The End of the SEO Rankings Era, aka The Rise of the Universal-Social-Mobile Search Trinity

Posted on July 23, 2009 in Mobile Marketing, Search Engine News, Search Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Universal Search

The SEO industry and their clients used to live and die by their rankings. But this ranking race is changing drastically as each day goes by. What is killing the ranking mania that has ruled search engine marketing for so long? Who is the rankings dragon slayer?

Answer: The Trinity of Universal Search, Social Media, and Web-Enabled Phones.

Universal Search

This is something amazing that has happened right in front of our eyes (for those of us awake and watching). From nowhere, the Google “Golden Triangle” got covered with Map Listings, You Tube Videos and Shopping RSS Feeds, completely pushing down the traditional SEO rankings way below the fold. Result? Even your #1 ranking for a competitive keyword is not going to help you get many clicks. Now users can choose from a smorgasbord of information that Google has laid out for them. Their Map Listings provide a website URL, phone number, directions, and reviews in one neat package.

Social Media

All of us have friends, and our friends are usually full of information on at least one topic that they are passionate about (no matter how dull they are). With the gargantuan increase in the use of social media, your friends and their friends are now connected and forming a pool of collective information. A great vacation, a crappy airline, a great deal on socks…everything is being discussed online between friends, acquaintances, and near strangers. Web searchers have more sources of information than ever, and many of these sources now are people they know and trust.

Example: You see a great review of a hotel/restaurant on tripadvisor.com or zagat.com. But then your close friend “tweets” about the terrible time he had at that establishment. Who are you more likely to trust? This is your big vacation, and the word of your buddy is always going to have more influence than “independent” review websites or even Google, who is just aggregating reviews from different websites into its SERPs (search engine results pages). Therefore, the great reviews about your business on review websites, even your top rankings and detailed map listings are no match for the guy who talks to his friends online about you.

Mobile Phones

For those of you following my writing on this topic, you know I have been very bullish about mobile phones. The growth in mobile phone internet usage has been tremendous. 2012 will usher in over 1.2 billion 3G phones on the planet…wow.

Mobile phone searches have one thing in common: a small screen. This translates into a very slim chance of getting clicks for #1 SEO rankings. Google is in the middle of a massive push to sell AdWords ads. That’s what brings them money, and they have a lot less real estate to sell on the tiny mobile screens.

Guess what else is on the phone? Your friends! They can answer questions through SMS, MMS, Email, Messenger Chat, and even a phone conversation. All this open communication further dilutes the ranking power that is still on the minds of so many owners and marketers.

And the winner is…

Conversions!

I have always considered conversions to be the true metric of online success. I have seen clients and SEO agencies lose their heads over every change in their Google rankings. This obsession with rankings is a waste of time and money, and becoming more so every day.

When it comes to the e-commerce and travel sectors, the conversion factor is huge. Their volumes are big, and even a minor tweak in conversions translates into increased revenue. Yet the search engine marketing industry is still very heavy on selling rankings: Castles in the air, without doors or windows. This is where I draw the line with our agency. The ranking-obsessed are given a cup of tea and shown the door.

Unfortunately, many SEOs have figured out that it is relatively easy to convince prospective clients to follow the simple formula “higher rankings = more traffic = more sales.” If making a sale is your goal, this is the easiest strategy to lay down. But it’s not a good one. Successful web marketing today demands a much more sophisticated approach.

Here is what I found in a fortune cookie once: “Beware what you wish for. Pick conversions over rankings and you will always be a winner!”

YouTube is in the Mood for Love… and Politics.

Posted on January 12, 2009 in Search Engine News, Social Media Marketing, Universal Search

There were a couple of new developments at YouTube this past week.  Announced today on YouTube’s Blog are two new platforms that will help you locate your Senator and Representatives’ YouTube channels.   The Senate Hub and The House Hub both feature a searchable map that will take you right to the channel of your choice, where you can watch behind the scenes footage at Capitol Hill.  Here’s the intro video:

Also announced this past Friday is the YouTube Screening Room’s special two week feature.   With Valentine’s Day about a month away, the topic is, appropriately, love.  The four independent films currently being screened promise to be, according to Sara P. from YouTube Film, “not your grandma’s love stories”.  Their main feature is “Crazy Love”, by Dan Klores.  His film, based on a very unusual love story, won the 2008 Independent Spirit Award for “Best Documentary”.  Along with that is “Love and War”, a Swedish animation film that was billed as the world’s first animated opera and won “Best Animated Short” at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival.  There’s also a U.K. submitted title, “How to Say I Love You”, which first screened on YouTube, and another short film, “Marry Me”, by Australian director Michelle Lehman (posted below).  Enjoy.

Memorable Viral Video Ads of 2008

Posted on December 30, 2008 in Online Branding, Search Engine News, Social Media Marketing, Universal Search

This year, we saw viral video advertisements taken to the next level in production quality, with companies hiring big-name directors and filming in high definition.   Several “unauthorized” video ads were released this year as well, supposedly without the knowledge or permission of the company represented.   The JC Penney “Speed Dressing” ad is a good example, and the spot did stir up a lot of controversy.  Not surprisingly, it also got a lot of views.  One of my favorites of ’08 is a Nike commercial, directed by Guy Ritchie:

Below is a list of some of the most watched viral video ads of 2008:
 
Nintendo Wario Land: Shake It.  This is a really unique YouTube Channel with video effects.
Guitar Hero World Tour (GH4) Heidi Klum Director’s Cut, Directed by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand)
Tiger Woods Square Peg in a Round Hole for EA Sports
Levis – Back flip Into Jeans
Kobe Bryant Jumps Over an Aston Martin for Nike
Miss Dior Cherie Directed by Sofia Coppola with model Maryna Linchuk and song “Moi Je Joue” by Brigitte Bardot.
Schweppes Burst Slow Motion Balloon Ad
“Ball Girl” – Unofficially for Gatorade.
Guitar Hero World Tour Fan Video: Bike Hero
Ozzy Osborne World of Warcraft
Budweiser Clydesdale Team – Super Bowl Commercial
Will It Blend? The IPhone3G by BlendTec
Coca-Cola: The Unhuggables – Euro 2008
 
 

LIFE Magazine's Photo Archive Now Available in Google Image Search

Posted on November 19, 2008 in Search Engine News, Universal Search

Just announced yesterday, Google and LIFE have partnered to bring more than 10 million of the magazine’s archival photos to Google’s image search.  Many of these photos have never been seen before, and about 20 percent have been uploaded so far, with the rest to become available over time.  Influential 20th Century photographers such as Alfred Eisenstaedt, best known for his famous “VJ-Day kiss” picture, are featured, as are images by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Nina Leen, Ansel Adams, Bill Ray, Dorothea Lange, John Dominis, and a host of other contributors.

VJ-Day, NYC, 1945 Sinbad the Lion, 2005 Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood, 1953 The Beatles, Los Angeles, 1964
Swimmer Don Schollander, Olympics, 1964 Rocky Marciano vs. Charles Ezzard, NYC, 1954 Martha's Vineyard Walt Disney Studios
Woodstock, Bethel, NY, 1969 Secretariat, 1973 Josephine Baker, NYC, 1951 Kathy a.k.a. Gidget Kohner, Malibu, CA, 1957

You can search through these millions of photos by going directly to Google’s portal, which can be found by following this link.

Using YouTube Channels to Build Your Brand

Posted on November 15, 2008 in Online Branding, Social Media Marketing, Universal Search

Video is becoming an increasingly vital and important component of internet marketing, and I thought I would take a look at three hotel brands that are currently using this medium as part of their campaigns.   With Universal Search and blended search results (videos, photos, news items) appearing towards the top of the organic rankings, a video with the proper meta data in place stands to get excellent positioning, so the search engine benefits are clear.   Effective video marketing can go a long way in increasing brand awareness, and can also provide a lot of valuable information to your client base, which in turn can take some of the pressure off of call center and customer service staff.

The following are examples of three hotel brands that are currently using YouTube channels for promotion.   The first is the InterContinental:  InterContinental Hotels YouTube Channel.    Their channel has been around since January of 2008, and so far, they have a collection of 298 videos, which is quite impressive.   The narrators of the videos that I watched were Chef Concierges from their different locations, which adds a personal feel.   The background music can sometimes be a little distracting, but the videos are short and easy to watch, and they use the approach of a mini-travelogue highlighting the city rather than the hotel itself.   Here’s one of my favorites, filmed in Costa Rica:  InterContinental’s Costa Rica Video.

A second hotel with its’ own YouTube channel is the May Fair in London:  May Fair Hotel YouTube Channel.   There are only 14 videos in total (they’ve been on since August of this year), and they’re obviously going for more of an MTV/VH1 feel, with clubby/ambient music and beautiful people throughout.   Aside from showcasing some of the suites at the hotel, the May Fair posts interviews with celebrities who have stayed with them, and also an interview with their chief personal trainer.   If you don’t mind seeing people who are probably having a lot more fun than you’re having, the videos are very watchable.   Here is one that I liked, which features their “Bamboo Suite”:

This third channel is by the Westin, called WestinTV:  Westin Hotel YouTube Channel.   On since September, there are only three videos, all which have a television commercial feel to them.   I’m posting this channel because, with the videos the have so far, WestinTV may be an example of what NOT to do.   One of the most important qualities of a good promotional video from a Web 2.0 and social marketing standpoint is to not make your viewers feel like they are watching a TV commercial or promotional video.

Finally, one area where all three channels can show improvement is in the amount of subscribers that they have.   The InterContinental had the most, and at this writing, that was only 14 subscribers.   A quick and easy way to boost the number of subscribers would be to have hotel employees, many of which will already have YouTube usernames, sign up.   It will be interesting to see how these channels change and improve over time.