The results of a study conducted by the University of Maryland and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center – and funded by search giant Google – highlight slight but important differences between the search behaviors of adults and children, the New York Times reports.

The Times’ Stefanie Olsen writes that Google has long been aware that it can be difficult to come up with search queries that will yield the desired results, and has undertaken numerous efforts to make search more natural and intuitive. Olsen cites the company’s roll-out, earlier this year, of the Wonder Wheel, an associative graphical interface that offers additional search terms.

Google’s director of user experience, Irene Au, told Olsen that “the problems that kids have with search are probably the problems adults experience, just magnified. [The research has] helped highlight the areas we need to focus on.”

Search engine optimization (SEO) professionals whose clients are interested in younger demographics could do well to incorporate the study’s information into their SEO efforts. Experts say that Google’s frequent additions and modifications to the search process make for a shifting search landscape.ADNFCR-1513-ID-19532557-ADNFCR

Dusk in America. I am watching our son’s team practise American football on a fall evening. There are about two dozen 8 to 11-year-olds prancing around the coaches. The coaches stand around, hands in their pockets watching these lion cubs gamboling around trying to make plays for tomorrow’s playoff game.

They are called the Bears but they look more like lion cubs fearlessly prowling and prancing in the shadows of their coaches, aging lions. In their helmets, the boys look like little masquerades, preening, beating their chests, talking trash to imaginary opponents.

Our son, Fearless Fang, loves football. He probably prefers the game to going to school or doing something like the dishes. Only the threat of being banned from football practice keeps his dark side still. He does his homework because he needs to play the game.

The head coach sports a Bear Bryant hat; dark, and brooding, he is a cross between Bear Bryant and Obi Okonkwo of Chinua Achebe’s “No Longer At Ease”. Our son lives in awe of his coaches. We have never been late to a football practice; we don’t know the consequences because our son refuses to find out.

My favourite image is of the head coach taking my son aside and giving him a stern lecture about a technique he hadn’t mastered. The look of respect on my son’s face was priceless. One game that they were supposed to win, at half time they trailed the visiting team 0-12. He took all the boys to the wood. The boys came back fuming; they tore into their opponents something ugly and won with a 20-point spread. Later, I asked my son what happened in the woods. He simply said: “Coach wasn’t happy, coach wasn’t happy, daddy!”

Sunday morning in America, the day after Halloween night, spent scavenging for candy. I am alone with many children, several not our own. It is a United Nations of Children. America is browning. The world is browning. Voices are merging into new languages sautéed from the accents of remote ancestral lands.

Tomorrow is Monday, there is no school, smart move, these children are going to be eating candy all day and you don’t want to be their teacher tomorrow; you’d be too busy peeling hyper kids off the walls. I am alone with these children, my spouse having gleefully fled for work; I could see her skid marks on our carpet as she enjoined me to have a great day with children suffering from sugar intoxication.

Fearless Fang, our 10-year old comes into the bedroom, and nudges me awake. He wants scrambled eggs, with onions and tomatoes for him, his siblings and his friends. He wants to make the eggs himself. At the age of 10! He would need to be supervised. I half joke to him that at his age in Africa, I was already a general in the Nigerian Civil War.

But this is America, why would a 10-year old be subjected to the trauma of actually making a hot meal? I shudder at the thought of our little bear setting our house on fire, inviting the drama of fire engines, ambulances, incredulous neighbours and the news media gawking at the ruins of our home – and my atrocious judgment. Who needs the stress? I get up and promise him that daddy is going to make eggs for everybody and of course Fearless Fang is welcome to supervise daddy. Fearless Fang deserves a good breakfast this morning. Yesterday, his football team had the visiting team for breakfast, yum yum.

I am making breakfast to order for Fearless Fang, his friends and siblings. Just like the warrior, my son, wants it. Just like my dad used to make it for us. My dad’s spirit fills the room. I am channeling my dad. He is making scrambled eggs his way. He is humming Jim Reeves’ “Welcome to my World”. First, he cuts up fresh tomatoes from his garden (my dad always had a garden, no matter his accommodations; he could grow vegetables in his bedroom if he had to), then he cuts up onions. He breaks the eggs, adds salt and pepper, whips them into a nice emulsion, adds condensed milk (to give them a fluffy shiny look, he claims). He sautés the tomatoes and onions in groundnut oil and after a while pours in the eggs. The result is always scrumptious.

America. Necessity teaches us several lessons. I can cook now. I can care for as many children as the day throws in my face. It is called survival. My father taught me how to fight back and thrive. My father taught me how to deal with defeat – with song, dance, poetry and the stoicism of our ancestors. My father was my coach. Sometimes, when I didn’t have the physical fight in me, he taught me to charm my way through hell.

I see my father in my son’s football coaches. They demand all that my son can give and more. And they do it lovingly albeit sternly. I shall never forget the look of respect and fear in my son’s eyes as a coach confronted him for forgetting a piece of his uniform at home. He has not forgotten anything ever since. We need men in our lives. I salute my father. I salute my son’s coaches.

Inbound links are important for search engine optimization. In order to get more links to your website from other trusted websites, consider LinkedIn. This site is an online networking tool that helps you discover job candidates, industry experts and business partners. Many of your employees might already be using LinkedIn as a networking tool. But they may not have links from their profiles to your website.

This article will explain how to add links in a LinkedIn profile. If you have not registered for LinkedIn, I suggest you do so now. You’ll need to register, confirm your email address, and start filling out your profile. For this simple task of adding links to your profile, I’m assuming that you already have a profile set up. From there, take the following steps:

Step 1. Log into LinkedIn.

Step 2. On the left side, you’ll see some links: Navigation menu in LinkedIn.

Step 3. Click on the Profile link as shown below. You should be seeing the “Edit My Profile” tab (not the “View My Profile” tab). This tab allows you to edit your profile.

Step 4. Scroll down until you see the “Websites” link in the middle of the screen, as shown below: If you have already added websites to your profile, you can click on the “Edit” link to edit each one, if necessary.

Step 5. Click on the “Websites” link. You will then be brought to the “Additional Information” section, as shown below:

Step 6. Click on the “Edit” link there in order to add or edit the websites you have listed in your profile.

There are three links that you can add to your LinkedIn Profile. I suggest that you fill out all of the links, using the appropriate “anchor text” or “keywords” that describe each link. If you do not have more than one website, then you might consider linking to your website’s home page and two additional web pages on your website, such as an important product page or your company’s “About Us” web page. You might also consider adding links to your social media or social networking profiles on other social media websites.

SEOContentLab.com was first launched in October 2008 and had a very simple and basic design. As the company’s business grew, it felt the need of having a website with a corporate look. The company recently launched a professional and stunning website that is very appealing in terms of design and also adheres to all usability and SEO guidelines to boost search engine rankings. The website layout and design is not just engaging but also user-friendly. It is sleek, stylized and very professional.

Don T, the owner and Chief Marketing Director of SCL said, “I am really glad about the new corporate and sizzling look of the website of my company SCL. In fact many of my clients have even complimented me on this new design. Since the launch of this new site about couple of months ago, we have received more business too. We are continuously paying attention to website promotion and are already ranking on Google for quite a few keywords and we aim at maintaining and enhancing those rankings through our marketing efforts. We invite more business owners to be part of our list of regular clients.”

SEO Content Lab offers cost-effective solutions for complete online marketing needs of small, medium and large sized businesses. The company offers affordable and high-quality solutions that include Content Writing, Web Design and Development, Link Building, Search Engine Optimization, Reputation Management and Content Submission services.

The website follows a very lucid navigation; and just as the user lands on the site, he knows what SEOContentLab.com is all about. There is no beating around the bush. The top navigation has standard links and the left navigation structure clearly mentions complete lists of services and as users visit the home page, they can check out the services they are interested in.

The quality seal at the top gives a clear message to its end users that the company believes in quality. The new company logo enhances branding and is definitely noticeable.

They often end up crumpled in the trash or piled in a recycling bin, but the newsletters, memos and glossy placards politicians send to constituents are pricey.

The costs, which can run into the tens of thousands of dollars each quarter, vary greatly per House member.

In Florida, Rep. Vern Buchanan, R, who represents Sarasota and surrounding counties, spent $51,111.93 on franked mail last quarter, from July 1 through Sept. 30.

House members from nearby districts spent considerably less.

Rep. Connie Mack, R, who represents the Naples area, spent $17,993.09, and Tom Rooney, R, who represents Port St. Lucie, Stuart and Fort Pierce, spent $3,376.23.

Each member’s franked mail costs for last quarter, as well as other expenses, went online for the first time last month.

“We send out a lot of e-newsletter updates,” said Jeff Ostermayer, Rooney’s press secretary. “But is franked mail a good way to get the word out? Yes.”

Ostermayer said the only mailing the congressman sent last quarter involved health care and was targeted at seniors.

The franking process allows members of Congress to mail their constituents using tax funds for postage. The money is taken from the Members Representational Allowance, a fund calculated for each member that varies from about $1.4 million to about $1.6 million per year. These funds are used for office expenses, staff salaries, travel to their districts and other costs.

However, franked mail must abide by strict rules. It is reviewed by committees before it is sent, certain words such as “election” cannot be used and mass mailings are not allowed to be sent 90 days before elections.

Peter Sepp, vice president of communications and policy for the National Taxpayers Union, said franked mail costs double during election years. In 2007, a non-election year, House members spent an average of $7,600 per quarter on mail. However, Sepp said the average is misleading because about 200 members rarely use franked mail.

He said most mail surges are in districts where tight races occurred, and congressional freshmen are eager to communicate with their districts so their names and policies become familiar.

“I don’t see a pattern on states, and the patterns also are not entirely evident between political parties,” Sepp said. “It seems to be more a function of [how recent the] election to office.”

Rep. Bill Posey, who represents Vero Beach and other areas, is in his first term and spent $12,656.90 on franked mail last quarter.

“It’s his duty as a member to communicate with the people who sent him here,” said George Cecala, Posey’s press secretary. “If they disagree, they can call us and let us know. I truly think our newsletters are more informative than self-promoting. We aren’t using our franked mail to promote him. He’s just letting his constituents know a lot of data.”

Cecala said many of Posey’s constituents are seniors, some of whom don’t use computers.

Posey sent out one mass mailer that quarter, Cecala said.

He also held five tele-town hall meetings, or conference calls, when he answered questions for constituents who responded to phone invitations to participate. The 75- to 90-minute calls cost between $2,000 and $2,500 each and are tabulated under the “franked mail” category.

Buchanan, who spent about four times more than Posey, is in his second term. He has a strong grip on his district, where he won the 2008 election with 55 percent of the vote, said New College of Florida political analyst and professor Frank Alcock.

Buchanan’s press secretary did not respond to several telephone and e-mail messages.

Sepp, whose organization tracks franked mail costs, said the average has hovered at $20 million to $30 million for each Congress. That amount is lower than the franked mailing highs of the late 1980s, when Congress spent more than $100 million each term.

Franked mailing began to slow down in the 1990s because technology allowed House offices to target specific populations in their districts, such as seniors or veterans, which cut down on mass-mailing costs.

A 1996 rules change reduced the amount of money House members were allowed to spend on franked mail for each address in their districts from 67 cents to 43 cents, which also lowered costs. However, there is no longer a limit to cost per address on franked mail.

Sepp said the use of e-mail and phone calls has also cut costs.

About 90 percent of franked mailing funds are spent on unsolicited mass mailings, in which at least 500 addresses receive mail, he said.

“Ideally, Congress should be limited to using the franking privilege only to notify constituents of town hall meetings or responding to mail,” Sepp said. “It’s probably a fantasy on our part only because a fair number of members depend on more flexible means than that to get out messages.”

Sally Taylor, who owns Magpie Antiques in Pillette Village, was safe and sound in Windsor on Dec. 11, when an email titled ‘In Need of Support’ was sent to more than a hundred of her contacts.

“I am currently in the U.K., I had to attend an unexpected program here, I’m present in London and am having some problems,” the email stated.

“I was mugged on my way to the hotel coming from the session I was attending and there by loosing [sic] my funds and valuables,” it continued, and then asked for a “loan” of $3,470.43 to help pay for the hotel bill and a ticket home.

The emailer asked Taylor’s friends to forward the money to a Western Union near the hotel she was purportedly staying at, a Ramada hotel near the London City Airport.

It’s “really quite a horrible email,” Taylor told CBC News.

Police say anybody who receives an email asking for money, even from a friend, should be wary.

“Verify it,” said Windsor Sgt. Gerry Corriveau.

“I’m not saying don’t help a friend in trouble out,” Corriveau added. “I’m saying verify that they actually need your assistance because once you send money electronically into the cyberworld, it can be picked up anywhere.”

Private Bin got sent a rather strange email from Westpac New Zeeland yesterday asking customers to re-enter online banking details.

The email was spam (the incorrect spelling of New Zealand was the first give away) but apart from that and a weblink directing customers to a UK address, the email could have passed for authentic.

Westpac spokesperson Craig Dowling said such emails were “annoyingly common” and that its fraud department had been alerted and the website had been shut down.

Mr Dowling said as far as he knew no customers had had their accounts compromised. “This is fairly common, customers need to be alert (for such emails). These types of emails have increased over the past year.

This is the email;
Dear customer,

Our records show that your online session has been locked due to the
following reason.

1. Log On attempts with invalid information.

2. Inadequate Update on your Westpac New Zealand Online Account.

“PPC is very agile. It’s also has targeting advantages,” said Churchill.

For targeting, she says PPC provides opportunity for high visibility in multiple channels (search engines, content sites, mobile phones), expands results beyond search results, and gives you control over placement on SERPs and better control over landing page/message.

It’s often easier to sell PPC to management because the concept is similar to traditional advertising, and provides for direct accountability. It’s easy to track measures of success. It’s an effective way to drive qualified traffic to your site, and it allows you to expand your opportunities.

Karen Weber Weber says the top five reasons why “PPC rules,” are: speed, flexibility, it’s unlimited, it’s goal-driven, and it’s controllable. You can quickly manipulate keywords to those that drive conversions, you can quickly change bid prices, and you can quickly get in and out of the market. You can turn your campaign on and off, and change ad copy, keywords, etc. You can target a much wider range of keywords, adhere to a budget, and have an immediate impact on sales.

Fishkin pointed out that PPC gets 10% of clicks, but 90% of spend. He said SEO is more challenging and less controllable, but the spend is there and the fact that people click organic results.

Gray said he believes that PPC could make SEO better, but Google is banning people now, so it makes things more challenging. Naylor said he believes SEO is more “open.” Weber and Fishkin both said they would outsource PPC over SEO.

Michael Gray Gray said it’s important to get in the top during the early part of the research phase, especially since Google is personalizing results for everyone now. Churchill noted that Google’s personalization is a better argument for PPC. Like iEntry CEO Rich Ord recently noted, the addition of personalized results could “make people less reliant on organic search results for their traffic and in turn increase their use of Adwords.”

Another point was brought up as we recently discussed – that the search engines are pushing organic listings down with mixed media (blended, universal) results.

In the olden days, PR professionals might have gotten an hour or more of face time in which to sweet talk someone over a meal.  Now, they occasionally make pitches in 140 characters.  So you can imagine how the information shared during a conference session titled “Online PR: Where to Next?” could prove quite useful to a lot of people.

Beth Harte, who wears a number of hats (including that of Community Manager) for MarketingProfs, started by stating that press releases and visibility are just part of the game.  Advertising, issues management, public affairs, lobbying, and investor relations all count, as well, and she stressed, “Real public relations is relationships.”

Harte also said, “Social media tools will change.  People being social won’t.”  She recommended listening, communicating, partnering, telling your story, and getting people to talk as a result.

Next, Marty Weintraub, President of aimClear, talked about the intersection of PR and SEO.  Stay interested in links, and write SEO-savvy press releases.  Get social media profiles ranked, and do guest blogging stints if possible.  Finally, provide people a reason to rebroadcast your name (and do a little good) by helping charities.  Weintraub suggested, “Give and give and give some more.”

Duncan AlneyThen came Duncan Alney, President and Social Media Strategist of Firebelly Marketing.  He discussed the visual component of PR, stating, “Online video is used more than all major TV networks,” and indicated that continued growth is likely.  Video is very shareable, Alney pointed out, so PR professionals should start refining their strategy and execution and accumulating experience now.

At last, Andy Beal, the CEO of Trackur, wrapped up the session.  He pointed out that there is advanced technology for monitoring industry trends, competitors’ buzzwords, your own reach, and potential allies.  Take advantage of it.  And as for the future, Beal predicted that there will be dynamic content in press releases, link tracking across platforms, performance-based press release pricing, and RFID for your content.

Article from:
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/12/07/the-future-of-online-pr

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