Jetting Blogs

New Google Design & Not Entirely Unlike Jeremiah Owyang

Posted by under Internet Marketing, Pay-Per-Click

No this is not linkbait using Jeremiah’s name. Read on to find out what this “not entirely unlike” business from Google is all about and what it has to do with him. A while back I wrote about the new design Google is testing (which I like a lot) that adds a third column to search results along the left side.  It’s come and gone a few times since then as I move about the country and as Google reveals it for testing. As of this morning, Google is delivering the new design to me again and I noticed something different after doing a search on my name. (Admit it, you Google your own name too!) At the bottom of the new column it shows an unconventionally named, “Not entirely unlike” result.  What kind of label is that? It reminds me of the slang phrase, “it doesn’t suck”. With the addition of Google Profiles and real-time search as well as many other sources, it’s interesting that Google is making such a distinction at the individual level. However, it’s not just people being referenced as “Not Entirely Unlike”. Here are an interesting set of connections that came up: Lee Odden > Not entirely unlike:  Jeremiah Owyang Jeremiah Owyang > Not entirely unlike: chris brogan, robert scoble, charlene li, om malik, john battelle John Battelle > Not entirely unlike: guy kawasaki, david weinberger, seth godin, robert scoble, om malik Om Malik > Not entirely unlike: marshall kirkpatrick, walt mossberg, kara swisher, robert scoble, john battelle Robert Scoble > Not entirely unlike: dave winer, jason calacanis, jeremiah owyang, steve rubel, guy kawasaki Guy Kawasaki > Not entirely unlike: seth godin, john battelle, robert scoble, clay shirky, lawrence lessig And on and on it goes with circular references (except for me, since I hardly belong in a list with these people). The notion that many public figures on the web frequently reference each other or at least cite common concepts and resources may very well be supported by the connections listed above.  Also I would note this is not the same as the “Related searches” that often show at the bottom of the search results. Is there anything useful in the “Not entirely unlike” feature for marketers? I’d say it’s about as useful as the Wonder Wheel if you were to use it for keyword brainstorming or research. Besides certain people’s names, it does come up for certain, general phrases too: Internet marketing > Not entirely unlike:  search engine optimization, online marketing, affiliate marketing CRM software > customer relationship management, erp, financial software, crm solution, business software Coffee > espresso, cocoa, orange juice, banana, chocolate Interestingly, it doesn’t fire for phrases like, “iPad”, “iPhone” or “Apple” but does for “smart phone” and “google phone”.  To test this yourself, Google must have chosen to display the new Google design to you. It doesn’t work with the current form of Google. Are you getting the new Google design? What do you think of it? Are there other features you’ve seen that are interesting?

BIGLIST Update: These SEO Blogs Are No April Fools

Posted by under Internet Marketing, Pay-Per-Click

On this fine April Fool’s day BIGLIST foregos the tricks and brings you yet another collection of better than average SEO & SEM blog reviews. Over the past 2 years we’ve reviewed over 1,000  SEO blogs and we offer you 5 more to add to your RSS reader and get search engine smart. Think Traffic – This blog by internet entreprenuer Corbett Barr  makes some serious promises: “…teach you the techniques, tools and knowledge you need to build real, sustainable web traffic without a big budget.”  Sounds pretty good to me. Corbett relates his experiences with past projects and growing an audience for Think Traffic to the benefit of readers.  This very new blog offers practical tips and is well designed enough to get our top listing for this week’s review. Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg – Best selling author of multiple books, Bryan Eisenberg begged me for months to add his new blog to the BIGLIST. I challenged Bryan to write another best selling book, start a new company, become a keynote speaker at several popular industry conferences and lose at least 30 pounds. (Hey, we set the bar high for the BIGLIST).  Of course, I’m kidding about the challenge (and the begging). Bryan has accomplished all of those things and much more while writing an excellent blog on conversion optimization and internet marketing strategy with his brother Jeffrey, who is also a best selling author, keynote speaker and online marketing strategist for major brands. Jeff Bullas’s Blog – Jeff works as a sales and marketing manager at Infinity Technologies and his self-titled blog flavors towards social media – offering examples, case studies, lists of tips posts and insights from setting aside his traditional marketing roots and current focus on building trust and relationships with customers through social media, permission and inbound marketing. CanuckSEO – Long time internet marketing veteran Jim Rudnick writes with passion and flair about “Canadian SEO for Google Success!” as well as small business, local SEM and plenty of flavorful opinion posts on a variety of search marketing industry topics. Go for the tips, stay for the story telling and enthusiasm. Honorable Mention Lip Service – Laura Lippay is an ex-circus performer, SEO pioneer, very classy woman and currently Director of Technical Marketing for Yahoo! Media. Laura teases us all by occasionally writing about life and search marketing on this blog that just isn’t active enough to be added to the full BIGLIST. But the Feb 2010 posts are certainly worth an Honorable Mention. Did your SEO or SEM blog make the cut? Share the good news with your readers using the badges page .

Discover The Ways In Which Google Adwords Will Greatly Increase Visitors To Your Website

Posted by BlogPostman under Pay-Per-Click

Getting the Best Results by Using Google AdWords as Part of Your Marketing Campaign Among the paid advertising options available, perhaps the most outstanding service is Google AdWords, which has earned its reputation as a market player that can give you broader scope, super-charged performance, and immediate results. While Internet options like banner ads and ads on social networking sites exist, Google AdWords is much more effective. The major advantage AdWords has over other advertising options are the massive reach and specific ways Google generates traffic to your site that will make a huge difference. I am going to tell you in this article about the advantages provided by Google AdWords when you use it for your promotional campaign. If you are on a budget, AdWords has a built-in tool that will monitor and restrict your account based upon how much you want to spend on each ad campaign. You can even set the amount of money you want to spend up to a specific daily maximum. After your daily budget has been used up, your advertisement will stop showing up, and you will not be charged any additional money. Of course the most obvious benefit that comes from using AdWords is the immediate increase in traffic that you will see, and the quality that comes with using targeted traffic. From the moment your account is launched and your ad goes live, you will begin to see new visitors arrive at your site from AdWords. In addition to setting a daily budget, you also have the flexibility to determine how much you want each click to be worth. Let’s say that you set your daily budget to $50.00. Once the quantity of clicks that you’ve set reaches this cost, your impressions stop appearing and will begin again during the next 24-hour cycle. The bid that you make for your keywords will determine the rank of your ad in the lists, and if your bid is too low compared to what other advertisers are paying, Google will notify you. This is how you have the chance to increase your bid amount and beat your competition for that particular keyword any time you want. As an illustration, pretend you are selling high-end accessories. People who are not looking for these kind of accessories will not click on your advertisement, which will save you money. You also have the option of pausing or stopping your ad campaign whenever you want. You don’t have to make a big deal out of ending your ad campaign by setting up specific dates. All you have to do is log in to your Google AdWords profile and manually delete the campaign. Promoting products isn’t the only way to make money through advertisement online, but it is definitely the quickest way you’re going to start earning an income. Besides the fact that AdWords works fast, it is extremely focused and that give it a greater chance of sales conversions. To put is simply, if you need a good way to get the right traffic to your site in a hurry AdWords is the service you need. Just be sure you do some research into Adwords so that you fully understand how it works before you get started, then you’ll be far less likely to see losses. – About the Author: Roddy Jones reviews systems and software to help you succeed in your online business. Visit my website to find out how you can use Google Adwords to provide you with a marketing edge. Here’s the link: http://www.zenmarketingsoftware.com/internet-marketing/google-adwords-providing-you-with-the-marketing-edge Article Source

Read the rest here:
Discover The Ways In Which Google Adwords Will Greatly Increase Visitors To Your Website

5 Tips for Better B2B Branding

Posted by BlogPostman under Pay-Per-Click

Think branding only falls in the B2C court? Think again. In fact, three of the top 10 brands in 2009, as ranked by Interbrand, generate a sizable amount of revenue from their B2B customers: IBM, Microsoft and GE. As a B2B marketer your brand is your most valuable asset. B2B branding is less about cool, hip monikers (the Apples and Starbucks of the world) – and more about thought leadership. Particularly in down economies, B2B prospects and customers conduct significant research leading up to purchases. That means you as a marketer have to educate them early on, and establish your brand as a trusted resource that gets their problems and has the solution. To help your organization be seen as the thought leader it is, we’ve identified five B2B branding tips: 1. Consistently produce useful, innovative content These days, every company is essentially a media company. So it’s easier than ever to provide relevant, informative content for customers and prospects. From a company blog to Twitter to YouTube, there is no end to the content channels available. Provide the latest industry news and insight on trends through: Offering a white paper through an email marketing campaign Creating videos and promoting through YouTube and on your web site Conducting interviews with industry influentials and turning into blog posts Whatever channels you choose to promote, and whatever types of content you create, these consistent signals prove to customers and prospects that you are a thought leader. 2. Network digitally and in person Nothing communicates a brand more than direct involvement with customers and prospect. In that regard, online social networking has opened a new door. According to a recent eMarketer study , six in 10 B2B marketers planned to up spending on social in 2010. Whether your organization integrates Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or another social network into its B2B branding efforts, the same rules apply: Social media is about engaging in conversations, not just pushing products It’s not about the masses; it’s about your target audience It’s listening and hearing before selling and talking That’s not to say that in-person networking is irrelevant. On the contrary, perfect B2B branding combination. Take advantage of opportunities to give keynote speeches, participate in panel discussions or lead breakout sessions at industry events. 3. Get personal and be real B2C marketers seem to have this concept nailed. But humanizing your company for customers and prospects is just as important in B2B branding. For one TopRank® Online Marketing client, an industrial part distributor for the bulk powder processing industry, humanizing its image was a top concern. The TopRank team created the Powder Doctor, a unique character, to relate to customers and prospects through email marketing campaigns. This humorous cartoon character offers advice – Dear Abby style – for common industry problems. Powder Doctor campaigns have increased sales for Powder-Solutions by 83%. 4. Position yourself differently than others in the space No doubt about it, it’s tough to build personal B2B brand if you’re just like everyone else. You simply can’t be known for what everyone else is. Standing out from the crowd is easy when your products or services are truly one-of-a-kind. When products or services are similar to those offered by the competition, it’s more of a challenge to uniquely position yourself. For one TopRank client – a staffing software company – that challenge was known all too well. To help the client stand from a large pool of competitors, TopRank developed a copywriting strategy where website copy was written in first person, from the viewpoint of the staffing software (i.e., “why you should hire me to fill your staffing software needs”). This strategy has not only helped the company develop a truly distinct B2B brand; the strategy has also achieved increased search traffic, high rankings for terms such as “staffing software” and a trend up in inquiries. 5. Leverage proof points It’s perfectly appropriate – and necessary – to toot your own horn from time to time as part of your B2B branding efforts. Whether it’s an impressive media placement or a web traffic milestone, implement proof points illustrating why your organization is a thought leader into marketing communications. Keep in mind that proof points are both analytical and subjective. For example: Analytical: website traffic increases, number of retweets of blog posts, number of blog subscribers Subjective: media placements, media interviews, mentions on blogs Are Your Ready to Take B2B Branding to the Next Level? B2B branding through thought leadership is not as easily quantifiable as other marketing efforts. And investments in reputation building might not pay off as immediately as pay-per-click or email marketing. But building a recognizable B2B brand pays off in the form of long-term increased referrals, positive brand conversations on both digital and in-person channels, web traffic and sales. What methods have you used to build a B2B brand?

How To Develop Great Content – SESNY

Posted by BlogPostman under Pay-Per-Click

At Online Marketing Blog, content marketing is frequently a hot topic.  And with good reason:  it’s a vital skill for marketers. Not only do we at TopRank Online Marketing see great results implementing content marketing for clients, but the industry as a whole sees it as a clear trend.  Consider the following stats: 6 in 10 marketers plan to spend more on content marketing in 2010. 71% of bloggers who maintain blogs for a business – their own or one they work for – report that they have increased their visibility within their industries through their blogs (as just one example of content marketing in action). Content marketing plays an integral role in many of the top digital marketing tactics marketers implemented in 2009. In this fast-paced panel, 3 content marketers each shared some quick tips, trends and strategies for content marketing. Byron White, Chief Idea Officer, ideaLaunch Byron ran through an overview of 10 tips to follow when fleshing out a content marketing plan: 1.  Develop a content marketing plan – many digital marketers just dive in without any type of plan.  This is always a mistake, before going any further, you need to get organized and understand next steps 2.  Use free and paid research tools to research terms – there are a slew of both free and paid research tools which can help you define keywords necessary to create a keyword glossary.  Use tools in conjunction with your own creativity to create an inclusive list of terms. 3.  Find the hot topics and keywords – by understanding the industry and leveraging tools, you can discover hot/trending topics and keywords to be a part of your mix in addition to the mainstay terms. 4.  Develop customer profiles for testing/research the competition – building customer profiles and competitive research allows you to draw upon a knowledge base when creating content to both stand out from competitors and connect with your audience. 5.  Develop an SEO plan with “keyword silos” – made up of long tail and short tail keywords – in addition to building a keyword list, group it into like terms in order for your content team to leverage it in an effective manner during content creation. 6.  Score content for SEO strength – either via an automated tool or manually, score existing content for SEO strength in order to gauge what to optimize first. 7.  Infuse your brand with great content – on the web, your content is your brand (and your brand is your content). 8.  Create stories – people connect with stories more than just product pages and lists of features.  Tell stories and connect with prospects at a much deeper level. 9.  Define great content – know what great content looks like before you develop it.  You can’t create something remarkable unless you have a vision in mind. 10.  Document content publishing date – this is a frequently forgotten, but important tip.  Only by documenting new content publishing date can you track/trend success of that content over time. Of course, metrics are key – track interaction and engagement with content.  Get to a point you understand how your content, whether a blog post or a product page, is converting and working for your brand. Heather Lloyd-Martin, CEO, SuccessWorks Heather spoke on developing great content in the B2C and B2B space. Why care about content?  The best SEO is good content, according to Seth Godin.  If you want people to convert, link to you or even visit your site you need quality content. Main advantage of good content?  Control.  Great content allows you to gain control of your site. Tip # 1:  Think about your target audience Start by creating a customer persona.  The questions you need to answer to do this include: Who is your target audience?  (hint: it’s not everyone) Do you have multiple audiences? How old is your typical buyer/reader? What education level do they have? What are their average levels of income? What benefits are important? Tip #2: Expand your keyphrase universe Look for opportunities to build out new, unique content.  Reach both hit and long tail phrases, and create content that speaks to a broad mix of terms.  One way to do this is build out a resource section to answer both broad and ultra-specific, detailed questions. Tip #3:  Free your content from “fake SEO rules” “Party like its 1999…but don’t optimize your site that way.”  I.E. – there’s no need to follow a specific keyword density to rank.  Instead focus on quality first, keywords second. General SEO content rules: Keyphrases in headlines/subheadlines Keyphrases in hyperlinks Keyphrases throughout the content (but not forcing it) Keyphrase-rich title Focus around 2-3 keyphrases per page Tip #4:  Help your titles sizzle off the surface of SERPs When you’re on a SERP, there are 10 results and users need to pick one. Try to keep your titles to around 70 characters Include your main keyphrases Clearly explain what the landing page is about Include benefit statements (such as “free”) whenever possible Tip #5 There is always something you can do Beware the “website mullet.”  Check for outdated copy.  Some of the worst offenders can be press pages, conference/events pages, old articles, etc.  Where possible, update copy or add additional content if you have older areas of a website gathering cobwebs. Also, if you want to build out a new section of the site to make your content friendlier but can’t change the template:  start a blog or create a new section of the site.  Don’t let technical issues get in your way. Jonathan Allen, Director, Search Engine Watch Jonathan spoke on the idea of using other people’s websites/social sites to gain rankings and an audience.  The theme  was on mash-ups – aka remixes of content. Define your goal – is the goal of this content to persuade or sell people to take action or is it more long-term, to develop links to improve your search engine rankings/brand awareness.  Develop personas – I.E. connectors, those hyper-connected individuals who will help your content spread.  By reaching them, you achieve the highest propensity for your content to spread. Create content – it must be relevant and must be compelling. Connect – once content starts to spread, connect with others and encourage them to share so it spreads further. Rinse and repeat – when you find a formula that works, continue to leverage that to create additional content.