After watching Inception for the second time, it occurred to me that the objective of a search engine marketer is the same as an inception.

Search Engine Marketing is Like Inception

“Extraction” & Keyword Research

If you’re familiar with the movie, you know that Cobb performs what’s called extraction to try to gain secrets from an individual’s mind when that individual is in a dream state. The team at Amplify performs this same sort of extraction for each one of our client’s target audiences. Through keyword research we are able to tell which keywords the target audience is using to search for our clients’ product or service.

Once we extract that data, we then look into setting up our inception. Now, the basis of an inception is to plant an idea into someone’s subconscious. While the team here at Amplify can’t exactly induce any of our client’s target customers into a dream state, and perform an inception; we can do the next best thing and enhance the perception that our client can meet the needs of a searcher.

“Inception”, Perception & SEM

Optimizing a site and getting it on the search results page for a keyword that we’ve extracted is the foundation of a search marketer’s inception plan. When we put together the content that the target audience is looking for (as we discovered during extraction), and optimize it so that their content shows up in search results, then we have started planting the idea that the site meets the searcher’s needs. As a searcher (target customer) continues to refine their searches, and starts using our client’s branded terms – we’ve then performed an inception and created the perception that our client can meet the needs of a searcher.

By having a paid search presence for that category of search term, that individual will start having that synchronous link between the category of keywords he / she is searching on and the client’s website we’re planting in their subconscious. Naturally, having both an organic and paid search presence only makes the synchronous links between keyword + website / brand stronger, further improving the inception that we are performing. But don’t take our word for it – this study also shows that having a paid ad and an organic listing on a search results page enhances the perception of a brand and improves conversion, which is the ultimate inception!

Don’t hesitate to contact Amplify if you need your product or service implanted into the subconscious of your target audience. Our inception techniques are second to none… except perhaps for Dominic Cobb‘s.

Attain SEM Success Through Authority

“The driving principles of SEO have always been content & authority (in the form of links). Since Google came around – this principle has never changed even as the tactics have. As the search results page has gotten more competitive, and social media has started shedding light on a brand’s strengths and flaws – it has become more important and difficult to cut through the noise and capture attention. Improving the perception of your brand as an authority can help you do this.”

Read the rest of the article on the NWSEM Blog

From the PSU site:

“This breakfast is part of a quarterly discussion of digital marketing with industry professionals, moderated this time by the Portland search engine marketing association, SEMpdx.”

Our panel should be really great. There’s several folks from the SEMpdx board speaking about Universal Search (see my earlier post “SEO Tips for Universal Search“) + we’ll have analytics expert Aaron Gray on hand. We’ll each be presenting a few key points and then taking Q&A.

The session is totally free. Just register. Here’s a link for more information on the PSU Digital Marketing Breakfast at PSU. Hope to see you there!

Here is what the team from Amplify Interactive thinks will happen with SEM in 2010:

Ben

It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon here and just say the words “social media” – everyone is in a frenzy about this, and I think it’s valuable and a must-do – but replacing search? You’re crazy. The current state of social media marketing reminds me of when search started to gain widespread acceptance – marketers are just frazzled with trying to figure out what they should be doing.  That being said:

1. Definitely more convergence of search & social. Search engines will continue to work on ways to incorporate signals from social media. And this is badly needed – harnessing real time data from twitter & facebook status updates is a pretty great way to catch ‘breaking’ news. However – I think it’s ludicrous to assume that social can or will handle the same functions that search can. Yes – you can find a brand and interact with them. Hell, you can even ask your friends/followers for recommendations or help with a problem – is this the same as search? No.
2. Continued emergence of Bing and hopefully some improvements to their algorithm. Assuming this Yahoo/Bing deal goes through, the search engine space will get a lot more interesting.
3. More emergence of vertical search. Whether Google starts to incorporate tabs for travel, restaurants, etc, or whether Google “killer-ettes” (Danny Sullivan’s term) continue to emerge and serve a specific market much better than Google does (like urbanspoon) – I think we’ll all be better off…. please don’t let Google acquire you.
4. On my wishlist?: Bing, Yahoo & Facebook need to step up their game for making their advertiser interface better and easier to use. Also – more editor tools for Mac users please.
5. Another wish list item: Better education and understanding and acceptance of content as a driver for search and social.
6. Another wish list item: Better understanding of Web analytics and what measurements matter to you… and how to act on the right KPIs. If I hear “our hits are down” one more time…

Blu

In 2010 I do not see a whole lot changing as far as search engines adjusting their algorithms however I do foresee a continued push for companies and individuals to own more of a share of their targeted results through interactive media, social media and content syndication. These days search is so much more than simply optimizing a website or managing bids, it is migrating so that search marketers need to effectively be able to setup and manage multiple third party platforms to achieve their goals.

Christian

I think there will be even more of a convergence between social media and SEO. After all, the goal of having an optimized website is getting found by your ideal customer… this will be the same objective for social media as well (without being too pushy). While it definitely is now, it’ll be more of a focal point for search engine marketers in 2010.

I also believe more and more websites will be “doing the right thing” (i.e. be optimized for their specific target audience) which will only make it even more important to continue creating optimized content to have a dynamic and organic website. More competition is fine if you’re on top of optimized content creation.

And lastly, online reputation monitoring will be even more needed in 2010, as social review websites, Twitter, Facebook and more continue to harvest conversations about you and your brand. If you pretend that the conversations aren’t happening and do not address them head-on, then you’ll be missing out on making relationships with the main “influencers” for your brand and identity.

Spencer

Considering SEO and SEM are dead, Team Amplify must be zombies because we are still around. This makes trends 1,2, and 3….BRAINS!

Seriously though, while staying away from mobile and local search (which are increasingly becoming one in the same), and staring deep into my crystal ball these are my predictions for SEM 2010:

1.) Rise of interactive advertising for streaming web-based content: Perhaps this is more of 2011-12 prediction, but the recent deal struck between Comcast and NBC Universal’s parent company General Electric shows that high quality entertainment is continuing its migration to web. Contrary to what disgruntled Comcast customers may think, Comcast is not stupid. Comcast sees a vast arena to market products through interactive advertising via the web content, whether they are saying it or not.

Just imagine you are watching a live streaming game (using Comcast’s high speed service) on ESPN360, and during the scheduled commercial break, a Nike ad appears. An ad serving system, or Nike’s media buyer, recognizes that you would probably be more receptive to this ad since you are already watching a sporting event. Sounds like TV right? Wait though, at the end of the ad, you as an engaged audience member are given the option to buy it from, say, Zappos, Foot Locker or Nike themselves without having to leave your seat. The best part is, for Nike or its retail partner it is measurable, highly targeted, efficient and featured along side high quality entertainment that has helped sell products for years. This is a very basic example, as product placements, and promotional tie-ins make possibilities endless. Combine these benefits with localized advertising results for big-ticket items such as cars or dishwashers this could be a match made in e-commerce heaven.

Comcast is already the only major cable television and high speed internet provider in many large markets. It has the customer base and infrastructure through these channels to deliver content, now their own, with targeted spots on a customer to customer basis.  They can now charge for the content, and possibly charge on a CPC or CPA basis for its advertisers to get interactive. Get ready for it.

2.) Social Media aggregation: I highlighted this in a recent interview I did for my friends at Idea Mensch, and I stole it from the very bright Jeremiah Owyang. The jist of it is for even web savvy people it is difficult to maintain more than 3 three social media profiles, and for businesses it is even more difficult. What aggregation gives users and businesses (especially) is a one-stop shop to manage all of their social media profiles, no matter how niche the segment is. Scaling social media is difficult, and aggregation is the first of many steps in solving this scaling dilemma.

3.) Amplify Interactive kicking ass and taking names: Because that’s what we do around here.

Check with me around this time next year, and tell me how foolish I was, but rest assured number 3 is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Care to share what you think how SEM will evolve in 2010? Feel free to leave us a comment!

Just read an interesting article over at eMarketer “Display Campaigns Boost Search Effectiveness” about a study that  shows that display ad campaigns increase visits from search engine users by nearly 14% from both organic (SEO) and PPC search combined. Another benefit? Cost per click for PPC decreased as well – demonstrating greater efficiency of the PPC campaign as a result of display.

When you think about it, this makes a lot of sense. A lot goes into whether or not users are going to click on a search result… or even search for something in the first place. Depending on the type of search I’m doing, I know that I personally run through a little bit of a mental checklist before clicking on a result that goes something like “does the result seem to match what I’m looking for?” (title/description), “is the source credible?” (URL/recall), “have I heard of/been to the site before?” etc. Those last two questions are where display and other marketing efforts can have a bigger though less direct influence than you’d think on whether or not someone’s going to click on your result in a search engine.

There are some great stats in this article, but I think the number one takeaway for all marketers is that search engine marketing is a great option and it should absolutely be part of your marketing mix, but it shouldn’t be the only thing that your organization is doing to market itself. I think this is also cause for celebration amongst “traditional” marketers and agencies. Search has been a much easier sell over the last year, but here’s a reason to encourage their clients to spend money on display and better integrate with search marketers to improve marketing results overall.

While most PPC marketers (myself included) frown upon running programs like Google’s content targeting option within our PPC campaigns because the click through performance is poor, perhaps it’s time to change or adjust our perception. I know that I always encourage our clients not to put all their eggs in one basket and rely on search as their only marketing tool, but this study definitely makes the case that display campaigns should be a consideration for any SEM campaign.

Enjoy!

Ben

Ben came over and grabbed a couple.  He commented, “You know, every other kind of animal cracker, be it from a bin or a store-brand or whatnot, just doesn’t compare to the tried and true Barnum’s Animal cracker.”

Nothing truer has ever been spoken.  You can buy some cheap animal crackers in a bin somewhere… but they’ll leave you with a weird taste in your mouth.  Or will just be way too “vanilla-y.”  Or kinda nasty and stale.

The same can be said of looking for search engine optimization help.  You can go for a reputable, well-known company’s solution.  It might cost a little extra but you know you’re getting quality animal crackers in awesome packaging.  Or you can opt for a “cheaper” solution… which will come in shoddy packaging and leave that weird taste in your mouth.

I’ll take Barnum’s Animals Crackers every time.

My general position is that LinkedIn is a great personal branding tool, and I also really like it as an always up to date rolodex (more on this below). I’d debate the efficacy of LinkedIn as an SEO / link  tool, but it is definitely helpful from an online reputation management standpoint. Whether we’re talking about your personal online reputation or your company’s reputation. Full profiles with full names, company names, and links to company sites can help own that search results page, and it makes it easier to find you when someone wants to hire you for a job but lost track of your contact info.

I think like anything of these other tools, a little bit of maintenance goes a long way. I have a recurring appointment in my calendar where I actually set aside about a half hour a week to update Facebook and LinkedIn specifically.

When I meet people at networking events or new clients or whatever, I make a point of collecting their business cards simply so I can add them as LinkedIn contact. I used to add new contacts to my Outlook contacts and never talk to or hear from them again. Now – I get updates on what they’re up to or when they get a new job etc. and if I want to send them a message to congratulate them on that new job or to get together for lunch or whatever  – I always have the right email address when I send the message via LinkedIn.

On LinkedIn specifically, here’s what I like to do:

• Maintain & build a full profile – keep it up to date
  • Employed? Link to your company site
  • Not employed? Link to your personal site or blog – or even your downloadable & printable resume
• Keep your connections up to date – add new contacts as you meet people
  • When you login to LinkedIn, scan your network updates & see what your connections have been up to
  • Check out the “people you may know” and add people that you actually know
• Fill in the “what are you working on” status update thing
  • For example – I just updated my status & said “Ben is working on a blog post outlining how I use LinkedIn”
• Got an open position or need help with something? Send the info to your LinkedIn connections and ask them to help you spread the word.
• Join some groups, participate in discussions
• Ask or answer questions
  • Tip: see the Q&A link, find a category that applies to you, and subscribe to it so that you see the questions on your start page / feed reader every day. Then just reply to the ones that look easy to answer quickly.
• Write & ask for recommendations
• Generate leads & business by getting listed in the service provider directory

For good measure – here’s a link to my profile: Ben Lloyd on LinkedIn
What did I miss? How do you use LinkedIn? Why do you use LinkedIn?

Amplify-Interactive, a Portland Oregon search engine marketing agency, is hiring a Search Engine Marketing Specialist. The specialist will have the unique opportunity to help drive this next phase of growth for Amplify Interactive, and learn the fundamentals of search engine & web site marketing – an increasingly important aspect of the marketing mix.

• Search Marketing Specialist: The specialist will help with all aspects of the business, including campaign planning, execution & tracking as well as assisting in client & project management. The ideal candidate is enthusiastic, detail-oriented, hardworking and has a desire to work in a small-business environment.

If you think you fit the bill, check out our careers page for more information and submit your resume.

Baby Mama was not very funny at all. I snickered at Steve Martin’s character and that was about it. Greg Kinnear played the typical “Greg Kinnear” role where he gives that weird smile / laugh which a lady falls in love with and he’s a single older gentleman with a child & a fantastic heart. Don’t get me wrong – I love the Kinnearian! But this role was his typical thing.

But as I sat there hating the movie, my mind wandered into thinking about surrogacy vs. natural infertility treatment, like the type advocated by our client, The Fertile Soul. In a real-life “Baby Moma” story, the main character wouldn’t have had to put up with an annoying Amy Poehler-like character or the feelings she went through while going through her surrogacy process had she known about The Fertile Soul. The Fertile Soul provides what are called “fertility retreats” which individuals attend to try to become fertile naturally through natural medicine, acupuncture & other natural techniques. Interestingly enough, Tina Fey’s character seemingly never came across this alternative (and much less expensive) way to try to get pregnant.

Had she given The Fertile Soul a try, who knows – maybe she would have gotten pregnant naturally before having to put up with Poehler. But then again, had she done that… she would have SPOILER ALERT I’m kidding I wouldn’t spoil that for you! SPOILER ALERT DISENGAGED and yadda yadda yadda the movie ended.

And there you have it. The story of Baby Mama could have possibly been never made had Tina Fey’s character tried a less expensive & natural way to become fertile. And, a little bit of me wished she did… so I wouldn’t have had to sit through that movie and waste an hour and a half of my life.