Geary Fresh

A look at Bing Rewards

Today Bing announced its next big move in hopes of competing with the search engine giant Google; Bing rewards. Similar to other credit card and grocery reward programs, users can now earn points simply by downloading the new Bing Bar. As Bing describes it, “Become a member of the Bing Rewards Preview and experience the benefits of doing what you love to do online — learning, discovering, exploring — while getting opportunities to earn credits towards great rewards. Learn how to find information faster, discover new topics of interest and make more informed decisions.”

The Bing bar will keep track of your points and also give you the latest information about Bing, their products, and Bing’s world of search. Credits can also be redeemed for Microsoft Points, gift cards, and given to charitable foundations. The Bing bar keeps track of your reward credits and offers you opportunity to get more credits by showing current Bing offers. Some other ways to earn points include setting Bing as your homepage or trying new Bing features. While the Bing Rewards preview does not articulate exactly how users will obtain points, it does stress you’ll “earn great rewards while doing what you always do online.” Currently, the program is set up to give one credit for every five searches conducted.  In conjunction with this, the Bing redemption center has a multitude of categories with free shipping. Some of these include digital downloads, electronics, movies, games, music, computers, movie tickets, and even Bing gear.

The real question is: how will this compete with Google? Will users be persuaded to use Bing? I think not. While it may generate more searches through Bing by users currently using the search engine, I doubt it will take away from the “Google it” instinct that most online searchers have. The biggest disadvantage (or mistake) is that in order to use the Bing Bar you must have a Windows Live ID. Furthermore, Microsoft eliminates a wide cross section of searchers by deciding that the Bing Bar can only be used with Internet Explorer. That’s right- no Firefox, chrome or Safari.

This rewards program was generated after the closure of Microsoft’s previous program, Cashback which offered cash rebates for online shoppers who bought products by searching on Bing. According to pcworld.com, the rewards program was an idea from Bill Gates. “[Bill Gates] often spoke about the idea of giving people a reason to use a particular search engine.” Perhaps online users will be more prone to use Bing with their new rewards plan. The bigger issue is that this new feature of Bing shows Microsoft is not ready to hand in the towel to Google, and they will continue to try to add value to their services in hopes of gaining more market share. According to Nielson, Bing has already grown by 30% over last year (13.9%), and with the Yahoo acquisition, it will continue to climb.

Bing’s rewards program has not officially launched yet and is still in the preview stage. Once it is available for everyone, will it engage users, and motivate them to change search engines and use Bing? It’s hard to say. Sure rewards, gifts, prizes, and incentives are a driving motivation for everyone. However, I’m not sure if that incentive really provides enough value for me personally to download a new bar, switch internet browsers, and even use PC’s. Only time will tell what happens with Microsoft’s new innovations. For now, I’ll continue to Google on my Mac in my Firefox browser.

Interactive Movie Trailers a la “The Social Network”

Not only does “The Social Network” promise to appeal to everyone who has ever watched E! True Hollywood Story, but it is also leading the charge in new ways to promote movies. Check out this interactive movie trailer, which channels they voyeuristic nature of Facebook and the movie.

Top 10 viral videos of all time

Ad Age recently reported the top 10 viral videos of all time. There are some good oldies on the list (i.e.–Pepsi commercials with Britney Spears, Beyonce and Pink) and some newbies like Old Spice. This list is definitely worth checking out:

1. Blendtec– will it blend?
2. Evian–Live young
3. Old Spice–Responses
4. Pepsi–Gladiator
5. Microsoft–Xbox project Natal
6. Dove–Evolution
7. T-Mobile–Dance
8. Doritos–Crash the Super Bowl
9. Old Spice–Odor Blocker
10. DC Shoes–Gymkhana

To continue on to Ad Age to watch the videos, click here.

Google Instant–SEO and paid search impacts

Google Instant is a game changer. It will alter the way people conduct their searches, how they absorb SERPs and the strategies marketers need to reach their target users. This aligns perfectly with society’s ADD because now users only have to wait a few milliseconds before seeing search results, and Google is predicting our queries. Now we won’t have to hassle with completing them ourselves.

As with all of Google’s updates, questions arise. Two of the most popular questions are: how will this change SEO and what are the impacts to paid search (PPC) campaigns. These two questions are percolating in SEM circles, and we have a few ideas on the matter, but before we get into what this means for marketers, here is a quick recap of the new functionality:

Predictions: Google Instant takes its query suggestion tool to the next level as it predicts what users are searching for. As users type their queries, Google displays search results for various predictive keywords. Typing “holiday” into a query box will no longer just suggests “holiday shopping” as your target keyword. With Google Instant, results appear for “holiday shopping” as you type your query. If “holiday shopping” is not the phrase you were looking for, don’t fret. Google will adjust its prediction and continue to render search engine results pages as you type queries. This means that during any given query, users could see multiple search engine results pages (SERPs).

Dynamic results: Google has already been doing this to some extent with their suggestions below entered keywords, but with Google Instant they are taking this one step further. They are starting to predict what users are going to query and serve up query results as users are typing. Here’s what Matt Cutts of Google had to say about their new technology:

“A key insight behind Google Instant is that if we want to get people answers and solve their problems faster, we can help with that by improving our UI to help you formulate queries more quickly (and then doing a bunch of hard work under the hood to answer that query too). Google typically returns search results in milliseconds, but it takes several seconds for you to type a query. In other words, the limiting factor on a typical search is you. With predictive search and instant results, you can often get the answer you want much faster.” Source http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/thoughts-on-google-instant/

Personalized search integration: Google Instant currently only works when users are logged into their Google accounts. This add to the personalization and relevancy of Google’s keyword suggestions because they are pulling from your past search history.

Google’s alphabet: Here’s a cool little test. Google has now essentially established an alphabet. Type in a letter like “W” and it populates results like Wells Fargo, Wikipedia, and Wal-Mart. It predicts you were looking for, and apparently, Google thinks we are looking for big brands. Best Buy and Amazon are two other examples of the top query predictions and results that Google renders for a single alphabet letter. Good news for marketers is that Google is clearly giving a nod to brands, but unless you have the market cornered on your namesake’s first letter, you might be out of luck.

Now onto what this mean for your search engine marketing program…

One thing that will be impacted is impressions. Users could see up to seven or eight different SERPs for a given query, so it makes sense that the number of advertisements users are exposed to will also multiply. This could make CPCs go up if conversion rates go down and quality scores suffer, but this is might not be the case if Google has taken this into account with their algorithm.

There is also debate about Instant’s impact on long tail keywords. Before Google Instant, SEOs could optimize webpages to target longer tail keywords that are arguably less crowded and less expensive to achieve high rankings. Another reason they are an attractive SEO target is that they cater towards users who are deeper in conversion funnels.  With Google Instant, users could avoid longer keyword phrases to find desired content because Google might predict what they want and serve it before users complete their query. On the other hand, the predictive nature of Google Instant might lead to longer keywords as users are exposed to keyword phrases beyond what they have typed. As of this post, the sides are fairly divided, but either way, it is agreed that a change is likely.

Google Instant will also place a heavier impact on universal search because multimedia assets will draw users’ attention as results filter in. This means marketers should put extra stock in their multimedia content and make sure it is optimized to be indexed and rendered with as much jazz as possible. This means adding rich snippets into listings which Google can incorporate into their universal search results, and marketers should revisit their meta descriptions and title tags to make sure they are optimized to grab browsers’ attention at a quick glance.

Users can deactivate Google Instant if the update is a little too intrusive, but by all accounts, this update stands to dramatically impact how searches are conducted. Ben Gomes of Google says, “Google Instant seems so obvious, that in retrospect, you’ll wonder if search could have been any other way.”

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

LBS marketing tips–where are you?

Tip #9:   Think of LBS as a bridge between online and offline worlds. Use location based marketing to tie digital marketing to your overarching sales promotions. LBS marketing provides the opportunity to enrich your interactions with key audiences.  An example would be eliciting product/ service feedback from consumers while they’re at various locations.

Tip #8:    Identify and reward brand supporters by creating special promotions around LBS marketing. Give product/ service reviewers discounts and coupons to encourage key users that promote your brand beyond LBS channels and outside of physical locations.  Make them evangelists.

Tip #7:    Engage with users who use location based services that sync to other communication channels like Twitter. If someone posts a tip about your business on a LBS service like Four Square, follow them on Twitter and extend the relationship and the impact of their review.

Tip #6:    Claim and manage your LBS platforms without being overpowering. It’s important to be present on LBS channels, but you don’t want to take control away from users. For example, if users create a page for your business on forums like Gowalla or Facebook, you should claim it, but do not flood existing communities with marketing and promos. Be considerate of the existing balance.

Tip #5:    Partner with content creators or distributors to encourage users to check in to your locations. For example, the WSJ badge on Four Square highlights businesses as a walking tour and users earn a badge as they check in to various locations.

Tip #4:    Make sure information presented on check-in forums is accurate (Google Maps, links, tags). Since most are user-generated or created automatically, it is important for marketers to check its accuracy. For example, to see if your business is already listed on Four Square, continue here.

Tip #3:    Use location based services as a way to manage your reputation on a granular level. Monitor reviews and feedback to gauge how brand awareness and perceptions vary from location to location. After claiming a business on some LBS forums, you will have access to tracking provided by their interfaces.

Tip #2:    LBS can serve as a social media entry point for new users. Think of these forums as a channel to interact with consumers in real time, which is a luxury not afforded by most other marketing initiatives. If someone checks in to a location and posts a positive review, you could follow up with a special promotion to encourage a repeat visit.

Tip #1:    New LBS platforms are opening a new world of hyper-targeted and geo-targeted ad serving capabilities for marketers. Employ new targeting capabilities to improve your targeted offerings. Facebook Places will increase the relevancy of ad targeting, for example, consider geo-targeting Facebook ads to key audiences for each of your venues.

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?