So much good information: Drake Morton

Optimizing For Natural And Paid Search,

After The Click

by Rob Garner , Wednesday, May 27, 2009

At the Search Insider Summit in Captiva, Fla., Gord Hotchkiss hosted a panel and clinic on eye-tracking analysis of Web sites suggested by attendees, specifically addressing the topic of post-click optimization.  This session preceded several related breakout discussions, including the “Branding and Post-Click Strategies” roundtable session that I moderated.
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A Must Read: Drake Morton

Track, Evaluate, And Diversify

To Drive Email List Growth

by Morgan Stewart , Wednesday, May 27, 2009

A healthy database of subscribers is at the core of any successful email marketing program. And growing the database is a top priority for 38% of email marketers, according to research I recently completed, working with  the Email Marketers Club and Mike Bloxham of Ball State’s Center for Media Design.

While list growth is universally recognized as a cornerstone of success in email, it has also become an emotionally charged and trend-driven area of email marketing. Best practices for list growth abound, but my experience has been that what passes for best practices are generally driven by anecdotal evidence and corporate agendas more than comprehensive analysis.
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Very Good Read: Drake Morton

In-Stream BT: The Elephant In The Room

by Phil Leggiere , Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Over the past year the online video space has seen an explosion of new video content, new consumers of that content, and new advertising inventory. Ergo, theoretically at least, expanded content, plus users, plus inventory, SHOULD, by all measure, equal rich expansion of opportunities for behavioral targeting of in-stream video. In reality, that’s not really been the case, at least not yet. Turning the video usage boom into a scalable targeting opportunity means the industry must seriously address one big elephant in the room, the lack of third-party ad serving for in-stream ads, Tod Sacerdoti, CEO of BrightRoll, explains below.

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The Four Immutable Principles Of Search

by Kaila Colbin , Tuesday, May 26, 2009
“It is a slightly arresting notion that if you were to pick yourself apart with tweezers, one atom at a time, you would produce a mound of fine atomic dust, none of which had ever been alive but all of which had once been you.” — Bill Bryson
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Good Read: Drake Morton

The Real Big Shift in TV and Online Video

by Simon McGrath, May 19, 2009

The debate continues on Video Insider and throughout the industry: When will there be a significant shift of ad dollars from television to online video?  Most recently, Eric Franchi’s “big shift” articles captured the attention of many readers and sparked a number of responses.  That’s a sure sign of a good article and a hot topic. But as some of you expressed in your comments, I think questions about if, when and how “the big shift” will occur lead us into the wrong debate.  Granted, the Internet has emerged as a major disruptive force for the advertising and publishing industries.  If you’re a masochist and follow “The Media is Dying” on Twitter you can get minute-by-minute updates on the latest publishing death spiral, mainly with print media outlets.

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Big News: Drake Morton

Google Lifts Ban on Trademark

Terms for Search Ads

Move Could Increase Keyword Costs for Blue-Chip Brands

by Michael Learmonth
Published: May 14, 2009

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Get ready for an influx of brand names in Google keyword ads. The search giant, which until now has prohibited the use of trademarked brand terms in ad text on its search-results page, except when permitted by the brand itself, is now allowing the use of trademarked terms in AdWords copy — under some circumstances, that is. (more…)

Good Read: Drake Morton

Be Your Subscribers’ Best Friend:

Design for Dynamic Content

by Alex Madison and Lisa Harmon , Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Imagine how strong your brand’s relationship with subscribers could be if you knew each one intimately and could send personal emails to all of them. So far, the closest you can get to this email inbox utopia is to construct dynamic messages based on your subscribers’ unique interests.
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Humorist Read : Drake Morton

Search Insider Summit Tweet-O-Meter

by Aaron Goldman , Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Another spring Search Insider Summit has come and gone. As always, the weather was hot, the conversations were warm, and the emcee was cool — so cool, in fact, that one attendee was overheard proclaiming, “Gord, you’re my hero!”

In my last column, I revisited the Buzz-O-Meter from past summits and offered my predictions for Top 10 buzzwords at this one. Since I was pretty close, I’m not going to spill much digital ink on explanations or context for this edition of SIS buzzword bingo. Instead, I’ll quickly recap the Top 10 and start a new tradition sharing additional Top 10 lists.
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You better get this right: Drake Morton

Understanding Your Customer’s Shopping Heuristics

by David Baker , Monday, May 11, 2009

The nature of email marketing can be illustrated through a comparison to book buying. The average consumer spends less than three seconds scanning titles of books on a bookshelf in the store, and then spends roughly 20 seconds scanning the contents before making a decision to either purchase or sit down with the book to research further. We have turned into a culture of top 10 lists and recommendations. (more…)