PPC Marketers vs. the Death of Creativity
Posted by vern on July 31, 2007 at 12:32 PM
The AMC network has a new show, Mad Men, that showcases life in the Madison Avenue ad agencies of the late 50's and early 60's. This was the center of the universe for marketing innovation and advertising creativity.
I was able to catch the first episode of Mad Men and was instantly taken back to the days of chain smoking in the office and the three martini lunch. (How anyone could be productive in that environment after 1pm is beyond me.)
What really struck a chord was how Creativity, the light bulb over your head idea-making, determined success or failure. Demand creation was the end all, be all. Imagination and Creativity was the skill set. First, tell the consumer what they need, magnify their desire, glamorize it and then give it to them.
Fast forward to the 21st century. I live in the world of Paid Search Marketing. The land where keywords and 95 characters of text can make or break a company's bottom line. The land where analytics provide a mind-numbing mathematical overload of CPC, CPA, CTR, ROI, and on and on. I like to think that there is a good deal of creativity in the work I do for my clients. The light bulb goes on fairly frequently, and, thanks to my three Red Bull lunches, I can remain productive well beyond 5pm.
Google arguably dominates today's online ad world. It and other search engines rule today's consumer by satisfying an individual's demand for products and services. Create demand? Create desire? Not on your life!
Google recently announced the creation of an automated tool to assist in "optimizing" a paid search campaign. This tool drives another nail in the coffin of Creativity. It's a veiled attempt to remove careful study and consideration from the very human interaction of fulfilling desire. This interaction demands study, consideration and certainly Creativity for it to be fruitful.
An automated process, no matter how intelligent, cannot help you connect on a human level. Push the optimize button and Google will tell you how best to spend your money on Google, not connect with your future customers. Is anyone else out there a tiny bit suspicious of Google's intentions with this new tool?
I for one will continue to rely on creativity, research, testing and my own analysis to best serve my clients. Sure, I have the latest and greatest analytics and research tools at my disposal. But sometimes, nothing beats a good brainstorming session with my team of dedicated, intelligent and Creative paid search professionals - the Mad Men and Women of the 21st century.
SEO Limits - Avoid Washing the Boss's Car
Posted by amy on July 30, 2007 at 11:15 AM
I am lucky enough to be starting my second week working at the one job everyone has applied for in their lives. The one you find and immediately start planning your life around and talking about it like you were already hired because that is the only end you want to imagine. Well, that job is my job now and here I am immersed in a sea of information relating to all things marketing.
Now I face the eternal struggle for balance that every new person in the office faces in the first months and weeks of a new job; what do I do to show that I can do this job well? Am I doing enough? Is it possible to do too much?
As for the first question, let's hope so, and to the second, absolutely. Showing up a few minutes early, offering to help people out with burdensome projects, making an effort to get to know your co-workers; all of these things will bode well for you in the eyes of your supervisor. But take that too far; packing an afghan and pillow, sleeping a few hours under your desk in lieu of going home, washing the boss's car on your lunch break; is certainly not going to be a superior way to show everyone that you are the best person for the job. People are likely to label you unstable, even crazy. It is important to be mindful of crossing the threshold where too much of a good thing becomes bad, and creepy
I am happy to say that this lesson is not exclusive to those of us beginning a new career. In the world of search engine optimization it is also important to know that too much of a good thing can become harmful rather than beneficial.
As I have learned very quickly in my new position, website optimization is almost as necessary as your computer. That said, there are limits to how far you go without having search engines think you are creepy. Over-optimization of your website, the SEO equivalent of washing the boss's car at lunch, is the result of extreme overuse of SEO techniques to the point that search engines penalize your website.
This topic is constantly being debated in online forums, and there are many opinions as to what the SEO limits are, what you should do to avoid over-optimization, and if penalties for over-optimization even exist. There is plenty of information out there, but the most important thing to remember is to find balance. Doing too much can hurt you rather than help you. But, just like I have to figure out what lies between hiding under my desk and sleeping under it, understanding where the line is will get easier with time and understanding.
If you have over-optimized your website and need to know what to do, contact Oneupweb. We'll be happy to help you put the sponge and soap away, and quit washing the boss's car on your lunch hour.
Bulk up Your Robot: Sitemap Autodiscovery Supported by Major Engines
Posted by teal on July 27, 2007 at 04:10 PM
It's been a long time coming, and while to Google, Yahoo, and Ask.com, Sitemaps Autodiscovery is old news, to MSN it's brand new.
About three months after the formation of Sitemaps.org, and three months after Google, Yahoo, and Ask.com began supporting Sitemaps Autodiscovery, MSN's Live Search has finally caught up.
According to this short, yet clear Search Engine Roundtable post, some are a bit frustrated at how long we've waited for this.
But don't hold your breath; according to this WebmasterWorld thread, it could still be a couple of months before the service is widespread. Interestingly, "msndude" who participated in this particular WMW thread, encouraged us to look for updates on the LiveSearch blog, yet the most recent post is from June 1, 2007.
The option of adding a path to a sitemap.xml file allows webmasters to indicate to Google, Yahoo, Ask, and Live what pages of their site they want the bots to crawl and index (without manually submitting URLs), thus giving more control to the webmaster.
In addition to the list of URLs, webmasters are free to also add a variety of parameters to their sitemap.xml to tell the bots how often the pages are updated, the level of priority, and the last modification date. Not all of the parameters are required, but they do provide the search engine with additional information that can be helpful for crawl frequency.
Anyway, to bulk up your robots.txt file for Google, Yahoo, Ask, and soon Live, add the following line to your robots.txt file:
Sitemap: http://www.mysite.com/sitemap.xml
A Mobile Retail Revolution
Posted by on July 26, 2007 at 02:13 PM
Why spend your time navigating through a crowded mall while searching for your next purchase? Turn to your home computer or mobile phone to search your local shopping mall.
Local shopping has gotten easier through an innovative new way to merge the gap between online and in-store shopping. NearbyNow Inc. combines local search with mobile technology to make "shopping centers searchable on the Internet and mobile phones."
NearbyNow users are able to search an entire mall’s inventory from the convenience of their living room. Mall rats can even use SMS queries from their mobile devices to find products or sales at their favorite stores. Its SMS-based reply messages include both organic and paid results from stores within the mall.
With the internet and mobile devices becoming more prolific in our everyday lives, consumers are using them more than ever to research purchases before buying in-store. According to a study by comScore, over 60% of online searches result in in-store purchases.
Many experts believe that e-commerce is maturing, but growth will come in tying online information to offline stores. E-commerce is growing, but growing much faster is the influence it has on offline sales. Its power over consumer purchase behavior is remarkable. Local shopping will undoubtedly see greater internet influence in the near future.
NearbyNow may seem like another wannabe search engine, but I think there is real potential. The shopping comparison giants would love to get their hands on NearbyNow’s sea of searchable inventory. However, the difference is NearbyNow uses foot traffic to measure its success. The service was launched in August of 2006 and should include shopping malls in over 100 U.S. cities by the Christmas shopping season.
The Answer To US Mobile Broadband Adoption: Google / 700 MHz
Posted by adam on July 25, 2007 at 01:37 PM
It's possible that the future of the 700 MHz spectrum could be developed by Google. Google's interest in the new "real estate" comes for obvious reasons, but I believe it's important that a non-wireless carrier has a significant influence in the development of a more consumer focused wireless broadband network.
Many marketers, including myself, want to be excited about mobile marketing whether it's through SEM, local verticals or any of the other possibilities. But let's face it, currently the average American consumer doesn't value mobile internet and has never made a purchase via their mobile phone. The US is behind the rest of the world in mobile phone technology & mobile broadband adoption, but Google and the 700 MHz spectrum could be part of the solution.
700 MHz spectrum is currently occupied by cable TV operators. By early 2009 cable's control over the 700 MHz spectrum will give way, due to their forced migration to digital transmission by the US Congress. While the cable companies work on the transition to digital only, the FCC is set to start the spectrum auction no later than January 28, 2008.
The top mobile carriers will all be bidding, with AT&T being the powerhouse. Right now AT&T's top priority is locking out Google of the auction (some call it Google-Fear), primarily because Google's pushing the FCC to foster a more competition friendly wireless sector. This type of mobile sector, in my opinion, is necessary for wide-spread US mobile broadband adoption.
Google's promised a minimum bid of 4.6 million as long as the following four conditions are upheld in consumers' best interests: open applications, open devices, open services, and open networks. These ideas of consumer driven choice, which have produced a thriving Web 2.0 movement, are exactly what AT&T wants to avoid.
AT&T has shot back to the FCC saying that Google shouldn't be allowed to bid if the company isn't willing to play on a level playing field without making its own stipulations on the auction. It's in the telecom's best interest to make it difficult for any newcomers to have a chance in the auction. If the FCC truly sees Google as a potential candidate for winning rights to this spectrum, it will have to take Google's requests into consideration to level the playing field.
Though this is one of the first confirmed instances of Google's intention to become part of the mobile game, earlier this year rumors swirled around the Google phone, code named "Switch". Google's exact intentions haven't been clearly stated, just that if they are bidding, the auction will be held under Google "specs".
I'm optimistic about the long-term potential of mobile broadband both as a consumer and marketer. I think the ultimate determining factor in its US success will be ensuring that the company with consumer focused motivation has the most powerful influence. Google is the best candidate so far.
Search Data Anonymity - Can AskEraser Affect Search Engine Usage?
Posted by steve on July 24, 2007 at 01:30 PM
Yahoo has recently announced that it will join Google, Ask and Microsoft in making search data "anonymous" after a set period of time.
Yahoo stated that after 13 months, search data would become anonymous by deleting all cookie ID and IP address information which could be used to link specific searches to users of their engine.
The pressure on these major companies to not only make search data anonymous, but to also be more open regarding the types of information attained from users, has been more greatly applied since the "accidental" release of user search data from AOL a year ago.
With Yahoo's announcement to conform to anonymous search data, each of the four major engines have succumb to the pressure. Yahoo will be deleting search information following 13 months after a search was performed, and Google, Ask and Microsoft have agreed to do so following 18 months.
In addition to deleting data following 18 months, Ask has taken it one step further by also promising users a feature called AskEraser, which will allow users to erase their own search history.
When enabled, AskEraser will destroy all personal data at the time of the search, likely by cookie identification. To utilize the feature, which Ask has stated will be available in the US and UK later this year, users will have to opt-in and will be shown a reminder that the feature is enabled.
AskEraser provides an additional amount of user privacy that isn't currently offered from Google, Yahoo or Microsoft. Sure, these companies have some valid reasons for storing user data, such as improving algorithms, preventing click fraud and so on, but with all of the private information they have access to, it's my guess that AskEraser will appeal to a lot of users.
While they may not have the advanced algorithm of Google, and may occasionally serve up a few more irrelevant search results, Ask has taken a big step here to protect the privacy of its users, and this response could help to trigger a favorable sway in the level of Ask's user base down the road.
Six Degrees of Social Networking
Posted by Christopher on July 23, 2007 at 03:53 PM
My apologies for the title, but a jillion kudos this month go to Kevin Bacon. Not for Footloose (although if one thing scrapes the dirty crust off my cold black heart it's watching Chris Penn learn to dance), not for rockin' with the Bacon Brothers (no comment), not for rockin' underwear ads with absolutely no discernable sense of shame, but for taking advantage of the genius game of Six Degrees and using the underlying small-world metaphor to raise money for worthy causes via social networking.
Check out SixDegrees.org. The concept is simple: you create a badge linked to any one of the million-plus charities that are part of the Network for Good (NetworkForGood.org), post said badge on your own website or on your page of whatever social network you're part of, and people donate. Easy.
Plus if you raise $10K for your cause, Hanes will send you a free shirt. And there's more! The six folks who raise the most money between now and September 19th get $10K in matching funds from Hanes.
So, social networkers, what are you waiting for? The only drawback to the whole enterprise is that you considerably decrease the number of degrees between you and Kevin Bacon. But, really, is that such a bad thing?
YOU want ME!
Posted by on July 20, 2007 at 02:55 PM
At grave risk of sounding woefully full of myself, I feel it’s incumbent on me to announce to the marketing world that you would do well to target your efforts to me.
Why would I make such an unbelievably and uncharacteristically narcissistic comment? Well, over the years it’s occurred to me that I am what’s known as an influencer and brand advocate. Trust me, it wasn’t easy to admit this to myself as I try to be a pretty modest, low-key individual. Still, the fact remains, for me, ownership is a process that starts with research followed by acquisition, (hopefully) enjoyment, appreciation and advocacy. When I find a product I like and believe in, I just can’t help myself. It becomes my unofficial duty to tell people about it, and explain why they should have one of their own.
I could go on and on with examples from Quaker Oats to gym memberships to sailboat purchases, but honestly it’s a little odd for me to think about it, let alone talk about any influence that little old me could have on the purchasing decisions of those around me.
Influencers and brand advocates are everywhere, and their behavior is (if I may say so) marketing gold.
As a recent column on ClickZ indicates, the reach and power of brand advocates increases daily with more and more online retailers offering product reviews and rankings on their sites. Additionally, user forums, blogs and so forth provide an even greater platform for influencers to spread the word.
Word of mouth is more powerful than ever, so how is a marketer to get products or service offerings in the hands of influencers? Perhaps the biggest key is a good understanding of advocates’ buying behavior.
Brand advocates typically make well thought out purchases. Their decisions are well researched and planned. This drawn-out buying process will generally involve extensive searching, leading advocates to product review sites, blogs and competitor sites. It is here that a marketer is best served by great visibility on a search engine results page.
Additionally, It’s through a relationship and credibility building process that influencers come to love the products and brands that they will later recommend to their circle of influence.
Semantic Web Awaits Its Papillon
Posted by on July 19, 2007 at 10:44 AM
Steve McQueen’s character Papillon never accepted the status quo. He chaffed against his fate, and spent his days thinking up innovative ways to escape the confines and constraints of Devil’s Island.
Henry Petroski’s The Book on the Bookshelf, outlines the evolution of “the book‎. From primitive codicil to jewel-encrusted work of art, and finally to the sleek, attractive tools they are today. The author predicted that the computer would go through a similar evolution (which we have seen as the clunky, cord-entangled beasts they once were have given way to sleek, attractive works of art.)
Both Papillon and Petroski illustrate how innovation occurs when clever people encounter poor designs.
The recent BusinessWeek article about Nova Spivack and his company Radar Networks’ ambitious project of interpreting information online using semantic web technology (set for release this fall) has me delighted! Clever people, having encountered the limitations of today’s internet, are working towards improvement.
However, the example given by BusinessWeek (hard copy only) about typing in the word “sting‎ and getting ambiguous results was lame. Typing in the word “sting‎ and receiving results for a bee sting, the singer Sting and the movie “The Sting‎ makes the assumption that we humans aren’t utilizing our considerable intelligence when doing a search. The ambiguous search result isn’t the fault of the internet or the search engine; it’s the fault of the searcher!
As innovators like Nova Spivack develop smarter web connections and search engines deliver smarter search results, clever human searchers, understanding the limitations of any non-human intelligence, will use more targeted search queries. This is all good news for the keyword conscious SEM world!
So thanks to all you Papillons out there who chafe up against constraints and poor design. I applaud you.
Extra! Extra! Generate Sales, Leads, and... Validation?
Posted by on July 18, 2007 at 02:05 PM
It is not without reason that Google has touted the expansion of its Print Ads program which, as of today, is available in 32 of the top 35 market areas, covering a combined circulation of 30 million.
Marketers understand that the consumer purchase process is increasingly becoming a multi-channel endeavor, and that exposure across all media – online, offline, audio, television – can be of great benefit to the bottom line. To truly optimize campaigns, businesses benefit from exposure in several ad channels, working in concert.
Pay-per-click advertising has been such an unbridled success due to its targeted and dynamic nature. A company’s ability to focus on relevant keywords and make on-the-fly adjustments has brought a level of success that was previously unavailable in the world of advertising.
With that in mind, Google is offering easy, automated customization options in the Print Ads interface, allowing clients to select specific newspapers, sections and days of the week. It’s not hourly dayparting, and it’s not on-a-whim headline adjustment, but it’s about as close as the newspaper world can get.
What struck me as a bit odd, however, was a comment from Spencer Spinnell, head of sales strategy for Google print advertising:
Newspaper is really an excellent way to validate a business that may have been built online.
Validation? Really?
It’s safe to say that, if you’re seeking “validation‎ through Google Print Ads, you’re probably entering the space for the wrong reason. Seek increased revenue, increased synergy, and increased ROI. Don’t seek to justify your existence through the print medium.
Pay-per-click advertising is such a smashing success due to its immediate results and feedback. Advertisers who have thrived in the PPC environment have done so due to a proper focus on key performance indicators, and a willingness to make quick adjustments when their campaigns aren’t performing as planned.
To think that Google, probably the greatest business success story of the last decade, would tout offline marketing as a path to “validation‎ is, well, a bit hypocritical.
That said, I am looking forward to the next time I see a full-page ad for Google in the Sunday paper. I’d imagine it’ll be the first time, as well.
But then, and only then, will Google be respected as a company.
Hmm.
Lindsay Lohan, Drug Rehab & Google Universal
Posted by duncan on July 17, 2007 at 09:51 AM
Everyone in the search engine optimization and marketing world should by now be aware of Google’s new Universal search listings. Examples and advice are starting to come through from some of the top SEO/M firms out there.
Oneupweb recently released its own white paper on the topic: Cashing in on Universal Search: Questions Needing to be Asked, Answers You Need to Know. The paper is a great read and offers its own examples of how companies need to react to new Google search results.
I was chatting with a colleague and he pointed out an interesting example of Google’s new universal results. He had me search the two word keyword drug rehab. When the results loaded it was immediately obvious that something was odd about these listings. The top natural listing was taken from Google News and it also had an image next to it. The image was a picture of actor/singer/socialite Lindsay Lohan and the photo was credited to MTV.com.
My initial reaction was that Google has trivialized a topic that gives both pain and potentially hope to many families that have watched a loved one succumb to drug addiction, by pandering to pop culture pseudo news. Drug rehab looks almost fashionable when you put Lindsay’s face on it. These are my opinions of course, and perhaps I need to look at the bright side. Maybe a Lindsay Lohan fan who is battling drug addiction will take steps to improve their own situation when they see Lindsay working on her problems.
Either way, I think the example illustrates some of the surprising things we are seeing with Google Universal. I encourage website owners and marketers to take the time to search for their important keywords to see if Google’s new SERPs imply a need to take action. Many of you may find your own Lindsay Lohans, good or bad.
School of Search Engine Marketing
Posted by luke on July 16, 2007 at 04:35 PM
The other day I found myself perusing the pages of my old marketing texts from college, looking for the word "internet". My search ended in Chapter 11, The Internet: The Ultimate Direct. My fingertips continued sifting through the content in search of anything related to search engine marketing. Below, you’ll find my profound discovery.
Guidelines for Creating Banner Ads1. Keep it short and simple.
2. Animate three times and then stop.
3. End with the logo or the name.
The truth: If the implementation of SEM were as simple as following a list of guidelines, traditional marketing agencies could slot SEM into media plans with little effort.
This resulting dilemma isn’t necessarily a lack of education, but rather a lack of where to go for an education. For every credible site out there sharing legitimate tips and best practices, there is one sharing outdated and precarious information.
So what can we attribute to such a lack of educational opportunity? Perhaps, the industry itself is our culprit. Is it possible that by the time one earns a degree in Search Engine Marketing that the information taught would be outdated? Most likely. Nonetheless, there is a foundation to SEM beyond a degree in marketing that can provide that essential grasp to move along with the industry, a foundation providing the ability to adapt to every algorithm change and implement timely strategy.
The fact that an industry changes too rapidly is poor justification for it to not be taught. Undoubtedly, site owners have begun to understand the importance of blending SEM with their overall marketing budget. However, there is much to be said about the further acceptance of the industry if it were to become part of a marketing education.
Ultimately, compared to traditional advertising efforts, SEM is still quite young and despite this initial lack of education, there are many qualified individuals out there who are both able and willing to answer any questions that you may have.
Social Media Marketing - It's An Art Form
Posted by on July 13, 2007 at 09:30 AM
First of all, no one in the art community would call the advanced promotion strategies that they employ "social media marketing". Only some label-loving online marketer would say that.
From the horse's mouth:
"It's not marketing. We just DO it. We don't need to call it anything. It's just natural to us."
About six months ago, I was talking to my artist sister Alexis on the phone and she said, "SARAH. Join Virb now - I just sent you an invite."
"What's Verb?" I asked (unwittingly spelling it wrong in my mind).
"I don't know how to explain it, but it's cool, it's got a bunch of artists on it, and it's so much better than MySpace. And there are no weirdos on it."
She was right. Six months ago, Virb.com was a pristine expanse of educated, arty types. And even now, following the inevitable occurrence of an unknown band from Cincinnati requesting to be my friend, I've still only gotten one spammy request.
My sister was lucky enough to have landed a featured-artist spot on the Virb home page a few months ago - courtesy, again, of connections through various people she has met online.
"The internet has facilitated a huge aspect of my career thus far," says Alexis. "I can't imagine that in recent history artists were still mainly dependent on slides and prints and mailing their actual art all over the place. The reach is so much farther and faster now. People get in touch with me from around the world, places my actual art has never been, even in printed form."
Alexis maintains personal social networking pages on Virb, Flickr, and (more reluctantly) MySpace, as well as her own personal website at AlexisAnne.com.
Whether she is being interviewed by a local San Francisco art blog or garnering a mention from FecalFace.com about her recent art show, her online activities and her offline activities to promote herself and her art often go hand in hand.
"It is a VAST world," says Alexis. "I don't even know the extent of it. It's so time consuming, and it's a full-time job to really establish yourself online. I have friends who just copy and paste everything over everything because it's too much work to customize it all."
She's right. From the ThinkFaest! forum at Faesthetic Magazine, to the Saatchi Gallery's huge online community that calls itself "the world's interactive art gallery", I'll never be able to fit it all in this blog post.
Says Alexis' friend Tristan,
About three or four years ago I started to pick up on how powerful social networking communities could be. There are people on there that have had their personal networks boom for little more than being in the right place at the right time.As soon as I began identifying myself as my artwork on communities rather than a guy that creates art, I started to taste the benefits. Commissions, art shows, sales, all kinds of connections and of course exposure really started to turn on for me.
Having an immediate audience for my work is a huge motivation of mine... You don't want to start creating artwork solely to please the people, but a community based on feedback is a great resource for learning.
In summary: As online marketers and content creators, we can learn from these people. We should open ourselves up to all the possibilities that social media sites provide, while also taking care not to abuse the opportunity we have been given for engaging our target audiences. You've got to be real. If you develop meaningful and relevant content, it should get all the attention it deserves - naturally.
Separation of Search and State
Posted by on July 12, 2007 at 10:39 AM
Posted to Google's Health Advertising Blog on June, 29th was an entry called Does negative press make you Sicko? In this post, Google Account Manager Lauren Turner champions the Health Industry by offering them a solution to their Michael Moore-damaged image through, you guessed it, Google Advertising.
Though auspicious by intent, the blog was poorly dressed in partisan language.
Moore attacks health insurers, health providers, and pharmaceutical companies by connecting them to isolated and emotional stories of the system at its worst. Moore’s film portrays the industry as money and marketing driven, and fails to show healthcare’s interest in patient well-being and care.
Kind of makes you want to see the movie, huh?
A follow-up post by Lauren attempts to clean up the mess by reminding folks that this was her opinion, not Google’s. She learned her lesson to the tune of national blogger fury and calls for her humble position.
Although Ms. Turner’s post appears a harmless use of slanted opinions to sell advertising, there is a broader threat present, one concerning the blatant consultation of Google to its advertisers.
As Danny from SearchEngineLand.com enlightens us:
The advice of buying ads is actually good. The problem goes back to the criticism of Moore and more broadly to Google providing strategic advertising advice for industries, where it threatens to lose the neutrality it long has sought to maintain... Google ought to get back to just selling space and not trying to be an ad agency to these groups.
Now, every branch of media has their angle; from mudslinging radio spots to the heavily partisan antics of Fox News and Comedy Central. However, to say there is not a democratic responsibility for the search engines to remain fair and balanced is irresponsible. Recommendations of this nature blur the line between search engine and SEM firm. Being a PPC marketer myself, I want Google bloggers to stay out of my Kool-Aid.
I propose a separation of Search and State. Search Engines shall fill their company pens with only unbiased ink. Companies that vow to offer relevant, quality-based directories assume a civic responsibility to simply offer links, not ad marketing advice, and avoid posting seditious blogs about seditious films.
Google is a presenter of ads. Of course there are tons of methods for improving the quality and visibility of your ads, and Google’s blogs offer plenty of advice to wayfaring marketers looking for the answers. Unfortunately, the generosity gives way to special interest when the advice is aimed at the companies themselves.
Remember that we, the SEO and SEM marketers, are the conductor by which sparks travel from your marketing team to the search engine results pages in best practice form. Therefore, offering strategic search advice directly to the companies themselves is a leg-sweeping kick to those committed to high-quality ad production.
Perhaps there is a benefit for Google to pass along strategic advice. The more businesses they empower, the higher the sales of the brand new Saleforce.com-supported AdWords product. I liken this possibility to television bypassing creative writers and performers, choosing instead to offer “premium‎ programming approved by the consumer and starring the consumer. What we have left is a wasteland of bad reality shows followed by hollow sitcoms. Is that what you want your SERPs to look like?
Representation, Relevancy, and 44 Screws
Posted by samantha on July 11, 2007 at 09:22 AM
A couple of weeks ago, my partner and I went to our local furniture store and found a dining room table set that we fell in love with.
As we discussed how the table would look in our home, we were approached by a salesperson who informed us what a great deal it was. We already liked it and since it was such a good price, we decided to buy it.
When the topic of delivery came up, the salesperson quickly explained that the only thing left to assemble was the table itself; the chairs came pre-assembled. Of course, a box with a dining room table and four assembled chairs wouldn't fit into our car, so we paid the extra delivery charge.
Fast forward to yesterday. Our table was delivered. The delivery men brought in one large box, and when we inquired about the chairs, they informed us that they were in the box, too. It turns out we really didn't need to have it delivered, after all.
To add insult to delivery-charge injury, upon opening the box, there were no assembly instructions. Faced with 44 screws, washers, and various pieces of wood, it was up to me to put together the pieces of the puzzle that would hopefully become our new dining room table.
How does this relate to search engine optimization, marketing, and the search industry? In several ways.
Representation, Relevancy, and Repeat Customers
While the furniture store was relevant for the need of finding furniture, the product wasn't accurately represented. When search engine users are on a mission to find consumer goods, whether it is a new car stereo or a hot pink pair of doggie goggles for their poodle, making sure that the product is accurately represented is critical.
If you misrepresent your product, or users of your site are led on a wild goose chase for the information that Google said they'd find there, the chances of them becoming repeat customers and site visitors is very slim.
Should a customer have a bad experience with your web site because they cannot navigate to the product they need, or have a negative experience with your business from a bad delivery fiasco, are they likely to return? If you're lucky and your branding has a great reputation, perhaps. But, not likely.
While it's great to get thousands of unique hits per month, what good are those hits if your viewers are leaving within 30 seconds because the information isn't relevant, or not coming back because the product they ordered isn't what they were expecting?
Buzz and Word of Mouth
Still true today is the power of word of mouth. With the ever-increasing popularity of blogs, social networking sites, local search networks, and sites dedicated to reviews, the importance of maintaining a good reputation is growing each and every day. It's so important that some companies even have people working to protect their company's online reputation.
If you're not delivering a positive experience and if your product isn't accurately represented, you're probably not going to have people buzzing about what a great product you have - via good ol' word of mouth, or on the Internet.
Importance of the Customer Experience
In conclusion, my experience with the furniture store, the salesperson, and the product that was delivered, made me think about search (as many things usually do). It reinforced my firm belief in the importance of accurate representation, relevancy, and providing a positive customer experience whether in a brick-and-mortar store or an e-commerce online format.
And, in case you're wondering, we did finish putting together the dining room table last night. We didn't even have any extra parts.
Mobile Web - What's Going On?
Posted by chip on July 10, 2007 at 11:36 AM
Well it's been a few months since my last mobile update. I'm sure that has left everyone asking "What's going on". If you've been following the development of the mobile web at all, you know there has been plenty - here are some of the highlights.
Mobile Podcasting -
Samsung and Nokia team up in a partnership with VoiceIndigo to offer podcasts for mobile phones. Samsung mobile phones will come loaded with VoiceIndigo software allowing users to manage their podcast and music files through a handy web interface. In addition to being convenient and easy to use, this will allow them to maintain their preferences when they get a new phone. This venture is supported in part by a click-to-call, click-to-buy advertising model.
Yahoo Go 2.0 -
In an effort to make the mobile web as visually appealing and easily accessible as possible, Yahoo has released a new and improved Go 2.0 interface. Check out the Yahoo Go 2.0 tour for yourself. Everything from email to news to ringtones and local search is very easily accessible and more visually appealing that I've seen it before.
Community Supported Mobile Branding -
Coca-Cola Foods has built a mobile based social community to support their Sprite brand. Sprite Yard is an always on mobile based social networking community targeted directly at teens. Allowing users to interact with the social community in all the typical ways (sharing photos, connecting with peers and discovering content that includes ringtones, mobisodes and other mobile related content) Coca-Cola plans to promote the new site strictly through the use of PIN codes found under Sprite caps.
T.V. on the Go -
DIRECTV and TV Guide are both starting to cater to the ever popular car television screen.
T.V Guide has rolled out a new mobile version of their TV Guide interactive program guide as well as a mobile version of its TV Guide Channel. Now drivers, or preferably passengers, can check local listing through their mobile device or tune into the TV Guide Channel right in their car.
Through a deal with KVH Industries, DIRECTV is broadcasting local programming to car video screens. Including live local news, weather, sports, traffic reports and other local programming, DIRECTV Total Choice Mobile will be offered as a monthly subscription service to select areas.
iPhone -
Saving the biggest news for last - I would tend to believe that unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past several months, you've undoubtedly noticed the release of the much anticipated iPhone. As expected, this release has come with very mixed reviews. Some are calling iPhone the revolutionary breakthrough that will change everything - others are just hoping to get a full refund so they can get their BlackBerry back. Not having an iPhone yet myself, all I can really say is they sure look cool.
In closing I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to Marvin Gaye. I would also like to invite any of you out there to comment on any of these updates as well as any other mobile happenings that have caught your attention.
Getting Wet in Google's Socialstream
Posted by keirsun on July 09, 2007 at 10:27 AM
I may be putting the cart before the rented mule with this post about Google's social networking plans/projects, but similar to others out there, I believe it's never too early for useful information.
According to Carnegie Mellon University's Human-Computer Interaction Institute's website, a Google sponsored project to "rethink and reinvent online social networking" has been completed.
The result of the Master's program project is Socialstream -- "a system where users can seamlessly share, view, and respond to many types of social content across multiple networks."
Just as Google itself is, in a sense, an aggregator for information on the web, my initial impression of Socialstream is that it's an aggregator for content sharing across multiple social networks.
My personal beef with social networking sites has always been one of online geography. Being the content creator, why should I be stuck within the framework of one social network's website? But on the other side of the coin, I don't have the time to maintain personal spaces on multiple networks.
Socialstream's Refined Focus addresses my concerns:
Discover the user needs related to social networking and explore how a unified social network service can enhance their experience.
I think the time-investment issue is a definite barrier keeping many people who juggle full-time jobs and full-time home lives from diving into social networking on a personal level. The Socialstream team appears to be aware of this barrier:
Our team considered how online social networking could bring greater value to users, especially for ages above twenty.
The final Socialstream prototype boasts a number of benefits and features that, if readily available, have the potential to introduce many new faces and profiles to online social networking. Socialstream's greatest asset, however, may be its biggest holdup:
Socialstream would be based on a unified social network (USN), a single network that provides social data to other sites as a service. A service model allows many social networks to be linked together, letting them share both content and the nature of the relationships of the people who use them. A USN would, in practice, be invisible. All participating sites would simply share information through it.
For Socialstream to run at full throttle, it sounds like the popular social networking platforms would have to jump on board and agree to a shared service model. I am doubtful of that being a working relationship that popular network CEOs would agree to.
Where does Socialstream go from here? There's little info on the Carnegie Mellon University website that answer the "What next?" question. But undoubtedly, Socialstream gives us all insight into the quickly approaching future of social networking.
A Mixed Message Leads to Missed Opportunity
Posted by on July 06, 2007 at 01:13 AM
This statement could be accurately applied to lots of situations, but for the sake of sticking to the subject of this blog, I'll try to keep it to search engines. But I apologize for any future digression beforehand, since I'm frequently guilty of that whole digression thing.
Two recent conversations have brought into stark relief the fact that it's a %@#&! miracle anyone is understood by anyone else. Ever. The first involved the topic of communication clarity and how it affects Google (and life in general).
Here is the definition of semiotics from Wikipedia:
For example: one sign could be the image of the word "boy." When I say "boy" or you see the word on a page, an image may pop in your head of a red haired kid with a striped shirt, a fat belly, a dirty face, holding a frog. Another person might have a completely different image: maybe of a skinny teenager riding a skateboard. You get the point. Every word out of our mouths holds myriad possibilities for "misinterpretation."
Apply this to the internet. Specifically, to the HTML behind the internet. I'm assuming the goal of anyone's website is to get a message across. To do this you need search engines. The search engines look at the HTML (source code) of your website. They don't imagine different boys in their head when signs are encountered. The code is either there and functioning or it's not. The markup should be well-structured, which enables your business to take advantage of communication opportunities simply by allowing the search engine to do its job. This achieves your goal: your site gets efficiently spidered; your information gets communicated clearly and accurately. Trying to trick the engines with keyword saturation, link bait, et al. will only yield temporary results. When you pay attention to SEO, the algorithm will do its job and your site will rise in the search results.
However, since the internet was created and continues to be expanded by recently evolved apes, unexpected things can happen.
Now let's make things more interesting. Take the word "hidden." Search engines don't glean innuendo from that word like humans do. Even the smarty pants over at Google got a bit uncomfortable in a recent event. Apparently it caused a bit of an uproar when this word was encountered in the source code of pages that had javascript drop down menus to provide static text to pages for optimization purposes.
Understandably, Google is very uncomfortable with sites that engage in chicanery. Even though technically there had been no rule-breaking behavior, that little word, "hidden," right here in 2007, amid the progress of these post-post-postmodern times, was very upsetting, simply because of its connotation. So now, we're advised, that even though the navigation menu you're creating is, for all intents and purposes, not "hidden" in the sense Google suspected, but right there in the code, please don't use that word. It makes some of us very uncomfortable.
I've heard idealist programmer types say that the web is a mess and should be cleaned up, it's a damn shame, etc. etc. But I find the inefficiency of the web to be fascinating at times. I see it as yet another manifestation of the rumpus that is humanity. It would be nice if the world were more efficient, but at what cost? The internet was created by imperfect beings: apes, struggling with biology and trying to communicate with one another. Every once in awhile, in this glossy electronic age, this fact becomes crystal clear and all the progress we've made seems somehow artificial.