Pwning Google Adwords Like A Skeeball Ninja
Google Adwords wants you to use broad match – after all, 20% of all queries have not been seen in the previous 90 days. But should you really do this? I say, possibly. Read more inside.
DetailsMobile Restaurant Ratings and the Neutered Gratuity
Mobile restaurant guides and ratings could become the method of choice for consumers to voice their dissatisfaction with poor service, especially in the age of “mandatory tips” from even lower-end restaurants.
DetailsSharpen Your Saws! 20 Simple Ways To Prepare for a Turnaround!
Smart businesses recognize economic slowdowns as opportunity to move forward relative to competition. As any house painter will tell you, rainy weather is the time to clean brushes, repair ladders and secure the shop.
DetailsWeb Marketing in an Age of Tribes
How is web marketing changing as communities organize themselves, and how do consultants help clients become aware of the leverage available to them without seeming like troublemakers.
DetailsAmericans Now Expect Companies to Have Social Media Presence
A new study of over 1000 Americans reveals that 93% believe a company should have a presence in social media, and that Social Media is a major shortcut to hard-to-reach demographics. So why do companies still avoid social media participation?
Details7 Ideas for Using Google Moderator In Business
With the launch of the question-crowdsourcing Google Moderate, I’ve offered up 7 possible uses for the service, with some words of caution as well as some possible opportunity.
DetailsRebate “Debit Cards” Add Hassle to My Life
I really do not like these rebate cards that everyone is sending out. At first blush they would seem to be a good idea (you don’t need to deposit a check) but I think they’re just another way to punish us for using the rebate in the first place. Of course, the businesses like them…
Details9 Ideas How Google Suggest Could Change Search Marketing
Google Suggest, long a staple of Google Labs is now working its way to the main Google Home page. So what does this mean for SEO/PPC/SEM activity and the future of how we market websites? Here are 9 ideas.
DetailsThe SEO Content Production Rift
Lee Odden hit a nerve with his last post. “The [seo] challenge comes from a combination of: The need to create new content that travels and that others are motivated to link to Convincing web site owners that they need to create and promote content on an ongoing basis outside of their brochureware corporate site…
DetailsRob Snell: Comments on the Congressional Hearing About Online Advertising
My new friend and fellow Yahoo! Store Developer Rob Snell was invited by a director at Yahoo! Small Business to testify in front of Congress at a hearing of the US House of Representatives’ Committee on Small Business about Online Advertising. His preperation and written testimony was easy-to-read and Rob published it here at Search…
DetailsScott Clark to Speak On Social Media Marketing in Lexington
Scott Clark will speak at Lexington Ad Club July 16th on Social Media in a presentation called ‘Conversations, Control and Calamity” – details inside
DetailsBrands Could Learn a Thing or Two From Jane Goodall about Social Media
Jane Goodall has terrific lessons for how we might integrate into the social communities of customers through her groundbreaking research with Gombe chimps. Go slow, learn the culture, and never betray the trust.
DetailsSEM Agencies as Educators, Innovators in the Growing Search Field
The North American SEM industry grew from $9.4 billion in 2006 to $12.2 billion in 2007, exceeding earlier projections of $11.5 billion for 2007 and marketers are finding more search dollars by poaching budget from print magazine spending, website development, direct mail and other marketing programs. The SEMPO study released today offered some good news…
DetailsTranslating Advertising and Marketing Copy By Sacrificing Souls
Creating a stripped down version of emotional marketing text can serve as a vehicle for moving to a new destination language by freeing it from the burden of carrying nuance during translation.
DetailsMichael Dorausch in USA Today Talking about Local SEM
Mike Dorausch (aka @chiropractic) drives home the point of local reviews being a huge deal for local businesses on today’s USA today. Congrats Mike on the front page of USA Today.
Details9 Things I Dislike about The Google Adwords Automatic Matching Idea
I was amazed when I read that Google was rolling out Automatic Match Adwords on May 20th. This system goes against every methodology I’ve developed to help clients with Adwords and I fear it will pray upon the uninformed advertiser’s budget.
DetailsLink Building, Search, and Influence: Not So Silly After All
While Seth Godin discusses noisy “silly” traffic that comes from Digg or Stumbleupon, I offer these thoughts about link building, conversions, influencers and how such waves are interesting because of their long-term effects.
Details20 Take-Aways from SMX Social Media
Ok, it’s the middle of the night and I’m sitting in an uncomfortable airport chair, but my mind is on the takeaways that I have from the SMX Social Media conference. Much of this I knew, but it was heavily re-enforced. The biggest benefit, as with most of these small shows, is the contacts and…
DetailsSMX Social Media Photos
Are posted on flickr. Enjoy
Social Media’s Tribal Energy and Live Events
Starting with a blog and Twitter presence, Arenas and Live Venues have started to embrace authentic, participatory media as a way to get closer to fans. But challenges, some unique to this business, will face them as the staff must respect the protocol of promotion, licensing, and tour managers. Several people chime in on this, and I invite you to as well.
DetailsDouble Dipping – The Case for Two Viral Marketing Strategies
>>Special Thanks to Brennan White for this answer: Brennan is Founder of Pandemic Labs and writes the Pandemic Blog which brings knowledge of social media marketing, experience with social networks and experience with professional media creation together for clients. Scott Clark asked Me The Following Question: “Malcolm Gladwell, Elihu Katz, Paul Lazarsfeld, Ed Keller and…
DetailsLessons in Customer Service and Selling Emotion
Lighting Store in the Dark About True Cost of Arcane Policies I recently went to get my hair cut at one of the most Mayberry-like barber shops you’ve ever seen. It’s the Facebook of the 1950s, stuck in time, the chairs are original. The smiles are authentic. Conversations filled the air. It was a pretty…
DetailsBig Ass Fans is a Purple Cow
Sometimes, to become remarkable, you have to ruffle some feathers. And if you’re like these guys, you do it with gigantic fans – both the (slowly) spinning metal kind and the send-me-all-your-schwag kind.
DetailsGoogle Automatic Matching Beta = Pay, Spray and Pray?
They say playing the lottery is a “special tax” for the “math challenged.” I think that’s true. In the search world Google’s new Automatic Matching setup is a special tax on the uninformed advertiser. What I’m hearing about the new Google Automatic Matching beta is that they will look at unspent funds in your account,…
DetailsStop Waiting for SEO Heroes and Make Great Stuff
I have six professional heroes presently – and I don’t mind sharing. In random order, they are: Seth Godin – For telling me to quit dead ends and focus on being the best. Edward Tufte – Guided me into information design, recognizing and avoiding chartjunk, and telling stories visually. Jakob Nielson – For telling it…
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“SEO Building Permits” – An SEO’s Presence Throughout A Design Project can Prevent Expensive Tear-Outs
We can draw a parallel between SEO advice and building permitting. Pressures placed on any web development project can cause marketing goals to be conveniently ignored, just like marketing goals, building codes and standards. Paid search ends up the beneficiary when an “un-optimizable” site results.
DetailsVoters Seek Neutral Ground for Learning about Candidates – Skip Candidate Websites
With increased Internet use and widespread broadband connectivity, the shift from old to new media is influencing the way people participate in elections, according to a recent report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Not since John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon debated in front of 70 million new television watchers in 1960 have we seen such a change in political media. A wave of changes brought on by Web sites, blogs and social media is being led by the 18- to 30-year-old demographic and is spreading to reach Americans of all ages and backgrounds.
DetailsAdvertisers May Flock to Web In Economic Downturn
When the going gets tough, do the tough go online? Last year, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, Online advertising in the US grew 25% (17% not including search) during Q1-Q3 of last year over 2006. Currently the web accounts for less than 10% of all advertising spend but nearly a quarter of the time…
DetailsPride in Your Work
When you take pride in your work, it shows. Sometimes, it’s downright artistic. These guys take pride in the work. What’s more, almost nobody will ever see it. This is behind the scenes cabling that makes things like this website work. Anyone can pull wire, but only certain people can make it look like a…
DetailsStartup CEOs, or Those Considering It: Do not miss this.
Rand Fishkin of SEOMOZ gives a well-articulated list of advice for start-up CEOs. I think it applies to all types of CEOs, team leaders, and in some cases consultants. Go read the list…. which includes: You need: A Voracious Appetite for Knowledge Seeing the Good in Everyone Caring About More than Money And some specific…
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