Google Strikes Again! Google executives confirmed testing a method of structured content submission called Google Base. The new service, unearthed by bloggers who took screenshots before the pages disappeared, could put Google into competition with classifieds providers as well as e-tailing giant eBay.
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Yahoo! Search Marketing Not Far Behind! Yahoo! Search Marketing (YSM) is playing a bit of catch up as it struggles to compete with the long-arm of the web, Google. The company has extended a hand to smaller advertisers, taking a page from Google by abolishing its $20 minimum monthly spend for sponsored search. The move will likely make YSM more attractive to both small spenders and those who want to run one-time campaigns or seasonal efforts. Full Story
Blogs Strike A Pose. Glam Media unveiled a fashion blog network, allowing the media and e-commerce player to offer advertising packages that combine Glam.com and blog inventory. Glam says it hand-picked blogs that fit into its six targeting categories: fashion, apparel, beauty, accessories, shoes, and jewelry. Want to reach women effectively? Get “Glam’d Up” to the latest in fashion blogs! Full Story
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RSS feeds are quickly becoming mainstream, but publishers, advertisers and consumers are just scratching the surface. Recent data from the Pew Internet Research Foundation shows that a mere 9 percent of the Internet population has a good idea of what RSS is. But don’t let that discourgae you. Read on…
RSS is poised to become an important content delivery mechanism in mainstream media. It will soon represent a permanent change in the way information will be shared, viewed and acted upon online. Why the change? Consider the factors that we have been exposed to: E-mail SPAM has intercepted the sending of legitimate customer communication RSS is “SPAM free”;Many publishers catering to the tech markets are seeing 40% month-over-month growth rate in their RSS traffic. Some are seeing 50% of their traffic come from their RSS feed, with a corresponding decline in email subscriptions; and quite frankly, RSS is easy-to-use (after the subscription process). Consumers will gravitate to anything that saves them time. With backing factors to support RSS success for the future, why not bring in advertising as well?
Current research points to the RSS consumer is a very desirable to create a connection with. They are the early adaptors that spend more time online, consume more information, have a higher income and are between 18-34 years old. According to Yahoo!, the RSS consumer looks like this:
- 71% male (47% non-user)
- 50% are 18-34 (36% non-user)
- 36% college graduate (27% non-user)
- 31% have some post-graduate degree (22% non-user)
- $74,116 average household income ($63,095 average user)
When it comes to RSS ad creative, keep in mind that this is not search advertising. Keep your search ad Haikus on the search engines. The RSS consumer wants information. Your message should take the tone of telling vs. a selling tone. This means, tell me information about your product. "Click here, buy now" does not win over the RSS consumer. RSS users are scanning for information that is relevant to them, saving and reading it later. No one is going to be upset that they didn't receive ads. The goal is to get the consumer to save your ad content and respond.
Although there are limitations within RSS (limited formatting options, low percentage of Internet population currently using, limited targeting abilities), let’s give it some time to mature and develop. But keep the idea in the back of your marketing pocket—RSS will be the latest vehicle to reach your market.
Source: How To Buy RSS Advertising, Pheedo.com
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What do you get when you cross wikis, blogs and social networks? If you're author and online marketing guru Seth Godin, the answer is Squidoo -- a new company he launched to host Web pages written by experts in various topics
These pages, which he calls lenses, aim to highlight one person's view of a topic and hopefully distill the information into the perfect starting point for researching a given topic. An ideal lens will provide a searcher with the "big picture" on the subject, with annotated links to the most relevant sites on the topic -- similar to the guidance a trusted librarian would offer.
When “Squidoo: launches later this month, anyone will be able to create as many lenses as they like. Lenses will be ranked by Squidoo's LensRank algorithm, which will weigh factors like community ratings, click through rates, recent posts, number of lenses by the author, and number of outside links. Unlike search engines, which keep their ranking algorithms closely held, LensRank will be transparent, to encourage lens creators to do everything possible to get a high rank.
To combat inevitable spamming of the system, Squidoo will have measures in place to prevent automated lens generation. The bulk of the policing will be done by the community, which will judge each lens by the quality of its content.
Source: ClickZ News, October 12, 2005
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"SEARCH CREATIVE? THAT'S JUST textlinks."
If that’s your way of thinking, keep reading. Thoughts like this reinforce the fact that search creative has been regarded traditionally as a purely tactical technique. There are many reasons for this, including:
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The lack of effort from engines to provide strong creative testing platforms aside from Google
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Little or lack of research is most evident when determining branding effectiveness via search
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The focus of agencies/search firms on getting creative completed quickly, as opposed to spending additional hours to ensure effectiveness
Recent articles are out there suggesting that search is inherently changing our content consumption habits--which we are simultaneously becoming more succinct and sophisticated, not just in how we search, but how we converse as well. Marketers and clients alike must become more succinct and sophisticated in how a message is tailored to an ever-changing audience.
Within the search world, character restrictions force marketers to shorten messages. Yet, effort to take advantage of the textlink space falls far short from that of other mediums. Finding success with a search campaign does not rely only on identifying the right keyword mix or on determining the best overall positioning related to CPC/CPA. Success also relies heavily on capturing an audience with the right message, one that ultimately spurs them to take the desired action.
So how do you develop a dynamic, compelling and concise creative search campaign to reach an audience already "in the mindset," or researching what you have to offer?
Know the competition. A competitive analysis is key. Each campaign creative should present differentiators between offerings to be most successful.
Demand action. This cannot be stressed enough. Users need to be told what action to take and the benefit of taking that next step. In terms of placement, this "action-oriented" approach should be foremost in each ad unit.
Focus on relevance and be straightforward. If you bid on the term 'iPod', talk about iPods in a concise manner.
Take a chance. Prepare multiple creatives prior to launch to test and refine during the campaign. The opportunity exists within search marketing to take out underperforming units and expand upon those that work rather quickly.
Source: Search Inside: The Inside Line on Search Marketing, MediaPost, October 26, 2005
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