Search Engine Marketing Blog

Advertisers used to have a list of potential clients they would essentially chase. Today, it is quite the opposite; these same potential clients are the ones making the decisions of who is working with who.

 
So why is Google Adwords so exceptional? In as little as 30 minutes, you can be in front of customers, only when they are looking for your product or service, and only pay when you get a chance to deliver your message.

If that’s not enough of a reason for you to want to advertise with them, they just launched their new interface. It has been completely designed around driving the best possible performance and making it easier to get results.

Extended Content Network Targeting Capabilities

The content network is a list of websites that Google strategically places your ads on, which are relevant to your target audience. The new interface now allows you to only advertise on content sites that produce leads or sales for your business. You can also set separate bids to spend more on sites that produce the best results or vice versa.

Extended Keyword Capabilities

In the new feature, Phrase Match Keywords, Google matches up different variations of searches that people perform relevant to a specific keyword. Once you have run your campaign, you will get a list of different variations of a keyword. The system then allows you to eliminate the variations that do not produce business and exploits the keywords that do, enabling you to have an ongoing automated research tool at your fingertips!

Extended Report Capabilities

With the click of a button, you can produce a report that shows you exactly how many sales or leads you received and how much you spent to get them. You can make changes to your account directly from the report generated.

These are just a few of the many new features added to make the life of the advertiser easier and more profitable. Google’s business philosophy is to deliver the most relevant search results on the Internet. The entire Adwords platform and algorithm is based on this philosophy, and advertisers that structure their Adwords account around this are rewarded by paying less per click and by receiving the most sales and or leads. Remember, if Google makes it easier for you to make money, they know that you will spend more money.

Ever wonder how many people are searching for your product or service? Your business deserves the latest cutting edge technology and advertising techniques! Digital Surgeons is Google Adwords Qualified to manage your account and help you reach your customers more effectively. Contact us today.

Yesterday, Facebook dropped a double-sided bomb on the world of the internet and social media. On one side they announced that they had acquired Friendfeed, a real-time feed aggregator that consolidates updates from social media and social networking sites and much more. On the other side, they announced improvements and the new release of Facebook Search. 

Facebook search allows users to search for a particular keywords/term within their network of friends, pages they are a fan of, and now EVERYONE. Essentially, they have added a twitter-esk or live search element that should improve user engagement and be a tremendous tool for people to expand their network based on common interests.

If you would like to try out this feature, log into Facebook and type a term into the search box on the right-hand side. Once the results have been displayed, you can go to the left hand side of the facebook search results page and use the filters to view previous posts, status updates, links and notes, regardless if your friends with the person or not.

As an example, I used Facebook search to see what people were saying about facebook search. Personally I am pumped about it..talk about a game changer. 

Today’s World of Internet Marketing Makes the Yellow Pages Obsolete

Who Still Uses the Yellow Pages for Information?

The Kelsey Group, an advertising research firm, reported that in 2008 alone the drop in print yellow page usage was 10 percent from the previous year. The YPA (Yellow Pages Association) reported a drop along the lines of 7.6 percent over the year 2004 in print book references. But those numbers seem a lot bigger when you put yourself and your colleagues into perspective. When was the last time you used the yellow pages to find a business or service? In fact, do you even own a copy of the yellow pages? Maybe one is lying around somewhere, taking up space or being used as a door stop like the one we have at Digital Surgeons.

It’s not that I have anything personal against the yellow pages, but working in the marketing field here, I know that they are not only very expensive to utilize but I also know that they don’t work. It is ironic that companies pay so much to have their ads in the yellow pages when so many people in day-to-day life use them as props and support for old tables and chairs. Many people are annoyed by the fact that they mandatorily receive them in their front yard or driveway, because they consider it to be extra trash to get rid of or a waste of the planet’s trees.

When the Yellow Pages Were Relevant

If we go back in time a little bit, we remember that the yellow pages were a small business’ major marketing effort - about 10 years ago. Their carefully groomed sales reps always advised ‘the bigger the size of the ad, the more you stand out in the phone book and that means calls.’ Of course bigger ad space meant more money, but it was also necessary at the time because competition meant 5 or 6 companies advertising the same product or service all on the same page, along with the regular telephone listings.

Why the Yellow Pages Can’t Compete with Internet Marketing

There are many reasons why the yellow pages have no fighting chance of sticking around in today’s world. Firstly, they are made out of paper! In a society that is all about reducing the use of resources like paper, it is strange that they would continue to print so many of them. The stack of six thick books holding the door was dropped off at a building with 2 offices. (I think one was picked up by a passerby.) This is not an eco-responsible practice in this day and age.

Also, handling a thick, bulky book of fine print makes it a daunting task to attempt to search through, on the fly - especially now when most things are small, portable, and automated. Info and communications are immediate and the average consumer is not accustomed to waiting or working for these now basic needs of daily life. It’s called The Internet and with just a click the world is at your fingertips! This is why internet marketing is so successful; it is easy, effective and relevant for businesses today.

Search engine marketing targets the internet audience and does many things that the yellow pages can never do. For starters, internet marketing makes it possible for you to search more than just one narrow category of services and products. Let’s say for example, you own a landscape business but in the winter you offer snow plowing services. Traditional yellow pages will have you listed twice, once under the “L” for landscaping business and another for “P” for plowing services. This means you are paying twice for services that you only offer certain times a year.

Using internet search engine marketing, advertisements can be changed and tailored to the seasons and heights of popularity. Changing the search terms from ‘landscaping’ to ‘plowing’ helps optimize when people search. The number of clicks that ad will receive will increase because it is always relevant and does not cause the business to pay for two separate advertisements.

How Internet Marketing Works Better Than the Yellow Pages

One of the most common methods of targeted Internet marketing offers ‘pay per click’ advertising, which means you only pay for ads when they are ‘clicked’ on by the viewer. This not only saves lots of money, it also helps target your market based on search patterns. When the business knows what the consumer wants, it is easier for the business to give it to them. The results of your marketing efforts and campaigns can be measured immediately using Google Analytics or another web metrics program. Such precise measurement cannot be achieved through the yellow pages, billboard advertising or virtually any print media.

Be on the look out for the next installment of an Idiot’s Guide to Internet Marketing for more commonsense talk about the digital marketplace, and visit www.DigitalSurgeons.com for more information about custom internet marketing, search engine optimization, pay per click advertising, and ecommerce and promotional website design.

Peter Sena II, Chief Technical Officer of Digital Surgeons attended this year’s ACES Technology Advantage End of Year Celebration and Award Ceremony at in New Haven, CT. This year on May 20th, over 300 people were in attendance at the Michael J. Adanti Student Center on the SCSU campus to pay tribute to the students who participated and the dedicated teachers who provided guidance.

Every year the ACES Technology Advantage inter-district grant brings together students from twelve Connecticut high schools and middle schools to create educational websites through team collaboration. Students were divided into teams with each member selecting a job role that fit his interests and talents. These real world roles included the website project coordinator, web designers, technical writer, interactive content editor, and a multimedia role combining graphic, video, and sound editing.

Mr. Sena and other local CT business leaders were invited to attend and hold informal discussions with participating ACES students about their custom website projects and future goals while enjoying a casual continental breakfast. Discussions centered on the use of technology, project management and the modern workforce skills that employers will expect in the ‘real world’. The Digital Surgeons CTO had a chance to talk to several individual students about what it’s like to be a growing business owner and to educate them about the web development and search engine marketing world.

New Haven based Digital Surgeons is a thriving full service digital marketing agency. The company offers custom marketing solutions including search engine optimization, pay per click advertising, targeted media buying & flash banner design, content management systems, ecommerce web development, Flash interactive media and custom promotional websites, online PR, professional copy writing, and much more. All served up by a highly energized and growing team of industry talents.

Digital Surgeons was an excellent fit for the ACES breakfast, with a young, dynamic ownership and workforce and a specialty to match the website project. A thriving internship program is also in place, with several areas of expertise represented. Copy writing, web development, and marketing interns from UConn, Quinnipiac, and Sacred Heart have all gained valuable industry experience at the Digital Surgeons table. Pete Sena II and his partner and CEO, David Salinas, have numerous ties throughout the New Haven area and relationships with business organizations such as the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, BNI Connecticut, and numerous Connecticut businesses from all industries. The agency takes care of clients across the nation and the globe, yet keeps a strong loyalty to their own New Haven neighborhood.

The website design team at Digital Surgeons is pleased to announce the launch of www.eyelevelliving.com, a custom showcase of upscale outdoor living products for Eye Level Corporation. Our team worked hand in hand with the client, from site conception to post-launch training on the content management system, to ensure an experience that was tailored to the ideal Eye Level client, as well as the vision of the company.

Eye Level living is a Connecticut based designer of pergolas, arbors, columns and accessories for creating unique and beautiful outdoor living areas. The recent February launch fit perfectly with the seasonal nature of Eye Levels business. “Our new website launched just in time as dealers and consumers are planning for spring 2009,” says Brian Schroeder, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Eye Level.

The site was built from the ground up with the Eye Level customer in mind. A wealth of information about their many cast stone products is well-organized and easy to access for dealers, landscape designers, and consumers. Digital Surgeons created a custom Dealer Locator function for consumers to find Eye Level products in their area and businesses can find out how to become an Authorized Dealer. Existing dealers have a resource to attain product details for consumer assistance.

A highlight of the website is the Custom Online Catalog that elegantly displays the outdoor living spaces created with Eye Level products. The photography is lovely and the Gallery function moves from one image to the next seamlessly.

“We are very excited to kick off the year with a new website and have already generated tremendous interest since launching the site,” said Diane DeLuca, Director of Marketing for Eye Level. “As well as aligning the site design with fresh new branding, we updated the content and functionality to improve service levels for dealers and consumers.”

Through teamwork, outstanding communication, and a dedication to creating only works of Excellence, Digital Surgeons has again created a website experience to be proud of. Our aim is always to exceed client expectations and help businesses to thrive online.

To find out more about custom website design and digital marketing strategies, give Digital Surgeons a call at (203) 672-6201 or Contact Us via the website.

Dominos has addressed the story below, albeit quite cautiosly.

In a AdAge article Dominos spokesman Tim McIntyre said “Any idiot with a webcam and an internet connection can attempt to undo all that’s right about the brand,” he said, adding that Dominos has 125,000 employees in 60 countries and a loyal following. “In the course of one three-minute video, two idiots can attempt to unravel all of that.”

As we predicted, they also went on to say  the chain is looking into what can be done to prevent this in the future, but there’s only so much a marketer can do. “You can be the safest driver, you know,” Mr. McIntyre said. “But there’s going to be that Friday night someone’s drunk and comes from out of nowhere. You can do the best you can, but there’s going to be the equivalent of that drunk driver that hits the innocent victim.”

You have to appreciate what is being said here.  I like McIntyre’s analogy.  How could they have been prepared for this?  It would be great to be able look into the marketer’s crystal ball and be prepared for this by putting together the “Employee Puts Cheese Up Nose Online Task Force”, but let’s be realistic.  Reputation Management sometimes has to be reactionary.  It’s the nature of the beast.  I couldn’t find an American Twitter page, but the Australian corporate Twitter page for the company has responded, and you can view it here:  http://twitter.com/Pizza_Dominos

Dominos is staying transparent and authentic here.  They are addressing it immedately, admitting everything and being quite realistic about the situation.  If they were to do any more it would probably be self defeating.  So at this point Dominos should get high marks for this situation.

I wouldn’t want to be an executive at Dominos Pizza right now.  They have a little problem to deal with… OK, a HUGE problem to deal with and it’s right here.

You can see by the comments that consumers are already calling for a Dominos boycott.  While Dominos as a company is not necessarily responsible for what these kids have done, they ARE responsible for a proper response.  What is the best response from them as a marketer?  How does the company respond to a matter like this, that is tearing up the social web and getting forwarded so quickly?  I really look forward to seeing how they handle it!  I presume they will lean on transparency and are likely emphasize that it’s been dealt with and the employees let go.  There will also be the arbitrary need for them to explain what new protocol they’ve put in place to prevent this type of thing from happening again in the future to let us all know they take it very seriously.

This story will probably fade into obscurity but they do need to respond now.  Good luck, Dominos!  I’m rooting for a good case study!

Each month we are sharing questions we hear with our friends and clients.  If we’re getting asked, that must mean other people are wondering too!  So without further ado….

Why should’t I just do my Pay Per Click myself????

There are many different variables that can affect a PPC, or Pay Per Click campaign.  We’ve been asked why people shouldn’t just manage their campaigns themselves.  That’s a great question; so below, we’ve highlighted just a few items to let you know how experience, knowledge, and more time than you want to spend are required for success in pay per click campaigns.

1. Choosing keywords is not as easy as it seems.
Knowing what key words get trafficked vs. what words can actually convert requires testing and knowledge.

2. Google places focus on click through rate.  This means you’re paying for more clicks.  Your focus should be on conversion rate and eCPA (effective cost per acquisition)!

3. A/B Split testing – Your text ads and your landing pages can be tested to decrease your effective cost per acquisition and increase your click thru rate and conversion rate.  What this means simply you’ll need someone who knows how to compare ads and landing pages against one another simultaneously in order to properly decipher which combination gives you the optimum mix.

4. Day parting – knowing what time of day to bid and how much.  This can change from 9-5, 24/7, weekdays vs. weekends, etc.

5. Geo-targeting - allows you to choose states, cities, regions, even latitude and longitude lines.

6. Knowing the language – did you know that search, search network, and content network all refer to entirely different things?  They are dramatically different.  For example, Search refers to Google, Search Network is any site that utilizes a google search bar (such as myspace) and content network is any site that allows google ads to be placed on it through their adsenss programs, which is based on contextual targeting.
So where are you placing your ad?  Is that where you meant it to go?

7. Click fraud – Yes, it happens, and it’s just like it sounds.  You’re paying to be a victim if you’re being hit.  Would you know if it was happening to you?   A good agency knows how to detect and get refunds for click fraud.

8. Crossing the streams – Your agency can apply strategies and tactics proven to work for other clients and in other industries.

9. Trend knowledge – Keeping up with the latest trends that let you know what is converting the highest ROI isn’t your job!  It’s OUR job!

We hope you found this list helpful.  Of course if you have more questions please get in touch with us!

Today is Jeff Tottenham’s birthday!  Happy Birthday Jeff!  In honor of his birthday, today will be the kickoff for the “Tottenham Sandwich Chronicles”.

Everyday Jeff brings in glorious sandwiches that not only bring pleasure, but also satisfaction and inspiration.  These aren’t just any sandwiches, they are Tottenham Sandwiches.  He makes them with care, anticipating the future of his appetite, packages them neatly, puts them in his remarkable cooler and then for a few exuberant minutes around noon, indulges in a little bit of heaven between two slices of bread.

Today, his special birthday sandwich is turkey, American cheese (possibly land o’ lakes) and just the right touch of mayo, housed between two pieces of wheat bread.  Dare we say…. Perfection?

afternoon delight!

So your a pro at the whole Facebook and MySpace thing, but want to prove to everyone your not just chatting with friends during class or at work?

When you think of all these social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Blogger, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, it is more than just connecting with old friends and sharing photos.

Starting next year, Birmingham City University in the UK will be offering a one-year course in Social Media. Students of the course will learn everything there is to know about social networking applications as viable communications, public relations, and online marketing tools.

The course will be offered as a one-year masters degree program and will hit your pocket for 6,239 dollars. “During the course we will consider what people can do on Facebook and Twitter, and how they can be used for communication and marketing purposes,” says the course’s professor, Jon Hickman.

But really, how in depth can you possibly take it? Many students at the University are already saying it is too basic.

Am i missing something here, is this an early April Fools joke? Or are we looking at the new wave of the future?