If you haven’t been on Google.com in the past couple of days, you have yet to see their new tool, Google Suggest. This addition is aimed to give searchers recommendations of what keywords to search upon. Results are determined based on algorithms that can ascertain query predictions. For example, when I go to Google, attempting to search for “Orlando Hotels,” I only have to type four letters until I see my desired keyword:

So what does all this mean for Search Engine Marketing? Easy… you can now pretty much rule out bidding on and paying for any misspelled keywords. In addition, you can get a very good grasp on how competitive a search keyword will be based on the results provided in green. For example, understanding how popular a given keyword is on the World Wide Web can help in determining its potential competitiveness and, therefore, picking the minimum and maximum Cost per Click (CPC) amount. Lastly, Google Suggest acts almost as a keyword research tool, providing anyone building a campaign with additional keyword recommendations, based on what other terms show up in the Suggest drop-down. 

I was on the phone with a client the other day and they asked me why they should bid on their company name when they already have the number one position in Google, Yahoo, and MSN’s organic search results.  I am sure most people would agree, whether it is your company name or an important keyword relative to your business, having a top position in the natural listings is ideal.  When your website does not rank high enough for those targeted keywords for your business, having a top position in the paid search results is an excellent alternative.  But is it a good idea to ignore the paid search model simply because you already have top position in the organic search results for your targeted keywords or business name?

In reality, having strong positions in the natural listings in addition to strong presence in the paid listings gives your website (and business) the best chance for success in online marketing.  Here are a few reasons why:

1. Not every web surfer acts the same online.  Some people just click on the first things they see while others read the search results page before they act.  Some people click on paid listings, others click only natural results.  In order to give your business the highest chance for success you should make your site available to both types of web surfers.
2. Just because you rank high for your business name
   organically doesn’t mean the web surfer won’t click on the paid ad your competitor is running on your business name.  It’s perfectly legal to bid on competitor’s business names as long as you follow the search engines’ rules on ad copy guidelines.  Why give your competitor a chance to grab that lead because you rely on only one section of the page?

We have found that online performance is greatly enhanced if you rank high in the natural search results for a specific keyword and also rank well in the paid listings.  In my opinion, when someone does a keyword search and they see the same company ranked high in the natural and paid listings, they feel the company is more legitimate.  When it comes to internet users, perception is reality!

At the age of 25, I finally made it to Walt Disney World this past weekend! Outside of experiencing the wrath of Tropical Storm Faye, technical difficulties with the roller coasters, and the hibernation of the beloved Disney characters, it was an unforgettable experience.  As I roamed the streets of Disney with my husband, I was fascinated by the English accents that I was surrounded by. It seemed that everywhere we turned; we were meeting people from England- probably due to the decline in the value of the Dollar.  As I considered that for a moment, I wondered how each visitor actually booked their vacation.  My husband and I booked our hotel online, but called and actually spoke to a customer service representative to purchase the tickets to Magic Kingdom.  Did everyone else book their vacation this way as well?  How is the online travel industry changing?
 
According to EMarketer, this year’s online US travel sales will reach $105 billion, a 12% increase from 2007.  Yet, it appears that people’s online booking habits are changing. Fewer people are choosing to book their vacations directly through an online booking engine.  With the boom of travel sites such as Expedia, the online traveler was in search of the lowest price.  It wasn’t about loyalty to a particular online travel agency; it was all about which engine could offer the lowest price. In today’s economy, the lowest price is often a deciding factor, but the value of great customer service is still priceless.  As we see the online travel industry expand, the importance of merging customer service with the convenience of the online booking engine is vital to growth.
 
I predict that we will see more travel sites such as www.tripadvisor.com appear. Trip Advisor has been a great success, due to its unbiased customer feedback.  I also predict that we will see new travel sites emerge, such as www.tripology.com. Tripology allows you to set your destination and desires for your vacation. It then puts you in contact with a travel specialist who can find you the best deal.
 
If you are in the travel industry, there is no better time to start making improvements to your site. The site should be user friendly, the content should be fresh, but most importantly the site should offer booking convenience and customer service.  If it doesn’t, the visitor will go elsewhere.  I recommend incorporating a “Live Chat” into your site to give your visitor the option of communicating with someone directly.  I also recommend having a blog or forum to give your customers the chance to provide feedback. 
A change is happening in the online travel industry. Are you on board?