February 28, 2007 by ian
Brian asked me how I keep in touch with family and friends. An interesting question - I spend lots of time on this blog talking about how to keep in touch with customers, but I spend vastly more time chatting, calling or writing to friends and family. Here's what I use: Face to face contact. Imagine! Here in Seattle I prefer to just say 'hi' in person if I can. I also fly to the east coast 5-6 times/year, down to Los Angeles periodically, and drive up to Vancouver, BC. My kids frequently come with me on business trips…
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February 27, 2007 by ian
At long last, here's installment 3 of my Google Analytics tutorials. Please excuse some very choppy editing - I had to get rid of various coughs, sneezes and other viral sounds you just didn't need to hear. In it, I talk about the analysis menu and using it to: Learn where people who view a specific page come from. Learn where those people go afterwards. Figure out what changes you might want to make. This is a very preliminary look at these kinds of challenges. Future tutorials will go into more depth. Important: A reader found an error in…
Continue Reading Google Analytics Tutorial 3: Digging Deeper »
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February 26, 2007 by ian
How much should you pay for internet marketing? When you hire an internet marketer you're getting something that's part commodity and part value. The commodity is the actual hours put into the project. It's me and my team sitting at a keyboard, typing up a report or organizing a meeting. It can unfortunately also include development - this task is not a commodity, but has become regarded as one, and pricing structures must account for it. The value is the expertise of the marketer, and their effect on your company's performance. It's me and my team researching, analyzing, designing,…
Continue Reading Internet Marketing Billing and Rates: What's Fair? »
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February 25, 2007 by ian
I'm supposed to be recording my next Google Analytics Tutorial today. However, reality intervened: My wife went out of town for 8 days (Mexico) with friends. 6 hours after I waved goodbye, both kids came down with the flu. They then gave it to me. My wife got home last night after 8 days of sun 'n fun. Both kids are better, thank you very much. I have no voice. Well, actually, I have a voice, but I sound like Kathleen Turner, which is a neat trick for a somewhat pudgy 38-year-old man. So no tutorial today. Instead, I've…
Continue Reading Tutorials, Seminars and Such »
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February 22, 2007 by ian
John Cass has an excellent post about why you blog. It's in response to someone who's giving up on blogging. I love the points: It doesn't have to be about straight-up income generation. Blogs are excellent customer relationship tools, not to mention a fantastic way to establish yourself. Just because everyone can blog doesn't mean it's “pedestrianâ€. Is talking pedestrian? No, but a conversation can be. Giving opinions makes blogging 'messy', true. But that's what makes it great. Companies get valuable feedback. Politicians can learn what their electorate is thinking. There's more. I suggest you read it on John's…
Continue Reading Why Blog? »
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February 21, 2007 by ian
I'm starting to keep a list of tools I've found or built. If you think I need to add one, just post a comment. SEO Related SEOMOZ.org's tool collection 301 Redirect Manager (by Conversation Marketing & Portent) Blogging Feedburner Analytics/Strategic What's a Click Worth (by Conversation Marketing & Portent) Google Analytics Google Trends Alexa The Square Root Rule, Explained Copyright Protection CopyScape Technorati Tags: internet marketing…
Continue Reading Internet Marketing Tools List »
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February 21, 2007 by ian
I've put together what I hope will be an easier way to handle 301 redirect setup. I'd like you to help me test it, if you don't mind. SEO folks know that a 301 redirect is the best way to repoint the search engines from an old web address to a new one. Usually, you can just call your web host and say “Please set up a 301 redirect from this address to that one.†Sometimes it ain't that easy. For example, TypePad doesn't support 301 redirects. GoDaddy doesn't either. So, I've build a 301 redirect tool. With it,…
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February 21, 2007 by ian
OK, I got caught in a rookie mistake. I did a quick SEO review of Jeremiah's blog. In it, I said “Change to a server-side 302 redirect instead of a client-side redirect.†Gaaaah. Sorry. It should be a 301 redirect, not a 302 redirect. The difference: A 301 redirect indicates that a site or page has permanently moved. That's what you want the search engines to know. So, sorry to all who I've led down the road to imminent SEO ruin. OK, I'm exaggerating. A little... 301 redirects. Not 302s... (Ian tiptoes offstage...) Technorati Tags: search engine optimization, seo…
Continue Reading Humble Pie, Eating Crow, Wiping Egg Off Face »
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February 20, 2007 by ian
You've been #1 for a month. Traffic and sales are rolling in. Then, one day, you check on your ranking on Google and it's happened: You're #2. Augh! Here's what you do: Don't Panic. Sometimes ranking changes are temporary. If you watch them every day you're bound to see a lot of wiggling. Check the Competition. Who's the upstart that took your spot? How'd they do it? There are a few simple things you can do to figure out how they did it. Go to Google and search for site:webaddress.com, where webaddress.com is your competitor's address. Then do it…
Continue Reading What to Do If Your Ranking Slips »
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February 19, 2007 by ian
Hillary Clinton's online presidential campaign holds some valuable lessons. She knows the room. Her site has video and lets folks get engaged through event planning and attendance. It's a personable setup. She dressed appropriately, with a simple, clean site design that doesn't get in the way of her message. Unfortunately, there are some problems: She sounds smart, but not smart enough. Her site, as far as features, is identical to Barack Obama's, who's site is identical to almost every other presidential candidate. How do you stand out when you do exactly the same things as everyone else? I have…
Continue Reading 5 Internet Strategy Lessons From Hillary Clinton »
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February 17, 2007 by ian
Apparently we have a game of online tag going on. John Cass tagged me. I'm to tag five other people. No mean feat on a Saturday morning without any caffeine, but here goes. I may not look like much, but I'm wiry... (Ian goes running around the blog playground) Ha! Jeremiah, you're it! And so is John Battelle, you're it too. And imnotadoctor, Brian Keith, and Nina Restieri. Technorati Tags: fun, blog tag…
Continue Reading Tag, You're It »
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February 16, 2007 by ian
I'm not 100% sure I agree that pageviews are dead, but folks sure are talking about it a lot. Pageviews have long been seen as the best measure of audience attention and loyalty. But the advent of AJAX and other technologies let visitors browse content without loading a new page. That, in turn, means that most web analytics software can't accurately track pageviews on sites that use these newer technologies. Don't cancel your WebTrends or Google Anlaytics subscription just yet, though. You can still track loyalty and attention, here are four other ways to do it: Time On Site:…
Continue Reading Pageviews are dead? 4 Other Must-Have Attention Metrics »
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February 15, 2007 by ian
This video is out of date. Take a look at the newer version: Google Analytics Tutorial: Basic Stats Last time, I went over how to set up your Google Analytics account. This time, I'll discuss the four essential statistics that, no matter what, you must keep an eye on in Google Analytics: Absolute Unique Visitors are the number of unique individuals who've come to your site in a given time period. So, if I come to your site 20 times in a week, I still only count as a single unique visitor. This statistic is important because it tells you…
Continue Reading Google Analytics Video Tutorial 2: Essential Stats »
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February 14, 2007 by ian
Not sure if Google did this intentionally, but what's missing from this logo? Update: Well, apparently life with two kids in the suburbs has sucked all romance from me. The 'L' is missing on purpose: Here's what Google said. I still don't get it. If anyone wants to help save my sanity, please, explain. Of course, I'm obsessing about a logo. So maybe it's too late anyway... Technorati Tags: Google…
Continue Reading Google Typo? »
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February 13, 2007 by ian
Has Yahoo Panama really made a difference? Yahoo's new paid search ranking algorithm ranks ads based on ad quality and click through rate, as well as bid amount. I've been tracking 10 different ads for two different clients. Higher Impressions & Clicks All ads in the test are seeing higher impression counts since the 5th (Panama launch day). They're also seeing higher click counts. Cost Per Click It gets really interesting, though, when you start comparing cost per click to impressions and clicks. On one campaign, we boosted our bids slightly the day before Panama launched. We expected to…
Continue Reading Review of Yahoo's Panama: The First Week »
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February 12, 2007 by ian
If you're responsible for your company's e-mail marketing, here are five things that'll generate better response and make you a hero: Add 'whitelisting' instructions on the signup confirmation page: Telling folks to add your email newsletter's 'from' address to their address books will mean your e-mail lands in fewer spam folders. Adding this to one of our client newsletters improved delivery by 25%. Link to a sample newsletter, from the subscription page: A preview will mean more subscribers. Write a great subject line: “20% Off All Acme Widgets†is a lot more powerful than “Acme Widgets Discountâ€. I've seen…
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February 12, 2007 by ian
An updated version of this video tutorial is available in Google Analytics Tutorial Redux. This quick tutorial shows you how to set up Google Analytics. Analytics is critical to your internet marketing strategy. It lets you measure who comes to your web site, where they came from, and what they do when they get there. Those are the three basics of Observe And Adjust. Google Analytics does all of that. And it's free. So why isn't every single marketer on earth using it? I hear things like: "It's too complicated." "My webmaster says they don't have time." So, as an…
Continue Reading Google Analytics Tutorial 1: Setup »
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February 10, 2007 by ian
Some of you already know I posted my entire book, Conversation Marketing, online. I've just posted some changes per the great suggestions I received: You can now switch between the large-type version and a smaller, san-serif version. The chapter navigation is on the left - right-hand side is a little too artsy for a book, and too hard to find. Next up: I'm going to break the chapters up into smaller pages, and add some new content. You can read the book here. And, of course, you can buy it here. Technorati Tags: books, internet marketing…
Continue Reading Conversation Marketing Book, 2.0 »
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February 10, 2007 by ian
I've been working on an Internet Marketing Bill of Rights of sorts for internet marketers and their clients. Here's what I've got so far: You, the Client, Deserve: Honesty: I will tell you the truth, though it may not always be what you want to hear. Creativity: I won't just apply a formula to your marketing needs. I'll use what's known to work, mixed in with stuff that'll help your unique organization. Accountability: You deserve to know how your money's being spent. Contact: I or my team will be in touch with you regularly, so you know what's going…
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February 9, 2007 by ian
<sarcasm> Feel like search engines are just a pest? Don't want any annoying customers on your web site? Then these tips are for you: Ignore title tags. Who needs 'em? Go 100% graphics. It's prettier, right? Why bother with actual text? Keep out of it. Don't ever blog, discuss, or otherwise mention your site in any medium. Use loooooong URLs. Why use www.mysite.com when www.mysite.com/en/us/?-this=1234091284as;dlfjkaeorwiuawe0948230498 will do the same thing? Copy like crazy. Plagiarize content from other, better-ranked sites to your heart's content. Sure, the search engines may ban you in response to a complaint, but who cares? </sarcasm>…
Continue Reading Five Great Ways to Remain Invisible »
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February 8, 2007 by ian
This is too brilliant, and cool, for words. So I'll just let you watch it: Technorati Tags: ethics, tagging…
Continue Reading The Machine is Us/ing Us »
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February 8, 2007 by ian
...that you may not know about. Not in any particular order: Google Trends is fun, and a great measure of changes in search patterns over time. SEOMOZ.org has a host of search engine optimization tools you can use to evaluate the strength of your site, the competitiveness of a particular space, and any potential SEO dealbreakers. Nielsen NetRatings provides lots of great reports for free, and priceless data if you subscribe. Look under 'Resources' for the free stuff. WordTracker is another great keyword mining resource, if you're an SEO addict. Technorati measure the blogging world, allowing you to see…
Continue Reading 10 Must-Have Internet Marketing Tools »
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February 7, 2007 by ian
I'm trying a bit of my own internet direct marketing techniques this week, with a promotion around my company's new consulting programs: http://www.portentinteractive.com/consulting/ I would greatly appreciate any feedback folks might have... Technorati Tags: internet marketing…
Continue Reading Your Big Chance to Critique My Work »
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February 7, 2007 by ian
Muhammad at Pronet shows us a video as an indication as to why social sites, like Digg.com, hate search engine marketers. The video he shows is horrible. The guy in the video is recommending unethical, short-sighted strategies that achieve nothing, or worse. Add links to social bookmarking sites three times a week?! This strategy would never work, first because the bookmarking sites will ban you and take down your links, and second because the search engines will quickly begin reducing the importance of links from sites like Digg. But I have to differentiate between search engine marketers and simpletons…
Continue Reading Search Marketing Versus Simpletons »
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February 6, 2007 by ian
I'm tracking statistics for two clients, now, to see how Panama affects them. One client is in a very competitive education market. Since Panama launched, their clickthrough percentage has risen from .5% to 1%. Click rate is up about 30%, too, but so is our cost per click. Which is OK, though, because as of now our conversion rate from Yahoo is up by about 15%. The other client sells consumer goods online. Since Panama launched, their clickthru rate has actually dropped from 2.5 to 2%. However, the number of clicks are up by about 50%, and the cost…
Continue Reading Yahoo's Panama, Day 2 »
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February 5, 2007 by ian
Yahoo has released a new paid search ranking algorithm. The new one mimics Google Adwords, by ranking ads, not just according to bid amount, but also by: - Ad quality. - Click through rate. They still aren't ranking according to landing page quality, but I have high hopes for this new model. It'll shift the balance back towards folks who are taking the time to write and test great ad copy. It'll also slow bid inflation, which is a huge problem. But the proof is in the pudding. So, I tracked performance of 10 ads we're running for various…
Continue Reading Yahoo's Panama: Day One »
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February 5, 2007 by ian
When clients come into my office, they ask what we do. I typically answer with a question: “What's your goal?†They'll answer with something like “Get more leads.†I then answer: “We're going to help you get more leads.†My job isn't to design a site or do search engine optimization. It's to help you move towards a goal. That's what an internet marketer does. Technorati Tags: internet marketing…
Continue Reading The Marketer's Job »
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February 5, 2007 by ian
In the quest for metaphors that make folks slap their foreheads, I've developed another: Internet Marketing is just like making soup. Bear with me. It makes sense. I promise. Making soup requires several skills: You must know how to peel and chop vegetables. You have to be able to heat up water. You (hopefully) know how to wash your hands. If you know how to peel a potato, that's a good start. But if you only know how to peel a potato, you can't make soup. Internet marketing requires several skills: You must know how to deliver a targeted…
Continue Reading Internet Marketing and Soup »
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February 2, 2007 by ian
John Battelle reports that Yahoo has gained a bit on Google in the world of search, by outpacing Google's growth. John suggests it might be because Yahoo's becoming more accurate. That's possible. But there's another possibility: I'm betting on Google backlash - you don't get as dominant as Google is now without making a lot of people unhappy. Plus there are always folks who look for alternatives to #1. Finally, Google is operating at such a high level it's hard to imagine how they can continue growing at this rate. Further bulletins as events warrant... Technorati Tags: internet marketing,…
Continue Reading Google Search Backlash? »
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February 1, 2007 by ian
ImNotADoctor has one of the best Apple commercials I've seen. It came out the night Vista launched. Apple was also very clever in where they placed there ads this week. Note the Apple ad next to the article about Bill Gates: I'll bet it's not an accident. That's the best job of Observe and Adjust I've seen in a while. Technorati Tags: internet marketing, movies…
Continue Reading Brilliant! »
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February 1, 2007 by ian
Marketing Pilgrim points us to an article in the Rapid City Journal that claims 'For the most part, search engine optimizers are... crooks.' I won't comment on the article. I'm too angry. But I will say this: Claire Scholz, the author of this article, is president of her own 'Internet design and marketing company'. Check it out at Asiostudio.com and make your own decisions as to her level of expertise. And it includes multiple articles are search engine optimization. And she offers search engine optimization services!? Services she's not very good at: - Her code isn't CSS 2.0. -…
Continue Reading Ignorance, revealed »
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