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Archive for the ‘MSN’ Category
Contextual Advertising with PPC Campaigns
Kevin Burns | August 23rd, 2010
Where you get your information can say a lot about who you are and what your interests are. With the plethora of information available today relying on one news outlet almost seems impossible, but if that happens to be the case for you please use the content of this blog to become more familiar with the abundance of information that is at your fingertips. This blog will provide a wide variety of outlets for general news, niche updates, and a look at news filters that publish content for specific demographics. For any online marketers out there this blog will also show you how to find the specific venue or audience to speak to for PPC campaigns based on various online analytics. According to my Google analytics Weather.com is one of the most visited news websites right now, but because this blog is written from Los Angeles I will have to trust Google that this is an essential website across the country. The runner up for the most visited news website is CNN.com. Not a big surprise, given that CNN is a Turner channel, which is owned by the conglomerate TimeWarner. CNN has the resources to provide coverage of events around the world, so why wouldn’t they have a commonly known and relied upon website. One of the most popular newspapers in the United States also has the third most visited news website, NYTimes.com. The next two most popular news websites are The Huffington Post and Foxnews.com. These two websites typically Continue reading…
4 Things in ’08 That Changed the Face of Search
Christian Vuong | December 19th, 2008
What a year this has been! With 2008 drawing to a close, “Top 10” or “Best of 2008” lists are the way to go. ’08 bought about many changes to the online world, but without being to broad and I’d like to share 5 things I thought contributed to change in the face of Search. #4. The iPhone & Blackberry Why: Local SEO, Location-Aware Search, Geo-Targetted PPC Ads & Mobile Web Sites. 2008 was the year for the smart phone. While numerous manufacturers rolled out new models, it was Apple’s iPhone 3G and the Blackberry that took the spotlight. Apple’s iPhone claimed over 17% of the smart phone market in Q3 and Blackberry continued to roll out newer and faster models such as the Storm and Pearl Flip. What these devices highlighted was the emergence and public adoption of mobile web browsing. Mobile browsing was no longer for just for the businessperson, but for the average Joe the Plumber. Location-aware search also took center-stage with applications like UrbanSpoon, Around Me, and Google Maps (with the iPhone’s GPS). How exactly did this effect search? It further showed the importance of optimizing for local SEO terms and mobile friendly web sites. As CNet reported, Google is starting to display Sponsored Ads on the iPhone. In 2009, we’ll mostly see the rising importance of geo-targetting ads for mobile platforms. #3. Google Search Suggest & Yahoo Search Suggest Why: Long Tail Keywords Ok, this one is sort of cheating because Yahoo! Search Suggest has Continue reading…
How to Write Blog Posts that Rank Well in Search Engines
KRONiS | May 15th, 2008
(4 Letter) Keyword Insertion
Jeff Pickett | April 8th, 2008
There are a plethora of mysteries hidden in Google & Yahoo’s search and advertising algorithms. We here in Account Development have long struggled to understand the precise function of the almighty Keyword Insertion (KWI). KWI is a function which allows a user’s precise search query to be inserted into the headline or body of a text ad. Our research has shown that text ads with KWI have higher Click-Through Rates (CTR) and often perform better than ads without KWI. But in our never-ending quest to write the best ads and build the best campaigns possible, we are constantly running into more precise and complex questions about how (and if) this “Keyword Insertion” function really works. Let’s review the three Keyword Match Types in Google: Broad, Phrase, and Exact. Exact is rather self explanatory: if you have “used car” as an exact match keyword, it will only be triggered by a search query of “used car.” Any additional words or characters in or outside that search will prevent it from bringing up the ad. So a person searching “used black car” or “black used car” will not see the corresponding text ad for the Exact Match keyword “used car.” Phrase Match is slightly more lenient, allowing words to be tacked on either end of the keyword, as long as the precise word order is preserved. “Black used car” will trigger the phrase match for “used car,” but a search of “used black car” will not. Then there’s Broad Match, or what Continue reading…
The Sponsored Link: Changing Perceptions of Online Advertising
Jeff Pickett | April 1st, 2008
Last week, the Account Development department welcomed its newest member, Amir Shoucri. Not surprisingly, Amir’s fresh perspective introduced a compelling blog topic…He wrote: With all the immunity granted to the ignorant new guy, I’m going to throw this out there – I never clicked on an Internet ad before working here. I realize I’m walking a fine line, and at the risk of subverting what we do, I’ll be upfront about it. Like many people, I associated search-engine advertising with a variety of other negatives – spam, pop-ups, spyware, viruses etc. What’s more, I considered myself sophisticated enough to avoid all the traps set to ensnare the casual web browser. I use search engines; they don’t use me, kind of thing. That having been said, I will admit to some misapprehensions. I don’t think I understood what a Google ad was until recently. The most I ever thought about it was the time I was discussing my private life in an e-mail and suddenly noticed I was being offered a variety of mental health services. Having now attained some background, I’m fairly impressed with the standards Google maintains for ad style, content, and security. Web advertising is a pervasive new industry. I’ve worked in other pervasive industries, and all of them felt underappreciated. In television, it was always about the Nielsen ratings (Q: How come no one is watching our show? A: Because, Donnie Wahlberg is in it). In the education field, it was similar (Q: Why does no one Continue reading…
A Shift from Search? MSN Says, “Yes”
Michael Block | October 22nd, 2007
The business of search advertising is booming. Most interestingly, this boom does not appear poised for a reversal anytime soon or even a slowdown. Granted, no boom can last forever and it is always wise to be looking toward the future, however, Microsoft’s recent comments regarding search advertising that, “In the next several years, it will not be as much of a driver [of growth],” seem suspect. Microsoft’s Senior Vice President Brian McAndrews recently stated that the focus of online ads will be slowly shifting away from search and onto more display-oriented ads. The landscape of online advertising is ever-changing and there is merit that the display market is ripe for expansion, due, in part, to the growing ubiquity of programs like Adobe Flash that provide an excellent vehicle for display ads. Despite all this, though, there seems to be overwhelming evidence that search advertising is here to stay and, at best, will coexist alongside a growing display advertising market. Though the search advertising boom may slow down, the amount of people in the US and abroad using the search engines is likely to continue to expand in the coming years. Additionally, there has yet to be an adequate substitute for the search engines when it comes to finding what you want online, be it information, services or products. The always even-handed and intelligent guys over at Search Engine Land ask an insigthful question: “Is this a sign of Microsoft giving up on competing with Google in the search ad Continue reading…
