Kamau's Business Blog Page - The World's 1st Black and Minority Business Blog!
Saturday, August 13, 2005
The Top 7 Reasons Your Site should have a Search Engine Marketing Strategy.
1. 47% of Internet Traffic is driven from the Search Engines.2. 91% of Internet Sales are first researched on Search Engines.
3. Search Engine Traffic is the Best Free Way to Position your business for target ideal sales leads and customers.
4. Search Engine Traffic is more Targeted and Receptive to Your Products and Services. This is the case because unlike tradtional advertising search engine traffic is initiated by the customer.
5. 20% of Search Engine queries are for local traffic. Twice as many people use search engines to find local businesses as do use the local yellow pages.
6. Search Engines are the cornerstone of any Internet marketing campaign (I don't know any successful Internet marketer that doesn't have a search engine marketing component to their marketing).
7. Search Engine traffic can be inexpensive or free but naturally monetized with strategies like Google Adsense, Link Brokering, and Traditional Advertising.
Myth # 9 About Search Engine Marketing You need a Directory Listing from Yahoo!
There are many misconceptions about a directory listing with Yahoo! First you should know that an Internet directory is different than a search engine because human editors decide what goes into a directory.
On the other hand search engines update and rank sites primarily in a computerized fashion. Search engines first send out programs called bots to retrieve site information by following links of sites presently in their databases. Then SEs use an algorithm or system to determine rank of the sites in their databases. Finally search engines deliver relevant information to its end users searching for information.
The lines are getting somewhat blurred however.
Originally Yahoo started out as the first commercial Internet directory with sites submitting for the review to human editors. Obviously human editors alone could not categorize the web in an economical fashion, given its scale and growth rate.
Enter the search engine which could automate this process. However, search engines require a large infrastructure to operate. Therefore it is costly to run a search engine. Overture pioneered the model to monetize search engines with PPC advertising.
Google adapted this proven revenue strategy and the rest is the lore of business history. Google has built a multibillion dollar business that is one of the most valuable companies in the world. Yahoo! which was formerly an Internet directory and web portal (which purchased its SE results from Google) of course sees money pouring into Goggle's coffers and wants a piece of the action.
Yahoo! buys the assets and technology of a lot of search engine companies like Alta Vista, and AlltheWeb and develops its own search engine. Now Yahoo! does have a search engine but don't confuse it with the Yahoo Directory which still exists.
It also should be stated that Google also uses human editors if a site flags an audit for questionable SEO behavior.
Now back to the issue of a Yahoo! Directory listings when Google developed its linking evaluation system PageRank. It gave preference to established or major site and directory listings. In short a link is not a link in Google's equation. A link from a major human edited directory like Yahoo! was worth more than probably 50-100 links from the average site(and therefore worth its weight in gold).
However, if you are in many industries you can have a top listing without paying to be in Yahoo! I have plenty of sites with top rankings that are not in Yahoo! (the Directory).
However If you are in a very SEO savvy competitive industry a Yahoo! directory listing may be the way to go.
To learn more about Increasing your website's traffic visit the Search Engine Plan Blog to: Improve Your Internet Promotion
On the other hand search engines update and rank sites primarily in a computerized fashion. Search engines first send out programs called bots to retrieve site information by following links of sites presently in their databases. Then SEs use an algorithm or system to determine rank of the sites in their databases. Finally search engines deliver relevant information to its end users searching for information.
The lines are getting somewhat blurred however.
Originally Yahoo started out as the first commercial Internet directory with sites submitting for the review to human editors. Obviously human editors alone could not categorize the web in an economical fashion, given its scale and growth rate.
Enter the search engine which could automate this process. However, search engines require a large infrastructure to operate. Therefore it is costly to run a search engine. Overture pioneered the model to monetize search engines with PPC advertising.
Google adapted this proven revenue strategy and the rest is the lore of business history. Google has built a multibillion dollar business that is one of the most valuable companies in the world. Yahoo! which was formerly an Internet directory and web portal (which purchased its SE results from Google) of course sees money pouring into Goggle's coffers and wants a piece of the action.
Yahoo! buys the assets and technology of a lot of search engine companies like Alta Vista, and AlltheWeb and develops its own search engine. Now Yahoo! does have a search engine but don't confuse it with the Yahoo Directory which still exists.
It also should be stated that Google also uses human editors if a site flags an audit for questionable SEO behavior.
Now back to the issue of a Yahoo! Directory listings when Google developed its linking evaluation system PageRank. It gave preference to established or major site and directory listings. In short a link is not a link in Google's equation. A link from a major human edited directory like Yahoo! was worth more than probably 50-100 links from the average site(and therefore worth its weight in gold).
However, if you are in many industries you can have a top listing without paying to be in Yahoo! I have plenty of sites with top rankings that are not in Yahoo! (the Directory).
However If you are in a very SEO savvy competitive industry a Yahoo! directory listing may be the way to go.
To learn more about Increasing your website's traffic visit the Search Engine Plan Blog to: Improve Your Internet Promotion
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Virtual Real Estate Causes an Explosion in "Do or Die" Domain Names!
Virtual Real Estate (VRE) a name coined by successful Internet Marketer John Reese is causing an explosion in "Do or Die" Domain Names. Virtual Real estate refers to websites designed to make advertising revenue largely with Google Adsense ads and Yahoo!'s recent intro publisher ad networks (although Reese suggests selling other digital assets like ebooks, audio and video products).
3 years ago many websites just weren't worth the time to publish because they generated no income for their developers. However, because of Google Adsense ads many sites have become more solvent.
Google's publisher ad network Adsense has been responsible for a steep increase in Google's sales and profits. Yahoo! and Google were recently reported to be catching up to the ad revenues of traditional advertising powerhouses NBC, ABC, and CBS (source Advertising Age magazine April 05).
NBC, ABC, and CBS have combined revenues of about 13.5 Billion dollars. Google and Yahoo!'s combined sales presently reach about 6.5 Billion dollars and are growing fast. A lot of their success is due to the expansion of their advertising inventory or reach beyond traditional search via their publishers advertising networks like Adsense.
Google is rumored to see a lot of its future success with Adsense publishers, and its ad network as becoming more important than its search engine advertising real estate. This seems to be the case despite nagging problems like click fraud and less sales conversion rates for advertisers in ratio between search prospects and Adsense driven ad network prospects.
Adsense runs by allowing webmasters and Internet publishers to insert code by Google into their web pages, and in turn receive content related ads on their websites. While most publishers only receive nominal income from the program Google is making hundreds of millions (if not billions of dollars) from the ad network of hundreds of thousands of site owners.
With some tweaking some publishers like Joel Comm are purportedly making hundreds of thousands of dollars in Adsense Revenue. Comm has written an excellent book on increasing your Adsense revenue that I can personally vouch for See Joel Comm's Adsense Book Here
One popular blogger Jason Calacanis of Weblogs Inc network even reported being on his way to generating a million dollars in Adsense Ads! Read an Interview of and See Some of His Insights Click Here
These lucrative stakes have generated a countless number of domain names being registered by a tidal wave of publishers -- looking for gold in them Adsense hills. According to an article on www.SearchEngineWatch.com there are over 250,000 domain names being registered a week. If the domains can generate over $7 or $8 dollars (the cost of their registration) in the few days grace period they are keep by the publishers. However if they fail to do so they are discarded. Therefore these domains are referred to as "Do or Die" Domains.
Here is another article explaining the challenges of Adsense ads USA on Adsense Ads and Spam
Many marketers may be again largely be running after a get rich quick scheme with these tactics. Remember you need a viable business and marketing strategy to build a long time business.
It won't be long before the search engine develop algorithms to marginalize VRE sites with only duplicate content or without unique and outstanding content. Tread on this new ad gold rush and wild frontier of Internet riches with a view to moderation and focus on strategies for your long term business growth.
3 years ago many websites just weren't worth the time to publish because they generated no income for their developers. However, because of Google Adsense ads many sites have become more solvent.
Google's publisher ad network Adsense has been responsible for a steep increase in Google's sales and profits. Yahoo! and Google were recently reported to be catching up to the ad revenues of traditional advertising powerhouses NBC, ABC, and CBS (source Advertising Age magazine April 05).
NBC, ABC, and CBS have combined revenues of about 13.5 Billion dollars. Google and Yahoo!'s combined sales presently reach about 6.5 Billion dollars and are growing fast. A lot of their success is due to the expansion of their advertising inventory or reach beyond traditional search via their publishers advertising networks like Adsense.
Google is rumored to see a lot of its future success with Adsense publishers, and its ad network as becoming more important than its search engine advertising real estate. This seems to be the case despite nagging problems like click fraud and less sales conversion rates for advertisers in ratio between search prospects and Adsense driven ad network prospects.
Adsense runs by allowing webmasters and Internet publishers to insert code by Google into their web pages, and in turn receive content related ads on their websites. While most publishers only receive nominal income from the program Google is making hundreds of millions (if not billions of dollars) from the ad network of hundreds of thousands of site owners.
With some tweaking some publishers like Joel Comm are purportedly making hundreds of thousands of dollars in Adsense Revenue. Comm has written an excellent book on increasing your Adsense revenue that I can personally vouch for See Joel Comm's Adsense Book Here
One popular blogger Jason Calacanis of Weblogs Inc network even reported being on his way to generating a million dollars in Adsense Ads! Read an Interview of and See Some of His Insights Click Here
These lucrative stakes have generated a countless number of domain names being registered by a tidal wave of publishers -- looking for gold in them Adsense hills. According to an article on www.SearchEngineWatch.com there are over 250,000 domain names being registered a week. If the domains can generate over $7 or $8 dollars (the cost of their registration) in the few days grace period they are keep by the publishers. However if they fail to do so they are discarded. Therefore these domains are referred to as "Do or Die" Domains.
Here is another article explaining the challenges of Adsense ads USA on Adsense Ads and Spam
Many marketers may be again largely be running after a get rich quick scheme with these tactics. Remember you need a viable business and marketing strategy to build a long time business.
It won't be long before the search engine develop algorithms to marginalize VRE sites with only duplicate content or without unique and outstanding content. Tread on this new ad gold rush and wild frontier of Internet riches with a view to moderation and focus on strategies for your long term business growth.
Monday, August 08, 2005
John H. Johnson Founder of Ebony and Jet Dies at 87
I received an email today about one of the first major forces in Black Business John H. Johnson. John H. Johnson was the founder of Ebony and Jet magazines and he died today at 87 years of age.
Johnson is probably the first Black to build a business valued at a Billion dollars! He was an inspiration to me and countless others.
I remember reading his inspiring book "Against the Odds"! When I heard of his passing I immediately went to Google to see if I could find out more information on his life and demise.
I scanned for 3 pages until I realized that this was breaking news, and Google had a delay filter on new web pages and links. I then did a search on Yahoo! and found some articles on Mr. Johnson's recent passing on the first page of its SERPs (search engine result pages).
This shows that Yahoo! is a more relevant search engine for breaking news. Google may be hurting its position for relevant news and information with the usage of time based filters. You can read more on: Mr. Johnson's Life Click Here
Johnson is probably the first Black to build a business valued at a Billion dollars! He was an inspiration to me and countless others.
I remember reading his inspiring book "Against the Odds"! When I heard of his passing I immediately went to Google to see if I could find out more information on his life and demise.
I scanned for 3 pages until I realized that this was breaking news, and Google had a delay filter on new web pages and links. I then did a search on Yahoo! and found some articles on Mr. Johnson's recent passing on the first page of its SERPs (search engine result pages).
This shows that Yahoo! is a more relevant search engine for breaking news. Google may be hurting its position for relevant news and information with the usage of time based filters. You can read more on: Mr. Johnson's Life Click Here
