Let Your Customers Build Your Business

Seach Engine Smorgasbord
Five top-ranked search engine optimization blogs and five top online marketing blogs for your reading pleasure.

1. Let Your Customers Build Your Business - 2007-07-03 09:38:59-04
   I read somewhere that Intuit, the makers of QuickBooks and Quicken, have a practice they call "follow me homes" that allow them to go into an actual customer's home and watch them install their software and get it set-up. They find that often, the way they designed a screen or instruction may not be the [...]
   
2. How Crappy Landing Pages Kill Email Campaigns - 2007-07-03 12:06:36-04
   "Oh, the humanity …" The folks at SilverPop recently published a study, "Eight Seconds to Capture Attention: Silverpop's Landing Page Report", where it reviewed the email campaigns of 150 top online companies. Long and short? They discovered that email campaigns that opened with promise and decent click through ratios generally died on the vine with ill-conceived, [...]
   
3. Google Frees up FeedBurner - 2007-07-03 16:27:58-04
   

   If you've been blogging for an extended period of time you very likely not only know what FeedBurner is, but you are using it. For everyone else, you likely heard about it when Google stepped in to purchase the service as yet another weapon in their ongoing " arms race" with Microsoft.

   Well as a result of that deal, Google has today unleashed FeedBurner's previously monthly-fee based 'Pro' services for free. Simply click on the 'Feedburner Stats Pro' link at the bottom of the 'Analyze' tab and check the 'Item Views' checkbox with the blue 'Pro' icon next to it (the Pro tool 'Reach' has already been automatically upgraded for you). Back on the 'My Feeds' screen you'll even see the same blue 'Pro' icon appear next to your feed name.

   

   Google Operating System is also reporting that FeedBurner MyBrand is now free as well. This is big news as this is the service that allows you serve up FeedBurner-run feeds from your own domain name. Google is clearly moving quickly to bring FeedBurner into the family; the next question has to be when will they integrate AdSense and AdWords with the FeedBurner Ad Network? The advertising is where the money is at for Google, so you can expect such integration to happen soon.

   A lot of negativity has come at Google in recent months as they continue to make deals that foster their domination of the Internet sphere; but it's hard to complain when Google is taking previously premium services and dishing them out for free. Yahoo bought MyBlogLog months ago and never opened up their premium services for free.

   Healthy competition is a good thing, but who can argue with free?

   
   
   
4. Why Facebook Is Not A Viable Marketing Platform - 2007-07-03 17:47:50-04
   

   Last week when I wrote about Facebook flyers and how the social network was going to rely on those to make money from Facebook Marketplace, Nate mentioned that Facebook marketing was useless because there was little to no conversion. Here we take a deeper look at Facebook as a marketing platform.

   Lack of Focus

   While I was researching what people were saying about marketing on Facebook, I came across a lot of negativity and a lot of people saying that it simply wasn't worth it. As Nate mentioned, it is probably better to find a more focused niche that is more applicable to your content or services and try marketing there first. Not only will you face less competition but simply by virtue of it being a more focused niche, whatever conversion you do get will be much better. While Facebook started as a social network focused on college students, since then it has opened up to everyone and diluted the focus of the site.

   Lack of Visibility

   Furthermore, while some users praise Facebook flyers because they blend in with the rest of the Facebook interface and are not intrusive, others argue that this is precisely the reason why the click-through rates are so low. At the same time, these people welcome using pay-per-click marketing because that way, you only pay when someone notices and clicks on your advertisement (and not by impression, which is what Facebook does).

   Not Compelling Enough

   What really puts this into context is comparing what the users of the social network are there to do, and how compelling you can make your advertisement to them. For example, when the average Facebook user signs into the network, he wants to check out what his friends are up to, look at some pictures, maybe edit his own profile a little bit and so on, and in the midst of all this, the Facebook flyers are not customizable enough and as a result just don't look compelling and don't stand out enough to attract the attention of this user to really be useful.

   What's in the CPM?

   When Facebook flyers first launched, they offered 10,000 impressions for $5, making the CPM $0.50 which was pretty much unheard of. Since then, they have changed the rates to offer 5,000 impressions for $10, making the CPM $2.00, increasing prices by 400%. And while the first CPM is incredible, and the second one isn't too bad either, with the conversion rate hovering around nil, what's in the CPM?

   One thing to keep in mind is that much of what is discussed here is more relevant to people on a budget. Facebook doesn't just rely on flyers for revenue and has other banner advertisements too (which cost much more). Flyers are for advertisers on a very small budget. Which is partly why though they continue to be ineffective people keep using them because what's $5 to a bar in downtown Chicago that wants to advertise to students from surrounding colleges?

   The Academic Approach

   What I learned by researching what other people were saying, i.e. how ineffective marketing on Facebook is, was quite surprising for me. You might remember Fox Interactive's study on social network's and marketing which we covered some time ago which found the exact opposite results.

   What it ultimately comes down to is the following things you should consider before you make the jump. Make sure you understand your own audience and compare it with the audience of a particular marketing platform (in our example, Facebook). And don't be restricted by your budget and simply choose the cheapest option. Do some more research, look for highest conversion rates for the price and don't discount pay-per-click and other similar models. Try a mix of different methods before you use one exclusively.

   
   
   
5. Do Just One Thing Better Than Anyone - 2007-07-03 22:15:16-04
   Beverly Sills, America's best known opera soprano, died yesterday and I was struck by a quote she made during a past New York Times interview. "I always had a theory that people became a superstar because they could do one thing better than anybody else in the world," she said. "I think there was an aria [...]
   
6. Make Millions and Make Change - 2007-07-04 04:10:53-04
   I just got done reading Michael Mann's ebook. It contains a bunch of great advice for Internet entrepreneurs. It is quite wide ranging, but offers both practical and useful advice, explaining many business concepts in a way that just about anyone should be able to understand.
   
7. How Advertising on the Internet Should Work - 2007-07-04 04:38:23-04
   

   Posted by randfish

   In the world of web search, we often recoil in disgust at the thought of buying advertising on the Internet. Likewise, I often hear web enterpreneurs and search marketers decry the lack of value in traditional web advertising - banner ads, overlays, pop-ups, etc. However, there are ways it can be done effectively, and I've got a few examples to share. These are my personal favorites - not only do I think they effectively advertise for the buyer, they're also excellent monetization techinques for the content provider - a very rare combination.

   Techmeme's Sponsored Posts

    

   I love what Gabe has done at Techmeme with advertising, because it's so much more valuable to both readers and advertisers than standard banner ads or mind-numbing Google AdSense. In fact, I actually find myself clicking and reading 2-3 sponsored posts each week off the site - which is remarkable. Think about it... Can you picture yourself clicking 2-3 display ads of any kind off of any site?

   NBC's "Sponsored" Online Versions of Popular Shows

   

   Finally, someone in the world of traditional media seems to be "getting" the web. NBC shows 3 mini-commercials (~10 seconds each, all for the same advertiser) inside a reasonably high quality, full-screen-able version of their TV shows. Mystery Guest watches these in our home office while she works out on our elliptical, and occassionally we'll crash in there together if there's something we've forgotten to Tivo. The advertiser also gets a permanent display on the screen next to the video (if you don't make it fullscreen), as in the above screen capture with T-Mobile.

   BTW - Yes, I have a huge crush on Tina Fey's Liz Lemon character. She actually reminds me a lot of Mystery Guest. :)

   Hakia's Blogger Quote Ads

   

   I really enjoy the idea that Hakia is taking banner ads and customizing them to the actual site they reside on. Not only that, but they use real quotes from the blogger/owner's of those sites, which is a great way to actually get readers to pay attention. I'm betting that CTR on those is significantly higher than a standard banner ad, and the engagement value with the thought leaders is an excellent bonus.

   StumbleUpon's Stumbletising

   

   StumbleUpon has created what could be the very best contextual, demographic-targeted ad system I've seen. There's several brilliant components that make it great:

   1. You're catching people at a time when they're not only willing but actively requesting to be shown random, interesting content.
   2. The subtlety of the ad feature makes it feel like you're stumbling on any other site.
   3. You get instant feedback - thumbs up and down - on the campaign from a wide swath of visitors
   4. Brand exposure is a given - they're not just seeing an ad, they're actually on your website
   5. You can choose your target - Stumbleupon lets you select which segments of their audience you want to reach

   Listen up carefully Reddit, Netscape & Digg - you should be figuring out how to make a combination of this and the Techmeme model work for you. It's not right for every advertiser, but it's a huge step forward.

   Newsvine's ElectionVine Widget

   Of course, the best form of advertising is the one you don't pay for, and Newsvine (hi Mike; sorry for not recognizing you at the party) is doing an excellent job of this with their embedded election widgets, a part of their ElectionVine campaign. Check it out:

    

    

   
   

   The idea is simple - let people vote on their potential presidential candidate, but the execution is what makes it genius. The widget enables a community for each site that runs the voting, so you can see if visitors to a particular site are more/less likely to be fans of one candidate or ideology.

   BTW - Let's please refrain from discussions of candidates or politics (apart from the relation to advertising on the Internet) in the comments. I'll delete or edit any of these that cross the line, as SEOmoz is not and should not be a home for that particular debate (if you're looking for it, there's tons of places on the web to go - maybe Newsvine?) :)

   Please do share some of your favorite web ads or online advertising options. I'd love to see what others are doing to be creative with getting a paid message out in non-traditional ways.

   p.s. Happy 4th of July to our American readers, and sorry to our Canadian readers for missing Canada Day - hope you had a great one.
   

   Technorati Tags

   hakia, newsvine, advertising on the internet, web advertising, gary price, nbc, 30 rock, stumbleupon, techmem, gabe rivera
   

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8. Reader Poll: Most SEO Friendly Industries - 2007-07-04 08:41:05-04
   A participant of the DMA Search Engine Marketing Certification program emailed me with some feedback about the program (very positive) and also posed a question about what industries need the least amount of education about search marketing. What industries are hiring in particular? Which I thought was a great question. Many search marketing and interactive marketing [...]
   
9. July 4th from the Search Industry - 2007-07-04 09:06:18-04
   Happy July 4th! Today there will be light posting, we do have several articles scheduled to go live today, but this one is the most fun. Here is a look at the various logos around the search world, Google, Yahoo,...

   

   
   
   
10. Should You Stop Advertising on the Main PPC Channels? - 2007-07-04 09:38:37-04
    A Search Engine Watch Forums member is frustrated with the amount of time and energy required to optimize his PPC campaigns on Google, Yahoo, and MSN. He had come to the Search Engine Watch Forums to get advice on where...

    

    
    
    
11. Negative SEO is Possible, Yet Difficult, Says Matt Cutts - 2007-07-04 10:18:55-04
    Two posts in DigitalPoint Forums and WebmasterWorld post point to a very interesting Forbes article on a lesser known practice of SEO known as "Google bowling" or "negative SEO." In this tactic, search engine optimizers force competitor websites down in...

    

    
    
    
12. Brand Awareness in Search Study Finds Participants Favoring Well-Known Search Engines - 2007-07-04 10:51:54-04
    Last week, findings of a Penn State University Study were published with some pretty interesting results. Thirty-two participants of the study did searches relating to a variety of terms and were asked to choose a search engine of preference. Regardless...

    

    
    
    
13. Three Free Local Classified Ad Plays - 2007-07-04 13:23:18-04
    The local classified ad space online is rapidly changing and potentially cutting into one of the remaining cash generators of the traditional newspaper. Craig's List currently dominates the free ad space but Facebook recently added free classified listings and now eBay just launched a free classified site called Kijiji. Facebook and eBay have a [...]
    
14. Here's Some Cool Copy for July 4th - 2007-07-04 18:53:01-04
    We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Ahhh… something for everyone. [...]
    
15. Intel's MashMaker Demo to Debut in Closed Beta in July - 2007-07-04 19:00:00-04
    Imagine being able to quickly and easily be able to take information from sites like Google Maps, eBay, Craig's List, Digg, and others, and join it together in meaningful ways - such as the many different mashups displayed on Programmable Web. The difficult with creating many of those mashups is that they require some [...]
    
16. Give It Up at Search Marketing Expo (June 5th, 2007) - 2007-07-04 20:00:01-04
    As Barry said, we had an embargo on posting this for one month. It was composed on June 5th at 3:30PST (6:30EST) but publication was delayed (until July 5th at midnight GMT) due to the announcement by Danny that he'd...

    

    
    
    
17. The Importance of Picking The Right Host And How To Do It - 2007-07-04 20:09:12-04
    

    Picking the right service to host your website on is incredibly important. Imagine you get Dugg, or Reddited, or Slashdotted and you deplete the alloted server resources, not only will you rack up an exorbitant amount in overage charges but you miss out on incredibly important exposure, and new subscribers/readers.

    Here's a look at a very interesting article that I read a little over a week ago that provides insight into surviving 100,000 instant visitors on a budget . If you look at the first image from the article it highlights several notable things:

    

    1. An article from your site hits the front-page of Digg and there is an immediate spike in traffic.
    2. MySQL exhausts your server resources.
    3. Some recovery traffic that isn't as high as the initial traffic (which trailed off because you ran out of resources).
    4. Server reboot and HTML caching causes more loss in traffic.

    What we see here is that you have about 6-8 hours of really good traffic before it starts going back to normal. And this is the time where you really need to capitalize on your sudden popularity. Many of the Technorati top 100 sites display their web hosting provider's badge on the site, which provides a good place to start looking for options. But in case they aren't, a new service launched today solves that problem for you.

    The tool, which is quite appropriately called Who Is Hosting This, let's you peek behind the site and find out the name and a link to the service that is hosting a particular site, and it's completely free.

    

    Here are some other simpler methods for countering the problems outlined above that you can use if you're not quite ready to change hosts yet (specific to WordPress hosted blogs):

    1. The WordPress Stats management plugin, though not the most versatile, takes a heavy load off your MySQL database.
    2. WordPress caching plugins detect a sudden influx of traffic and serve cached static pages and images.
    
    
    
18. Blogging is Dead (Long Live Value Blogging) - 2007-07-05 01:11:56-04
    Hugh Macleod has written a nice riff about the death of the blogging A-List. What he's really saying between the lines (in my estimation at least) is that the early bloggers who gained pseudo-celebrity status because they were, well… early, are dwindling in relevance, at least in blog format. And Hugh's thoughts are a [...]
    
19. Internal Link Architecture Made Easy - 2007-07-05 03:17:34-04
    Free tips on how to improve your site's internal link structure to maximize your site's SEO potential.
    
20. Google Opting AdWords Advertisers Out of Content Network Automatically? - 2007-07-05 08:15:30-04
    A WebmasterWorld thread discusses a possible bug many Google AdWords advertisers are noticing. Basically, it appears that many of these advertisers are not getting any traffic from Google's content network, even though they have their content network settings configured to...