Get Ready To Get Social in 2008

Posted by amy on December 31, 2007 at 09:41 AM

Attention online retailers! The New Year is only hours away so make the most of what's left of 2007 and get ready for the follow-up to Oneupweb's popular social media marketing study, Secrets of Social Marketing Success: How 2007 Hot Holiday Products Are Being Marketed Online.

Back in September, Oneupweb took a look at some of the season's projected hot products and retailers and how they were using social media marketing as a part of their overall online marketing strategy. We have revisited the websites of the twelve marketers we profiled and have found that a number of them have adopted some even more innovative and aggressive social marketing tactics. Get ready to make the most of social media in 2008; read Secrets of Social Marketing Success: How 2007 Hot Holiday Products Are Being Marketed Online and get ready for the follow-up-coming soon! For those who just can't wait to know how the subjects of our study fared over the holiday season, here's a sneak peek.

Starbucks
What made most industry headlines this season was Starbucks' first serious foray into TV advertising. The warm, animated spots have been well received, but it's the new social media initiatives on Starbuck's website that caught our attention.

The company provides easy-to-use graphic and text components to design your own Starbucks Card - the ultimate in a personalized gift card. Unlike similar online offers, the graphic and message choices are nearly infinite. The feature encourages creativity, increasing engagement and time on their site.

Another social networking initiative onsite is their "pass the cheer" e-card. The idea is to personalize your holiday message and then pass it on to a network of friends, which Starbucks geographically maps from person to person. Visitors are encouraged to engage in a little friendly competition to see how large and far flung a network of greetings they can create.

Pleo
Before it even had a product to sell, the company had set up its own social network where new Pleo (a six-inch robotic dinosaur) owners could create a profile and share stories through a personal Plog (Pleo blog). Pictures and videos of the members' new electronic pets dot the network. A week before Christmas, the PleoWorld community network was up and running with about 2,000 members. After Christmas morning, the community was expected to grow rapidly.

Pleo's creator, Ugobe, has not rested on its laurels. They have encouraged participation throughout their community with an essay contest and free mystery holiday downloads for Pleo owners. The memory card feature of the Pleo allows members to add new sounds and gestures to their pet by visiting the site and downloading. It's a reason to return to the Pleo site often, where the company can promote new features and products.

WebKinz
Not all is rosy in the land of online holiday social marketing. WebKinz, the plush toy site by Ganz, whose virtual world for kids first attracted our attention last September, stumbled recently when they started accepting advertising within their "kid safe" virtual world. Parents and media watchdog groups have cried foul. Ganz has discovered that social media can be a double-edged sword, as criticism has grown through established social networks.

The Ganz experience notwithstanding, social media marketing has played an increasingly important role in brand development, consumer loyalty and direct sales increases this past holiday season. Watch for the concept to continue to grow as results receive greater scrutiny in the days to come.

Have a happy and safe New Year and remember to visit OneUpWeb.com to get the full story, coming in early 2008.

Coasting Into January

Posted by on December 28, 2007 at 02:46 PM

Ah, the week between Christmas and New Years - most of us have started (or already have been) coasting into January. It's that magical week of the year when it's okay that productivity grinds to a halt while we all gather at home (ours or relatives') to bake cookies, watch football and practice Guitar Hero 3.

Well, amid all of this "coasting" comScore released their November U.S. Search Engine Rankings. Riveting, isn't it? On the surface, no. Total searches declined from October by about five percent; Google's share of searches increased by two tenths of a percent while Yahoo lost ground and Microsoft pushed.

Yawn.

Farther down the page is the "Expanded Search Query Report" that contains a few little pearls of delicious, statistical significance. Here's the meat of this report that would easily be missed during this week's push to get nothing done:

comScore reports that while Google properties accounted for nearly 7.4 billion searches this month (over 52% of total queries). The number of searches on Google.com actually fell 4.2% while searches on Google partner sites increased by 9.3%.

Now don't get me wrong, this is not one of those "search is dead" posts that the Chicken Littles of the industry are throwing into the air along with their distressed hands. Search is alive as it ever has been and the future's paved with hundred dollar bills. Besides, these values can hardly be considered an actionable trend (last month comScore reported a 14.8% jump in Google.com searches in October over September). So, please folks, let's stop the needless rending of garments & gnashing of teeth - search is fine.

What is interesting, though, is the inversion of values during the throes of the holiday shopping season. There's no question that Google's collection of search network & partner sites (YouTube, Blogger, et al) has grown into something of its own juggernaut; besting Microsoft & Time Warner (AOL) search properties in terms of the number of monthly queries. What's more is the amalgamation of Google partners is swiftly closing in on Yahoo who continues to lose share.

November's 9.3% increase coupled with a 6.5% increase in October indicates that these partner sites continue to capture a greater share of monthly searches. As social media continues to strengthen its foothold in the online marketplace so too will the presence and might of Google partner sites.

So, when you and the rest of your marketing team get back to the office next week, take some time to talk about how you plan to market your products and/or services not only in the context of search, but also in the brave, new world of social media.

Oh, and if you'd like some assistance with that, let us help.

The Queen Celebrates Christmas on YouTube

Posted by on December 27, 2007 at 10:07 AM

50 years ago Britain's Queen Elizabeth II made her first live, televised Christmas message with a grainy, black and white broadcast. Today, at 81 years of age, Britain's most well known Grandmother has joined the social networking generation.

This past weekend the Queen announced that her annual Christmas message would be viewable to eyes around the world via YouTube. The Queen's 2007 Christmas message also includes video of that very first Christmas broadcast along with other Royal Family videos.

Click Video to Watch

Two years ago the Queen's Christmas message was distributed as a podcast, giving viewers the option to view it at anytime in any location.

Broadcasting the Queen's Christmas message online via a podcast or YouTube offers many benefits. The potential for her message to reach a more international venue increases dramatically. And of course, the Queen of England no longer has to broadcast her Christmas message live. Her message is prerecorded, giving her the option to critique and modify the video before it goes live to millions of viewers.

However, the Queen has chosen not to use a couple YouTube features that can help increase a video's online buzz. Viewers cannot provide immediate feedback to the Queen's message; adding comments has been disabled. Also, the embed function has been disabled, therefore prohibiting viewers from adding the video to their own blogs or websites.

Regardless, a lot has changed since the Queen's first broadcast in 1957. From radio to television to podcasting and YouTube, families today have the luxury of hand-picking the content they would like to view and the medium they view it on.

As Queen Elizabeth II continues to demonstrate, it is important to keep up with the changes in technology and social networking, even at 81 years of age.

I can't help but wonder what is next for the Royal Family; perhaps I'll run into Queen Elizabeth on MySpace, or William and Harry on Match.com.

Top Ten StraightUp Posts of 2007

Posted by keirsun on December 26, 2007 at 01:37 PM

With Christmas behind us and a new year closing in fast, it's a good time to take a look back at 2007, StraightUpSearch™ style.

We've blogged on a vast array of online marketing topics in the past 12 months, and to celebrate our StraightUp and steadfast gaze on the internet marketing landscape, I have compiled a Top Ten list of our most popular blog posts from 2007. Drum roll please...

10. Does Online Success Justify MLB/DirecTV Deal? - A pre-Mitchell-Report Major League Baseball enters into an exclusive partnership with DirecTV. Learn how the league's internet division fostered the deal.

9. The Fantastic Four: Google, Yahoo, MSN & Ask - Once again, art imitates life or vice-versa. We compare the major search engines to the Fantastic Four's silver screen sequel, so you know which has the power to save your search experience.

8. Black Friday, Cyber Monday & The Holiday Retail Sales Forecast - Brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers will always have one thing in common: Thanksgiving weekend - the litmus test for the holiday shopping season.

7. Panama! (Yahoo, not Van Halen) - Little did we know when this was posted that the legendary rock group would choose 2007 as the year to reunite. Did the title of Yahoo's new and improved search marketing platform spark the decision to get the band back together? Only Eddie and Alex know the truth.

6. Windows Vista - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Move your favorite Spaghetti Western theme song to the top of your playlist, then dive into our own System Admin's account of his first impressions of Microsoft's new operating system.

5. Thank You for being a Friend - Explore how the basic human relationship of friendship has been affected by the internet, specifically social networks such as MySpace.

4. iCrossing Layoffs - So Many Questions! - This was, without a doubt, our most commented-on blog post of 2007.

3. Vertical vs. Horizontal Search - Can highly targeted, vertical search engines provide traffic and conversions? Read this post to find out.

2. Unmasking the Decepticon: TransformersMovie.com Battles Usability - Even robots have usability issues. Especially robots in disguise of a much-hyped summer blockbuster.

1. CSS Table Tutorial - A little CSS inspiration for web designers searching for a cleanly coded table chart.

And that's our Top Ten list for 2007. Special thanks to our readers who return for a daily dose of StraightUpSearch.

We hope to see you all again in the New Year!

Corporate Christmas Eve

Posted by on December 21, 2007 at 08:04 AM

Today is Corporate Christmas Eve. A day to wrap up a week of zoning out because our extended family is en route; a day to remove the soggy lunches from the break room refrigerators that were ignored due to the week-long potluck; a day to reflect upon the good times you would have had with your holiday bonus check had you not purchased a boat in June.

It is important that while we are rushing about, in-and-out of stores and websites, that we take time to acknowledge the blessings that have been placed upon us. The fact that you are reading this means you're lucky enough to have a computer, internet access, and an involvement in Search Marketing - one of the fastest growing industries our economy can offer us.

Let us take a moment and consider the idea of search. Any poet will tell you that everyone is searching for something; any economist will tell you that it is this endless searching that ultimately pays my bills. I spend my days learning what it is my clients have that users want, and how they look for it online. But what else, besides my clients' offerings, are people searching for?

Here in our fair state of Michigan, a majestic winter paradise born on the backs of hardworking, blue-collar families, people are searching for jobs. Michigan already leads the nation in unemployment and is expected to lose another 51,200 jobs in 2008, according to a University of Michigan forecast. We have lost 34 percent of our automotive jobs alone over the past five years. Maybe there is something we can do about it. If search marketers in the U.S. can effectively sell vehicles online, or at least spark an interest that leads to domestic-made vehicle sales, perhaps we can help revive the automotive industry and give the gift these families really need: a chance to be happy, healthy and prosperous.

While you are digging through online catalogs and crowded shopping sites searching for exactly what your children requested (good luck on the Nintendo Wii), do so with an introspective heart knowing that, as of Dec. 14th, there are 218 families in Michigan searching only for their missing children. It's refreshing to see organizations utilizing sponsored ads on search terms such as "missing children Michigan", helping guide both the curious and the concerned toward the many databases available to Americans. If we can do our part on and offline to bring these families back together for the holidays, we are giving something of immeasurable value back to our community.

Before you get caught up in the madness of the holiday season, take a deep breath. Enjoy the creature comforts fate has afforded us. Cherish every second spent with family and loved ones. Most importantly, look deep inside and ask yourself, "What am I searching for?" True happiness? Someone to love? Something to believe in? Whatever it is you need, remember that there is always a search engine online waiting to help you find the answer.

Peace be with you, from all of us here at Oneupweb.

Capitalizing on Local Directories

Posted by steve on December 20, 2007 at 11:31 AM

As an important and increasingly popular source of business information, local online directories provide businesses with an opportunity to further expand their presence, message and offerings throughout the Web.

To help ensure you are capitalizing on another avenue of potential revenue generation, here are a few questions that you should be asking yourself:

Is your business currently listed in local directories?

Although you may not have submitted your business to directories such as Google Local, Yahoo Local, Live Maps or Ask City (as well as others), that doesn't mean that it's not listed. These directories pull information from a variety of sources, some more trusted than others, and then present that information to trustful users.

Are your listings accurate?

Once you have confirmed whether your business is listed, you should ensure that all of the information is accurate and up-to-date. Because these directories pull information from a range of sources, users may be served inaccurate information, such as the wrong address, phone number, etc.

Are your listings verified?

Regardless of whether your information is accurate, you should verify all of your business listings in local directories. If a part of your listing is inaccurate, verifying your ownership will allow you to correct any flaws. If your information is accurate, verifying ownership will help to ensure that it remains that way.

One of the issues that local directories are currently dealing with is the proliferation of spam and inaccurate data. While many have safeguards in place to help ensure the accuracy of data (and are continually working to enhance these safeguards), it currently remains a large problem.

Business information submitted following ownership verification will take precedence over that which is pulled from outside sources, guaranteeing that users and potential customers will be presented with the information that you want to present.

There are other, more intricate processes involved in making sure your business receives the maximum amount of benefit from local directory listings, those which involve endeavors both on and off of your website. These, however, are the first steps which should be taken to ensure that those who are seeking out your products and services via these channels, find the accurate information they're looking for.

Writers Strike Schmiters Strike - It's All Online

Posted by duncan on December 19, 2007 at 09:17 AM

Like most Americans I enjoy a little bit of television. There always seems to be at least a show or two that has caught my interest. Usually, I am into comedy, but I have been known to watch Lost a couple of times.

One of my favorite shows is The Office. The show cracks me up. If laughter is the best medicine, you could argue that The Office is prescription strength. With no new episodes recently, I haven't been too disappointed in the reruns. Amazingly you can still find a couple of new things to laugh at, even when you've watched a 20 minute (after commercials) show for the third time.

This season The Office has been running commercials encouraging people to go to DunderMifflinInfinity.com. This is NBC's official social networking site for The Office. Yeah, yeah, all you fans out there already know this. So what are you getting to, Duncan?

I guess I just wanted to point out that while the Writers Guild of America strike has prevented us fans from seeing new episodes of our favorite shows, there's been nothing to stop the networks and fans from continuing the love between each other.

DunderMifflinInfinity.com has so much content it would take you hours to go through it all. And much of what's there adds to the laughter that starts on a Thursday night. At this point I can interact with the show 24-7-365. I can hit blogs about The Office and meet other people. We can compare notes, argue, laugh more, and even get up to the minute news on all of our favorite actors associated with the show. Most blogs and even the corporate DunderMifflinInfinity.com have new content posted as recently as yesterday.

We can watch shows online, and interact with shows online. How much do we miss the writers now that we the fans are doing our own fair share of writing? We can laugh on our own. How empowering.

Is there a lesson here? I'm not sure. I'd love to hear from any on strike writers if they are willing to chime in. Networks and fans alike are welcome to comment. Is this strike as meaningful now that we have the Internet?

Google's Knol - Attack of a Clone

Posted by mike k on December 18, 2007 at 02:58 PM

Google is at it again. This past week the search engine company announced its Project Knol, yet another clone of Wikipedia's user-generated knowledge database.

According to Google a "knol" is a "unit of knowledge". Sounds very similar to a "wiki". Also according to Google, the main difference between Knol and other collaborative content sites is that this one will put more focus on the author.

Here is the party line straight from the official Google blog.

Knols will include strong community tools. People will be able to submit comments, questions, edits, additional content, and so on. Anyone will be able to rate a knol or write a review of it. Knols will also include references and links to additional information. At the discretion of the author, a knol may include ads. If an author chooses to include ads, Google will provide the author with substantial revenue share from the proceeds of those ads.

Our goal is to encourage people who know a particular subject to write an authoritative article about it.

From the sounds of it, Knol will offer everything that Wikipedia currently offers but will allow for the inclusion of ads at the authors discretion. I think the idea of revenue sharing is great but I must question exactly what is considered a "substantial revenue share" and what would be considered an "authoritative article".

Other questions arise such as, "Will those who edit articles also be compensated?", "What protections will be put in place to prevent plagiarism?", "Will "Knol" articles eventually be given preferential positioning in SERP pages?" In regards to the last question, Google's Udi Manber says, "Our job in Search Quality will be to rank the knols appropriately when they appear in Google search results." If Google will be the one deciding what is considered an "appropriate" rank then any hopes of objectivity have vanished.

Wikipedia is well known for the inaccuracy of its articles and despite Google's mention that it will allow for ratings and reviews of I doubt that the average internet user will have adequate knowledge on all of the topics they rate to make the ratings indicative of the accuracy of the information presented. Google admits the shortcomings of the system in this quote.

"Once testing is completed, participation in knols will be completely open, and we cannot expect that all of them will be of high quality."

One more difference that I would like to highlight is that Wikipedia has set a policy that all articles be written from a "neutral point of view". The information presented thus far seems to indicate that the Knol system will be counting on user reviews and rankings to weed out one-sided articles and propaganda.

I have to give credit to Google for trying something "new" but my initial impression is similar to when I read about Orkut and Google Talk: "Do we really need this?"

The Knol project is still in a closed, invitation-only beta and there is no telling when or if the project will be opened to the public. In the meantime feel free to read more about Google's Knol project on this Wikipedia page.

The Beginning of the End

Posted by vern on December 17, 2007 at 04:26 PM

We knew it was coming. We knew it would happen about this time of year. We're talking with clients every day about its inevitable arrival.

No, it's not the asteroid collision that will end life on earth as we know it. It's the end of the online holiday shopping season - that string of 3-4 days of declining unique visit numbers and website sales totals, documenting the beginning of the end of the online shopping frenzy.

Oneupweb manages paid search initiatives for many e-commerce clients spanning the gift giving universe. The "end" begins for each of them at different times. Those specializing in what economists call durable goods see it earlier than those selling video games and gift cards. We help our clients postpone the inevitable.

Two factors impact the arrival of the "end" for our clients, even delay it for some. The first, being the prospecting/branding done through paid search early in November.

For example, toy retailers had a tough time early in the shopping season due to the lead paint scare. By using general focus "toy" keywords we were able to introduce a client's site to shoppers who may not have been aware that they sold toys. Theirs is an established brand with parents and kids of all ages. It's a trusted name, so once shoppers arrived at the site, they already had a positive impression of the company and products offered.

Capturing toy shoppers while they researched safe and educational toys proved invaluable in driving sales when they were ready to buy. Return visits to purchase on the site over this past weekend were tremendous. Return visits paid for with clicks 6 weeks earlier. And guess what? Click costs were cheaper 6 weeks ago.

The other factor in postponing the arrival of the "end" is a well thought out and executed fulfillment & shipping process.

Our same client utilizes same-day order processing and expedited shipping options. The advantage here is obvious. Customers can order many days later than on competing sites and still be guaranteed delivery by Christmas. Shipping details and cut-off dates are prominently displayed on every page of their website. Those three additional days of holiday sales will make a solid contribution to the bottom line for this client.

Paid search marketing allowed this client to aggressively prospect for new customers while they were open to suggestion. Paid search also helped turn negative press into a competitive advantage in a very challenging retail environment. These are two powerful lessons to remember in planning for the 2008 holiday shopping season.

Happy Holidays!

Google's Online Marketing Challenge

Posted by on December 14, 2007 at 11:53 AM

Previously here, we've criticized the lack of education related to Search Engine Marketing. There are myriad reasons that this is the case, of course, including the relative newness (still) of the industry, its constantly-evolving strategies, and the unending stream of new technology. This doesn't translate well to the world of 80-dollar textbooks.

So Google has done what Google does - they've taken this matter into their own ever-expanding hands. Announced yesterday, the Google Online Marketing Challenge will have the dual effect of introducing students to paid search marketing and, down the line, adding a thin layer to Google's already well-lined pockets.

The rough concept:

• Professors register their classes for the contest, and divide them into groups.


• Google gives each group $200 in AdWords credit.


• Student groups recruit local businesses that have a website, but no paid search accounts, to be their guinea pigs.


• During a three-week period between February and May, the groups run paid search campaigns.


• Students generate before and after reports.


• One group wins.

This is nothing new, of course, as corporations have been gleaning free labor from college students in the form of marketing plans for as long as there have been corporations, marketing curricula, and a desire for free labor. But this is the first I've heard in the pay-per-click arena, and it's a nice program.

I wish there were something to criticize here, because it's fun to criticize Google's increasing presence in our lives and in the organization of the world's information. (Or is it the theft of the world's information?) But, really, there's not much here to quibble with.

Google probably could have provided a bit more lead time - I'd imagine that most professors already have their marketing syllabi in place - and Google is being evasive about what's at stake. (Memo to Google: You're worth $700 a share. "Participation is prize enough" is an unacceptable answer. So are Google mugs.)

But really, students stand to learn something and, maybe, find an interest in a growing industry with a dearth of experienced practitioners. We know that paid search works, and the local businesses stand to benefit from the short-term marketing efforts of the students.

And, yes, Google stands to benefit when those local businesses continue their campaigns long after the contest has ended. Google wins again. Google always wins. Again.

Top-10 Mobile Updates of 2007

Posted by chip on December 13, 2007 at 04:36 PM

Well, the year is drawing to a close and it's time to reflect on all that has happened during the past 12 months in the world of the mobile web.

• 10: Mobile Webaroo:
  You all knew it was coming, so let's just get to the Webaroo item right out of the gate. In 2007, Webaroo released a mobile version of its software.


• 9: Mobile Podcasts:
  I know what you're thinking, between the iPod, Creative Labs, and seemingly tens of thousands of other MP3 players, haven't podcasts been mobile for... well... forever? Perhaps, but 2007 brought the podcast to the mobile phone. VoiceIndigo software allows users to manage their podcast and music files through a handy web interface on their Samsung or Nokia mobile phones. So maybe this one would be more appropriate as Mobile phone Podcasts.


• 8: Mobile Sharing:
  A few significant services centered around sharing content between mobile devices were released in 2007, including a couple of my favorites - Vringo & Pinger.


• 7: Mobile Social Networking:
  Not only did 2007 see social communities continue to grow, it also saw them take to the mobile front. Vodafone and MySpace announced a partnership that brought MySpace software to the mobile phone.

There's no way the mobile web was going to grow without advertising. In 2007, we saw several significant advancements in mobile advertising, including numbers five and six on this list:

• 6: Mobile Advertising Standards:
  The GSMA developed mobile advertising standards.


• 5: Mobile Advertising Channels:
  All three major search engines took their advertising networks to the mobile space. Some new mobile advertising opportunities, such as 4info and Go2, entered the playing field as well.


• 4: Mobile Search:
  Mobile search took several leaps forward this past year. Some of the most notable include the GPS location-aware mobile search service and voice activated Live Search that came out of Sprint and Microsoft's relationship. And, of course, 1(800)GOOG-411, which allows you to search for local businesses with a simple phone call.


• 3: Mobile TV:
  Between NBC, CBS, ESPN and the fairly extensive fall lineup on V-cast this year, it doesn't seem like there wasn't much television that didn't go mobile in 2007.


• 2: The iPhone:
  Not long ago I would have pegged the iPhone as a shoe-in for the number one spot on my mobile countdown for 2007. I don't think a day passed this year without hearing some buzz about it.


• 1: Verizon Opens its Mobile Platform:
  Though the impact of this remain to be seen, I have to say that the potential implication of Verizon's plans to open up its platform deserves the much coveted number one spot in any mobile list.

Wow, what a year for mobile. When you look at it all in front of you like that, it's really amazing how much this space has matured over the course of a single year. Don't get too sentimental yet though, 2008 promises to be a banner year as well.

PPC Automation: Robots vs Humans

Posted by drew on December 12, 2007 at 02:21 PM

Searching on the Internet can be a highly emotional experience. Users respond emotionally to the content they see, even ads. Whether the ads pertain to lead-generation or e-commerce, an emotional response triggers the user to investigate beyond the advertisement.

As a PPC manager, I research and analyze many of these emotional triggers in an effort to improve my campaigns. So, why would a business not want my services? Because there is buzz in the PPC industry that automation is more effective than having an individual manage your paid search campaigns.

Take shelter; the great Robot-Human war has begun!

There is an obvious reason for implementing PPC automation: Cost. Some of the automated services offer a flat fee to run your campaigns, keeping your costs steady and regulated. And with an automated system managing your campaigns, less time is spent on PPC management tasks.

Sadly, both of these points also lead to one very big downside: lack of personalized management.

Less time may be spent, but that time will be spent on managing the campaign to a set of rules, not flexible marketing initiatives and goals. Costs may be less, but will you see the return on your investment? Or, could your return on investment be higher with an actual PPC manager?

Another argument I've heard in favor of PPC automation is that the company using the service has more control over the campaign. One would think, when using an automation service, that the tendency would be to "set it and forget it." If that is not the case, a user is still needed to align the service to work with the overall marketing goals. This is no different than clearly communicating your marketing objectives to your PPC manager. Then your PPC manager can actively make adjustments to campaigns that align with your marketing objectives.

Finally, PPC automation services may offer suggestions of ad copy optimization, keyword addition/deletion and overall campaign performance, but again, these services are based on computational rules, not rational human thought. Can these rules decipher human emotion?

An automation service can't understand an emotional response from a user, or perform the follow up research to find out why the user responds as such and maximize ROI based on that response.

A good PPC manager will be able to dig further and find out more about your customers than any service. If they're smart, a PPC manager will even share that data with you to help grow the rest of your marketing initiatives.

McCain Buys Hillary. Mitt Buys A Bunch. Others By Stand.

Posted by on December 11, 2007 at 12:45 PM

The is the second in our ongoing series about the evolving 2008 Presidential Campaign as it's being waged online. This time we'll be talking about paid search.

The paid search dimension of the campaign hasn't changed much since the end of September. At that time Oneupweb's research found that the amount and kind of ads being purchased online varied significantly by both the parties and the candidates.

Specifically, in a one-afternoon sampling, we found that some candidates had an active paid search campaign in place, while others either hadn't begun their online paid campaigns, or had no plans to do so. The most active PPC campaigns on September 27th were:

Republicans
• John McCain - The number four ranked Republican on September 27th was the party's number one advertiser, running 17 ads, four of which targeted Republican competitor names.
• Mitt Romney - He had a total of 16 ads running, 9 of which were for Republican opponents' names.
• Fred Thompson - He ran two ads, both targeted at his own name.
• Rudy Giuliani - He had just one ad, which was targeted to his name.

Democrats
• Barack Obama - His was the only campaign running paid advertising. He was on all four search engines we tracked, running a total of 14 ads. None of the ads focused on an opponent's name.

What's New?

On December 6th we looked at the paid activity again among the seven leading contenders.

Among the Republicans we found no ads for Rudy Giuliani, compared to one ad purchased for his name on September 27th. Fred Thompson continued his two ad schedule on Google and Cranky. Romney had 15 (compared to 16) paid ads, and had notably stopped running ads on two competitors' names that he bought in September - John McCain and Fred Thompson. John McCain ran three fewer ads, dropping a few general keyword terms and "Mitt Romney" while adding three ads on the keyword "Hillary Clinton".

Just as in September, Barack Obama was the only Democrat doing paid advertising, although he has apparently reduced his buy considerably (from 14 down to 9). The only candidate name that he has purchased is his own.

What's Going On?

In part one of our 2008 Presidential Campaign series, I noted that although most campaigns were employing some fairly sophisticated social media tactics, none of the candidate websites reflected even basic natural optimization. The standard search strategy for companies whose websites are poorly optimized is to buy their way onto the page through paid search. With a few notable exceptions, this is not happening either. So what is going on?

My guess is that front-runners Clinton and Giuliani are reserving their resources while waiting to see which opponents are able to mount an effective online offensive. Romney, who needed to increase both name awareness and national visibility, had the money to buy himself onto search pages and did. Fred Thompson's camp may have felt their candidate already had the national exposure due to his acting career and didn't need the ads at this time. While John McCain's campaign, which had been slipping until recently, is taking the most aggressive strategy by targeting the other party's front-runner, Hillary Clinton. The idea, apparently, is to position McCain as the only Republican candidate who can beat Senator Clinton.

What Next?

Were I to be advising one of the candidates about paid ads - online and offline - I'd tell them to pull back until around the first of the year. Right now they should be sharpening their message and testing creative. The electorate is distracted by the holidays and ad space is crowded and expensive.

With the primaries starting early in January, however, expect the amount and competitive ferocity of paid advertising by all the candidates to increase across the board. Look for local search and ad placement to play an important role, as well. And watch the social outlets for dirty tricks on all sides.

We'll check in next month to see how the early primaries are impacting the online activity of campaign '08.

Update: This series continues with: Democratic Debate - Capitalizing on Heated Exchanges.

AskEraser Wipes the Search Slate Clean

Posted by keirsun on December 11, 2007 at 09:41 AM

As of this morning, Ask.com is making it amazingly simple for its users to search anonymously. The new feature is called AskEraser.

All it takes is two clicks to enable AskEraser - one click on the "AskEraser" link in the top-right corner of an Ask.com page, and one click on the "Turn on AskEraser" confirmation message.

(Click Image to Enlarge)

So how exactly does AskEraser allow users to become anonymous searchers?

Normally, Ask.com stores user search activity data on its servers for 18 months. Turning on AskEraser essentially allows Ask.com to delete your search activity data from its servers within a couple of hours.

This search activity data can include:

• Search Terms Used
• Links Clicked
• IP Address
• User ID Cookie
• Session ID Cookie

Ask.com points out that AskEraser does not erase data collected by its third party partners. For example, Ask.com uses Google to supply its paid search results. According to the New York Times, "Under an agreement between the two companies, Ask.com will continue to pass query information on to Google."

Google retains personal search data for 18 to 24 months.

Ask.com also states:

We cannot delete your search activity from the servers of third-party companies that receive your search queries to provide you with certain aspects of our search results (for example, current weather conditions, stock market summaries, etc.), sponsored search results and other product features.

Ask.com offers more information about the new feature here: About AskEraser

So what's the big deal about keeping search engine user data private?

Last year, AOL voluntarily released the private search data of more than 650,000 of its users. In the wake of a massive user outcry, AOL quickly apologized for the data release.

Not long before the AOL incident, the Bush Administration demanded that the major search engines hand over user search activity data and backed-up their demands with a handful of subpoenas. The Search Engine Watch Blog has been continuing to update this news.

In short, search activity data can provide insightful information about a search engine's users. AskEraser pushes search privacy a step in the right direction.

Google, Subdomains & Subdirectories, Oh My!

Posted by teal on December 10, 2007 at 10:54 AM

You're an IT professional and your company has just launched a new product line that is independent from the central roster of offerings. Marketing just came to you and it's your job to create an area of the website devoted to this special new development.

A fair amount of content has already been developed and as you leaf through the new copy, it's apparent that this product line stands alone from what your company has historically offered; it's an innovation in your industry and you think it needs a special place to live online - maybe a subdomain? Or would it be better to house the new content within a subdirectory?

In the past week or so, there has been significant chatter online about Google's stance on subdomains. Where historically, subdomains have been a great place for differentiated products or services, blogs, forums, informational content about a specific industry term, etc. and have enabled your company to hold positions with more than one domain, it appears Google is changing how it handles subdomains for some queries. Matt Cutts, the head of Google's webspam team, explains that in the past,

Google has used something called "host crowding," which means that Google will show up to two results from each hostname/subdomain of a domain name. That approach works very well to show 1-2 results from a subdomain, but we did hear complaints that for some types of searches (e.g. esoteric or long-tail searches), Google could return a search page with lots of results all from one domain. In the last few weeks we changed our algorithms to make that less likely to happen in the future.

In fact, Matt mentions that this new tweak has actually been in place for a bit already and no one has really seemed to notice yet.

The Affected Search Query

It is important to note that this change is not universal and does not affect results where the domain and subdomains are very relevant to the search query; branded terms will still return all relevant queries.

For example "oneupweb corporate podcasting" still returns results from both Oneupweb.com and one of our subdomains: Podgarden.Oneupweb.com (4 results total).

The types of queries expected to be affected are obscure or long-tail terms that a particular domain (subdomains included) are highly relevant for. These terms would not be branded terms, which is why some users would be frustrated when they receive many results from one domain.

Here's an example where two Oneupweb sites (main and subdomain) position for one non-branded query: "corporate podcast production". See Podgarden.Oneupweb.com at #1 & 2 and Oneupweb.com at #18.

So which is it? Subdomain or Subdirectory?

In his blog post, Matt Cutts leans toward subdirectories/folders, however his reason seems to be one of convenience, simplicity, and ease rather than of business goals or SEO.

When determining whether your blog, forum, or new product line should live on a subdomain or subdirectory, it's important to keep in mind the purpose of subdomains and what they're used for, and that the Google algorithm change will only apply to certain queries.

John Lennon, Dimebag Darrell, and SEO

Posted by on December 07, 2007 at 08:35 AM

In addition to being an SEO, I am also a musician. Because of this, December 8th carries a great deal of significance to me: it was the date that two of my biggest influences were slain. Both John Lennon and Dimebag Darrell Abbot (Pantera, Damageplan) not only created timeless music that helped define rock and roll, pushing it into uncharted territory, they did it with different, yet admirable approaches that I try to bring to SEO every day.

John Lennon's Vision
"The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility."
- John Lennon

As a Beatle, he not only helped lay the blueprint of rock and roll that we still use today, he helped elevate it to something more than music. In his solo career, he saw the potential of his music to act as a vehicle for something bigger. He used music to call out injustices. He used his music to inspire hope. He used his music to make a difference.

I see the internet as something similar. The internet is a superhighway; each of our clients has a message. As an SEO, I can help be part of the vehicle that gets the message in front of the people for whom it will make a difference, whether that difference is: helping people plan for retirement so they don't have to work forever, helping those with cancer find new/different treatment options, helping young couples find interior design materials that can help turn their first house into a home, and more.

Each of our clients exist because their products or services make a difference to their consumers. Remembering that what we do, as SEOs, makes a difference in the lives of thousands (even millions) of people is both motivating and rewarding.

Dimebag Darrell's Passion
"When I tried to play something and screwed up, I'd hear some other note that would come into play. Then I started trying different things to find the beauty in it."
-Dimebag Darrell

Heavy metal, baby. Whether you love it, or whether you don't, like any genre of music, it has its prominent figures. In heavy metal, Dimebag Darrell is a character who cast a long shadow. In the early '90s when grunge and alt-rock were rolling across the rock landscape, many metal bands tried changing to fit in. Some simply quit.

Not Pantera.

They stayed the course. And they turned out some of the most well-respected and best-selling albums in heavy metal history. Through it all, however, Darrell's position was never militant or about "fighting the fight in the name of heavy metal"; it was about giving your everything to the things you love and believe in. He loved heavy metal. He lived heavy metal. As a result, his passion translated into the music. It was in every note he played, every riff he wrote, every show he played, even the one he was playing when his was life ended on stage - following his passion and doing what he loved to do.

I'm fortunate, as an SEO, to be doing something I love for a living. I don't just punch the clock and go through the process. I read up on my own time. I take a ridiculous amount of notes. I keep an eagle eye on how the changes I implement are making a difference for my clients. And while a number one ranking on every keyword for each of my clients may not be a realistic goal, it's a goal I strive for nonetheless - because passion is never discouraged by "the odds."

And I love that I'm surrounded by co-workers who share that same passion.

So What About You?
Who are your influences? What have you learned from them? Are you using that in your own life? In your own work? And if not, is it because you simply haven't taken the time to see where their influence can apply in your life?

Isn't it time you did?

I Am Blogorati (And So Can You!)

Posted by maureen on December 06, 2007 at 01:09 PM

Let's consider the facts: 8 out of every 10 Americans know what a blog is. I am one of those 8. This is evidenced by the fact that I am writing a blog "post" for this "biz blog". It's also a "collaborative blog". And by writing this post, I have become an official "blogger".

If this all sounds a little "Web 2.0" for you, don't worry. I am Blogorati (And So Can You!). Simply download Oneupweb's Blogging Survival Guide.

Despite the "title" of this blog post, the guide in no way has anything to do with Stephen Colbert. But it is chock-full of great lingo that you can throw out at parties to impress acquaintances.

Try the term "folkmind". Take a moment to let the power of that word sink in. Then you can explain to your mystified counterparts (coincidentally, the same ones that have not downloaded the Blogging Survival Guide) that you are simply referring to the virtual mind of humanity. Respect - Yours.

Your knowledge of the "blogosphere" can also reap benefits that extend beyond cocktail hour. Blogging is empowerment on the web - a chance to hear and be heard. In fact, 40% of Americans have visited a blog, as referenced in the Blogging Survival Guide. This is a lot of people.

If you start a blog, some of these people may even visit your site and read what you have written. But they will want to read really good, straightforward writing, as you are doing now. So it is important to understand blogging, its elements and its terminology. The Blogging Survival Guide can help you do all of this. Download it now. Did I mention that it's free?

If you don't have a plan for your blog and aren't open and honest, some people may accuse you of writing a "flog". These people are not nice. They require many "flames". But be careful, because you may start a "flame war". According to the Blogging Survival Guide, this would be bad. Instead, you should properly integrate blogging into your marketing mix. And you can do this by strategically combining marketing, public relations, crisis management and more into this one tool - your blog. The Blogging Survival Guide can teach you how.

So in summation, Blogging Survival Guide - Good. Baby Carrots - Bad. See you in the "blogosphere".