Walldren’s World

The heartwarming tale of a marketing campaign launched backwards in time…

This Spring: Believe the the Impossible.

Inspired by the classic “Love is...” cartoon series.

Search Engine Marketing is...a Good Return on Investment

SM Trends published an article of mine this week, Are You Paying More Attention to Paid Search in 2010?, in which I discuss the importance of this vital part of any advertising portfolio. Whether you’re a rookie to Search and want to understand what makes Search Marketing different from Radio, TV, and Print – or a seasoned veteran – please give my article a read and let me know what other topics about which you’d be interested in reading more.

I don’t know about you, but I feel that the need for ‘real time’ search results has a very narrow appeal.  I can see this technology being useful for a variety of things – however very specific things.  Delays on public transportation.  Accident reports on heavily traveled roadways. What Miley Cyrus is doing right now. You know, important things that you and I need to know about.  I am very much reminded of Conan O’Brien’s Twitter Tracker sketches.

The premise is that Google is now scouring the Twitter feed and posting relevant tweets to your query so you can get up to the minute updates on that topic.  Call me cynical, but I think this is a spammer’s dream come true.

Real Time Search Results?

Danny Sullivan has a great article out this week about this ‘Catnip’ of the Search Engines.  Like the rest of us, he sees the merits of Real Time search – however gives a blow by blow critique of the features and functions of this new integration.  I’d love to hear some more opinions on real time search – so don’t be shy to post a response or drop me a line.

Google Dad Beta (11-11-2009)

With the release of Google Sitelinks on AdWords (for some advertisers) as well as recently becoming a Father, I thought I’d combine the two concepts.  Meet Google Dad (Beta).

Google Caffeine (2009-11-11)

With the impending launch of Google Caffeine (the next version of its Search Engine infrastructure), I was fondly remembering some of my past web projects and their adaptability to change.

In my recently published article in Search Marketing Trends I discuss the Big Three Search Engines’ Content Networks. Their pros, cons, turn ons, and turn offs.  If you’re curious about how Content Network advertising differs from traditional Search, this is a great place to start.

Published this week in Search Marketing Trends Issue #147 is my most recent article: a review of “Nudge’ and its applicability to the wonderful world of marketing.

In their recent book, University of Chicago professors Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein argue that humans’ decisions are not made freely.  We (and our customers) are captives of circumstance. The context in which one makes a decision always shapes one’s choices.  Why do we choose the paths we do?  Is there a Wizard or Witch of Oz behind the curtain manipulating the fabric of the universe to lead our customers down the Yellow Brick Road to our Thank You pages?  Yes—and no.

To read the full article, please follow this link.

Thanks for reading!

You can read me in this week’s edition of Search Marketing Trends where I discuss Google’s new “Do More with Less” section and its useful (and mostly free) tools for those of you interested in web marketing and metrics.

Let me know what you think of the article. 

Two weeks ago, I wrote about Google’s Search Based Keyword Tool which is a great tool to examine your keyword strategies – be they organic or paid.

If you have any topics of interest you’d recommend I tackle, leave me a comment!