LookSmart Coupon Code 2009

LookSmart is a popular 2nd tier search network which works based on PPC traffic.  This coupon only matches how much you spend.  It won’t give you credit like Google coupon codes.
Enter coupon code at sign up: LS-MB-50. Expires 12/31/2009.

Google – Personalized Search for Everyone

If you’re a SEO (Search Engine Optimizer), you’re either going to love this idea or hate it.  Google has decided to show personalized results for everyone, regardless of whether someone is logged in or not.  For well-established sites, it may be easier to rank since you already have a good presence in the search engines.  However, [...]

What are Advertorials?

You can think of advertorials as a cross between an informative article and a sales copy. Advertorials usually start off by presenting a problem, and ends with a solution of some kind.  The solution they offer is typically a sales pitch to subtly persuade the reader into buying something.
To give you a better picture of [...]

Microsoft and Yahoo Agree to a Search Partnership Deal

Interesting news.  Microsoft and Yahoo has agreed to combine forces in the search market to better compete against the giant of search, Google.  They’ve launched a website dedicated to the 10 year deal called ChoiceValueInnovation.com.  The gist of the deal is that Microsoft will power Yahoo’s search for both organic and sponsored listings, and in [...]

Who has the Best PPC Program – Google, Yahoo, MSN, MySpace, Facebook or Adsonar

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to manage PPC campaigns in Google, Yahoo, MSN (Bing), MySpace, Facebook, Adsonar and even Business.com.  Here is how I rate them (1-7):
#1 Google Adwords - Google has not only proven to be a very effective tool for marketing, but also consistent.  Needless to say, Google brings me the most [...]

Search Query Suggestion Feature and SEO

I’m a little late on this topic, but I wanted to share my thoughts on it.  I think it was Google who first implemented it, but the others quickly followed.

To me, the search query suggestion feature is just another blow to the SEO industry.  Although the feature adds convenience and saves time, I believe it also alters natural search behavior.  This hurts the [...]

Google Personal Search, SEO and Paid Advertising

Once logged in your Google account, you’ll notice that search results will look a little different vs when  you’re logged off.  This is because Google has long been working to provide a more personal search experience for the user.  This means that when you’re logged into your Google account, Google keeps track of your online [...]

Google Professional Advertising Exam

I been meaning to take the Google Professional Advertising Exam for a while now.  I finally decided to take it yesterday after having gone over some of the tutorials in the Adwords Learning Center.  Fortunately, I passed – barely.  I’m a little embarrassed to share my score, but it was less than 80% and higher than 75%.  [...]

Bounce Rate and SEO

According to an independent test done by SEO Black Hat, the bounce rate of a webpage plays a considerable role in determining its rankings within the search engines Google. 
For those of you who have not heard of bounce rates.  Here is the definition that Google gives:
Bounce rate is the percentage of single-page visits or visits [...]

Why Long-Tail Keywords May Not Work Anymore

I understand the concept of arbitrage – buying cheap long-tail keywords and turning a profit for higher paying keywords.  And, I ‘ve also talked to people who’ve had incredible success with arbitrage in the past, but I question whether it still works today.
There are a few reasons why I question the effectiveness of arbitrage in today’s market:

Quality Score [...]