5 Simple Steps To Stop Wasting Budget With Poor Retargeting

	5 Simple Steps To Stop Wasting Budget With Poor Retargeting Dax Hamman
Is this really another article about retargeting? Absolutely, but with very good reason - whilst marketers think retargeting (or remarketing) is an obvious and established practice, many are still failing to get it anywhere near right, and are actually harming their campaigns by doing it badly. Not All Retargeting Is The Same! A few months ago in this column, we explored the idea that search marketers are the future media planners and with very good reason. But sadly, it is search marketers that are the guiltiest at wasting money in retargeting. In this article, we will explore the right way to do retargeting, often using skills that search marketers already have. The term 'retargeting' to most people means 'site retargeting', the concept of placing display ads in front of people who have visited a website. But let's think about that process for moment - a site visit takes place, a cookie is dropped and when that person appears again, you buy an ad impression to try and bring them back to the site. BUT – you aren't actually targeting a person - you are targeting nothing more than a cookie with a value that says 'this person has previously visited Site A'. (Just like Neo in The Matrix when he sees the World in code for the first time, you need to start seeing retargeting as cookies, not people!) It may sound clinical, but it opens up endless possibilities. So now that we are thinking in the right way, there are many other events that can occur where you can drop a cookie and retarget to your advantage. In the infographic below, the 7 effective types of retargeting, we can see a number of events that can be cookied, both on the site and off the site. Infographic courtesy of Chango: the 7 effective types of retargeting On Site: Segmenting A Site Retargeting Campaign In your SEM programs you are used to the idea of optimization, matching keyword to ad copy to landing page and you do this because you know it works, and you know that constant modification will keep your program fresh and your results high. Site retargeting should be no different; just as a generic piece of ad copy and a link to the homepage won't work in SEM neither will dropping the same cookie on all your site's pages and serving one display ad for your media campaign, yet this is the most common scenario we see. By using multiple pixels, divide the site into 'actions', or 'areas of intent', such as homepage (browsing), product page (researching), shopping cart (buying) and conversion page (customer). Now instead of one generic audience, you have four distinct audiences to target and your SEM strategies can be mimicked more easily. Whereas a 'researcher' may need encouragement about the site's benefits or a financial incentive, a 'customer' can be targeted with upsell opportunities and other offerings. Tip: My golden rule for making a difference is 80/20 - you will get 80% of the benefit from 20% of the effort - you could pixel every page, invest heavily in dynamic creative and spend months testing, but the incremental return is often little in comparison to a simple segmentation strategy like this. The Dirty Secret Of Site Retargeting Before you rush out to create new pixels, you must understand why you are doing retargeting at all. When you first activate the campaign the results will look incredible, probably outpacing any other display technique on the media plan, and you probably look awesome! The problem is that you are only talking to your existing site visitors, people you have already paid to bring to the site. Whilst few will say it to their client, site retargeting is not a direct response technique; it is actually an onsite conversion optimization tool, like dynamic landing pages or customized content. With high CTRs and low CPAs does it really matter? It does if you don't understand how to measure it. Time and time again, I see agencies and brands setup their display campaigns in a tool like DoubleClick or Atlas and add their site retargeting placements into the mix. The 'problem' with ad servers is they try and de-dupe the results they see in order to avoid your revenue adding up to more than 100% of what the site sees. Consider this: you use some behaviorally targeted display placements to drive a visitor to your site, they browse around, leave to continue researching, get served a site retargeting ad, return and convert. DoubleClick will show that your site retargeting program came through again, and that your original display placement did nothing. You are now getting a false view of your marketing efforts, and your decisions about where to invest will be incorrect. Simply put, consider measuring your site retargeting program as a cost, and stop it from de-duping the placements that are bringing in the traffic. (Learn more options in our previous article about 3 simple alternatives to attribution modeling for the search marketer.) When Retargeting IS Direct Response The infographic also shows a number of ways in which 'retargeting' can be a direct response or acquisition tool, and primarily that is retargeting events that have taken place away from the site. The primary such technique is search retargeting. If we think back to our new way of seeing the world (cookies) we know we are looking for events that show someone is interested in what we have to say, what better event is there than someone searching for a word or phrase? Search retargeting allows you to drop cookies on individuals when they have searched for a relevant term on Google, Yahoo, Bing and beyond, and then retarget that cookie with a display ad later. And just as with our segmentation example earlier, targeting the message to the event will drive up performance, in this case at the keyword level. In addition, in our new world, we should be looking at all the places it makes sense to drop cookies - on syndicated content, from shared videos and even from our email programs - all can be added to the cookie pool for retargeting with their own message. It's Never Cool To Be A Stalker Within display we have the ability to set a frequency cap, a control mechanism that says 'after x number of impressions, stop targeting cookie x with my ads. Please use it! Look at your own site, product or service and analyze the buying cycle in order to calculate how long you should be retargeting a cookie for. In nearly all cases it will be less than 7 days, giving you a good metric with which to program the length of your retargeting program. Targeting for longer is simply wasting impressions, and therefore dollars, and is highly irritating for the consumer! Equally, saturating their browsing experience within that 7 days is also irritating, and so cap the number of impressions to be served each day. You should be able to see a report from a tool like DoubleClick that will show CTR at each impression frequency, giving you a clear indication of what to set this too (very often around 7). But, if you are using a good vendor to run the program, you should also set some padding into your program - the minimum time in between each ad impression to one cookie, ignore this setting and you could serve all 7 impressions in just a few seconds. The Simple Steps To Getting Retargeting Right Understand that retargeting is so much more than 'site retargeting' Use the same type of segmentation from your SEM program in your site retargeting program Be brave and look at new ways to measure the performance of site retargeting Retarget events that have taken place away from the site, like search retargeting Cap your campaigns to avoid irritating the very people you are trying to attract Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.
	Dax Hamman is the Chief Revenue Officer at Chango, a leading company in Search Retargeting, and is based in Chicago and Toronto. You can follow him on Twitter @DaxHamman. See more articles by Dax Hamman

SEO Questions? Why SEO Disgusts Me (An opinion)

Why SEO Disgusts Me

It's getting ugly

Mark Schaefer |

Before my SEO friends get their panties in a wad over today’s headline, let me emphasize that I understand the practical value and wisdom of basic Search Engine Optimization practices. There are many prinicipled people in the field doing good and useful work.

What tactics frustrate you the most? Comment here.

But the competition to out-fox the search engines is getting ugly. Beyond ugly.

I recently had a discussion with the CEO of a leading Midwest search firm who described their common practice of creating fake accounts to pump client links into the comment section of blog posts and forums.

The process goes something like this:

1. The company hires home-bound individuals or low-wage people in developing countries to freelance as professional blog commenters.
2. The blog commenters are trained on how to pose as fake people and comment in a way that does not alert the suspicion of Google or the author of the blog.
3. The freelance commenters are then given assignments, fake personas and email accounts to provide an appearance of legitimacy.  A 50-year-old man in Indianapolis might be posing as a 30-year-old housewife in Pittsburgh, for example.
4. The commenters are compensated by the number of client links they can successfully work into a comment or forum — as many as five in one post.

Reality check.  Isn’t this fraud?

I really don’t pay attention to the SEO shenanigans like this on a day to day basis but now these practices are starting to impact me and my precious time. Here is an example of this practice in a comment that was salted into the {grow} comment section by “John” –

This is good post. This is some good important facts about the corporate blogs. Do you have any information on how to manage comments on the blog.  I think http://www. (web link to consumer electronics retail outlet) might have an idea.  Chech it out.

And of course this linked website did not even have a blog.  So now I am spending my time weeding out fake comments that elude the spam filter … and it happens every day.

I spoke to one of the freelancers hired by this SEO company to provide this faux commenting service. He’s otherwise unemployed and is doing it because he’s desperate for money. He’s good at what he does and rarely gets “outed.”

However as he described his work, he told me he feels guilty when people on the blogs actually want to engage with his fake persona. “I feel terrible about this,” he said. “I have to find some other work.   I’m deceiving people as part of my job. I’m not in a position to engage with them because I’m a fake, which seems wrong.”

While Google fights against this kind of practice, it is very difficult to detect, and the “penalties” are so minor the risk is ignored by the SEO’s. And the volume of fake comments is likely to get worse.  This firm alone has hired 300 fake commenters in the past 12 months and sees rapid expansion as a key competitive advantage.

The CEO of this SEO company does not consider this a “black hat” SEO practice — “it’s gray,” he said, “and we have many companies willing to pay us a lot of money to do it.” He bragged that one client has a monthly SEO bill of $200,000.

I recognize that there are many important business insights and strategies that can come from legitimate SEO professionals like:

• Keyword research + targeting
• Testing + optimizing content for users
• Content strategy direction
• Making sites search-engine friendly
• Leadership for analytics
• Opportunities for alternative search listings
• User experience improvement

… and more.  But I’m concerned when it gets difficult to compete in the industry without engaging in fraudulent behavior.  This is a slippery slope that will lead to regulation.  All it will take is one high-profile case that blows the lid off these practices.  And we will all lose if we have to endure new rules and the cost of compliance.

I want to do business with people who view ethics as black and white, not gray.  I want to work in an industry where we can compete fairly without resorting to SEO fraud to cover up ineffective products, services and marketing plans. How about you?

Let us know in the comments.
Check out BusinessGrow.com for more articles by Mark Schaefer.

Writing Great Product Descriptions

Here are seven (7) Steps to writing enticing product descriptions:

Get Familiar with the Target Audience.
List the biggest product benefits.
Give a glimpse of the future - sizzle... (imagine this on your mantle, etc. )
Maximize your character limit, CMS, etc. Make your words count!
Incorporate Search Engine Keywords and key phrases.
Write, then rewrite the copy text.
Test, Tweak and Track the results.

Larry Williams SEO/SEM Resume

Larry Williams
Houston, TX
lwwilliams@suddenlink.net
281-455-8300






Summary

A professional with more than 15 years experience with an emphasis in IT sales, marketing, SEO and web analytics seeking a new opportunity with a successful organization.


Employment Experience

The eVariety Company 1/06 – 12/09
Sales & Marketing
• Sold products worldwide through multiple start-up eCommerce websites; more than 70% of items were sold and shipped within 10 days of posting.
• Achieved and maintained a 100% positive feedback rating, due in large part to success with viral marketing, repeat buyers and a commitment to customer service.
• Managed P/L and increased ROI by adjusting advertising budgets based on web analytics reports generated by Google AdWords, Google Analytics and Omniture Site Catalyst.
• Created advertising campaigns using Google AdWords to generate traffic and grew sales using pay-per-click (PPC) ads, as well as multiple blog and website placements.
• Created multi-channel advertising blitzes, sent direct email updates, distributed multiple data feeds via RSS and used search engine optimization (SEO) and SEM strategies for top page rankings.

RSA 8/05 – 12/05
Senior Account Manager
• Researched staffing prospects using web portals and CRMs to collect data and forecast profitability.
• Marketed technical business services including project, contract and permanent staffing services.
• Set business appointments, met with managers and prospects to collect detailed information.

Bridgewater Resources 8/02 – 6/05
Business Sales Development
• Drove B2B staffing sales production for a start-up IT staffing division with a $500,000/Yr average and a gross profit margin (GPM) exceeding 33%.
• Sold IT Staffing Solutions by developing and maintaining lasting relationships with companies seeking technical professionals and services.
• Met with decision makers, gathered information on qualified job orders and collaborated with recruiters on targeting technical prospects.
• Developed most of the CRM infrastructure, website content and multi-channel marketing material involved in a start-up company.
• Identified target companies and recruited prospects by attending Trade Shows, Career Fairs and multiple business, marketing and technology association meetings.


IntelliMark 11/94 – 6/02 General Manager / Sales (3/00 – 6/02)
• Sold regional B2B IT Staffing Solutions by developing and maintaining lasting relationships with companies seeking technical professionals and services.
• Managed Houston branch, hired, fired, trained and reviewed employees and set productivity goals.
• Met with decision makers, gathered information on qualified sales orders and promoted subsequent marketing efforts through cross-channel and viral marketing.
• Managed re-branding campaign, CRM migration project and cost reduction policies.
• Identified target companies and recruited prospects by attending Trade Shows, Career Fairs and multiple business, marketing and technology association meetings.

Sales & Recruiting Manager (6/97 – 3/00)
• Sold IT services, recruited, hired candidates and managed account executives and recruiters.
• Developed and maintained accounts seeking business professionals and services.
• Created and led an internet strategy team that designed and launched a new company web site that included a new layout and content, job posting, search capability and new marketing material.
• Led in-house training sessions and created training presentations, videos and documentation for sales and recruiting teams.

Technical Recruiter (11/94 – 6/97)
• Recruited, interviewed and prepared qualified technical candidates for interviews with client companies.
• Received feedback from candidates and clients after interviews and negotiated starting salaries, benefits, start dates and sign-on bonuses.

Management Alliance Group, Inc. 3/94 – 11/94
Sales / Recruiter
• Sold B2B staffing services and recruited candidates in a broad range of industries.

Professional Achievements

Training
• Marketing and Advertising Using Google
• 7 Advanced Steps to Effective Search Marketing – Omniture
• D3: Data Driven Decisions - A New Paradigm for Managing SEO Programs
• Turbo Charge Your Search Engine Marketing – Omniture
• Innovations in Search Engine Marketing – Omniture
• 2009 Internet Marketing Conference – Stores Online

Brainbench Certifications
Sales Concepts, Marketing Strategy, Solution Selling, Business Communication, Marketing Concepts, IT Industry Knowledge, Problem Solving, Managing People, Business Writing


Education

Stephen F. Austin State University
Bachelor of Arts - Communications / Marketing – 1993
• The Pine Log Newspaper – Sales / Advertising Account Manager
• KLSB-TV (NBC) – Sales / Advertising Representative (Internship)
• East Texas Blood Center – Advertising Chairman (Internship)


Additional Skills Addendum




MARKETING

Created promotional links using HTML tags and Java widgets on multiple websites, social networks (Facebook, Twitter) and blogs.
Initiated search engine optimization (SEO) methods by updating product and website information on search engine directories (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc).
Created online advertising campaigns with Google AdWords to create more traffic using display ads, PPC, website placements and HTML search keywords
Created product feeds using RSS and used Google Base to publish product information for inclusion in Google search results.


TRACKING / ANALYTICS

Tracked and analyzed sales using Sales Reports Plus for key performance metrics to optimize sales and get item metrics by category and format.
Created custom Omniture and Google web analytic reports to identify critical success metrics for online marketing campaigns.
Analyzed Detailed Seller Ratings, Store Traffic Reports, Key Performance Indicators and CPC using Omniture Site Catalyst, Google AdWords and Google Analytics.


TECHNOLOGY

Microsoft Office, Web CEO, IIS SEO Toolkit, SEOQuake, Google Chrome SEO, Omniture Site Catalyst, Google Analytics, Google/DoubleClick AdPlanner, Google Talk, Google Voice, Google Wave, Google Buzz
Social / Business Networks: Facebook, LinkedIn, Naymz, Twitter


WEBSITES

http://sites.google.com/site/larrywilliamssite/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/larrywilliams4u


ANALYTICS

http://sites.google.com/site/houstonsemppc/web-analytics/google-analytics
http://sites.google.com/site/houstonsemppc/web-analytics/omniture-site-catalyst

Houston SEO/SEM/PPC Marketing Professional

Larry Williams
Houston, TX
lwwilliams@suddenlink.net
281-455-8300




Summary

An experienced professional seeking an opportunity to utilize my skills in IT marketing, sales, SEO/SEM or web analytics to impact and grow a company’s productivity.

Employment Experience

eVariety Company 1/06 – 11/09
Sales & Marketing
• Sold original and collectible items worldwide through multiple customized eCommerce “eVariety Company” WebStores.
• Achieved and maintained a 100% positive customer feedback rating; more than 70% of items were sold and shipped within 10 days of posting.
• Increased sales and product awareness by creating online advertising campaigns with Google AdWords using display ads, Pay Per Click (PPC) ads, website placements and keyword targeted ads.
• Increased ROI on advertising by analyzing detailed web analytics data generated by Omniture Site Catalyst, Google Analytics and Google AdWords.
• Implemented search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to analyze and improve SERP listings, content quality, meta data, keyword density and internal/external links.
• Wrote detailed content and created promotional links using Java and HTML widgets on multiple websites and blogs, as well as social and business networks.

RSA 8/05 – 12/05
Senior Account Manager
• Marketed technical business services including project, contract and permanent staffing.
• Set business appointments, met with managers and prospects to collect detailed information.
• Researched companies using the Salesforce CRM to collect data and forecast profitability.

Bridgewater Resources 8/02 – 6/05
Business Development Manager
• Drove sales production for a start-up IT staffing division with a $500K /Yr average and a gross profit margin (GPM) exceeding 33%.
• Met with decision makers, made presentations, gathered information on qualified job orders and strateg ized with recruiters on targeting technical prospects.
• Developed website content and multi-channel e-business marketing material.
• Identified target companies and recruited candidates by attending trade shows, career fairs and multiple business, marketing and technology associations.
• Negotiated company service agreements and provided RFI’s, RFP’s and RFQ’s.





IntelliMark 11/94 – 6/02 General Manager / Sales
• Sold B2B IT Staffing Solutions by developing and maintaining lasting relationships with companies seeking technical professionals and services.
• Managed Houston branch P/L and budget, as well as hired, fired, trained and reviewed employees and set productivity goals.
• Met with decision makers, made presentations, gathered information on qualified sales orders and promoted marketing efforts through cross-channel and viral marketing.
• Managed re-branding campaign, CRM migration project and cost reduction policies.

Sales & Recruiting Manager
• Sold IT services, recruited, hired candidates and managed account executives and recruiters.
• Developed and maintained accounts seeking business professionals and services.
• Created and led an internet strategy team that designed and launched a new company web site that included a new layout and content, job posting, search capability and new marketing material.
• Led in-house training sessions and created training presentations, videos and documentation for sales and recruiting teams.

Technical Recruiter
• Recruited, interviewed and prepared qualified technical candidates for interviews with client companies.
• Received feedback from candidates and clients after interviews and negotiated starting salaries, benefits, start dates and sign-on bonuses.

Management Alliance Group 3/94 – 11/94
Sales / Recruiter
• Sold B2B staffing services and recruited candidates in a broad range of industries.

Training & Certifications

Training
• Marketing and Advertising Using Google – Google
• Google Analytics Introduction / Custom Reporting - Google
• D3: Data Driven Decisions - A New Paradigm for Managing SEO Programs - Covario
• Business Internet Marketing for Facebook & Twitter - HubSpot
• Advanced SEM Strategies - “Tips for Master Search Marketers” - Omniture
• Turbo Charge Your Search Engine Marketing - Omniture
• SEO Strategies for Corporate Web Sites – Omniture

Brainbench Certifications
Marketing Strategy, Marketing Concepts, Sales Concepts, Solution Selling, Business Communication, Business Writing, IT Industry Knowledge, CRM Concepts

Education

Stephen F. Austin State University
Bachelor of Arts - Communications / Marketing – 1993
• The Pine Log Newspaper – Sales / Advertising Account Manager (employment)
• KLSB-TV (NBC) – Sales / Advertising Representative (Internship)

Larry Williams Resume - SEO/SEM Sales Marketing Resume

Larry Williams
Houston, TX
lwwilliams@suddenlink.net
281-455-8300





Summary

An experienced professional seeking an opportunity to utilize my skills in IT marketing, sales, SEO/SEM or web analytics to impact and grow a company’s productivity.

Employment Experience

eVariety Company 1/06 – 11/09
Sales & Marketing
• Sold hundreds of collectible items worldwide through multiple customized eCommerce “WebStores”, including eBay, ProStores, Amazon, Bonanzle and eCrater.
• Achieved and maintained a 100% positive feedback rating; more than 25% of items were sold and shipped within 10 days of posting.
• Increased profits by adjusting advertising budgets based on detailed web analytics data generated by Google AdWords, Google Analytics and Omniture Site Catalyst.
• Created online advertising campaigns with Google AdWords using display ads, Pay Per Click (PPC) ads, website placements and keyword targeted ads.
• Created promotional links using Java widgets on multiple websites, blogs and social/business networks including Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
• Implemented search engine optimization (SEO) strategies using tools such as SEOQuake and WebCEO to analyze and improve "on and off page SEO Factors" including SERP listings, content quality, meta data, keyword density, site speed, crawling and broken link errors as well as internal and external links.

RSA 8/05 – 12/05
Senior Account Manager
• Marketed technical business services including project, contract and permanent staffing.
• Set business appointments, met with managers and prospects to collect detailed information.
• Researched companies using the Salesforce CRM to collect data and forecast profitability.

Bridgewater Resources 8/02 – 6/05
Business Development Manager
• Drove sales production for a start-up IT staffing division with a $500K /Yr average and a gross profit margin (GPM) exceeding 33%.
• Met with decision makers, made presentations, gathered information on qualified job orders and with recruiters on targeting technical prospects.
• Developed website content and multi-channel e-business marketing material.
• Identified target companies and recruited candidates by attending trade shows, career fairs and multiple business, marketing and technology associations.
• Negotiated company service agreements and provided RFI’s, RFP’s and RFQ’s.



IntelliMark 11/94 – 6/02 General Manager / Sales
• Sold regional B2B IT Staffing Solutions by developing and maintaining lasting relationships with companies seeking technical professionals and services.
• Managed Houston branch P/L and budget, as well as hired, fired, trained and reviewed employees and set productivity goals.
• Met with decision makers, made presentations, gathered information on qualified sales orders and promoted marketing efforts through cross-channel and viral marketing.
• Managed re-branding campaign, CRM migration project and cost reduction policies.

Sales & Recruiting Manager
• Sold IT services, recruited, hired candidates and managed account executives and recruiters.
• Developed and maintained accounts seeking business professionals and services.
• Created and led an internet strategy team that designed and launched a new company web site that included a new layout and content, job posting, search capability and new marketing material.
• Led in-house training sessions and created training presentations, videos and documentation for sales and recruiting teams.

Technical Recruiter
• Recruited, interviewed and prepared qualified technical candidates for interviews with client companies.
• Received feedback from candidates and clients after interviews and negotiated starting salaries, benefits, start dates and sign-on bonuses.

Management Alliance Group 3/94 – 11/94
Sales / Recruiter
• Sold B2B staffing services and recruited candidates in a broad range of industries.

Training & Certifications

Training / Webinars
• Marketing and Advertising Using Google – Google
• Google Analytics Introduction / Custom Reporting - Google
• D3: Data Driven Decisions - A New Paradigm for Managing SEO Programs - Covario
• Advanced SEM Strategies - “11 Tips for Master Search Marketers” - Omniture
• Turbo Charge Your Search Engine Marketing - Omniture
• SEO Strategies for Corporate Web Sites – Omniture

Brainbench Certifications
Marketing Strategy/Concepts, Business Communication, Sales Concepts, Solution Selling, Business Writing, IT Industry Knowledge, CRM Concepts

Education

Stephen F. Austin State University
Bachelor of Arts - Communications / Marketing – 1993
• The Pine Log Newspaper – Sales / Advertising Account Manager (employment)
• KLSB-TV (NBC) – Sales / Advertising Representative (Internship)