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I recently read a post on Technology Review noting the new Google Knol project and its potential competition to Wikipedia as the web’s main authoritative web site. Google’s Knol aims to differientiate itself from Wikipedia by not allowing the public to update articles within the site. Rather Knol will use individual authors with their creditials displayed within the article. Knol aims to perfect what Wikipedia started - an online resource written by professionals. What also makes Knol unique is the ability for users to ‘vote’ on articles covering the same subject. According to Udi Manber, a V.P. of engineering, “for many topics, there will likely be competing knols on the same subject. Competition of ideas is a good thing.”
Tech. Review noted that Wikipedia had differing views about the usefulness of this idea:
The true title should be “I Love My Job” … not so much because it is Pay-Per-Click, but more so because I am provided with the tools to do my job efficiently. In this ever changing world of the internet, things change so quickly that keeping up with the changes can be rough.
Not so with my job though cause ‘education time’ is built into the work day. One hour, every day, we’re to dedicate our time to research, study or just plain reading about our profession. I read so many posts a week - I wonder how those people actually get any work done outside their posting. I’ve mentioned in a previous post about reviewing and updating my PPC binder and I’ve been at it again. I have my binder organized into eight different categories thus far, including:
Forget about the details of setting up an AdWords, Search Marketing or adCenter campaign. — You aren’t going to find those instructions here. At least not today anyway. If you’re looking for that kind of information, each vendor has a pretty extensive step-by-step process they’ll walk you through. (Although tips on those instructions are always good - that is another post.)
What you will find here is a basic question that you need to ask yourself. Before even considering how to compose your ad text or create the keyword list, what is the FIRST question that needs asked? Is it about the budget? No. How about the CPC bids? No, that’s not the first either.
Being a recent transplant from the advertising industry, I canât lie and say I donât miss the glitz and glamour that was part of our daily workload. So I was overjoyed to read 11 Reasons Why You Should Consider a Job in Search Engine Marketing, by Kalena Jordan, which reminded me of the unique benefits to being in our industry. Iâve summarized her article below as a fun reminder for all of my new friends in SEM, as well as for those that may be considering Search Engine Marketing as a career.
The Search Industry is HOT
You canât deny that businesses are falling all over themselves to get seen by online searchersâ¦and theyâll pay big bucks to search engines for the privilege. Search giants like Google and Yahoo! canât fail to make money because everybody wants a bit of the search action.
You Can Learn it all Online
Most all of what you need to know, to become a Search Engine Marketer, you can learn online. The information is out there, you just have to find it. Research, research, research and read everything you can on a daily basis including articles, forums, ebooks, blogs and newsfeeds. There are also online courses available to ensure you gain the right types of skills to make you immediately employable in the industry. Put your knowledge into practice by experimenting with your own or guinea pigs sites to find the methods that give you the best results.
The Demand is Strong and Growing
Currently, there are more jobs than there are skilled marketers to fill them. What this means for the marketer is the ability to pick and choose their jobs and/or clients, and the more skilled SEMâs are head-hunted regularly.
The Skills are Portable and Global
You do not need to be at a desk, in an office or on the phone all day. You donât even need to meet your clients in person. You literally need a computer and an Internet connection. The Internet is the universal equalizer, allowing you to compete with one man operations and Fortune 500 companies on the same level playing field. The flexibility of the search industry is a huge advantage over other career options.
Search Marketing Has the WOW Factor
Once they know what they are doing, it is very easy for Search Engine Marketers to wow their clients. The difference that a successful SEO or PPC campaign can make to a clientâs bottom line is substantial, not to mention the sheer excitement clients get from seeing their site listed in the top 10 search results for certain keywords.
The Industry is Hip and Groovy
There is a constant media buzz around marketers in the Search Engine Marketing field. If you have ever been to a search engine conference youâd know these âgeeks,â varying in age from teens to Baby Boomers and coming from many different professional backgrounds, give off an air of professionalism and a true vibe of happinessâ¦while still managing to socialize, party and hang with the best of âem each night.
Job Satisfaction is High
With all the hype, gossip, corporate take-overs, start-ups and geek toys, you wonât get bored. This combined with a flexible work schedule and a high income keeps job satisfaction soaring for Search Engine Marketers!
There is a distinct difference between editing a site for search engines and making edits for visitors. Traditionally in SEO, adding keywords to a web page falls under the category of editing for search engines. But many don’t realize that adding keywords to your copy can and should be a function of making the site function better for visitors.
The copy of your website falls very distinctly into the marketing realm of website management. Yes, search engines look at copy too, and adding certain keywords can help you achieve search engine rankings rankings, but each page needs to appeal to your readers first.
Do you like how Google AdWords have changed the keyword tool within AdWords?
In case you haven’t seen it yet … within your ad group, click on the keyword tool, (Your options are slightly different if you use the keyword tool linked from Tools)
You’ll find you no longer have tabs at the top of the tool for keywords and getting keywords from your site. Instead you’ll find there are three radio buttons, Descriptive words or phrases, Website content, or Existing keyword.
Ok, I realize that most if not all SEO’s know about the below mentioned tool but I wanted to let everyone know about it. This is a neat tool to prove that Google and Yahoo have completely different ranking tools. This was first brought to my attention by Debra Mastaler during a phone conference and I found it very interesting and useful in many ways.
If you go to Google vs Yahoo it pops up with a preset keyword search. Enter in any keyword(s) that you want to compare, click compare them. It’s as easy as that. You can see the top sites that pop up for your keyword(s) by putting your mouse over the dots. The graph shows you how different Google and Yahoo are for your entered keyword(s).
I often over hear Stoney on the telephone, describing to a prospective client, exactly what Pay-Per-Click entails. These explanations vary from one call to the next of course, depending on how familiar the person already is. Sometimes the explanation will be quick as “yes, we manage PPC accounts.” Other times the explanation goes much deeper into what are often overlooked as very basic description as to where the paid sponsored ads display in the search engine results.
Last week the Pole Position Marketing Team went to Las Vegas for Webmaster World PubCon 2007. While sitting in the Major PPC Engines: Vendor Panel presentation, there was a slide that showed screen shots of âad placementâ and it suddenly occurred to me how brilliant of an idea that was. Pictures of ad placement.
As the campaign to go green by becoming more environmentally aware grows, so does the need for search engine optimization. Many users of the world wide web are becoming more world-friendly, and they’re searching for sites online. There are many parallels between going green and optimizing sites for higher search rankings.
Organic is Best
World-Wide: Buying organic products, such as foods, clothing, business supplies, and household organic cleaners, is best because they are made or grown using the least amount of virgin materials and because they contribute the least amount of waste and harmful chemicals. Using organic household cleaners instead of petroleum-based can help limit the amount of barrels of oil consumed every year. Because they’re vegetable-based, they’re biodegradable and safer for the environment.
Hire Stoney deGeyter or the rest of the Pole Position Marketing team for your in-house training, conference or other search marketing events. Contact us for more information.
Not so with my job though cause ‘education time’ is built into the work day. One hour, every day, we’re to dedicate our time to research, study or just plain reading about our profession. I read so many posts a week - I wonder how those people actually get any work done outside their posting. I’ve mentioned in a 
As the campaign to go green by becoming more environmentally aware grows, so does the need for search engine optimization. Many users of the world wide web are becoming more world-friendly, and they’re searching for sites online. There are many parallels between going green and optimizing sites for higher search rankings.
