Mar
9th

Oneupweb : Google Makes Your Site a Star!

Posted by Dave on March 9, 2010 at 10:55 am

Last week Google introduced their latest attempt to personalize the search experience, Google stars. This works by providing you with a star marker that shows up next to your search results. If you like a site, simply click the star, and the site will be starred for future related searches.

What does this mean for your online business? Showing up in search results is still key, but now, how you show up in those search results is even more important. By allowing users to star your site for future searches, Google stars is giving you the opportunity to turn users in the “research” phase into potential customers—and one-time buyers into long-term customers.

Here’s how it could work. Let’s say you have been tasked with finding and purchasing new shirts for your company’s softball team. The players on this team are known for being a bit persnickety, and the white t-shirt with the company logo will not do. So, you begin searching the web for a design that provides function and fashion.

You start by trying to settle on a style. Your search query is “softball t-shirts”. After searching through a number of basic, uninspired sites, you find a site that offers hundreds of different styles and colors. Perfect. Now you need to get a logo idea.

Your next search query is “softball logos”. After compiling a number of logo options, you send them out for the team to vote on. Three weeks later, when all the votes are in, you have your new shirt design.

Now, it’s time to order your shirts. Your final search query, “create custom softball shirts”, provides you with a daunting list of sites offering custom designs and graphics. Now, if you could only remember that site you came across three weeks ago. Oh, well. Looks like the white t-shirt will have to do.

How could Google stars change this? Well, when you performed your first search for “softball t-shirts”, if you had Google stars enabled, you could have “starred” that site you found. Then three weeks later, when you searched for “create custom softball shirts”, that site could have shown up above the regular search results with a star by it.

So, who will Google stars impact? It will impact sites that position well, provide a good user experience and have the ability to quickly impact users in a positive way. Does that sound like your site?

GD Star Rating
loading...

Socialize This Post

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you leave a comment.

Mar
8th

Oneupweb : Please Pay Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

Posted by Christopher on March 8, 2010 at 11:28 am

I know: I’ve written about PageRank before. “Find a new topic, broken record,” is what you’re saying. I feel your pain, I really do, but you know what? If Google keeps talking about it, I’m going to have to keep talking about it. It’s my lot. It gets my blood all angried up, so it’s what I gotta do.

That said (perhaps unnecessarily), Google’s talking about PageRank again. How it doesn’t matter that much to them. How they were even thinking of renaming it, but probably won’t. And there, right there, is where my line of questioning begins—if it doesn’t matter, why are you thinking about renaming it? As reported by WebProNews, Google’s Director of Research, Peter Norvig, recently said at SMX that PageRank is “overhyped.” Well, yeah, maybe. But whose fault is that? Matt Cutts is going to speak on the topic as well. And it won’t be the last time.

I find the entire Google response disingenuous. It’s dangerous to go on the record saying anything definitive about how search works, but I’ll stake whatever reputation I have on this one: Incoming links, especially quality incoming links, play a huge factor in ranking. Everybody freaking knows that. If links didn’t matter, why would Google pay so much attention to where they come from, even to the point of requesting help in reporting sites that sell links? What does PageRank measure? Duh! So don’t come out here all passive-agressively “aw shucks-y” and “y’all are gettin’ yore purty li’l selves all riled up over nothin’,” treating us all as though, number one, we’re three years old, plus acting like we’re the ones who made a big deal out of the whole thing in the first place.

If it’s not a big deal, why did you patent it? Why do you say, on your Technology Overview, that “…Pages that we believe are important receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results.” Guess what, Director of Research Peter Norvig? Appearing at the top of the search results is kind of a big deal. With the vast majority of people unlikely to search past the first page, if you’re not at the top, you’re not likely to be seen. Depending on the search, like say it’s for the product your website, which is the source of your income, sells, yeah, that’s a pretty big deal.

I, again, ask for your patience, dear audience. OK, wait for it…. Trumpet flourish and…here’s your analogy: you know that scene in the Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy et. al. finally get an audience with the Wizard so Dorothy can (inexplicably) ask to go back to that dusty pig farm in the middle of Tornado Alley and the other freaks can ask for all that crap they already had? (The utter irony!) Anyway, what if the Wizard, when he’s saying “don’t pay attention to that man behind the curtain,” is actually intending that they DO pay attention to the man behind the curtain because the Wizard IS actually this crazy demigod who just doesn’t want to grant wishes even though the people (and, um, whatever) asking for wishes totally killed the witch and did everything the Wizard asked them to do? Huh? HUH!?!?!

So Google’s the Wizard. Right?

So they should just shut up.

You’re welcome.

GD Star Rating
loading...

Socialize This Post

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you leave a comment.

Mar
3rd

Oneupweb : Eye Tracking Labs Zero In On Real-Time

Posted by Kathryn on March 3, 2010 at 1:03 pm

Remember Bill Nye the Science Guy? Kids across the country would sit glued to their televisions in awe because, after all, this was way cooler than any of the science demos at school. In Bill Nye’s hands, mundane things like vinegar and baking soda became explosive miracles of science. We all, hopefully, learned the importance of wearing eye protection.

Today, we sit glued in front of computer screens or, if we’re away from the desk, our mobile device is surely on. And rather than passively watching what happens when the unknown powder is mixed with the volatile liquid, we now have the opportunity every day to be a part of some newfangled online social experiment. You get to be one of the test subjects whenever a “beta version” of software or an app is released—it is the testing phase of development process. No goggles or lab coats required.

But not everything goes beta before it goes live. And sites like Facebook and Twitter are constantly rolling out new features or tweaking the platform. At Oneupweb, our team of digital marketing wizards are tracking, monitoring and analyzing all the new developments in the digital landscape—what will explode next?

Now here’s a little experiment you can try in the comfort of your own home that won’t require a fire extinguisher: whenever you’re ready, search for the “Oscars”, in Google (a current “Hot Topic”). You may have to scroll down a little depending on the dimensions of your browser window. Do you see the scrolling box of results? What about the big gorilla?

Well, when Google announced this new feature—real-time results—back in December 2009, we had a few questions. The basic idea is this: tweets, and current updates from Facebook, blogs, and websites will be integrated into the standard search results as they happen. But will people notice the real-time results and, more importantly, are these results getting clicks?

We rolled up our sleeves and headed to the Oneupweb laboratory. We were going to put the real-time results under the microscope, or rather, eye tracker.

Search is a key element of online marketing today. So it only makes sense for businesses to stay abreast of changes in the search landscape. And Google, Bing, Yahoo! and a variety of start-ups are getting into the real-time game. This is an online experiment that will have a huge impact on the future of search. Keep your eyes peeled—you don’t want to be caught off guard when real-time explodes.

But what about the gorillas? If you want to find out, download the free report, Search Gone Wild: An Eye Tracking Study On Google’s Real-Time Results.

GD Star Rating
loading...

Socialize This Post

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you leave a comment.

Mar
3rd

Oneupweb : You Met The Mayor?

Posted by Carly Wujcik on March 3, 2010 at 8:30 am

030310_dog I get an inevitable chuckle every night when I get home from work and my husband (who makes a living in the residential construction business while studying to be a nurse and holding a teaching degree) asks me how my day was.

It typically goes something like this:

I: [Open front door, pet dog, take off shoes and coat] “Hi (name withheld), did you have a good day?”

He: [Walks to entry, moves giant dog, gives hug] “Yeah, it was pretty good. (launches into lengthy explanation that may include topics such as scaffolding, hanger joists, barge rafters, informatics, arterial sticks and/or necrotic tissue) How was yours?”

I: [looking puzzled and lost] “Good, really good. We exceeded our follower goals on Twitter and we’re really jumping into Foursquare, which I think will be amazing for our retail clients. Especially since they can reward the mayor in so many different ways. It’s sure to drive repeat business and since it can send location tweets and Facebook posts, it’ll be showing up in real-time results in no time. And there’s something so viral about it—though I’m still trying to figure out what the rage really is. I mean, I don’t really want people to know where I am all the time.”

He: [looking puzzled, lost and slightly frightened] “You met the mayor today, he has a virus and you’re afraid that I’ll find out where you really are when you claim to be at work?”

Both: “So, the dog needs to go for a walk and then what’s for dinner?”

We work in entirely different industries, day in and day out, and it shows in our conversations. The good thing for our marriage is that we typically can’t talk about work at home because neither of us has any idea what the other is talking about anymore. But it gives me a chuckle because the reality of it is, while different, the biggest issue is that our industries just don’t move at the same speed or speak in terms we both find universally understandable. In three years, when he comes home talking about a patient who was awarded free health care after being repeatedly crowned the Mayor of (unnamed) medical center on Foursquare and how cool he thinks that is, I’ll be in the back yard taking a spin on our augmented reality lawn mower and growing tomatoes with my iPhone. (I actually hope that’s never the case, for the record.)

It’s the age old marketing challenge—and as it turns out—it permeates all of our lives. Look around. As you polish up your media buys for Q2 and present your new campaign concepts laced with of-the-moment strategies and jargon—stop thinking about how much sense it makes to you and how well it will go over within your organization. Instead, make sure it benefits your client and that you’re able to clearly communicate that to them. Speak in their language. Solve their problems. And make it relevant. Whatever “it” is.

It’s not about Mars or Venus, it’s about communication—and more importantly, smart marketing.

GD Star Rating
loading...

Socialize This Post

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you leave a comment.

Mar
2nd

Oneupweb : Let The Madness Begin

Posted by Bryson on March 2, 2010 at 9:19 am

It’s that time of year again…March Madness Time. Every year, right about now, the non-stop comparisons, over-analyzing and endless speculation begins. Bubble teams? Who will make it? Who won’t? What seeds will they be? Who are the favorites? Upset Picks? And it doesn’t stop for about a month.

NCAA basketball fever takes over, and it’s nearly impossible to avoid—no matter how hard you try (sometimes it can feel like the plague during the dark ages). However, it can be a lot of fun (unlike the plague). There is something about the atmosphere and the buzz in the air—or maybe it’s just the uncertainty of it all. It is always exciting because you never know what will happen next.

Whether you love tourney time and fill out twenty brackets, or despise it and fill out none, at some point in March “the madness” will leave its mark on your days. It’s that unbelievably portly elephant in the room that you just can’t ignore.

Here at Oneupweb, marketing is our year-round March Madness and your business is our Final 4 team. Whether you are the #16 seed Coastal Carolina Chanticleers or the #1 seed Duke Blue Devils of your respective industry, we offer something to lead you to victory. With over thirteen years of experience in the digital marketing industry, we have been here from the beginning. We are the savvy veteran that knows all the moves and have a bag full of tricks. To us, the bracket is blank and we determine the outcomes of games.

Oneupweb can help create the atmosphere and get the buzz in the air about your business without all the uncertainty. How? We have expert coaches that know how to scout the competition along with an amazing team to carry out the game plan.

We have the offensive firepower to run up the score with our Creative, PPC and SEO teams that will maximize your profits. We also have the defensive toughness with our Digital PR and marketing teams to protect your investments.

If it’s brand recognition you want, we have an extremely talented Social Media team that can build the awareness you need to succeed. And, of course, we are constantly developing new ways to hit the ceiling of your businesses potential and ultimately break through to take your business to the next level.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and take the first step to becoming a champion—or at least in the field of 64.

GD Star Rating
loading...

Socialize This Post

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you leave a comment.