Marketing on the Web

Push Marketing with Adsense

As per Hoffman and Novak , that consumer who perceive their navigation skills to be below challenge become anxious in digging the sites which has poor navigational capability. The tired consumer either exit from the environment or move to less challenging websites if presented one. Such  tired stressed but needy consumer can buy from anyone even there is a slightest information about what they are looking. Such audience can be targeted effectively by push marketing. Search Advertising technique target such potential customers and perform better with higher conversion rate.

Based on the Push marketing technique, google team built the adsense on decision support systems which counts your ad content, targeted keywords and bid amount, and push the ad whenever a visitor search your targeted keyword.

Tags: Adsense Marketing, eadvertisement, Internet marketing strategy, Push Marketing

Posted in Adsense, Internet Marketing, Internet advertisement Strategy, Search Engine Advertisement, Search Marketing | No Comments »

Web site to learn link Building strategy

Finally I bought a new website to learn how to get the hands on experience on link building strategy. www.holdyourlinks.com is an paid web directory, purchased for $850.00 in site point. I should admit that i didn’t do enough home work before buying this site.

I acquired this Backlinks directory 4 months ago. When I bought that web directory the rank was 330,000. But with in 2 weeks the alexa rank surged to 530,000. Had a feeling that seller might have used some robots to increase Alexa ranking to get the better price.Left the site un attended for couple of month, received no revenue.

Then paid $100.00 to redesign the site.

And paid $175.00 to get link PR7 link for just one month.

Nothing brought any revenue.

Then tried a signature link in digitalpoint for 35$/month and another digital signature in ibuytools for 20$/month

I think that brought some $20.00 revenue.

Currently working on getting 50 forum post and 5o blog comments.

Also keeping my hand crossed for Googe page rank update. I don’t know when the internet marketing god going to update the page rank.

Forgot to mention
This month September 2007

I paid $65.00 to do the 11 blog post on following keywords
Backlinks directory, entertainment directory and Casinos directory, Top web directory

http://webmasters.directorycritic.com/ = $20.00/month

http://www.ensuredirectory.com/ = $69.00 / 3 month

Currently site gets 30 unique visitor a day,

Site rank #3 to

Backlinks directory, Organic web directory
Need to tweak some more so i can increase the traffic.

How to increase the traffic?

Posted in Internet Marketing, Link Building, Search Engine Advertisement | No Comments »

Yahoo! Pricing will be based on quality traffic from content websites.

Today I received email from Yahoo Search Marketing Blog, that they are introducing new quality based pricing for traffics generated through it’s content network.

Their new algorithm of pricing will be monitoring the click traffic from each content provider and conversion ratio. No idea about how yahoo going to determine the quality of traffic? If it’s related to conversion or time spent, or number of pages visited or all have no idea.

Yahoo Quality Based Pricing Questions and Answer may through some lights.

As per my experience most of the clicks I get through yahoo search marketing is not genuine. So far the conversion rate is 6% where Google directed clicks generate 20-30% of sales.

Posted in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Advertisement, Search Marketing | No Comments »

Internet advertisement Strategy - I

I had an opportunity of being approached by one small business owner back in India. He wanted to have appropriate online strategy for his family owned Bride & groom match making service. (Believe me or not 90% of Indians prefer arranged marriage. There are 1000 factors which will be overlooked before fixing a marriage between two individuals, Such as birth sign, moon sign, father financial status, number of brothers and sisters and their social status, cast & clan type and many more. Check this site www.ganapathythevar.com).

As Internet enables information transfer both way proactive and reactive communication it is advised to have well focused advertising strategy. This communication can be either personalized delivery or simple broadcast similar to mass marketing.

In much simpler term, internet advertisement has many options to reach the targeted audience. Having websites that proactively reaches needy people on a mass-reach or a personalized e-mail delivered to a customer questions. The chosen online advertisement strategy should have a room for communication mix in order to fulfill the business objectives. The choice of communication channel and advertisement budget spending must be decided based on the business objectives. One common mistake done by marketing and advertisement department is letting the technology to decide strategy because of its evolving nature which creates new options almost everyday.The building block of online advertisement strategy
• Selling Product nature or service
• Targeted customers web usage level and pattern
• Customer perceived value of personalized communication in the business category

Posted in Internet Marketing, Internet advertisement Strategy, Search Engine Advertisement | No Comments »

Web weaving is an effective e-retail strategy

In earlier post (Landing page and Adwords) I was complaining about the landing page of an university website which fails to encourage the visitor’s stickiness.  Also made another discovery which  I forgot discuss was “Web Weaving”.    Mentioned university was targeting “meditation” and “Practice Meditation” keywords to drive traffic from google adwords.  Unfortunately the visitors directed to very generic web site which details the list of online courses it is offering.  Study on Transcended meditation is one of them.

My argument is, people with a specific issue, seek help only to resolve their current problem. They will not be interested in resolving other related issues until the current one is resolved. In other words, the website must be more customers focused.  For example, rather selling all the women wears in single website, creating unique site for each type of women wear (say one website for panties and one for cat suites) will generate more sales.  Such focused websites on specialized  product,  will spawn the “made for me” feelings in visitor mind. Also satisfy their perceived feelings and emotionally attach the customer with web site.

Creating multiple sites on specialist Niches of similar product which are inadequately serviced by other retailers or firms can be called “web Weaving”.

Based on “Web Weaving” theory each new website development increases the organization fitness and capability to respond to the market opportunities, bridging the strategic gaps to reach their business value.  By delivering new web sites over the period,
Provide valuable market knowledge, experience and additional revenues.

Advantage of “Web Weaving”

Investing on multiple Niche focused websites, effectively shelters the firms from dynamic competitive environment. This also help to spread the risk across the web sites and allow firm to recognize and respond positively to new trends and emerging opportunities.

Moreover,  “Web Weaving” allows financial consolidation  -  a key issue for all start up dotcom companies.  Because firms operations will be effectively integrated across multiple online stores and web sites.

“Web weaving” can also be called   e-portfolio, since classic portfolio strategy is about distribution of limited fund on selective stocks. So, risk will be spread and returns will be derived from multiple resources.

 “Web Weaving” strategy will be very effective on online retail stores.

Posted in Consumer Search Behavior, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Advertisement, Web site design | No Comments »

Brand and Banners on Internet marketing

I was reading an internet marketing article titled Advertising on the Web published on Admap magazine written by Rex Briggs from World Advertising Research center.

Rex was explaining the conceptual mistake in measuring “clickthrough” (CTR) ratios as Brand enhancement. Although everyone agree that Banner ads increases the Brand awareness and Brand value, so far there is no credible factor can be used to track the performance of Banner ads.

The article categorically rejects following assumptions

• Brand enhancement can happen only on the web site
• Brands have more to say than can be conveyed in a banner.
• “Clickthrough” should be sought by all advertisers
• The level of “clickthrough” determines brand enhancement

Rex argues that Banners doesn’t require any click or interaction from consumers if they are intended for Brand enhancement. His analysis indicates that consumer click on banners because the ad is relevant to the content and inducing for engagement. Also the consumer perceives an immediate need that can only be fulfilled by click through to a website where the ‘promise’ made in the banner is delivered.

Unfortunately there is no credible reason why consumer need to click on Banner ad, which require no immediate action from consumer. If that is the case, all the TV ads should have generated tremendous sales by the next day of advertisement?

So ads seeking to increase Brand enhancement or Brand value doesn’t need to be clicked. They must be simply seen by customer in right place and right time. Because 96 percent of the boost in ad awareness was caused by the banner exposure alone. The remaining four per cent was caused by click through. Rex asserts that this patter is consistent across various brand enhancement measure we measured.

Posted in Consumer Search Behavior, Google Adwords, Internet Marketing, Online Consumer Behavior, Search Engine Advertisement | No Comments »

Google planning Human eyes to rank Adsense Sites

There are rumors roaming around the adsense world, that google is planning to rank the adsense websites through manual process like how DMOZ does to create the web directory. Unlike volunteered initiatives, Google is planning to recruit human website ranking analysts around the world and follow their recommendation on search result display order. This rank will be presented to Adwords publishers for higher bidding.

Google currently manages around 12 billion web pages and current page rank has been rated based on content, motive , organization credential such as government, educational institutions or Adsense sites.

For example, If you do the search by city name, you can infer my claim by analyzing the search result pattern. Google search give higher preference to government websites followed by pages without commercial intention and rest of them will be positioned at last.

As per new rating systems, Google not only assess the degree of commercialisms of sites, but different types of commercial intent (a catalog page versus an “About us” page). And ran the page accordingly, it might even look for data such as how long a company has been in business, how long a website has been operational without 404 error.

Google website rating force will be given analyzing tools and different rating metrics to rank a page they even allowed to attach comment with each page as part of ratings. This comments may appear in search result if viewed through Google enterprise tool bar.

If you are dreaming about making millions through Adsense income and betting on cheap SEO techniques then time to rethink your strategy. Please remember only contents! can convince the Google eyes.

Recommended Reading

Posted in Search Engine, Search Engine Advertisement | No Comments »

Writing better Ads for Google Adwords

Why Click is so important to Google advertiser?

If you are advertising through Google Adwords or Yahoo sponsored Search, you know how hard to generate the click from searcher. Writing high appeal ad not only increases web site traffic, it also reduces the search engine advertisement cost. Google elevates the best clicking ads to top  position among other low clicking ads. This will generate more money to Google and more clicks to advertiser. Marketers will not be charged for this top positioning even though they are bidding less than the competitor.

Also, Google will disable the bad performing ads, which generate less than 2% CTR. The Click through Ratio (CTR) is calculated based on how many times your ad has been displayed (called impression) and number of times it received click from customer.

For example, your ad has been displayed for 2000 (impression) and received 2 click.
The CTR is 1% ([2/2000] * 100). Even though the conversion ratio of your ad might be promising but if it doesn’t meet minimum 2% of CTR then Google will simply disable without any warning. Yahoo also does the same on its Sponsored search listing.

So it is very important to keep an eye on your higher conversion ads to prevent being victimized by lower CTR.

Writing better ad that generate more clicks!

Unlike other advertisement formats such as Banner, Email marketing, pop-up ads, you can not use any graphics, colors, font styles or nudging flashy movies. The only medium to impress the searcher is Text. Indeed, that’s what the searchers are looking for. Writing text only ads might be restricting but in reality it saves lot of time for the advertisers. The advertiser doesn’t need to worry about impressive color combinations, choosing correct images or audios etc. That way! Search engine’s text only ads help advertisers to focus on core value of advertisement, customer appeal.

Personalized ads have more appealing power and conversion rate. Such ads will give impression to the searchers (customer), that specific ad has been published only for him. By visiting the recommended page or site through click, he can resolve his problem or can fulfill his seeking.

So the search engine placement (Adwords) ad should a have words or phrase that will imply all of those qualities above. It must be very simple and not technical.
Should standout from others ads as well as the organic search results recommended by Search Engines.

For example,

Typing the broad keyword “search Engine advertisement” on Google
(Feb 17 2007), brought me following paid listings

Which one is the best ad?

The most appealing Ad
Start from searcher motivation. What is the motivation behind of my search “Search Engine Advertisement”?

I want to know more about it?
Or looking for a best way to do it?
Or wanting to know who can do it?
Or want to know who is doing it?
Or looking where to do it?
Or seeking the best one to do it?

From the above paid listing, I preferred to click the ad “Yahoo! Search Marketing”.

1. Because it associates with well known brand name “Yahoo” so I can trust and expect the better quality.
2. Ad is connecting with my perceived knowledge about “Search engine advertisement”
keyword through “cost-per-click“. So it is informative.
3. It induces me an offer worth of $50 credit.
4. Calling me to give a try means I can walkaway if I don’t like it.
5. It has the convincing appeal, that site is dedicated to only for search marketing by displaying “searchmarketing.yahoo.com”

So this Yahoo search marketing ad has more appealing qualities.
• Endorsement by known brand Yahoo.
• Free Credit of $50 value proposition
• Calling for my action with trial with no string attachment.
• Also promising it will be more informative and fulfilling for my knowledge seeking.
• Also has special wording “cost-per-click” which increase my perceived knowledge about internet advertisement.
The keyword “Search Engine Advertisement” not very specific about buying anything rather it is more cognitive oriented looking for information. The ad3 and ad2 are very generic, looking for a buyer and are not interested in educating or informative. Not asking the searcher to interact with them either. Ad3 has unverified claim as “Industry leader” also asking visitor to spend $29.9

Posted in Google Adwords, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Advertisement | No Comments »

Consumer Trust and Google Adwords

Consumer Behavior on Google Adwords

I am bit surprised to see Microsoft adCenter advertisement appearing on Google Adsense site.

Recent study Search Marketing Shows Strength in 2006 by searchenginewatch.com quotes that Microsoft Adcenter revenue has jumped to 68 percent, compare to 29 percent of last year 2005. But Google! still rule the search engine advertisement market accounts 96 percent, followed by yahoo 82%. Advertiser who uses Google Adwords also advertises in Yahoo. But marketers bet more money on Adwords than Overture.

Is there any reason why Google is on Top?

Google traffic provide more CTR (click through ratio) and higher conversion rate because,

Google audience are more target oriented, looking for a way to accomplish their task. (such as seeking some information, looking to download something and etc.)
Google visitor have positive attitude towards Google listings.

Buy from First Ad

Nico Brooks’s How Search Engine Rank Impact Conversions (Published in American Marketing Association, 2005) article highlights few interesting points.

The conversion potential between position one and position two ad varies significantly among Google and Yahoo listings.

In Google Adwords listings, advertisement placed at top most position (#1) has 100% conversion potential. Where position two ads attract only 54.5%

In yahoo listing, conversion difference between position one and two ad is 27% (100% and 73%)

This Buy from first ad attitude might have been adopted from consumers perceived thinking about Google Search result. 92% – 96% of the consumer think that Google Result is more accurate and relevant compare to other search engine. Which eventually influence them to click and buy from the first ad listed by Adwords.

It is worth to bid more for top most position in Google Adwords. There is an Search Marketing Tool , which can help you managing the Ad position. That tool may not work with Google adwords.

Posted in Consumer Search Behavior, Google Adwords, Search Engine Advertisement | 1 Comment »

Search Engine Advertisement - $9.4 billion market

Search Engine Ad Steady Growth

The search engine advertisement spending at North America has reached $9.4 billion on 2006, 63 percent more than last year 2005 ($5.75 billion). By 2011 this spending will be doubled to $18.6 Billion as per clickz.com prediction.

Out of $9.4 billion $ 8.0 billion has been spend on Search engine paid placement service (Google Adwords & Yahoo Search Marketing), remaining $1.4 billion spent on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Although corporates are yet to be convinced by the performance, Search engine ad market is confident in getting more fund in coming years. Most of the Search Engine marketers are betting on Direct Response as a outcome of Paid Placement advertisement, shows little interest in Branding.
The inferred success factors over other marketing medium is

• Target ability
• Tracking
• Deliver ability and Flexibility
• Pull Technology
• Cost effective
• Customer- centric marketing

Based on the “Behind the Numbers: Measuring Up.” article by Loechner, Jack (OMMA Magazine, USA today jan 2004), Business To Business (b2) has accounted 87% of new sales lead generation compare to Business To Customer (B2C) 70% of new customer lead.

US Ad Spending Growth Rates on Internet

More reading about Search Engine Advertisement

• Targeting usage demographics to increase paid
• How much should you budget for search marketing in 2005,
• The holistic approach to search Engine marketing,
• How to get a bigger marketing budget approved
• Is your paid search advertising generating positive financial results?
• Search optimization,not search engine optimization

Posted in Search Engine Advertisement | No Comments »