May 23
SearchCap: The Day In Search, May 23, 2008
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on
Search Engine Land and from other
places across the web.

From Search Engine Land:


  • Search Share Compared: Ratings Service Faceoff, June 2007 To April 2008
    With the latest search popularity stats now in from Hitwise, Nielsen, comScore, and Compete, it’s time to pit them against each other and see what they agree — and don’t agree — about in terms of search engine popularity….

  • Compete: Yes, Google Hits New Search Share High
    Compete makes it a quadfecta! No real surprise, the latest search engine share stats out from Compete show Google has hit a new high — just as did previous stats out this month from Hitwise, Nielsen and comScore. Plus, an interesting look at how much search traffic Microsoft’s Live…

  • Search in Pictures: Google Branded Disposable Cups, Yahoo Chef Training, & A Personal Googleplex
    In this week’s Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more….

  • Microsoft Burns Book Search - Lacks “High Consumer Intent”
    Wow. Earlier this month, I heard Microsoft execs highlight Live Search Books as a key advance they were doing in search. Today, news that the site along with Live Search Academic are being closed next week, since they lack the "high consumer intent" that Microsoft is now focusing on. So…

  • AOL’s Leaked Searches Get Turned Into Play: USER 927
    Remember when AOL Proudly Releases Massive Amounts of Private Data back in August of 2006? Well, that story is now back in the news, after a two-year hiatus. Ars Technica reports that a play has been created around one of those searches, specifically searcher number 927. The play is named…

  • Google’s Safe Browsing Diagnostic Tool
    A week ago Google announced the release of a safe browsing diagnostic tool. To use the tool, just append a URL to the end of http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=. For example, to test this site, you would enter http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=http://searchengineland.com/. Google will then return four sets of security information about that page….

  • SEM News, “Google Tools, Part 3″ & Microsoft’s “Engagement Mapping” Tool
    In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, “Google Tools, Part 3″ and this week’s free tips/resources….

Search News From Around The Web:

Applications & Portal Features

Business Issues

Local, Maps & Mobile

Paid Search & Contextual

Searching

SEM Industry

SEO & SEM

Social Media

Other Items

Recent Hot Items From Sphinn, Our Social News Sharing Site:

May 23
SearchCap: The Day In Search, May 23, 2008
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on
Search Engine Land and from other
places across the web.

From Search Engine Land:


  • Search Share Compared: Ratings Service Faceoff, June 2007 To April 2008
    With the latest search popularity stats now in from Hitwise, Nielsen, comScore, and Compete, it’s time to pit them against each other and see what they agree — and don’t agree — about in terms of search engine popularity….

  • Compete: Yes, Google Hits New Search Share High
    Compete makes it a quadfecta! No real surprise, the latest search engine share stats out from Compete show Google has hit a new high — just as did previous stats out this month from Hitwise, Nielsen and comScore. Plus, an interesting look at how much search traffic Microsoft’s Live…

  • Search in Pictures: Google Branded Disposable Cups, Yahoo Chef Training, & A Personal Googleplex
    In this week’s Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more….

  • Microsoft Burns Book Search - Lacks “High Consumer Intent”
    Wow. Earlier this month, I heard Microsoft execs highlight Live Search Books as a key advance they were doing in search. Today, news that the site along with Live Search Academic are being closed next week, since they lack the "high consumer intent" that Microsoft is now focusing on. So…

  • AOL’s Leaked Searches Get Turned Into Play: USER 927
    Remember when AOL Proudly Releases Massive Amounts of Private Data back in August of 2006? Well, that story is now back in the news, after a two-year hiatus. Ars Technica reports that a play has been created around one of those searches, specifically searcher number 927. The play is named…

  • Google’s Safe Browsing Diagnostic Tool
    A week ago Google announced the release of a safe browsing diagnostic tool. To use the tool, just append a URL to the end of http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=. For example, to test this site, you would enter http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=http://searchengineland.com/. Google will then return four sets of security information about that page….

  • SEM News, “Google Tools, Part 3″ & Microsoft’s “Engagement Mapping” Tool
    In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, “Google Tools, Part 3″ and this week’s free tips/resources….

Search News From Around The Web:

Applications & Portal Features

Business Issues

Local, Maps & Mobile

Paid Search & Contextual

Searching

SEM Industry

SEO & SEM

Social Media

Other Items

Recent Hot Items From Sphinn, Our Social News Sharing Site:

May 23
Search Biz: Where’s Eurekster?, Grab Google’s Gazillions?, WiFi “On Steriods,” & Yahoo Readies For Proxy Battle
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off


Search Biz - A Column From Search Engine LandGoogle’s recent decision to make its UK keyword bidding policy conform with the US practice of allowing competitors to bid on each other’s brands has drawn ire and threats of legal action. Today brings more such news of potential legal action against Google from a range of travel companies and retailers in the UK.

Click to continue reading…

May 23
Search Biz: Where’s Eurekster?, Grab Google’s Gazillions?, WiFi “On Steriods,” & Yahoo Readies For Proxy Battle
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off


Search Biz - A Column From Search Engine LandGoogle’s recent decision to make its UK keyword bidding policy conform with the US practice of allowing competitors to bid on each other’s brands has drawn ire and threats of legal action. Today brings more such news of potential legal action against Google from a range of travel companies and retailers in the UK.

Click to continue reading…

May 23
Daily Search Forum Recap: May 23, 2008
in Search Engine Roundtable
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Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

May 23
Search Share Compared: Ratings Service Faceoff, June 2007 To April 2008
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off

With the latest
search
popularity stats now in from
Hitwise,
Nielsen,
comScore, and
Compete, it’s time
to pit them against each other and see what they agree — and don’t agree —
about in terms of search engine popularity.

Click to continue reading…

May 23
Search Share Compared: Ratings Service Faceoff, June 2007 To April 2008
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off

With the latest
search
popularity stats now in from
Hitwise,
Nielsen,
comScore, and
Compete, it’s time
to pit them against each other and see what they agree — and don’t agree —
about in terms of search engine popularity.

Click to continue reading…

May 23
Compete: Yes, Google Hits New Search Share High
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off


Compete April 2008 Search Share

Compete makes it a quadfecta! No real surprise, the latest search engine
share stats

out from Compete show Google has hit a new high — just as did previous
stats out this month from
Hitwise,
Nielsen and
comScore. Plus, an
interesting look at how much search traffic Microsoft’s Live Search Club
generates.

NOTE: ON THE PIE CHART ABOVE, AOL’S LABEL IS SHOWN OVER THE "ASK" SLICE AND THE ASK FIGURE SHOULD BE 3.5%.
THE PIE SLICE PROPORTIONS THEMSELVES ARE CORRECT. SORRY I DON’T HAVE TIME TO FIX
THE LABELS NOW!

Click to continue reading…

May 23
Compete: Yes, Google Hits New Search Share High
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off


Compete April 2008 Search Share

Compete makes it a quadfecta! No real surprise, the latest search engine
share stats

out from Compete show Google has hit a new high — just as did previous
stats out this month from
Hitwise,
Nielsen and
comScore. Plus, an
interesting look at how much search traffic Microsoft’s Live Search Club
generates.

NOTE: ON THE PIE CHART ABOVE, AOL’S LABEL IS SHOWN OVER THE "ASK" SLICE AND THE ASK FIGURE SHOULD BE 3.5%.
THE PIE SLICE PROPORTIONS THEMSELVES ARE CORRECT. SORRY I DON’T HAVE TIME TO FIX
THE LABELS NOW!

Click to continue reading…

May 23
SearchDay: Yahoo Rejects Microsoft: Worst Decision Ever?
in Search Engine Watch
Comments Off

Today’s search engine marketing news and opinion: Yahoo Rejects Microsoft: Worst Decision Ever?; Optimization by Numbers; Black, White, and Blue All Over; and more.

May 23
Search in Pictures: Google Branded Disposable Cups, Yahoo Chef Training, & A Personal Googleplex
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off


Search In Pictures
In this week’s Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more.

Click to continue reading…

May 23
Google Universal Search Local Results Adds “Change Location”
in Search Engine Roundtable
Comments Off

Google Universal Search has been around for a while now. But today, Sam asked me to look at a search for scuba diving, which shows the local results smack in the middle of the page. Now, Sam (via Tamar) did not see that, same saw a box at the top that shows “Looking for local results for scuba diving? Enter location.”

Let me first show you what Sam saw, which I can replicate using a different browser, a browser I did not use to search with Google Maps in.

Google Local Results Change in Web Search

Now, on my primary browser, where I use Google Maps and have a default location, I don’t get that box. I get the results immediately, in the middle of the page, which is classic Universal Search. But, there is a slight change, it adds “near 2 executive blvd., 10901 change location,” which is my location. Here is a screen capture:

Google Local Results Change in Web Search

If I click on the “change location,” I get this:

Google Local Results Change in Web Search

Then clicking “back to results” brings back the previous screen.

Going back to Sam’s example above. Google will ask you for your location, when it doesn’t know it. You do not need to be logged into Google. You just need to have searched with a default location on Google Maps in the past to see the map pop up. If you have not, then Google will ask you for your location. When you enter it into the web search results in Sam’s example above, then Google will show you a map at the top and not in the middle of the page. But, if you search again, Google may show you the map in the middle of the page, depending on the query.

Forum discussion at Search Engine Roundtable Forums.

May 23
Site Clinic: Professional Looking Design Drives Conversions
in Search Engine Guide
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by Jackie Baker

So often, companies want to jump headlong into search engine optimization, link building, social media campaigns, and pay per click advertising for a quick way to boost website performance. But there are two main problems with this approach:

  1. to see real change, website marketing takes time, effort, and patience. If you want lasting results, you’re in it for the long haul. You may see immediate results from your efforts, but it’s not likely they’ll last more than a month or two without continual work.
  2. you may get more visitors to your site, but they aren’t going to stick around and convert if they don’t like what they see or can’t find their way around.

cvt-homepage.jpg
This week’s site clinic is focused on making sure visitors like what they see when they come to your website. Studies have shown that one of the key reasons visitors spend time on or buy from a site is a professional design. If your site doesn’t live up to their visual standards, you’re losing conversions.

There are a few key design changes that will improve the performance of today’s website clinic submission, Conway’s Vintage Treasures. Color schemes, text formatting, and prominence are key areas that CV Treasures needs to address in their design.

Putting Together a Professional Looking Color Palette
I spent several years working in print and web design, constantly pouring over Pantones and hex codes (and using lots of trial and error!) to find that perfect combination. Choosing a good color scheme is never easy.

While the design of CV Treasures is clean and has many good elements, the color scheme is haphazard and detracts immediately from its professional perception. There are at least three shades of gray, mustard yellow, salmon, lavender, red, teal, and blue. And that’s just the homepage.

cvt-color-palatte.jpgThere are two key problems with this:

  1. There are simply too many colors. Three or four colors are more than sufficient for a good design. For example: text should be the same color throughout the site (black); links should be a different, but consistent color (usually blue); section headers may be a third color, but should match a color used elsewhere in the design. Use colors for roll-over and active page effects in the navigation that have been used elsewhere in the design. This isn’t a place to introduce something new.
  2. The colors used don’t match. Good color schemes use colors from the same color family, with similar tones. If you like the shades of gray, the other colors need to have a grayer tint, like a slate blue instead of a royal blue. If you like the bright yellow, the other colors also need to be bright. If you like the pastels in the navigation, the other colors need to be pastel. Pick one color family and stick with it.

Additionally, the grays, white, and black used for the primary content and navigation areas are low contrast. If a low vision or color-blind person comes to the site, they are going to have difficulty distinguishing between colors. And this contrast is essential for breaking up the layout; indicating what is content, what is navigation, what is call to action. Colors help direct the eye to what’s important, but if they all blend together, nothing is.

Tips for selecting website color schemes:

  • Use 3-4 colors in the main design, including text
  • Use high contrast shades and colors, especially for text backgrounds
  • To add splashes of color, incorporate images
  • Use colors consistently in the same places to indicate the same things
  • Avoid red
  • Borrow ideas from websites you like

Formatting Text for Consistency and Readability
A little bit of good text formatting is easy to learn and do, and goes a very long way. And it seems like such a simple thing, but it makes a world of difference in design.

The CV Treasures website is all over the map when it comes to text formatting. The alignment, sizes, and colors are all over the place and the text is hard to scan. As with color schemes, consistency is key to professional looking text formatting.

Alignment: No matter what you are designing, one easy way to ensure that your marketing piece doesn’t look professional is to use lots of centered text. Centering text should be used very sparingly, and never for blocks of text more than 3-4 lines long. I repeat: never ever center large blocks of text! Not only does too much centered text look bad, it’s very hard to read.

Your content should always be left aligned for easiest reading. Other alignments are useful for small amounts of text in other mediums. But on the web, left alignment is best for content areas–and non-negotiable for vertical navigation.

Sizes and color: Your main text should be a consistent size and color on every page of the site. All of your section headers should be one size. Formatting on product pages should be the same throughout the site. Consistent use of font formatting helps visitors to understand what they are looking at, no matter where they are in the site. This is the beauty of CSS: it makes it easy to stay consistent and to make changes site-wide.

Scan-ability: Websites aren’t books, and you can’t expect your visitors to read every word on every page. They won’t. Formatting your content so it is easy to scan is critical to helping users find what they are looking for or see what interests them. Organize text into sections and lead with headers (good place for using your keywords, too). Use bulleted/numbered lists where appropriate. Keep paragraphs short.

Making Call To Action Buttons Most Prominent
cvt-add-to-cart.jpgOne of the most important elements of an ecommerce website is the shopping cart button. CV Treasures has some pretty cool stuff to sell, but may be losing conversions because the “Add to Cart,” “Shopping Cart,” and “Checkout” buttons don’t stand out. On CV Treasures, the “Shopping Cart” and “Checkout” actions are small
white text links on hidden on the top right corner of the website. The
“Add to Cart” button is a sepia button that you have to scroll to find
that blends in with the grays, especially for low vision visitors.

These are the call to actions of any ecommerce site. These links need to jump off the page so that your visitors notice them even if they aren’t looking for them. It’s a not-so-subliminal message that drives potential customers to a conversion.  

Tips for designing shopping buttons that sell:

  • Make them look like buttons
  • Use bold, bright colors
  • Place all shopping cart buttons to the right of your content
  • Always keep these buttons above the fold where users don’t have to scroll to find them
  • Use text and icons to identify the button (keep icons traditional, like a shopping cart, though. This is not a place to be creative.)

The design and usability of a website has as much to do with increasing conversions as getting more traffic does. There’s no point convincing more people to come to your site if they don’t like what they see and head for the back button as soon as they arrive. CV Treasures is doing great optimization for the unique products they sell. A little clean up on the design of the website is sure to increase their sales.

Want more from your web site?
Search Influence can help! Targeted Traffic. Increased Revenue. Results Guaranteed. Customized Internet Marketing you can afford.

May 23
Site Clinic: Professional Looking Design Drives Conversions
in Search Engine Guide
Comments Off

by Jackie Baker

So often, companies want to jump headlong into search engine optimization, link building, social media campaigns, and pay per click advertising for a quick way to boost website performance. But there are two main problems with this approach:

  1. to see real change, website marketing takes time, effort, and patience. If you want lasting results, you’re in it for the long haul. You may see immediate results from your efforts, but it’s not likely they’ll last more than a month or two without continual work.
  2. you may get more visitors to your site, but they aren’t going to stick around and convert if they don’t like what they see or can’t find their way around.

cvt-homepage.jpg
This week’s site clinic is focused on making sure visitors like what they see when they come to your website. Studies have shown that one of the key reasons visitors spend time on or buy from a site is a professional design. If your site doesn’t live up to their visual standards, you’re losing conversions.

There are a few key design changes that will improve the performance of today’s website clinic submission, Conway’s Vintage Treasures. Color schemes, text formatting, and prominence are key areas that CV Treasures needs to address in their design.

Putting Together a Professional Looking Color Palette
I spent several years working in print and web design, constantly pouring over Pantones and hex codes (and using lots of trial and error!) to find that perfect combination. Choosing a good color scheme is never easy.

While the design of CV Treasures is clean and has many good elements, the color scheme is haphazard and detracts immediately from its professional perception. There are at least three shades of gray, mustard yellow, salmon, lavender, red, teal, and blue. And that’s just the homepage.

cvt-color-palatte.jpgThere are two key problems with this:

  1. There are simply too many colors. Three or four colors are more than sufficient for a good design. For example: text should be the same color throughout the site (black); links should be a different, but consistent color (usually blue); section headers may be a third color, but should match a color used elsewhere in the design. Use colors for roll-over and active page effects in the navigation that have been used elsewhere in the design. This isn’t a place to introduce something new.
  2. The colors used don’t match. Good color schemes use colors from the same color family, with similar tones. If you like the shades of gray, the other colors need to have a grayer tint, like a slate blue instead of a royal blue. If you like the bright yellow, the other colors also need to be bright. If you like the pastels in the navigation, the other colors need to be pastel. Pick one color family and stick with it.

Additionally, the grays, white, and black used for the primary content and navigation areas are low contrast. If a low vision or color-blind person comes to the site, they are going to have difficulty distinguishing between colors. And this contrast is essential for breaking up the layout; indicating what is content, what is navigation, what is call to action. Colors help direct the eye to what’s important, but if they all blend together, nothing is.

Tips for selecting website color schemes:

  • Use 3-4 colors in the main design, including text
  • Use high contrast shades and colors, especially for text backgrounds
  • To add splashes of color, incorporate images
  • Use colors consistently in the same places to indicate the same things
  • Avoid red
  • Borrow ideas from websites you like

Formatting Text for Consistency and Readability
A little bit of good text formatting is easy to learn and do, and goes a very long way. And it seems like such a simple thing, but it makes a world of difference in design.

The CV Treasures website is all over the map when it comes to text formatting. The alignment, sizes, and colors are all over the place and the text is hard to scan. As with color schemes, consistency is key to pro