Neil Minetto's shared items
Keyword research is the long multi-step process that involves finding possible keyword phrases, synonyms and related terms, estimating the keyword difficulty and potential, and even researching competitors’ tactics as for keyword selection and promotion. This post looks at only one tiny, yet very important aspect: investigating the whole scope of possible keyword phrases and extensions (i.e. words that can be used together with the core term).
Onelook is the perfect tool for that – especially its wildcard (*) search that offers numerous ways to play with.
Onelook interprets a wildcard (an asterisk) as an substitute for any number of characters AND words (unlike Google that uses a wildcard as placeholder for any sequence of words).
Let’s see how this can be useful for our keyword research. Let’s say you want to research any possible phrases with the word “diabetes“, so all we need is to type [diabetes *] in Onelook search box to find all phrases in the database starting with “diabetes“. From there you can:
- Change the vocabulary preferences (choose to search for words, phrases or both);
- Browsing through the results you can even see some clusters.
Now, imagine you want to research phrases for both “diabetic” and “diabetes” – so what you need to search for is [diabet*]
Or let’s say you want to research all phrases: where words both proceed and follow the core term – in this case we will need two asterisks: [* diabetes *]
One final note: Onelook is an awesome tool that has many possible uses, so I recommend installing its search plugin (just navigate to the page, click on your search plugins and choose “Add OneLook Dictionary Search”) and play with it to your heart’s content.
Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal.
How to Do Keyword Research with OneLook Wildcard Search
UPDATE
About three hours after I sent the post below, I was contacted by Deb Collins, VP of Sales & Marketing at Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts. Please be sure to read her comment (the 5th one below my original post).
+++++++
ORIGINAL POST
I've been noticing more and more people playing fast and loose with email opt-ins. Maybe the tough economy forces otherwise reputable organizations to go close to the edge? Or maybe email marketing programs are relegated to junior marketers who don’t know better? Sure, one person may buy your product, but is it worth annoying thousands? Is the economy really that tough?
Readers of this blog know I am a fan of the Apollo moon program. Obsessed is a word my family would use. Need proof? Here’s my Apollo Artifacts blog.
I've been to Kennedy Space Center in Florida several times, most recently to watch the launch of STS-117 and to attend events with Apollo astronauts. So that I am alerted to upcoming Space Shuttle launches, I signed up for emails. Here’s what I signed up for:
"Get the latest on upcoming launches. Sign up for free e-mail updates and we'll send you the latest information on launches and Kennedy Space Center events throughout the year."
I got this in a return email:
"Thanks for signing up for information on launches and events at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. We are excited to have you as a member of our distinguished online community and hope you find our website user friendly and informational. We will update you throughout out the year on special events, promotions, newsletters, and discounts. Thank You!"
So far so good.
A typical email signup that happens millions of times a day. I wanted information and KSC agreed to provide it.
But some time later, I received this email
"FROM Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
SUBJECT Last-minute summer escapes from Delaware North
At Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, we realize what summer is all about. It's our chance to get away from work and home as we search for a little adventure, reconnect with nature and forget about some of our responsibilities. That's why you'll find a number of affordable summer packages, unforgettable events, fun activities and more at all of our destinations this summer.
Beat the heat as you hike or bike your way through the High Sierra at Yosemite, Tenaya and Sequoia. Treat yourself to a spa treatment at Gideon Putnam. Or saddle up and ride to an old-fashioned barbeque at Yellowstone. Choose a category below to find out how we can help you satisfy your sense of adventure."
I feel abused. This is not what I signed up for.
Turns out Delaware North is a resort operator that runs the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
It seems clear that the fine print of what I signed up for with the Shuttle launch emails from Kennedy Space Center entitles Delaware North to pimp their other properties.
Yes, the Delaware North lawyers were satisfied. But that does not make it right to abuse fans of manned spaceflight by hawking a trip to Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack? No. Of course not.
When I went to opt-out, I had to click on 14 different check boxes (each one returning me to the top of the page) which took more than a minute. [NOTE: Click the image to enlarge.]
What makes marketers at Delaware North think that because I want to know when NASA is launching a Space Shuttle that I might also be interested in Southland Greyhound Park in Arkansas? Obviously the only connection is Delaware North and for that reason this is an abusive practice.
Seth Godin outlined permission marketing best practices ten years ago in his book by that title. Yet these sleazy practices still go on.
Delaware North should re-think their email marketing strategies.
Or perhaps NASA should re-think Delaware North.
What about your email marketing practices? Are you playing fast and loose?
Google has just rolled out the new Checkout Store Gadget currently running under Google Labs. This gadget lets users create their own online stores using Google Spreadsheet, Google Docs, and Google Checkout. The Official Google Docs Blog gave a rundown of the necessary steps that users need to take to create their online stores.
First users need to sign up for a Google Checkout account. The checkout account will be used for processing orders placed at the online store. It can also help them attract new sales leads as well as convert more sales for their products.
After signing up for a Google Checkout account, users then need to list the products they want to sell using Google Docs spreadsheet.
Finally, after preparing the Google docs spreadsheets, users will need to embed the Google Checkout store gadget on their websites. Instructions on embedding the Google Checkout to differents sites including Google Sites, iGoogle, Blogger and other blog sites are enumerated here.
The Google Checkout Store Gadget uses the new Spreadsheets Data API which include the Tables and Records feeds and were released to developers last month. These APIs provides a structured record-based table for storing and updating tabular data in a spreadsheet. The Table API allows placing of tables anywhere on a sheet while the Records Feeds is a feed of rows within a table.
Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal.
Create an Online Store in a Snap Using Google Docs and Checkout
There’s a lot to know about Google Analytics, but fortunately there are lots of places to learn about it. Here’s a roundup of links to some of the most helpful information on Google Analytics. See a resource that you love that’s missing? Leave a comment.
Documentation
First off, the Help Center has pretty good documentation about all kinds of basic questions about Google Analytics.
For more indepth technical documentation, there’s also the Google Code site. This is a great reference if you’re a web developer and JavaScript-savvy. It tells you all about how the tracking code works and how you can customize it.
Videos
If you’re a visual learner who’d rather see it than read about it, there are two great sources of videos for learning about Google Analytics.
First, there are the GAIQ lessons, which walk through a lot of the basics of how to use Google Analytics.
There’s also a Google Analytics YouTube channel which has videos with lots of tips and tricks for using GA.
Books
People always ask me for good books about Google Analytics. The only book that’s really out there is Brian Clifton’s Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics, which covers both analysis (how to use Google Analytics) and configuration (how to set it up). But even though it was only published last year, it’s already pretty out of date with the new features that have been released since then. (That’s the downside of quick innovation cycles clashing with the slow publishing schedules of books.)
For a guide to configuration and implementation, there’s a great e-Book, Justin Cutroni’s Google Analytics Shortcut. The current edition of this is a little out-of-date too, but it’s being updated right now.
Although it’s not specifically about Google Analytics, I can’t mention books about analytics without mentioning Avinash Kaushik’s Web Analytics: An Hour A Day, which is just an excellent resource for you to think about what you really want to accomplish with web analytics and how to get there.
Blogs
There are just a ton of great blogs from Google Analytics Authorized Consultants and others on Google Analytics. Here are just a couple of my favorites, but there are lots to choose from. These are pretty focused on GA and related topics, but there’s also a whole blogosphere out there for information about web analytics in general.
Personalized Help
If you have a quick question about Google Analytics, try the Help Forum. (And don’t forget to search the forum’s archives — your question may have already been answered.)
If you’re still struggling with an issue, think about contacting a Google Analytics Authorized Consultant like us. We can help you in a variety of ways, from personalized webinars and training to projects to audit your analytics setup, get it configured for you, or help you analyze how visitors use your site.
This is a post from: Lunametrics
Google Analytics Learning Resources Roundup
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Google Website Optimizer can help you identify the copy, images, and page layout combination that is most effective at getting visitors to convert. The key is to use Google Analytics to find out which landing pages are least effective, so you can start working on those first. Our first Google Analytics + Website Optimizer in 60 Seconds video shows you how.
Do you have a tip on using Google Analytics and Website Optimizer together? Feel free to post a comment and share. And, be sure to check out the techie guide for more advanced Website Optimizer tips.
Posted by Melissa Hsieh, Google Analytics Team
This is a great opportunity to network with other Web Analytics, Optimization and Online Marketing professionals from Seattle area in a very informal and fun setting.
Do we have a speaker or any presentation? Nothing planned yet but if you are interested in speaking then please send me your proposal for a 30 min presentation.
Do you have topic that you would like to discuss with fellow analysts? If yes, send me your thoughts as well.
Need another reason to attend? How about Free Beer and snacks.
Please RSVP at Web Analytics Wednesday site or send me a note at batraonline at gmail.com (or @anilbatra on Twitter) so that they we know how many people to expect.
Location:
POP
1326 5th Ave, Suite 800
Seattle, WA 98101
http://pop.us/#/about/what-we-do/optimization/
Date: July 15th Wednesday
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Tweet This
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Looking to fill your Web Analytics or Online Marketing position? Post your open jobs on http://www.web-analytics-jobs.com/
Latest Job: Senior Web Analyst at Vml (Kansas City, MO)
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Site: AnilBatra.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/anilbatra
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Have you used Clop.in a URL shortner with real time analytics? http://clop.in/C6ZWAL
Facebook is estimated to have 70.2 million unique visitors per month in the United States according to comScore. Social networking is booming, everyone is friending, following, tweeting, tagging, and grandma and grandpa are getting involved too. Wait a minute, did I just say grandma and grandpa? That’s what some recent Facebook research has shown. It seems the fastest growing demographic on the social networking giant is women 55 and older. That segment grew by 175% in February 2009, while men 55 and older grew by 137%.
I was definitely excited to see the data. I’m a big believer in social networking and love to see people in that age group join a site like Facebook. That said, reality set in a few days later. I ended up speaking with someone 66 years old who needed my assistance with their email account. Like many of you reading this post, I usually end up being the point person for technology-related questions for friends and family. I had an interesting few minutes on a phone call with her. Here’s a quick transcript:
Her: I can’t seem to find some emails I’ve written.
Me: Did you check your sent items?
Her: I’m in my email already. Where are my sent items?
Me: It’s the folder labeled “Sent Items" in Microsoft Outlook.
Her: I don’t think I’m using Outlook…
Me: What are you using to check your email?
Her: The e with a circle around it (AKA: Internet Explorer)
Me: OK, so it’s web-based mail.
Her: No, it’s on my computer.
Me: Yes, but you are accessing your email on the web. I can help you. What’s your email address so I can send you some instructions?
Her: I’m not sure, hold on.
Me: Jumping off roof now. :)
That conversation reminded me that not everyone is as tech savvy as the readers of Search Engine Journal. We come with computer chips built into our brains. Our kids instinctively know how to text and have built in wi-fi. But, we also grew up using computers on a regular basis. People that are 55 and older didn’t… We were typically the ones introducing computers and explaining how to use them. Needless to say, there’s a big difference between the various age groups and how they utilize new technology.
My 3 Degrees of 55 and Older
After the phone call, I started thinking about people 55 and older and the data I saw about Facebook. I’ll be honest, I started having doubts that many people 55 and older are jamming on Facebook, tagging photos, using apps, providing status updates, and grabbing their vanity URL’s. So, why was I skeptical? My parents are in that age group, and all of their friends. My in-laws are in that age group, and all of their friends. In addition, all of my friends’ parents are in that age group, so on and so forth. So, I like to think I have a pretty good feel for that demographic, based on interactions I’ve had with them over the past few years.
They Are Signing Up, But Not Coming Back…
The initial data I read showed that people 55 and older was a fast growing segment for Facebook (with women over 55 being the fastest growing). But, recent data revealed that although they were signing up, they were not returning to Facebook. Unfortunately, that did make a lot of sense to me. I can only imagine someone 65 years old hearing about Facebook from their children or grandchildren, signing up, and looking at their blank profile thinking, “What the heck is this??”
Getting My Own Data
Although reading all of this data about people 55 and older was great, it wasn’t sufficient for me. I wanted to know more. So I decided to collect some of my own data! I reached out to my network of friends and family with a quick Facebook questionnaire. I came up with five simple questions to try and understand how people 55 and older were using Facebook. I sent an email to my network and waited patiently for the data to come in. It didn’t take long to start receiving responses. Some of the emails cracked me up, others surprised me, and most reinforced what I thought. Here are the five questions I sent out:
1. Are you currently on Facebook?
2. If yes, what do you use it for?
3. How often do you visit Facebook per day, week, and month?
4. Do you enjoy Facebook? Why or why not?
5. Do you plan to join other social networks like Facebook in the near future (over the next 6 months to year?)
I ended up receiving 57 responses from people 55 and older.
A quick disclaimer before I reveal the data. This is obviously not a scientific study, nor was it meant to be. I just wanted to receive feedback from a trusted group of people that were 55 and older to see if and how they use Facebook. Let’s see what they had to say.
Lots of No’s, But There is Hope
As I started receiving responses, I saw a quick trend. NO. That’s the overwhelming response I received to question one (Are you currently on Facebook?) It ends up that 80% of the respondents were not on Facebook. When someone did choose to elaborate, I received some funny responses. For example, I found out about one man who isn’t on Facebook and also refuses to upgrade to broadband. I think the exact quote was, “Dial-up is fast enough!” I laughed out loud and couldn’t help but think that his response was something right out of an episode of Seinfeld. :) Another comment that cracked me up was, “I think I was there once.” Wow, Facebook made such a big impression on her that she didn’t even know if she was on the site! Although I was hoping to see more people from this group on Facebook, I had a feeling this would be the case. Then I opened a few emails that gave me hope…
Wait, Facebook Can Be Helpful!
Sprinkled in with the no’s were some great responses supporting Facebook. These enthusiastic responses made me think there is hope. The first one that struck me was from a friend’s mother-in-law. Her enthusiasm about Facebook jumped off the page. Literally, if she could friend me, tag my photo, challenge me to a trivia game, and become a fan of my Facebook page, I think she would. She explained how much she loves Facebook, how she keeps up with her children and grandchildren, and loves seeing everyone’s status updates, photos, video, etc. She logs in a few times per day. Yes, she was the exception, but she got it (big time).
After reading her story, I received a few more no’s and then another great response came in. This time from a friend’s father, who logs in a few times per week to see what his kids are doing, he searches for people he went to college with, connected with some of them online and offline, etc. It was another great example of someone using Facebook in smart ways. He seemed to really like it.
Then there were a couple of responses from people that were on the fence, not knowing whether Facebook was really for them. There were several people who log in just a few times per month, explained that they don’t have time and don’t really know how to use Facebook. Personally, I think that’s a big problem for Facebook, Twitter and other social networking websites (at least for this age group). I don’t know if there’s anything more frustrating for people than signing up for something you don’t understand. And if you don’t know much about Facebook, you might end up just staring at a blank page wondering what the big deal is.
A Typical Bell Curve
I’m sure many of you have visualized this already, but my data ended up creating a typical bell curve, with a majority of the people not on Facebook, some loving it, and some on the fence.
No More Social Networks, One Is Enough…
My fifth question was, “Do you plan on joining more social networks over the next 6 months to a year?” Almost all of the respondents that are currently members on Facebook said they probably won’t be joining other social networking websites. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure they could name another one. So, if Facebook can get more people 55 and older to join and actually use the website, they can probably retain those members. Better training and education would be a smart move for Facebook. Heck, send out a team of people to 55 and older communities across the country.
A Note About When 40 Year Olds Become 55 and Older
One point I kept hearing from friends was that although their parents weren’t on Facebook, their aunts and uncles were (and their aunts and uncles are currently in their 40’s.) So, many of them will already be members on Facebook when they become the 55 and older demographic (that’s if Facebook is around in 5-10 years). As fast as things are moving, chances are Facebook will be something completely different by then. Twitter might be linked to a chip in our brains, and BisKotti, the social network built on interactive TV, will take over our lives. Never heard of BisKotti? That’s because I just made it up, but it very well could be the next big thing. :) {BTW, don’t even think about it, I just registered the domain name!}
My Final Thoughts About People Currently 55 and Older and Social Networks
Although I wish the numbers were better, I think 80% will never adopt social networking. I think 15% will be interested, but run into barriers and be confused with the best way to use social networking sites like Facebook. Then I think 5% will truly get it and benefit from its power. They will connect with friends, use it help organize events, keep up with their children and grandchildren, and yes, probably grab their vanity URL’s while they’re at it. There’s no doubt there will be some great stories from the 5%, but it unfortunately won’t make up for the 95% that never come back.
That’s my take. What’s yours?
Glenn Gabe is an online marketing strategist and focuses heavily on SEO, SEM, Social Media Marketing, Viral Marketing and Web Analytics. You can read more of Glenn’s posts on his blog, The Internet Marketing Driver and you can follow him on Twitter to keep up with his latest projects, news, and updates.
Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal.
Facebook or Just Face-Look? Are People 55 And Older Really Using Social Networking Websites?
There are so many reasons to celebrate Webtrends Marketing Warehouse availability On Premise. We’ve had a lot of success with our On Demand version over the last couple of years and wanted to better serve some unmet market needs with an On Premise version. Here are just a few of the market needs that this product addresses.
- You choose: data mart or data warehouse – Our Marketing Warehouse product can be used in several ways to meet your organization’s needs. You can use Marketing Warehouse as a data mart of online data to feed your enterprise data warehouse to benefit your organization as a whole. You can also use it as your data warehouse for all you online data for your marketers. Best of all, you can use it both ways!
- Deep integration – On Premise offers organizations ultimate flexibility in how they use their online data. Having direct access to enriched online data means that the sky is the limit in how you want to integrate that data with other data and other marketing applications. The goal is to drive insight to fuel actions with your customers and prospects.
- Ultimate control of the data – Whether its for privacy purposes, regulatory compliance, or simply direct access to the data, having this level of control of this data behind your firewall is a huge benefit to many businesses.
Along with Marketing Warehouse, Webtrends Score is now available in On Premise as well.
Caution…proud Product Manager ramblings below.
I wanted to recognize the achievements of the Webtrends team who worked tirelessly to bring this product to market. From developers writing code, to QA folks testing it, to Services folks ready to implement and support it, to Marketing promoting it, to Sales folks selling it. A personal thanks to all of you who worked so hard to bring this product to market because you’re passionate about helping businesses strive for excellence.
Posted in Data Portability, Marketing Optimization, Online Privacy, Open Exchange, WebTrends Innovations Tagged: data mart, data warehouse, Marketing Warehouse, on premise, warehouse
Back in September of last year, YouTube increased the maximum size of video uploads tenfold, from 100MB to 1GB. In the past 24 hours, it appears that they’ve at least doubled it, from 1GB to 2GB. Despite the size increase, the maximum length of a video remains 10 minutes.
Barry Schwartz, who appears to have first noticed the change, reports that he’s seeing a 20GB limit on one of his YouTube accounts. That seems unlikely to be the case across all of YouTube, but as of yet, there’s no official word from the company on the change. My account shows the 2GB limit:
In any event, even just increasing to 2GB should make it significantly easier for video publishers to get their longer, HD videos onto the site.
What size limit are you seeing in your YouTube account? Let us know in the comments.
See Also: 20 Essential Sources for Free HD Videos
Reviews: YouTube
