Google’s Super Bowl ad search results are not the same as actual results… but at least better than Bing

If you are not from the search marketing industry, you already know that rankings fluctuate. They change over time and this is were SEO companies use ranking reports checking how rankings change over time, looking at the trend and seeing the benefits of these ranking improvements in terms of traffic, conversions and ROI. Knowing that ranking change all the time due to different factors such as personalization, geographic location, all sorts of Google One-Box algorithms, Google Subscribed Links, Image Search, Video Search, Real Time Search, the search engine results page (SERP) may always look different from two different people. So I decided to check last Google commercial that was aired during the Super Bowl. This is actually not a new commercial, it was uploaded by Google online on YouTube last November 19, 2009 and many people in the search industry already knew about this commercial. A full set of all their other video commercials can be found on YouTube’s Search Stories.

SEO Flash Solution Explained by an Optimized Flash Example Implementation

There are many SEO tips out there for people doing flash, but sometimes all these tips still keep some people in the dark on how this is really implemented. Some people say Flash can now be read by search engines, and you should not worry about it. Some say just use swfObject, and others say use sIFR and you should be good. For me I am not going to recommend any specific tool or script framework. You can use what works best for you. I am just going to talk about the SEO issues of running a full Flash website and it’s corresponding solutions. And to explain this better I’ve created a Flash demo site that implements most of the concepts enumerated in this blog post. This may appear more like a tutorial than a blog post, so expect this to be a bit lengthly. I plan to make this a bit detailed because I get the same questions over and over again from SEO clients who we give consultations on how to fix their Flash issues and this blog post shall serve as a good reference our clients could always go back to. So I talk about the following:
Enumerate the SEO issues with Adobe Flash.
Give the solutions to the SEO Flash issue.
And explain why our recommendation is a good solution to the Flash SEO problem.
Issue 1: A full Flash website is not an option?

Probably some SEO professionals have recommended this to you in the past. Just do not make the whole website in flash. Simply because you cannot optimize it in the same way you would optimize HTML. Although this statement is true, this does not mean just because a website is made all in Flash, it cannot be optimize to rank well for a keyword.
Recommendation: Our solution to doing SEO on complete full Flash websites

If Flash really helps in your website’s user experience and can help users in a way that helps in the overall selling/marketing of your products and services, then there is a good reason to keep Flash on your website.

Always note that doing SEO for a non-Flash website is easier to do, which translates to lesser working resources and just might also mean a lower price tag. Some SEO companies may not have any difference in pricing for Flash and non-Flash website, and this simply means their price is already adjusted to expect the worst or they are probably not aware yet of the SEO challenges of a Flash website.

The bottom line is, if Flash helps in making your customers happy or increasing sales, then keep it, otherwise remove it. And if you do keep it, be prepared for the challenges in SEO.

Is Your Company Built for Speed?

We discuss usability and conversion optimization frequently, but there is one simple piece of the puzzle that can get overlooked. Website speed and performance!

Users are becoming more and more impatient as they surf the web. Now the majority of people really only focus on the first few results in Google so companies spend a lot of time, energy, and money performing search engine optimization and running paid search ads. Once the user lands on your page, you have about eight seconds to capture their attention or they are gone. But before you even worry about your design, layout, and call to action you should consider your site’s speed and performance. If you page does not load within a few seconds, that user will leave and go to the next search result…and will likely never come back.

If your company’s website is slow, the first thing you need to do is determine what is slowing it down. It may be due to a number of factors such as image file size or general architecture. Here are a few simple steps for getting started. You will first need to load the following on your computer:
Mozilla Firefox web browser
Firebug (getfirebug.com)
Page Speed (code.google.com/speed/page-speed)

Once this is set up, open Firefox and go to Tools and choose Firebug. Open Firebug and choose page speed. This will give you a list of factors involved in site speed and make recommendations for improvement.

Here are some things to consider for website development for your business to ensure proper structure, speed, and performance:
Use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and combine them into one file
Streamline the CSS by eliminating unused styles
If you are running on a blogging platform like Wordpress install a caching plug-in
Always trim down image size and resolution when possible
Avoid flash based site when possible – combine HTML and Flash and limit the amount of flash on each page
Use a dedicated server if possible or make sure you are using a high quality host provider

Top 10 Ways to Write Retweetable Tweets on Twitter

If you’ve ever wondered what makes something go viral, hopefully this blog post will uncover some of these hidden characteristics. Last Friday, viral scientist and author of The Social Media Marketing Book, Dan Zarrella, gave a webinar on The Science of ReTweets. He collected over 100,000,000 retweets and observed almost every element possible within its 140 characters. He looked at everything from word choice to punctuation to the time of day – all in his quest to discover what makes something “retweetable.” In the end, he came up with a collection of tips and tricks to make your tweets go viral.
1. Use the most retweetable words

Of the millions of tweets in his database, Zarrella identified 20 words or phrases that are more retweeted than others. These include (in order): ‘you,’ ‘twitter,’ ‘please,’ ‘retweets,’ ‘post,’ ‘blog,’ ‘social,’ ‘free,’ ‘media,’ ‘help,’ ‘please retweet,’ ‘great,’ ‘social media,’ ‘10,’ ‘follow,’ ‘how to,’ ‘top,’ ‘blog post,’ ‘check out,’ and ‘new blog post.’
While it’s unsurprising that the most retweeted words are those relating to Twitter or social media, it’s interesting to see that the phrase “top 10” makes the top 20. Zarrella explained that people, on average, like to see “chunked content” or readings that are easy to skim and digest. Seeing words such as “top 10” or even “how to” are signals to people that the link is easily readable and, therefore, sharable.
2. Avoid the least retweetable words

Here’s some words you should probably avoid using in your next tweet (also in order): ‘game,’ ‘going,’ ‘haha,’ ‘lol,’ ‘but,’ ‘watching,’ ‘work,’ ‘home,’ ‘night,’ ‘bed,’ ‘well,’ ‘sleep,’ ‘gonna,’ ‘hey,’ ‘tomorrow,’ ‘tired,’ ‘some,’ ‘back,’ ‘bored,’ and ‘listening.’ In other words, don’t be boring! Ask someone why they’re not on Twitter and you might hear: “why would I want to know when you’re eating breakfast?” Well now there’s proof of the unattractiveness of these status updates.
3. Include a link in your tweet

It’s hard for something newsworthy and sharable to be self-contained within only 140 characters. That’s why the most retweetable tweets include a link to something interesting. Also, the use of URL shorteners (especially bit.ly) leaves enough room in the tweet for others to add a short comment. Don’t miss this opportunity. Link to the story and keep it short!
4. Tweet the news

Another unsurprising tip, but important nonetheless. Breaking news, in particular, is one of the most sharable types of content. And again, guess what’s not sharable: small talk.
5. Use longer and more unique words

The average tweet has about 1.58 syllables per word, while retweets have 1.62 syllables. Also, retweets often contain words that are uncommon in average tweets. In other words, be unique and interesting in your choice of words and you’ll be the social butterfly of the Twitter Party.
6. Use colons, not semicolons.

In general, Zarrella proved that tweets with more punctuation are more retweetable. While you would think that the opposite would be true given the focus on rationing your characters, it turns out proper punctuation is a more attractive characteristic. And the use of colons makes for great “Headline: Sub-headline” news stories. Semicolons, interestingly, actually make it less likely for you to be retweeted—perhaps given the ambiguous nature of when to use it properly.
7. Write entertainment tweets for women, opinion tweets for men.

This tip is actually more dependent on your particular audience. But if you’re unsure what kind of content your followers would be willing to share and you skew a particular gender, use this rule of thumb.
8. Avoid the self-reference

Even though Twitter previously asked its users to share “What’s on your mind,” it turns out that the self-referential tweets are the least retweetable. In fact, this goes for every sensory experience that just involves you. Instead, your tweets should focus on social experiences, focusing more on “we” instead of “me”
9. Time your tweet for Friday 4-5pm EST

Like every good comedian knows, timing is everything. And it’s no different in the world of twitter. Zarrella identified that people are more likely to share another tweet on a Friday and anytime from late afternoon to evening. But the sweet spot is definitely from 4-5pm EST.
10. Ask for it!

They always say the simplest solution is the correct one, but on Twitter this is especially true. Adding “please retweet” to your next tweet makes it 5x more likely to be retweeted! (Just remember to use this tip sparingly since it can become a bit annoying).
So Why Should I Care About Retweets?

It may seem a bit geeky to focus so much attention on just one of Twitter’s features, but in reality, learning to craft better tweets can have a great impact on your bottom line. The more your message is retweeted, the more other followers will notice you. And the more followers you gain, the more traffic you can convert on your website! Even more, learning the rules to go viral on Twitter can help shed light on other ways to make your other content more viral. So with that said, I’d like to craft the perfect tweet given our tips on retweets:

“Please Retweet: Top 10 Ways to Write Retweetable Tweets on Twitter!”

SEO & PPC Spends to Double by 2014 to over $30 Billion

It is no surprise that Internet Marketing will continue to grow and start taking additional budget dollars away from traditional marketing. It is surprising by how much the current market is expected to grow in size over the next few years. Check out this chart below. Overall Interactive budgets will soar to above $55 Billion. The Internet Marketing Agencies will continue to take business from traditional agencies as online begins to rule the advertising world.


According to our friends at Blogstorm and Forrester Research, a lot of companies are still not taking advantage of organic SEO. In fact, many companies spend 20 times as much on PPC over SEO even though SEO drives 75% of the traffic. This will begin to change as more companies realize the benefits of organic SEO.

6 Slick Tricks To Make Google Work For You

What Google lacks in catchy television commercials, it more than makes up for in service. Coming off the heels of those surprisingly memorable television ads, Microsoft’s Bing experiment has carved out a respectable slice of the search market share but hardly gained any traction against the Internet behemoth we all know as our homepage or as Google. Google’s share of the market floats at 65%, changing minimally from month to month, with Yahoo (17%) and Bing (13%) lagging so far behind their combined share doesn’t equal half of Google’s total share. The search engine holds an unassailable position atop the search engine hierarchy.


This is perhaps a result of Google offering users more than just search results – Google has become a one-stop shop, affording users the ability to check their mail, get directions, watch the latest viral video, find up to date news sourced more than a thousand times, and even translate the website for that hotel in Reykjavik, Iceland, which doesn’t seem to have an English button.
6 Slick Tricks

Nonetheless, most Internet surfers are unaware of the many tools Google provides that does not warrant an insular tab at the top the page. By entering specific codes into the search field, you can manipulate Google to do whatever it is you want it to. Here are six of my favorite unknown tricks of the trade:
1. Spell Check:

Google is perhaps the fastest way to check your spelling. By typing your word into the search field, Google will confirm a million times over the correct spelling or suggest an alternate. Likewise, you can enter the “define” operator to instruct Google to show you only dictionary entries.
2. Calculator:

Yes, your computer does have a calculator. So does your phone. But sometimes those places are just farther away than a Google search bar. Try searching an arithmetic nightmare like “538/14 * (17+284)/ 2”. Then go ahead and check it on your calculator and ask yourself which method was easier.
3. World Clock:

Trying to figure out if you can call that hotel in Reykjavik to book a room? Search “time Reykjavik” to see whether or not it’s business hours. Naturally, this is an invaluable tool in a world were you need to call London, San Diego, and New Delhi all in one working day.
4. Currency Converter:

Need to find out how many kroner you’re getting for your dollar? Type “100 dollars in kroner” to find out. You can, of course, use Google to find out that Iceland is on the kroner before you begin converting.
5. Exclusion Operator:

This one is an oldie but worth repeating. Search ‘ “masters” –woods ’ to see the untold stories of this weekend’s golf tournament. That little minus sign may be all that stands between you and a torrent of unwanted search results.
6. File Type Operator:

You can limit your search results to specific file types. Ever want to know what power points people have published on Reykjavik? Search “reykjavik filetype:ppt” to be amazed. Likewise you can search everything from avi to zip for your file-finding needs.

Moodify.me - A Social Networking Site

Moodify is a new social networking site that takes a somehow more affective approach than sites like Facebook and Orkut. You see, here everything revolves around feelings and emotions. People network based on that - they post updates where they tell just everybody how they are feeling, and then others can comment on these updates.

A feature I really like is that Moodify can process all the updates that are posted and give you an overall perception of the way that the world is feeling. Alternatively, you can have it display the prevalent mood in your City. And if you want to get even more specific, any user of the site can keep track of his humor over any given period of time.

Check out my Moodify.me profile

Pickup Lines

I’ve heard just about every pickup line there is- some are actually funny, but none are effective if you want to find a quality woman. Men, imagine you are that attractive woman you see at Rittenhouse Square every weekend- now imagine all the recycled pickup lines she hears. She has probably heard every pickup line ever invented. You think she’ll be impressed when she hears you regurgitate some memorized line you borrowed from a friend, who heard the same line from his friend, who actually stole it from the internet or a movie?

Not only are pickup lines unoriginal, they are all dead ends. Suppose you do make her laugh when you approach her and say “Hey, do you mind if I flirt with you for a second?” Ok, she laughs- then what? Do you have another follow up line you memorized? When does it all end until you actually have to have a meaningful conversation? Guys, women aren’t looking for unoriginal boys, they are looking for mature confident men with substance and depth- authentic men. Pickup lines prove you have no personality at all, which is why you lifted someone else’s ‘dead horse’ of an introduction.

Have you ever seen another man get completely rejected using a pickup line? It’s very embarrassing not just for him, but for all men within earshot who get hit with ‘rejection shrapnel’- you can tell who got wounded by their disgusted facial expressions. When you get a chance, keep your eyes on a single attractive woman in a social setting. Watch the men that approach her and watch their body language and their walk as they approach- you’ll notice those who use pickup lines dont walk like a confident Clint Eastwood, they walk with their hands in their pockets and look very insecure. The moment women hear a pickup line, they’re gone- you’re an amateur.

So, what do you say when you approach a woman? You don’t have to say much at all if your approach is cool and confident. Women can tell if you’re uncomfortable or anxious, and it will make them feel the same way. If you’re nervous, they’ll be nervous, if you’re rude, they’ll be rude. But if your approach, like Clint Eastwood, is cool and confident you only have to make a friendly observation to get the ball rolling. Trust me, they know the idea is just to have a conversation so you can get to know each other. Saying practically anything with confidence is acceptable. Just talk about what’s going on around you at the moment (observational), or ask a question about something she’s doing: “Do you always get that milk stout, I was wondering if I should give it a try?” Something as simple as this works well- it’s not contrived, it’s about something in the moment, and it’s very nonthreatening. These three elements make your conversation very natural, and she’ll be very comfortable- this is what both of you want. If you’re wondering what you’re going to say after your initial chit chat, here’s a hint: just listen to her. Her response may give you clues about what to talk about next. What if she replies: ”My grandfather used to make his own milk stout- it’s my favorite.” Imagine the many directions you can take the conversation with a response like that! Just listen to what she says, don’t think about what you’re going to say next as she’s talking- pay attention to her and everything will come naturally.

I’ve used the most simple observations to make an introduction. I saw a woman staring at a drink menu and I could tell she was having trouble making a decision by the expression on her face, so I walked over to her and said: “It looks like you can’t figure out what to get. What do you usually like?” It’s almost like I came over and rescued her. She gladly asked for my advice and the conversation took off. It’s just that simple. I didn’t plan or rehearse anything, so everything I said just smoothly rolled off my tongue.

You will not attract a quality woman using memorized conversation starters or pickup lines- women can smell a fraud a mile away. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to have a perfect conversation, just live in the moment and learn to have relaxed conversations that will allow both of you to open up and have a fun experience.