We Do Search Engine Optimization.

If you are old enough to remember the Pepsi Challenge this new search engine comparison tool will bring back old memories.

You can do a blind search and get results from Google, Yahoo and Bing all on one page.

The results may surprise you, as people are conditioned to think that Google always returns the most relevant results.

The results of my tests

The percentage of time I chose a particular search engine for the most relevant results:

1. Google 60%
2. Bing 40%
3. Yahoo 0%

Google has the lead but should be very worried as Microsoft Bing is coming up fast. Bing’s results could replace Google and most people would never know the difference. Google’s present advantage is their innovation and communication with advertisers and webmasters. Also their impressive tools suite including Analytics, Adwords, Webmaster Tools, Groups and Trends.

Take the blind search for a test drive yourself and see which search engine performs best for you.

How well do you know your website audience? Many advertisers think they know their audience well, but this is sometimes misguided or incorrect. Using analytics and online research tools you can find out more about your demographics including:

• Gender
• Age
• Average Income
• Location

Avinash Kaushik is an Analytics Evangelist with Google who explains how tools such as Google Ad Planner and Google Insights for Search provide data that help advertisers truly understand the demographics of their audience.

Video Explaing How to Use Google Analytics Tools

Read the rest of this entry »

Google AdWords Uses Quality Score to Determine How Much You Pay Per Click

The Google PPC system does not simply work on the basic algorithm of the higher your bid per click, the higher your position. Ads are positioned using a dynamic bidding system which does millions of calculations per day to adjust results in a real time auction system.

Quality Score is a biased bidding system, which rewards advertisers for higher numbers of ad clicks. The more clicks your ad garners, the lower price you will have to pay relative to your competitors.

How to improve your quality score

1. increase your click through rate (CTR)
2. focus on keyword relevancy
3. improve landing page quality – relevant, transparent and directly related to your keyword bids increase page load time

Even increasing your CTR by 0.01% a can be enough to bump your aggregate keyword quality score up and reduce your overall costs dramatically.

Last night I was fortunate to attend the Stars of Search Optimization from TechBiz Connection in Irvine.

This is a networking event for Southern California tech companies and internet entrepreneurs and is attended by a well heeled but approachable group of industry stalwarts.

I have seen many of these speakers at past SES and Pubcon events but it is always good to hear their ideas and opinions on SEO and search engine success.

Topics covered in this interactive site review session:

• How and Why your site is positioned where it is.
• What you can do to improve your content.
• How to evaluate your links and build the most relevant “link juice”.
• Avoiding canonical issues with multiple page versions
• Beating duplicate content
• Why to avoid keyword stuffing and overusing keyphrases
• Title tags are not a wishlist – do not create a 20 word comma separated title
• How to avoid the penalties of “spamming”.
• What You can Learn from your competitors.

These individuals were lively, entertaining and had great comments on the half dozen reviewed websites. They pulled no punches and gave straightforward practical advice while explaining the basics of search engine optimization to the group.

The 4 Presenters:

Joe Morin – “I got Rand Fishkin Married”

Greg Boser – “I hate local search” & “I have a google spam tool named after me for catching redirects”

Kevin M. Ryan – “I love advertising with mayhem, fire, and destruction (when appropriate”

Michael Bonfils – “Loves to work with big corporate accounts such as Gap, which Greag Boser also hates.”

A list of the reviewed websites, lets see how long it will take them to implement the advice from this meeting. The regular cost for a private SEO consultation is valued at around $600.

These sites were given a free SEO review

TechBiz Connection is a great technology event in Southern California and has a coupon code for an event discount. Use this free promotion code during registration.

Naming products and service solutions is a tricky business, and at times I have spent a disproportionate amount of time working on a good name for a business venture than the technical aspects of a business.

Good names are a key to long term success.

My favorite branding example is Google, which created the #1 most recognizable name in the world after only 6 years in existence, with zero advertising.

Compare this with the new Network Solutions service offering, which is a recipe for customer confusion. NetSol is trying to make themselves cool and rename all standard services. This will not work. Renaming “domain name” to “nsWebAddress” is just a bad idea and guaranteed to fill their support line with questions.

I just received this email in my inbox, a thinly veiled attempt at sucking money out of me to register .asia domain names. Be watchful of notices to register domains to protect your trademark and intellectual property in International areas. The most common I have seen are Chinese .cn domains and .cm domain names.

Before registering any domain name with an exotic extension, make sure you contact your webmaster or local accredited domain name registrar such as NetworkSolutions, Godaddy, or Enom.com

This is the email I received:

Dear CEO & Principal

We are a domain name registration and dispute organization in Asia, which mainly deal with the global companies’ domain name registration and internet Intellectual property right protection in Asia. Currently, we have a pretty important issue needing to confirm with your company.

On Aug 10, 2009, we received an application formally. One company named “FJS Holdings Ltd” wanted to applied for the internet keyword “Netpaths” and some domain names through our body.

Now we are handling with the registration of these domain names and find that the keyword of these domain names and internet keyword is identical with your company’s. So we have to confirm with you at two points:
1. If your company consign FJS Holdings to register these domain names and internet keyword, we will send application form to them and help them finish the registration at once.
2. If your company have nothing to do with FJS Holdings, they maybe have other purposes to register these domain names and internet keyword.

In order to deal with this issue better, please contact us by email or telephone ASAP.

Best Regards,
Tim Hu
Auditing Department
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tel: +852-2297-9279
Fax: +852-2297-9209
Email: Tim@eworld.hk
Email: Tim@eworlddnr.hk
Website:

http://www.eworld.hk

Tim

The Pubcon search engine marketing and webmaster conference & expo will be held in Las Vegas November 10-13, 2009 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, USA. All the top SEO’s will be there, and we usually give up a lot of insider information. SEO’s really share their tips and tricks for getting it on with Google. Click here to get your pubcon discount code.

This is a fun conference with tons of afterparties. One of the coolest parties last year was at the Wynn casino in the bar next to the huge pool and waterfall.

Pubcon coupon code: lv-79815

Pubcon webmasterworld covers search engine optimization, online marketing, link building, social media marketing SMM, search engine marketing, domains and domaining, internet video and making money online.

Register today with this coupon code lv-79815 to save 15% off the current advertised price (which is $899 until August 20th, then it goes up to $999). Pubcon now has an affiliate program at this time, and you can signup to get your links at www.Pubcon.com/affiliates.