Google experimenting with real-time search engine

To be honest it was launched last December but has been getting trialled and you can now try it out for yourself.

It's described as combining features from both Twitter and Facebook offering updates similar to Twitter and conversations like Facebook.

Facebook | SEM | Google | Social Media | PPC | Twitter

Don't throw your description away completely - it's still a valuable asset!

Although Google no longer uses the description tag, or ever did, the description tag still performs a valuable contribution in your SEO (search engine optimization) or more accurately, your SEM (search engine marketing) tactics.

Google | Search Marketing | Search Engine Optimisation | SEM | SEO

Common misunderstandings about search engine optimization

It's still surprising how many new website owners still believe that all that is needed is to register a domain name, host space, setup a site either themselves or use an outside agency, add their preferred keywords to the meta keywords tag, submit it to Google and then sit back and wait on visitors and leads to pour in.

There might have been a time when that just may have worked but not today with the volume of new sites launched and literally millions of new pages, if not more, published everyday.

The competition for first page ranking in Google is fierce and unrelenting. But not impossible!

SEO | Search Engine Optimisation | Search Marketing | Google

Would you like an increase of 40% in shopping cart conversions?

Which e-commerce basket start page persuaded 40%+ more people to carry on with the checkout process during this Which Test Won test?

Shopping cart abandonment rates are a continual headache for web based shops and consistently run at about the 60% mark.

Conversion | Ecommerce | Landing Page

Happy to be in the top 10 of Google search!

Have you ever searched for your own company's main keyword and are quite happy to see your site appear in the top 5 or on first page?

Have you ever repeated the search on another computer and been surprised not to see it at all?

Have you consistently seen your site in the top 10 results but not seen the expected increase in visitors higher rankings can achieve?

SEO | Search Engine Optimisation | Google

Making the most of every visitor on- and off-line!

Depending on the type of business or market segment it is sometimes an advantage to seek to attract site visitors to your "bricks & mortar" stores.

If you are an online business that sees an advantage in face-to-face interaction there are a number of challenges and issues to be faced and addessed to enable that process.

Conversion | Analytics | Behavioural Targeting | Search Marketing

Google announces new paid search reporting facilities but there are concerns

On March 26 Google, in their Inside Adwords blog announced the introduction (beta) of Search Funnels.

Search Funnels introduce a new level of reporting which show, among other data, the ad click and impression behavior that relates to and contributes to the process leading to a final conversion.

Although a welcome addition for PPC paid search marketing the announcement has raised a few concerns from industry professionals as it involves the sharing of conversion data.

PPC | Behavioural Targeting | Conversion

Mobile use sees further substantial growth

In the most recent IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau) and PricewaterhouseCooper's annual report it indicated that despite an overall decrease in ad spend mobile advertising rocketed. (Brand Republic Report)

Search Engine Optimisation | SEO | Search | Mobile

UK Internet/Digital Advertising shows another year of growth

Online/digital advertising expenditure in UK showed a 4.2% increase to £3.5 billion in 2009 bucking the trend seen in other areas of the advertising industry.

Search advertising exceeded £2 billion with video ads showing the greatest growth. The figures for online grew during 2009 despite an overall decline in the total UK advertising spend.

Is this the death knell for traditional advertising?

PPC | Advertising | Search Marketing | Video

Are you answering your visitors questions?

Every search made by a prospective customer or client is asking a question of one sort or another.

They are searching because they want or need to find out about something. They might want to find out where something is or who knows about it.

They might be interested or just browsing. Or they may have an urgent need.

Every time someone carries out a search, they are asking a question and search engines answer questions:-

Google Analytics | Landing Page | Search Engine Optimisation