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Forrester Research:
US online marketing will ramp up to $61 billion by 2012

Keep Your Eye on Bing

by Kristina Smith on June 27, 2010   Follow me on Twitter

While Google has maintained its position at the top of the search market, recent figures (like those from Hitwise) show signs that both Bing and Yahoo! are continuing to gain ground on search engine’s stake of queries.

The possibility of Yahoo! integrating Bing’s search technology is very likely, and for SEO purposes, it’s worth taking seriously.

Last week’s launch of Bing’s entertainment section highlights Microsoft's continuing strategy - bring content and results to the user, instead of making the user search for it.

Bing's new vertical is more Web portal than search engine, indicating their move from the Google “search” model to the Yahoo “explore” model.

Already able to access full news articles and recipes on the site, Bing users can now watch TV shows, listen to and buy music, and watch film trailers. Up next is financial and health information, to be available on Bing without leaving the website.

Microsoft is populating Bing's pages mostly via its search algorithms; the increase in information sitting in Bing's search engine (the stuff engines like Google only provide links to) mean search results are now content.

This change in the search landscape was recently noted by comScore, who said Bing and Yahoo! have forced it to change the way it analyzes search usage.

"The recent innovation deployed by a number of search engines is to go beyond simply providing a search box along with content, but to weave their search engines into the user experience," wrote comScore's Cameron Meierhoefer.

By providing search results that are relevant to the content the user is already consuming, Yahoo! and MSN can provide very relevant and convenient experiences.

They are also able to keep people on their websites instead of sending them away, which means higher page-views and more ad revenue.

But what does it mean for the rest of us? 

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Your PPC Campaigns Can Do Even Better Today

by Kristina Smith on June 22, 2010   Follow me on Twitter

The beauty of pay-per-click advertising is that you can dedicate as little, or as much, time and money to it as you wish. Even better, just increasing the time part of the equation can quickly improve results.

If you’re a hands-on type, here are four great ideas to apply now.

1. Test match types – they are likely to have very distinctive conversion rates, and broader matches are a great way to discover long-tail keywords you can add to your campaigns.

2. Split your campaigns into tightly focused ad groups. Test, then split again based on keyword performance. You’ll see improved performance each time your keywords and landing pages become tighter with your ads.

3. Skeptical of content advertising? Test placements, if you’re not doing so already. Ads on niche websites relevant to your product will convert better than the generic content network.

4. Add to your list of negative keywords, to filter out irrelevant traffic. Use your web analytics reports for ideas - you’re bound to see unsuitable keywords listed there. This list can and should be as long as you like!

For even better performance, get these key tips on landing page optimization. 

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