theEweekly Wrap - Manchester SEO, Twitter trends and Yahoo revenue

Studying Manchester SEO

A Manchester SEO course has opened in the region. The SEO, PPC and SEM training scheme will be offered to students of Manchester Metropolitan University. The course, which begins in February, covers a variety of different topics including keywords, optimising content for search engine optimisation and integrating social media campaigns. Course leader David Edmundson Bird told digital media site How Do that the course would provide students with a solid foundation of SEO techniques. "I wanted to run a serious day for students in digital marketing to see some real knowledge about SEM. This is so we get a raft of local grads who know more than just what they’ve read in a book." "There are lots of students across Manchester who have a bit of insight, even a developed knowledge about digital marketing. What they lack is some in-depth knowledge about specific techniques. They’ve heard of SEO, but that’s about it."

Location, location, location

Social media darling Twitter launched local trends this week. The new service allows users to see popular discussions in their specific region. Users can see the local trends in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Ireland, Canada, Brazil and a number of US cities. London is the only UK location to have its own local listing, however the new feature is set to be rolled out across a number of different worldwide locations in the following months. Twitter employee Jenna Dawn said: "Local Trends will allow you to learn more about the nuances in our world and discover even more relevant topics that might matter to you. We'll be improving this feature over time to provide more locations, languages and data through our API." When Manchester gets its own local tag, we'll let you know.

Popularity contest

Yahoo announced a 4 per cent decline in annual revenue this week. The results were better than expected for the company, which sealed a search deal with Microsoft last year. The majority of the decline came from a 15 per cent annual drop in search advertising revenue, although the company did experience a 4 per cent rise in this sector between quarter three and four. Yahoo chief executive Carol Bartz said that the results signified the company's growing popularity. "The fourth quarter marked a strong finish to 2009, which was a transformative year for Yahoo. We beat the high end of our revenue guidance, saw demand for premium display advertising improve significantly, and grew Owned & Operated search advertising revenue sequentially for the first time since the third quarter of 2008."

News in 140 characters

Google announced users could now obtain information feeds for websites without RSS functionality via its Google Reader application. Ask.com launched an interactive marketing campaign which allows users to dress up the site's mascot in a range of Ben Sherman outfits. A survey by Pingdom found the number of email users grew 100 million to 1.4 billion worldwide in 2009.

Meet the team - Rick Roberts, online marketing assistant

Today, theEword meets Rick Roberts, the fresh-faced postgrad currently on a three-month placement in the marketing department as part of the Manchester Masters scheme. Here, we chat to Rick about online marketing, his MA and his brief stint as a guitar hero.

Morning Rick. How are you?

Very well thank you. I'm feeling good about my second week at theEword.

Glad to hear it. So, what do you think about theEword team? Be honest, now.

Honestly, you're all very nice people. The whole team seems very down to earth and genuine.

So, how did you get to work in our little corner of Manchester? Is SEO an interesting topic for you?

I'm here as part of the Manchester Masters scheme. Like Emily (theEword's other Manchester Masters placement), I submitted a video explaining why I wanted to enrol into the program. My entry saw me having a conversation with myself on a sofa. It's not as crazy as it sounds.

We're sure. But the judges were impressed with the video?

They must have been as I was accepted onto the scheme! This is my third placement this year and I'm really enjoying working with Mark (online marketing manager) as an online marketing assistant.

Good stuff. What do you want to accomplish after your fruitful stint at theEword?

Get a job! I really want to move into account management at an agency. That or something in brand management. I'm very technically minded, so maybe I'll look for a position which takes advantage of these skills.

Excellent. Away from the fast-and-furious world of online marketing, what do you do in your spare time?

I like spending time in the company of my guitar. I play Radiohead songs mostly.

A minstrel in our presence! Have you played for the masses?

I've actually been involved in a UK tour with my band, Avalon Way. We took to the road and played across the country – Newcastle, Scotland, Brighton. Sadly, I'm no longer in the band, but it was a memorable time all the same.

Bit of a Sugababes-esque disagreement?

No, nothing like that. I wanted to concentrate on my career. It was a lot of fun, but I don't think I'm the next Thom Yorke.

We'd better let you get back to work then. Thanks Rick.

No problem.

theEweekly Wrap - Haiti, Apple search engine, paywalls and Bill Gates

Internet donates for Haiti disaster

The internet rallied in support of the victims of the Haiti earthquake this week, pledging millions of pounds to help support those affected by the disaster. Various social media campaigns were created in order to raise funds for the disaster, while Google directed users to appropriate organisations accepting donations via a link on its homepage. The company also promising to donate $1 million to those involved in the disaster relief campaign. Those located in the disaster area have been using Twitter to request information about the whereabouts of relatives or employees, while charity organisations have been relaying news regarding the status of aid drops and medical facilities through uploads on the service.

Poison Apple

Apple, a company famous for its menagerie of touch-screen gadgets and computers, could get into the search game, according to an industry expert. Jonathan Yamis, employee with marketing research firm Ovum, predicted the company would enter into the search market in the near future. His predictions came after rumours circulated that Apple would drop Google as the default search engine on the iPhone handset. Whatever Apple decides to do in the future, it will be facing a tough challenge, particularly in the paid search stakes; it was revealed this week that three out of every four paid clicks happen on Google. Search advertising agency, which manages more than $750 million in annual digital spend, revealed the statistic in its latest quarterly report.

Another kick in the paywall

It's been an interesting week for those involved in the paid news debate. Earlier in the week, internet news site TechCrunch released data which suggested that 44 per cent of Google News visitors in the US do not click through to a third-party site. Users, TechCrunch argued, preferred to 'graze' snippets of news, rather than read an entire article on a third-party site. Later in the week, the third annual News Users report stated that 75 per cent of users would use a different website for their news if their current choice introduced a paywall. Only 10 per cent said they were willing to pay for an online subscription. This news fell on deaf ears over at the New York Times as the American newspaper announced it could begin to move to a paid subscription model in the near future.

Opening the flood gates

Bill Gates, the philanthropic founder of Microsoft, caused headlines this week after opening up a Twitter account. Gates, now working for a number of charities, began tweeting on Tuesday and amassed over 100,000 followers in under eight hours. Currently, he is followed by over 301,000 individuals. Ben Parr, editor of Mashable said: "The last time we’ve seen a new Twitter user with this kind of momentum was Oprah when she first joined. Mr. Gates is not only the world’s richest man, but one of its most popular it seems. His legacy as an entrepreneur and a philanthropist are far from forgotten." For those who are interested, Gates' first tweet read: "Hello World. Hard at work on my foundation letter - publishing on 1/25".

News in 140 characters

66% of online marketers plan to invest in social media over the next 12 months, according to research from Alterian. Google released its latest earnings report. The revenue for the quarter jumped 17% year-over-year to $6.67 billion. 45% of search queries on Bing are either abandoned or result in an immediate re-query, the search engine revealed this week. You can keep up to date with all the current SEO news with theEword Twitter feed

5 classic ads that should go 3D

After all the hype, I finally saw a 3D movie with my own eyes at the Manchester iMax this week. Avatar which is well on its way to becoming the highest grossing film of all time, was a revelation. It may have taken director James Cameron more than a decade to get the technology up to standard but the results are absolutely mind-blowing.

Once my senses had finally recovered, it got me thinking. 3D is an exciting new experience and one that the online marketing industry will be watching closely from now on. But just for fun, I thought it would be interesting to look at a few existing ads that would benefit from a 3D makeover.

So without further ado, we present 5 classic ads that should go 3D:

• T-Mobile Dance ad
  
  
  
  theEword says: One of 3D's main strengths is its ability to make you feel directly involved in the action. T-Mobile Dance is a great example of an ad that relies on audience participation. To start with, a few people dance in Liverpool Street Station before a bemused-looking crowd – so plenty of scope for those over-the-shoulder camera shots that 3D loves. But then more and more people join in and the onlookers spin round to find they've unwittingly become part of the show.



• Citroen C4 Transformer ad
  
  
  
  theEword says: James Cameron certainly doesn't hold back on the rolling 3D landscapes. The closing credits of Avatar, for example, are displayed over a scrolling backdrop featuring a seemingly limitless jungle. From an advertising perspective, the Citroen C4 Transformer ad set on a frozen lake would definitely benefit from this characteristic of 3D. The distant out-of-focus trees would make the lake seem bigger than ever, while the Citroen C4 would really come to life in the foreground.



• Guinness surfer ad
  
  
  
  theEword says: H20 holds up spectacularly well in 3D. The sight of perfectly formed spheres of water spinning across your field of vision is truly awe-inspiring in Avatar, and nowhere would this provide a better fit on TV than the legendary Guinness surfer ad. Perhaps the greatest ad ever, it makes liberal use of visceral slow-motion footage of the surf that is tailor-made for 3D.



• Nike – The Secret Tournament ad
  
  
  
  theEword says: Improved depth perception is a key part of the 3D experience. Judging distances is especially useful at the end of long, narrow sets such as the Cryosleep chamber in Avatar and the caged 5-a-side pitch on The Secret Tournament ad from Nike. Nothing would bring home the ship's claustrophobic atmosphere quite like 3D, making you feel closer than ever to stars like Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Francesco Totti, Paul Scholes and Roberto Carlos.



• Hovis – Go On Lad ad
  
  
  
  theEword says: It has to be said that 3D technology isn't the cheapest right now. Avatar is the most expensive film ever made and 3DTVs typically cost at least £200 more than their HDTV counterparts. In other words, it's going to need a huge advertising budget to make a 3D ad anytime soon. One of the most expensive ads of recent years was the Hovis – Go On Lad campaign, which was recently named Ad of the Decade. It charted 122 years of history in 122 seconds, and we would pay good money to see those Spitfires, street parties and miners' strikes again in 3D.

So those are the 5 classic ads that should go 3D, according to theEword. But we'd love to hear what you think should have made the list. How about the Carling street football ad? Or the Santander Scalextric ad? Or even the Tango Orange Man ad?

Richard Frost

Meet the team - Emily McCleave, online marketing

Emily joins theEword as part of a three-month placement in conjunction with the Manchester Masters scheme. Here, she talks to us about online marketing, Manchester nightlife and her fondness for walruses.

Hello Emily. You seem very cheerful.

Thanks. How are you?

We're dandy. So, what do you do here at theEword?

I'm here for three months as part of the Manchester Masters scheme. I'm working with Mark Baker (online marketing manager) on a range of different PPC campaigns.

How are you finding it so far?

I love it. This is my first time dealing with online marketing campaigns, so I'm orientating myself with the whole process.

Is Mark a good teacher?

The best.

Good to hear it. So, what were your first impressions of theEword?

You're all a friendly bunch, aren't you?

Our sunny disposition notwithstanding, are you enjoying your time here?

Very much so. This is my third placement of the scheme and I'm eager to learn new things, particularly in such an exciting sector. I'm looking for this scheme to give me an introduction to different professions and offer me the chance to shape my future career choices.

Happy to have you on board. So what do you do outside of work?

Study for my master's degree in business mainly. I do it all in my free time.

Gosh. Do you get any time for fun?

Plenty. The Manchester Masters scheme gives me a flat in the Northern Quarter, so I'm having a lot of fun exploring the city centre. I love the nightlife there, particularly Walrus Bar.

Speaking of which, if you had a Walrus, what would you call it?

Albert. It's a pretty name.

theEweekly Wrap - US spelling, market share and China

World War Z

Bing and Google came into the firing line this week as both companies began applying Americanised spelling to UK search terms. Users across the country criticised the pair as searches for 'search engine optimisation' and 'colonisation' resulted in website results which spelt the words with a 'z' rather than an 's'. While one SEO blog described the move as 'insulting', a number of commentators suggested the incident may have ranking implications for UK websites, particularly those with a strict interpretation of the English language. Alan Bleiweiss from Searchenginejournal said the move showed a lack of common sense on Google's part. He blogged: "It goes to the very nature of SEO and how critical it is to ensure that you optimize (optimise) a web site for the target market you are needing to reach. Linguistic difference is vital to success when reaching a specific country or culture."

Share the wealth

Search market research from Neilsen gave Yahoo and Bing the New Year blues as it revealed both companies had dropped their share of US visitors in December. Yahoo Search suffered a 0.9 per cent decline in users, falling from 15.3 per cent of the market in November to 14.4 per cent. Bing suffered a similar fate, dropping from 10.7 per cent to 9.9 per cent. The decline suffered by both companies came as a result of Google's increased dominance, rising from 65.4 per cent to 67.3 per cent. A number of industry sources speculated the gain by Google was a result of its marketing campaign for Chrome; a multi-market advertising push for the browser.

Chinese democracy

Google's decision to re-evaluate its position in China has received support from US president Barack Obama. In his daily briefing, press secretary Robert Gibbs revealed the White House was strongly in favour of the search engine's decision to remove censored searches from its site in China. Gibbs commented: "We support Google's action in a decision to no longer censure searches that happen using the Google platform." Google's policy shift in the country, provoked by a hacking attempt on several Google Mail accounts, has been welcomed by many. None more so than in the White House, as Gibbs reiterated Obama's commitment to free speech across the globe. "The President has strong beliefs about the universal rights of men and women throughout the globe. Those aren't carved out for certain countries."

News in 140 characters

Jill Hazelbaker, spokesperson for John McCain's failed bid for US president, has been hired as Google's head of corporate communications. 'Google' has been proclaimed as the word of the decade by the American Dialect Society. 'Tweet' picked up the word of the year award. Media aggregator NewsNow has criticised News International after being told to remove all links to Times Online content.

The 5 hottest gadgets in 2010

Here at theEword, we like to keep tabs on the very latest advances in technology. Without doubt, 2009 was the year of the iPhone 3GS. But 2010 is proving harder to call with several clever pieces of kit threatening to break into the mainstream. Here, we profile what could be the five hottest gadgets in 2010:

1. Tablets
   
   Examples: Apple iTablet, Microsoft Courier, Lenovo IdeaPad U1
   
   Overview: Not much is known about the much-hyped tablets from Apple and Microsoft. Rumours swirling around the blogosphere suggest that the iTablet will have a 10-inch screen while Microsoft is plumping for 7 inches. Both are touchscreen devices, enabling users to connect to the web and carry out everyday computing tasks at speed.
   
   Thankfully, more details are forthcoming about the Lenovo IdeaPad U1. A hybrid device, this clever gadget is part laptop and part tablet. Basically, you can operate it as a conventional notebook or detach the 11.6-inch HD screen to get a standalone device with embedded 3G.
   
   Tablets are generating plenty of interest among commuters, particularly those who need to be able to work in confined spaces like buses and the Tube. Of course, it's very early days, but they could well be this year's breakthrough device.
   
   




2. Android phones
   
   Examples: Google Nexus One, Motorola Droid, Nokia X6 16GB
   
   Overview: Believe it or not, it's only been a year since the launch of the first handset based on Google's Android operating software. Today, there are 20 Android phones in 48 countries across the world. Google even built a new version of Android ahead of the launch of its first ever phone – the Nexus One – at the start of this year.
   
   In the smartphone market, Android will provide the main source of competition to the iPhone OS. It's free, fast, open source and most importantly of all has the might of Google behind it. So it's a fair bet that Android phones will go mainstream in 2010.
   
   


3. Electronic readers
   
   Examples: Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, Samsung E101
   
   Overview: In America, the Kindle is the number one selling product across the whole of Amazon. That gives you some idea of the potential for electronic readers. Here in the UK, the Kindle finally went onsale in October 2009 and the Kindle DX will launch on January 19th 2010. But Amazon customers still have to buy electronic books from the American website and pay in dollars. The real tipping point could occur later this year when Amazon rolls out a UK-specific Kindle store.
   
   Like tablets and smartphones, electronic readers are compact enough to make them a viable option for commuters. They also have another advantage. The Kindle DX can hold 3,500 books, meaning owners can potentially do away with bookshelves altogether and keep everything stored on one little device.
   
   Its biggest drawback is the price. The Kindle DX will retail at more than £300 and, on top of that, electronic books can cost as much as £8.50 each from Amazon – not all that different from paper prices. But if demand is strong enough, that will surely change in 2010.
   
   


4. 3DTVs
   
   Examples:LG LD360, Toshiba ZX900 CELL TV
   
   Overview: HD was all the rage in 2009 but 3DTV is lining up to be the hottest thing in 2010. And as is so often the case, it seems live sport could provide the big push. On February 6th 2010, the England v Ireland rugby game in the Six Nations will make history as the first European live 3D sports broadcast. Furthermore, ESPN will air up to 25 World Cup football matches in 3D and Sky is launching a 3DTV channel later this month.
   
   Again, price will be a factor with 3DTV displays typically being at least £200 more than plasma screens and subscription fees on top of that. But the fact that it's a World Cup year could prompt many sports fans to take the plunge regardless.
   
   


5. Controller-free devices
   
   Examples: Xbox Natal, Toshiba CELL TV
   
   Overview: Ok, so this is less a gadget than the lack of one. But controller-free devices could be the surprise hit of 2010. The Nintendo Wii Remote proved that gamers are more than willing to embrace new control methods and it's a fact not lost on Microsoft. This year will see the arrival of Project Natal, a motion sensor add-on for existing Xbox 360s that picks up on body movements and transfers them to the game being played. It could take sports games and beat 'm' ups to the next level.
   
   A similar idea underpins the next generation of TVs. Intuitive devices like the Toshiba CELL TV don't need a remote control. Instead, users simply wave their hands to pause films, play about with display settings and adjust the volume.
   
   They're very much still in the development stages, but 2010 could mark the beginning of the end for old-fashioned controllers.
   
   

Of course, new gadgets are emerging all the time. It may well be that the hottest device of 2010 hasn't even made it out of the laboratory yet. Or the iPhone 4G, tipped for an April launch, could simply pick up where the 3GS left off and further cement Apple's reputation in the tech community. But one thing's for sure – 2010 is shaping up to be a big year for gadgets.

Richard Frost

SEO news - how to find the latest headlines

The SEO goalposts are consistently shifting. The search industry continues to evolve and the techniques which have been relevant – and often revered - in the past may no longer be applicable. To put the changing search market in perspective, Google made 540 quality improvements to their indexing process throughout 2009. The year also saw the demise of internal page sculpting, the launch of Bing and the redundancy of keywords.

Ultimately, the search industry moves very quickly and in order to offer the most relevant content to clients, SEO copywriters need to know the latest news. Thankfully, the internet offers a number of sources for the SEO-er keen to utilise the latest SEO tips and techniques.

Industry websites

There are a number of excellent industry websites which give writers the ability to monitor and track the news from the search engine world. Sites such as Searchenginejournal.com and Searchengineland.com offer dedicated reports from the industry, tracking everything from recent Google updates to the latest search market share.

Personal blogs

Personal blogs give readers the opportunity to discover SEO stories which may have slipped under the radar of the larger news outlets. Posts on these blogs can vary from news, opinion and SEO advice and these blogs – sometimes in Blogger or Wordpress format – offer the curious SEO professional the opportunity to discover the views and opinions of their peers.

Social media

The social media site Twitter has a thriving community of SEO consultants. These users continually discuss and debate SEO techniques and tactics, as well as sharing links to interesting content and developments. What's more, the introduction of Twitter lists has made it very easy to follow the relevant users.

Search engine employees

A number of Google, Bing and Yahoo employees run personal blogs relating to the search industry, and, more particularly, comment onchanges to the way their sites index web pages. Individuals like Matt Cutts, Google's Head of Webspam, provide an indispensible window into the workings of search engines, often debunking or confirming myths relating to search engine optimisation techniques.

Digital marketing blogs

Digital companies – much like theEword – produce news and blogs relating to the SEO industry. These sources can offer a range of advice and techniques from various qualified team members across all disciplines – online marketing, website design and development – to provide techniques and tips to their peers.

theEweekly Wrap - Google Caffeine, Facebook and the Nexus One

Groundhog January

The new year has kicked off - much as 2009 did - with a Google PageRank update. After rumours began circulating about the release of Caffeine in the coming weeks, many SEO agencies were keeping a careful eye on the little green bar above websites this week, lest it serve as a portend for what was to come for their SERPs ranking after the launch of the new Google indexing algorithm. Google has also introduced 'pay per call' marketing. The feature, which allows advertisers to display their phone numbers in sponsored links, gives users the chance to instantly call a company from an ad on their mobile handset. A statement from Google read: "Users will be able to click-to-call your business just as easily as they click to visit your website. You’ll be charged for clicks to call, same as you are for clicks to visit your site."

Happy New Year for Facebook

It was a good week for Facebook as data from internet research firm Hitwise revealed the social media goliath was the most visited website by US users on January 1st. The news came after the site scooped the prize for the most hits on Christmas day. Writing on the Hitwise blog, analyst Bill Tancer speculated the results were due to the nature of the festive season. He said: "Is there something about holidays that might cause social networking to trump search as the most popular online activity? One possible explanation might be that being home for the holidays might also mean being physically separated from one's social group, leading to greater virtual contact."

What's Nexus For Google?

Google grabbed headlines this week (but to be honest, what week does it not?) after unveiling the Nexus One mobile phone. Information about the handset was disclosed to journalists in an invite-only presentation at the company's headquarters in Silicon Valley. The handset boasts an impressive list of feature, including a 5-megapixel camera, voice-activated keyboard and, most intriguing, the Google web store; a feature which allows users to buy and download applications for the handset. Richard Frost, part of theEword's SEO copywriting team, blogged that the Google web store offered up a direct challenge to Apple's dominance of the App market. "Google has made its name by keeping simplicity at the heart of everything it does. The Google web store continues that trend by being markedly simpler than rivals such as the iPhone homepage."

Manchester Master joins theEword SEO team

In SEO Manchester news, Emily McCleave has joined theEword as part of the 2010 Manchester Masters scheme. Emily, who beat off competition from over 100 eager graduates to win the contest, started her three month placement with the online marketing team on Monday. Emily, who completes her Master's degree in business in September, said she was looking forward to experiencing life on the front line of digital marketing. "I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to experience three months of digital marketing firsthand," she said. "theEword is an energetic and vibrant company and I am keen to make the most out of this opportunity." Welcome aboard, Emily.

Nexus One – Google's take on online retail

No prizes for guessing what's the big story of the week. Yesterday, Google finally lifted the lid on the Nexus One at a specially-convened press conference. Google phone features are as expected, so you'll find a 3.7-inch display with a 480 x 800 pixel display and a 5-megapixel camera. The advertising giant has also found space for Bluetooth, 7 hours of video playback and a voice-activated keyboard for hands-free texting and emailing.

Google – the online retailer

But amid all the buzz about the Nexus One, something else risks being overshadowed. Google, which has built its reputation on free search engines and software, has finally taken the leap into paid-for hardware. The Nexus One has an unlocked price tag of £331. And to start with, it will be sold exclusively through a brand new Google web store at www.google.com/phone. After 12 years revolutionising search, PPC, web browsers, freeware and more, Google has finally become an online retailer. This begs the question – what does the Google web store do differently?

1. It's simple
   Google has made its name by keeping simplicity at the heart of everything it does. The Google homepage is a pared-down version of Yahoo, Chrome is a pared-down version of Internet Explorer and Gmail is a pared-down version of Hotmail.
   
   The Google web store continues that trend by being markedly simpler than rivals such as the iPhone homepage. Whereas Apple fills the homepage with hundreds of links, words, tabs and dynamic images, Google contents itself with a mere 50 words and one static picture. Most visitors will never get through all the information on the iPhone site, whereas a few minutes is enough to learn about the Nexus One.



2. It's fun
   This company also prides itself on having a sense of fun. For example, it's constantly putting out new Google doodles to greet search engine users and the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button lets you make random discoveries. More recently, it has even started introducing animated doodles.
   
   Again, that idea is carried over onto the Google web store. Users are invited to take a 3D tour of the Nexus One, while animated measuring tape and headphones draw themselves when you request more details on the specs page. There's even an interactive feature that measures your hand to show how small the Google phone really is.



3. It's intuitive
   Down the years, Google has won over many internet users thanks to its intuitive search results. Search for specific products and relevant PPC ads pop up, location-based searches bring up a local map and branded searches such as 'Coca-Cola' give you several indented results from a single website.
   
   Now, one of the main selling points of any smartphone is the touchscreen. But unlike the iPhone homepage, Google actually gives visitors a taste of this technology through their computer. Simply select an app on the phone image and Google launches a brief video explaining how it works – much more intuitive than Apple's tabs and more like a smartphone too.
   
   And crucially for an online retailer, the call to action is also far more prominent on the Google web store. The 'get your phone' button is big, blue and impossible to miss, whereas the tiny 'buy iPhone' button on the Apple website is easy to overlook amid the wealth of other information.

Obviously it will take more than a well-designed website for the Nexus One to win the smartphone war. Nevertheless, the Google web store is simpler, more fun and more intuitive than its rival. And that strategy has served Google extremely well in the past.

Richard Frost

Online marketing goes offline - search engine advertisement

Each of the three leading search engines engaged in multi-million pound advertising campaigns over the past 12 months. Yahoo and Microsoft put their money into promotion of their respective search engines, while Google opted to promote its Chrome browser. theEword SEO copywriter Tom Mason examines the effects of each of these marketing campaigns.

Yahoo

Campaign: It's You!

Tag line: "The internet is under new management. Yours."

Theme: The campaign's theme focused on the way browsers could personalise the internet through Yahoo. The strategy – which involved a series of characters featuring on billboards around the UK – portrayed the search engine as a completely customisable experience.




Cost: $100m (global)

They said:

"Today the Web and your world are inseparable. Hundreds of millions of people use Yahoo to get the information they need, connect with friends and family, and be entertained. We are about creating online experiences people find meaningful, relevant, and fun." (Yahoo Chief Executive Officer Carol Bartz)

"Our vision is to be at the center of people’s online lives—to be at the place where their world meets the larger world. Our new branding will focus on people—the power and promise of you." (Elisa Steele, Yahoo executive vice president and chief marketing officer)

theEword says:

"Yahoo took a bold approach in its marketing campaign. The site focused on its core services, such as its mail and messenger service, to promote the ways users could personalise their experiences online."

Success: Yahoo grabbed 18.8 per cent of the search market share in September, although this figure declined throughout October (18 per cent) and November (17.5 per cent).

Microsoft

Campaign: Search Overload Syndrome

Tag line: Bing and decide

Theme: Search is too confusing, or at least, that's what Bing would have us believe. In a series of online, print and radio adverts, the campaign for the launch of Bing focused on the simplicity of the search experience.

Cost: $80-$100 million (estimated)



They said:

"The first thing we're trying to do with this campaign is to capitalize with the latent dissatisfaction that's going on with the market." (Danielle Tiedt, general manager, Online Audience Business Group Marketing at Microsoft)

"Today, search engines do a decent job of helping people navigate the web and find information, but they don’t do a very good job of enabling people to use the information they find. Bing is an important first step forward in our long-term effort to deliver innovations in search that enable people to find information quickly and use the information they’ve found to accomplish tasks and make smart decisions." (Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO)

theEword says:

"Bing tries to convince the user that it offers a simpler way of searching the internet. The campaign quickly establishes itself as 'not Google', a marketing strategy which portrays Bing as an easier search experience."

Success: Bing experienced a steady increase in search share beyond its initial advertising period. Despite fears of a drop in users after the campaign finished, its share grew from 8 per cent of the market in May to 10.3 per cent in November.

Google

Campaign: Chrome

Tag line: Chrome by Google

Theme: Google took its first steps into the advertising world with a billboard and national newspaper campaign for its internet browser. The approach highlighted the apparent reliability of the service.

Cost: N/A


They said:

"10 days of holiday left, about to expire; 27 emails between my wife and I hatching travel plans; 7 potential travel plans generated on 4 travel sites, 3 playlists generated on Spotify. 6 tabs open, 0 crashes, 1 browser." (Google Chrome advertisement)

"It’s odd to see the masters of new media advertising using such traditional means to promote its browser. They’re clearly reaching out to the non-geek Internet Explorer 6 users out there." (the Next Web)

theEword says:

"Google typically shies away from offline advertising, so to see this marketing campaign came as a surprise to many in the SEO community. The Chrome marketing strategy is quite clever, highlighting not only the reliability of the browser, but its universal appeal."

Success: Google Chrome clocked up a 4.63 per cent of the market. This is compared to the 3.93 per cent it registered in November.