Google Places Adds Nearby Places You Might (not) Like

February 7th, 2010

Google Places Adds Nearby Places You Might (not) Like

Category: Google Maps (Google Local) – Mike – 11:51 am

Will Scott of Search Influence has pointed out a new “feature” on a business’s Places Page that is sure to infuriate more than one SMB. Right below the review section of the Places Page, Google has added a new section titled (with no little irony): Nearby Places You Might Like. This screen shot of the Places Page for a jeweler in Buffalo, Barbar Oliver & Co. Jewelry:


Since it was introduced, Google has promoted their Places Page as an alternative landing page for a business and it was highlighted as such during their Local Listing Ad test last year. There isn’t an SMB in the universe that has invested in maintaining and highlighting their Places Page that wants nearby competitors listed on that very same page.

It is an interesting choice of upgrades to the Places page for Google to make. Clearly, from their point of view, they need to make the Places Page a beginning point to a users experience with Google not an ending point. As they have directeded more traffic internally to the Places Page instead of the list view in Maps, I am sure that they have found that users have no obvious place to go from there. The user interface to view more pages within Maps is not very noticable and most of the links on the page lead off site. Obviously, not a great strategy if selling more ads is the goal.

Google could have chosen, in the past, to highlight a business’s Places Page in the main index but choose not to. Now, when a user does arrive at the page for a business there is a choice to visit competitors Place’s Pages as well as other nearby businesses. In a strange interface convention, the link to a Nearby Places You Might (not) Like is selected it opens a new window in a very un-google like fashion.

Clearly, moving forward, Google is hoping to make the Places Page and elements on it more visible. They are also hoping to monetize this by enticing owners of the pages to either advertise or enhance their local listing. It seems to be an incredible bone head move if that is their plan to wave a red flag in these very same owners faces prior to that move.

This move will be perceived as “evil” regardless of their motivations and goals. One can only hope that it is a test of very limited duration and not a new, permanent part of the Places Page

Visit InfoKwik For All Your Web Design and Marketing Needs

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8 Opportunities To Optimize Content Beyond Local Listings

January 31st, 2010

8 Opportunities To Optimize Content Beyond Local Listings

Jan 28, 2010 at 9:41am ET by David Mihm

Not to beat a dead horse, but as I said in my last column, I think 2009 was truly a watershed year for local search. Between Google’s introduction of the generic 10-pack, its beta test of local listing ads, dramatic improvements to Bing’s Local Listing Center, and numerous partnerships throughout the industry— all of these developments and more have placed increased focus on local search and its integration into organic search results.

Traditional search marketers far and wide – including some of the absolute best in the industry – have recognized that the 10-pack/7-pack has changed the game for them and have voiced their (mostly negative) opinions. Many of their criticisms, such as weak IP targeting in rural areas and lack of relevancy of certain 7-packs have plenty of merit.

Despite the outcry from marketers, however, I think we’re going to see even more local search results popping up in 2010. There’s still a wide gap between the number of searches with local intent (or possible intent) and the number of local results being returned.

Back in 2008, and probably even earlier, Danny Sullivan predicted we might eventually see organic results for certain phrases displaced entirely by local ones, and the trend towards personalization certainly suggests that we’re headed that way.

But these results may not always take the form of a SMB or Local Business Listing set. There are plenty of other location-sensitive result types that may start to get increased visibility, especially at Google, in the coming months.

Local news

For the intelligent newspapers that aren’t actively trying to block the search engines, location-sensitivity is probably going to get them more visibility through search than ever before. Already I’ve noticed on my Yahoo homepage that three or four stories from The Oregonian and other area newspapers are consistently linked from my “Top News” widget by default. Google News shows up for many “Query Deserves Freshness”-type searches already; how long before Google starts to layer in a location-sensitive component to that part of their algorithm?

Blogs

While blog results don’t typically get the same visibility in Universal Search that news results do, the recent discovery that Google is pulling excerpts and extracting sentiment from HyperLocal blogs seems to signify that Google may be moving in this direction. Outside.in already appears to be an attractive acquisition target, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they announce a partnership with at least one of the major search engines in 2010, particularly as HyperLocal blogs continue to gain market share at the expense of traditional local news.

Real-Time social recommendations and reviews

Yellow Pages companies have been hit hard by the 10-pack in terms of their organic search referrals. But integration of real-time or social recommendations into personalized search might be one way Google will placate them. The companies that partner with Google to display review content in Place Pages (Citysearch and CityVoter, for example) have already raised awareness of their brands among a lot of Google users, and the successful ones will turn into destination sites in their own right (which Yelp has already done to a large extent.)

For discovery-oriented searches like “Things to do in,” “Places to eat in,” or “Best bar in” it would not be difficult for the major engines to incorporate Twitter streams (or perhaps Facebook, in Microsoft’s case) for those searches already.

Inventory

Display of accurate local inventory is obviously a huge hurdle for both search engines and businesses to overcome, but the old Research Online, Buy Offline adage suggests the engine that is the first to figure it out will have discovered perhaps the “holy grail” of local search. We’ve already seen product ads tested as a new Adwords type in recent months, and Google’s integration of local inventory with products signals that they’re trying to stay at the front of this curve.

Events and calendars

When creating public calendars, Google has asked for location information for years, as well as offering the ability to map a location (even for private calendars) directly in the “Add Event” interface. Yahoo, of course, has Upcoming.org which also requires location information as part of its submission process. At some point, I think both search engines will display events from public calendars in universal search results, though probably further downstream than a number of other content types on this list.

Photos and videos

Perhaps the most oft-quoted piece of trivia in the search marketing industry is the fact that YouTube is the Internet’s second-largest search engine. Panoramio and Flickr have long offered users the ability to geotag their works. Many of these photos are already linked from Google’s de facto “city portal”- the authoritative OneBox that shows up for non-specific city searches (like this one.) We may soon start to see thumbnails of local videos or images for businesses showing up in Universal via the same interface as generic images and videos do already.

MyMaps

Chris Silver Smith already highlighted the value of optimizing MyMaps, so I won’t rehash his entire article; these MyMaps are already showing up in the sidebars of Place Pages, as well as “city portals” like this one. Google has consistently demonstrated a wiki-like commitment to the wisdom of the community of Google users…it seems to be only a matter of time before MyMaps start to show up in Universal search results.

Real Estate

The MLS’s days are numbered. I’d bet that Google Base 10-packs will be integrated into Universal results for “homes for sale in ____” searches by the end of 2010. This is going to be a game changer for real estate companies just like the 10-pack has been for local businesses. If you’re a small business in the real estate space, I’d start paying very close attention to the performance and optimization of your Google Base listings.

The bottom line for SMB’s

With the exception of the last one (real estate), if you’re a small business owner, most of these are going to be relevant for a wide variety of industries, and have a pretty low barrier to entry with respect to cost. They’re certainly longer-tail optimization strategies right now.

While I’d certainly start by “blocking and tackling” around my Local Search listings, keeping yourself aware of how Google is integrating local content into Universal Search in the coming year should give you a competitive edge in the long run.

Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

is a Portland, OR Web Designer and a noted authority on Local SEO. He writes frequently about Local SEO topics at his blog, Mihmorandum. The Small Is Beautiful column appears on Thursdays at Search Engine Land.

Web Design, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization Kansas City

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A Brief History Of Paid Search Advertising

January 31st, 2010

A Brief History Of Paid Search Advertising

Jan 21, 2010 at 6:00am ET by Josh Dreller

In the beginning, there were websites.

Human-compiled directories like Yahoo sprung up to help users find interesting things on the web, but after a while, it became obvious that the manual process for indexing the exponentially growing number of websites was futile and thus search engines arrived to fill the void with scalable, technology-driven solutions. Hundreds (if not thousands) of search engines competed for the job but the early algorithmic driven engines were ineffective and a source of frustration as spammers cluttered search engine results pages (SERPs) with irrelevant content. Those of you who remember searching on the early engines in the 1990s may recall that sometimes as many as half of the listings on various SERPS were blatantly unrelated to your query.

It was Google, among others, that finally created a search engine that ranked pages in a way that made sense (read more here about that) and by 2000, search engines in essence became the best starting point for finding web content. Since then, the number of searches has grown dramatically (and steadily) and with the widespread adoption of broadband access, search engines have become utterly vital to our web experience.

The first monetization of SERPs began in the mid-90s with a flat-fee directory listing in line with how the Yellow Pages sold their advertising inventory. However, by 2000, with companies such as Overture (purchased by Yahoo in 2003) and Google with its AdWords program, the transparent, auction-based, pay-per-click model we see now in paid search had become the standard. In the early days, any advertiser was willing to pay the most per click would get secure the highest position for their ad on a SERP.

Over time, though, it became increasingly obvious that this wasn’t the most effective model as the engines would gladly have an advertiser pay $1 for ad that got clicked 10% of the time versus a $5 ad that was clicked only 1% of the time. Thus, a major shift occurred in the mid 2000s when Google introduced Quality Score, a way to determine which ads should appear on the page (and in which order) based on various optimization factors—foremost of which were criteria that ensured the ads which generated the most revenue would get pushed to the top. Yahoo and Microsoft followed similarly with their paid search platforms.

Paid search is now the biggest revenue driver for most search engines. In fact, according to eMarketer, Google was on pace to generate $22 billion worldwide in paid search in 2009, with 37 billion clicks at a $.60 average cost-per-click (CPC). That’s a lot of dough!

Not only are search engines profiting from paid search, but advertisers as well. Advertisers spent almost half of their 2009 online ad budgets on SEM ($11 billion out of $22 billion total online advertising) with most of that being paid search.

Generally, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are referred to as “top tier” engines with a multitude of smaller engines representing the “lower tier” market. According to online marketing research company comScore, the major search engines in the United States include:

  • Google (65.7% market share)
  • Yahoo (17.3% market share)
  • Microsoft (10.7% market share)
  • Ask (3.7% market share)
  • AOL sites (2.6% market share)

Paid Search has now become a “must do” marketing effort for almost every online and offline business and the demand for search marketing experts has been growing every year.

http://searchengineland.com/a-brief-history-of-paid-search-advertising-33792

Posted in Pay Per Click Advertising | No Comments »

Marketing Possibilities For 2010

January 16th, 2010

The Opportunity Impact Of Change

Rob Griffin, Jan 11, 2010 09:57 AM

I’ve long hammered on about the vast changes that our industry is undergoing so I thought I would start off my first column of the new decade by looking at the opportunity impact of change.

I think most of us agree that search can no longer exist in a silo. To be truly effective, search must be woven throughout media planning and marketing communications because it is the single largest benefactor of all other media.

We see the studies and research points documenting TV and display’s impact on search, the synergies between SEO and PPC, how social media benefits SEO efforts, etc. What we don’t do well is execute this efficiently: Over-thinking, politics, and turf wars still plague us.

All of these areas require cooperation among developers, creative, media, search, IT, bid management systems, web analytics platforms, and CRM groups, yet there is still not enough integration. Particularly, there still is not enough integration among TV, outdoor, mobile media and SEM for my taste, as the upside here seems so obvious — improved efficiency, increased frequency of exposure, and greater ROI, just to rattle off a few.

Search teams also could be more involved in the digital media process beyond core SEM strategy and tactics. The understanding of search behavior, targeting on a keyword level, dynamic pricing models, bidding, and balancing price/volume should be better leveraged throughout the agency to help plan and buy broader behavioral and contextual buys regardless of ad unit type. The skill set of buying against filters and daily testing and optimizations based on target, creative/offer, and price can provide improved ROI results with some specialized attention.

The next major opportunity is exchanges and ad marketplaces. These will begin to see critical mass in 2010 which means search teams need to broaden their focus for multiple reasons. As stated above, search teams have a unique skill set and experience that is very well suited to this type of buying. Plus search and affiliate have often been paired together, which makes me wonder about a broader opportunity here beyond search teams being asked to manage exchange buying.

The greater opportunity that I wonder about is that agencies and networks can now turn themselves into super affiliates. With access to dynamically priced inventory, greater transparency, new targeting filters, and an increased ability to move inventory do clients still need to run affiliate programs through the CJ’s of the world? I don’t think the affiliate networks will go anywhere any time soon, but you have wonder how much their business will take a hit over the coming years.

If an advertiser can remove the competitive nature of affiliate and agency buying by consolidating to one buying source that can optimize cross channel without taking a dip in volume and maybe even see an ROI lift it seems like something they would do. Then they can put all their affiliate network platform fees into media for greater scale.

The last thing I will address today is the need for better technology to help us improve operational efficiencies and campaign effectiveness. There is a wide range of new technology coming into the market ranging from bid management to search intelligence tools and even web analytics improvements. The onus is on the agencies to get out there and vet these new technologies.

It’s time to invest into new and unique ways to integrate these systems and combine the data to provide quick and actionable insights to improve performance. There is a lot of overlap between tool functionality and usability, which means different tools need to be tested in different combinations based on agency structure/approach and client business objectives.

This is no easy task and can create a lot of chaos along the way, but it is unavoidable plus the pay off potential is huge because improved operational efficiency, greater transparency, enhanced insight into customer touch points and value will generate positive results for both the agency and their clients. What happens too often is budgets get allocated all to arbitrarily, reporting and insights take far to long to generate in order to be fully leveraged for optimizations, and campaigns are optimized on short sighted easy metrics to hang the hat of success on.

Another roadblock is also isolated technologies don’t effectively talk to each other in order to provide maximum insight and/or adequate operational efficiencies. To address this, we need to be bold as an industry. This means truly integrating search into the broader digital and media discussions.

Integration is not just having the same name over the door, but working together from strategy and planning to cross channel optimizations while leveraging all possible data sources. Too often integration comes at the price of advanced specialization while technology handcuffs advertisers and agencies — these do not need to be mutually exclusive and should not be holding us as an industry back.

There is opportunity here, but the impact will depend on how well we adapt to change.

InfoKwik Web Design and Marketing over 14 years experience – Kansas City

Posted in SEO, Web Marketing | 2 Comments »

A Practical Guide for Creating a Profitable PPC Campaign (Without Throwing Your Money Down a Black Hole)

January 11th, 2010

Finally, AdWords Success Made Simple!

Introducing a Practical Guide for Creating a Profitable PPC Campaign (Without Throwing Your Money Down a Black Hole)

In Wordtracker’s new PPC book, “Wordtracker Masterclass: Google AdWords PPC Advertising,” you’ll discover:

  • Why most PPC campaigns fail (and how you can avoid the same fate)
  • A foolproof, step-by-step plan for setting up an AdWords campaign
  • How to maximize every PPC dollar—and eliminate wasteful spending
  • Proven techniques for skyrocketing your return on investment

Order now. Get instant access

Wordtracker Masterclass: Google AdWords PPC Advertising

Price: $29

Buy now

Product details

Pages: 157

Author: Ian Howie

Format: PDF

Published: December 2009

This is an e-book. Once you order you’ll be able to download immediately.



Get on Board with Google – or Get Left Behind

Pay per click (PPC) advertising is the key to any successful online marketing strategy, enabling you to reach more of your target audience more quickly than ever before. And when it comes to the world of PPC, Google AdWords reigns supreme.

Google is the dominant search engine in most English-speaking markets today, and AdWords is the most powerful marketing tool to hit the scene in 10 years. So powerful, in fact, that it drove Google’s annual revenue to $21 billion in 2008.

Marketers who fail to embrace Google and AdWords are missing the big picture – as well as serious sales and revenue.

The Fly in the Ointment

The popularity of AdWords is no surprise; how else can you get your ads on page one of Google search results within an hour? Thousands of savvy marketers have used it to propel their businesses to new realms of profitability. But while the success stories are compelling, they are outnumbered by tragic tales of people who have poured big money into AdWords – only to realize lots of traffic and very few sales.

The fact is that despite all of its promise, AdWords is an intricate system, characterized by a complex interface, elaborate reporting tools, and a head-spinning array of options. Unleashing its extraordinary potential requires knowledge and strategy. And while you could attempt to master AdWords on your own, chances are you haven’t the time or the budget to spend on PPC experimentation.

So how can you make AdWords work for your business with minimal investment and maximum reward? We’ve made it easy for you. To learn more, read on.

A Clear, Concise “Roadmap” to PPC Riches

Wordtracker’s latest e-book, “Wordtracker Masterclass: Google AdWords PPC Advertising” lays out a practical, step-by-step strategy for AdWords success. Use the proven process outlined in this guide, and you’ll be able to build a thriving, cash-generating AdWords campaign while steering clear of the most common PPC pitfalls.



At 157 pages, “Wordtracker Masterclass: Google AdWords PPC Advertising” is the most comprehensive e-book we’ve ever released.

But don’t let the length fool you. This handy guide is incredibly easy to follow – even if you’re a novice in the PPC realm! It contains more than 150 screenshots, charts and images to help you quickly grasp key concepts and immediately put them to use.

An AdWords Guru Reveals His Secrets

“Wordtracker Masterclass: Google AdWords PPC Advertising” was written by renowned PPC guru, Ian Howie. The strategy he maps out in the book has been successfully implemented by Ian in his own career – as a sought-after PPC consultant.

Since 2003, he has used his expertise to help thousands – from individual entrepreneurs to major corporations – grow their companies through PPC advertising.

Helen Trounce, direct marketing manager of Haymarket Magazines had this to say about Ian: “He came along at just the right time and showed us what was possible with PPC. Search marketing is now a major element in our marketing plans and is proving to be a very profitable channel for us.”

Filled to the brim with valuable tips, Ian’s book contains the very same advice he gives to his PPC clients – at just a fraction of the cost!

Here’s a Sneak-Peek at What’s Inside:

In “Wordtracker Masterclass: Google AdWords PPC Advertising,” Ian explains how closely-related keywords, relevant ad copy and a relevant landing page are core to an effective PPC campaign.

He shows you how to increase your clickthrough rates (CTR) and reduce the amount you pay for your adverts (your cost-per-click) by creating and optimizing ad groups that are tailored to different segments of your audience.

You’ll also learn how to:

• Launch a new marketing campaign – from concept to fruition – using AdWords.

• Optimize your campaign to increase profits and eliminate unnecessary spending.

• Set a daily budget – so you don’t break your budget while you’re testing the market.

• Use keyword research to choose the keywords you should bid on. Your keywords are the heart of your campaign and will determine its profitability.

• Write different PPC ads and test them against each other so that you’re continually improving your response rates.

• Insert a riveting, attention-grabbing message into the tiny ad space that AdWords gives you (it can be done!).

• Improve your click rate – the higher your click rate, the more Google rewards you (with a better position on the page!).

• Use Google’s different match bids (i.e. “exact match” and “broad match”) to your advantage.

• Incorporate negative keywords in your campaign – these are essential to helping you get the best return from your PPC spend.

• Make sure all of your ad copy and landing pages include your target keywords. (Do this, and your ads can move higher up Google’s results pages without the need to increase bids—that means less cost and more profit!)

• Use the ‘bid stack’ (a sophisticated way of bidding for your keywords) to make your AdWords campaign far more lucrative.

• Limit your ads to display only during times of the day that are relevant to your company and products.

• Determine what works and what doesn’t by measuring your results using Google Analytics and AdWords Conversion Code – so you can refine your campaign even further.

• Use AdWords to understand consumer behavior – from research to buying – and what information you should provide your prospects at each stage.

• Use Wordtracker’s Keywords tools to unearth the long tail of potential customers.

• Use the Ad Preview Tool to view your rivals’ landing pages – and use this information to hone your competitive edge.

Chapter six of the book, Building Your AdWords Campaign Step-by-Step, takes you through each phase of setting up a PPC strategy. That means you can start harnessing the power of AdWords right away!

“Wordtracker Masterclass: Google AdWords PPC Advertising” is simply the most straightforward guide to PPC you’ll ever get your hands on. Ian Howie has channeled the knowledge gained from his real-life experience into a roadmap for AdWords success. Now all you have to do is follow it.

Why wait – when you can get your hands on this priceless information today?

Would you like to see what’s in the book?

Click on the following for a 17 page sample extract from “Wordtracker Masterclass: Google AdWords PPC Advertising”.

Posted in SEO, Web Marketing | 8 Comments »

Article Marketing

January 11th, 2010

Article Marketing 101

By * Ron Jones, Search Engine Watch, Jan 11, 2010

Article marketing is a good tool for reaching out to a broader audience and letting them know about your expertise on a given topic. The purpose is to establish credibility and drive traffic back to your Web site. So let’s first cover the basics of article marketing and submission, and then touch on potential duplicate content issues.



What is Article Marketing?

Article marketing allows writers to promote themselves and their company by writing articles and making the content freely available for reproduction on other Internet sites. Basically, you’re providing something of value for free to those who have similar interests or work in your field.

Writing articles helps set you up as an expert or authority on the topic. Writing a number of articles in a niche area helps establish you as a specialist in that particular field. Readers will reciprocate by wanting to learn more about you and your company.

Tips on Writing Good Articles and Headlines

The first thing to consider when writing an article is to find a good topic. Keyword research is a great resource here because it will help you understand where people’s interests lie.

You’ll want to incorporate those keywords into the body of your article and, most importantly, in your headline. Applying SEO best practices will also increase the chances your article will be picked up by search engines with your target keywords.

When thinking of a good title for your article, consider your target keywords and make sure you use them in your title. Consider using your keyword first and then follow with a catchy phrase or benefit (e.g., “Link Building — The Top 5 Methods for Placing Links”). In addition to helping with SEO, this will help people quickly understand what your article is about.

Articles don’t have to be long. They should be around 500-700 words and structured in a way that’s relevant to the reader.

It’s important to refrain from selling within your article. Your readers will genuinely regard your article as something of value if you provide good, useful, relevant content. Indirectly, you’re selling them on your value, which is more important.



Article Submission Directory

You can post your completed articles to various article submission directories, such as EzineArticles. Here’s a link to the top 50 article directories supposedly ranked by Alexa and Google PageRank. These directories are generally free and offer many categories of topics to choose from.

Duplicate Content and Article Submission

Now we run into the problem with duplicate content. You might get some good links from submitting your article to several directories, but you also might get lost from the search engines.

Ask yourself which is more important: links or SEO? You may not be able to have your cake and eat it too.

Search engines are looking for quality, original content. So if you’re going to send your article to many directories, make sure you have a link pointing back to the original. For this reason, you should also avoid over submitting your article and try to look for quality placement by manual submission. Ron Jones more articles

Posted in SEO, Web Marketing | 6 Comments »

Are Search Engines Going too Far by Creating Customized Search results Based on Your Internet History

January 10th, 2010

Are Search Engines Going too Far by Creating Customized Search results Based on Your Internet History

Many search engines now have a feature that tracks your web history and use. Why do they have it and does it really benefit you? What can you gain by having the search engines track your searches as well as browsing patterns? Learn why this data is collected and what it is really used for.

By Guest Writer Brandon Leibowitz

The problem

As more and more people begin to use and understand the internet, marketers want to learn and understand how people use and navigate through websites. The search engines in particular, such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing all attempt to track your website history. The search engines say it is to improve the search results, but do you really want to share your personal information with these corporate giants whose only interest is in generating more revenue?

The more you use your computer, the more the search engines know about you. Every time you search for something on the web, these sites are collecting data. This includes tons of personal information, like your IP number and your search query, along with your web using habits and trends. If you have your web history switched on, which web sites you visit.

Where does the data go?

The search engines say it is to make your search experience better and more user friendly, but is that really the case? By collecting this data the search engines could sell it off to other companies, letting them know that you are interested or have been interested in their products or services recently.

This is definitely advantageous advertisers by targeting your specific interests and needs. It means a higher return on investment for paid search advertisers. This can be advantageous to consumers because as a company’s costs decrease and profit margins increase, they are likely to drop the price or run special offers and promotions.

An example

This seems like an invasion of privacy, especially since most people are unaware of this. There is a line that has been crossed. For example, say you did a search for “Marijuana and Teenagers” because you recently discovered your child was smoking marijuana. Now with the customized search results you will begin to see ads related to marijuana and teenagers, even though you are not interested in this topic. This is an extreme case, but it is used to get the point across. Should people be careful what they search for because it can come back to haunt them?

A question of awareness

It will become more on topic soon as more and more people begin to realize that most search engines are collecting data and information about you and your web behavior. Some internet users have become paranoid and stopped visiting sites they are worried about. Another option is to pause or switch off web history or to use a search engine that safeguards your privacy.

Here is what Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, says about search and privacy:

InfoKwik Editor’s Comment:

View some of Eric Schmidt’s videos on www.youtube.com. It will not take you long to see he is a very arrogant, ego driven person. Personally I see him leaving Google this year.

He heads one of the most powerful publicly traded corporations in the world, their goal is making money for their stockholders. Remember power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. With 80% of the search market place Google is a monopoly with lots of lobbyists.

Brandom Leibowitz is a professional search engine optimization and search engine marketing consultant with over five years of industry knowledge. Read news, tips, tricks, and anything else related to search engines in his SEO and SEM blog.

Posted in SEO, Web Marketing | No Comments »

Content and Search Engine Optimisation Done Wrong

January 9th, 2010

Content and Search Engine Optimisation Reconsidered

Seemingly perfect but unfortunately failing sites can be found all over the net. They might have all the right Seo techniques in place, but their bounce rate has shoved them down the rankings. Search Engine Optimisation can only do so much if your Content makes basic mistakes.

Many sites get bogged down in the idea of what content ’should’ be. You will see this most often in the company-focussed pages of a site and sometimes throughout a site if it has a corporate focus. For some reason, the content reads like the opening pages of an annual report. Cold and business-like, it is very unlikely to even get read, let alone engage users. This kind of content makes several mistakes:

• It has the single focus of the company, ignoring the desires of the user

• It’s only natural for a company to focus on itself, particularly in company information pages like the ‘About us’ page. However, you also have to consider exactly how interesting company information is to the average internet user. In most cases, users will be on your site for other reasons. Taking your users into account when writing up company information can ensure you connect with them in a way you’d otherwise miss.

• It uses marketing speech and industry terms, alienating the average user

• No-one likes to be talked over or talked down to. The use of industry terms can do both, unless the writer is particularly careful. They also run the risk of de-humanising the content, making it even more difficult for your site to connect with your users.

• It’s even more important to avoid marketing language in your content. While technical terms can put users off because they’re difficult to understand, obvious marketing language can make your users actively dislike you. Many internet users are very familiar with the tricks used in marketing language and don’t appreciate them.

• It has the wrong target audience in mind, because it focuses too specifically on a certain type, completely missing the average user

• It can speak to other large firms, but alienate some potential customers in a subtle way. A good example is, again, your ‘About us’ page. Many businesses write their ‘About us’ pages in a distant and professional tone. This is a good approach if you wish to advertise your business to other businesses. If you want your average user to relate to your business, however, you have to use a friendlier tone.

All of these common mistakes relate to the central point of failing to address the needs of the site’s users. Your site should have a specific target audience, but it will have its own average users and they can also be engaged with. To ignore their needs can result in high bounce rates. Unfortunately, ignoring user needs is all too frequent.

Every site has the potential to turn an uninterested user into a big fan of the business. All it takes is the right mindset when designing content. It can be a great help to consult SEO professionals for optimised content and you can talk to us at Seo Consult About Seo writing services.

Posted in SEO, Web Marketing | No Comments »

What’s New On The Web?

January 9th, 2010

What’s New On The Web?

January 2010

What’s New On The Web?


January 2010

Search Engines

All the search engines processes have changed. We are again experiencing the “Search Engine Wars” of earlier years.

While Google’s updating that was once periodical is changing daily, so is Bing and Yahoo.

Google has added personal search, Universal search, video, social search, special attention to blogs and speed of your site loading to name a few changes that effect your site’s success. Google has made over 450 algorithm changes in a single year.

Advertising is down, but new search engine advertising sales methods, ad formats and delivery is ever changing. Mobile advertising is most sought after as projected growth numbers sky rocket.

Mobile Advertising

Apple and Google have both purchased mobile advertising companies, sinking millions in investments in this ad sector.

Internet Technology

Google introduced it’s new phone with your choice of service provider. This is an internet project that was introduced in 2007. Google is the first to sell its own phone giving you a choice of service providers, e.g. Verizon, Sprint, AT&T. Choice of carriers will become the norm in 2010, be patient.

Smart Phones are some what small to truly provide effective mediums for mobile ads and true interactivity. At the end of this month I predict you will have a new choice for utilizing the internet in more ways than you thought possible.

Apple will introduce the “iSlate” or whatever it may be called, a hybrid computer of sorts ( a missing link). You’ll be communicating like Captain Kirk and Spock in no time. Please stay focused on the “iSlate”, whatever it looks like, it will knock your socks off! If it succeeds, it will likely redefine the role of computing in our lives just as the iPhone has. – MG Siegler

Mobile Websites

Your web sites will not be obsoleted by mobile technology, but you should definitely consider and plan for a mobile website solution.

Many sites already work on mobile devices, just not seamlessly.

Will the new Apple hybrid take care of this, probably.

Search Engine Optimization and Web Marketing must evolve with the Web to remain successful. If you are not keeping up you are jeopardizing your web presence.

Call the InfoKwik™ team of professionals (816) 415-0776

for your FREE consultation.

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A Classic Visual Manifestation Aid

January 8th, 2010

A Classic Visual Manifestation Aid

dreams and more… come true.

Its an oldie but a goodie, the Vision Board exercise. Sometimes called a Vision Collage, Treasure Map, Vision Map, etc. A wonderful ‘graphic’ way to define and align with what you really want.

In the underground hit movie The Secret (introductory movie on Law of Attraction principles), there is a scene where a man unpacks and shows his Vision Board to his young son, only to realize that they are now living in the very house that was pictured on his board (created several years prior). And, during one of Oprah’s shows, guest Lisa Nichols showed her Vision Board – in it were the words ‘Lisa Reveals All on Oprah’ … she definitely manifested that one!

Time and again I hear from my own clients about just how successful this classic tool is and I take delight in their stories and the fun of their manifestations. Like the physician who placed a photo of a cute little boy poking his head from a drawer in the middle of his Vision Board … and a year later hearing the beautiful pride and love in his voice as he catches up with me about what life is now like with a baby in the house (way to go Morgan!).

Vision boards help you define and clarify what your desire. They help make your dreams and goals more tangible and solid. Through them you form an energetic bond with what you want. They act as guiding lights or north stars – helping you realize and commit to your Personal Vision. Yes, they are fun and creative to do; however don’t let their simplicity fool you – they are also very powerful magnetization and manifestation tools. Acting as little energy vortexes if you will – that tell your sub-conscious mind what to focus on and create.

How do you create a Vision Board? It’s simple. Just follow the tips below:

1. Assemble Your Materials: Collect together a pile of magazines, scissors, a glue stick (or tape), and some markers. You’ll also need some sort of sturdy backing (like a poster board, large sheet of paper … even a few paper bags cut open and taped together will work).

2. Plant Yourself in a Quiet Space: Give yourself about a hour or more, in a quiet comfortable space. With all your materials gathered around you. Ideally you’ll want to be free of distractions – so turn down the phones, kick out the pets and tell family you are not to be disturbed (or better yet make it a Vision Board party and do it together!)

3. Set Your Intention: Set the intention that you are going to create a vision collage for yourself. This means just tell yourself that you are going to create a great Vision Board for yourself and that you are going to find the perfect images and words to represent your desired future. Auto suggestion is a good tool (pre-paving what you want to happen goes a long way).

4. Determine Time Frame (or not): You may or may not want to create a time frame for your vision (i.e. 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5-10 years … whatever feels right for you). Or, if it doesn’t feel good to put on a timeframe, then just call it your ASAP vision – leaving timing up to ‘greater forces’.

5. Dive Into It – Just Rip: After setting your intention dive into the magazines. Use your intuition (not your rational mind) to find images that resonate with you. Just rip out whatever jumps out at you, piling them off to the side. Don’t think – just rip! Do for about 15 minutes or so, or whenever the energy kind of slows down. FYI, I was recently contacted by a digital vision board service to let me know about their product (as an alternative to the magazine approach). See www.photovisi.com

6. Assemble What You’ve Got: Once you’ve got a nice stack of images …turn next to assembling them onto your poster board (or whatever backing you are using). There is no right or wrong way to create a Vision Board. Just do what feels right for you. You might want to arrange your images and play around with them a bit … then finally tape or glue it all down.

7. Extract the Essence: After creating your Vision Board, debrief the experience and harvest out what you have learned about your desired future. I call this “Extracting the Essence”. Pull out your main themes. You can do this yourself, or present your Vision Board to a trusted friend, colleague or loved one and have them help you decipher the essence of what it is you want. Great for understanding one another and seeing what each other wants in life.

8. Some Additional Suggestions: Facebook friend Carole Audet recently posted these additional suggestions on my Facebook wall:

Here are a few additional suggestions for a Dream Board from Colette Baron-Reid’s book, Remembering the Future: Draw a border around the perimeter; place a spiritual symbol at the top center of the board; place a photo of yourself in the middle – one where you are happy and smiling; and finally, write a statement on the bottom, something to the effect of: This or something better now manifests for me and for the highest good of all concerned.”

In conclusion: I’ve done many Vision Boards over the last 15 years. I love them. And I consistently get what I picture – if not the exact thing then at least the essence of what it represents. My clients have the same results. The point is not so much to wrestle what you want to the ground. It’s more about having fun, putting yourself into a good vibration and feeling good about things that you like and want. Finding out about yourself. Sometimes it’s not always easy to determine what you want – the Vision Board exercise is a great to sneak up on this stuff. To find out what you want in a fun and relaxed way.

For many examples of Vision Boards, see previous blog posts here. Try a Vision Board for yourself. Have fun with it. And be sure to write me with your manifestation stories – I love hearing them!

This Vision Board exercise is just one of the manifestation tricks we do in my SHIFT-IT Virtual Group – so if you are keen to meet and collaborate with like-minded people from around the globe, all on their own SHIFT-IT journey, come join us – groups are offered online twice a year.

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© 2010 Christina L. Merkley

Christina Merkley, “The SHIFT-IT Coach” and creator of the SHIFT-IT System®, is a Visioning and Strategic Planning Expert specializing in Visual Thinking and Law of Attraction techniques. Based in charming Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, she works deeply with individuals, partners and conscious businesses to define and manifest what they truly want. And, trains other helping professionals in her innovative ways of working. For more information visit: www.shift-it-coach.com

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