websense

So, I’m thinking it’s about time to comment on the new Microsoft product, Bing. Microsoft touts it as being the newest thing in Search, and it is, but is it really any different from what we’re all used to? And, is there anyway it can compete with search giant, Google? Will it change anything about the way we optimize for the search engines?

The hype leading up to the release of Bing would lead you to believe that other search results were so loosely tied to keyphrases that you could get almost anything on a results page. To a certain extent this is true, and has lead to the use of and optimization for the long tail phrase. Single word searches do tend to result in just about anything.

Just as a test, I plugged the word “jeep” into both Google and Bing. The results look pretty much the same to me, at least at the top of the page. As I scrolled down, however I did notice a few differences. The Bing results seemed to know what I was asking for, and did not give me results for a rock band named “Jeep” or anything else. I also really like the image results, and the other categorized results as seen in the screen shots below. I have also included the Google results page for the sake of comparison.

So, I had to wonder if this would work this well for a less well known term, something obscure, but still just one word, so as not to bring the long tail effect into play at all. I searched the word “blind”, as it has several meanings. The Bing results were less well defined, as there was no way for Bing to determine what I really wanted. I got results from sites for the blind, as well as sites where you can buy blinds, and what I think was a site for another rock band. Well, that’s one nice thing about Bing, you can hover over the results, and a site description pops up.

Similar results came up for Google, the first one being a skateboard site, not what I would have thought.

In the end, what it comes down to is that the hype about Bing being a more focused search engine may be just that, as it still needs a keyphrase to really know what the user wants. So, I guess the long tail phrases are not a thing of the past just yet!

Well believe it or not, in this economy, TKG is hiring! We need a couple of experienced, qualified folks to become memebers of our SEM and Design teams.

Openings include a search engine marketing job working with our amazing SEO and SEM department. The other is a website design job with our incredibly talented Design department.

If you are interested in working in a fun, fast paced yet laid back environment, please check out our job postings and submit a resume.

A few weeks ago the world watched as Iranians protested the announced results of thier latest election. As the protests grew the Iranian govenment began to block all foreign media. An unprecidented thing began to take place. Tech savvy citizens took to the web to let the world know whats happening. Amatuer videos began to show up on facebook, and Twitter was the main vehicle for pictures and fast news updates. The Iranian governmant tried to restrict access to the web, with little success. Iranians have found plenty of ways to get around the blocks the government tried to use to limit the information getting out of the country.

We’ve seen social media present a story or news item first, such as in the incident of the plane crash in Buffalo, NY, but this is the first time we’ve seen it used as the main source of information in an international story. The world would have been unaware, or at least much less aware of what was going on in Iran if it were not for Facebook and even more so, Twitter. The constant stream of information coming from Twitter made it possible for the rest of the world to know what was happening. We may not have known how many tens of thousands of protesters there were in Tehran, or the fact that the religious leaders declared Ahmadinijhad the winner, and said that anyone still protesting the outcome of the election should be put to death.

As we look ahead, I am sure we can expect to see more and more of this. Even in countries where you can be put to death for defying the government, information is going to get out. How hard do you think it would be to get some equipment into North Korea, and get some information out? Maybe some brave soul will give it a try…

A few months back guest author Jen Geh talked about making sure your marketing budget included an SEO budget. It’s been discussed here, of course, but I’d like to help business owners figure out how to go about planning a marketing budget that includes SEO, which will give you the best ROI, especially in this economic climate. A somewhat humorous post by a fellow web marketer in September of 08 at least gives you an idea of where to start.
So, in planning a marketing or advertising budget, many small business owners determine the amount they spend after they have set everything else in their general budget, and then use the “surplus” for marketing and advertising. Who has surplus these days? This strategy may seem necessary, but it is undercutting what will feed and grow your business.
Considering Your Budget:
1. “How much is my main competitor spending?” You need to compete with this company, so you need to be in the same ballpark as your your competitor as a minimum.
2. What kind of growth would I like my company to experience this year?
3. What marketing strategies have worked well, and been the most cost effective?
4. Are your marketing efforts reaching your intended audience? If not what strategies can you employ to reach your target audience more effectively?

A Sample Marketing Budget Formula:
Every company is different. Every marketing budget is different, but there are some basics that we can use for the purpose of discussion.
1. Most small businesses spend anywhere from 2% to 10% of sales on marketing.
2. Medium sized businesses tend to spend 10% or more.
3. Large companies, retailers, pharmaceutical companies and the like often spend upwards of 20% of their revenue on marketing & advertising.

So, let’s assume the business owner has determined the amount they would like to spend, but needs to breakdown how the allocated funds will be spent. This formula (or something close to it) is what TKG would likely recommend to most small business owners who are looking to use their web presence to grow their business:

% of Advertising & Marketing Budgets for SEO

50% of allocated funds to ongoing web development, SEO and analytics, email campaigns
+
15% of funds to print, such as mailers, brochures, newspaper ads, and corporate identity items
+
15% of funds to radio, television spots
+
20% of funds to special events, sales, free shipping offers, etc.

=
100% of the marketing and communications budget

At a minimum, SEO should be in your budget, and if it is, you should probably double what you are spending. If it isn’t, see what’s in your traditional marketing budget that can be tweaked, or cut. We all have the things we do that make our ego feel better, but don’t generate any real results. Then allocate those funds for SEO.

If you ask me, this year, SEO is where the heart of advertising is, as you need to make each of those dollars spent work for you. SEO delivers, where traditional marketing falls a little short when money is tight, especially if you are hoping your web sales are going to keep your company afloat in a flagging economy. TKG is currently working on a template to help determine marketing and SEO costs as a useful tool for our clients. As soon as we have something workable, I’ll post it here for download.

Don’t make the mistake that so many small business have made and wait too long to cut the cord on the phone book.

Hopefully we’ll all take a moment to realize what this Holiday is about and remember those who fought to give it to us. As well as THANK those who continue to fight to keep our freedom.

The U.S. Army
The U.S. Marines
The U.S. Air Force
The U.S. Navy

If it were not for these groups, we would live in a very different country today.