Open letter to American Express - Why you do need SEO

My attention recently got drawn to an article by Cuban Council on the American Express website ‘Youropenbook.com’, which stated the following

“Finally, don’t waste money on so-called Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O.) specialists. Search engines are very quick to penalize sites that try to trick their filtering techniques, and once your site has been put on Google’s blacklist, it will take forever to get off.”

What made such ‘experts’ in online come to such a conclusion I would love to know - its a bit like me pointing the finger at American Express for the US credit crunch. It seems a very significant statement to make with very little evidence to back it up, and something I would suggest should be properly researched before putting pen to paper. Whilst I would agree ‘Textbook SEO’ (As Mike Grehan has often referred to it) is a dinosaur of the past, however the role of search marketing specialist even a Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) specialist/Digital Asset Optimisation (DAO - Chris Copeland) is still a fundamental aspect of your marketing mix - and something that should be embraced.
In the article, a number of points are raised in order to raise awareness of your services online - none of which in their simplest form I can disagree with

• Get a memorable domain - Great advice - but why not get one that potentially may help with your online visibility as well
• Outsource web hosting - This is where the role of a search marketeer could help you. What happens if you so happen to outsource your hosting to a shared host hosting a number of prominent link farms. Potentially this may cause a number of issues with your online visibility.
• Design for your audience - no argument here - the most fundamental part of web design imo.

However the final part advises readers to ‘Optimise for your search engines’ - Yes Optimise for your search engines - just don’t use search engine optimisation specialists according to Cuban Council. No offence but this is like saying - invest your money but don’t use a broker. Chances are it may work - but its far more likely to be a successful project if you get someone that knows what they are doing - just make sure you are getting someone that does know what they are doing. These days there are so many good agencies out there - that there is no need to use a standalone web design agency many who arguably do not understand search engine optimisation nor how it works.However I would like to draw points to five points on the American Express website alone where an Online Marketing expert could have provided far more value -

1. Localisation
   http://www.google.co.uk/search?num=100&hl=en&rls=GGGL%2CGGGL%3A2006-24%2CGGGL%3Aen&q=american+express&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGBTry running the above query - that is a search for American Express on a UK only search. Feasibily I would say this is something a potential customer may do - i.e. I don’t want contact details for your Singapore office, I want a UK contact. Because of the current setup of the American Express website the site does not show - as it does for a global search.A well structured global search engine optimisation strategy would have picked this issue up, and implemented a localised search campaign aimed at correctly targeting applicable demographics.
2. Basic Optimisation - A simple browse of the UK subdirectory shows the ‘lack of SEO on the current site’. Whilst to a certain degree brand would go a long way here - the fact is - finer segmentation and optimisation of data makes it more difficult to a potential customer like me to convert meaning that I have to undertake a four to five clickstream to get to the top level of information I require - something I would suggest could be significantly reduced by a more targeted optimisation technique.
3. Use of Subdomains - Whilst I understand technically why subdomains may have been used - this has resulted in considerable segmentation in their display in the Search engine results pages. Take a look at the example we provide above and you will notice results for https://home.amer…, http://www.american… and http://www3.america . These results have been treated as seperate domains and thus diluted much of the effects a more unified site may have provided. Not just optimisation related but from an administration perspective it must be a nightmare.
4. Visibility - Away from core brand terms American Express does not appear for many high traffic relevant terms such as ‘credit card’. With research suggesting users are becoming more search savvy, and therefore conducting more searches and browsing less SERPs. This means that making your website more visibile whether in terms of search engine positioning, or actual visibility in its original guise - making it stand out is more crucial now than ever. Mining the long tail here could throw up some golden nuggets.
5. Competitors - Lets face it all the competitors are doing it

Now I know American Express did not directly write this article, however as the huge brand they are they wield a massive amount of influence, and such comments are a little irresponsible in my opinion. Whilst as others in the industry have said previously, SEO in its 1990’s guise is dead - however there exists an important service offered by online marketing specialists that enhances the design and development of sites , both from a technical and marketing perspective

1 comment February 24th, 2008 at 05:36pm SEO UK

If you want to be a SEO rockstar - be prepared to work for it

I have just finished reading Lee Odden’s post on ‘The Falacy of SEO celebrity‘ and Rand Fishkin’s subsequent post ‘The Desire for fame in the SEO world’, something which I would highly recommend to any budding SEO. I was fortunate to see Lee at the recent London SES conference (Blog and Feed SEO seminar if you read this Lee), and having seen him in action (as well as regularly reading the blog), you really get a feel for just how authoritive the man is, and one of the primary reason for Lee’s prominence within the search community.

Like Lee, we had a recent candidate in for interview recently, who came from a good agency (no names mentioned), and wanted close to a superstar salary - and wanted to be the next Matt Cutts, Danny Sullivan. However people such as Danny, Lee, Matt have contributed years of feedback, support and above all effort back into the community via their involvement at the very top of the industry, and that list would also include others such Rand Fishkin et al.

Some people do get prominance via their positioning within high profile organisations, however lets face it, these are very few and far between in SEO. So at the end of the day, if you want to live the SEO rock and roll lifestyle, be prepared to work for it, and above all - dont forget at the end of the day its an SEO community.

1 comment February 23rd, 2008 at 04:56pm SEO UK

Can Microsoft/Yahoo/Microhoo compete with Google

I recently attended the SES London 2008 conference down in the Business Design Centre down in London (for day 2 anyhow), where well established SEO ‘celebs’/speakers such as Mike Grehan, DaveN (Dave Naylor - Bronco ), Paul Doleman (iCrossing) and Jon Myers (Mediavest) presented various topics relating to search and online marketing over the course of three (very intensive days). As mentioned previously, I was lucky enough to attend the second day, which was started with a Keynote speech from Nick Carr, followed by a Q&A session with a panel consisting of

• Kevin Ryan - Moderator
• Mike Grehan - CEO SearchVisible
• Paul Doleman - CTO iCrossing
• Erica Schmidt - Head of Search Isobar
• Steve Kauffman - Digitas
• Bryan Eisenberg - Future Now

The main topic of debate was the recent proposed takeover by Microsoft of Yahoo, something which has been a hive of discussion in the recent times, not just directly in terms of Microsoft buying Yahoo but for anyone else potentially buying Yahoo. One of the questions however asked was - would this allow Microhoo to compete more effectively with Google, something I am going to attempt to answer below.

In my opinion no - not unless something radical (and yes a merger between Yahoo and Microsoft is quite radical - but I mean MORE RADICAL) was to happen. To me there are a number of factors that would need to be overcome before any such ‘merger’ would bair fruit including (but not limited to):

• Mindset - one is pioneers of the Internet, one is pioneers of Software - both which have changed Significantly since the days when both these organisations were ruling the roost. Their approach to business is also considerably different, Yahoo is reasonably innovative, and arguably Microsoft is not, however both have been very slow to react to changing markets, requirements and social climate
• Character - Sort of similar to the above - however there is a signficant difference in culture between Yahoo and Microsoft which would need to be overcome before anything else. Google is successful as the sum of a collective - something I feel would be a huge obstacle to something as major as a merger/takeover between the two above - and possibly something that would suggest a merger with another organisation such as Fox Interactive would provide a better yield on investment than any Microsoft deal
• Moving forward - Both Yahoo and Microsoft do not seem to have the same ‘innovation’ and drive that Google have within both Search and the Online Advertising space. Both seem to be happy to ‘consolidate’ to a certain extent and leave Google to it, which potentially could be a dangerous thing to do with competitors such as Baidu, Naver et al on the horizon.
• Technology - Both the Yahoo and MSN Paid Search services are VASTLY inferior to the Google Interface, and personally this is something that would require significant investment in, not only from an administration perspective but also from a marketing/managability perspective if it is to compete with Google more effectively.
• Support - Both services are somewhat limited in their service and support in my previous experience - something Google seem to do better - I only had to listen to Andew Girdwood from BigmouthMedia talk about their discussions with Google whilst developing the Hilton Hotels Online Marketing campaign in order to see this, and something both Yahoo and MSN need to work on. This and their support for smaller organisations - after all small organisations don’t always stay as small organisations…
• US focus - Whilst this is small - I can’t help thinking that if Yahoo and MSN were to spread their vision out of the US remit and include more of Western Europe etc into early beta testing, launches etc, they could make some early significant wins, not only with agencies but with advertisers only. Using Yahoo Ambasador as an example -this is something - that whilst some UK advertisers do have - is something that is only available to US and Canadian organisations - and not us minnions across the pond - and this US focus I would suggest reflects itself in the Usage stats for the North American market vs that of the UK etc - something I would love to hear further feedback on

One thing that did however stand out at the conference, was Yahoo and Microsofts reluctance (for use of a better word) to get out there. Google’s attendance at the conference was highly evident - big stands as well as the usual Google University sessions whilst we were there. However Microsoft and Yahoo were both conspicious in their absence.

So can Microsoft or Yahoo compete with Google? Compete I would say Yes, be market leaders No. I don’t for one minute think that Google will dominate the market for ever - others will rise and fall as they do with other markets and as they have done once before within SearchSpace. However do I think it will be Microhoo - No !!

1 comment February 23rd, 2008 at 03:00pm SEO UK

Most of our clients don’t really need Online Marketing to be honest..

I was recently speaking to the Senior Developer of a reasonably big marcomss agency based in Bury, Lancashire who startled me somewhat with the following comment:

“most of our clients don’t really need OM to be honest…”

I have to say I was somewhat suprised by his approach to OM, however I would suggest many web development agencies are still guilty of the ‘Build and they will come’ approach to online, however with more and more organisations employing search marketing as part of their marcomms approach, it seems a somewhat naive approach to online, particularly where the rewards these days of getting it right online are often high.

Is he not aware that:

• 76% of UK’s online population have purchased online
• 80% of the UK are now broadband enabled.
• Internet shopping accounts for over 10% of all retail sales in the UK - given the proportion of spend this is a significant amount
• 80% of advertisers include the Internet in their marketing mix - can you really afford to ignore it?
• Above all - Online Marketing and Web Development sit side by side. You don’t just build a shop/service/office offline and then just leave it. So why would you do the same online. Surely to get the most out of online - you have to embrace it which means utilising all channels - your website and its marketing - together…

2 comments February 18th, 2008 at 03:10pm SEO UK

The futures bright… the Futures digital

There has been a lot written recently about marketing, in particularly the future, and the ongoing growth of digital as a fundamental part of the marketing mix. A flux of articles particularly have suggested that with the economic slowdown will come a further influx of marketing spend into digital, given the highly competitive ROI the channel offers.

In particular Search and Affiliate Marketing activity continue to thrive, with many suggesting Affiliate Marketing to continue its steady growth. Affiliate Marketing has come a long way since I was working on Tradedoubler accounts for a large PC manfacturer. Nowadays, it intersects many verticals, offering advertisers a very cost effective solution, whilst at the same time, not neccesarily associating them with the same level of risk as far as ROI is concerned as other channels such as Behavioural.

Search activity also continues to flourish, however it is SEO that seems to be stepping out of the shadow of Paid Search. In a recent Ad-tech survey, 57% of respondants reported prioritising SEO as a fundamental part of their marketing activity, up from 45% in 2006. With many verticals particularly finance reporting high CPC, SEO particularly through effective long-tail mining can provide a cost effective alternative.

Suprisingly however Behavioural (or perhaps not suprisingly), Behavioural is making a comeback. It is often said it is the channels that improvise that flourish, and I would suggest this is possibly true both here and within the Affilaite community. Whilst SEO and Paid Search (PPC) have remained relatively (dare I say) stagnant over the last few years, both the Affiliate and Behavioural roots are flourishing.

Perhaps this is a heads up to us UK SEO specialists (well all SEO’s in fact), Its time to improvise…

Add comment February 18th, 2008 at 12:18pm SEO UK

Microsoft offers to buy Yahoo

Microsoft has offered to purchase Yahoo in a deal for $44.6 Billion (or £22.4 Billion) in cash and share options. The offer is 62% above Yahoo’s closing share price on Thursday, and follows a cut in revenue forecasts earlier this week, as well as saying that it would need to spend an additional £150m on reviving the company.

Such a move would significantly affect the current search markets (particularly in the US and Europe where Google is the dominant player in the market, a fact echoed by Kevin Johnson from Microsoft, and potentially provide Google with significant competition, however I would suggest both parties still have significant work to do in order to provide an effective a solution as the current Adwords system in particular.

From a personal perspective, I can’t help thinking that the deal is a bit of last chance saloon for both parties, and as such has an air of desperation about it. However time will ultimately tell whether such a deal provides Google with a significant competitor or whether this is just an expensive mistake.

To read more about the deal, further details can be found on the BBC Website

Add comment February 1st, 2008 at 04:50pm SEO UK

Google to trial demographic targeting on Adwords

Google is currently in the process of testing a demographic bidding system on the Adwords platform, which will be rolled out to selected advertisers initially with a full roll out later in the year.

The targeting will allow Google paid search advertisers to run demographically targeted campaigns, such as displaying ads to women aged 25-35, a move reminiscent of the earlier MSN Adcentre incarnation. This targeting will be initially be rolled out across the content network in the US and UK

Add comment January 31st, 2008 at 11:50am SEO UK

E-Gain join forces with Just Dubai Property

E-Gain New Media are proud to join forces with Just Dubai Property. JustDubaiProperty.co.uk offer a wide range of Dubai property for sale including apartments, villas and townhouses.

E-Gain New Media will provide search engine optimisation consultancy for the Just Dubai Property website as well as further consultancy regarding both the design and usability website. E-Gain New Media’s Sales Director Paul Greaves said “We are very proud to be working with Just Dubai Property - and we will be looking to further enhance their profile not only here in the UK but also across Europe.

Add comment January 31st, 2008 at 12:02am SEO UK

Ask to offer Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Just received an interesting email from Ask offering results based Search Engine Optimisation services as follows:

“

FREE SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION

As an innovative group of professional service companies, we like to keep ahead of the game. There are many SEO and media companies charging large monthly retainers that are not giving their clients results. The ASK Group has transparent pricing across all our divisions, and we do not consider this type of pricing remotely ethical.

Our research tells us you only want to pay on results!”

It is certainly an interesting change in service offering from a search engine company, moving into a frenzied sector - and one lets be honest that is likely to cause some heated discussion particularly following Google’s purchase of Doubleclick, and MSN’s acquisition of AQuantive.

Add comment January 30th, 2008 at 04:55pm SEO UK

Aegis to buy I-Level

The Aegis Group (part of the Isobar network), one of the largest digital media specialists is looking at purchasing independant agency I-Level - a London based interactive agency founded in 1999. US based AKQA has also been rumoured to be sniffing around I-Level according to the article in the Daily Telegraph.

The talk of acquisition comes at a time where there is a hive of activity in the digital arena, particularly acquisition, which is not suprising given the current boom in popularity of the sector, in particular search marketing and OMP. It also follows hot on the heels of other high profile acquisitions including

• Microsofts $6 Billion purchase of aQuantive
• Publicis (owners of Starcom/Mediavest et al) takeover of Digitas
• and swamping deals like the Global Media/Bigmouthmedia takeover a while back.

Further to-ing and fro-ing is sure to continue within the sector. However it is the potential sale of I-Level that is drawing much of the attention particularly here in the UK within the online marketing sector

Add comment January 29th, 2008 at 02:55pm SEO UK