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Google Trends and Internet Yellow Pages

September 24th, 2007

I ran across a good Search Engine Land article today regarding Google Trends and the Yellow Pages. It gives some detailed insights and charts on how consumers have used search engines to find different Yellow Pages whether it’s by brand or by search.

It’s my opinion that Google’s (and the other top search engines) innovations in local search combined with increasing inclusion of business listing data in the search engine results pages (“SERPs”) is causing users’ behavior to change.

I absolutely agree, and this isn’t a bad thing for the Yellow Pages. Without their concrete data, satisfaction from these search engine results would be sporadic at best. Internet Yellow Pages have created and maintained relationships with search engines (or vice-versa) since at least 2004 but probably earlier.

To the favorite commentor KC, notice I didn’t mention anything of the print books? Feel free to give your input.

Posted in Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search | No Comments »

Skating the Northshore Marathon Twice?

September 21st, 2007

I’m in awe. How do you do that? Here’s a YouTube video from the fine folks at Speed Skate World.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=baKt4VkcKRY]

It’s a funny video and ends out with another trip to Two Harbors, just to skate the course again to root the rec skaters on along the way with the infamous Eddy Matzger. Eddy is well-known for finishing in his speedster time and going back on the course to root the rec skaters on. This is true class.

Viva rec skaters!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Google Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations…

September 20th, 2007

This post is part kudos, part comment, part question. So here goes.

Kudos to Ed Kohler from Technology Evangelist for the information in their Google Docs post. It includes a YouTube video on how Google Docs can simplify emails with constantly updated attachments. I’ll include the video here as well.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUE6IHTEA]

I fall into the camp of creating documents and by the time it’s proofed, there are four different email attachment updates. It can definitely be confusing to immediately find the finished document or spreadsheet (good thing I’m not a project manager because I would suck at it).

I haven’t used these Google applications but have a question for you all. Do you use Google Docs/Spreadsheets and/or the new Presentations? I know that Google’s spreadsheet option might not fare too well for the Excel geniuses out there (ahem, Telli). And do they integrate with Basecamp?

Posted in Google | 2 Comments »

SXSW Festival – Music, Interactive, and Hyperlocal

September 19th, 2007

My dream geek vacation is to hit the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin TX, particularly the interactive and music festivals in adjacent weeks. It didn’t happen this year, it won’t in 2008, and am crossing my fingers for 2009.

Both Erica and Greg from Metroblogging Twin Cities are looking to present at the interactive festival for 2008. I’m particularly interested in Erica’s pitch on Building Hyperlocal Web sites for the Future. I gave my vote and comment, you can too.

Yeah, I know. I’m kinda’ passionate on the whole “local” thing. The above hyperlocal pitch is more community over business-based, but the concept remains the same. Engage and communicate with local visitors, and build trust with them. Kinda’ cool.

Greg from Weber Shandwick is pitching a cool social media presentation too on Marketing for Monkeys. I’ve been a marketing monkey before. Eeep eeep.

Posted in Local Search, User-Generated Media, Viral Marketing | 4 Comments »

MIMA Summit in Two Weeks

September 19th, 2007

It’s time to be thinking (and registering) for the 2007 MIMA Summit coming up on Oct. 3. For those who don’t know, it’s a yearly interactive marketing event with keynotes, breakout sessions, and a happy hour at 5:00pm to top it off. It’s held at the Minneapolis Depot and is a full day of soaking up info from online video, mobile marketing, SEO, analytics, etc. for not a lot of money. National conferences like these will set you back well over a grand.

I’m looking forward to many of the sessions including the afternoon keynote from Jason Fried, founder of 37signals (use basecamp?). It might be hard to beat out last year’s afternoon keynote though. Any attendee of the 2006 Summit will remember Michelle Collins (from VH1′s Best Week Ever). I don’t even remember the subject of her keynote, but it was just freaking hilarious!

Nonetheless, the whole day is just packed with information to soak up. Hope to see you there!

Posted in Events, Minnesota Business | 3 Comments »

More on the Interactive Local Media (ILM:07) Conference

September 17th, 2007

In late July I posted about the Kelsey Group and Search Engine Strategies combining for this year’s Los Angeles’ Interactive Local Media conference in late November. Looks like we have more info.

Peter Krasilovsky from the Local Onliner has an initial list of 50+ speakers.

I say it’s a can’t-miss conference even though I again won’t be able to attend. Between a Texas mini-vaca earlier in the month, PTO, and justifying the money (due to the mini-vaca), I’ll be shooting for one in 2008.

If you’re in charge of a marketing budget and are interested in local search though, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Posted in Events, Local Search | No Comments »

More Media for Inline Skating Marathons?

September 15th, 2007

Inline skating marathons have become less popular the last few years (although the Minnesota events seem to stay pretty constant), and it does bug me that almost no mainstream media mention these events. The popular Athens to Atlanta skate added a 10k event to hopefully attract more recreational skaters because of this lack of popularity.

The Duluth Tribune did have a couple stories regarding these skates. One to mention the slight drop in attendances and another to mention road closures (registration required – I don’t like that) for the NorthShore Inline Marathon held this morning. That doesn’t really entice people to register.

It’s said that advanced and pro-level skaters stay or even grow in attendance, but recreational skaters drop. I’m not surprised. The pro-level skaters are loyal (and they’re fast). The only reason I’ve heard of these events in the first place was from word-of-mouth, and I basically live online. I keep updated by visiting a couple fora visited mostly by pro skaters.

There are so many ways online and off to entice recreational skaters to participate in these events, but I have never seen any press because of it… not even for the St. Paul Inline Marathon which is basically in my backyard.

I can only do a small part. The Houston Inline Marathon is coming up Sunday, November 4th. I doubt many from Houston read this blog, but if you do, skate with me! I’m a slow-poke, two + hour inline marathoner and would love to skate with people and even get a drafting pace line together.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Minnesota Businesses – Check Your Yahoo Local Listings

September 11th, 2007

As mentioned in the last post, Search Engine Land has made local search marketing a major focus for this week, and I wanted to give input on how select articles can help out local Minnesota businesses.

In the above series, Mike Blumenthal writes a great piece regarding Yahoo local and User Denigrated Content. It’s really worth the read. Users can affect how people view your online business results, good or not-so-good.

Yahoo Local (not the only victim) has definitely had its problems in their listings with bogus addresses and fake user reviews. In March 2007, I posted about local florist results and noted that the Yahoo Local listings were pretty relevant in Minneapolis. It didn’t take long for Cathy to point out that I was wrong. Oops.

In June, I posted about a Yahoo Local result that makes the Interweb cry. An attorney (not local to MN) basically spammed Yahoo Local (and Google Maps, and CitySearch) with fake, self-generated five-star ratings and keyword-rich user reviews every month, almost to the date. They’re still all there today.

So, Minnesota businesses… it’s a good idea to check your online reputation anyway, but you can watch out for manipulation as well. Maybe you’ll see a fake business and/or bogus address listed above you, competing business owners that love themselves and write fake reviews about them, or in rare cases, write some fake BS about you. Un…cool. The silver lining is that you can usually report these results as ~~crap~~ abuse.

Here are a few places you can probably find your business (and add relevant information, too).
Yahoo Local
Google Maps
CitySearch (Twin Cities)

Posted in Local Search, Minnesota Business, User-Generated Media, Yahoo | No Comments »

Local Search Week at Search Engine Land

September 10th, 2007

There are some good and innovative local search marketers that provide columns at Search Engine Land, and local search is this week’s focus.

I’ll be posting here and providing input when select columns can help Minnesota-based businesses, large or small.

I like to think that my local search columns at Search Engine Guide are helpful as well, but that’s for you to decide, not me.

Posted in Local Search | No Comments »

Local Auto-Body Shops Take Legal Action on Deceptive PPC Ads

September 6th, 2007

First, let me give some link love to a couple Twin Cities auto-body shops.

Lehman’s Garage
LaMettry’s Collision

They’re both taking legal action against those who are pay-per-click bidding on their branded names.

Whether this amounts to anything is anybody’s guess, but it raises eyebrows.

In most cases, PPC bidding for competitor names is not illegal, but is definitely unethical. It happens all the time, but why would anyone do this anyway? If marketers studied true conversions, they would realize that it usually does nothing more than to piss off the competition.

I can understand why they would want to bring a lawsuit on, but there are easier ways to remedy this…

1) Contact the company and ask that they remove the ad

2) Bid on the competitor’s brand, just long enough for them to realize that you know what they’re doing (not necessarily recommeded)

3) Better yet, create your own branded ad. For Google, it costs nothing compared to legal fees and can make your competition look unprofessional. Here’s an ficticious example:

Imagine seeing this in the mix of competitor ads. I’d definitely click on the above example when searching for their name. Plus, both Google and Yahoo have built in a “Quality Score” in their advertising models. One of their factors is the more relevant site you’re pointing to will pull more weight than ads pointing to sites that are less relevant.

Basically this means that an ad from the actual business could pay something like 11 cents a click, and still be placed above a competitor branding for your name paying 22 cents a click.

Nonetheless, I hope the best for both local businesses.

Posted in Local Search, Minnesota Business, Search Marketing | No Comments »

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