Real-time Search leads to Real-time Spam

February 9, 2010

Almost 14% of hot searches on either Google or Yahoo, lead to malware sites, according to a recent report*. And my suspicion is that this will increase as the search engines struggle to balance immediacy with relevancy.

Wherever there is web traffic, you will find spammers and scammers. To them it doesn’t really matter why you are visiting their sites, as long as you do, and consequently get infected by their malicious software or trigger adverts. I’ve previously mentioned the usage of Google Trends and Hot keywords to identify opportunities to gain cheap, relevant, high-volume traffic. Obviously the key to that advice is the word “relevant”, unless you fall into one of the two previously mentioned categories. Read the full article →

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Social Media ROI: Are you in the Marketing or Art business?

February 5, 2010

Ever since the explosion of social media, marketers have tried to tap into its potential for branding and sales. And although the tools and methodologies are starting to slowly catch-up, there’s still not a unified way of measurement. But are we getting metric obsessed to the detriment of innovation?

I recently stumbled upon an equally humorous as thought provoking quote by Nick Pahade of TrueAction.

“What’s the ROI of putting your pants on in the morning? You do it because you look like a douche bag if you walk out of the house without them… There are specific results derived from campaigns.” [source: Media Post]

For every action, there’s a reaction; causality. Simple as that. We just need to be able to measure it. Read the full article →

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Apple iPad PPC keyword hijacked by Mother Nature herself – aka Tampax

January 29, 2010

Not long after the launch of the much hyped Apple iPad, came the torrent of jokes about its name which by some was thought more suitable for feminine hygiene pads. And now there’s a PPC ad for that, by Tampax.
While I previously analysed the keyword hijack related to the BA strike and concluded that it [...]

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iPad or iSlate, iDon’t care, iWant one says Steve

January 27, 2010

I have to admit, I’ve been an Apple fan boy since an early age. But is it so strange? Even when following the launch of the iPad via still images and live blogging, Steve Job’s reality distortion field is as strong as ever. The man can sell, and he does it well. What’s more interesting [...]

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PPC, Poker and the Dangers of Commitment Escalation

January 22, 2010

If you’ve ever played a game of poker, you’ll be familiar with the strong feeling of reluctance to fold after you’ve already contributed a considerable amount of money to the pot. But that fold was perhaps the smartest move of the evening as you realised that things weren’t going according to plan, and it was time [...]

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Search Considerations for Synonyms and Plural Keywords

January 21, 2010

When working out your search strategy, its important to understand how the search engines manages synonyms, to make sure you’re targeting the right keywords and stand out in the rankings.
About 70 percent of all searches across all languages on its search platform, are impacted by synonyms, according to Google.
While the search engine is doing an [...]

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Is Microsoft the Biggest Loser in the Google China debacle?

January 19, 2010

Currently Google is looking  very good. China is of course very bad. And the insecure Internet Explorer 6 is the ugly, that made it all possible.
In addition to making life harder for web developers, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 got severe security flaws. The latter which made it possible to carry out the alleged Chinese attacks.

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GQ iPhone App Proves That we Need a Tablet

January 13, 2010

GQ magazine’s new iPhone app is very promising, but the digital experience is ultimately let down by the small screen.
Reading a newspaper and a magazine are two very different experiences. While a newspaper is about delivering timely reports of events and insightful analysis, a magazine is often a more immersive and recreational activity. The typically [...]

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January Search Trends: New Bodies, Jobs, Holidays and the Nexus One

January 5, 2010

The holidays are over. You’ve stuffed your face to the max, feel guilty and think about joining the local gym. You’re back at your old boring job and wish for a new one or at least another holiday where the sun is shining. With every start of a new year comes the hope of a [...]

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The Linear Limitations of Product Comparison Sites

December 20, 2009

In the run-up to the holidays, product- and price comparison sites are hotter than ever, with consumers looking for guidance in selecting the right product at the best price. Most sites does however use a far too basic and linear approach to product comparison, which often misses the opportunity to add real value and important [...]

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