december 2007

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Well it seems that it is Awards Season in the blog-o-sphere and we actually got nominated for something! As is only fitting, the only thing we were nominated for is a Rubber Chicken award (http://blumenthals.com/blog/2007/12/27/rubber-chicken-award-aka-the-columbo-top-10-finalists-vote-now/), it just figures don’t it? It seems that Jeff and I tickled a few funny bones with our 2 Part Series dubbed ‘the Sphinn Awards (Part I and II)'. Considering I do enjoy playing the class clown, I am more than pleased to have made it as a finalist.For those that missed it, here are the posts; The Sphinn Awards Part I (http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/the-first-unofficial-sphinn-awards-day-1.html)The Sphinn Awards Part II (/internet-marketing/social-media-marketing/the-sphinn-awards-part-2.html)For those of you that enjoy a good guffaw, here are the other Top 10 Finalists;Shana Albert’s Boobs (http://wingnutseo.com/?p=72) – Wignut Add words to Adwords; Google removes them (http://www.seomoz.org/blog/how-not-to-write-adwords) - SEOmoz Why eBay and Wikipedia dominate the Google SERPs (http://sebastians-pamphlets.com/why-ebay-and-wikipedia-rule-googles-serps/) – SabastianSEO’s Home Alone; Google’s Nightmare (http://sebastians-pamphlets.com/seos-home-alone-googles-nightmare/) - Sebastian 13 things to do when you loved one is at a conference (http://www.seomoz.org/blog/13-things-to-do-when-your-loved-one-is-away-at-conferences) – SEOmoz SEO High School Confidential (http://www.searchmarketinggurus.com/search_marketing_gurus/2007/10/seo-soap-opera-.html) – Search Markeitng Gurus21 Signs You need a break from SEO (http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/top-21-signs-you-need-a-break-from-seo-2007-version/529/) – Tamar10 Signs you may be a Blog addict (http://www.searchrank.com/blog/2007/04/10-signs-of-a-blog-addict.html) – Search Rankthe SEOs guide to Beginners (http://www.seomoz.org/blog/the-seos-guide-to-beginners)- SEOmozthe Internet Marketer’s Nightmare (http://jmorris.name/marketing/the-internet-marketers-nightmare/) – James Morris OnlineMission Accomplished; Top Ranking in Google (http://www.alchemistmedia.com/blog/mission-accomplished-top-ranking-in-google) – Alchemist MediaGoogle interiors; the day my house became searchable (http://www.closed-loop-marketing.com/blog/2007/06/02/google-interiors-the-day-my-house-became-searchable/) – Closed Loop

This post is from from my other blog here

So waddup? Ya’ll want some goodiness for 2008? Can do! It probably doesn’t take a genius to sort out what exactly I see for 2008 (and beyond). I am looking at a brave new world of Search Optimization with the prospect that is the world of User Performance Metric influenced search rankings. There is no escaping he fact that Google will continue its course of becoming more ubiquitous and cross platform and device minded. From Operating systems and browsers (FireFox) to social media and mobile, we are sure to see more. Yesterday there was a trio of patents from Google relating to radio, and we have already seen them take a look at magazine’s and TV even (or TV-like at least). I was reading Alex Chitu’s predictions (http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/12/predictions-for-googles-2008.html) and he led off with Google looking to become one big social network. This all means more Google user accounts and that in turn will mean more default ‘personalized search’(PS) for search optimizers to deal with ultimately.reporting recently (http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/22/2007-in-numbers-igoogle-googles-homegrown-star-performer-this-year/)that it was by far, the leading growth area increasing traffic a stunning 267% (over the last 12 months). As the die hard readers know, the pervasiveness of Google accounts was something this wired web Gypsy spotted on the horizon a while ago. Once again, the sticky part ere is that most folks with a Google service (and account) don’t realize that PS is turned on and so the number of people actually using personalized search (passively) is certain to be on the rise as well.

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Conversions, Cookies and Bad Actors too!A while ago I came across some poignant questions (http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9832985-38.html) that were posed to Google by US Senator Joe Barton (http://joebarton.house.gov/Default.aspx) mostly in regards to Privacy concerns. What was of particular interest to this wandering web Gypsy was that much of it had to do with user data collection which is a favourite of mine in the form of User Performance Metrics. It seems we have some answers...yipeeeee….Unfortunately, much of the detailed response is what one might expect as far as any real actionable goodies that we can all get excited about. What I do take way from this is the reality that such metrics are indeed being collected and used to enhance both personalized search and regular index search services. The responses are also interesting for what it doesn’t say. Without further ado… here’s what I took away from it.

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Getting to (Know, Know) Know YouWill this madness ever cease? I am just about ready to take this tin foil hat and throw it in the microwave to watch the sparks fly… I can tell you that. I mean really, there must be something else I can talk about right? But oh no, not Davey boy, he’s a UPM Addict and there is little hope. As such allow me one more folly into the world of Search and User Performance Metrics; Yesterday, I stumbled across a (2006) Google Patent relating to Ad Targeting named; Determining advertisements using user behaviour information such as past navigation information. While touring around in there, I ran into these ; ‘navigation history information need not be collected by a toolbar. It can be collected using a proxy server, a browser helper object, or by a custom browser implementation. One or more of these alternative approaches can be considered. They are merely different ways of providing the same functionality’.Ok, so we have many ways of watching you and it includes the GoogleToolBar, FireFox (whom they fund), or any other damn way we please. Sounds reasonable...

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So have you tired yet of this Web Gypsy’s ranting about Google, user performance metrics (/search-engines/algorithm-matters/beware:-google-is-watching-you.html) and personalized search (/search-engines/search-engine-optimization/the-art-of-personalized-search-optimization.html)? I sure hope not because I came across something that I simply had to tell you! I just think that this is completely on par with what I have been ranting about the last 6 weeks. If you go back on this journey and recount how I was rambling incessantly about the proliferation of new Google platforms and applications (/search-engines/search-engine-optimization/why-google-personalized-search-is-important-to-you.html) would likely see an increase in Google accounts (/search-engines/search-engine-optimization/i-have-seen-the-future-and-it-is-very-personal.html), and ultimately Personalized Search. So did you think I was merely blowing smoke up your backside? Did you start fitting me for a Tin Foil hat and a new sport coat with arms that attach in the back?Well then my friend; Say hello to Google Profiles (http://www.google.com/help/profile/) (more on GoogleSystem (http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/12/google-profiles.html) and TechCrunch (http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/15/google-starts-rolling-out-centralized-profiles/)) I can TOTALLY see this happening. Mind you, I do imagine that some where there are some Open Social developers just dreaming up ways to make Google one big Social Network for business and personal. What is certain is that the reality of a broader more ubiquitous Google account user base is certainly on the horizon. And Speaking of Personalized Search

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Finding relevance through User Performance MetricsImagine a world of Google Search where each person/computer received a different set of results? Or sets of query results that were fluid and more alive? No longer could the Search Optimizer simply use tried and true techniques to rank a given site, identifying probabilistic models, themes and demographics would become a talent to be learned. The SERPs (search engine results page) would be a more fluid environment and rankings would be a moving target. All of a sudden end user performance metrics (bounce rates, conversions, frequency) would play a role in ranking of documents to individual users or sets of user groups and (potentially) the main organic index as well.Now don’t go getting all excited just yet. These concepts are nothing new and you need look no further than Personalized Search aspects (/search-engines/search-engine-optimization/the-art-of-personalized-search-optimization.html) to get the idea of what such a world may look like. What is even more interesting are the implications such data could have on the over-all organic rankings and SEO ‘targeting’ in general. You see, there are many ways to aggregate data other than a logged-in Google Account user; such as the Google Toolbar, IP addresses, cookies and more recently, the Google computer and Google Mobile (/news/latest/breaking-news-no-googlephone.html) (dubbed Android) possibilities. This proliferation of Google (/search-engines/search-engine-optimization/why-google-personalized-search-is-important-to-you.html) services embedded in such devices means there is even more access to conversion or performance data relating to natural search results. Patent Bending 101The crux of this piece centers on broadening your understanding of some of the aspects used in probabilistic models and user performance metrics. A while go, I had a look at 3 patents that Senor Slawski (http://www.seobythesea.com/) had passed along during our adventure into the murky waters of metrics and search; the summaries of which I have broken down for easier...

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It's My Data and I'll Hide if I want to It's pretty late at the moment, but I was just thinking about some recent site development strategies I have been implementing and why exactly, I am going about things the way I am. And so why not walk together right? I thought so.... let's go this way... Much of it revolves around Google Web services and the potential ramifications they may have to a site used prematurely or recklessly. What do I mean by prematurely? Bear with me a little longer and I shall enhance the picture for you. To start with let’s look at a few common tools and incursions that the average webmaster may employ. You know the types; Google SiteMap - Google Analytics - Google Site Search - Google AdSenseEach of them has the ability to digest a great deal of information about your site and the actions of users on a page by page or site wide (global) basis depending on the implementation and tools being used. Add to that the myriad of other bots that come to your page, (indexing, filtering, spam bots, etc...) . a search engine can begin to build a clearer image of an over-all perceived value of your page(s) statistically, far better than they could without such additional data. I don’t bloody care what anyone says; there is an inherent risk in giving away any type of performance metrics from your site…. So what to do? This is where I look to the systemic fauna that grows out from this conundrum. In short, what's the easiest way to account for this potential problem without breaking a sweat? Puzzle Pieces - the 3Ms In a world of search marketing that has roots growing ever closer to human interaction measurement, analysis...

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I was reading some research this morning from the folks over at Enquiro Research from a document entitled the Brand Lift of Search (http://www.enquiroresearch.com/brand-lift-of-search.aspx). It deals with the associations people have with a brand over a variety of Search Engine Result Page (or SERP) situations. The target brand in this case was ‘Honda’ and the when Searcher entered an ‘unbranded query’ (generalized query) and was shown one of 5 types of SERP pages;Control (no Honda in search results)Sponsored Ad listing (Honda only in side panel ads)Top Organic ( Honda listed in top SERP position)Top Sponsored Ad (Top Ad space only)Top Sponsored Ad and Top Organic Two additional Groups entered ‘branded queries’ (Honda specific) and where shown;Top Organic ( Honda listed in top SERP position)Top Sponsored Ad and Top Organic (Honda in both)The results were done in both Survey and Eye tracking formats. Why PPC and SEO can work together for Branding When the respondents that used the unbranded query (ie; ‘fuel efficient cars’) were asked what came to mind (Honda, Other, None) a full 16% said Honda over other brands when shown the SERP with Honda ranked in both the organic and paid listings.