Many of the paid search accounts that I’ve worked with contain a geographical component and I have a well-used spreadsheet that contains the names of the biggest U.S. Cities, States, and State Abbreviations for those accounts. I often combine this list with my “core” keywords so that my ads can reach the geographical paid search long tail.

But, as I was examining the conversion keywords on one particular account, I had the following paid search epiphany:

“IN” is not only the abbreviation for Indiana but is also a very common adverb / preposition.

“OR” is not only the abbreviation for Oregon but is also a common conjunction.

I was getting conversions with “Keyword + ‘in’” or “Keyword + ‘or’” that had nothing to do with geography. Instead, these were unique long tail searches that I not likely would have captured but for my inclusion of “in” or “or” with my keyword. The remainder of the queries weren’t accounted for in my campaign and I would have had a much lower chance of landing the visitor except in the unlikely event that I would have captured them with my much more competitive generic keyword.

When I do searches in AdWords that contain “Keyword + ‘in’” or “Keyword + ‘or’”, I notice that my ads are in higher relative positions vis a vis my competitors.

Therefore, if you are looking to get some additional long tail exposure with your paid search campaigns, try combining your core keywords with prepositions and conjunctions. I think you’ll find the additional ad exposure to be quite worth it.

The post A Minimalistic Paid Search Tip appeared first on SEMpdx.

We have a client who came to us in March to help procure a Reconsideration Request from Google. De-indexing and reconsideration at Google is not a simple feat. Google reconsideration and religion have a lot in common. Many faiths (as with many search engines) have the same premise, be good and you will be rewarded.

It’s not always clear what the rules are or where you stand. Just as in religion there is no real criteria to assess (in real time and with a tracking system) if you’re on the right track. “I’ve been a good person, but I kicked a dog once, lied to my mom and told the neighbor girl I liked her new haircut when I didn’t. Am I still going to Heaven?” “I’ve cleaned up my irrelevant links, removed the offending page and created some great content. Am I going to get back into Google?” It’s hard to know sometimes when good is good enough, in religion and in Google’s index.

So here you are, abiding fairly closely to what you know the Google rules to be then one day BAM, you wake up to find that your site can’t be found on Google…anywhere, not even for your own business name. What have you done to fall from grace?

In my clients’ case they had an SEO (whom they thought to be legitimate) do some linking that turned out to be enormously questionable. The links were no or low PageRank links from irrelevant sites and useless directories unrelated to their industry. In addition, they had a links page where people could submit reciprocal links for consideration. While our client denied all unrelated or spammy links, the people requesting the links often put up a low quality link in advance of the request. This resulted in more low quality links pointing at their site. The links page was removed as soon as the client understood the problem.

So what do they do? They haven’t been de-indexed, they can still be found for their name, but they’ve been at the very least sandboxed. They have been practically invisible on Google for three years despite good rankings in all other search engines. We understand they’re in trouble with Google, we’ve completed a Reconsideration Request following Google Guidelines months ago and nothing has happened. They’re in purgatory, but for how long?

So as a test of the Google Reconsideration Request process (and as a test of faith) here is our Twelve Step Plan That Should Help You Get a Reconsideration (or Out of the Sandbox) from Google.

1) Admit you have a problem: During our initial site review and assessment we knew what the problem was, they have a lot of irrelevant links (initially over 1000 and we now have it down to 644).

I love Rand Fishkin’s link popularity platform question, “If this link didn’t help you gain search ranking would you still pursue it?” That’s a great question to ask yourself. Don’t pursue links that don’t make sense. Know that Google likes for you to have links which are relevant to your business and industry and that add value for your customers. If a link doesn’t fall into this category, don’t pursue it. We needed to admit to Google that, yes, they had pursued hundreds of links that weren’t relevant. Be honest, tell Google what you did. My clients’ intention wasn’t to be fraudulent, it was to grow his business. He was led down the wrong path by a questionable vendor. Maybe he should have known better (if it’s too good to be true it probably is) but he went down this path and now he’s asking to be led down the path of righteousness with only good, relevant, authority links.

2) Get educated: Read reputable online magazines, blogs, forums and guides. Attend search marketing conferences such as SMX, SES and our local SearchFest or SEMPDX Events.

3) Change what you can: We asked for removal of about 1/3 of the links, we removed the offending link page, and stepped up our efforts to obtain relevant links.

4) Create more content: We added a blog, requested customer product reviews and posted relevant and very helpful how to guides.

5) Change your domain: We’re not pursuing this path as the client has a prospering business on the other engines and doesn’t want to lose all search placement. But this has been cited as a viable option.

6) Review metrics: Do what you can to be a good site that people want to visit and transact. Google doesn’t really include this element in their guidelines, but it can’t hurt. This client has a better than average bounce rate, good converting landing pages, a 2% conversion rate, a high approval rating from their customers and repeat visits. Though this may not gain them reconsideration, they can sleep well knowing they are being good and fair business owners.

7) Pursue high authority links: Remember that all links are not created equal. Pursue a link like you’d pursue a friendship or a life partner. I’m going to be stuck with this link, am I sure I want to be associated with this link, everyone will know I’m associated with this link. You’re known for the company you keep, in life and in linking.

8) Learn from your mistakes: As we right our wrongs, recognize why what you did was wrong. Don’t make the same mistake again as you will be less likely to be forgiven.

9) Get recommendations from industry leaders: Search Marketing is still in the process of having real standardization. It’s still refining itself as a discipline and it’s important to reach out to industry leaders for advice. Attend conferences and get advice from the best and the brightest. Hire a reputable firm or at least pay for some consulting time with a reputable firm (don’t just ask your cousin Harry’s best friend Tim who works with a girl who does some SEO on the side). Don’t leave something as precious as your online reputation in the hands of someone who hasn’t proven themselves in the discipline.

10) Be patient: This can be the hardest part. My client has been “in the sandbox” for three years. He has created a viable business, but doesn’t have access to over 60% of the market. (We started work on best practice SEO for blue ox tow bars to monitor placement once site was reconsidered with the hope that Google would see us following guidelines for a new product.) My client has chosen to be patient as he waits for word (which may or may not come as Google does not tell you whether or not you are sand-boxed, or communicate the status of your reconsideration request).

11. Accept the things you cannot change: Pursue as much search traffic as you can on other engines and be in acceptance that all you can do is try to be good enough and be patient. To Google’s benefit, one of the reasons they provide such exceptional results and have such market share is that they don’t tolerate spamming or paid linking just for inclusion. Accept that you’ve done all you can and hope that they’ll eventually respond positively and you’ll get back in their good graces.

12. Don’t give up–Persistence pays: Google isn’t interested in your quick fix. When they return a search result to their visitors they are saying that they trust the site and it is worthy enough to share with their customers. Respect that they are just doing their job and don’t give up. Just as in religion, if you’re a good person and there isn’t a heaven (or removal from the sandbox) you won’t be sorry for the efforts you’ve made to be a good person or good website owner. The payback either way is too big, don’t give up. We’re not sure when good is good enough, but we’ll share our results with you.

Thank you to Rand Fishkin and members of the SEMPDX board for their help and contribution towards our efforts.

The post Twelve Step Plan That Should Help You Get a Reconsideration (or Out of the Sandbox) From Google appeared first on SEMpdx.

Lisa Williams: Top 3 Cool Things I Noticed at SearchFest 08

1) One of the most striking benefits of SEMPDX SearchFest 08′ is the caliber of speaker. To hear Rand Fishkin of SEOMOZ, Google, Microsoft reps and other search marketing powerhouse speakers you’d need to go to SES or SMX and pay upwards of $2000. For as little as $149 (members buying early) you get a full day with great speakers with topics ranging from search marketing basics to Social Media Marketing tactics to International SEM. As I interview prospective new clients, the biggest pain point is understanding how search fits in the marketing mix and how to implement search in tandem with other marketing strategies.

2) Education for Search Marketing as a discipline is even more important than education for Print Media. If I want to launch a print campaign I find a reputable agency and have them complete the media buys and execute the creative. If I want to launch a Search campaign, I need to know that a Search Marketing Agency can be of more help to me before I create or redesign my site, rather than after the site is designed. It’s imperative as a business owner to know that great site architecture is an important foundational element of good search marketing practices. I am equally impressed with the level of commitment to Search Marketing within companies compared to even a year ago.

3) Personalized search makes it even more important that search goals need to be about business goals, not just ranking. This measure truly helps search take its rightful place in the traditional marketing mix. The thing that is going to compel business owners to spend marketing resources on Search is the understanding of the quantifiable benefits.

Now that Search Marketing is coming into its own as a marketing discipline and it’s becoming more standardized, there’s no excuse as a business owner not to be educated. Go to conferences, read (clickz.com, marketingexperiments.com, searchengineland.com), get involved with your local search marketing organization (for Oregon that’s SEMPDX). Embrace Search Marketing, take the time to become educated and create a strategy for combining Search into your marketing mix. It’s not going away.

Sandra Ponce De Leon (who also blogged about the event here): In light of the recent conference takeover by participants at the SXSW event, I’ve been thinking much about my own experience at SEMpdx’s SearchFest and thankful that the audience was more patient with the presenters — as a first-timer, I was overcoming my own fears. Overall, though the experience was a great one and I hope my own content provided value to the audience.

One of the presenters I found most entertaining was Marty Weintraub in his “Do as I say, not as I do” presentation on reputation management. His deck was packed with important lessons of engagement that translate equally to online and offline methods. The biggest lesson, though… don’t fight fire with fire. It was funny to hear such a pacifist message in a conference about search marketing; however, as he goes through his real world example of how he fought with StumbleUpon “trolls” as he refers to them, you see his fight was futile, if not detrimental. And while I love his approach and humor at the situation, it actually escalated into a pretty frightening scenario. Lesson here… every community has their bulldogs that will fight to the death if they feel infringed upon. These folks are passionately committed to keeping their communities clean and free of poor content, especially if they see that content may have an alterior motive (such as SEO benefit) . And once unleashed that venom is difficult , if not impossible to contain. What could he have done differently? Perhaps respond with an open message of acknowledgement to his StumbleUpon detractors rather than the punchy response he gave. And a little humility might have helped.

So, what were my key take-aways? First I have much gratitude at the opportunity to present to such a top-notch, knowledgeable crowd and a reaffirmation that an approach of humility and authenticity is always the best policy when it comes to community engagement.

Adam Audette: Besides having a really cool name, Searchfest also has substantial content packed into a single day. The speakers were quite good and the material they covered was extensive. I arrived right before Rand Fishkin’s keynote and was really impressed with his presentation. Lots of great information, but also just good entertainment. He had everyone engaged for the entire 30-40 minutes. Another highlight was my panel on link building (but not because I was on it). I spoke alongside Dustin Woodard and Rebecca Kelley. What was surprising (and affirming) was how each of us were in agreement on tools and techniques we use, without having discussed the details of our presentations beforehand.

John Andrews also had a sweet presentation on internet marketing and strategy, and I enjoyed Matt McGee as well. There were also several speakers I wasn’t familiar with who impressed me greatly by their knowledge of social media and web strategy. I feel like the industry is well represented in the Pacific Northwest.

The networking rocked. For me, the best part of conferences is seeing familiar faces and making new friends. The amount of smart and creative people working in this industry always amazes me. Searchfest was a small conference but it brought out some very talented search marketers. I think SEMpdx is onto something with the format. I can’t wait for next year’s – I’ll definitely be there.

Aaron Kahlow: Despite all the rumors about Portland’s terrible winter weather, I stepped off the plane to 65 degrees and sunshine when I arrived at SEMpdx which was a perfect preface to what was in store.

SEMpdx was one of the only conference where I actually could hear real solutions being offered. Where folks could get down to the “Nitty Gritty” of what they needed to do to be successful in Search as opposed to the long winded ponftifications heard at so many other larger shows. In my session on Information Architecture/Website Usability’s role in converting search traffic, I was floored by the thoughtfulness and sheer number of questions. Moreover, networking with industry peers was a blast. Amazing what happens when you combine a few local brews and some Search Afficiandos!

Stoney deGeyter: I have to say that I had a fantastic time. Searchfest marked my one-year anniversary speaking at conferences. They opened the door for me at Searchfest 2007 and were kind enough to invite me back this year. Boy, am I glad they did.

I have to say that I was really surprised by the marketing power they were able secure for each session was amazing. I felt severely out gunned on both panels I was on. I was amazed at the quality of the information provided and the overall environment established by the SEMpdx team.

I met quite a few people in the industry and instead of trying to list them all here I just want to say thanks for making my SEMpdx experience a great one!

Rand Fishkin: I went into Searchfest with high expectations, having attended the previous year. I would say that once again, I was very impressed. The quality of speakers and attendees was high, the socializing was terrific and the material was almost universally well prepared. I’m a big fan of local events, and Searchfest is probably my favorite local-organized, local-focused event in search marketing. I suspect that in years to come, the audience size will grow and the event may indeed become a premiere gathering in the industry.

Colleen Wright: Searchfest! What an amazing experience! All of you on the board and all of the volunteers did an incredible job pulling it all together. Thank you very much for all of your hard work. As for me, this was my first time speaking at a conference…my maiden voyage so to speak, and I really enjoyed sharing my knowledge with all of you who attended. I’ve had people come up to me after Searchfest and share that they appreciated the information presented and I want you to know that I am happy to share this knowledge with you.

On the downside, immediately after I answered my last question, I got laryngitis! I knew I was coming down with something, but how weird is that? Almost as if my voice was hanging in there for that all critical presentation then boom! Gone! Here it is March 21st, over 10 days later and I STILL have laryngitis. I had to cancel my upcoming classes that start March 31st which is so disappointing. But it would be even more disappointing for my students if my voice gave out before the class ended. So, the next Search Engine Workshops begin May 12th! If my voice isn’t back by then, I’m in big trouble!

Marty Weintraub: Any city in the world would be proud to have organized an hosted such an event. Many of our in-house and solo practitioner friends are walking into the SEM-light and soon enough, we’ll all be singing out of the same search marketing hymnal. It was amazing to hang with true luminaries in our industry and an honor to share with all comers interested in search.

Portland is rising SEM community with a national talent base bubbling under. The hills of Willamette are exquisite. The people are charming and warm. I can’t wait until next year’s SEMpdx.

Ian Lurie: Searchfest provided a smaller venue where you could reach most of the audience, with the same level of speakers and content as most of the larger conferences. The audience in my session was interested, engaged and asked great questions. I also liked the breadth of content, and learned a thing or two.

My only suggestion for next year: Make sure the wifi works (I practically died from withdrawal).

Dustin Woodard: I’ve had the opportunity to speak at a number of events and must admit that the questions we received from the audience at Searchfest ’08 were the best I’ve heard yet. They were on topic and useful for everyone in the crowd.

The post Searchfest 08 Speaker Reflections appeared first on SEMpdx.

Hi there. I’m David Mihm. I’m based in the San Francisco Bay AreaPortland, Oregon, and I help small and medium-sized businesses in the western United States refine and expand their presence on the internet. I’ve completed a design or performed SEO for companies across a wide spectrum, including real estate, law, professional, media, non-profit, B2B, and retail. And if you need an updated logo or print design, I can help with that, too.

The post David Mihm SEMpdx Searchfest 08 Schwag Ho appeared first on SEMpdx.

We had well over 200 attendees, and got plenty of great comments, but are anxious to get some organized feedback..

If you attended Portland Oregons SearchFest ’08 last Monday, we would appreciate it if you would take just a couple of minutes of your time to to complete this survey.

The post SearchFest Attendee Survey appeared first on SEMpdx.

SMX Social Media

SMX Social Media, April 22 & 23, Long Beach, CA – $1195 value! This two-day event will get you up to speed on social media and how
to engage communities at social media sites. The West Coast version of SMX Social Media is an encore presentation of the standing-room only NYC edition held last autumn. You’ll be a master of social media marketing after attending SMX Social Media!

Other Winners: Rob Hegemann of Hydrabrush.com won the Search Engine Academy Pass.

Search Engine Academy Essentials
Attend our 2-Day Essentials class on March 31st where you will learn about SEO best practices. Additional classes offered include the 3 Day Advanced and 5 Day Comprehensive courses. Students who follow the strategies and tactics outlined in these classes consistently gain increased traffic, conversions and sales for their websites. If you register for a class at Searchfest, you will receive a special discount of 35% off regular prices. This is a savings of up to $768. For more information, see Colleen or Jennifer at the Search Engine Academy of Oregon table at Searchfest.

Denise Hampton of Charlton Engle Marketing won the Innotech Pass.

InnoTech eMarketing Summit
Wednesday and Thursday, April 16-17, 2008.  Oregon Convention Center, Room D135

The two-day eMarketing Summit brings together marketers, business owners and internet professionals from throughout the Northwest.  Now in its fourth year, the eMarketing Summit, a Special Event @ InnoTech, focuses on the strategies and concepts of eMarketing while demonstrating the latest tools and techniques used by the Northwest’s top companies.

Ken Whiteman of Hitchsource won the Internet Strategy Forum Summit Pass

Internet Strategy Forum Summit
July 17-18, 2008 Governor Hotel, Portland Oregon
Thursday, July 17 – Main Program for senior management, marketers, IT and Internet strategists
Friday, July 18 – Optional: Internet Strategist Career Path Symposium

The Internet Strategy Forum Summit—sold to capacity for the past four years—is our premiere annual conference. Conference attendees will engage with our executive speakers from eMarketer, Forrester Research, Nike, Intel, IBM and more, who will share their insights and ideas on how to best leverage the Internet and integrate it into overall business strategy.

Other winners: Tim Williams of Vivace Interactive won 2 passes to the CCI Enterprises Poker Tourney.

Debra Paynter of Infocus won a pass to Inverge.

David Mihm won the SEMpdx hat…OK, the fix was in on that one because the hat was perfectly color coordinated with the outfit he wore to Searchfest:.) David…send me a pic with you wearing the hat and I’ll post it.

The post Congrats To Gary Pool For Winning The SMX Social Ticket At Searchfest 08 appeared first on SEMpdx.

Being an incredibly picky conference attendee myself, beyond the “pin on” badges, the small font size of speaker nameplates, and the intolerable wait for the bartenders to pour our beers into glasses (zoo animal safety rules) I think the whole thing when darn well.

Thank you to all of the speakers, volunteers and attendees that helped make SearchFest ’08 stack right up against any other conference I’ve been to. The content provided in a just a single day was outstanding, in my opinion.

We are currently in the process of converting all the speaker provided files to .pdf, and will be posting them shorty, along with a link to a survey for attendees. Please be patient while we get caught up with our lives for a few hours…

***update***

The first batch of pdf files are up, but they are huge. Please read the instructions carefully in order to select your desired experience – SearchFest 08 Speaker Sessions

The post SearchFest ’08 Powerpoints and Survey appeared first on SEMpdx.

• Free Ticket to SMX Social valued at $1,195
• Search Engine Academy 2-Day Essentials class
  valued at $995
• Two tickets to InnoTech eMarketing Summit
• 1 ticket to Internet Strategy Forum Summit

SMX Social Media

Win a ticket to SMX Social Media, April 22 & 23, Long Beach, CA – $1195
value! This two-day event will get you up to speed on social media and how
to engage communities at social media sites. The West Coast version of SMX
Social Media is an encore presentation of the standing-room only NYC edition
held last autumn. You’ll be a master of social media marketing after
attending SMX Social Media!

Search Engine Academy Essentials
Win a spot in the upcoming 2-Day Essentials class on March 31st where you will learn about SEO best practices. Additional classes offered include the 3 Day Advanced and 5 Day Comprehensive courses. Students who follow the strategies and tactics outlined in these classes consistently gain increased traffic, conversions and sales for their websites. If you register for a class at Searchfest, you will receive a special discount of 35% off regular prices. This is a savings of up to $768. For more information, see Colleen or Jennifer at the Search Engine Academy of Oregon table at Searchfest.

InnoTech eMarketing Summit
Wednesday and Thursday, April 16-17, 2008.  Oregon Convention Center, Room D135
The two-day eMarketing Summit brings together marketers, business owners and internet professionals from throughout the Northwest.  Now in its fourth year, the eMarketing Summit, a Special Event @ InnoTech, focuses on the strategies and concepts of eMarketing while demonstrating the latest tools and techniques used by the Northwest’s top companies.

Internet Strategy Forum Summit
July 17-18, 2008 Governor Hotel, Portland Oregon
Thursday, July 17 – Main Program for senior management, marketers, IT and Internet strategists
Friday, July 18 – Optional: Internet Strategist Career Path Symposium

The Internet Strategy Forum Summit—sold to capacity for the past four years—is our premiere annual conference. Conference attendees will engage with our executive speakers from eMarketer, Forrester Research, Nike, Intel, IBM and more, who will share their insights and ideas on how to best leverage the Internet and integrate it into overall business strategy.

You don’t want to miss your chances to win these great prizes. Register for Searchfest 08 Now!

The post Free Ticket To SMX Social (and other Searchfest 08 Raffle Items) appeared first on SEMpdx.

I just want to let folks know that I’ll be moderating a few sessions at our upcoming Searchfest event.

The first session that I will be moderating will be “Links & Search: Strategies for Success” which will feature Rebecca Kelley from SEOmoz, Adam Audette from Audette Media, and Dustin Woodard from Wetpaint. Despite the relative youth of the panel (they were the understudies for the SMX teenage panel if the kids couldn’t get out of school that day…nah, maybe I shouldn’t say that :.) ), each panel member brings a tremendous amount of real world experience in this most crucial SEO skill. Each panel member will explore a unique facet of the linkbuilding process and I expect the audience to take home many actionable items from our panelists.

I will also be moderating the John Andrews “Search Marketing (SEO) & Your Business Strategy” session. I sat on a panel with John at last year’s Domain Roundtable and was impressed enough by his knowledge to immediately invite him to speak at Searchfest. John has always been interested in the application of SEO to real world business situations and I expect his talk to mirror the direct nature of his blog.

Finally, I will be moderating Matt McGee’s presentation on Small Business SEO. A strong core of our audience will be “Small Businessmen (and Women)” and Matt will give those folks some tips and tricks on some easy things they can do themselves to drive traffic and leads to their website.

You can still purchase tickets to Searchfest…get yours now!

I’ve exchanged emails with a lot of folks that will be at Searchfest 08 and I’m looking forward to meeting each and every one of you. Now, because I wear sunglasses in my avatar, I might be hard to recognize at the event…therefore, I’m providing you with another picture that you can use to try to pick me out of a crowd…

The post Todd Mintz Will Be Moderating SEMpdx Searchfest 08 appeared first on SEMpdx.

1) Please give us your background and tell us what you do for a living?
I studied International Relations at UC Davis, so after bouncing around a few continents I joined a few friends in the Russian Far East. We processed caviar, brought it back to the US and sold it to the wholesale market. I eventually moved into the translation/localization/web globalization world and then into SEO and PPC, first at NewGate Internet and now with LinkShare. I’m responsible for expanding LinkShare‘s performance based Search Advantage solution. Search Advantage combines expert management and optimization of a client’s paid search campaigns with an integrated approach to the client’s affiliate marketing initiatives.

2) What is the business case for affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing provides companies with a pay for performance sales channel that can significantly increase their online revenues, while helping them manage their ROI. This channel typically accounts for 5-15% of online sales. Some of the most innovative players in online marketing operate as affiliates, so aside from being a solid revenue driver it is an interesting and vibrant space.

3) What do you tell affiliates that feel that the reliance on cookie tracking & the ease of erasing cookies is costing them commissions?
LinkShare is proud to have the industry’s most robust tracking technology with our server to server LSTrans tracking solution, and new real-time Web Services tracking.

The post SEMpdx Searchfest 08 Mini-Interview: Jamie MacMillian (LinkShare) appeared first on SEMpdx.