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Search Engines, such as, Google, Yahoo and MSN, sift through the seemingly infinite pages of the internet to bring you to exactly what you are looking for. At least, that’s what they set out to do. Google has had a stronghold on the industry for as long as most users can remember, with Yahoo, MSN, AOL and AskJeeves bringing up the rear. However in recent years the gap between Google and it’s search competitors has decreased, and now both Yahoo and MSN are threatening to encroach Google’s once dominant market share.

Since its separation from Google in 2003, Yahoo has broken away from its former partner to become an industry threat with its own proprietary search technology. A study done by The comScore Media Metrix indicated that before the split Google held 79% of the market while Yahoo held a mere 16%. However - as of late 2005 this Yahoo’s portion increased to an impressive 42%.

The future of the market is also dependent on which Search Engine is perceived as more convenient, user friendly and appealing to consumers. Google and Yahoo differ in their search result styles with the latter displaying each result with a description of the page, while Google writes its own description based on the first paragraph of the webpage’s copy. Other competitors, such as AOL and AskJeeves, are adding new and unique features to keep up with the race. For example, AOL now suggests search phrases as you type your inquiry and AskJeeves displays a thumbnail of the SERP webpage result. Read the rest of this entry »

SPAM: the enemy of every user looking to get on-line quick to do some work. It lurks in every Web browser waiting to attack. It fills up e-mail accounts with no mercy. It is annoying, cumbersome, and relentless. A victim of SPAM is not helpless to block it, though. With enough dilligence and effort, any user can play a role in policing the net for those nasty unsolicited e-mails.

SPAM comes in many shapes and sizes. Some accounts filter out any e-mails that have attachments, since SPAM often comes with attachments. When SPAM does get through, it’s often filled with all kinds of bogus promises. Advertisers using it tell you that you’ll get something for nothing. They’ll promise free laptops, new X-Box systems, tons of money if you work from home, etc.. Perhaps the most prevalent form of SPAM is used to advertise adult sites. Following closely are all those missives promising cheap prescription drugs. Needless to say, many of these senders are not from legitimate operations. Read the rest of this entry »

“Don’t be evil,” sounds like a command given to a sinister three-year-old boy eyeing a batch of freshly baked cookies by a mother as she leaves the kitchen to rip a butt. In an age when we have more embezzling CEOs than roll models it is hard to imagine a new, headline making company using this as a their informal mantra.
  

Being a buzz worthy company that has recently become public, it’s informal mantra has become a lightning rod for both positive and negative attention from the press and self acclaimed “internet gurus.” Entire websites have been devoted to the monitoring and belittling of the world’s most popular search engine. Two sites that were easy to find in the Google search results were www.google-watch.org and www.dontbeevil.com.

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Starting a new PPC campaign from scratch requires planning and a clear set of conversion goals. Building new accounts, researching keywords and testing ad copy all factor in to the ramp up time - but is there ever a point at which you’re ‘done’? Can occasional maintenance take the place of the undivided attention you were devoting in the early days of a new PPC effort? The short answer is ‘definitely not’. Although it may seem plausible that your campaigns will reach a point where they can be switched on to auto pilot, there are many reasons you should always remain active in their daily management.

Abstract: Comparison shopping sites are becoming increasingly popular amongst online retailers. Small retailers have the tendency to feel as though they cannot survive in such a competitive environment where prices are being driven down by larger retailers, which have the business models to support themselves on slimmer margins. However, small retailers can gain and retain market share without lowering their prices and by building their brands.

The online market place is rapidly growing. Recently, Forrester Research released an online retail study projecting that the Internet will bring in $269 billion in retail sales in 2005, while influencing $378 billion in offline sales, over half a trillion dollars all together. With e-commerce continuing to increase its impact on retail sales, online retailers have begun piling into comparison shopping sites. According to an October 2004 study done by Forrester Research, while only 18 percent of online consumers use comparison shopping sites, that segment spends 24 percent more than average online consumers do. It is certainly a desirable method of generating sales leads; however, as more online retailers use comparison shopping sites, bid prices will escalate. Some online retailers argue that customers who visit these sites seek the lowest prices and for that reason will just drive their margins down. So what is the key to long term success for these businesses? Brand building. Read the rest of this entry »

The world of ecommerce is often times baffling as to the specifics of how everything works. Frequently, one successful strategy in a certain scenario fails to make a dent in another. Although there are no absolutes in this business, there are some helpful guidelines that can boost your conversions. First of all, 1% conversion is roughly the standard in the business. It may seem like a small number, but considering the volume of traffic that goes through a site; a conversion rate of 1.9% as reported by Shop.org in 2004 is average.

There are many fine touches one can make in order to improve conversion rates; however, three key areas to focus on are website simplicity, humanization, and security. Nothing is more frustrating for an online shopper than a complex website with excessive scrolling, a navigation system that takes you everywhere except where you want to be, or intrusive pop-up windows. By keeping everything organized and making the shopping experience as intuitive as possible, potential buyers just may take that extra step and become a customer. This idea of keeping it simple holds true especially during the checkout phase because nothing will make you pull out your hair quicker than a lost sale during checkout. Make prices of products big and bold and post shipping rates upfront or possibly consider free shipping on selective products altogether.

Once you’ve managed to organize and simplify your website, then next phase is to bring a human element. The internet is a cold world of anonymity and in order to bring a more enjoyable experience to a potential buyer; they need a sign of reassurance that you’re not just another faceless corporate company. By developing an in-depth “about us” page citing company history, a bond of trust is instilled within the user. Another little touch is posting real pictures of employees past customers or even testimonials, all of which adds a bit of warmth.

With so much news about hackers, identity theft, and viruses floating around the internet these days, security is a big issue especially with ecommerce. Subscribing to a knowledgeable online security company and posting the logo prominently on your website is a big plus with consumers. Utilizing SSL and making sure to let users know it within your privacy policy also helps. With the knowledge that they are safe from the prying eyes of online intruders, potential buyers feel free to unlock that safe they stash their credit cards in.

By no means are these guides the only way to improve conversion rates; however they are a good starting point. In the end, the key ingredient within the relationship between buyer and seller is and always has been trust. Once you’ve gained that bond, you must strive even harder just to maintain it.

You wouldn’t tolerate a customer walking out of your store with stolen merchandise.  Then why would you tolerate pirates who are stealing an estimated 20% of your online advertising dollars?

If you think all your “Pay-Per-Click” online advertising dollars are well spent, think again.  The $5.6 billion Pay-Per-Click industry itself estimates that between 5% and 20% ($260 million to $1 billion) of this figure is spent on fraudulent clicks — money stolen right out of your pocket.

What is Click Fraud?

There’s considerable debate within the industry on what constitutes an act of click fraud.  Google and Yahoo! are struggling to redefine “good-faith click” because of all the bad faith clicks on their search engines, according to a Newsweek article.  Nevertheless, click fraud is “the biggest threat to the Internet economy,” according to George Reyes, Google’s CFO.

What is click fraud?  If a competitor’s sales rep clicks on your ad, is that click fraud? It’s definitely not a lead.  How about if you competitor asks all of its 100 employees to click your $2 per click add once every day?    According to the search engines, this is not detected as fraud. 

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Day after day Americans have the same the routine: wake up, grab coffee and check the stocks and news reports, but do they ever think of logging into their Overture and Google accounts? Checking your PPC or (pay-per-click) accounts is a vital part of maintaining a successful campaign on the Internet. Pay-Per-Click accounts are the cheapest and easiest way to advertising on the Internet, and if not maintained properly, can cause you to lose money rapidly. PPC accounts require the research of keywords, particularly ones that have yet to be found. A successful account has to be on the cutting edge by keeping up with your client’s products and services as well as having a personal business relationship helps. It also helps from time to time researching your competitors; Find out which keywords they are using by typing in keywords in Google and Yahoo. PPC campaigns are not about the highest bids, or the highest place, but rather that you maximize your campaign over a broad range of keywords. Remember less is more. While your competitor is racking up the heavy bill with the higher bids, your smaller bids would yield theoretically a lower conversion cost.So what are the ten best PPC practices you ask? Working as an Account Specialist at SpidersSplat Consulting, I realized that the best practices for any PPC account are your own, and how does one come up with their own practices? The help of someone else such as an Account Specialist or an SEO Consultant can help you form your own ideas as to the practices you would like to take on. Remember these are practices, so follow as many as you wish.

The first practice would be that one needs to successfully research their own or their client’s products or services. Sec ond, one needs to have a successful business relationship whether with a client or with an SEO Consulting firm, in order to have a successful campaign. Remember, people cannot read minds, so it is important to share ideas with someone you are comfortable and confident in working with your account if you choose to use a Search Engine Optimization Consulting firm. After you establish a relationship, it is important to research your competitors in Yahoo and Google and find what kind of keywords they are using. It is also important to find keywords of your own using a keyword selector tool such as those found in Overture and Ad words. The most valuable keywords are those not used; they are the most cost efficient as well as possibly the most rewarding. Be a Pioneer; do not be afraid to start something new. Placement is not everything, do not worry about being in last place, what matters is the amount of keywords you have, you have to try to cover everything. Bid low, the lower the cost, the more money you have to spend in your campaign. Update keywords constantly, keeping up with the products or services your client offers. Check your accounts daily for conversions and costs. Clean up the keywords or groups that are costing money and are not generating any revenue. Make sure the keywords still match the product and are still being searched by users, it is important not to lose money on a keyword that is no longer needed, remember every little bit ads up. Make sure your landing pages work with your ad, you do not want your customers going to the wrong page, and then no sales will occur. Always make your ads short and sweet, remember less is more, you want to grab a user’s attention not bore them. Finally, treat your client’s money as if it was your own (i.e. do not go on a shopping spree, save when you can but also do not be afraid to spend it where it is needed). Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re an SEO/SEM firm, you likely have many clients who are obsessed with and focused on only 1 keyword (variable) and 1 search engine (Google). It can be a challenging feat explaining the value of having your top words and phrases do well in a variety of engines, as opposed to just the behemoth that is Google. It’s also how we SEOs validate our services and work and - more importantly - increase client comfort levels and their genuine belief in what you do for them month after month.

Search Engines, such as, Google, Yahoo and MSN, sift through the seemingly infinite pages of the internet to bring you to exactly what you are looking for. At least, that’s what they set out to do. Google has had a stronghold on the industry for as long as most users can remember, with Yahoo, MSN, AOL and AskJeeves bringing up the rear. However in recent years the gap between Google and it’s search competitors has decreased, and now both Yahoo and MSN are threatening to encroach Google’s once dominant market share.

Since its separation from Google in 2003, Yahoo has broken away from its former partner to become an industry threat with its own proprietary search technology. A study done by The comScore Media Metrix indicated that before the split Google held 79% of the market while Yahoo held a mere 16%. However - as of late 2005 this Yahoo’s portion increased to an impressive 42%.

The future of the market is also dependent on which Search Engine is perceived as more convenient, user friendly and appealing to consumers. Google and Yahoo differ in their search result styles with the latter displaying each result with a description of the page, while Google writes its own description based on the first paragraph of the webpage’s copy. Other competitors, such as AOL and AskJeeves, are adding new and unique features to keep up with the race. For example, AOL now suggests search phrases as you type your inquiry and AskJeeves displays a thumbnail of the SERP webpage result.

Convenience is a large factor for a consumer in deciding what Search Engine to use. The BizRate.com surveyed 3887 online consumers in October 2004 and found that only 35% were loyal to one Search Engine company. For the remaining 65% the choice simply boild down to whatever happens to be at their fingertips. Bill Gates’ MSN is a Search Engine to watch out for as Microsoft has decided to concentrate more on search technology in the following years and is integrating it into Windows which will give them a huge advantage.

Only time will tell whether or not Google keeps its prevalence in the market, but Yahoo and MSN are sites that have potential to take over. Many experts predict that because of Google’s longtime grasp of the lead that it will fall victim to other ambitious companies and a desire for alternatives. Objective search result relevancy, which the major players strive to differentiate themselves through, seems to have ultimately been eclipsed by convenience.

  Odden, Lee “Which Search Engines are most important?” AllBusiness 23 May 2005. 27 June 2005 <http://allbusiness.sfgate.com/blog/SearchEngineSmarts/3968/002347.html>

  Guro, Seo. “Search Engine Market Share? Google or Yahoo or MSN” Online posting. 16 Mar. 2005. <http://www.kosmoscentral.com/forum/SEO-Tips183.html>

Sterling, Greg. “Search Engine Usage, Inertia and Firefox” The Marketing Shift 3 May 2005. 27 June 2005 <http://www.marketingshift.com/2005/05/search-engine-usage-inertia-and.cfm>

Hotchkiss, Gord. “A Battle Plan for MSN Search” The Search Engine Guide 12 May 2005. 27 June 2005<http://www.searchengineguide.com/hotchkiss/2005/0512_gh1.html>