Kate Morris

Live released a new look … look familiar?? *sigh* But it does look good. Live looks like Ask, Ask is using Microsoft Maps, hmmm …

New Live.com

Ask.com

Being in school for an MBA, you hear the same companies talked about over and over again. That’s the good and the “bad” ones. Worldcom and Enron are favorites for what not to do. Google and Sun Microsystems are the most recently talked about in my organizational behavior class as the “good kids.”

There has been a lot of buzz about the new search engine Cuil, including my own review, and many others. But now we have reached terminal velocity, people are tired of hearing about it. There was so much buzz before and so many scathing reviews after that the saturation point has been reached.

So why do we keep talking about it? It’s a clear example of what not to do. If I do get to teaching at the university level someday, I am sure Cuil will be an example I use over and over again. They did everything right before the release, but missed the boat on their release. Like Vista, it’s pretty, but the functionality just isn’t there. Things should have been tested over and over, then checked again by beta testers. Once that was done, and they had the sign off from a few top minds, then they should have released.

So hopefully this will be the last time I speak of the abomination until I end up teaching, or writing a thesis. As writers and educators (which all SEOs are), we love to have a “what not to do” and that’s what Cuil gave us.

Cuil - said “cool.” Nope. I want to say “coolie.” Sphinn worked for me, but not this one. Though there are still people that mispronounce Sphinn, so whatever. It’s the engine just released from former Googlers. Last night it was all over Twitter, so I thought I’d check it out this morning, especially after the Austin American Statesman talked about it too.

First searches: I don’t like the picture thing and the layout. Maybe it’s like Facebook (I personally like the new layout), sometimes it’s just something to get used to.

I think this is too simple for the core searchers to use. Maybe it’s more for the “normal” person … but I don’t think you are going to get far by ignoring the SEM world. We are the ones that make recommendations. While we are finiky, Google knows how this works. Cuil founders, you worked there, you should know that. Give us ways to check things and test things. You give us nothing right now.

On the upside for them, there is a possibility that this will change everything. The title tags I have now look really stupid on this layout and the mass of text below is weird. I now want to know more about where they are pulling info from and how to edit it. If this takes off, SEO will change yet again. It makes results change and we will have to grow to fit it.

For right now, am I worried? Nope. So far from what I’ve seen on twitter, no one else is impressed either.

Final thought: If you want to go after the top search engine, don’t announce it that way. Google didn’t get to the top by releasing as the “next Yahoo.” Be your own damn engine. Do something remarkable and leave it up to the world to decide.

Search #1: “auto refinance”

Reasoning: I know the space VERY well, and wanted to see how things showed up.
Outcome: The “rankings” are about right … but the pictures throw me off. Some have pictures some don’t. But good so far (read my company shows first).

Search #2: “kate morris”

Reasoning: My name. Again, I know these results.
Outcome: How is my website, katemorris.com, while not updated, third. And then there is a picture of grapes? WTF? That appears no where on my site. It’s old, but not that ripe! Then there is my SEOmoz profile and old picture. I changed that like a month ago. Old results guys.

Search #3: “austin sem”

Resoning: Checking for logos
Outcome: Pathetic. The largest agency in Austin is listed 5th, with another companies logo. FAIL.

Search #4: “seomoz”

Reasoning: Lots to cover here … just interested.
Outcome: Still no company logo. Some of the pictures are right (about 60% of the time they are), but the most fascinating thing is the “Explore by Category” Box. Rand … you got “Black_hat_seo” as a category. Teehee.

Search #5: “austin pizza”

Reasoning: Local search
Outcome: Nope. This is bad. And the Category only gives national chains. Austin doesn’t work this way people. Maybe small towns, but Austin Pizza, Flying Tomato, and Mangia would be pissed here.

Cuil Wishlist

• How many of my pages are indexed? site: doesn’t work
• No Advanced Search
• No way to edit the photo that appears or guidelines on how to change that
• Local Search
• What are yours?

Maybe someone has a solution to this, but for now I am calling this a “would love” feature in AdWords.

Situation: My company wants to test placing the phone number in the ad text and how that converts better than other ads. There is some debate about this and I want to try it. So we assign a phone number to the campaign and a landing page with that phone number. Full tracking since people might click and then convert online and we want to know that.

Also know that we track all keywords with keyword specific URLs in AdWords. AdWords give precedence to keyword specific URLs (and I LOVE that) meaning they override the ad copy URL.

Problem: With these new ads, the new landing page is only specified in the ad URL, which is being overridden by the keyword URL. I can’t start a new campign with new keyword URLs because it’s duplication. The ads won’t be rotated correctly.

What I need: A way to attach trackers in the keyword to append to the ad URL. That was hard to say. Let me explain.

Ad 1 URL: www.example.com

Ad 2 URL: www.example.com/lp

I want to set a tracker on all keywords in that campaign so that when someone searches “blue widgets” and gets Ad 2, they get www.example.com/lp/?source=bluewidgets. If they got Ad 1, it’d be www.example.com/?source=bluewidgets.

Basically what I’m looking for is a choice of changing the keyword desination URL if need be, but also have the option of appending a tracker on the end of the ad URL.

Anyone agree? Got ideas for me? I’m posting on webmasterworld too, see what happens there.

At SEMforSMB, I hear one speaker say that one type of permission marketing is Viral Marketing. He was saying that things like widgets and linkbait are just as good as emails, etc. I am not sure I agree there, if you think about what some people consider viral marketing. I must define before I move ahead, so please wait before butchering me.

If linkbait is done the right way, it is just an extension of your regular marketing. It is an interesting article, list, or application that directly connects with your product. People know what they are using and reading is related to you and it makes them more interested in your product. If they like your marketing, your writing, and they then sign up for more information on their own, that is permission marketing.

But what some linkbait and viral marketing has become isn’t permission marketing. What you wrote, designed, or released is funny, fun to read, etc. But is it related to your product? If it’s not, and you get people’s info from it, or push your unrelated product in any way, it really isn’t permission marketing.

So I get his original point, but I’m not sure it applies in all terms of viral marketing.

A few days ago Graywolf and I had a small debate on Twitter and I’m curious. If Danny or Kevin (think that’s his name) wanted to pick a new location for a national show, where would you want to go?

Graywolf wants Orlando (yawn!) hehe.

I want to see a show come to Austin (along with many other Texas people). Why? Austin is the live music capital of the world. We have more awesome music in a five block radius than Orlando has in the entire Magic Kingdom. Austin has Sixth street, one of the most well known strips of top notch bars and dives in the US. We have Lance Armstrong, Keep Austin Weird, ACL (Austin City Limits), Congress Bridge Bats, SXSW, The Driskill, some of the best local restaurants, and the best TexMex anywhere!!, the list could go on and on! Austin is the best place for SEOs to meet up because we have the best mix of technology, laid back-ness, food, and alcohol on the planet!!

This all stems from Laura Alter’s post about how we get no conferences in Austin that are geared toward SEMs (she and I just got back from one geared to SMBs).

By Kate Morris and Lisa Barone

Idea so stolen from On365’s 21 Signs a Geek Girl Likes You. This is coming from a couple of the apparently few single SEOs. As I’ve said before, almost all SEOs are married! I realized this while stalking people before SMX Advanced. Regardless, if you’re single and think an SEO Chick *might* like you, here are some ways to tell.

1. She googles your goods.
   If meeting on the internet, by the first date she knows what you’re into, family names, contact info, rants, raves, laments about past girlfriends, things sold on eBay, friends, and everything else. It’s a compliment. If she finds all that and is still interested, you’re so in.
2. She leaves her phone/BB in her purse during the date.
   If she picks it up and starts typing, check twitter later for the real truth.
3. She has IM alerts set up for when you sign online.
4. Your company/website/blog starts to rank really well.
   You’ve told her about your real estate business and how it’s just not taking off. Even though that’s the industry that will kill SEO, she works on getting your site up to par and ranking well.
5. She spends hours trying to give you a brand-able online identity and uses it when she talks about you online.
6. She finds all of your social profiles before you realize it.
   You blink and she’s added you on MySpace/Facebook/Digg? Dude, that’s a clear sign she’s thinking about you. As with #1, for an SEO Chick, stalking is a good thing. We aren’t crazy, at least not in a bad way.
7. She’s made it official on Facebook that you’re dating.
8. She’s found the social networking profiles of everyone you’ve ever dated.
   She knows what they’re doing, where they work, if they’re married, if they have any pets and that they’ve died their naturally red hair brown.
9. She looks past the fact that you have MSN set as your default search engine, and then changes it to something so much f***ing better.
   If you’ve gotten to the point where she is willing to accept that you don’t know how to change your settings in your browser (*gasp* still using IE??), she’s willing to accept any other faults you have.
10. You become a category or prominent tag on her blog.
    Dude, she’s talking about you publicly. Mind you, it might not always be the best things, but the fact that she’s talking about you out loud is a damn good sign.
11. She starts following everyone you’re talking to on Twitter.
    So she can “get to know you better”. Not because she’s stalking you.
12. Her SEO friends start following you on Twitter.
    It’s part of the initiation. It’s right there with meeting the friends and family only these people are brutally honest. Suck it up and make friends. The faster they accept you the better.
13. She’s constantly emailing you her daily Reddit and LOLCat finds and sending you her favorite YouTube videos.
    It’s not love until you’ve met Charlie.
14. She organizes your bookmarks when you’re in the shower
    … so you can make the most of your time together.
15. You find yourself with an extra wardrobe thanks to all the conference T-shirts she brings home.

Okay, off search engine marketing for a second. I’m not sick, promise. My other love is traditional marketing and when companies get things right.

A friend of mine recently had plastic surgery and elected to participate in a 10 year study (yeah, I talked her into it). Well she sent me a link to the company running it (Natrelle) and I signed up to get more information about their product.

Skip to a few weeks later, and I get a notice about a package waiting at my complex office. Okay, I am an impulsive buyer (can we say $10 something?), but I haven’t ordered anything! I get to the office and get a nice chocolate brown box with the words “It’s time to rejuvenate.” Interested.

Open it and this is what I see:

Okay, even further interested. I open it to find a myriad of products for relaxation:

A Journal, Loofah, Exfoliator pad, Massage bar, brush, fine tooth brush, pumice stone, and two candles. Plus a sample of one of their facial product sets and a coupon (have to get it from doctor). With all of that was a description of their other products that I might be interested in.

I’ve got to say, this was NICE. The bag even kicks booty. These are things I will use and remember them with. I am not ready for the products they offer just yet, but I will most definitely remember them when I am ready. Nice Job guys!

Social media marketing can be a great tool. I have learned more about the Austin area and its news in the past week due to the fact that the local paper joined twitter (@statesman). I’ve checked out new products and even thought about purchasing a few things (damn you Lisa and your cupcakes in a jar). It’s a great way to get your stuff read and talked about. It’s even great for link building!

But don’t annoy me with your fake shit. Seriously. You might have just got on Twitter, or any other social media thing, and just want to know what is going on. Hell I did that too, but don’t ask the world to be your friend. Start small, people you know, industries you know. (Great Job @kristyann for doing this right) Slowly get conversations going, get people liking you and then mention your new venture. Even some big names in the industry are talking about this topic. It’s annoying us all!

We can all smell advertising, and when your first contribution is “here is my website; buy something!” you get a block from me. Maybe no one else does, but I don’t want that crap out there, and I’m hoping that the admins on twitter notice when someone gets blocked 80 times.

It’s the same on Yahoo! Answers. I am there to help people and point them to our services. But I don’t write the same answer every time. I actually read their questions and answer them truthfully. Even when we can’t help them but I can give some advice.

This new world is about the conversation, the interaction. If you’re not willing to put the time into Social Media, go away.

On my annoyed list (don’t click unless you really wanna know, but Google, feel free to look into these guys):

• (no spam)the6(no spam)figureteam.(no spam)com
• biz(no spam)rotator.com
• topsecret(no spam)fatloss(no spam)secret.com
• Dare2(no spam)Dreams.(no spam)com
• lapon(no spam).(no spam)biz
• the(no spam)success(no spam)masterminds(no spam).com
• More to come (with no links, none 4 these people)

I remember when I first got an inactive notice in AdWords. It didn’t make sense to me then, but now I don’t get them at all. Makes me wonder if I’ve gotten better, or has AdWords?

When you put ads up with Google, there are many best practices to think about when writing ads, picking landing pages, and crafting out which key phrases to use. I don’t want to review all of them, so instead I’ll point you to a few nice reviews of them recently posted on SEOmoz.

What I am thinking about today is if Google is getting too bogged down. Just last week, I noted an ad showing up third for a highly competitive term in my client’s industry. I will, like most SEMs, click on competitors ads to get the “feel” of the user experience with their site and ads versus our own. This ad perplexed me though. When I clicked on the ad, I was taken to the domain listed (an AdWords requirement), but given a slow loading picture of a page that had a hyperlink.

Once I clicked that hyperlink, I was redirected at least three times (ad is gone now, so I can’t test it now), and finally landed on a short-term loan page. This had nothing to do with the original search! How was this showing in AdWords, much less at the TOP?

I informed the “authorities” but by the end of the day, the ad was mysteriously gone. Huh. I guess props go to the AdWords police. But oddly only after I noticed it. Yes, I know, what happens when a tree falls in the middle of the forest, if no one hears it and all that.

THEN …

Ciaran over in the UK gets some funny results from AdWords as well. He ends up wondering the same thing I wondered, why is this showing at all?

Advertiser Lead Time

So part of me knows that there is some lead time from when you put up an ad before Google completely knocks it down. That’s at least what I told my bosses when explaining the situation to them. Most advertisers want their ad up RIGHT NOW. So Google learned from Overture (who used to make you wait days, even weeks, while they reviewed your stuff) and started putting things up almost immediately.

But it seems to me that they are getting a little lax on their review time. I’m curious to know if anyone else has seen this phenomena recently.