Apple Press Conference–Apple Updates

Apple is in the middle of their press conference, and here’s what we know so far:

• New iPod Touch (with front-camera)
• New Apple TV–for release in 4 weeks, but you can pre-order now
• TV and movie rental model, TV shows available for 99 cents, slick UI
• New gaming functionality for iPod Touch
• New iPod nano–square shape, super small, really cool
• Ping for iTunes
• Uniform operating system for all products
• New iPad updates like print options and AirPlay

Some really amazing updates and product Facelifts. Analysis TBA

Marie Claire–Snap to Shop

Marie Claire is moving beyond the QR codes that have been integrated with most magazines. Taking it one step further, Marie Claire provides product information to magazine readers through their phones. All you have to do is send a picture message of the item in question, and you will receive information about where you can buy the product sent to your phone.

Continue here to get more information.

Top Tips for Leveraging Content in the Age of Universal Search

Miguel Salcido, our Director of SEO, recently spoke to an enthusiasm crowd at MIMA about changing landscape of search engine optimization. He shared more than 25 marketing tips for leveraging rich media in the age of universal search results.

Here are a few highlights:

Video content

Stats–

* Video SEO is 53 times more likely to drive a first page result than traditional SEO (Forester)

* 44% of universal search results on Google featured Video (ComScore)

1. Put meaningful content around video

• * Include indexable and meaningful content around assets to help search engines understand the context of the video and any related content.
• * This is also great for your users. Utilize UGC by adding the ability to comment on your content (i.e. Flickr & YouTube).

2. Submit a transcript

• * Some video sharing sites allow you to submit transcripts, there are also some players that allow you to share this with users.  This can help a lot with content since transcripts can be understood and indexed by search engines.  And if accessibility is a concern for you, creating transcripts are hugely beneficial.

3. Optimize the file name, meta data, tags

• * Add keywords wherever possible because search engines have a tough time reading images and video. Instead of using something like a2rdp.mp4 use keyword-video.mp4.

4. Utilize microformats in your page code

• * Google recognizes two video markup formats: Facebook Share and Yahoo! SearchMonkey RDFa. Using either (or both) of these formats to mark up video directly in your HTML helps Google better understand and present your video content. Example: media:title Specifies the title of a video. Up to 60 characters.

5. Submit a video sitemap to Google

• * This is the easiest way to increase the chance of a video showing up in Google search results. You can find more information on that at Google Webmaster Support.
• * Special tip: if you want to drive users to your site and only have the thumbnail show up in search results, make sure and set the parameter allow_embed=”no”

6.  Take advantage of mRSS and HTML 5

• * There are lots of great attributes you can specify for video content including things like tags, that make it easier for the search engines to understand and index your content.
• * With mRSS, you can submit the feed to Google and as soon as you publish a new video it submits just like RSS feeds for your blog.

7.  Build links to videos with optimized anchor text

• * Look at the sites linking to competing videos and videos displayed in blended results. Try to mimic those links. Add optimized anchor text in embed code. Submit to social bookmarking sites in relevant categories.

8: Syndicate video content

• * Make sure that you have a YouTube account, but don’t forget to syndicate (Metacafe, Vimeo, Veoh). There are tools like TubeMogul that help you with this. Make sure to try and host on your site and index first.

Images

Stats–

* 300 million digital photos taken every day
* Image search makes up about 5.7% of Google searches
* 15% of all searches are image related

1. Use target rich keywords

• * Use target keywords in file names and image alt attributes to describe all images on your site.  Have a keyword rich title tag for pages hosting videos in addition to typical on page optimization.

• * Always include height, width, source, and alt tags in all image coding.

2. Put images close to relevant content

• * Include keywords in any captions, but also try to surround images with relevant content. Keyword proximity to the image is critical. Similar to Videos, adding the ability to comment on images will help search engines better understand what the image is about.

3.  Syndicate

• * Make sure that they are properly tagged and that your account is linked to your site.
• * Enable Image Search in Google Webmaster Tools.

4. Build links

• * Make sure that you have relevant keyword rich anchor text links pointing to your images.

5. Remove old images

• * Take down old images and reload them to increase relevancy.

6. Use preferred sizes and formats

• * JPEG is an effective image format. Digg you need to make sure that you have thumbnail images available in 160 x 160 pixels or 160 x 120 pixels
• *Pay attention to the image sizes of the top ranking images

7. Have high quality, relevant images

• * People pay more attention to and are more attracted to clearer images. Faces get more attention in images and images with more than one person.

Shopping

Stat–Google Product Search is the #1 comparison shopping site. (P.S. It’s FREE)

1. Submit a data feed

• * Submit a data feed with all of your product info to Google, so that they can pull your product images, prices, etc.

2. Optimize your product data

• * Use keywords in the title of the products, descriptions, and anywhere else. Fill in as many fields as you can, especially custom fields. (Hint: Google loves data)

3. Keep a fresh feed

• * Google likes a fresh feed. Product inventory and pricing can change daily which is why Google pays attention.

4. Keep it going

• * Long standing feeds have an impact. It’s about trust.

Facebook movie spawns Twitter Parody

The future of “Likes” and Search

We’ve all seen Facebook’s “Like” button, and by now, it’s clear that Facebook wants in on the search engine game. Can Facebook really become a player in the search space? I think it can, but not in the typical sense of search engine queries.

I don’t think Facebook will ever be a destination where users will turn to conduct deep/ thorough research. That said, if I want to get an unfiltered review or something in that vein, Facebook would absolutely be a resource. As John Greer points out, Facebook is a goldmine of user preference data that can only enhance personalized search. It holds the power to customize search results in ways that Google will never be able to touch, but that is not always what users are looking for. I know that I wouldn’t always want to see query results based on my self-selected batch of “likes.” What if I want to find a new product or expand my horizons…Facebook could hold me back.

The combination of Facebook community-centric results and search engines’ more biased approach to results would afford users a great mix of information. Do you think Facebook can encroach on traditional search engines? Would you Facebook it?

Facebook fails consumer reports

Facebook gets one big “Dislike” from users, but it is doubtful that usage will suffer. According to Fast Company and the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, Facebook ranked near the bottom of social platforms. Described as an “abysmally low customer satisfaction” Facebook only outranks MySpace. Ouch.

So why all the guff? Are users finally telling Facebook that they are tired of their opt-out policies? Could it be that social media is passe?

As Facebook’s numbers continue to grow, it is clear that social media is not on the way out. But Facebook might want to sit up and listen to the general disappointment in the platform. It would be a shame for Facebook to go the way of MySpace.

Top 10 Retail Marketing Mistakes

We often get asked, “What could we be doing better?” And while the answer varies from client to client, we have compiled a list of the top 10 marketing mistakes we see in the retail industry. So check it out…how do you measure up?

10. Incomplete tracking of shopping cart abandonment- You might know that X% of users abandon your conversion funnel, but do you know where they go afterward? Do they return to your website or make their purchases elsewhere? Make sure you have a complete view of how and why users abandon their shopping carts. This information will help optimize your checkout process and increase your ROI and ROAS. Something as simple as condensing shipping and billing lead forms onto one page could make a difference.

9. Using market-speak instead of user-centric language in keyword strategies- There is a distinct difference in how marketers and consumers talk about products. Make sure your keywords cater to consumers and not marketing folks. Think like your customers and which terms they use to find your brand. From here, you can direct them to relevant content that progresses them through conversion stages.

8. Overlooking mobile coupons to attribute online engagements to in-store purchases- Retail marketers crave ways to connect cross-platform touch points, and mobile coupons are one mean to this end. If you’re engaging consumers online, direct them to coupons they can access from their mobile devices (via apps, email or mobile ads). This way you can concretely attribute an online interaction with an offline purchase. Connecting these dots will present you with a holistic view of how various touch points affect your ales.

7. Idle social media efforts- What have you done for social media lately? Do not go the way of social-flunkies before you and create profiles/ accounts and let them die. Users who engage with retail brands on social media platforms are actively requesting information. Do not let these customers down. They want to talk with you, so shape up, staff up and get your social media marketing plan in gear.

6. Not thoroughly segmenting paid search marketing- Paid search can be as scalable and targeted as you need. Take advantage of paid search’s targeting technology and reach various consumer segments with personalized ad copy. This will increase your click through rate, and if the rest of your sales funnel is optimized, conversion rates can greatly increase.

5. Undefined attribution model- Most retailers execute campaigns that span display, paid search, SEO, social and offline tactics. If this is your scenario, make sure you have a plan in place to know where sales originate. By creating an attribution model to track sales sources, you will have the data you need to maximize subsequent programs and gain better insights into how consumers engage with your brand.

4. Lack of landing page optimization- Capturing consumers using paid search and display media is only part of the battle. From here, where do consumers land? Does the information relate to ad copy? If not, you’re risking a high bounce rates and losing potential sales. Think about a complete path to sale and value your landing pages. They need to make a good impression and logically transition consumers from third party sites into your conversion process.

3. Fragmented CRM program- Keeping existing customers happy is a critical component of  marketing–especially for retailers. Whatever your preferred communication vehicle, make sure your CRM program resonates with consumers and maintains desired frequency and messaging.

2. Viewing SEO as a one-time effort- Search engine optimization is a continuous process. There are only a finite number of first page rankings, so if you want to stay there, you must keep ahead of your competitors. This can be accomplished through premium link building and adding original, quality content that attracts engine crawl bots. You must also think about consumer evolution. As their search habits change, so must your SEO strategy.

1. Working with multiple digital agencies to create a cohesive marketing program- If you want an integrated campaign, find an agency (like Geary Interactive) that meets your comprehensive digital needs. They will be better suited to execute a cohesive message across multiple disciplines because they understand the core of your business needs. One agency, one team working cooperatively to help achieve your marketing goals.

Advertising’s Top Stock Photography Model

Meet Wade. He’s a stock photography model and wants to invite you to the American Advertising Federation’s 2011 conference in San Diego. He might also throw in a jab about “low hanging fruit” along the way.

Best Nike Soccer Ad?

They seem to think so. Nike claims this is its best ad to date. I think its really great, and I love the social media plug. I am not sure if I would go as far as to say it’s be best ever, but you be the judge.

Social Media Revolution Part 2

This video is just as good as the first one. It shows the undeniable impact of social media on user behavior.