Archive: November, 2008

Two weeks ago, Google released a Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide version 1.1, published 13 November 2008, outlining the basics of how Google sees good SEO. Reading through the 22-page Acrobat document, I found it makes a good explanation of the Google environment and main website elements search engine optimization specialists work with but that explanation is a little out of date.
Given the tone of the paid-links debate happening between Google Quality Control and large parts of the search marketing community, the dated information presented in the Guide makes me wonder exactly what the Googlers think SEOs do. (note: there are thousands of Google employees with an interest in the effect of search engine optimization. Some might have differing opinions than others.)

The Guide starts with a explanation of the two dominant areas on a general Google search result page, paid AdWords and organic search results. There are no video links, maps or News references that would be included in a universal or personalized search results page. The first bit of dated information states, “Search engine optimization affects only organic search results, not paid or “sponsored” results such as Google AdWords” This information is not true. Because Google assesses the quality of pages each AdWord advert leads to and professional search marketing firms tend to offer both SEO and paid-ad services, SEO has a direct effect on the placement and perceived relevancy of AdWords.

Tomorrow begins what is going to be the most watched, measured and written about 120 hour period in modern business history. Starting with the tracking of the movement of people through flights, automobile, bus and rail and ending with an accounting of the staggering amounts of money spent on consumer goods, the American Thanksgiving weekend marks the start of the all important holiday retail season.

Tomorrow, everything American shuts down for an annual day of family, gratitude and spiritual reflection. The next day, Black Friday, everyone with credit left on their cards enters into an orgy of shopping. It’s an annual ritual that is almost Roman in its excess and in its social importance. All the holiday season sales start on Friday and the shopping will continue ’till the churches open their doors on Sunday morning. The national vibe then cycles back to spiritual reflection and everyone goes back to work the next day.

That’s the point we, the online marketing community, comes in. Since the mid-70’s, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been called “Black Friday”. Since the late-90’s, the Monday following Black Friday has been called “Cyber Monday”. That’s the day when people at work or at home head to the Internet to make or complete their holiday purchases. Both are important days for slightly different reasons.

Rumour has it Microsoft Live Search is thinking of changing its name in a bid to rebrand itself as the up-and-coming #2 in the hierarchy of engines. While the name, Live Search has never taken hold in the imaginations, hearts or minds of search users, the name the company appears to be moving towards is so much less memorable or apparently meaningful it is almost downright crazy.

Crazy seems to happen around the Pacific North West fairly frequently. Perhaps its the weather. Perhaps its the nerve jolting volumes of caffeine consumed on the west coast. Perhaps it’s living beside the largest body of water in the world. Who knows why it happens but in the area between Northern California and Alaska, weirdness is often considered rational. For example, take Vista (please).

Now, there’s two typical types of crazy that happen up here in the mystic Pacific North West. One is the corporate chair bashing crazy everyone experiences from time to time. Such craziness, if applied conservatively with zest and fine timing can actually become endearing if it manifests as a proper release. If you happen to be the CEO of the world’s largest software corporation, such tantrums become the backbone of stories employees whisper to the new-kids in order to scare them back into line. This type of crazy foams over at the mouth only once or twice a year and is considered mostly harmless unless one is sitting in said chair at the time of outbreak.

“May you live in interesting times.” – an ancient curse attributed to Confucius

Over the years, the role SEOs play in the success of their clients’ websites has changed primarily by growing in scope. Where once SEOs were charged with chasing the strongest search engine placements and rankings possible, today’s SEO is now concerned with conversion rates, click-paths, time on site and bounce rates. Moving forward into 2009, changes in the search engine market-space and business world will have enormous effect on how SEOs work and how they define their client centered goals. Believe it or not, tomorrow’s SEO might not concern his or herself with search ranking at all.

Here’s the background landscape as it appears to be shaping up now. There are currently three major search engines; Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft Live. Of those three, one is extremely important, one is somewhat irrelevant and the other is struggling to find its direction and make itself relevant. Unless something radical changes, 2009 is going to be the first truly unipolar year in search marketing history. While Google has been the most important engine, next year it might well be the ONLY engine of relevance. Yahoo! is thought to be too weak to survive and Live doesn’t exactly appear to know how it wants to define itself against Google.