Longer search queries are becoming more popular among web users, new research has revealed.
According to Hitwise, longer search queries conducted in the US are five or more words in length and have risen by ten per cent compared with last year - something could have a bearing on marketers' search engine optimisation strategies.
The research company explained that shorter queries - those that between one and four words in length - have fallen by two per cent in the last year, meanwhile.
Hitwise also said in its report that search is still the primary method through which web users navigate to websites in key industry categories.
The last year has seen search traffic to the business and finance, sports, online video and social networking categories record double-digit increases, it noted.
According to comScore, websites belonging to Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! are the three most popular web properties in the world.... read full details »
E-commerce firms could enhance their search engine rankings by purchasing additional domain names, it has been suggested.
Andrew Hazen of Prime Visibility told Practical eCommerce that online retailers with extra domains are likely to see more "real estate" when it comes to search engine listings.
Furthermore, it may be a good idea to buy extra domain names if the original address does not contain elements that are likely to boost the retailer's search engine optimisation, he went on to suggest.
"If a URL doesn't really say much about your business and isn't ranking well on the search engines, getting an additional domain name is a way to gain that visibility," Mr Hazen stated.
According to VeriSign, domain name registrations experienced a 16 per cent increase, or 24 million, to about 177 million during 2008 - with the most popular domains including those ending in .com, .cn, .de, .net and .org.... read full details »
A new survey conducted by Adobe has identified social networks and rich media as two areas that will be of particular interest to online marketers this year.
The Scene7 survey found that many e-commerce firms are looking to increase their online investment, as the internet allows marketers to track their campaigns - allowing them to quickly see what is and is not working.
Blogs were noted as an area of investment, with one-third of survey respondents claiming they plan to add one to their site in the coming year.
Other new features that survey respondents - including manufacturers and media agencies - intend to add are 360-degree spin for product imagery and consumer ratings and reviews.
All top features named in the survey are categorised as social or rich media.
Adobe Scene7 is an on-demand software-as-a-service platform and is used by Amazon, Harrods Office Depot, American retailer Macy's, Land's End, Williams Sonoma and Polo Ralph Lauren.... read full details »
Amid the current period of economic uncertainty, firms should be sure to focus on the basics when it comes to online marketing, an industry expert has asserted.
Phil Turnbull, marketing manager at Hostway, said businesses should make "the most" out of the resources they already have and improve processes that are currently in place.
He added that it is important for businesses to get their email marketing campaign right by ensuring that messages sent to consumers are targeted and relevant.
In addition, those concerned with more general marketing should make sure they have a system in place to track all their campaigns, he said.
Mr Turnbull made his comments at the Technology for Marketing and Advertising 2009 event, which is currently taking place at Earls Court 2 in London.
The event includes classes in both Google Analytics and in website optimisation, as well as 55 seminars on topics ranging from web design to digital marketing.... read full details »
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