----------------------------------------------------------------- SearchReturn Discussion List "Understanding Internet Search Technology" ----------------------------------------------------------------- Moderator: Published by: Detlef Johnson SearchReturn http://www.searchreturn.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- November 08, 2005 Issue #013 ----------------------------------------------------------------- SEND POSTS: ----------------------------------------------------------------- Refer a friend: http://www.searchreturn.com/subscribe.shtml ----------------------------------------------------------------- .....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" ----------------------------------------------------------------- // -- FEATURED POST -- // ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- // -- NEW DISCUSSION -- // ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- // -- CONTINUING DISCUSSION -- // ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> SEARCH WORK REFERRAL SYSTEM ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> SEARCH WORK REFERRAL SYSTEM ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> SEARCH WORK REFERRAL SYSTEM ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------- // -- ESSENTIAL NEWS -- // ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ==> 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Essential Headlines: http://www.searchreturn.com/newsworthy.shtml Archives: http://www.searchreturn.com/digest-archive.shtml Alternate formats: http://www.searchreturn.com/info-formats.shtml Manage Subscriptions: http://www.searchreturn.com/help/manage-subs.shtml Problems unsubscribing? 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