Calculating the ROI of your Learning Management System: How Resultsondemand Can Change your Organization’s Equation
October 28, 2009
In this whitepaper you will see:
1. The best way to assess how an LMS can positively affect your business by focusing on improving one process.
2. How to calculate an LMS’s real cost of ownership.
This can be assessed in either a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution or a traditional software purchase model.
If you have experience managing learning and talent, you already understand that an LMS will help your organization cut costs or improve profits. But how do you show that return-oninvestment (ROI) to others? The more clearly you can show how an LMS will positively affect your bottom-line; the easier it will be to get company buy-in.
Technology improvements and new deployment models now allow companies to get the learning management industry’s best functionality with more affordable, hands-off solutions. This development has changed the way companies look at their learning ROI. Organizations can now focus on one program, regardless of how many groups will benefit from the LMS, and justify the investment.
Sumtotal Systems
http://www.articlesbase.com/small-business-articles/calculating-the-roi-of-your-learning-management-system-how-resultsondemand-can-change-your-organizations-equation-110395.html
SEO PR: Buzz-Worthy Or Just Hype?
October 28, 2009
SEO PR is a buzzword that is both over-hyped and under-hyped at the same time. What do I mean by this? SEO PR is currently in buzz overkill mode in the Search Engine Marketing industry, but is drastically underutilized in the traditional PR world. Many traditional PR agencies are misinformed about Search Engine Marketing in general and are completely taken aback by SEO PR specifically.
So what is it? Search Engine Optimization Public Relations (SEO PR) is a blend of search engine visibility and traditional public relations that disperses a company’s message across the Internet by way of online media outlets and search engines. SEO PR not only helps disseminate an organization’s messages, but it also incorporates search engine-friendly communication through techniques such as optimizing copy in online content such as press releases, articles, whitepapers, blogs, RSS feeds and websites.
A successful search engine public relations engagement harnesses the power of the search engines by focusing on relevant keywords within the content being created and distributed. Careful attention must be paid to the content to ensure a careful balance between search engine-friendliness and good copywriting. Ultimately readers need to be able to understand the message without being bombarded by keyword spam, or copy overloaded with keywords affecting readability and comprehension.
As with any marketing campaign, integration of other marketing initiatives is crucial. A good SEO PR campaign heavily complements any Public Relations, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or pay per click (ppc) campaigns in place while strengthening a firm’s brand. Some traditional PR firms are beginning to partner with SEO firms to add this service to their portfolio and vice-versa. This is good news for many firms as the incremental costs of adding SEO PR to existing marketing activities should be relatively low assuming that both SEO and PR services are already in place. Much of the additional work is simply connecting the SEO efforts with the PR efforts.
The logical first step is to integrate press release activity with search engine marketing. By optimizing and distributing press releases online (assuming the right online wire service is used), not only will the release have the opportunity to get picked up by thousands of sites, but it will often be picked up and archived by Google News, Yahoo! News and by a multitude of other sites that pull relevant news feeds.
This means that the press release’s message gets instant online visibility and SEO efforts are also strengthened by having strategic keywords included in the release’s copy, with the most important ones linked to your website with relevant anchor text. Besides the link-building benefit, the relevant anchor text makes this “off the page” SEO activity very powerful. Moreover, the sites that are likely to pick up your online release are usually relevant to the content being distributed.
However, there is a point of diminishing returns. You cannot keyword spam or add dozens of links to a release. The press release needs to be first and foremost a press release that makes sense to readers. Secondly, if you litter the release with too many links it’s likely that the major search engines will actually punish you in terms of rankings. In addition, delivering press releases too frequently just for SEO purposes will not be likely to achieve your desired results either. Press releases should be newsworthy. Otherwise they won’t get picked up, even online.
The next steps can be easy depending on whether content generation and distribution are part of your current marketing activities. By taking the same approach as described for online press releases (minus the online wires), content such as whitepapers, articles, “micro-sites” and/or advertising sites, etc. can be optimized, distributed online and used to both enhance brand and bolster SEO results. The same principles apply with online press releases. Keep the content focused on its purpose whether it’s educational, technical, marketing-oriented or a combination thereof. Again, avoid keyword and link spam.
A word of caution when looking for ways to distribute your content online for SEO purposes: Avoid companies that offer services where you pay them to host your whitepapers or optimized content. These firms can deliver leads in many cases through various mechanisms which they usually control, but the content usually disappears as soon as you stop using their service. Such firms may be a fit for a demand generation program, but I don’t advise using them if your goals include a solid, long-term SEO uplift as you could easily end up in a situation where a significant amount of your content disappears the moment you end the relationship.
Many sites, directories, online media firms and related industry sites are usually open to distributing content via their electronic outlets if it’s of a certain quality, adds value to their readers and meets their editorial guidelines. Just like a traditional PR firm identifies a target media list, the same needs to be done for your online media efforts. Like traditional PR, SEO PR can be hard to measure in some ways, but tends to be easier to measure in other ways especially when it comes to search engine rankings, online press release pickup and traffic generated from the release.
SEO PR can be much more involved than the basic ideas discussed above, but most organizations can get immediate benefits just by combining their existing SEO and PR efforts. To learn more about SEO PR I suggest checking out resources such as Search Engine Watch (http://searchenginewatch.com), SEMPO (http://www.sempo.org), Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seo_pr) or simply searching in your favorite search engine for terms such as “SEO PR,” “Search Engine Public Relations,” “Online Reputation Management,” “Online PR” and related phrases.
Brian Easter
http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/seo-pr-buzzworthy-or-just-hype-55355.html
How to Develop a Successful ROI for Your Website
October 28, 2009
Are You Really Measuring for Return on Investment (ROI) with
Search Engine Optimization?
Puzzling studies and reports suggest that businesses are missing
out when it comes to ROI, including a whole host of metrics that
should confirm or shape search engine marketing strategies.
You can’t accomplish much if you’re not even implementing SEO
the right way. We’ve seen web site after web site that includes
scores of individual keywords in the META keyword set (that many
search engines ignore anyway). The SEO team not only used the
wrong individual keywords (search phrases are better), but they
didn’t bother to include keywords in the page title or
description. And, of course, they didn’t think it was worth
their time to focus on multiple pages- not just the homepage.
Hint: If you’re selling dinnerware, “laundry” probably shouldn’t
be one of your keywords.
A WebTrends report cited in an eMarketer in 2004 showed the
following ROI:
Using Complete ROI analysis35.4% Click-through rates only24.2%
Conversion metrics18.7% Don’t measure21.7%
Barely one third figured a thorough ROI analysis was worth the
effort.
More than 80% of companies surveyed are dissatisfied with their
“ability to benchmark their marketing programs,” according to
“Measures + Metrics: Assessing Marketing Value + Impact,” a
stunning report based on a 2004 survey by the CMO Council, a
Palo Alto, California-based organization. The CMO Council
represents senior marketing and brand decision-makers in the
global technology industry.
“Less than 20% have developed any meaningful and comprehensive
measures and metrics for their marketing organizations,” the
report said.
It’s possible, Fathom SEO believes, that companies just settle
for what’s easiest. If getting high rankings offers enough
satisfaction, that’s where the measurement ends. Or, maybe a
business will look at total traffic (maybe even unique visitor
trends). With ppc, they’re apt to take up Google’s offer and
post an ad within 15 minutes, cranking out the common reports
Google offers. Businesses have a whole host of metrics that can
serve them as long as the data doesn’t fly over their heads.
Aligning SEM with Corporate Marketing Strategies You
should start by knowing how your SEM goals relate to your
corporate marketing strategy. Which of the following (or more)
do you want to accomplish? •Generate leads •Sell online •Build
brands •Grab more market share
Conversions You absolutely must track pages that allow
visitors to take some kind of action, including:
•Requesting a quote •Filling out a contact form •Placing an
order •Registering for a newsletter •Ordering a catalog
Establishing Your Metrics Determine which of the
following will be the metrics that will mean the most to you:
•Online sales (broken down by category) •Repeat visits •Profits
on sales •Customer satisfaction •Length of visits •Cost per
click (CPC) •Click-through rate (CTR) •Cost per conversion (CPC).
Get plugged into online consumers’ behavior patterns.
For example, studies show that consumers start researching
products online several weeks (12 weeks in some business-to
business scenarios) before they make a purchase – often offline.
Enquiro, based in Kelowna, BC, Canada, in 2004 found that 68.3%
of those surveyed used search engines for “consideration or
research.” The results are detailed in Enquiro’s “Inside the
Mind of a Searcher” research report that looks at issues
including four distinct types of searchers and the frequency
with which people search during the buying process.
ROI should be an integral part of any search engine optimization
strategy, not something that sounds foreign. Make it work for
your business.
Michael Murray, Vp Of Fathom Seo
http://www.articlesbase.com/seo-articles/how-to-develop-a-successful-roi-for-your-website-2378.html
Ppc- the Art of Clicking Money
October 28, 2009
PPC or pay per click is an important tool, in Internet marketing. It is one of the most thriving methods of generating
traffic on your site. This traffic when converted to clients results in high ROI = money.
But to make money you need to understand the modus operandi of PPC advertisement.
The ppc Campaign
An effective PPC campaign needs research and organized planning.
Choosing an Effective Search Engine
Search engines, like Goggle Adwords and Yahoo- Overture can greatly enhance your PPC campaign. The bigger and popular the
search engine the higher the key word bid. But then so are the ROIs.
Don’t underestimate the less popular search engines. There are specialized search engines that are dedicated to particular
businesses or consumers, ex- real estate or automobiles or even cigars. These search engines generally have lower costs per
click to rank for a keyword than the larger search engines.
Research the search engines for
Key words/ phrases
The heart of any PPC campaign lies in its key word/phrases. The best way to choose key words/ phrases is to research your
product and target audience. Make a list of relevant words and choose 2-3 main words that best suit your product and
audience.
When deciding on your keywords/phrases keep in mind the following:
Keywords/phrases can establish the quality and quantity of your audience. But bidding extravagantly on key words can be the
downfall of a business.
Bidding
Your PPC success is controlled by your willingness to bid and budget the amount for an ad placement. Correct bidding on Key
words is essential; do not become fixated on the top bid position, depending on your product or service lower positions like
5-6 can also generate high traffic.
Never underestimate the generating power of a key word on a search engine, pay the bid price necessary.
Also, never pay exorbitantly for a keyword, it defeats the purpose of making money through PPC
Constantly test and upgrade your key word for performance on generating traffic.
Research your cost per action, conversion rate, value of a buyer, before determining your click price
Landing Pages
Highly relevant landing pages are proven to increase website actions. The problem is most websites tend to direct all of
their click-through’s to their home page. These pages are designed to for multiple users, like the current clients, sponsors,
press, investor etc. They do not immediately serve the visitors need, which leads to the users frustration and abandonment.
For the PPC to pay, Landing pages need to be PPC optimized.
The Landing pages should be separate from the homepages
They need to be designed specifically for PPC campaign.
They have to be keyword or key phrases optimized
They need to be focused on user relevancy and need to be consistent.
Done with precision and constant research on search engine trends, customer behavior and market analysis, making money from
PPC can be just a click away
harishblb
http://www.articlesbase.com/affiliate-programs-articles/ppc-the-art-of-clicking-money-125958.html
III World Search War
October 28, 2009
As most popular engine is Google which has fanatics on web is getting the biggest search marketing advertising pie, if you know the search marketing is estimated 8.5 Billion $ for 2007, you may imagine how much this sector is attractive for web giants.Contextual and paid inclusions are really working to get new customers with high conversion rates, which means advertiser is getting good ROI(Return On Invertment) depending on campaign settings.Online Marketing campaigns has 3 main aspects such as Target, Market and Budget , major players are giving you options to use all campaign aspects in their system, your return back may varry with your campaign management ability. Lets give you some tips about major players then.
Google: They are the most favorite search mit and the best for advertisers with many professional features inside. Adwords are their paid and contextual advertising program which may start displaying in 15 minutes after you have run your
campaign.Google has 2 different networks else than search pages, like search network and content network. Sometimes you may see a Google Search toolbar while you are surfing on a web portal, that means that web portal is connected to Google Search Network, basicly integrated search toolbar, possible for advertisers to display text based ads on search network with pay per click model. Content network is normal web sites which have relevant content to search query, advertiser has possibility to display his ads as text or image ads on content network sites, as an option, you may select sites to display your image ads on pay per impression model. Ofcourse these networks are running under Google editorial and adwords policy which are strongly ruled. If your campaign is managed by an Adwords Professional, your ads spending can decrease and maximize your cost per conversion because Adwords has many features to target a campaign. Right market to right target can boost your online sales.
Yahoo Search Marketing (Formerly Overture): Yahoo is the second market holder on this area, a search network with most popular sites on web including Yahoo search pages.They have text based paid sponsored ads model, important point of Yahoo in search that they have 2 main directories of web which can effect the search engine ranking.As mentioned before Yahoo campaigns can not run in short time because of boring editorial stage, since Ireland Editors had declined my keywords many times, I gave up Yahoo campaigns. I belive Yahoo Management recevied many complains from users so they have launched a training program called Ambassador Certification. Program aims to train professionals with Yahoo Search Marketing features like Google Adwords but this program only serves in USA and Canada right now, probably we will be able to tell our comments
when serving area is expended into global scale, ofcourse when your cooperating partner is Kowabunga Technologies who has experience in Online marketing software and services for long years, Ambassador Certification can be succesful in SEM.
Microsoft Live Search: Finally Microsoft could not stay outside the search marketing and developed his own search technology named Live Search. As every professional I had some doubts at the beginning when Live Search was announced about the search quality because Microsoft is not specialised in search engines even they are the software leader in sector. Doubts went off
when I have met an interview with Andy Edmonds and Eric Sellberg, these guys are engineers of live search technology and they have really different approaches or feautures to search marketing such as Gender selection or intention rate for buying. A fact that Microsoft has great database of web users with Messenger and Hotmail. The most popular tools of web users are providing a large data for search targeting. Another interview was with Ken Moss who is the General Manager of Live Search was also persuaeded me that Microsoft`s high profile project is live search in these years. We can not deny that live search is a newly borned baby yet but its promising. I personally support Windows Live to encourage the competition. Our expactation
is the development team will listen user´s feedback carefully and modify their system to create perfect and useful search engine .The interface of SEM is called Adcenter which was integrated banner advertising network connected text ads management.
What should Microsoft do for a startup search engine? How they can catch Google and Yahoo? What is the strong and weak parts of them? These are the most asked questions to me in the current days. In my opinion , here is the prescription for beating Google in the long run:
1)Popularity among users: Microsoft should balance this with his products and they are already doing this.Live search is coming with new OS Windows Vista, Internet Explorer 7 .Live Messenger or Office 2007, so this task is being performed right now. In the mid or long run ,everybody will see a slight shift into Live Ads from Google Adwords.
2)Terms Standartisation: Since Google had discovered many new features for SEM, professionals got used to talk with terms
such as quality score, keyword matching options, smart pricing, page rank. Probably Live search will have same features inside with different terms, as a professional I would like to see same terms are used in campaign management interfaces,
this can bring efficient work results while tracking, analysing,reporting a campaign.Terms except the registered as trade marks (like pagerank) should be used as common industry terms.
3)Product Development: Althoug Google has very advanced features and do not stop development process, Microsoft is at the startup.I m sure their product development department is working very hard in these months to catch Google´s rich features, no doubt this will happen soon however user feedbacks should be used more ,also its possible to motivate people sending useful feedback. Maybe rewarding the best or most feedback senders should be a good way like giving a free Redmont trip and introduce the search development team.
4)Cooperation: Google cooperates with many popular web portals because of his 2 networks(search and content) Microsoft has competitive advantage on having cooperation partners as a tech leader and every company will voluntare any kind of cooperation. Besides, they may offer some discount on Microsoft products for feasible cooperating partners, this would atract
many new potential partners so long run walk may bring more turn back to Microsoft.
5)Pricing Advantage : If a live.com representative come up to me and request me to advertise on the Adcenter, I would ask him
why I would prefer them instead of Google? I got used to run a campaign on Google and getting good conversion rates, analytical reports to improve my campaigns, this would be possible only if will have direct or indirect price advantages.
This means that Microsoft has to develop some regional strategies related my most used target areas. Both of them are selling ads minimum bid as 0.05 depending on your keywords but SEM professionals should gain some more profit in case preferring a startup search engine. As minimum bid 0.04 should change many minds through Microsoft.
6)Stuff Selection: Once upon a time, working at Google was a dream for a professional because they were paying good salary and benefits but this was long time ago. If you checked a job board related Google stuffing in the recent months, you will realise that Google is offering below even market rates. I guess their stuff policy had changed after they sold their shares
in the stock market, company is responsible against share holders now so this is a result. When Microsoft offers better salary rates, most skilled professionals will prefer to work at live.com.
7)Learning Center and Certification Program: Google has a perfect learning center in text or flash movies that describes Google technology using in lessons. Google Certification is accepted as valid sector proficiency on ppc jobs even the Google Professional examination is more difficult than expected. You need to get 75 over 100, there are 116 questions with different
prioties to pass but Microsoft has not realised the importance of training the professionals yet, even their Tutorial page is
not working.
8)Support Services: Every professional knows that client is not important, client is the king in today’s business concept, your biggest competitor is a just a click away from you, so give us a well trained, clever that understands and quick problem solving client support represantatives. Google has problem on giving speedy replies just offering Live.com not provide the low quality service.
Before forgot I would like to announce Wiki Search engine will be ready to run in the first quarter of 2007, lets see if search wars will survive with 4 players. I m exited to see the new Wiki Search.
Finally Search Wars will get hotter in the new year, who wins? I really dont know friends and I guess nobody knows because 10 years ago if somebody should say Altavista will be beaten by a new search engine (Google) probably we would call him nuts but that happened, so why not this time?
About the Writer: Mr. Erkan Meydanlioglu has a degree in Economics and professional Online Marketing Manager , Google Certified Professional and Team Leader for more than 9 years. He is managing corporate online campaigns as individual or as team manager in Europe. Training company level marketing teams to increase esales.
Erkan Meydanlioglu,Mr
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/iii-world-search-war-88059.html