Where is search going and how can I jump on?

First off, hello again.  It has been a long while since I have done a post.  A full-time job will do that to ya.

Something that I have noticed as a theme in all the articles and forums and twitter posts that I read is that everyone wants to know where search marketing is going and how can I get on board.  Here is some quick advice I have for those that want to dive in:

Do your research!...Search engine marketing is multi-faceted and there things that work well for some sites and things that are detrimental if done incorrectly or not fully thought out.  Don't rush into it...know what you are getting into and plan for a loooonnnnngggg process that will fluctuate and morph into something completely different.

Seek out advice and share advice... A trend that I have noticed in the SEM industry is that aside from a few thought-leaders who are willing to expose every thought and tactic that they have there is a culture of "I don't want anyone else to know what I am doing"  I think this is BS, sure we all have our client secrets and methods but being tight-lipped about issues, problems, or successes should not be under lock and key.  I was recently on a panel with 2 other area SEM practitioners.  That panel was great, I think everyone learned a lot but, at the same time, we didn't exactly reveal our secret-sauce to our success but were able to give some guidance to those that were curious about SEO and social media. This is what I would like to see happen more often.  Maybe I am in too small a SEM community to have experienced this before but I think the opportunities are here and in all regions.

Test and re-test...As I mentioned above search engine marketing is changing and fluctuating at a rapid pace.  Set up a system to analyze your progress and what is working and what is not.  Start with a testing schedule. What are you going to test? What is going to be your control group? What determines success (this is different for every site even in the same category)?  How much data do you need to determine that success (hint 5 clicks to your site does not determine success)?

Basically have a plan, research how to implement the plan, get knowledgeable advice, implement, test implementation and then start again from step one.




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Blending of Media Buying and Search Engine Marketing

I don't know how many people, at least in Boise, are both a Media Buyer (TV, Radio, Print, Outdoor, Banner ads, etc...) and a search engine marketer but I am one of the few, at least according to some sources.

When I started working with both of these at the same time I noticed that it is possible to take what I know from both worlds and combine them to make both of them better.

This blog post is strictly off the cuff, as most of mine are, but it lays out some of the basic thoughts I have on this topic. They are much more in depth than what is written here (think of an onion) but it is a start.

Search Marketing Tactics used in Media Buying:

If we start to think of TV watchers as Search Engine users there are characteristics that I think both use when deciding what "information" they wish to receive. For instance, on TV if a watcher notices that both his/her favorite shows are on at the same time, will they switch back and forth, probably...unless they have a DVR. Now if there is only one source of "information" they will not switch back and forth they will more than likely stay on that source for the entire duration. So as we are buying media we need to look at what other "information" sources are conflicting with other sources. There are also other factors that obviously play into these as well, social life of the target audience as well as other media sources.

Media Buying strategies used in Search Marketing:

The Search Engine marketplace is becoming a hotbed of activity especially in a down economy. Companies are searching for ways to attract top level leads that can quickly and easily convert into sales for very little cost. Now apply that same need to what a good media buyer does. They look for the best way to reach the most people who fit the target audience for the least amount of money. So when looking at Search Engine Optimization and Pay-per-click we need to follow the demographic trail and target the words (keywords and keyword phrases) that the demographic uses to find the client's product. Just as a certain demographic is more likely to watch a certain show; I think there are some cases where a certain demographic uses a keyword or phrase to find a product or goes through a search process to find that product.
Now getting to the money part of the Media Buying process as Search Marketers we should also analyze the cost to benefit ratio. Does it really make sense to optimize the site or does it make more sense to advertise on social media where people are making their final buying decision based off of user input. Or is doing both the best thing? They are questions that need to be answered and can be answered by looking at the possible ROI of each. In Media Buying one way that is referred to is cost-per-point (CPP), in internet advertising cost-per-thousand (CPM).


I think these media are inter-related and, at least from my perspective, can work together to come up with a great strategy looking both at online and traditional media.

Give me your feedback, tell me I am full of it. I would love to start some critical thinking on this.

Lost my job to economic downturn, but that means more blogging

Well, I took an unexpected hit to my financial stability on Friday Dec. 19th. I was laid off from my media buying and internet marketing position at CLM, LLC.

This came out of nowhere.

So now I am on the digital campaign trail to find a new job.

Since this is my Blog I can detail out what I am looking for and the skills I have that will fit many different companies. I am going to separate these into several blog posts so they can stand alone or, for those of you that follow regularly, as a nice easy set to follow. So stay tuned for more details.

What will happen to the little local guy GooHoo?

So as I am managing my various local SEM campaigns I started to think. (I know heaven forbid I do that while working) What 3% of ads will Google be sharing with Yahoo!? I have budgets set on each separately for a reason. If Yahoo! serves local AdWords ads which account will they be credited to/against? Just thoughts from a local SEM guy.

The fall of two?

Does the abandonment of the Yahoo! merger by Microsoft mean a fall of two rather than just one. Let's be honest could Yahoo! really actually accept the merger deal? Wouldn't that mean it has accepted defeat, especially for Mr. Yang who has only recently come on board in the last year or so? Seems like the struggle of the power ego's may continue based on Yang's interest in continuing talks. But Ballmer has already called this off once. Is it Microsoft playing hard to get or is it Yahoo!? Who has the most to lose? I say both.