Saturday, January 30, 2010

Finding the words Google will rank highest, on deadline

Article kicks off with a good case study of the frenzy behind the scenes as savvy web editors at newspapers tried to figure out the words that would get their story above the others, when the Ft. Hood shootings were underway. Author Kim Krause Berg then takes us through some of the details of how to go about it.
The Algorithm Chasers

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Smartphones plus new Google click-to-call mobile ads to make 2010 the year of mobile -- really!

A new survey of what people do with their Android and iPhones, combined with Google's announcement means that mobile advertising, long-promised as the next big thing, should really truly happen in 2010. The AdWords email, time-stamped 1:23 am, begins:

"We’re pleased to announce that beginning in January, your location-specific business phone number will display alongside your destination url in ads that appear on high-end mobile devices. Users will be able to click-to-call your business just as easily as they click to visit your website. You'll be charged for clicks to call, same as you are for clicks to visit your website."


A new survey by Compete, just released, says shopping activities lead all other uses of smartphones. ReadWriteWeb reports: 


"Smartphone users are becoming increasingly comfortable with using their phones to shop online. According to new data from Compete, about 37% of smartphone users have purchased something with their handset in the last six months. Among the most popular items that these users bought were music, books, DVDs, video games and movie tickets. At the same time, though, Compete also found that smartphone users are very likely to abandon shopping sites that haven't been optimized for mobile usage. Almost 8% of smartphone owners who tried to buy something from their phone were simply unable to do so...Researching products is still the most popular shopping-related activity on the smartphones. According to Compete's survey, 41% of iPhone users and 43% of Android owners check sale prices while they are shopping. Surely, the popularity of mobile apps like ShopSavvy andRedLaser - which make checking prices as easy as scanning a barcode - will only drive these numbers up in the coming months.
The second most popular shopping-related activity for smartphone owners is finding consumer reviews. 39% of iPhone users and 31% of Android users use their devices for this."


Take this trend and combine it with the ease of use and accountability of pay-per-call AdWords on the phones, and savvy businesses should do well this year.