06 11th, 2010| 
Google has residual memory of most recently used search terms. This memory influences the sponsored results generated by the next few searches (usually up to 2-3 pages.) For example, search for Online ERP on Google. Read more… »
The Google Content network has been around for a long time. And sometimes it generates better leads than the search network. Here are a few tips-n-tricks that I use to drive up my conversions. And I can tell you, these simple tricks work very well.
- Clear Message: People have less than a second to glance over your ad. So keep the design easy to understand and the message clear.
In search engine marketing, you have to pick your battles very carefully. Sometimes concentrating on SEO makes more sense, other times you have to spend your money on paid search advertisings. The table below gives a break down on these two tactics.
SEO |
Paid Search ads |
|
| What is it? | Search Engine Optimization optimizes your website for higher organic rankings on search engines (Google, Yahoo or Bing.) | Pay-per-click or banner ads that go through Google Adwords, Microsoft Adcenter or Yahoo Search Marketing platforms. |
| How resource intensive is it? | A SEO strategy can be resource intensive task, especially for a SME. | Paid search advertising requires nominal effort only. |
| How quickly can I see results? | Results are slow (from weeks to months)
SEO listings can take a few weeks to materialize. A full SEO campaign can even take a year to be fully realized. |
Almost instantaneously (within days)
Search advertising can take a day to be setup and go live. But, once you turn ofF your budget, your ads are gone. |
| How well can I target my audience? | Broad Targeting
Organic searches are hard to target to a specific audience. |
Specific targeting
Ads can be targeted to specific demographics, geographics, time-of-day, negative word filtering, etc. |
| How much does it cost? | Higher startup, but low monthly costs.
Startup:
20% for monthly maintenance. |
Medium startup, but high running costs.
Startup:
200% for monthly advertisement costs. |
| What are the involved steps? | Spans your marketing, sales, and perhaps technical team. Some of the steps involved are:
|
Only requires a few marketing personnel. Some of the steps involved are:
|
| Do I need to hire external help? | Yes, better to get an SEO consultant SEO is a very complex and rapidly changing field. It’s best to hire someone who has current market knowledge. |
Good to have, but not necessary
Paid campaigns are easier to run and master. But if you don’t have the analytical marketing team then hire a PPC expert. |
| Summary | SEO is a good overall lead-generation tool.
It CAN NOT be used for a specific campaign. SEO takes longer to trickle through, but the investment pays off with a brand image. Visitors trust organic searches more than paid listings. |
Search ads are good for specific campaigns that have a start and stop date.
You CAN NOT build a brand using search advertising. It will just be too expensive and eventually break your bank. PPC advertising has a life span of your budget. Turn off the budget, you lose your ad traffic. |
What is the first image that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘Finnish’? If you are not familiar with Finland, Finns or Finnish culture maybe you will see an idyllic snowed landscape with smoking chimney cottages and possibly some reindeers wandering around. On the other hand if you are close enough to this Nordic country surely some immaculate sauna, hi-tech mobile phone or salmon over rye bread images will fly in your mind. But what does Google Images think about keyword ‘Finnish’?
That is what @taalto wanted to show on an experiment that compares the results Google Images gives for ‘Finnish’ and ‘Swedish’ keywords. Images speak by themselves, while for the ‘Finnish’ search pictures showed are:
the results for ‘Swedish’ search are:
After this experiment an initiative was born from Finnish Advertising Agency W. Steinmann to try to revert these negative tendencies. They used a simple SEO technique of tagging uploaded photos - whether the file name, alt-tag or surrounding text, with the keyword ‘Finnish’. Perhaps the simplicity of the technique is the reason why its often overlooked.
The Campaign for Finnish Image(s) aims at improving the quality of pictures going around the web, reflecting more realistically the modern life in Finland. Can a simple SEO practice make the difference on how Finland is perceived? At least through search engines eyes. This is a job not only for the Finnish authorities, but for anyone who lives or loves this magic land.
Facebook Ads whitepaper
Over the past year, we at Target Info Labs have been working very hard to use different venues for online advertising, from Google Adwords, Yahoo, Bing, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Landing Page Elements
A landing page is a simplified version of your website that showcases a single product or service. The web visitor comes to a landing page from an external site (i.e. Google.com) and is enticed to try or buy your offer. A good landing page only focuses on a single message with a goal. This goal can be a download, registration, trial or a buy action.
The last few weeks have been marred by one too many celebrity deaths. But what prompts me to write this blog is the recent passing away of Gidget – the Taco bell dog from the “Yo quiero Taco Bell” commercials. This dog knew how to appease the taco loving crowd and fueled a successful advertising campaign in the late 1990s.
Read more… »
Facebook User Statistics
Is Facebook starting to lose its allure with Generation Z? Is it just getting too passé? It may be so, since the social networking giant is attracting a different crowd. Recent figures show that more +55 year old were signing up on Facebook than highschool students… Huh?
What are Landing Pages?
Landing pages are very important to any online advertising program. A landing page is highly optimized page that has a targeted call-to-action. This call-to-action can be as simple as a download, signup or demo. When the visitor acts on the call-to-action, the visitor is said to have “converted.”
Read more… »
Analyzing Landing Pages
For the past few weeks, I’ve been testing three very different modes of online advertising including Google AdWords, LinkedIn Direct Ads and Facebook Ads. The Google network generates highly targeted, active leads and the other two leverage a pool of professional/social networking users. Read more… »
