Search Engine Marketing |

Ingenio Becomes Sponsor of Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO)

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008

WAKEFIELD, MA Jan 9, 2006 — The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) today announced that Ingenio, Inc., the pioneer and leading provider of Pay Per Call advertising, has become a sponsor for the organizations 2006 initiatives and activities.
SEMPO is a non-profit professional association working worldwide to increase awareness and promote the value of Search Engine Marketing worldwide. SEMPO sponsors support the organization and provide the funds for primary research and developing educational materials for the industry.

Ingenio values SEMPOs mission to advance awareness and knowledge of search marketing, said Mark Britto, chief executive officer, Ingenio. The space has grown from simple text ads to more robust offerings in local and global search marketing. Pay Per Call is a natural next step to bringing the search marketing value proposition to a whole new segment of advertisers. Were excited to keep our momentum going by teaming up with an organization like SEMPO.

According to SEMPO research, advertisers worldwide spend billions of dollars a year on search engine marketing programs. This includes payments to search engines and search-related media companies, search engine marketing agencies as well as in-house expenditures in support of such programs, including paid placement, paid inclusion and organic search engine optimization.

Dana Todd, President of SEMPO Inc., said, Pay Per Call is clearly gathering steam, especially as local search evolves and merchants of all shapes and sizes are looking to leverage the Web as a lead generation vehicle. There is a great deal of growth to come, as our members and the SEM community move to embrace what is no doubt a large marketing opportunity. Ingenio pioneered the Pay Per Call advertising category, and we look forward to working with them to further educate marketers about the effectiveness of this model, especially as it relates to mobile and local search.

About Ingenio
Ingenio, Inc. (www.ingenio.com) is the leading provider of ecommerce solutions that combine today’s two most powerful communications tools - the Internet and the telephone. Ingenio’s suite of solutions, including the industry-leading Pay Per Call Advertising Network, seamlessly integrate the Web and the phone to help businesses large and small acquire new customers and grow revenue. Ingenio’s patented platform enabled the company to deliver the first performance-based, Pay Per Call advertising product to market in 2004 - and today remains the only Pay Per Call advertising system that guarantees advertisers exposure on a top-tier distribution network representing more than a billion searches monthly. Ingenio’s unique technology also powers its Live!Advice Directories offering, which facilitates real-time conversations between online buyers and sellers of advice and information. Founded in 1999, Ingenio is a profitable company with top-tier customers and partners in both America and Europe, including AOL, Microsoft, YellowPages.com, MIVA, Inc. and the IRS. Headquartered in San Francisco, Ingenio has connected 12 million buyers and sellers through its web and telephony platform, and today produces 20 million e-commerce minutes each quarter. Please visit www.ingenio.com for more information. Pay Per Call is a registered trademark of Ingenio.

About the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO)

SEMPO is a non-profit professional association working to increase awareness and promote the value of search engine marketing worldwide. The organization represents the common interests of search engine marketing companies and consultants worldwide and provides them with a voice in the marketplace. For more information, or to join the organization, please visit www.SEMPO.org

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Avenue A/Razorfish Introduces New Dedicated Search Engine Marketing Division

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

SEATTLE Oct. 5, 2004 Avenue A/Razorfish (www.aa-rf.com), the largest independent interactive agency and an operating unit of aQuantive, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQNT), today announced the launch of Avenue A/Razorfish Search, a new division dedicated completely to search engine marketing (SEM). Avenue A/Razorfish Search combines the industrys largest media buyer of search, Avenue A/Razorfish, with the expertise and specialized methodologies of aQuantive-owned SEM practice eonMedia, creating the advertising industrys largest SEM firm.
Search has been paramount to the success of our clients media strategy for a number of years and a critical part of our agencys skill set, said Jeff Lanctot, vice president of media for Avenue A/Razorfish. While many other advertising agencies are choosing to out-source this important media service, we felt it was time to enhance our capabilities even further by combining all our in-house search expertise, including the resources of aQuantive-owned eonMedia, and offer advertisers a dedicated SEM practice that is unique to the industry.

Avenue A/Razorfish has been providing search expertise since the late 1990s, and today the practice makes up an estimated 25 percent of the agencys annual billings. eonMedia, which was purchased by aQuantive, Inc. in December 2003 as part of the acquisition of search technology provider GO TOAST, has exclusively focused on providing advanced SEM management services, with a focus on pay-per-click SEM, since early 2003.

“The combination of Avenue A/Razorfish and eonMedia is further evidence of the continued growth of the search marketing industry and reflects the power of search as an effective marketing vehicle for advertisers,” said David Karnstedt, senior vice president, Overture Direct Sales. “Having worked extensively with both Avenue A/Razorfish as well as eonMedia, this is an important step for aQuantive, online marketers and the industry as a whole.”

Avenue A/Razorfish Search will be led by Harrison Magun, former managing director of eonMedia. Rob Wilk, director of search marketing in the New York office, will continue search efforts on behalf of clients in the East region. Avenue A/Razorfish Search clients include
JP Morgan Chase, Gateway, PeopleSoft, Danskin, Select Comfort and 1-800-FLOWERS.

“We are savvy about our online marketing approach, says Monica Woo, chief marketing officer of 1-800-FLOWERS. Although we have strong internal resources and analytics, the search space is a very complex and competitive medium. We, therefore, looked for a partner that can offer a dedicated team with specialized expertise and knowledge of search engines. Avenue A/Razorfish Search has been an effective and resourceful complement to our internal team.”

Search is evolving, and sophisticated marketers are increasingly demanding that search be better integrated into their overall digital marketing strategy, said Magun, now managing director of Avenue A/Razorfish Search. Avenue A/Razorfish Search will be positioned to provide the specialized integration, sophisticated methodologies and expertise those marketers seek.

To introduce the capabilities of the new division, Magun and Lanctot, will be presenting 5 Ways to Cut Costs and Grow Sales in Search this Thursday, October 7th at the Shop.org conference in Anaheim, Calif.

About Avenue A/Razorfish
Avenue A/Razorfish (www.aa-rf.com) is the largest independent interactive agency and an operating unit of aQuantive, Inc. (NASDAQ: AQNT), a digital marketing services and technology company. Avenue A/Razorfish solutions are entrenched in deep technology, rigorous analytics and a rich understanding of customer needs, including award-winning media planning and buying, search engine marketing, customer targeting and profiling, world-class creative, design and implementation of web-based systems, and integrated marketing programs. Avenue A/Razorfish operates three regions East, West and Central with offices located in major U.S. markets, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle. Clients include AstraZeneca, Best Buy, Kraft, Microsoft/MSN, WeightWatchers.com and Wells Fargo. Avenue A/Razorfish utilizes online advertising technology provided by Atlas DMT, also an aQuantive, Inc. family member. aQuantive, Inc. and all of its operating units are committed to Internet privacy. Atlas DMT is a member of the NAI and adheres to the NAI privacy principles that have been applauded by the FTC. These principles are designed to help ensure Internet user privacy. For more information about online data collection associated with ad serving, including online preference marketing and an opportunity to opt-out of the Atlas DMT cookie, go to: www.networkadvertising.org.

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Search Engine Marketing - The Past, The Present and The Future

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

1997 - 1999 were the early years of search engine era. Internet Marketing and more specifically search engine marketing mainly consisted of submitting your sites to the search engines. These “voices from the past” are still heard today when this or that Search Engine Optimization company and / or automatic submitting software will claim to do search engine promotion for you by submitting your site to hundreds and thousands engines and directories. The search engines’ indexing programs, called “robots” or “spiders”, looked through all of the HTML code of a page and used some page ranking algorithms that they kept in secret.

Those days were spammers’ Heaven: it was rather easy to get your site ranked high. You could just use your keywords lots of times on the page, in the META tags, HTML comments etc. and hide it from the human visitors by making the text tiny or completely invisible with the help of HTML tricks. The search engines didn’t have any sophisticated technique to recognize this kind of spam, and such sites usually got high rankings very easily. Today, you still can find some samples of this primitive optimization (however you will have to give it a hard try, because nowadays most of such Web projects have been banned by the search engines for excessive keyword usage).

The only exception was Yahoo which has always been indexed by humans who could in most cases identify and ban spamming pages.

Gradually, search engines started recognizing spam and applying corresponding penalties to Web pages using spam methods. However, search engine optimizers were always one step behind the search engines in finding new ways of cheating the indexing algorithms. Hence each search engine is committed to delivering only relevant results to its visitors, the engines needed to take control away from the spammers and auto-submitters. Many began to try different ways of indexing.

The Rise of Google

If someone is asked today about the first search engine to remember, the answer will be Google in 100% cases. Google has started its way to be the King of search engines in 2000 and in 2002 its right for this title has been firmly established, with around 70% of searches done on the Internet. While other search engines were focusing on transforming to universal portals, Google kept a simple and - which has become its distinctive feature - fast interface that solely targeted delivering relevant search results.

Google also developed advanced features such as indexing and searching PDF (portable document format) and SWF (shockwave flash) files. Additionally, Google’s sophisticated techniques to use the “off-the-page” factors made it extremely spam-resistant. Google’s dominance has become steady in 2000 with Yahoo having switched from Inktomi to Google as secondary search result provider. Now, Yahoo uses the combination of Overture’s and own search software and index repository, thus being fully independent on Google, however, without any slightest impact on the dominance of the latter.

Global Consolidation

By 2001, the results of all major engines were produced from a number of mixed / hybrid sources. Yahoo search results combined Yahoo-directory listings, Overture (PPC) results, and Google results. MSN provided results from Overture (PPC), LookSmart , and Inktomi.

The years 2002 and 2003 brought major reshuffles among search engines: in this period, Google purchased Blogger.com, Yahoo bought Inktomi, and AltaVista and AllTheWeb became a part of Overture. Also, there were many shifts caused by emerging search engine partnerships. Further in this course we will give you a complete and actual chart of relationships between the contemporary search engines.

Search Engine Marketing Today

If you thought nowadays search engine marketing can still be done by acquiring (and using) an auto-submission software, drop this idea since now on. Search engine marketing requires an integrated approach to improving site content, quality and popularity. For a Web site to reach its top potential, it must incorporate target audience analysis, competitive analysis, cost per click optimization, and - last but not least - copywriting and copyediting. And, because things keep changing, search engine marketers need to devote a good deal of time staying on top of the SEO industry and its trends.

Today very few (and mostly inexperienced) optimizers / marketers would use spam methods to achieve high ranking. In many cases, spamming and the so-called “black-hat” SEO is recognized by automatic spiders, for these become more and more intelligent. Even though we describe major spamming methods in the end of this course, we do it only in the sake of your awareness. We do NOT recommend using them, as there’s no guarantee at all they can help, whereas it’s very possible that your Web visibility can be seriously damaged as a result.

The Future of Search Engine Marketing

Search engines have already developed into sophisticated systems, and no doubt they will continue to enhance their technical aspect, with improved capabilities to index pages that are located deeply within the site (many links away from the initial page). Also, their abilities to handle dynamically generated pages (e.g. shopping carts) can be expected to grow. Among other perspective trends are advanced non-HTML content indexing (such as PDF and graphics), improved ability to rapidly integrate new content such as news using XML feeds or other technology, organization of search results into logical categories (sometimes referred to as clustering), and other advanced features. For insights into the future of search, you could visit Google Labs ( http://labs.google.com). This is the beta area where Google showcases some of its upcoming technologies.

However, the traditional “highest-bidder” approach makes SEM feel more and more like traditional print advertising. The Integrated Approach to SEM anticipates that in future, best marketing efforts will aim to leverage the three components: paid advertising and analytics, all-sided site and content optimization and qualitative off-the-page factors enhancement. That is why we prefer to call the functions provided by Web CEO “Search Engine Marketing” rather than “Search Engine Optimization”. When all is said and done, it is the traffic you get and the way this traffic converts that matters - not even your site rank on a search engine. You can rank worse than your competitor, yet the percentage of your visitors that turn into buyers will be so high that you actually outperform your competitor several times.

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Search Engine Marketing Firm iProspect: Google Certification a Must for Pay Per Click Advertising Pr

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

WATERTOWN, MA, May 22, 2006 iProspect, the Original Search Engine Marketing Firm, today announced that it now has over thirty staff members who are certified as Google Advertising Professionals. The agency sees Google certification as a must for todays search marketing professionals, as well as a competitive advantage for its clients.
An online training and recognition resource for search engine marketers, the Google Advertising Professionals Program provides marketers with an in-depth education on how to manage paid search initiatives in Googles AdWords program. Its curriculum covers eight areas of paid search management and offers 90 separate quizzes on that material. To receive certification marketers must pass a grueling final exam that demonstrates the depth and breadth of their paid search management expertise. Achieving certification as a Google Advertising Professional is considered a distinction within the search marketplace.

At iProspect we have separate teams providing our natural SEO and pay per click advertising services, offered Robert Murray, President, iProspect, and 100% of our paid search team managing client accounts are Google certified. Clearly, achieving certification in this program ensures that the people managing our clients campaigns have the knowledge and expertise to do so. And given the growing complexity of the medium, I see certification as something that all clients should demand from their agency.

Founded in 1996, iProspect uses its automated bid management tool named iSEBA (iProspect Search Engine Bidding Agent) to help manage its clients pay per click advertising campaigns, but also understands that technology is only one component of successful paid search management. Having more than 30 individuals Google certified, noted Murray, not only speaks to our expertise and capacity to manage paid search, it is also a reflection of our commitment to providing a world class paid search offering. We fully realize that superior technology without the human expertise to manage it is a waste of that technology.

A pioneer in the search engine marketing arena, iProspect has developed an intensive resident training program for its search professionals who provide consultation on campaign strategy, keyword selection, creative development, landing page construction, and testing.

Murray remarked, As strategic marketing consultants for some of the most successful brands in the world, iProspect is all about delivering concrete business results. To that end, the Google Advertising Professionals program is only part of the rigorous training that iProspect provides its search marketing professionals.

Our in-house training program, Murray continued complements the training offered through the Google Advertising Professionals program. Together, they ensure that our staff is thoroughly versed in the medium. That training, combined with the sophistication and efficacy of our automated bidding agent iSEBA, is what allows us to continue to deliver superior results year over year. The complete package spells a significant competitive advantage for our clients.

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Search Engine Marketing Firm iProspect Named Best Search Engine Marketing Vendor by readers of Click

Friday, September 19th, 2008

In its annual Marketing Excellence Awards competition, ClickZ has awarded iProspect(R), the Original(R) Search Engine Marketing Firm, the title of “Best Search Engine Marketing Vendor.” Visitors to the ClickZ website voted on nominees in a number of interactive categories, and the ClickZ editorial staff announced the winners today. http://www.clickz.com/resources/awards/article.php/3391861 ClickZ is recognized as the world’s largest resource for news and information on the online marketing and advertising industry.
“We’re very grateful and honored to be named ‘The Best Search Engine Marketing Firm’ by ClickZ,” said iProspect President, Robert Murray. “Since our founding in 1996, we’ve been passionate about producing outstanding search engine marketing results for our clients, and they validate our efforts each year with their renewals. It’s very satisfying to know that others in the marketplace acknowledge the quality of our work as well.”

Full-Service Offering

iProspect works with many of the world’s largest and most successful brands, helping to maximize the return on their online marketing investments. iProspect’s full-service search engine marketing offering includes: natural (or “organic”) search engine optimization, paid inclusion management via direct OSMX feeds, pay per click advertising management via their own patent-pending iSEBA(TM) bid management agent, website analytics via their own customized configuration of WebTrends(TM) (the ClickZ Award Winner in the Analytics Tool category), and their patent-pending website conversion enhancement(SM) service. Today, the firm boasts 70 full-time employees and 60 clients, maintaining this very high staff-to-client ratio to best serve its clients.

Reputation for Results

“iProspect has a reputation for producing significant results for significant clients,” said iProspect client Les Kruger, Manager of Online Marketing for AT&T Wireless. “They have a business model that focuses on the world’s largest brands, and the largest, most complex websites. These sites are typically run by some pretty savvy marketers who demand customized strategies, personalized service, highly-detailed reporting, and — most of all — results. Undoubtedly, a great deal of iProspect’s success and recognition has come from steadfastly sticking to a focus of major brands, major sites, and only working with clients who fit their model,” he added.

Thought Leaders

iProspect cites its thought leadership as another reason for winning the award. iProspect’s CEO, Fredrick Marckini has written three books on the subject of search engine marketing, and writes a bi-weekly column for ClickZ called “Search Results.”

Various iProspect executives will speak at over 50 conferences and events in 2004, and are regularly quoted in the trade and business press including: the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, The New York Times, and the Washington Post. The company publishes its own “Search Marketing Advisor” monthly newsletter (http://www.imakenews.com/iprospect/index000032103.cfm), free to clients and non-clients alike, and regularly conducts and publishes primary research on the search marketing industry and the behavior of search engine users. iProspect has produced white papers on search engine marketing that many marketers find useful in learning about search engine marketing (http://www.iprospect.com/about/free-sem-information.htm).

Growing List of Awards

iProspect adds the 2004 ClickZ Marketing Excellence Award to its growing list of awards, including: the 2003 Inc. Magazine Fast 500 Award (5th Fastest Growing Marketing & Advertising Company in the U.S.), the 2003 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 (128th Fastest Growing Technology Company in the U.S.), and the only firm to ever receive an A+ rating in the “MarketingSherpa Guide to Search Engine Marketing Firms” - the industry’s only independent buyers’ guide for search engine marketing services.

About iProspect

iProspect(R) is The Original(R) Search Engine Marketing Firm. The company helps many of the world’s most successful brands maximize their online marketing ROI through natural search engine optimization, paid inclusion management, pay per click advertising management, Web analytics, and website conversion enhancement(SM). iProspect has published three books on search engine marketing, including Achieving Top-10 Rankings in Internet Search Engines, and most recently, Search Engine Positioning. iProspect is located in Watertown, Massachusetts and can be contacted at 1-800-522-1152, or by visiting http://www.iprospect.com.

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Archive for the ‘Search Engine Marketing’ Category

Ingenio Becomes Sponsor of Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO)

Avenue A/Razorfish Introduces New Dedicated Search Engine Marketing Division

Search Engine Marketing - The Past, The Present and The Future

Search Engine Marketing Firm iProspect: Google Certification a Must for Pay Per Click Advertising Pr

Search Engine Marketing Firm iProspect Named Best Search Engine Marketing Vendor by readers of Click

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