Internet Consulting

Online classifieds continue to quickly grow

2006-09-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

According to the New York Times, online classified ad growth continues to spike month after month as more and more are using the Internet, rather than newspapers, to search classified ads. "Web sites featuring classified ads drew 47 percent more unique visitors this July than last, according to comScore Media Metrix, an online traffic measurement service."

(Source: New York Times)

All signs say go mobile

2006-09-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Mobile marketing is primed for explosive growth. Now that Sprint, Verizon, and Cingular have signed onto the idea of mobile advertising, it is only a matter of time before the mobile world, much like the Internet, changes forever.

For years, these wireless giants said no to mobile advertising, but new research has changed everything. "Nearly half of consumers ages 18 to 35 indicated they would be interested in mobile ads if they subsidized their "increasing appetite for mobile data/content," said Yankee Group, which estimated U.S. carriers generated $10.7 billion, or about 9% of revenue, from non-voice bills." (more)

And mobile content is growing. "Driven largely by news, weather and sports channels, the market for mobile video content reached 3.7 million subscribers in the second quarter of 2006, a 45 percent jump over Q1 numbers." (more)

If you're a marketer, then you better also start thinking mobile because this space will grow far faster than the Internet, which will provide the foundation for the mobile market. The experience gained in Internet advertising will help marketers much more quickly conquer the mobile market.

The three keys to search engine optimization

2006-09-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was talking to the founder of a software company which fights e-mail spam. Eventually, he started asking me how I optimize pages for the search engines.

I said, I first start with keyword analysis. How are Internet users finding your product, or even more important, products like yours? What keywords do they use in their phrases?

Once I have a good understanding of this, I start building web pages or even entire websites around these keywords, so that every link, every piece of content is coordinated and aligned with these keywords. I'm not trying to trick end-users, I tell the founder, I'm trying to answer their questions and resolve their needs as quickly and as efficiently as possibly.

Once the site is complete, I continued, I try to build quality links, but just I started explaining my process for link building, he interupted me.

"You wanna know an easier way," he asked me.

"Of course," I replied.

"Just create a blog about your particular market and add keyword links to your site," he answered. "That's how we dominate search."

"For how many keywords," I asked?

"Well you have to pick keywords," he responded. "You can only pick so many, such as your name."

"So you dominate keywords related to your name?" I further asked.

"Exactly."

"And all that other traffic is left to your competitors?"

"Well, our product is better."

At this point I just shook me head, but I was thinking to myself, 'no wonder your company isn't more successful' (I'll start prospecting him later this week).

Then today, I check my ClickZ news and I read the article, The Most Important SEO Strategy, which is almost exactly what I told the software vendor.

If you want to commit to a search engine optimization program, it isn't black magic. SEO programs take research - lots of research - and just as much hard effort.

Of course, you can always hire a black-hatter and get expelled from search engines completely - then you won't even have to worry about search engines any longer.

Cellphone ads set to explode

2006-09-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

Mobile media is poised for explosive growth according to a London research firm. "Advertisers will spend over $11.35 billion worldwide to place ads on consumers’ mobile devices in the next five years." (more)

While not all of this ad spending will be related to the mobile Internet, it does show that growth potential of the mobile Internet is going to be huge.

Local search spending expected to increase significantly

2006-09-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

"Paid local search is expected to remain the fastest-growing ad category, nearly doubling to $1.8 billion and accounting for almost a quarter of local online ad spending. Local e-mail will climb by 54 percent to $233 million, while local banners and listings will increase 18.4 percent to $5.6 billion." (more)

By 2010, the Borrell Associates Inc. report is set to comprise half of the local online ad market, with the most significant amount of ads being place by real estate and automotive professionals.

Not sure about search altogether? You're not alone. The first place to focus on if you haven't been involved in search, is local search.

What does that mean? Give us an e-mail and we'll let you know.

info@1x1power.com

What is social search?

2006-09-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

So, you've heard of social networks, but just what is social search? Social search is similar but not limited to directories, for example. Social search is search that isn't dominated by mathematical formulas, but is - in some way - 'socially' driven. For more on social search, check out Who’s Who in Social Search.

Customer centric versus web centric analytics

2006-09-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

I love this topic covered in the article, Customer-Centric Web Analytics. Recently, I essentially covered a similar point in the post, Wanna optimize your conversion rate? Good luck. Web centric data can tell you a lot about how your website is working, but these types of analytics cannot paint a complete picture of your customers. Surveys, for example, help provide a more 'customer centric' view of your customers. Combining web centric analytics with customer centric analytics is definitely a more wholistic way of understanding your Internet presence. For more read the complete article.

Is Pay Per Call the next big thing in search?

2006-09-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't been a big fan of pay-per-call. In my opinion, the Internet isn't only about instant lead generation. Just as in offline media, such as magazines and newspapers, the Internet is also about branding. Still, now that Google is taking click-to-call and pay-per-click more seriously, particularly in light of its new partnership with E-bay, I'm starting to buy into pay-per-call.

Still, there are some warnings for advertisers. First of all, a call is a very solid lead. Consequently, a call is worth more than a click. Thus, advertisers should expect, ultimately, to pay far more for a call than a click, especially with high ticket goods.

Moreover, I believe that the mobile Internet is the next big thing, and that the mobile Internet is a much better platform for pay-for-call than pay-for-click. The mobile Internet is going to change the entire advertising world as much, or maybe even more than the Internet did.

In reality, the power of the Internet is still just emerging.

For more on this, check out the article, With Google's Formal Entry, Pay-Per-Call Set to Grow

Google PPC versus Local PPC & Search

2006-09-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

Have you used Google's Adwords program as part of your marketing campaign? While this program can be extremely effective for many businesses, it can also be a difficult endeavor, particularly for small businesses. So, are there any alternatives?

Local search can be a great alternative opportunity. I'm not just talking about some online yellow pages, but niche sites that are related to your business and that focus on your local market.

Still, not sure what I mean? Check out the article, Firms home in on local search sites.

Should video be part of your Internet marketing mix?

2006-09-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

According to a new report, the Internet is not the same as TV, at least not yet. More important, web surfers are not interested in watching or downloading full length videos on the Internet. Instead, surfers prefer to watch clips. Nonetheless, the Internet as a medium for full length movies, etc. is only just being explored, and many experts believe it is just a matter of time before the Internet will become more TV-like. Still, as part of your marketing mix, full length video is probably not a good choice, yet. While clips can be helpful, they are probably not yet essential for most Internet marketing campaigns.

(Source: AP via Yahoo)

The basics of local search

2006-09-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

O.K., so you are not ready to head full steam into a search engine optimization campaign for your website, but you would like to make sure that your business at least comes up in local searches? There are many things even the less web savvy person can do to increase their local search presence. For a great article on the matter, check out the article Four Steps Every Business Can Take to Improve Local Search Results.

Real estate pros using Internet more, newspapers less

2006-09-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

A new report suggests that real estate professionals are relying less and less on newspapers and more and more on the Internet. In the future, that trend is expected to continue. While the marketing side of real estate is increasingly moving more towards the Internet, the report finds, there is still a lot of confusion as to how best use the Internet. Search, for example, remains a huge area of confusion. Consequently, there is a huge market for innovative Internet portals that can attract real estate buyers. Maybe Zillow is onto something?

Read the Full ClickZ article.

Web dominates back-to-school shopping

2006-09-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

"It's all about the college students this year," said Brian Smith, an online retail industry analyst and publisher of ComparisonEngines.com, which covers shopping comparison sites.

"They have more disposable income than other students, and a lot of times they're looking for that cool new tech product." (more)

Are you getting your share of the college-student dollar? Better get your business online if you aren't.

Wanna optimize your conversion rate? Good luck

2006-09-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

When web analytics were really becoming useful a couple of years ago, it became almost child's play to increase conversion rates on web sites. For the first time, you could essentially see what was working and what wasn't and retool your online marketing campaigns.

Over time; however, it has become harder and harder to improve those conversion rates. Even the likes of web analytics guru, Bryan Eisenberg, can have problems increasing conversion rates on established websites of established companies. (more)

Once you add analytics to something, some people think it becomes science. My old marketing boss - Mr. Right Brain - believed everything came down to the 'right process'.

I said, nonsense! A process is very important, but great ideas and great insight are not always process-driven. In fact, some times process kills great ideas and insight.

Even conversation rates aren't just science.

Great marketing is left and right brained. Even something as analytic as conversion rates is still greatly affected by the ideas and insight that drive the converted in the first place.

Consumers don't trust blogs?

2006-09-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting article in BrandWeek which finds that, as advertisers begin flocking to blogs and other online forums, new research suggests that consumers don't trust these outlets.

Of course then, why are so many consumers going to these sites?

While consumers might not buy into what these blogs have to say - at least not fully - they are still interested. Perhaps, advertising on such sites might not lead to pay-per-click sales, but these sites still seem to provide branding opportunities, minimally.

What is searchiness?

2006-08-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

Well, that's the point of the article, All About Site Searchiness, which essentially suggests, think life a surfer, act like a spider. So, what does this mean in a sentence or two because you really don't have time to read the article? O.K. How would an Internet surfer find material like yours in a search engine, what keywords would they use? Carefully optimize those keywords in your meta information and your content - not to trick the spiders, but to feed the spiders (Leave the trickery to black-hatters).

Now if neither or both of those sentences make make any sense, or if you don't understand keyword research or optimization, read the article.

Inevitably, search engine optimization isn't really that hard, it's just time consuming. It takes research, it takes practice, it takes revisions. If you put effort into it, you will see results, but you must put EFFORT into it!

If you still don't understand, respond to this post or send me an e-mail to info@1x1power.com.

Yahoo e-mail and search available on Windows SmartPhones

2006-08-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Speaking of mobile search, Yahoo announced today that its Yahoo Go service would be available on Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS. Consequently, Smartphone users with Windows Mobile OS can now use Yahoo services, such as mail, search and photos.

(Source: Yahoo via Reuters)

Is mobile search the next big thing?

2006-08-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

"Mobile search is not here yet," said search analyst Greg Sterling of Sterling Market Intelligence, mostly because searching on a two-inch mobile screen isn't yet a good user experience. But the pace of improvement has accelerated. "I thought it would take five to seven years, but now I think in two to three years there will be meaningful mobile-search usage." (more)

It won't be long before the power of the web will be fully transferred to mobile telephones, and combined with global positioning, the opportunities seem immense. Imagine asking your phone for directions to the nearest sushi restaurant, the nearest computer store, the nearest watch repair shop. Never will local search be more important.

How small businesses can compete in search optimization

2006-08-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

Be creative. Be honest. Forget the tricks. That's the essence of the article, Winning Big With a Small Search Marketing Budget. I always tell people to focus on your business. Focus on good content. Then understand how your business and content relates to the Internet. Does your content contain keyword combinations that are driving search engine traffic? If not, then your content needs to be rewritten. Does your content match your meta information? If not, then you need to better coordinate these parameters. Do your links come from keyword-related, legitimate websites, or do your links come from Joe Schmoe's unrelated link farm? Ultimately, search engine optimization is not about magic, it's about understanding how your business translates to the Internet audience.

Read Winning Big With a Small Search Marketing Budget

E-Commerce is bigger than online shipping

2005-01-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

E-commerce doesn't necessarily mean online shopping; as Gartner analyst Adam Sarner said, "J. Crew knows that someone going to jcrew.com is 27% more likely to visit a J. Crew store soon afterwards. The Web is a powerful influence."

"'Click-and-mortar' stores are really starting to understand that they must have a consistent and crisp user experience all the way through the site," Jilk said. "It's not just the credit card page that matters. It's not just a store -- it's also a research tool."

Click here for the complete ECommerceTimes story.

Paid versus non-Paid Search Results

2005-01-24T11:27:00.000-08:00

Does it matter? Of course it does, but a new Pew Study seems to show that just one in six Web searchers can understand the difference between paid search results and results that are ordered on the basis of relevancy or link popularity.

What does this mean?

For one thing it means that you can buy traffic, but that might not last and the numbers are a bit confusing.

Twenty percent of Internet Surfers fully understand the difference between paid ads and link popularity results. Another 20 percent are fuzzy on the distinction. The rest appear clueless.

Ironically, the far majority of Internet surfers expect the distinction to be clear - a surprising fact since the distinction appears unclear for most. Most analysts blame this on the newness of the Internet for so many users.

Overtime, as users become more sophisticated, marketers should expect those users to become more interested in relevancy, rather than ads. Nonetheless, the Pay-Per-Click model is a useful Internet marketing tool, especially in the short term

Click here for the complete Wired article

Microsoft adding pay-per-click?

2005-01-07T09:08:00.000-08:00

There is speculation that Microsoft will also be adding pay-per-click to its search services. It's not really that surprising since the model has become a huge portion of Internet marketing budgets.

While I do like pay-per-click marketing, and I do sometimes use pay-per-click results, I think it is too often used in place of organic search, rather than as a complement to organic search.

Many feel they just don't have time for organic search, or they don't feel like they have the required knowledge. Yet, some very simple techniques can go a long way.

More important, organic search can help you achieve more ROI with your pay-per-click program.

If you would like to find out more about using organic search in your Internet Marketing Campaigns, click here.

Video blogs are coming on strong.

2005-01-03T15:20:00.000-08:00

Many analysts are starting to think that vlogs, or video logs are the next big Internet thing.

With broadband in more than 40% of online U.S. households, streaming video is now accessible to "the people".

Vlogs are no different than blogs, it's just that their focus is video rather than text, and the opportunities are unlimited. Obviously indie filmmakers are one of the first groups trying to exploit this medium, but how to videos and more also gaining popularity.

Microsoft's Channel 9, attracting 900,000 viewers per month offers interviews and demos for its software-developer community.

Web Advertising is red hot, up 25.8 percent

2004-12-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

Internet marketing is still exploding, and pay-per-click, or keyword search, is pushing a majority of the growth.

"Much of this activity reflects the growing confidence in Web advertising, which climbed sharply this year on the strength of keyword search advertising and rich media ads enabled by faster broadband connections. Marketers spent $5.6 billion to advertise online in the first nine months of this year, up 25.8 percent from the period in 2003, according to TNS Media Intelligence, which tracks ad spending. That is a faster rate of growth than TNS found in any other media category."

(Click here for the complete NYTimes Story)

For Internet consulting on pay-per-click, or keyword search, marketing click here.

Is rich media the future of Internet Marketing?

2004-12-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

Some Internet marketing consultants believe that rich media is the future of Internet marketing. They point to broadband as the reason for that belief because it has the ability to make the Internet more like T.V.

So what does this mean for search and pay per click marketing?

Most Internet marketing analysts and strategists will tell you that this transition from search to rich media will take about a decade.

While I agree that this might happen, in terms of dollars, it will not diminish the importance of search in any way. On the contrary, perhaps it will increase searches significance.

First, the Internet will offer so many choices, it will be harder for just a few brands to dominate the entire market. The Internet is stealing T.V viewers because surfers are in control, not advertisers.

Second, rich media is expensive. It simply takes time to create good rich media.

Still, rich media, like beautiful-looking websites, is not necessarily effective. In fact, the majority of websites are just not effective, or they are not nearly as effective as they could be. Moreover, most websites are impossible to find, or to brand on the Internet, they simply get no exposure.

So, if you put a $1,000,000.00 rich media ad on a web page with minimum exposure, or unrelated exposure, how effective can that piece be? Of course that isn't as much of a worry for large corporations, but for small businesses, survival is dependent upon correct exposure.

Search provides not only exposure, but self-qualified segmentation of audience. This means that your perfect audience is viewing your rich media piece.

Rich media, by itself, cannot attain this audience.

Consequently, more advertising budget might be spent on rich media, but rich media will not diminish the importance of search engine marketing. More important, search marketing is probably the greatest piece of marketing leverage that small businesses can use to compete against large corporations.