DealFlowBlog

SEO supports Long Tail

When Chris Anderson penned his observations on Long Tail marketing in the fall of 2004, he created a revolution in the way we think of marketing products in the digital age.

His premise remains as relavent today as it did when he first wrote the article, followed by his book.

Now we can apply his theory to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) with a dual approach to capture the results.

By creating and posting, under a separate url, individual web pages and then linking them to corporate sites, we take advantage of the short tail (specific topic one pager)  and the long tail (corporate website) – in marketing terms.  The long tail can return the big ROI but the short tail creates topical awareness with search engines.

 

Long tail SEO brings home the bacon

Monday, 07 Dec 2009 17:04

Specific queries, for which the competition is less fierce in the world of search engine optimization (SEO), can drive truly impressive conversion rates, according to Search Engine Land columnist Eric Enge.

Enge writes that, despite the fact that the benefits of long tail search engine optimization (SEO) having been obvious for years, many clients are still unaware of the potential upside to targeting highly specialized queries. He uses the example of a camera retailer, which, by tailoring SEO to specific camera makes and models, brings in more customers who are ready to purchase their products.

The basic assumptions from which Enge works in making his assertions is that roughly 70 percent of search traffic comes from the long tail, 20 percent from what Enge calls the "chunky middle," and only 10 percent from competitive "head" search terms. The latter can be useful for driving traffic, but conversion rates are usually low, and the investment is frequently not worth it.

Seach engine optimization (SEO) campaigns that carefully target the long tail should see a spike in ROI, according to Enge and numerous other SEO experts.

 

 

Tiger Should Have Driven a Buick.

Having just lost $50 on a bet, I believed that the Tiger Woods dream team would have wrapped up the damage control on his sexual addiction and had him well on his way for recovery and sipping tea by the end of the week with Billy Graham by his side. In fact, I was betting that Nike would roll in their international marketing and PR machine and had paid off every alleged whim from his self gratification tour by young lady #7...

Already pushing #9 and moving steady, I have lost count of the multitudes of email jokes that have been hitting my inbox since last week. Personally, Fred’s commentary on how the real issue here is why was Tiger driving a Cadillac instead of a Buick and why did his air bag not save him from the damage to his face shows clearly how this story managed to capture all age categories...

Why does everyone care? To me, the answer is cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is one of the most powerful psychological contradictions and affects all of our lives. For instance, Tiger is such a GOOD person that finding out that he is “immoral” (just throwing this out for example reasons) creates a strong contradictory element in the audience’s mind, which is why people are so interested in this. No one can remedy the clean boy image of Tiger with the dirty boy reality unless they worked in the music business where this is the daily grind. In fact, in the music biz many bad boy artists are actually Disney film watching home bodies with several sets of slippers...

What is this cognitive dissonance? A feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time, clearly no one can figure out how Tiger managed to portray such a good guy image when he was so "available". Dissonance increases with: 1) the importance of the subject to us (everyone knows Tiger) 2) How strongly the dissonant thoughts conflict (reflected in the media as the epitomized perfect husband, father and good guy, so how does a porn star fit into this equation?) and 3) Our inability to rationalize and explain away the conflict (we could rationalize 1, 2 or maybe even 4…but 9???)

All joking aside, having been on the road more than many; I have witnessed how people behave...this clearly does not make me raise an eyebrow but it certainly makes me think I should contact Gloria Allreid immediately and start dropping names...

Fred's Balloon Girl.

Tracy requested that I put up this confidential e-mail that Fred sent our team as a joke last week claiming to be his weekly contribution to the content of the “WaterCooler Confessions” while he is out of town. You see, we all participate in a weekly newsletter titled “WaterCooler Confessions” (subscribe, click here) and we have a ‘She Said’, ‘He Said’ and a ‘Director’s Cut’. I write a small summary at the bottom with the usual theme of ‘what the heck’...

I guess she hasn’t seen Fred in a couple of weeks due to travel, and feeling that Fred’s reputation as a writer was being perceived as “dry”; this is our effort to share how Fred is actually darn amusing when he wants to be. This was sent around the office 2 weeks ago, when Tracy had some sad news and he was trying to make her laugh. He will probably kill us when he discovers that we have posted this...or as Tracy commented, maybe he will start writing again... 

Fred's take on the balloon incident (disclaimer: a sarcastic amusing parody only meant for entertainment):

"I have to confess that the idea of making a large balloon out of plastic tarpaulins and aluminum foil has been on my mind. The publicity garnered by the family in Colorado with the contraption held together with spit and duct tape not only captured international media attention but will probably help the reality TV careers of each and every member of this now famous family. I have media envy. 

So here's the plan I will shop at Canadian Tire for the various construction materials. We might as well make this truly Canadian eh? The thing I always thought of as a basket that I now know is the Control Box can be made of plywood and cardboard - people will buy that. The trick is getting Tracy out of public view long enough to convince the CBC that she is in the thing.

Oh, and the launch will be quiet but from the CN Tower, of course.

Now Tracy is very trim and has been taking flying lessons. This is the key thread of plausibility here so pay close attention. I will tell the CBC, probably through one of the Dragon's Den people, that Tracy is up in the "Space Balloon" on a test flight and appears to have lost control.

See how this is going and so believable? Tracy's desperate plight will catch first Mississauga and then parts of Toronto by storm. CBC in Sudbury will pick up the story if the wind is right too!

Bottom line when all is said and done and the debris has been recovered, Tracy will "reappear" wearing something fabulous and safe. We will not make the mistake of leaving the balloon intact and Tracy will have a great story to tell the Toronto Star and CP24 when they come begging for interviews.

Tracy, just kidding about this being my contribution......smile. Happy Sunday All!"

The perfect venue = the perfect deal

In a world of 24/7 business there is a natural blurring between lifestyle and commerce.  For most successful international travelers business and pleasure are the same thing.  A great night out not only helps to seal the deal, but it also allows the busy traveler a chance to relax and enjoy their surroundings. Food, wine, business, let's just say they pair very well together.

So every time I visit a city I keep an eye out for interesting restaurants and special places for important meetings. In Shanghai, Bund 18 (http://www.bund18.com/en/entertainment005_en.html) is the place.  Not only has the development been awarded an UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award of Distinction for its sensitive restoration of an important landmark, but more importantly, the mixed-use facility is a great place to spend an evening over drinks and dinner to build business relationships.

On a recent trip I enjoyed Tan Wai Lou, a contemporary Chinese restaurant which serves nouveau-Chinese cuisine with a Western perspective.  This means Master Chef To Chi Hoi’s vision of Cantonese food is modernized and presented in a delicious but unassuming way.  It is ideal for business meetings which require an element of formality mixed with pleasure.

One story up is Mr. and Mrs. Bund, a modern French eatery which features an avant garde twist on classic French cuisine thanks to Chef Paul Pairet 's unique talents.  The food is sublime, the room elegant but comfortable and the service, well it is the perfect blend between Chinese formality and French casual comfort.

  In a world where business is done over dinner and drinks and multimillion-dollar deals rest on relationships and common experiences, choosing the right venue is critical. Bund 18 offers the right mix of global sophistication, Shanghai chic and business savvy to suit any meeting. Deals are about more than the details, they are about relationships and experiences.  Shanghai is a dynamic city so pick a dynamic location for your next business event and enjoy your night out.

To Date.

Raving about Brien Lundin’s 2009 New Orleans Investment Conference in this week’s WaterCooler Confessions (www.ir-blog.com) I described this event as one where you can literally stretch your arms out and touch wall-to-wall intellectual star power. I highlighted Thom Calandra, Rick Rule, Brien Lundin, Gene Arensberg, Doug Casey, former Governor Howard Dean and former White House strategist Karl Rove in this edition, but I guess I missed a few as one reader wrote me -- “What about the real star power that spoke: Congressman Dr. Ron Paul, Karl Rove, Howard Dean, Rick Santelli, Charles Krauthammer, Peter Schiff, Frank Holmes, Wayne Root, etc, etc?” (eye roll)

With this said, one of my favorites moments was with a couple that had been married a ‘few’ times before. Apparently they had been high school sweethearts and 30-years later when they had a chance to reconnect had committed to never letting each other go. Both respectively hot for their ages; they were radiating happiness over their upcoming engagement and were a genuine pleasure to be around.

As an aside, how many people are so darn miserable or all business like? Personally, I prefer doing business with people that are fun and exude energy, life and happiness! These people are waking up in the morning happy to be alive and well, what better way to do this then with someone you love.

What can I say, I am a romantic; but equally as important, I am and have been seeking more information on what I refer to as the “X,Y,Z Factor” – what really makes us happy. I threw in this Jim Morrison quote in this week’s WaterCooler Confessions for a reason – “I think the highest and lowest points are the important ones. Anything else is just...in between. "

Let me explain…

This last Friday one of my closest friends whose battle with cancer has left her exhausted was desperately trying to understand why she was still single and simultaneously I was dealing with the sadness of my son’s loneliness relating to his Asperger’s; I considered flying home, but as a single parent, reminded myself that I was there to work…
 
But it was a conversation with an investor that same day attending this event that showed how the power of a single moment can change your life. How a tidal wave of negative energy may be met by positive. How many times have you experienced your worse moment and greatest moment the same day? This was one of those days... 

Having been working on a book that a friend of mine Mike Lipkin wrote called One Meeting, One Life; I have recently been considering the impact that we have on others in every conversation. A local physician who likes to invest he overheard my discussion on my “X,Y,Z Principle”, a book idea I have been thinking about for this last year when he joined this conversation. He was looking around the exhibition hall, killing time before the infamous Casey, Dean and Rove debate on medicare/health care reform. Realizing his watch had stopped for no apparent reason (later he told me he had just had it fixed and had picked it up the day before) I gave him a card.

The X,Y, Z Principle, or Factor or whatever I call it when I actually get this all into text is in my mind the secret to happiness. I have written about this before. X is what we want in a partner, Y is what we are will to give and Z is everything in between from job happiness to our overall life objectives -- what we want to give to the universe. I came up with this idea a year and half ago after our DealFlow Rekyvik episode. For no practical reason I went to Iceland a happy person and returned realizing I wanted more and in fact, I wanted a family, a partner – someone to share my life with.

I started with the existing boyfriend. Needless to say the relationship dissolved months later as we respectfully came to the realization that we wanted different things. So I dated for awhile when I ran into an ex. Please understand that I believe one should never ever date an ex, and let’s just leave it at that other than to say that he has agreed to give me positive references and I the same (smile) for future life partners. I hired a coach to force me to make a list of what I was really looking for, and equally important; what I was willing to give.

24 hours later I had agreed to meet this investor after he had promised to rescue me from an evening of business and take me to see the band Truth & Salvage at the House of Blues. Music lovers, surfing enthusiasts and seemingly seeking the same thing out of life; my home was filled with the fragrance of a dozen long stem roses yesterday…and a promise to surf in the future. So what was the worst day, also has become the greatest day and let’s just leave it at that…;-)

France Launches “Battle of the Electric Car”

While in North America there is a sceptical view by many of the potential for widespread use of electric cars, in parts of the world where gasoline is expensive plans are moving ahead. Through our DealFlow television series (www.dealflowtv.com) we have seen plans for adoption of electric cars and infrastructure investment in both Denmark and Israel for launch in 2011. Ireland has also developed a programme all of which should mean a respectable market for Renault Nissan as well as other manufacturers.

This week, the government of France announced a 1.5 billion euro investment to bring 2 million electric and hybrid cars to market in that country by 2020. This will include infrastructure and incentives to both manufacturers and buyers of clean vehicles. Renault Nissan will certainly be a beneficiary as its battery plant near Fins has been specifically mentioned in the news coverage.

For the AFP article dated October 1, 2009, please click here.

...if only for a moment.

Right now everything in my life works. I do not have a blouse without a button, a shoe without a heel or a broken gadget in my home. Suitcases cleaned out and ready to go, home clean from top to bottom; if you really want to feel free, then get rid of controllable problems has always been a formula I subscribe to. I do not understand the whiners on our planet or people that claim to suffer from issues which are so easily corrected by simply having them get out of bed early for a week or two.

My best friend was in the hospital again yesterday and frankly I went to bed worried and upset. He has real problems and they go a lot deeper than issues related to money or relationships - he has health issues. Caught in a gravel crusher in a mining accident over two decades ago now, he is the symbol of how in one instance your life can change forever. His coveralls were caught in the machine and he was pulled in - arm torn off, 14 bones broken, head cracked open and half a lung crushed. Met him when he was the music director of a rock radio station called "the Bear" in Edmonton and he is my inspiration by the way he lives.he never, ever complains - plus we like the same music.

On my way to London yesterday, I was trying to read a friend's book about how to build joy in life through one conversation at a time. His life changed after experiencing a controversial electric shock treatment in the early 90's and now, speaking in over 4 dozen countries around the world - after that one instance, his life was never to be the same. While many of us may not have that "one moment in time", we undoubtedly have a collection that has brought us to where we are now. Today I am in London and am heading to an infamous racquetball re-match at 4 PM between the guy I wrote about that professed to killing a black mambo with a sword and a Bay St. investor that is here at the World Nuclear Association conference...I am pitching DealFlow to advertising agencies...

All Roads Lead to Armenia...

“...you want it all, but you can’t have it...it’s in your face -- but you can’t grab it” – Epic by Faith No More

Last night I was thinking about how when I was young; I wanted to change the world. My dreams were enormous, endless and I smile as I recall interviews as an obsessed overachieving teen on how I was going to secure a law degree, work for the United Nations, be a political consultant and the list went on – I wanted to save the world.

Running for a political position in today’s world would result in endless snickering from friends and family. Straightforward, dark-humoured and opinionated, this is just a start to a long list of characteristics that do not thrive in the political arena. While the road to life is certainly not a straight line, no one prepared me for how harsh the lessons of life could be.

I wanted world peace and yet, with a special needs child, I rarely had the energy to raise him never mind do anything extra for my friends or family – the world would have to wait. The hypocrisy of what I had dreamed of doing and where life is leading me is a fascinating journey. Today I am in a very good mood, I realize that the training forced upon me by the hardships have made me stronger than I would have ever been without them. It also allows me to fully appreciate that the real victories are the ones closest to us.

My sister called me with the chaos associated with young children today. When you’re in it, it feels like you can never escape; but one day you wake up and it’s gone. My children have moved out and I am amazed that for the first time in decades I have moments of peace that I can breathe and better yet – dream. So I am off to London to pitch DealFlow episodes and sponsors this week and then I will be on the road in Armenia with Lydian International for another week...now Yerevan and Djermuk are two roads that I have yet to travel.

Bigger is Better.

Did I dream this, but does the Bowflex commercial really say “Bigger is Better”? Was drinking my coffee and had the TV on when I caught this in the background. Still musing from my day yesterday, I thought – now how will I top this today? The weather was stellar, met a world class chef, and found an oasis in the city that I didn’t know existed. Certainly this is the right attitude, but instead I was in my storage locker digging through Rubbermaid containers looking for the ‘right’ outerwear for Armenia.

For what is the 5th year in a row, I will be missing the illustrious Toronto Film Festival – the best parties of the year and will instead be sitting on the ground in the outback of Yerevan with a pile of geologist saying “wow that’s a big rock”...

Recalling my late afternoon meeting on Friday, I cringe as I recalled my verbal faux pas when trying to articulate “organism” and instead using “orgasm”. I imagine Tina Fey in her 30Rock series making this same error, Fred responded appropriately with – “try and stay with us here…” he sighs. This morning I take myself to my breakfast place Cora’s to update my journal as I reminisce about moments in the last week that were darkly amusing. After all I am single and free and do not need food in my fridge any longer.

DealFlow Host Featured on CNBC 'Street Signs'

The host of DealFlow, Tracy Weslosky was featured on CNBC's Street Signs speaking with Jack Lifton. The interview, titled "China: The Mineral Hoarder", and is a discussion to whether China's hoarding will hurt the U.S. To view the interview, click on the picture to the left.

The host of DealFlow, Tracy Weslosky was featured on CNBC's Street Signs speaking with Jack Lifton. The interview, titled "China: The Mineral Hoarder", and is a discussion to whether China's hoarding will hurt the U.S. To view the interview, click on the picture to the left.