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Friday, August 26, 2005

Paid Search: Who Really Is On First? - 08/25/2005

MediaPost Publications - Paid Search: Who Really Is On First? - 08/25/2005 by Robert Murray: "It amazes me that there are people out there who still believe the myth that paid search is simple. It's not. In fact, it's downright complex -- and getting more so every day. If the rules aren't changing, the players are. If the players aren't changing, the playing field is. If the field isn't changing, the tools are. So who really is on First?

From keeping up with the major players and their rules, to accommodating expanding keyword volumes, to understanding the role of technology, paid search is a complex game with one constant: Things are changing all the time.

So what's a marketer to do to stay in the game? Here's what you need to consider:

Playing Field The playing field is ever-evolving. There are currently three major auction platforms (Google, Yahoo!, and AskJeeves) with MSN launching soon. While they are all keyword auctions at the core, each one has different nuances.

Keyword Volume Expansion As keyword prices continue to rise, marketers are continually forced to expand their keyword set in search of cheaper conversions..

Role of Technology Further still, there's the role of technology and its impact on the outcome of the campaign...bid management tool...

Conc: the game of paid search is complex and changing daily. For marketers, understanding the components of paid search and the changes taking place is critical to staying in the game and remaining competitive in this arena. "

Google

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

SEM Advice from InfoSearch CEO

iMedia Connection: SEM Advice from InfoSearch CEO: "iMedia: What are some of the biggest challenges for SEM firms and online advertisers?

Steve Lazuka: One of the most significant challenges for legitimate search engine firms is overcoming the fact that a lot of online businesses have been burned by small SEO firms that over promise and under deliver. There are many smaller operations out there that use deceptive practices that give the whole industry a bad name

iMedia: What are marketers doing wrong with SEM?

Lazuka: The biggest mistake marketers are making is not doing their homework before choosing a firm. Check their Better Business Bureau record. Call their clients. Find out what techniques they use to drive search engine traffic to your site.

If they do anything besides basic page optimization and writing great content, they are probably crossing the line when it comes to what the search engines allow you to do, and it could cause your site to be penalized.
A top-notch SEM firm can make or break your business, so spend some time doing a little research before making a decision.

iMedia: What are some of the biggest misconceptions about SEM?

Lazuka: One of the biggest misconceptions in our space is that there is a magic formula that will help your site rank to the top of the search results. Many low-budget search firms encourage this belief since they want people to believe there is a lot of magic going on behind the scenes to justify their high pricing and hide their poor results from their clients.

The truth is that it's not rocket science. The search engines want relevant, comprehensive and useful information ranking in their search results. All you need to do is give it to them and you will be rewarded with traffic.

Great content is incredibly important for online businesses. Quality content builds trust with visitors, keeps them coming back to your site, and also generates free search engine traffic. The result is more traffic that converts at a much higher rate."

Google

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

SuperPages Rolls Out Pay-Per-Call

SuperPages Rolls Out Pay-Per-Call: "Verizon SuperPages.com has unveiled a new pay-per-call offering, and is calling the product a "huge" component of its local and national sales strategy for online marketing products.

The offering, dubbed "Pay For Calls," works in a fashion similar to other pay-per-call services in the market. It applies a dedicated toll-free or local telephone number to each ad. The number rings through to the advertiser's regular phone line.

Local marketers will pay from $2 to $6 per qualified call, depending on the business category. The company estimates 80 percent of its small business advertisers will be interested in the product."

SuperPages is also focusing a great deal of attention now on enhancing its appeal to local marketers. Last month, the company said it had begun placing campaigns with Google and Yahoo! on behalf of its small to mid-sized business clients....

Superpages.com Tries on Agency Hat: "Verizon SuperPages.com's local PPC advertisers have increased their local budgets to levels beyond what can be spent in its own network. Rather than turn them away, the company places their campaigns on rival PPC networks.... "

Google

Monday, August 01, 2005

DMNews.com | News | Article

DMNews.com | News | Article: "By: Jon Waterman Findology

You like the traffic youre getting from Google and Yahoo, but you would like to see more. Where do you go?

The second-tier pay-per-click search engine industry has gotten its share of attention from the public markets and from private investors lately, and for a reason. For years, these second-tier companies like Miva, Enhance, Epilot and Findology have provided quality traffic to advertisers sites, filling the need for wanted inventory....

Though Google and Yahoo continue to lead the pack, they are limited by the traffic that they can provide to their advertisers. The second-tier pay-per-click search engine industry fills that void."

Google
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