Selecting the right keywords for a web page is critical element of a successful campaign strategy, however, its important to evaluate the competitiveness of key term selected. Selecting only highly competitive terms can lead to unrealistic goals and an unbalanced approach to attain increase in traffic. Join one of our own SEO specialists, Avinash Conda, as we explore this topic in this video.
Yahoo!’s Search Marketing Desktop, formally released, speeds up your paid search efforts…and offers an uncommon take on a common feature. Continue reading
So, we all know what a tech giant Apple really is. Recently, there was a huge media frenzy over the release of their new product, Apple IPad. The IPad is a tablet that has no keyboard or mouse and is all touch screen. It also has a USB port and Internal HD.
There are many beliefs on singular and plural key phrases in the matter of optimizing. You would think a simple variation of adding an “S” or “ies” wouldn’t make all the difference right?
Projecting results from SEO can be challenging for both marketers & agencies, so how do we properly understand the payoff benefits from embarking on a search engine optimization plan?
Well to start, just like any other marketing project you will need to know where you have been to know where you are going. It is funny how marketers familiar with traditional media can make assessments easily on performance but when Search Engine Optimization projects lands on their laps a theoretical black hole of evaluation exits.
Projecting results from SEO does not have to be that difficult, but it is a process that does require a few benchmarking sessions to make sure that your project is on track and that you are focusing on the right metrics
Google’s trusty Keyword Tool has been overhauled, mostly for the better.
At its core, the new Keyword Tool, currently in beta, is identical to the old one. You enter seed keywords or a site URL, and it generates relevant keyword ideas, along with associated statistical data, such as search volume and competition. This can then be used for search engine optimization, paid search or general market research.
This is really where the similarity ends. While the new Keyword Tool is missing a few features we’ve become accustomed to, it contains at least 11 new or improved ones, some significant. Continue reading
Google Insights for Search is a great tool from for recognizing how people search based on region. People speak differently and search differently based on region.
On Our 2009 Watch List: New Generic Domain Names
Earlier this year, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ( ICANN) announced a plan to allow new generic level domain names (gTLDs) in addition to current ones like .com, .org, .edu, etc. Under the plan, gTLDs would be virtually unlimited. For instance, Ford could be not only ford.com, but also ford.cars, ford.auto, ford.road, ford.ford, etc.
ICANN states that “the expansion will allow for more innovation, choice and change to the Internet’s addressing system, now constrained by only 21 generic top-level domain names,” and considers this program to be especially important to its efforts to make domain names available that could contain non-ASCII characters or letters (for instance, Arabic or Chinese).
Generic Domain Name’s Don’t sit Well with Goverments and Large Corporations
There is significant opposition to the plan, especially from corporations and governments. The opposing arguments mostly center around two issues: the potentially enormous additional cost to companies that wish to defend their trademarks and brand names, and the possibility that adding hundreds or thousands of new gTLDs could undermine the stability and security of the Domain Name System (DNS).
The Effect On Large Companies Can Cost
Large companies already have to buy thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) of domain names to protect their brands – buying not only their trademarked names, but also common misspellings across all 21 current gTLDs. For instance, Google owns not just google.com, but also g00gle.com and google.biz. Depending on the number of new domain names, the price companies pay to control domain names could definitely skyrocket.
So, How Many New gTLDs Will There Be?
No one can predict how many new domain names will pop up because it won’t be cheap to register a new gTLD. Companies wishing to register new gTLDs will need to pay $185,000 to submit the application and $60,000 each year to run the domain. In addition, if a company is not already a registry, it will have to pay $50,000 to be evaluated. In other words, a company will need to be sure that there will be a lot of customers in order to apply for a generic domain. That said, the way to make a fortune is to see opportunity where others don’t, so don’t be surprised if some surprises pop up like .crafts, .florist, or .pizza.
Next week: the proposal’s possible effects on search engine marketing.
James Connell is Search Director at Path Interactive, a NYC-based interactive marketing firm.
