Get To Know Google's Penguin Update

On Tuesday, Google officially announced the name of their new algorithm change…the “penguin” web spam update. The latest information about this update can be found on Matt Cutt’s blog, listed here:

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2012/01/page-layout-algorithm-improvement.html

Essentially, this update focuses on the page layout of your site and the overall experience users have with your website. Sites that have traditionally had too many advertisements “above the fold” are the ones searchers typically have trouble accessing the true content of the site and those are the site most prone to be affected by this change,

Search Engine Land has a great article summarizing this latest change.

http://searchengineland.com/too-many-ads-above-the-fold-now-penalized-by-googles-page-layout-algo-108613

Google makes algorithm updates all the time and these changes have all been geared towards providing searchers with a better user experience. Keep that in mind as you design, build, and rethink your site design. Your M.O. going forward should be the same as Google’s – build a site that meets the needs of your target audience. Easier said than done but with FREE Google Analytics tools at your side, you can easily see how your customers behave on your site and can make informed decisions on ways to better improve their experiences.

Believe it or not, there is one Industry that is booming right now. And that Industry is the "Internet Marketing" Industry. Yes, I did say booming...Even in this economy. With stock values slip-sliding-away daily and all of this talk about a global recession, you would think that people's fears would eventually slip into the online world. Fortunately though, most savvy marketers and business owners know that marketing during a downturn is the best way to grow your business and increase your market share. Even those companies that aren't necessarily marketing for those two reasons realize that they need to keep getting leads in order to survive.

Not to say that marketers/companies aren't feeling the effects of our financial crisis (Because they are). According to a recent online report, "60% of large companies are cutting marketing budgets in response to the economic crisis." However, and this is the primary reason why Internet marketing is still booming, most of the money that isn’t being cut is being shifted from "branding" initiatives to proven, ROI-based, "direct marketing" programs such as pay per click marketing.

This is not to say that people aren't being scared-off by the crisis. We've, in fact, seen several long-term clients "take a break" from their online marketing activities over the past few months. Still, the majority of our clients are starting to spend more in our programs since they've seen their competitors cutting back or bowing out completely…and they smell the opportunity for increased market share.

Because everything is measurable, Internet marketing provides the best type of investment companies can make for their businesses. For every dollar spent, companies know exactly what type of return they'll get. And isn’t being more accountable exactly the type of due diligence that is required in times of uncertainty?

I imagine the growth in Online Advertising will continue on in the next few years before it eventually gives way to ...Mobile Advertising.

Greetings from the War Room: Internet Marketing in 2012

More and more it seems that the Internet marketing space has become more like a war zone. The constant changes and major announcements from the search engines and social media sites, the dissemination of this information from Industry and non-Industry leaders alike, and the confusion surrounding each piece of news has created a constant state of chaos for everyone participating in this arena.  It seems that with every Facebook “conversion to Timeline” we get a Google “exact and phrase match update” right behind it.  The intents of the changes are highly positive but the collateral damage has been grand. In the twelve years since we’ve been working in this Industry, we have never seen such a state of frenzy as we currently see today.

It didn’t use to be like this.

Once upon a time, there was a simple set of rules for marketing effectively online.   These days, you need to treat your online marketing program like you would an entrepreneur of a business. You need to stay informed, flexible, and be able to pivot quickly to take advantage of new feature rollouts, new technologies and ever-changing landscapes.

That being said, we think you can relax amidst the chaos and take a deep breath. The fundamental basics of online marketing [that have been in place since day one] still apply today. Start with a great website, one that fills a market niche and meets the needs of your users.. and go from there. Next, ensure you optimize it properly for the search engines. Search still accounts for a vast majority of quality visitors and organic optimization should still be at the cornerstone of your online marketing plans. Next, consider setting up advertising campaigns, participating in social media, and experimenting with new traffic channels. Each business will be different but there are hordes of traffic available to you, if you plan properly and have budget for experimentation.  Finally, ensure you are tracking goals and conversions and analyzing your traffic patterns. You will quickly see which areas of your site need a refresh and what traffic channels are the most profitable.

Yes, you should pay close attention to the rapid pace of change occurring right now. But don’t panic! And don’t go of course just because a new feature has been released. Stick to your basics and you will ensure continued and continual success. You can’t get out of the war zone anymore but you can shield yourself from the noise by remembering the fundamentals. 

Internet Marketing Thriving... In This Economy

Believe it or not, there is one Industry that is booming right now. And that Industry is the "Internet Marketing" Industry. Yes, I did say booming...Even in this economy. With stock values slip-sliding-away daily and all of this talk about a global recession, you would think that people's fears would eventually slip into the online world. Fortunately though, most savvy marketers and business owners know that marketing during a downturn is the best way to grow your business and increase your market share. Even those companies that aren't necessarily marketing for those two reasons realize that they need to keep getting leads in order to survive.

Not to say that marketers/companies aren't feeling the effects of our financial crisis (Because they are). According to a recent online report, "60% of large companies are cutting marketing budgets in response to the economic crisis." However, and this is the primary reason why Internet marketing is still booming, most of the money that isn’t being cut is being shifted from "branding" initiatives to proven, ROI-based, "direct marketing" programs such as pay per click marketing.

This is not to say that people aren't being scared-off by the crisis. We've, in fact, seen several long-term clients "take a break" from their online marketing activities over the past few weeks. Still, the majority of our clients are starting to spend more in our programs since they've seen their competitors cutting back or bowing out completely…and they smell the opportunity for increased market share.

Because everything is measurable, Internet marketing in a sense provides the best type of investment companies can make for their businesses. For every dollar spent, companies know exactly what type of return they'll get. And isn’t being more accountable exactly the type of due diligence that is required in times of uncertainty?

I imagine the growth in Online Advertising will continue on into the next century before it eventually gives way to ...Mobile advertising.

Ron Weber is President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Interactive Agency.
www.sdinteractive.com

Want Better Conversions? Ask Your Customers!

Do you want to get better results from your online marketing efforts? We’ve got an easy solution. Why not ask your customers?? I know this answer seems obvious, simple, even down-right ridiculous, but truly it is the most forgotten way to gain quick and valuable insight that just may help you improve your marketing results.

So how do you “ask your customer” exactly? For starters, information can be collected from surveys, focus groups, direct mail and phone calls. When it comes to Internet marketing, however, none of those options are as immediate or as effective as onsite testing.

Onsite testing, meaning running live marketing experiments on specific landing pages of your site, will take the debate out of what you think your site visitors want and tell you precisely what you know your site visitors want. To get started, all you need is a website, an analytics program, and a willingness to experiment with your site (all in the name of higher conversions, of course).

Onsite testing can take the form of A/B testing (testing one variable at a time) or Multivariate Testing (testing several variables at a time). Each method has their pros and cons but both can give you an immediate boost in your conversion rate.

So what items should you test? For starters, try these:

• Headlines – Headers occupy a prominent space on your page. Often overlooked, testing headlines can make a large impact on your bottom line.
• Graphics – Your image may be fine but perhaps another will connect better with your audience. See if you can create a boost with changes in your imagery.
• Punctuation – Use different types of punctuation to see how your customers react. The difference between “Buy Today.” And “Buy Today!” may seem minor to us, but could dramatically improve your results.
• Design/ Layout – Perhaps you need an entirely new look/feel to get the message across. Try an A/B test to see if the updated look/feel increases sales.
• Buttons – There are many factors to consider when choosing buttons including the size, color, and text used in your button. Experiment and see what happens.

A final thought
While most people are now comfortable running ad campaigns, a surprisingly low number of these marketers are engaging in online testing. And if you aren’t trying to test your site for improvements, you aren’t taking advantage of the inherent benefit of online marketing – the ability to listen to your customer. Everything is measurable and your customers are telling you what they want with the behaviors and click-streams.

What a Microsoft, Yahoo! merger could mean to you!

These are exciting times for all of us in the Internet world. Only really in our infancy, we are booming and will likely surpass radio in 2008, in terms of total advertising dollars. Over time, we’ve improved (technologically speaking) and now offer advertisers unprecedented levels of variety, tracking and accountability.

So, what does a possible Microsoft, Yahoo! merger do for you? Below are some thoughts:

1) Google stays on top - Google, currently with a 65% market share of search, will remain the top search engine. You don’t “MSN” or “Yahoo!” something, you “Google” it. All predictions point to the fact that nothing much will change here in case of a merger. Your web business should still focus on Google first.

2) MSN takes Yahoo! search technology – MSN has tried working with its own search engine marketing console and has failed miserably. What once was a promise of “behavioral targeting”, MSN clearly has a console that hasn’t worked for most advertisers. With a merger, I would fully expect MSN to take Yahoo’s search technology for its own purposes. Again focus on Google but pay attention here – if this happens MSN Advertising becomes more attractive.

3) MSN keeps the Yahoo! brand in tact – While it would make sense to merge into one, eliminating the Yahoo! brand would be bad for business. With a ton of content and interactivity, Yahoo! is one of the most visited sites on the web. Changing these pages to an MSN brand would likely confuse and turn off die hard Yahoo! brand advocates. If MSN keeps Yahoo! as is, nothing changes for you as an advertiser.

4) MSN Backlash – A merger could produce an MSN backlash. Yahoo! is one of the oldest web properties, born from an era when Internet upstarts were up against corporate giants like Microsoft. One scenario is that users will defect to Google, only making that brand stronger and a better play for your advertising dollars.

A Final Thought:

A merger, believe it or not, would be better for online advertisers. This merger would put some heat on Google and this increased competition will benefit advertisers. I expect new innovations, better targeting capabilities, and new advertising models to emerge from this new competitive landscape. AND for that reason alone, I hope it all goes through.

Ron Weber, is the President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Interactive Agency.

2008 Internet Marketing Predictions

What to look for in the coming year.
It’s hard to believe that another year has already come and gone! BUT what a year it’s been. AND for all of the talk before about the arrival of Internet Marketing, this seemed to be the year that Internet Marketing finally reached the tipping point of public awareness and acceptance. Rarely before 2007 could I describe “what I do for a living” without explanation. Now, everyone seems to get it. BUT even though our industry is soaring, I’ve been in it too long to know that change is inevitable.

Below are some of the trends in Online Marketing that I predict for 2008:

1) Search Still Dominates – Can you ever really get too much of a good thing? Maybe. BUT when it comes to search engine marketing, there is still no equal. Search engines will continue to advance their technologies and provide searchers with an even higher number of relevant results. What’s more, most will be adding images, video, news, products and personalization to their results pages ensuring that you will probably find what you seek. In 2008, I predict that the search engine companies will continue to dominate the online world and will shatter all records achieved this previous year.

2)The Adoption of Pay Per Action – While search continues to rule, the way people pay for their advertising on the search engines will start to change. “Pay per action” is one such method, ensuring that advertisers only pay when a prospect completes a specified action such as complete a form or make a sale. While this is a no-brainer for most of us, only a small percentage of people actually use this type of program. In 2008, I predict that advertisers will start making a fundamental shift towards the trial and adoption of this program.

3)Alternative Advertising –When people aren’t searching (about 95% of the time), they are participating in blogging, social networking, shopping, and consuming content such as watching videos. With the rising cost of a click, advertisers will continue to look for value and higher returns elsewhere. In 2008, I predict that alternative advertising finally becomes mainstream.

4)Even Grandma has a Website – Have you started to notice that everyone (and their mother’s mother) has launched a website? While not all of these sites are created equal, entrepreneurs big and small are flocking to the web like never before. I expect this trend to continue in unprecedented ways. Because many of these newbies will need help navigating through the competitive online landscape, Internet Marketing Companies will continue to flourish in 2008.

5)Back to the Basics of Marketing – Eventually, with everyone competing for the same visibility on the web, you will make or break your site through real marketing. How well do you know your target? How well does your site communicate to them? How well does your site solve a prospects needs? Do you engage in a dialogue or do you just have one way communication? I predict that true marketing will finally be a necessity in 2008 for all web owners.

A final thought.

It’s incredible how quickly things have changed for our Industry. Only a few short years ago, you couldn’t sell a website without resistance. Now, websites seem to be selling themselves. In any case, we’ve all come a long way baby! The future is finally here and I, for one, am very excited about the great things ahead of us. Hope all of you a happy and prosperous new year.

Ron Weber is currently the President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Internet Marketing Agency.