Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Inside AdWords: New Interface Thursday: Using keyboard shortcuts
One of the primary goals of the new interface is to help you manage your campaigns more efficiently. We also wanted to offer some of the conveniences you'll find in other Google products, like keyboard shortcuts. Just like in Gmail, you can quickly navigate around your account without having to use the mouse. In the new AdWords interface you have a number of keyboard shortcuts at your fingertips:
Inside AdWords: New Interface Thursday: Using keyboard shortcuts: ": Go to Ads tab"
Inside AdWords: New Interface Thursday: Using keyboard shortcuts: ": Go to Ads tab"
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Official Google Blog: RT @google: Tweets and updates and search, oh my!
At Google, our goal is to create the most comprehensive, relevant and fast search in the world. In the past few years, an entirely new type of data has emerged — real-time updates like those on Twitter have appeared not only as a way for people …
Official Google Blog: RT @google: Tweets and updates and search, oh my!
Official Google Blog: RT @google: Tweets and updates and search, oh my!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
What is Mystery Google?
A Search Engine that results totally random results for what you search. No matter what you search the search engine results you someone else's result.
Mystery Google gives you what the person before you searched for.....
It can be located at mysterygoogle.com
What is Mystery Google? | HULIQ
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Official Google Blog: Quickly view formatted PDFs in your search results
Official Google Blog: Quickly view formatted PDFs in your search results: "hopefully this feature will make it a little bit faster!"
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Google Experiments – Fading Homepage.
Google is reportedly experimenting with a new fading homepage design in an effort to create a cleaner, simpler interface.
It may not even be visible from your computer As only a few people are getting to see the updated buttons or the lack of them. Just know that Google look might change, and also know that it may not change after all, and that they are just testing new looks and designs for their homepage.
Also have you ever noticed the number of words that appears on Google.com, it would total to only around 29 or 30 (This includes the “I’m Feeling Lucky” and “Google Search” buttons). Now, in the experimental page, all the other elements below the Google logo and search box will fade in only when you move your mouse after the page has loaded.
Quite interestingly though, when the fade in effect takes in, the “Google Search” and “I’m Feeling Lucky” buttons will no longer be displayed. Only the three navigation links under the search box namely, “Advertising Programs”, “Business Solutions” and “About Google” will be displayed.
[via TechCrunch]
Monday, October 5, 2009
Google AdWords New Beta Keyword Tool..
Google is apparently testing a new AdWords keyword Tool. You have to be logged into your AdWords account and click on the keyword tool feature to see it. Then when you get there, you will see the old keyword tool with a link to the beta tool.
Here is a picture of the old keyword tool:
When you click on that link towards the top, you get the new keyword tool which is way more advanced. It is broken into two parts, top and bottom. Here is a screen shot of the top:
Then when you add words and filters, you can then get reports that not just show traffic and click estimates but brings in Google other various tools to give deeper insight into those keywords. I could have taken a screen shot myself, but "searchengineman" in Search Engine Watch Forums did a great screen shots with overlays to explain the various components of the tool. Here it is:
You can click on the image to zoom into a larger version (it goes to click and click on "all sizes" above the image).
Forum discussion at Search Engine Watch Forums.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
4 Awesome Visual Search Engines to Transform Your Search
Microsoft’s Bing recently introduced visual search as a different approach to search. I always use regular Google or Bing search for my needs, but sometimes I like to check out other search engines. Variety is the spice of life, and eye-candy is always a refreshing break!
In this article, let us look at 4 Visual Search Engines that provide a unique and enjoyable search experience.
Bing Visual Search Engine
Bing has introduced a new approach to its visual search by letting you browse topic-specific galleries and narrow the field of your search by selecting filters.
In this approach, you do not need to type anything to start searching. To use the Bing Visual Search Engine, you should have installed Silverlight and set your country to US. From the home page, you can see a set of featured galleries, or choose from different categories like Entertainment, Famous People, Reference, Shopping and Sports.
When you select a gallery, you get an eye-popping display of choices, which you can filter using categories on the left. For example, if I choose Popular Books, I get a nice array of books like in a real bookstore. I can sort books by Title, Author, Sales, or even Length. On the left, I can narrow the results by choosing a sub-category or filter. In this case, subcategories for books are Newest, or the Top pre-order/fiction/non-fiction/paperback lists.
I can also use filters to narrow the results for what I might find suitable for my taste: the subject, author, format (hardcover, etc.), and length in pages. Some of the galleries, like the top iPhone apps gallery for example, are especially useful and offer a unique experience. Once you use it for a while, you might think that this new feature distinguishes Bing from Google to a limited extent, as a decision-making engine.
Spezify
After using Spezify, I felt we do injustice to the web by using an exclusive textual interface to search the rich multimedia of the web. Spezify works like a generic search engine, except that the results are a visual collage of media drawn from different kinds of media sources – textual links from web pages, informative links from Wikipedia, pictures from across the web, tweets with the search term, videos from YouTube, books from Amazon, and so on. You need Flash to use Spezify.
You can browse through the results matrix in both vertical and horizontal directions, and look at the pictures as well as the videos from within the search results page. The links within the tweets will take you directly to the page about that topic. Articles from the web are displayed along with the number of Diggs, which show that Spezify uses Digg to show you popular content. Terms related to the topic are displayed at the top if you wish to explore or narrow your search.
Viewzi
Viewzi, which runs using Flash, is the most customizable and multi-faceted visual search engine. For any search term, it offers up to 19 different ways to view the search results, and you can make any one of them your default. The types of views cover everything under the sun – web screenshots, simple text, photos, music, news, celebrity gossip, recipes, weather, etc.
Videos are fetched from Joost, YouTube, and Viddler, but cannot be played back within the results page. However, the best view is the photo tag view, in which you can explore Flickr photos of related tags just by clicking on them. You can drag the tags around whichever way you want, and the interface is quite remarkable.
Spacetime
We had covered SpaceTime on MakeUseOf back when it was a 3D browser. SpaceTime is now a visual search engine using Flash, which shows search results in cover-flow style. You can choose results from Google or Wikipedia, or search Images, or videos from YouTube. Again, the videos can’t be played back within the search results, however the image search does look very pretty.
While you may not use these visual search engines for routine search queries, they do offer an attractive, unique experience. They can be a great way to introduce children to the richness of the web, or to encourage their curiosity in a certain topic. Even for us, they are a refreshing way to explore the web in a different way.
Last year, we also profiled TinEye which is another possibility – but this one is termed by the site as “reverse search“. You upload an image to them and they will search for similarities.
Are there any of your other favorite visual search engines we missed? Do tell us in the comments!
Microsoft Ad Preview Tool....
A few days ago I noticed a new link in my MSN adCenter account with the title: “Ad Preview Tool.” The link appeared within the Campaign tab view in the upper right hand corner.
Out of natural curiosity, I proceeded to find out where it would lead. When you first land on the page, it seems pretty empty, having only a large box filled with nothing, and a small search box above it.
Once you type in a sample query, you will see a screen with a preview of how your ad would appear for that keyword.
This new tool will help those who are uncomfortable with the change to Bing sleep a little easier. Being able to preview your ads within the interface is a way adCenter gives marketers a little more confidence when advertising with them.
Benefits of the tool…
- Assurance of how your ad will appear in Bing results.
- Ability to view how ads will appear without having to leave the interface.
- If you have specified keywords as negatives, this is a good way to test out the validity of your exclusions.
- Previewing how your ad will show via the Ad Preview Tool will have no effect on impression or click data within your account. It is only meant to let you preview how/where your ad will show.
Your ad may not show…
- If you want to target within a certain geographical location, your audience will be limited and your ad may not show within the preview box.
- If you are being outbid by competitors on the keyword you want to see a preview results page for, your ad will not show.
- If other paid ads have a higher relevance to the query, your ad may not show.
When using the tool, if your ad doesn’t show, this may be an indication that changes need to be made to your account. A negative keyword could be preventing it from showing, or it may not show as a result of low bids or inadequate ad relevance. Whatever the reason, this tool will help you be more aware of what’s working and what’s not.
Microsoft's new 'visual search' is good for advertisers
Microsoft Corp. is testing out a new way to search select topics by retreiving visual results instead of text. A list of about 50 popular categories now return image results.
From The AP:
"Bing's new visual search page lets people flip through pictures to track down where and when a popular movie is playing, read up on baseball players or shop for items like digital cameras."
At launch, the visual search option only works on a few topics, but it's a great move for brands. For starters, the new search option is designed with advertisers in mind.
The AP says that Microsoft worked with shopping sites and other companies to pull in the pictures and descriptions necessary to make the features work.
Retail items lend themselves more easily to this kind of search, and Microsoft is smart to drill down on niches where there is room for improvement on search. Google's current visual — and shopping — results leave much to be desired.
Says CNET:
"Tt makes business sense to pour resources into popular searches. Optimizing for the short snout pays. That's the model that made About.com worth $410 million to The New York Times in 2005. And that's what entrepreneur and TechCrunch50 co-host Jason Calacanis is aiming for with his curated directory, Mahalo."
By visualizing the process of shopping for popular retail items, Microsoft can simplify the process and attract shoppers looking to make purchases — which could subsequently increase the value of its search terms.
Visual Search is by no means complete at launch. Aside from there being only a handful of topics filled with info for searching, the feature requires the SilverLight browser plug-in download. And it's also only available in the US at launch.
But the latest Nielsen data says Bing gained 22% month-over-month in August, bringing it to 10.7% of all U.S. searches. It remains to be seen if users get frustrated with the sparse info available on this feature, but this is exactly the kind of experimentation necessary for Bing to grow its marketshare.
According to The New York Times:
“We did some more research to see how people process large amounts of information,” saidStefan Weitz, a director in Microsoft’s Bing group. Mr. Weitz said users were able to go through thumbnail images much faster than through snippets of text.
That's especially useful when looking for new products. And if Microsoft can quickly turn out more thorough iterations of this product, visual search could be very good for business.
Exact-match keyword domains: the fastest way to first page SERPs?
The idea that exact-match keyword domain names can be a significant ranking factor is not new. But, for me at least, the significance has always been hard to confirm for a few simple reasons.
First, it's not every day that I acquire an exact-match keyword domain for a popular search phrase. Second, I've never launched a new site on an exact-match keyword domain with the specific goal of seeing what the domain can do on its own. That makes it nearly impossible to isolate the ranking factors that are likely contributing the most to results.
But I now have a little 'case study' to go on and I wanted to share the results.
The setup:
* Thanks to the economy, lots of great domain names are being dropped. A few months ago I managed to pick up a gem: an exact-match .com domain, originally registered over five years ago, for a fairly competitive three-word phrase that receives over 20,000 Google searches globally each month.
* I developed the domain by building a simple WordPress-based website/blog. Some decent if not spectacular content was added. I heeded basic SEO rules for content structure, etc. but didn't go out of my way to optimize.
* Once I launched the site, I registered the site with Google Webmaster Tools and submitted an XML sitemap.
* In an effort to see what the domain name would do all by itself, I held off on all of the tasks I'd normally get started on right away, namely link building.
In short, I began with very little. A basic site with a moderate amount of decent content. Nothing that would differentiate me favorably from competing websites that have been in operation for years. 0 inbound links. A domain without much age.
Less than a week later, the result: I'm on the first page of Google for the three-word phrase that my domain is an exact match for. I've even leapfrogged a number of highly-popular sites that have been around for years. Every single visitor my site has received thus far has been sent by an organic search result for the three-word, exact-match phrase.
The logical conclusion: there's absolutely no reason for me to be on the first page of Google's results for a reasonably popular search phrase. Except for the fact that my .com domain name is that phrase.
Obviously I still have a lot of work to do. First-page SERPs often mean very little; the real money is usually in having a "top 3" listing. Which means that I will have to build inbound links, continue developing content, etc.
But this experience has convinced me that exact-match keyword domains can be very powerful. While I certainly wouldn't assume that the results achieved with a single domain reflect what can always be achieved with every keyword or phrase, I think my recent experience is compelling enough to warrant consideration.
First, it's not every day that I acquire an exact-match keyword domain for a popular search phrase. Second, I've never launched a new site on an exact-match keyword domain with the specific goal of seeing what the domain can do on its own. That makes it nearly impossible to isolate the ranking factors that are likely contributing the most to results.
But I now have a little 'case study' to go on and I wanted to share the results.
The setup:
* Thanks to the economy, lots of great domain names are being dropped. A few months ago I managed to pick up a gem: an exact-match .com domain, originally registered over five years ago, for a fairly competitive three-word phrase that receives over 20,000 Google searches globally each month.
* I developed the domain by building a simple WordPress-based website/blog. Some decent if not spectacular content was added. I heeded basic SEO rules for content structure, etc. but didn't go out of my way to optimize.
* Once I launched the site, I registered the site with Google Webmaster Tools and submitted an XML sitemap.
* In an effort to see what the domain name would do all by itself, I held off on all of the tasks I'd normally get started on right away, namely link building.
In short, I began with very little. A basic site with a moderate amount of decent content. Nothing that would differentiate me favorably from competing websites that have been in operation for years. 0 inbound links. A domain without much age.
Less than a week later, the result: I'm on the first page of Google for the three-word phrase that my domain is an exact match for. I've even leapfrogged a number of highly-popular sites that have been around for years. Every single visitor my site has received thus far has been sent by an organic search result for the three-word, exact-match phrase.
The logical conclusion: there's absolutely no reason for me to be on the first page of Google's results for a reasonably popular search phrase. Except for the fact that my .com domain name is that phrase.
Obviously I still have a lot of work to do. First-page SERPs often mean very little; the real money is usually in having a "top 3" listing. Which means that I will have to build inbound links, continue developing content, etc.
But this experience has convinced me that exact-match keyword domains can be very powerful. While I certainly wouldn't assume that the results achieved with a single domain reflect what can always be achieved with every keyword or phrase, I think my recent experience is compelling enough to warrant consideration.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Internet Marketing 101: The pros and cons of PPC advertising
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Pay Per Click (PPC) is an Internet marketing strategy used by search engines, advertising networks, and content sites, such as blogs, in which advertisers pay their host only when their ad is clicked. With search engines, advertisers normally bid on keyword phrases relevant to their product and target market.
If you place the highest bid for a specific keyword or set of keywords, then you rank number one in these paid listings. Every major search engine now displays these paid ads above and to the right side of their 'organic' rankings.
If someone clicks on your PPC listing, they arrive at your web site. And you are charged the amount you bid. So, if you bid $.25 per click on 'baseballs', and that's the highest bid, you'll show up first in line. If 1,000 people click on your PPC listing, then the search engine or PPC service will charge you $250.00.
Dangers of PPC advertising:
1. Costs can add up in a hurry, especially if your bidding strategies are automated.
2. Return on Investment (ROI) can be very hard to measure.
3. Beware of Junk Traffic-Some of your clicks may get siphoned off into the affiliates in the deep corners of the Internet.
4. Pay per click advertising does not scale. If you get more traffic, you pay more money in direct proportion to the traffic.
Benefits of using PPC:
1. Pay per click marketing can generate traffic immediately, if you're bidding on relevant keywords.
2. PPC marketing is flexible. You can adjust your pay per click campaigns in hours or days.
3. PPC can also be a bargain. Sometimes you'll find keyword 'niches' with cheap top bid prices.
In summary, a good pay per click marketing campaign combined with a good search engine optimization program is your best bet in creating a comprehensive Internet marketing campaign for your business.
The Benefits of Online Marketing(SEM-PPC)
Benefits to Consumers:
(1) Convenient— customers can shop 24 hours a day from anywhere without going to the store physically.
(2) Interactive & Immediate— consumers can interact with the seller's site to find the information, products,
Benefits to Marketers:
(1) Customer Relationship Building— companies can interact with customers to learn more about their
(2) Reduce Costs & Increase Efficiency— avoid the expense of maintaining a physical store, costs of rent,
(3) Greater Flexibility— unlike a paper catalog whose products and prices are fixed until the next printing,
(4) Access to Global Markets— The Internet is a global medium, which allows buyers and sellers to click
Four Ways to Conduct Online Marketing:
(1) Creating an Electronic Storefront— companies can buy space on a commercial online service or it can
(2) Placing Ads Online— companies can place online ads in three ways:
(3) Participating in Internet Forums, Newsgroups, or Web Communities— companies may participate in or
(4) Use Online E-mail or Webcasting— companies can send out customer newsletters, special product or
Online Marketing
The most effective and rewarding way to influence the growth of a business on the electronic market is through online marketing strategies that open the perspective of more targeted audiences and allow one to face tough competition in the best of manners. Maybe some take online marketing as a wonder means to get rich over night, but the truth is that there is little solid ground to consider online opportunities some unexploited gold mines. Before your making a fortune it takes hard work and continuous monitoring of the business market performance to check profitability. Moreover, let’s not forget the objective factors that influence economic success: the growth or development of the activity domain.
To illustrate these concepts a bit further let’s consider the automobile making industry during these times of economic recession. If the car sales lower than ever, dealerships and all the businesses that activate in this market sector receive the blow too. Hence, whether small or large companies will have to change the online marketing strategies and try a different more drastic approach of the potential customers. Judging from this perspective, the businesses to survive are those to rely on very professional online marketing strategies and on other special measures necessary for times of recession.
Let us not ignore the dark part of online marketing, particularly when operating with programs such as Google Adwords and Adsense. Adwords is a pay-per-click program, thus, you pay Google a fee every time someone clicks an Adwords ad, and unfortunately, there have been cases of mean-intended competitors who pay someone to click on ads just for the sake of causing one financial losses. And the only protection against such problems is the very strict monitoring of the web page to check visitor performance. Several online marketing tools can be used to keep track of the overall site activity.
All in all, the elements that contribute to the complexity of online marketing are manifold. Money gain and loss are in fact both part of the same business play, and it is good strategy and market knowledge that sets the difference. Therefore, the specialists’ advice is to have an expert cover the online marketing side of your business so that you can enjoy great traffic, advantageous return on investment rate and get the money flowing.
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