During a discussion on the next big thing in internet search here in the SEO department at Morevisibility, we speculated on the future of the Open Directory. Back in the day, search directories were the first real way that websites were found on the internet and even after the web crawlers made their debut, directories were important. Those days are long gone. Does this auger the demise of the Open Directory? Well, maybe not. For one thing, as sophisticated as all the new technology and search engine algorithms are, most successful search engines still rely on human opinion. It has been suggested that the rise of social media harks back to the early early days of the internet when word of mouth was the way that a site was found – that it’s all part of a cycle of search technology development. With the rise of social media, word of mouth recommendations are fast becoming a way for sites to be found by visitors. Sites like www.stumbleupon.com and www.coolsiteoftheday.com are extending this by letting us take recommendations from strangers as though they were our friends. So, if search technology is working in a cycle, will directories assume more importance in the years to come? Maybe not for standard text search but it seems to me that human editing would be invaluable for determining keyword relevance of images and videos. In fact, Google already employs this to a certain degree with Google Image Labeler. It’s more like a game at the moment and even though the presence of an opponent does make it a little more valid, how well it works to really assign relevance to images remains to be seen. Is there a place for image and video directories in the internet of the future? Given all the new technological breakthroughs lately, this is definitely a question that is up in the air but a great place to find out more is by reading this article: http://blogs.mediapost.com/search_insider/?p=776

Last night I pulled the full plastic trash bag out of my kitchen garbage can and accidentally ripped it. Next thing I knew, I was standing in a pool of ketchup, while coffee grinds dripped out of the hole in the bag. I knew I should have bought the more expensive bags. The store branded bags were cheaper than the ones I usually buy, so I figured, “What difference will it really make?”. Now I am stuck with 50 tall kitchen bags that tear because they are unable to support even a paper cup. Not only that, but now I have to double-up some of the bags, so in essence, I’m just spending more money. There are just certain things that you should not purchase based on price.

Here are 10 things that I would not purchase just because they are inexpensive:

10. Garbage bags
9. Toilet paper
8. Alcohol
7. Business consultant
6. Lasik surgery
5. Defense Attorney
4. Tutor
3. Bluetooth
2. Paper plates

And the last “thing” I would not purchase based on price is:

1. Internet Marketing Firm

Cheap SEO? It doesn’t even sound like a bargain. I speak daily to companies that are looking for optimization services. One of the first things they ask is “how much will it cost? I’m looking for a cheap solution, but I have to be on the first page of Google”. I just shake my head because I know if they find what they are looking for, they are going to wind up calling me next year after they are banned by the search engines.

Cheap PPC? I speak to businesses who claim they can outsource PPC Management Programs for a very inexpensive percentage of their budget. How much human interaction, analysis, A/B testing and campaign adjustments are they going to receive at 7%? With poor campaign management, ROI would be lower and they would probably be spending more in the long run.

Beware of search marketing firms that are “cheap”. You’ll get what you pay for and the ramifications are much greater than just wiping ketchup off the floor.

Feel free to add to the list.

As the holidays approach, many companies turn to their pay-per-click campaigns for seasonal keywords. Because PPC advertisements are designed to appear in the sponsored listings whenever selected keywords are entered by users, bids for competitive phrases can be costly. Creating a corresponding organic campaign can help to support these PPC efforts.

Most companies fail to realize that the holiday season can be the ideal time to add content to your website. Although the results may not be as immediate as with pay-per-click, organic rankings can provide you with a more qualified source of traffic. Furthermore, companies which show up in both paid and natural search results can seem more reliable to users.

Now is the time to create new pages for your site, targeted to seasonal keywords which are relevant to your products and services. Concentrate on the keywords which would be the most valuable to your specific industry, such as: ‘Lawn Service Holiday Specials’, ‘Holiday Beauty Tips’, or ‘Gifts Under $20’. If designed effectively, these pages can be updated throughout the months to accommodate seasonal changes.