a link back to that same Adwords help page.

In short, the Delivery Method feature toggles between two modes: Standard Delivery and Accelerated Delivery. Standard Delivery will spread your ad impressions evenly throughout the day. By contrast, Accelerated Delivery will display ads as often as possible during the day until the daily budget is exhausted. Of course, in either scenario, if the daily budget is too low, one runs the risk of not receiving all possible impressions.

Accelerated Delivery is pretty straight forward - Google will see to it your ads will be shown as often as possible, happily spending your money with abandon. Standard Delivery (the default), however, seems a bit more complex. The help documentation states that "With standard delivery, your ads would appear throughout the day, from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m."

This poses a number of questions, to which Google does not offer answers:

• How does this new methodology compare to the previous delivery system?
• How does Standard Delivery mode affect existing day-parting schedules?
• What good will my PPC ads for "Bob the Builder" characters do while being shown at 2 a.m. when every school-aged kid in the nation should be sleeping?

So, it's evidently up to us, PPC marketing professionals, to press on in the coming months, to examine results, compare historical data, and ultimately determine how Google's latest curveball affects us.

New challenges are good, right? Sure they are. What's tough to swallow is the seemingly intentional lack of practical information that would actually aid in the day-to-day management of a PPC campaign.

Tags
google adwords
adwords delivery method
paid search campaigns

LIVESTRONG Day

Posted by on May 17, 2006 at 01:23 PM

1/31/98
It was a Saturday and I remember everything about that day, right down to the clothes I was wearing. It is a day that every cancer survivor knows. It was one of the most pivotal moments of my life. B.C. (Before Cancer) my health was my last concern. I was an athlete, a long distance runner. I had run nine marathons, including Boston and New York only months before. I won a five mile race the previous weekend. Everything was about to change. My life was about to change. I was about to change.

A.D. (After Diagnosis) I became a different person. No one wants to be part of the Cancer Club. I was as reluctant as anybody. I was angry. Anger may have helped me at first, to get through the surgeries, to convince myself that I would survive because I was mad. Then something happened that was even more powerful, I stopped being the angry victim and I took charge. As every cancer survivor knows, family, friends and a great medical team are indispensable. Yet, there were three other things that really helped me: attitude, Lance Armstrong and the internet.

I made the decision to stop thinking about how unfair it was that I had cancer. Instead, I thought about how lucky I was that it had been found. I had been given a gift. I now have more time to enjoy this life, not less.

Lance Armstrong helped me to become a “warrior survivor.‎ While I will never win the Tour de France, I refuse to sit back and give in to cancer. I know that Lance does not like to be called a hero. I consider him to be an inspiration. I plan to run in the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon this October, my first A.D. Marathon.

The internet is my other weapon. Because of the internet, I became my own best informed advocate, of my treatment plan. I had a million questions and the internet had a million answers. I connected with other cancer survivors. I also found alternatives to traditional medicine. Knowledge is power and if there was ever a time that I needed to feel empowered, it was being diagnosed with cancer.

The internet has also provided a venue for mobilization of people and resources and for promotion of events like LIVESTRONG Day. The internet is a strong motivating factor and makes a huge difference in the number of people that can be reached and encouraged to participate in the race to find a cure.

5/17/06
It is a Wednesday, and I’m wearing my yellow band and LIVESTRONG T-shirt. Today is LIVESTRONG Day. According to the Lance Armstrong Foundation website, "On Wednesday, May 17, you can help Lance and the LAF be a voice for change. Thousands of people will take part in LIVESTRONG Day events across the country to raise awareness of and bring attention to an issue that impacts all Americans – cancer."

Google Goes Hungry when IE Serves Up MSN
Part 2

Posted by steve on May 16, 2006 at 11:28 AM

Even though Google has a problem with Internet Explorer 7 serving up MSN Search as the default engine, the Department of Justice doesn't. The DOJ has concluded that Microsoft's inclusion of the MSN Search toolbar in IE 7 does not raise any antitrust issues and has approved implementation of it. What does this mean for search? Will Google's hold on the search engine market become threatened? It's certainly possible.

Firefox, Safari and Opera all have built-in search boxes that default to Google, and currently a large number of Google searches come from people using these built-in toolbars. Now Microsoft is putting its own search toolbar in IE 7, and with 85% of Internet users surfing with the IE browser, this could spell trouble for Google.

Google is complaining that switching the default search engine in IE 7 isn't easy enough. Well it's not difficult. Users can simply click on a dropdown arrow next to the search box to choose Google or other search options from a list (which is easier than changing from Google to Microsoft in Mozilla Firefox). Does this really even matter, though?

For most people, Google equals search. And, yes, it will likely continue to be the dominant player in the search engine market for years to come. But I think convenience can affect people's habits, and Microsoft just took a huge step in the right direction.

I guess only time will tell whether or not the MSN search box will have a large effect on how users search the internet, but one thing's for sure, Microsoft has no where to go but up.

Read Part 1 of this post for Straight Up talk on how Google could solve this problem.

Tags
google
internet explorer 7
doj ie7 ruling

Podcasting - Desktop Radio

Posted by on May 15, 2006 at 08:29 AM

Remember when desktop publishing was the next big thing? (Of course not, you'd have to be my age and remember when certain rock formations were born.) But it was. And for ad guys like myself it was a time of promise and uncertainty. On the one hand, we had the opportunity to design and produce slick, print-ready layouts with copy and images in place. On the other hand, so did our clients. We faced the real possibly of seeing ad creative and collateral literature - one of the most profitable parts of the business - go in-house with our clients. Furthermore, our design production staff was becoming obsolete. We had people who created waxed-in keylines and hand-drawn illustrations; some had never taken a class in computer design, much less had a computer instead of a drawing board. We had to re-tool, recruit and re-train. This, while the local design college was asking us where they could find qualified computer design faculty. It was all that new.

These things have a way of shaking out. The first wave of clients who trained their clerical staff in desktop publishing was a disaster. Design is a talent more than a skill. Techies could move and shape images and words on a page, but it didn't mean they could effectively communicate through a coherent design. They began damaging brands that took decades to create. Each new catalog, brochure and piece of stationery created a revised corporate image. Nothing was integrated... or very professional.

While early client desktop publishing floundered (although corporate bulletin boards started looking better), the ad industry's talent pool was increasing. Schools started teaching computer design to real designers and agencies such as mine starting scooping up the graduates, while re-outfitting our graphic departments with networked Mac's and the early Quark and Photoshop software.

Podcasting seems to be experiencing the same shake-out. The technology arrived with the digital revolution. Radio, video and sound production made the painful transformation from tape to digital output during the 1990's. I recall producing a radio commercial in a sound studio one week and the engineer edited tape with a razorblade. I returned the following week and the same engineer was editing on a Mac.

Today, the exciting new media of podcasting has all those same desktop publishing elements and more. Like desktop publishing, affordable equipment and software has placed quality sound production within reach of anyone with $500 and a little time. The online medium and services such as i-Tunes made distribution nearly instantaneous. Personal and corporate websites warehouse and market the inventory. And thanks to the digital revolution, the learning curve was very, very short. "Oh yeah, we did that in high school."

But some of the same early desktop publishing problems remain. Creating an entertaining, compelling and effective audio broadcast is a talent first, a skill second. And not everyone sees it as such. Just listen to what's out there.

There are millions of recent high school grads who can use recording and editing equipment as easily as they program their iPod. Few can script and direct natural-sounding dialogue geared toward a preselected audience, then weave that message through thoughtful audio design with music and effects into a product that will attract listeners and create buzz favorable to its sponsor. Fewer still know how to maximize the impact of their work through solid online optimization and public relations support. And but a handful appear focused on promoting and protecting their established brand. Heck, where's the fun in that?

Don't get me wrong, there's some good stuff out there - we'll be looking at what goes into a good podcast in our June Online Marketing Brief - it's what you have to wade through to get there that has me scratching.

Bottom line, keep your ears open. There's a lot more that can be done with podcasting if you or your clients are willing to approach this as a professional. Podcasts should entertain, inform and promote. It's not a "pick two" proposition. Or so this fossil thinks.

Tags
podcasting
podcast distribution

Google, Yahoo, MSN and MySpace?

Posted by admin on May 11, 2006 at 10:06 AM

When you think of search engines you might think Google, Yahoo and MSN... Ask might even pop up in your head... but the one name I think it's safe to say did not come to mind is MySpace.

MySpace has become the new way to communicate with friends, and strangers, across the US, and even the world. According to Nielsen/NetRatings, in March MySpace generated more page views than Google, at 19.4 billion over Google’s 13.7 billion. Many people I know have even started using MySpace in replace of e-mail and instant messenger.

A recent commentary I read, What if MySpace had a Search Engine?, asked whether or not you feel that MySpace should buy a search engine. I think the logical answer to this question is yes!

With online ad spend expected to grow this year by 24.4% MySpace would be crazy not to want a piece of the pie. With 19.4 billion page views you would think MySpace could, and would, quickly become a powerful player.

I think a MySpace search engine might just give Google a run for its money.

Tags
myspace
myspace.com

Google Adwords Gets Find & Replace Tool

Posted by admin on May 10, 2006 at 11:22 AM

Every time I start pondering a blog topic for StraightUpSearch a feeling of venomous backlash comes over me; all I can think of are the many things the search engines get wrong and should improve upon for Paid Search Marketers. But today is going to be different - I have made a conscious decision to be positive and to discuss one of my favorite Google AdWords features.

It seems like new features and tools are popping up in Google Adwords on a regular basis. Although they are not all perfect, you've gotta give credit to Google; they are definitely not sitting on their hands over there in Mountain View.

The AdWords tool that I am referring to is Advanced Search and Editing. This nifty tool is great for managing large accounts with numerous campaigns and ad groups that share any common information. The tool is similar to your basic Find and Replace function, but it can really come in handy. You are able to find and update anything in your URLs or ad text, change the match type for keywords and edit max CPCs. I have been finding more and more occasions to use this feature and welcome it into my Paid Search toolbox.

In addition, Google's Advanced Search and Editing tool is particularly useful to edit portions of URLs when tracking needs to be updated. You could have numerous URLs that share some piece of information that needs to be updated and this tool will do the job.

This tool is also great for simply checking account status. Perhaps you made a change to a few ads, but want to check to make sure all the needed updates were made. Using this tool, all you need to do is identify your criteria and you're shown anything in the account that applies.

Okay, so I admit that there are some things I already feel could be updated to enhance the Advanced Search and Editing tool, but I'm not going to go there today.

Tags
google adwords features
google adwords tools

The Image Search Query & What it Means for SEO

Posted by teal on May 09, 2006 at 10:47 AM

Not long ago, I came upon an article that demonstrated the idea of image search queries on mobile phones - that is, performing a search using an image rather than text. With this technology, the user would actually perform a search, for example, by inputting an image of a labrador retriever to find online resources, instead of simply typing "labrador retriever" into a search engine. After a little research, I found that this idea spreads further than just the mobile camera phone arena.

Admittedly, my first thought was a technical one - specifically, how do they do it? Secondly, because I work in SEM, I thought, what does this mean for SEO? What does it mean for the hours spent optimizing title and meta tags, and content, and what does it mean for companies who rely on their site as a source of business?

The technology of image based queries is actually quite intuitive. To search for an image in a vast database, the engine doesn't look at the entire image, but focuses on zones, colors, patterns, and spacial qualities as a way of identifying similarities between the searched images and the images in their database. Looking back over years of research, we can conclude how databases of images evaluate the searched images using content, spacial qualities, and a combination of both. Current Yahoo literature refers to the analysis of pixels, the size of images, and many other factors in its comparison.

I understand that this isn't going to change the overall function of searching. First of all, users have to actually have a picture of what they want to search in order to perform the function, and also, they would have to spend the time to find the image in order to search it. Instead of searching the term "picasso," the user would have to already have a image of a Picasso in order to perform the image query. Wouldn't you just search "picasso"? Either this, or they would have to have a photograph already on their computers.

So do I think this significantly effects the SEM industry and companies that have invested in SEO? Probably not. Overall, because of the limited coverage on this topic, it seems that the SEM industry and companies relying on it can rest easy for awhile. When I searched "google + image query", the results I received had to do with Google Images rather than image queries. Because of their prevalence, their lack of information on this topic is comforting. Yahoo does have some information on it, as I stated above, but it seems to still be in the developmental stages. MSN refers specifically to camera phone searches.

With that said, I believe that the industry should not completely ignore this technology. Even though there is limited information on the technology and its overall popularity is still wavering, there is something to be said for it. What that something is right now, I am not sure. I just think it is one of those things that needs to simmer on the back burner for awhile as programmers toy with this idea. One area I do see this tool becoming useful is the mobile marketing arena. The popularity of mobile devices will likely spur development of this technology... just something to think about.

Tags
search by camera phone
searching with images

Paying Attention to Internet Advertising Opportunities

Posted by on May 08, 2006 at 01:33 PM

Since I graduated from college in 1999, each of the four companies I've worked for has been an online business. At my first job, one of my many duties was working as an assistant to the marketing director. This was still in the relatively early days of the internet, and since neither one of us had much experience with online marketing, I was given free reign to explore search engine optimization while my boss occupied herself with lucrative newspaper ads and glossy promotional folders from NPR.

I could see the traffic that was coming in via natural search listings (alas, we were not exploring paid at the time). Much harder to track, however, were the leads we were getting off radio or print ads. I remember basking in the glory of our newspaper ads, and smiling indulgently as I heard our sponsorship mentioned on public radio. I also remember wondering, what difference is this all making? Are we even getting any new business from these expensive ads? We were just starting to experience an industry trend which would eventually prove that not only did search engine marketing have the lowest cost-per-lead of any other marketing strategy, but it also had the easiest methods of tracking ROI.

What seems most remarkable is that this particular online company had hired a marketing director who focused the majority of her efforts on offline endeavors. Again, this was in 1999, but I'm sure that over half a decade later, most companies and marketing directors now pay due attention to both, as they well should. Of course they do.

Or do they? Have you checked out our study of Fortune 500 companies who are slow to capitalize on SEM?

Slowly but surely, however, the two worlds are converging. As mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, the Fortune 500 behemoths are opening their eyes to the power of online marketing. And what with the rise of services like TiVo and ad-free satellite radio - not to mention the ability to download programs, music, and resources independent of their normal offline mediums - the traditional world of advertising will need to adapt to the internet just as our culture is.

The online marketing world is constantly adapting and evolving as well. We've expanded from the essential basics of SEO and SEM to focusing on all marketable areas of a website. Website usability, press releases, online media buys, podcasts, mobile marketing and more - there's an entire world of internet advertising opportunities to explore. And I for one can't wait to see what the future holds.

Tags
online marketing
internet advertising trends

Straight Up Site of Interest - Blog Publishing

Posted by keirsun on May 05, 2006 at 01:16 PM

The wait is over. It's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy another installment of our Straight Up Site of Interest. For those newcomers out there, this monthly post is designed to shine Starsky's interrogation room spotlight on websites/services that thrive upon forward-thinking internet technologies. Blinded by inspiration, you'll suddenly find yourself asking, "How can this help me market my website?"

This month's topic: Blog Publishing.

Straight Up Site of Interest: Six Apart

In their Own Words: "Our team works to make publishing on the web faster and easier every day."

First Impression: Since we use Six Apart's Movable Type publishing platform to put out this very weblog, I may be a little biased, but to-date I have few complaints. The Movable Type interface is workable and the user has varying degrees of control over how the blog looks and performs. I've heard rumblings about how a visual template editor would be nice and clicking on "Preview" should show what the post looks like in the actual page, not just a raw text example.

In addition to its business blog platform, Six Apart offers publishing solutions for personal and community weblogs.

Why setup a business blog? I'll try to keep this short. According to Forrester Research, 1 in 5 online youth and 10% of adults now regularly read blogs. In addition to growth in popularity, blogs give your business another outlet to spotlight:

• Promotions
• New products and services
• New hires
• Company awards
• Recent press
• And connect with clients

The creative marketing possibilities for a blog are infinite. In addition, a blog provides another source of incoming links to your primary website, not to mention an additional platform for searchable content pertaining to your business. Explore the Movable Type Case Studies to see how a few other companies utilize a blog.

Don't forget to read about April's Straight Up Site of Interest for RSS Feed Creation.

Tags
blog publishing
weblog publishing platform

Google Should Go Hungry when IE Serves Up MSN

Posted by dave on May 04, 2006 at 10:03 AM

By now, you have most likely either seen or heard about the NY Times article discussing Google's recent complaint to the United States Justice Department (the same Justice Department Google recently sparred with in regards to handing over search data). The complaint focused on Microsoft making MSN the default search engine on the new IE 7 web browser.

In case you haven't had a chance to read the NYT article, what Google is essentially asking the Justice Department to do is force Microsoft to make it easier for people using Internet Explorer 7 to choose a search function other than the default, MSN. As Marissa Mayer, the vice president for search products at Google states in the article, "The market favors open choice for search, and companies should compete for users based on the quality of their search services." She also explains, "We don't think it's right for Microsoft to just set the default to MSN. We believe users should choose."

After reading this article, I found myself in a position I never expected to be in, siding with Microsoft. Now, before you draw and quarter me, let me explain. I am not saying I agree with the business practices Microsoft has implemented in the past to gain its market share, I am just saying that this once, I don't agree with the argument against them.

What really solidified my stance was the McDonald's I passed this morning on my way to work. As I looked at those Golden Arches, steering wheel in one hand and a granola bar in the other, I thought, "A croissanwich from Burger King would really hit the spot." Unfortunately, I do not pass a single Burger King on my morning drive, so the dream of fluffy egg, cheese and savory sausage all housed in a buttery croissant quickly faded into the somewhat less satisfying reality of rolled oats in foil.

That's when it hit me. If I apply the same logic to my morning hunger that Google uses in its complaint against Microsoft, I could just pull into that McDonald's and order a BK sausage croissanwich. Because after all, why should McDonald's have the right to deny me my croissanwich just because I walked into a restaurant they built, funded and spent millions promoting? After all, as a consumer, shouldn't I expect to find exactly what I am looking for no matter what establishment I wander into?

If Google has a problem with the way Microsoft chooses to deliver its products to consumers, maybe instead of screaming "foul", and complaining to regulatory organizations, Google should devote its time and effort to coming up with a solution. If Google wants to take market share away from Microsoft fine, but do it in the vein of true competition. Create an operating system that boasts better features and ease of use, an OS that users will inherently hunger for. Then, serve up Google as the default search engine. Problem solved.

Tags
google
internet explorer 7
burger king

Internet Explorer 7 - The Inexplicable Ectype

Posted by on May 03, 2006 at 08:30 AM

Recently Microsoft released Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 so that developers could get a taste of the next great web browser.

I could cover features and such, but I'll leave that to the marketing geniuses at Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx

"We Heard You"? Please. I'll keep this brief: Internet Explorer 7 is terrible.

But why such criticism? Because in true Microsoft style they stole feature-sets from OSS (Open-Source Software) and released them as their own. When the final version of IE7 rolls out, their user base isn't likely to know about Firefox, Mozilla or Opera. They're not going to know about tabbed browsing. They're not going to know about phishing and online security, web standards, CSS, XHTML, RSS...that is, they're not going to know until Microsoft tells them.

The bottom line is this: don't believe a word Microsoft says. Nothing about IE7 is new -- except for the glossy coating of design-gelly they put on the user interface. The browser still does not handle CSS/Javascript the way it should, and is going to continue to be a detriment to the standards-movement and web development in general.

I leave you with this simple illustration:

Tags
ie7
internet explorer 7

It's an Ad World

Posted by on May 02, 2006 at 03:09 PM

Napster is back in full effect, kind of. A recent article in USA Today discussed its new ad supported model. Now visitors can come to Napster and listen to music absolutely free. Oh, but you can only listen to the song five times then you can buy it for under a dollar or sign up for a monthly subscription for $9.95. And if you want to have access to transfer the song to your portable device, that version costs $14.95, but you wont be able to transfer it to your iPod because the service is only compatible with specific digital music devices and your iPod isn’t one of them.

So, as you can see the “new‎ Napster isn’t completely free, but kind of. I don’t think we will ever be able to go back to the early days of totally free Napster. I remember sitting in my dorm room, probably very much like the one Napster was originally created in, downloading songs like a crazy woman. It was great