From the category archives:

search engine marketing

    

Are you thinking about incorporating Google+ into your social media strategy but haven’t made the leap yet? There are a few important advantages to participation you need to consider. But first, some background.

What is Google+, really?

For the uninitiated, it’s a social network. For those in the know, it’s a Facebook clone (that’s a tongue-in-cheek comment but it’s partially true). Google is understandably avoiding making any comparisons to existing social networks. If I were forced to do so then Facebook would be the most likely comparison. As you think through both this post and your strategy, Facebook will do if you absolutely need a point of comparison (at least for now).

Something to keep in mind is that Google+ is not +1. They are two separate names to two related but very different things. For those that don’t spend their professional time geeking out on social networks (I do) the terms can be confusing. That’s completely understandable. As discussed above, Google+ is Google’s social network. The +1 is their equivalent of the Facebook Like (to stretch the comparison a bit further). So when you “+1” something you are giving Google a signal that you like the page/link/ad (Yes, you can +1 an ad. Who does that?!!?).

To add further confusion to the understanding of Google+ terminology, Google is now aggregating +1 and Circle activity for business pages. I’m not even going to go there right now (see the footnote for an explanation1). Click to continue…

Search Gets Smarter…

by Greg Tirico

    

Based on HitWise data, searches using 4-8+ words increased last month.  Searches containing 1-3 keywords fell or were flat.  That is a significant shift for two reasons.  Maybe more….but I’m only going to list two:

1.  We’re getting smarter as search consumers.  The days of typing a URL into the search box to find the website at said URL are not entirely gone but, clearly, we are learning how to refine our searches by using more terms.
2.  As more search terms are used the amount of keyword inventory increases.  Do the math.  4! (24) contains 18 more combinations than 3! (6) and that’s just for a single search.  Multiply that difference by hundreds of millions and you’ve got an exponentially increasing level of keyword inventory.
experian-hitwise-percentage-us-clicks-number-keywords-october-2009.jpg

Posted via email from Greg Tirico – Tirico.net

    

Google’s Chief Economist, Hal Varian, explains the AdWords auction system by way of example.  This is a must-watch video for any AdWords advertiser.

The Easy Button…

by Greg Tirico

    

There is nothing easy about tying your online and offline marketing tactics together.  Do you *really* know that the most recent PPC campaign resulted in those additional real world sales calls?  If you are smart about how you track your metrics then the answer should be, “Absolutely.” Here’s a recent article from Search Engine Watch [...]

    

A solid understanding of the internet marketing mix can place you at a significant competitive advantage relative to your peers in the marketplace. Understanding the five factors that can have a positive impact on your sales is key: the compelling website, search engine marketing, email marketing, social media and analytics.

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