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SearchReturn Discussion List
"Understanding Internet Search Technology"
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Moderator: Published by:
Detlef Johnson SearchReturn
http://www.searchreturn.com
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November 08, 2005 Issue #013
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.....IN THIS DIGEST.....
// -- FEATURED POST -- //
"Personalized Search"
~ Mike Moran
// -- NEW DISCUSSION -- //
"SEMPO Survey"
~ Lee Odden
"Search Work Referral System"
~ Jennifer Laycock
~ Debra Mastaler
~ Lee Odden
~ Andrew Goodman
// -- ESSENTIAL NEWS -- //
"Search Industry Job Market"
"Yahoo! Lowers Barriers To Entry"
"Mobile Search Advances"
"More On Splogs"
"Autonomy Buys Verity"
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// -- FEATURED POST -- //
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==> TOPIC: PERSONALIZED SEARCH
"Pushing the privacy line with post search behavior-targeting
heating up."
From: Mike Moran
One area to watch in personalized search (which I guess they are
now calling behavioral targeting) is on the organic side.
Everyone is focused on how much advertisers will pay for clicks
that are demographically or behaviorally chosen, and that is an
important topic, but what about the organic results?
I find it hard to believe that the search engines will go to
these lengths for personalization but use it only on paid search.
If they think they can improve the organic results through
personalization, I think they will. Now what will *that* mean to
search marketing? Goodbye rank checkers--there is no such thing
as the #1 result anymore. Maybe now you want to know for what
percentage of searches for that keyword you were #1, or what your
average rank was across all searches for that keyword in a
period, or your average within a demographic group, or... the
mind boggles.
But even more interesting to me, is who will have that data. It
won't be public information, the way rank checking is today. Only
the search engines will know that information and I doubt they
will give it away. So be prepared to have to pay the search
engines for organic search--not to rank well, but to find out
where you did rank. I don't know that this revenue stream will be
anywhere near what the paid search money is, but right now
(except for Yahoo! Paid Inclusion), the revenue from organic
search is zero.
Mike Moran
IBM Distinguished Engineer & Manager ibm.com of Site Architecture
Co-author of IBM Press book, "Search Engine Marketing, Inc."
http://www.mikemoran.com
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// -- NEW DISCUSSION -- //
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==> TOPIC: SEMPO SURVEY
From: Lee Odden
The Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization
(SEMPO.org) has launched their second State of Search Engine
Marketing survey at http://www.sempo.org/survey
This is an important opportunity for companies to contribute in
identifying trends and metrics for what I think, is the fastest
growing marketing channel. Last year's results are at:
http://www.sempo.org/research/sem-trends-2004.php
* Advertisers expected to spend $4bn on search marketing
* Brand awareness was the #1 goal for search marketing
* Advertisers expected to spend 39% more on search marketing on
average over the previous year
Who Should Take This Survey?
Please complete the survey if you are engaged in a search
marketing capacity as advertisers (including both marketing staff
and management), site managers, marketing agencies and search
engine marketing service providers. If this is you, you can take
the survey here:
http://www.sempo.org/survey
Thanks,
Lee Odden
TopRank Online Marketing
http://www.toprankresults.com
Misukanis & Odden Public Relations
http://www.misukanisodden.com
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// -- CONTINUING DISCUSSION -- //
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==> TOPIC: SEARCH WORK REFERRAL SYSTEM
From: Jennifer Laycock
Andrew's post on a referral system really sparked my interest.
I'm running into the same problem that he is. As I focus more and
more on Search Engine Guide, it leaves less time for retainer
deals and consulting. That tends to leave me with plenty of
inquiries, but very few places to send them. I have one good size
SEM firm that I respect enough to pass the big leads to and two
or three individual consultants that I pass smaller projects on
to, but I'd really like to be able to more closely match people
by specialty rather than simply budget.
On my more ambitious days, I think that I'll actually build
something out on www.seomatch.com, a domain that I bought earlier
this year when I thought it would be interesting to get into SEM
brokering. The reality is that the size and scope of this type of
project would be larger than what I care to manage. As I see it,
you'd need to have a good system in place as far as reviewing and
cataloging techniques, skill levels, price ranges etc. I don't
see this as a system limited to white hats or black hats; I see
it as a system that matches a business up with the best skill set
for what they need. That may mean white hat, may mean black hat,
may mean big firm, may mean small.
I think if you had someone that was really familiar with a wide
range of companies and could confidently send a business off to
one of them, you could set up a decent business model. The
service could be free for companies looking to hire a vendor, and
vendors could pay a referral fee to the service the same way that
they would to a salesman.
I see a true need for this type "match-making" service if search
marketing is going to continue to grow. While the industry is
starting to mature, there are still valid concerns from companies
about who they can safely hire. It's not at all unusual for me to
hear from business owners that very much want to invest in SEM
but that have simply been burned so many times by bad vendors
that they're not sure any good ones actually exist.
Count me in as far as backing or helping with anything that could
actually work to solve this problem.
Jennifer Laycock
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==> SEARCH WORK REFERRAL SYSTEM
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From: Debra Mastaler
Typically when I have a job I know my style of linking won't
help, I refer to a list of people I'm compiled over the years.
It's a group of people I know personally or have at least spoken
to on the phone and/or have a connection to people I know. If
that list doesn't work I send them to SEOPros and SEO
Consultants. I think both of those sites do a pretty good job
describing the abilities of the SEO/SEM companies listed.
Kudos for bringing this up in such a thoughtful manner Andrew.
I've never considered how someone might feel to be referred a
small job, I typically just barrel away and offer it up!
........Steamrolling away now... Debra.
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==> SEARCH WORK REFERRAL SYSTEM
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From: Lee Odden
Andrew, I am glad you posted about this as you know it's
something we deal with as well. So far, picking who to refer to
and getting referrals has been fairly informal with a personal
network. Overall, it's been very productive. However, for project
sizes and types outside of our sweet spot, it would be nice to
have a short-list of quality, trusted consultants/firms. In our
case, this is especially true with web dev and PPC projects.
Everything we do is focused on online/offline public relations,
blogs and organic SEO. I wonder how trusted a formal referral
system could be? I guess it depends on how the participants are
evaluated and how honest they are.
Lee Odden
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==> SEARCH WORK REFERRAL SYSTEM
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From: Andrew Goodman
I think this is a great idea!
Yes there is the potential to do this thru SEMPO or SMA, but
there are other fish in the sea.
I think you would do a great job.
Andrew
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// -- ESSENTIAL NEWS -- //
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==> Search Industry Job Market
http://internetretailer.com/article.asp?id=16566
Essentials: A rundown on the search industry job market, which
includes figures of what some can expect to earn (or pay). Search
marketing professionals have been in high demand since the start
of the millenium, with only a rare few having experience that
dates from before the new millenium.
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==> Yahoo! Lowers Barriers To Entry
http://www.ysearchblog.com/archives/000211.html
Essentials: Yahoo! has now dropped its minimum monthly spend
(used to be $20) and lowered the minimum deposit to begin from
$30 to $5.
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==> Mobile Search Advances
http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3561956
Essentials: Google adds a mobile friendly version of its popular
maps application and a Local Search Java download. WSJ
reports Yahoo! and established partner SBC with Nokia and
Cingular to introduce a 1.3 megapixel camera mp3 phone early
next year.
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==> More On Splogs
http://www.searchreturn.com/digest/refs013.shtml
Essentials: Advertisers are setting up bogus blogs, and spammers
take it even further. All to capitalize on the nutty acceptance
of blogs by search engines.
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==> Autonomy Buys Verity
http://www.searchreturn.com/digest/refs013.shtml
Essentials: Enterprise search is an area of focus for Google (and
others), though Google makes less than 1% of their revenue with
it.
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