Google PageRank Update - July 2008

I just noticed this weekend that my blogs have updated PageRank. The Google PageRank update usually happens every quarter so expect another PageRank update in October. Google PageRank however can fluctuate in real-time, and is only updated so the general public can see it on a quarterly basis.

PageRank is calculated on the quantity (not quality) of links pointing to a Web page. Approximately 100 links will get you a PageRank 2, 1,000 links will get you a 3-4 PageRank, 10,000 links PageRank 5, 100,000 links PageRank 5-6, etc.

PageRank can be an indicator of success or failure in the Google engine. If you suddenly see a major drop in PageRank the website is probably doing something it shouldn't (spam or paid text links) and Google is momentarily penalizing your website. Rectify this situation and submit a Reconsideration Request in Google Webmaster Tools.

SMX Local & Mobile Recap

If a panelist at a conference says something, does it make it the truth? The lowdown on SMX Local & Mobile is that much of the opinion was presented as fact. It is not to say that there wasn’t some golden nuggets of information.

The Local & Mobile Conundrum

Not only is it hard to reach your target audience with traditional search but take in consideration that your mobile consumers are moving from one place to another. Mobile Search Marketing is a moving target and the only way we are going to deliver truly targeted mobile advertising to our consumers is with a little help from our friends (Big Brother that is). Cell tower and IP address targeting are a good start but like many panelists alluded to; it would be nice to know where the consumer is travel to or from, the time of day, and what your current purchase behaviors are to better target your mobile search experience.

Some of the stand-outs from the SMX Local & Mobile Conference included:

Gib Olander

David Mihm

Bryson Meunier

Raj Singh

Cindy Krum

The main theme that ran through the conference was that your mobile and local strategy depends on a lot of factors including how much time you have to experiment with the mobile vertical, whether it makes sense stacked up against other options for your ROAS, the products and services your business offers, and most importantly your consumer base. If your users are mobile consumers they are more likely to use the mobile vertical, making both Natural and Paid Mobile Search more important to reach this moving mobile target.

If you are looking to access the presentations from SMX Local & Mobile you are in good company (if the login is needed you can leave a comment or email me). Hopefully next year mobile will have evolved enough so that the SMX Local & Mobile Conference is more mobile and less local.

On August 28, 2008 - Turn off Your Google Content Network For One Day

By a show of hands, how many people are happy with the current state of the Google content network? The Google content network is a shotgun approach to a one-to-one advertising medium. You get a lot of impressions and a fair amount of click-throughs, but how many advertisers actually make a solid ROAS? Instead of supporting Yahoo! with the Google paid search network, Google should look into their own content network for improvements. If everyone turned off the Google Content Network for one day, Google would have to do something to improve it. In the short-run and long-run everyone would save a few dollars (except Google of course).

Keyword and Placement Targeted Google Content Network

The buzz on the blogvine is the introduction of placement targeted content network ads integrated with keyword targeted placement. Now you can pick the websites you put your ad on and show it only when a specific keyword theme is present. Many of us don’t have the time to research every niche website to find that needle in a haystack. What will this do for us advertisers? Give the Google and the content network publishers even more power to spend our money with an abysmal conversion rate. If you want to participate in the Google content network be prepared to either spend a lot of money or a lot of time. Your best bet is to advertise on a niche content network that focuses your ad spend with behavioral targeting to a specific theme or lifestyle.

Behavioral Targeting

Google falls short with opt-in Web history aggregation and behavioral targeting for paid ads. It is opt-in and how many people want to give Google a list of their search queries? Who wants to give Google anything for free?

Google’s Content Network Pitch

“The Google content network reaches over 75% of unique internet users in more than 20 languages and over 100 countries. As a result, if you advertise on both the Google search network and the Google content network, you have the potential to reach three of every four unique internet users on Earth.” So you can send your Google Content Network ad to everyone in the world and waste an exurbanite amount of money in the process.

Turn off your Google Content Network for One Day - August 28, 2008

Unite with the rest of the Internet and turn off your Google content network for One Day, August 28th, 2008 and show Google that we mean business. What would each of us lose? A couple of poorly qualified leads that don’t amount to anything!