SearchAnyway PPC - Online Search Marketing Guide for Webmasters

Facebook: Social Media Nudity

2008-06-18T21:44:02Z

I've come across a number of articles discussing Facebook privacy, and I couldn't resist commenting, which, in turn, encouraged me to summarize my thoughts regarding this matter. I think that the mini-scandals having to do with online privacy issues in social networks are, to a large extent, groundless and exaggerated. Ones you are using a social network like Facebook, your primary goal is to expose your online identity to a community. Facebook provides you with comprehensive control of how far you may go with this exposure. It also allows you to flexibly tune your privacy settings, making your information either accessible or not to certain groups of users. If you are so concerned about your online privacy, stop using social networks ; do not upload your pictures and do not publish your contact information. Even if you take all these measures, someone may still take a picture or video of you, tag you or pretend to be you. You still have a chance “to meet yourself” on a dating site, find a comment made by you that you never posted, etc. Cyber-world has its own logic and once you enter it you should be ready for surprises. The interesting aspect about social networks and especially Facebook is so-called identity control. Everybody knows how prevalent fake-identity activity is on the net, especially when dating or marketing is involved. Facebook takes this phenomenon to the next level, as dating and marketing are considerable components of the social network nature. In other words, Facebook has become a very attractive playground for fake personages. Perhaps more than any other social network, Facebook emphasizes the truth of its users. Their name, their friends, their past, their life. By fostering truth, Facebook has encouraged a new movement, what could be termed as social media nudity. However, while some users take an almost voyeuristic delight in this exposure, others see potential in faking their nakedness. Facebook's emphasis on the real has a counter-effect on some; they are attracted to the ability to re-invent themselves, or even create new identities. The principle of networking and identity exposure encourages certain groups of real users to surround themselves with fake friends. A fake mini-community gathered around a given person is meant to boost his or her social status with the help of wall posts and comments. At the same time, a sexually-appealing fake profile is able to easily gather a community of real users around them. This community can be subsequently used as a target group, once a creator of the fake profile decides to market anything, be it a product or an idea. If we take a look at online identity control in social networks, we may see some interesting examples. For instance, European social network www.one.lv requires your cell phone number in the registration process. Once you submit your information, they send you SMS with your individual code. This code is required to activate your account. Any cell phone number can only be used for a single given profile within this social network. Another simple way of online identity control is requesting a scanned photo ID. Facebook, however, does not employ any identity control measures. Why don't they? Here is the answer: Facebook is booming and the number of its users rapidly grows. So does the traffic. Facebook is perfectly aware that a certain percentage of its user database consists of fake profiles and they are probably able to identify and block most of them. No wonder; fake users generate aggressive online activity and Facebook wants to constantly report more users and more traffic, which will see its price grow accordingly. What do fake profiles have to do with online privacy? Your picture published on Facebook can be taken by somebody and used in a fake profile. If you are using a public computer and forget to log off, someone may replace your contact information. One of my junior colleague at SearchAnyway will even check my computer periodically to see if I've left Facebook open. I've had to clean up many of his messes before my caution took over. My conclusion is that despite the fact that Facebook provides a fair level of flexibility in terms of identity exposure, it does not employ sufficient measures to protect your information against theft, which is a slightly different issue. The European social network www.mail.ru displays images of the users in a format that disables “saving picture as” function. In this case only advanced users who are familiar with “Print screen” function and photo editing software can copy images. Some other social networks require entering your password every time you intend to upload a new picture or change your contact information. These measures would be able to solve many of the above-mentioned problems.

Words and Images in Online Search Marketing

2008-05-30T15:57:37Z

Do you ever think about the actual significance of words and images in online search marketing? It is obvious that the proper use of these key web elements can dramatically improve user experience and therefore increase your profits. It is important to understand when and how words and images should be used, and what common mistakes one should avoid. When it comes to monetizing your web traffic, every single click performed on your web site becomes valuable. You should therefore consider several goals:

After opening your site for the first time, the surfer should be encouraged to make the first click on one of the keywords that caught his or her attention.
After seeing the results of the first click, the surfer should be encouraged to click on one or more results.
After clicking on one or more results, the surfer should be encouraged to perform additional searches and add your site to bookmarks.

The number of clicks made on your site and the return rate depends on three elements:

Efficient use of words and images
The overall quality of your site
Unique features that differentiate your site from other thematically-similar sites

What I call “efficient use of words and images” makes your site look more professional and trustworthy, rather than a clustered home page made by a student. The way you present words and images can significantly influence the surfers clicking behavior.
Top 10 tips to make your text look better…

Always use rollover effect. Be it a different color, shadow, underlined or larger text, the rollover effect will emphasize the function of the link.
Consider bold and oversized text unless it is expected. Properly displayed bold text will produce bold impression, especially when it is not really expected. For example, it can be used in the titles of your search results.
Consider slightly animated text links. Light animation (for example: change of color) will emphasize the function of the link. Make sure to avoid fast and irritating animation.
Use beautiful fonts. Be creative, find fonts that are interesting, contemporary and unusual. Make sure though that your fonts are legible.
Employ Web 2.0 style. It's popular and creates a light, pleasant web environment. Use color transitions, reflections and shadows where it fits.
Consider tag clouds. They look attractive and it is also smart way of imposing clicking priorities.
Use GIF and JPG images displaying text instead of large HTML text. Picture text will provide you with more creative flexibility. Do not forget about ALT tag.
Avoid mixing too many different fonts. It is one of the most common beginner mistakes.
If you add advertisement text blocks to your site, make sure the style of these blocks matches your content. Otherwise your attempt to monetize surfer's clicks will become too obvious and thus irritating.
Remember that text is not only a piece of code that transmits information. Text has significant aesthetic aspect to it. The more you explore it, the more your piece of text shares the powerful function of an image.

Top10 tips to make your images look better…

Do not use oversized images and image backgrounds. Image backgrounds look old-fashioned while oversized images look like backgrounds and loose their initial meaning.
Consider adding images to your keywords. This visual emphasis will create an additional stimulus to click.
Use only high-quality professional photographs. Bad photographs will make you site look cheap. The Internet is a global storage of trash photographs and there is a very clear difference between amateur and professional photography.
Avoid clipart images. They are all over the Internet and you don't want your site to look like hundreds of other sites.
Avoid default HTML image frames. In some browsers they have a bright blue color.
Avoid white images on white background. Use a narrow gray frame.
Consider adding shadows to your images. The 3-D effect will make your site look more stylish.
Make sure your logo look professional. No matter how bright your content is, bad-looking logos will make you site seem cheap.
Consider slightly animated gifs. They will make your images more vivid; just make sure you don't use fast animation.
Use images that convey powerful concepts. Choosing graphics, whether appropriate for a serious, corporate environment or a childish, user-friendly atmosphere will help create the mood the surfer needs. The surfer's mood is always represented by their clicking.

So as you see, point 1 from the 3 elements mentioned above can significantly contribute to both point 2 and 3, which makes words and images a very powerful tool in the hands of a web marketer.

Sanjay's Birthday

2008-05-22T22:41:21Z

Efficiency Versus Entertainment

2008-05-13T21:39:10Z

In one of my earlier posts I wrote about the new search engine SearchMe.com, which has been available in Beta mode for some time now. In my post I've touched upon two innovative features this search engine was going to employ: visual fluidity and relevancy by niche. I remember myself being quite excited by these new user experience concepts. After using SearchMe.com, I've come to conclusion that the visual aspect is rather entertaining, but nothing more. Seeing web site previews is fun, but as soon as you try to do long and complex web research, the visual aspect is no longer helpful. I got tired and switched to conventional search engine results mode. At the same time, the so-called relevancy by niche is a useful and convenient feature. It helps to narrow down your search, which dramatically increases the relevancy of results for you. It's interesting how such a simple thing is so efficient while another one, being considerably more complex is basically an entertainment. Online web search is a part of my daily work and the problem is that entertainment often becomes an obstacle for productive work fluidity. Well, at least in my case… My conclusion is that SearchMe.com will only gain popularity among younger users and it will not see any global recognition at all. I think that becoming global is the only way of a long-term survival for any search engine. There are exceptions, especially when we are talking about niche usage, which is usually focusing on one particular field, for example www.ufoseek.com. Popularity among surfers who seek entertainment in an online search process is also a legitimate niche.

Q&A with Sanjay: Episode 4

2008-05-07T15:40:28Z

Episode 4 of Q&A with Sanjay reveals to Affiliates, online marketers and webmasters what the best source of search arbitrage traffic is. You can calculate everything from conversion rates to keyword price differences, but if Affiliates and publishers can't find the best source of traffic to purchase, then no PPC search engine or Affiliate program will accept it. So here it is - the best source of search arbitrage traffic revealed...! If you have a question you’d like Sanjay to answer, feel free to fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!.

Q&A with Sanjay: Episode 3

2008-05-07T15:27:52Z

Episode 3 of Q&A with Sanjay provides a brief explanation of the difference between CTR (click-through rate) and conversion rates, and what it means to web publishers and online advertisers. If you can learn to optimize and read these two stats well, you'll be able to drastically increase your PPC search engine traffic and earnings. If you have a question you’d like Sanjay to answer, feel free to fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!.

Pay-Per-Click Industry: What's Going On?

2008-05-04T00:05:40Z

In the following video I am talking about the situation in the Pay-Per-Click field. What are the problems, solutions and indicators?

Built in & Superimposed

2008-04-11T20:32:48Z

How often do we face the manifestations of the so-called "user friendly"? How often do we actually need it?

Online Advertisement: From Spam to Art

2008-04-03T18:49:43Z

After a decade of dealing with online marketing, I keep noticing clear differences between online and offline advertisements. In most cases, offline advertisements feature a variety of creative ideas, subliminal messages and twisted concepts, while online advertisements are generally more aggressive and straightforward. One of the unfortunate but most common attributes of online marketing is spam. No matter how hard we try to avoid it, we keep getting it. The nature of the Internet allows spam to penetrate virtually anything: e-mail, blogs, forums, guest-books and social networks. Any spam campaign is pretty much an automated process that doesn’t require many resources – this is why it is still so popular. However unless you want to sell porn or promote short-term projects (in which case you wouldn’t care that much about your reputation), spam makes very little sense. The point is that it isn’t just spam that lacks marketing efficiency and is a nuisance to the recipient; direct and aggressive advertisements share these traits as well. The mind of an average contemporary consumer automatically blocks terms such as “The Best”, “The Most Popular”, “Top Pick”, “Highest Rated”, “Life-Time Opportunity”, “One Click Away”, etc. The last one is actually the one I personally hate the most. If you are thinking strategically, you have to find the way to overcome this powerful shield and hit consumer with the idea that your product is the best within its market niche, without directly saying this. This is where creative thinking comes in handy and I would like to discuss with you several of my preferred techniques that can achieve this. Advertisement within Advertisement Let’s say you see a banner ad for a Pay-Per-Click system that claims to have the highest bids and the best revenue share. In the banner you see a guy working with his notebook and you notice it’s an Apple. You will get the following subliminal message, completely unprocessed by the conscious mind: “This is not an ad for an Apple computer. This is an ad for a PPC program. They are trying to make their company look good, and they are using the Apple brand to do that. If other professionals use this brand as an icon in their ad, it means that Apple computers are indeed very good.” Sounds complicated, but it’s not. This is the way our mind works. As experienced consumers, we tend to question every piece of information we get and we are especially skeptical about messages made with a commercial purpose. Here is another technique specifically based upon this habit of ours. Independent Opinion Let’s say you are searching for a hosting provider. You check out different services and every single provider tells you the same: they are the best. At this point we start looking for the independent opinion. One of the most common actions is reading consumer reviews and product comparison charts. Let’s say you found one and you’ve read that company A is rated #1, company B is rated #2 and company C is rated #3. But can you be sure this chart is not sponsored by company A? You never know. Perhaps they are just using one of my favorite techniques. It may not sound very honest, but it is a commonly used practice. This review may not even be sponsored by company A. It might by created by it. Abstract Advertisement Let’s say you see an ad in the form of a short story or image or animation that evokes an engaging, if atypical reaction from you. You’re intrigued, and notice a company’s logo or a brand name at the end of the ad. At first sight, you reflect on the lack of connection between the cryptic message and the company’s brand. You ask yourself: “What does this ad have to do with this company? Are they just wasting money, or there is a certain message we do not understand?”. Anyway this apparent logical discrepancy will leave a clear “mental splinter” in a consumer’s unconscious. This means the company’s goal has been achieved. We are intrigued and we will keep thinking about this brand, while our mental shield remains unaffected. Respect and Flattery Admit it: human nature is such that we all are sensitive to compliments. Be it looks, intellect, success, or any other achievement, we appreciate when other people notice it and remark on it. At the same time, we all want to be richer, smarter and more attractive. Contemporary lifestyle has made most of us very ambitious. We want to be part of elite. When you hear a phrase: “This is a good product”, the first thing your mental shield will tell you is: “They are trying to sell me something. I will check it out, but I should be careful and skeptical”. When you hear a phrase: “This is a product for people of your level” your mental shield is almost unaffected. At the same time, you are flattered – you believe the advertisers are aware of your status and have treated you with the proper respect. On the other hand, you may feel irritated because of a perceived barrier – you believe that the advertised product cannot be purchased by just anybody but only by a limited, elite group of people. Because we are ambitious and because there is always a gap between our achievements and our ambitions, we use any opportunity to overcome this gap. Buying a product that was advertised the way I described, is the best tool to help us do this. We get to overcome our gaps and advertisers get to sell their products. Offline Advertisement of Online Resources Although online and offline worlds interact in many instances, it is common for consumers to build a mental barrier between these two realms. I find it really exciting to see actual billboards and paper magazine ads featuring online resources. We are used to the fact that “objects from real life” sometimes appear on our computer monitors, but it is exciting to see the reverse process: things that belong to the cyber world come outside of the screen. It creates an interesting “3D effect” and captures the attention of a consumer who is not used to such transition. No matter what online services you promote, once the consumer’s attention is captured, you have got what you needed. Back to Basics Did you ever notice how black and white ad banners stand out against the colorful layout of most contemporary web sites? At the same time animated banners are so popular that our eyes tend to ignore them. It might not sound logical, but because movement irritates us we primarily perceive information conveyed by bold and static images. It works just like retro style. New is well forgotten old. So as you see, there are a variety of techniques which can help you overcome the psychological-barrier-build-up in the mind of contemporary consumer due to overuse of aggressive and straightforward advertisements. I mentioned just a few of them. Next time you see an appealing online banner, try to look at from the perspective of a professional rather than a consumer. Analyze it. Try to figure out what is so attractive about it. Perhaps you will discover another efficient technique that will help you in your future online marketing campaigns.

MySpace is No Longer Mine

2008-03-31T21:48:29Z

Why I am closing my account on MySpace

100% Natural

2008-03-27T20:21:04Z

Search Me Changes the SEO Balance

2008-03-18T18:07:55Z

We are all of us blinded by Google, the set standard for the online search industry. So when new developments occur outside the Google-sphere, my interests start getting piqued. I have recently come across a new search engine called Search Me – an innovative web resource that, while not up and running yet, has unveiled the main principle it will operates on – visual fluidity and relevancy by niche. The most exiting feature of this search engine is the way it delivers the search results. You can see previews of web sites and browse through them by moving the mouse across the screen. This visual mode is not only convenient to the user but it also changes the search engine optimization balance. For any web site, Search Me will reduce the importance of search engine ranking and dramatically increases the importance of design and layout. This doesn’t necessarily mean that web sites with bright colors and bold graphics will get more attention, but that the ones with highly relevant layouts and graphics will. Another feature deals with the search algorithm. You will see in the videos below the way any search can be filtered using specific categories, allowing the user to choose an appropriate niche by selecting a clear visual symbol. This method will ensure a considerably higher level of search results relevancy for the user. Google’s got some catching up to do.

Facebook Marketing

2008-02-23T00:13:27Z

In this video I will share my thoughts about easy way to get extra benefits for your online business using your Facebook account. Making virtual friends, communicating with them and creating a group related to your online services will help you attract additional traffic to your online resource.

Trial & Earning From a Corporate Insider

2008-02-07T22:29:07Z

SearchAnyway’s graphic designer and marketing coordinator Vitold Polyak gives us his 2.0 cents on the various ways fledgling webmasters and affiliate marketers can earn money online. He examines some of the new trends and provides us the benefit of his own experience with traffic generation. So what’s his preferred method of earning revenue on the Internet? Search arbitrage? Doorways? Blogs? Watch and find out.

Q&A with Sanjay: Episode 2

2008-02-07T16:55:21Z

Episode 2 of Q&A with Sanjay addresses an Affiliate's question about SearchAnyway's Premium Feed, namely what he should do to qualify for it. Sanjay Mayar explains the difference between the Standard Feed and Premium feed, the testing process involved in making a determination for an Affiliate's qualification, and what criteria SearchAnyway looks for when upgrading an Affiliate's account. If you have a question you’d like Sanjay to answer, feel free to fill out our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!.