Yahoo Isn't Done Yet!

http://searchengineland.com/yahoo-launches-rich-version-of-instant-search-direct-69636

I like how Yahoo is pushing back with its own unique instant search feature that previews links and the content within them almost instantly. You can bet yourself i am going to be visiting Yahoo a bit more to check this feature out and see how it works. The opportunities to include previews of content/advertising (especially video) shows a unique approach that may be the beginning of the comeback kids fight in search.

Check out the video below! In this case the answers are in the box (search box), not the band (little antitrust quote for those geeky enough to get it)

Best Regards,

-The Marketing Ninja

Mobile Search + TV .... Anyone Get The Picture?

http://searchengineland.com/highest-use-of-mobile-search-at-home-report-69557

The above article goes over tendencies for people to conduct mobile searches from the comfort of their own home and more increasingly while watching tv.


I would add my .02 两个美分 on the subject but i fear it may compromise a great idea of mine.


Best Regards,


-The Marketing Ninja 

Overview of Mobile from SMXW

http://searchengineland.com/big-mobile-data-dive-from-smx-west-68793

I am finally back from vacation and am now feeling a little bit under the weather...Go-go tea and vitamin c!

Awesome article from searchengineland recapping important case studies and statistics about mobile from this years SMXW. The real jist of it is that mobile isn't  the future, it is the now. More and more people are using mobile search as a means to impulsively acquire information, interact with advertisements, and assist in decision making processes (most importantly the ones that result in a purchase i.e.: location based coupon, local rating site, viewing an ad and extending that experience with a QR code that leads to a mobile optimized site for research and purchase of service/product or anything along those lines).


MOBILE IS HERE!

Now is the time to embrace it! Sure the amount of the gross population that uses smartphones is still smaller than other media (TV,Radio, etc), but these are generally tech savvy individuals that have excess money to spend on goods to enrich their lives (unless you are looking at BB users which can be a mixed bag...lets not get into this right now...it could take awhile). Now is the time to not just create mobile sites for users, but unique applications that cross functionally work with advertisements to increase overall engagement and further leverage the overall value of the brand for those users.

The future is now and it is in mobile. We have the chance to be pioneers in this industry and i hope that most industry professionals are as excited as i am to use this new technology in creative and useful ways.

Best Regards,

-The Marketing Ninja

Who looks at paid search advertisements anyways?

http://searchengineland.com/eye-tracking-study-everybody-looks-at-organic-listings-but-most-ignore-paid-ads-on-right-67698?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed:+searchengineland+(Search+Engine+Land:+Main+Feed)

New study was released today that answered one of my more long-standing search related questions. "Is it just me, the search marketing enthusiast, that ignores the paid advertisements in search?", apparently not entirely.

The mixed paid advertisements that are normally placed above organic listings (other than when local search results are thrown into the mix) have their top dollar pricing verified. In a SEM sense you want your ads to show up in the top 3, or the chance of someone interacting and being influenced by your ad is greatly diminished. Hopefully this would include a mix of SEO/testing ad copy to increase the Quality Score and attention grabbing text in the paid advertisement.

Important Take Away: Successful  SEO/SEM should work hand in hand with bringing valuable content on the first page of search results. The top 2-3 paid placements and the following content are the most lucrative of spots as they will bring you the largest amount of interaction.

Best Regards,

-The Marketing Ninja

Bill Gates Has Had Cloud In The Back of His Mind For Four Years

http://www.zdnet.com/videos/tech-news/gates-a-server-in-every-home/153479

In this interview with Bill Gates he goes over the basic ideas and roots that have developed cloud computing to achieve his vision of a server and Xbox in every home. He also goes over the root concepts of kinect and the advantages of voice/natural interface system in the home.

It is interesting an unique to see how this vision has taken shape over the last four years from a set-top box server, to the cloud, and to the ever expanding Xbox/windows phone services being offered.

Fascinating to take a look back and see how trends in technology have altered the means of strategy but not the overall end result.

Best Regards,

-The Marketing Ninja

When statistics don't add up....or paint a scary picture

http://searchengineland.com/google-controls-97-percent-of-mobile-paid-search-report-66876

The statistics in this case are that 98% of mobile paid search expenditures are spent on Google and 2% on Bing/Yahoo.

This statistic is either very wrong or it should serve as a wake up call to Bing/Yahoo search to push more ad sales of mobile placements. The sheer fact that Verizon wireless has an almost exclusive search deal with Bing should give them enough of a case to promote the viability of mobile reach for Bing paid mobile search placements. Honestly it is scary to think that business managers are passing up on trending sectors such as mobile search.

Then again i do not have the whole picture, the statistics could be misleading and there could be other internal issues. Regardless, there should be no reason why Bing/Yahoo cannot leverage their search deal with Verizon and its 94.1 million subscribers (I will estimate 20% of them *generous numbers* have a smartphone) to promote a big slice of the paid mobile search pie. Can't let that five year, 650 million dollar deal go to waste MSFT.

Best Regards,

-The Marketing Ninja

Google Not Content With Just Augmenting In-Car Experience

http://searchengineland.com/video-inside-googles-self-driving-cars-66806

Microsoft has for the most part stuck with its software model and it has played out generally well (with consideration to continual profitability/growth into new tech such as motion based and cloud computing). This is especially true with sync/my ford touch, the Microsoft based technologies that have made Ford the defacto leader of in-car tech .

Google on the other hand is not just focusing on in-car tech, but the whole car. Above is a video of a Google self driving car actually driving itself around a track. Multiple vehicles like this have been spotted on the west side of the country undergoing test runs to tweak and perfect the software for this smart car concept.

Google sees the whole car as the best option to pursue in the future. If you are less occupied in a vehicle with the aspect of driving you will have more time to interact with in-car technology, content and more importantly sponsored advertisements. More importantly if Google gets a head start and is successful here do you really think these self driving cars will be equipped with anything other but Google tech?

While i for one don't like the aspect of the driver surfing the web on a car ( driving is one of my favorite past times, a source of relaxation and its just plain fun! ). I would find this useful in rush hour traffic though, as its hell for any car enthusiast/commuter.

Before we can worry about the full integrated interaction of this technology in a car that actual utility has to be perfected. That utility is getting the vehicle to effectively drive itself.

I see things like this and it gets me excited at the current/future capabilities of technology. Imagine all of the marketing and advertising possibilities!

Hope you have enjoyed this post and the above video!

Best Regards,

-The Marketing Ninja

Microsoft Bing Strategy = Partnerships are Key!

http://searchengineland.com/kayak-cto-we-welcome-google-ita-as-travel-search-competitor-66751
http://searchengineland.com/bing-brings-local-deals-to-mobile-pc-66678

Seems that the MSFT+YHOO partnership did not just involve search algorithms but a bit of management technique as well. Where other online giants (facebook/google) are attempting to bring their own services against current incumbents Groupon(daily deals)/Kayak(travel), Bing has seen fit to partner with those companies and integrate them into their value proposition. Offering you the most comprehensive site to find online deals and travel services (Farecast and now Kayak).

Bing of course is doing this to gain more eyeballs to their sites which relate in more street cred and more sales of sponsored advertisements. Google and Facebook are already the reigning champions in their own divisions, so they don't seem to be content with just aggregating/sharing information. They want a slice of that new online daily deal pie. Will they be successful? I see Facebook being a bit more likely than Google at this point in time since Facebook has a nice social ecosystem to work out of.

This will definitely be something i will carefully watch and you can expect blog posts about the performance of  the Facebook and Google Deal features.

(if you have not checked out Bings Farecast it is an absolute must when planning flights! It save me about $150 bucks when planning my flight to chi town. Travel indicator told me that fares were expected to rise and the next day after i bought it shazam! High Prices! I wonder how it works though...magical gnomes? I think so lol)

Best Regards,

-The Marketing Ninja

Paperback Local SEO Tactic

http://searchengineland.com/a-local-search-marketing-tactic-thats-one-for-the-books-65541

Just the aspect of writing a book for the purpose of SEO seems downright silly but in a world of Google Books its slightly realistic. Using the book as an additional link back to personal, business, location and keywords is possible by search engines crawling the content of the published text.

Just an off the wall unorthodox local SEO tactic i thought i would share!

Best Regards,

-The Marketing Ninja