March 28, 2008
March 28, 2008
Search Headlines & Links: March 28, 2008
Want a snapshot of the day's search marketing news? Here we've collected today's top news stories posted to the Search Engine Watch Blog, along with search-related headlines from around the Web:
From the SEW Blog:
- Does Google Allow Good Google Bombs?
To some, it appears that Google has painted itself into a corner with its reliance on linking for its ranking algorithm. The lines between legitimate SEO, paid links, and Google bombs are becoming increasingly blurred. - New Google Webmaster Tool Aids Robots.txt Creation
For the coding-challenged, creating a robots.txt file for instructing search engine spiders on the preferred way to crawl your site has not always been easy. Thankfully, Google has created a robots.txt generator as part of its Webmaster Tools. - Wordtracker Enhance Their Free Trial Offer
The keyword research tool providers are offering a 1-week trial of their entire service and have released an accompanying 7 day video tutorial on how to get the best out of your Wordtracker account. - SEW Experts: Social Media: One Size Does NOT Fit All
Spending time on linkbait or viral ideas can drive traffic to a site. However, if the same attention isn't given to preparing what to do with the traffic, the only remaining value is links, many of which don't pass juice. - SEW Experts: What Matters Most to Travel Search Marketers in 2008?
Now that we're nearly through the first quarter, it's time to check in on the accuracy of the many predictions for the future of search. - SEW Experts: The SEO Copywriter: Wordsmithing the Web
Combining both technological know-how and a strong command of the written word, agency SEO copywriters are the front-line troops of any SEO initiative.
Headlines & News from Elsewhere:
- We Do Need SEO Standards, Lisa Barone
- 5 Tips on Social Media Advertising, Online Marketing Blog
- 10 Things To Expect from a Good SEO Firm, Ramblings About SEO
- Microsoft adCenter - Where’s The Revenue?, Search Engine People
Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 5:55 PM | Permalink
Does Google Allow Good Google Bombs?
To some, it appears that Google has painted itself into a corner with its reliance on linking for its ranking algorithm. The lines between legitimate SEO, paid links, and Google bombs are becoming increasingly blurred.
One highly-charged example is the case of Jew Watch News, an anti-semitic hate site that managed to get top ranking for the query "Jew." Several Jewish and anti-defamation groups joined together in a coordinated Google bombing campaign to push that result down in the SERPs, and the results of that bomb can still be seen today.
In today's SearchDay, "Google Bombs, Jew Watch News & the Hypocritical Linking Universe," Marty Weintraub looks at that Google bomb, and tries to find where a Google bomb meets SEO, and where paid links fit into the picture.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 5:29 PM | Permalink
New Google Webmaster Tool Aids Robots.txt Creation
When you have parts of your site that you don't want the search engine spiders to index, you let them know using a document called robots.txt. But for the coding-challenged, creating that document has not always been easy. Thankfully, Google has created a robots.txt generator as part of its Webmaster Tools.
Once your document is created, you can test it with the robots.txt analysis tool. Google points out that not every search engine recognizes robots.txt. They recommend securing truly sensitive material with password protection.
It's a big week for the Google Webmaster team. Today, they're hosting the first ever Google Webmaster chat, which begins at 12pm EST/9am PST. The chat will feature a site clinic and also discuss image optimization.
Posted by Nathania at 11:04 AM | Permalink
Wordtracker Enhance Their Free Trial Offer
For the first time Wordtracker are offering a 1-week trial of their entire service and have released an accompanying 7 day video tutorial on how to get the best out of your Wordtracker account.
Entitled 'Profit from Keywords', the videos are designed to help new webmasters get the most out of keyword research. The short 5 minute videos are accessible to complete novices to search engine optimisation but detailed enough to provide a useful resource for in-house experts & agencies to educate their brand owners & clients.
At the recent SES in London, Wordtracker CMO Ken McGaffin raved about the results of "keyword creativity" seminars he has been leading with household brands that were revealing unique market insights into both offline and online customer acquisition and retention strategies. By including other non-SEO staff and stakeholders in the keyword research process, he found that no two seminars produced the same results and these companies were broadening their online vision overnight.
"Wordtracker has always considered educating our clients a prime remit which is why we launched the Wordtracker Academy last year," said McGaffin. "Clients or potential clients need to know the various ways that keyword research can enhance their business online. At the start this can be especially daunting for SMEs, so the videos provide an easy step by step process so that businesses can get up to speed quickly."
Every SEM expert understands the value of educating the market, but it's no secret that as an industry we've never done it very well. Ken hopes that these videos will help small and medium sized businesses nip the cost of mistakes early in the SEM campaign implementation stages. After all, who wants to rank for terms that no one searches for?
Posted by jcallen at 7:33 AM | Permalink
The Video Search Revolution will be Contextualized
If you've been wondering how online video can be adequately searched or monetized, then video search company Digitalsmiths has some answers for you. At a luncheon hosted by the Triangle Interactive Marketing Association last week, Digitalsmiths CEO Ben Weinberger gave an impressive demo of his company's video search technology. VideoSense is an ad-matching and video indexing system that helps advertisers target audiences. The program uses image and speech recognition to facilitate video search and relevant ad-targeting.
To give people an idea of how powerful the ad matching is, Weinberger showed a clip of the popular NBC sitcom, The Office. Steve Carrell's character was wearing a watch, and the camera zoomed in on his arm. An ad popped up to the side of the video with an ad for a watch. The content was not interrupted and the ad was relevant. As for video indexing, Weinberger said that Digitalsmiths technology can help eliminate redundancies by finding clips that contain the same scenes. Digitalsmiths currently works solely with publishers and ad networks.
With the onset of DVRs and concerns over the slowing ad click rates, companies like Digitalsmiths stand to benefit from providing ads that don't interrupt the user experience. Expect that trend to expand. Weinberger predicted that advertising in online video will eventually become blended into the content. He said that content creators that learn to do this will have a bright and lucrative future.
Posted by Nathania at 7:13 AM | Permalink
SEW Experts: Social Media: One Size Does NOT Fit All
Spending time on linkbait or viral ideas can drive traffic to a site. However, if the same attention isn't given to preparing what to do with the traffic, the only remaining value is links, many of which don't pass juice. In today's SEM Crossfire column, "Social Media: One Size Does NOT Fit All," Chris Boggs explains the down-side of linkbait, and how to better use it to your advantage.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink
SEW Experts: What Matters Most to Travel Search Marketers in 2008?
Now that we're nearly through the first quarter, it's time to check in on the accuracy of the many predictions for the future of search. In today's Vertical Search column, "What Matters Most to Travel Search Marketers in 2008?," travel search expert Elisabeth Osmeloski takes a look at how they're beginning to play out in the travel space.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink
SEW Experts: The SEO Copywriter: Wordsmithing the Web
Combining both technological know-how and a strong command of the written word, agency SEO copywriters are the front-line troops of any SEO initiative. In today's SEM Agency Issues column, "The SEO Copywriter: Wordsmithing the Web," William Flaiz writes an ode to these front-line troops of any SEO initiative.
Posted by Kevin Newcomb at 12:00 AM | Permalink
