It is with great pleasure and excitement that I announce a new Search Engine Marketing (SEM) project with SkiBig3.com, the hub website for the Banff Lake Louise Ski Resorts including Ski Lake Louise, Ski Norquay Resort in Banff as well as Sunshine Village based in Banff, Alberta. SkiBig3.com is about to launch their new site for the upcoming winter season, and I am delighted to have the luxury of time to work on it throughout the summer. 

SkiBig3.com represents the Banff Lake Louise Ski Resorts worldwide for a wide variety of winter ski vacation packages. As part of my role, I will be working closely with Dan Markham, Director of Marketing & Sales as well as Al Stanford, Web Manager for SkiBig3.com. If you are looking for the best Banff Lake Louise winter ski vacations and packages, look no further and visit SkiBig3.com today. If you want more information about this web project, please contact Dan Markham at .

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An interesting report was published today that display ads may be pretty (pricey) vehicles with bells and whistles that dazzle the eyes, but it seems that cheap but effective search ads get better results, according to a report in The New York Times. 

While online advertising is still much stronger than other forms of advertising, there are signs of weakness.

The evidence, per the Times:

Online publishers are (at least right now) getting less money for the ad space they sell. (The prices paid through online advertising networks plummeted 23% from March to April).
Display ad revenues declined at AOL by 18%, according to Time Warner.

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I first must say that I am sorry for not having posted in the last few weeks, I was on a search for a new home for eMarketing 101. Sonia & I as well as eMarketing 101 are officially moving on May 24. Moving in BC does suck, I can say that much. Thankfully, Sonia prepared a “marketing plan” that really helped the process. It involved a sales letter, a description of our couple (where we met and things like these) as well as an appropriate dress code. I did not believe in all of it but it all worked out in the end.

Over the last few months, there has been a lot of speculations over the Microhoo deal, the acquisition of Yahoo by Microsoft and I have been reading a lot about it, even though I am not interested in reading, writing or commenting on these issues. I found that most of these articles were lame and filled with speculative outcome and its impact on the search industry. I did not treat those news seriously as much as I never believe in any potential Google Killer. That terminology all in itself is arrogant & unfounded. I am wondering why that would be the least but interesting. But apparently, people love to read about those things.

Understandibly, since nothing major was going on, that potential deal had a lot of press. Nevertheless, the best comment on what could have happened is clearly summarized today by Gord Hotchkiss in a Search Insider Article called: Don’t Crown Google Yet—The Rules of Engagement Are Still Being Determined. In this article, the only one I enjoyed reading on the Microsoft-Yahoo acquisition, Gord points out that it is a little premature to declare unconditional victory to Google. Even according to Google, we’ve barely begun to play the search game. To declare it won now would probably be as myopic as awarding the crown to AltaVista in 1997. With his usual incisive style, Gord goes on by comparing Yahoo & Microsoft with 2 dysfunctional families that could have never made things better. Delicious.

It is the one and only article you should read on the Microhoo failed acquistion.

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Let me just start this with a statement: the risk of doing Search Marketing is actually not doing it. According to Philippe Le Roux, President of Montreal-based Online Marketing agency VDL2 in an article published today in La Presse, talks about how we have reached a critical point where it shows how the Internet has won its battle against traditional media & how we assist at the beginning of a great media revolution. Many other search marketing specialists around the globe concur with his position, where traditional medias are on the verge to extinction. According to Le Roux, the revolution has officially begun and we can already see that the popularity & usage of the Internet is happening at the expense of advertising revenues for print media, TV and radio. Still, Philippe Le Roux is adamant that traditional media resist with all the energy they have left to preserve their advertising revenues. Conservatism and other factors contribute to accelerate the rate of change. The article also shows that profound changes are happening in the way people seek information and how their comfort level with the Internet and Search Engines increase exponentially. 

What’s in it for you?
Le Roux provides all the examples you need so you understand where to put your advertising dollars from now on and why. (Hint: Some of it is called Search Engine Marketing or SEM)

That is a great article sent by my dad, Carl Brabant, who has always been part of battles that were worth fighting for. Thanks Dad! if you want to read the full article, feel free to send me an email and I will send you the PDF. I can’t seem to locate the link to the article online.

Here are a few excerpts from the article: (en français)

Personne ne sera étonné d’entendre, en 2008, que le phénomène Internet bat son plein et que la Grande Toile est devenu le principal média des Canadiens de moins de 35 ans. Et personne ne sourcillera en apprenant que cette révolution se fait au détriment des journaux quotidiens, de la télévision conventionnelle et de la radio. C’était écrit dans le ciel, dira-t-on. Pourtant, les grands médias s’accrochent, résistent, cherchent des voies de préservation pour leur assiette publicitaire. Hier c’était TQS. Qui sera le prochain ? Pour comprendre davantage la situation, j’ai rencontré Philippe Le Roux, président de la firme montréalaise de marketing interactif VDL2, qui, en janvier dernier, annonçait dans le bilan de ses tendances 2006-2010, qu’Internet avait gagné et que les médias ne seraient plus jamais les mêmes.

“Aux États-Unis, affirme-t-il, les recettes publicitaires des quotidiens ont chuté de 8,7 % en 2007 et celles de la télévision et de la radio ont diminué de près de 2 %. Mais en même temps, elles continuent de croître du côté Internet à un taux annuel de 15 à 30 % suivant les marchés. À un point tel qu’en Grande Bretagne, elles devraient dépasser celles de la télévision dès l’an prochain.”

Malgré la distribution grandissante d’exemplaires gratuits ou vendus à fort rabais, la chute de la diffusion des quotidiens continue à se faire sentir. Paradoxalement, alors que “cette uniformisation en cours va à contre-courant de la société de l’information dans laquelle les nouvelles technologies nous plongent, les grands médias ne veulent voir que la relative croissance à court terme du trafic de leur site web”, soutient-il. Le cri du tyrannosaure ? À terme, “cet état de fait risque que de provoquer une rupture radicale entre ces médias et la population”.

Or voilà que cette utilisation croissante du Triple W s’accompagne de facteurs de renforcement qui ne font qu’ajouter au mouvement d’accélération. Une commodité en appelle une autre; plus on en utilise, plus on en utilise ! Un bel exemple est le phénomène communautaire, avec, en fond de scène, une effervescence de gens de plus en plus présents sur le Net pour chercher leur information, confiants de la trouver.

Peut-on parler d’une tendance lourde ? “ Lourde, documentée et inéluctable ! Nous sommes au coeur de la révolution médiatique, celle qui se prépare depuis des années. Les mois à venir vont être riches en rebondissements, réorganisations, remises en question. Cela, quoi qu’en disent, quoi qu’en fassent les grands médias qui, présentement, s’accrochent, résistent et cherchent des voies de sauvegarde pour leur assiette publicitaire. Le mouvement s’accélère et le conservatisme peut être dangereux.”

Tout un programme en perspective!

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Mark your calendar! The main event of the year in Search Engine Marketing: Search Engine Strategies (SES) Toronto is coming back again soon on June 16-18 2008. I will be there representing SEMPO Canada along with all representatives of the Canadian Search Marketing Industry. During SES, Ken Jurina & I will host an evening session to present the latest accomplishments within SEMPO Canada. For those who may not know, Search Engine Strategies is the premier event about Search Marketing (SEM) technologies and tactics and we are proud to have this show coming to Canada once a year. Organized by two of the world’s leading search authorities, SES Toronto Conference Chairman, Andrew Goodman and SES Global Content Director, Kevin Ryan, this show can help you learn:

* How search engines list Web sites for free and through paid placements;
* How to get free “organic” traffic by building a site that pleases search engines and your visitors;
* How to efficiently purchase listings guaranteed to rank your company at the top of search engine results;
* How to calculate the ROI of your search marketing efforts by tracking your visitors from the time they hit your site until they buy? and get tips on improving conversion if they don’t;
* How to build links that generate traffic to your Web site, and how to avoid the penalties of “spamming” the search engines;
* What’s coming next in the constantly evolving world of Web search, and how you can profit from those changes.

Search Engine Strategies Toronto 2008 will be held on June 16-18, 2008 at Metro Convention Centre, 255 Front Street West, Toronto (Ontario).



For more information on SES Toronto, please visit the SES Toronto Conference website.

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As part of the QuickLearn Business Training Seminars, on April 11, Alexandre Brabant, President of eMarketing 101 & Co-Chair Of SEMPO Canada Search Marketing Association, will be presenting a Search Marketing 101 Seminar in Vancouver (BC) Canada. The Search Marketing 101 Seminar will be held at Workspace, 400 - 21 Water Street, Vancouver BC. If you are interested to attend please register online or communicate with Monique Trottier of Boxcar Marketing for more information: or (778) 837-9012

Here is more about the QuickLearn Search Marketing 101 in Vancouver:
Search Marketing (SEM) is one of the cheapest, most cost-effective ways to promote your company and drive qualified leads to your website. Most people find search engines to be a mystery. How do I get my website to rank higher in search listings for key phrases related to my business, products or services? Should I consider paying for advertising placement on search engines?

Effective search marketing and optimization (SEO) is the key component to any successful online presence. If you are unsure of how search works, how to integrate search into your existing promotional campaigns, or why search is important to your business--this is the session for you.

REGISTER HERE

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While the talented folks at Work Industries are rebranding themselves to Boxcar Marketing, a dynamic clever name to move ideas online, we are again organizing a Search Engine Marketing 101 Seminar on April 11 in Vancouver (BC) Canada and we hope you can make it. Here is some more information about it. 

So, do you want to attract more visitors to your website? (who does not want more visitors to their site?)

Register for the QuickLearn business training series. Our Friday, April 11 session is Search Marketing 101.

QuickLearn: Search Marketing 101
presented by Alexandre Brabant of eMarketing101.net
and Monique Trottier of Boxcar Marketing

Date: Friday, April 11, 2008

Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Location:
Workspace
400, 21 Water Street
Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 1A1

Map to Workspace

Cost: $150
REGISTER HERE

Search marketing is one of the cheapest, most cost-effective ways to promote your company and drive qualified leads to your website.

Most people find search engines to be a mystery. How do I get my website to rank higher in search listings for key phrases related to my business, products or services? Should I consider paying for advertising placement on search engines?

Effective search marketing and optimization is the key component to any successful online presence. If you are unsure of how search works, how to integrate search into your existing promotional campaigns, or why search is important to your business--this is the session for you.

Monique Trottier is the president of Boxcar Marketing. Her online expertise spans blogging, podcasting, web design, email newsletters, search marketing (PPC and SEO), online media relations, and writing for the web. Monique writes an online newsletter called “Underwire: Full support for non-techies,” and she is a frequent presenter at national conferences, a guest lecturer at Simon Fraser University and has appeared on Tech TV Lab with Leo.

Alexandre Brabant is the president of Vancouver-based eMarketing 101. He is a leading Search Marketing Specialist and the Co-Chair of SEMPO Canada, Canada’s Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization.

Register for QuickLearn here.

For more information on QuickLearn or to register in person, contact Monique Trottier at 778-837-9012.

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On the same spirit of my last post, April 1 always finds its fair share of April Fool’s Jokes. Google has been well known for sending press releases on new products or new ventures on April 1. The introduction of Pigeon Rank in 2002 was my favorite but you could have a good laugh reading the full collection of Google April Fool Jokes, including the latest one, the launch of an ambitious collaborative project between Google and Virgin called “Virgle”.

Here is an excerpt from the press release:

“Earth has issues, and it’s time humanity got started on a Plan B. So, starting in 2014, Virgin founder Richard Branson and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will be leading hundreds of users on one of the grandest adventures in human history: Project Virgle, the first permanent human colony on Mars.”

You can become part of this exciting project by signing up online at google.com/virgle. You can also watch these explanatory clips about how Sergey, Larry & Richard are planning to accomplish their dream:

Alternatively, please find a lot more to read on April Fool Jokes 2008. 

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Those who know me must have got my usual rant at some point on how websites are poorly named. I have been preaching & teaching for years all the steps that lead to making that critical decision on a domain name, your online location that you will be stuck with for years to come. But the steps on choosing a domain name is not the subject of this post. Steve Kellas, worldwide chief online copywriter and also Associate Director for Fjord Interactive in Vancouver sent me this great list of hilarious domain names that were chosen for serious matters. Decision makers must have overlooked a few steps along the way before choosing their name. If you know someone with a bad domain name, a domain that do not contain relevant keywords, please share around. Everyone deserves a good laugh. Enjoy!

1. Who Represents is where you can find the name of the agent that represents any celebrity. Their Web site is http://www.whorepresents.com

2. Experts Exchange is a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at http://www.expertsexchange.com

3. Looking for a Pen? Look no further than Pen Island at http://www.penisland.net

4. Need a Therapist? Try Therapist Finder at http://www.therapistfinder.com

5. There’s the Italian Power Generator Company, http://www.powergenitalia.com

6. And don’t forget the Mole Station Native Nursery in New South Wales http://www.molestationnursery.com

7. If you’re looking for IP Computer Software, there’s always http://www.ipanywhere.com

8. The First Cumming Methodist Church Web site is http://www.cummingfirst.com

9. And the designers at Speed of Art await you at their wacky Web site, http://www.speedofart.com

I will make sure to share this list in my next Search Marketing training session at YMCA in Vancouver on domain names. That should be quite entertaining while still make my point across.

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It is with great pleasure and excitement that I announce a new Search Engine Marketing (SEM) project with Brewster.ca, a large travel corporation based in Banff, Alberta. Brewster has launched 2 web projects, VacationsCanada.travel as well as VacationsCanada.tv to sell their Western Canada Vacation Packages worldwide. As part of my role, I will be working closely with Robert Hughes, Manager, E-Strategies.

If you are looking for the best western Canada train & bus vacations and packages, look no further and visit VacationsCanada.travel today. If you want more information about these web projects, please contact Robert Hughes at .

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2 weeks ago, I stumble upon the most amazing dish rack I have ever seen, made by a company called Simple Human. I did not expect to see this in a Costco for some reason, which basically added to my surprise. Sonia was exasperated to see how crazy I was becoming over this dish rack, but not so much my friend James, Chief Punk of AdHack, a DIY (Do It Yourslef) Avertising Community who immediately suggested that I should do an AdHack about it. Just in case you were wondering, an AdHack, like the name suggests, is basically an ad that I would do myself and that could potentially be commissioned to the company who popularized the product or service. Like most of you would think, what could be so special about a dish rack. More than you think. Stay put, you’ll see, it gets even better when I unfold the story.

So last week, considering I did not know exactly where to start creating an AdHack for my brand new dish rack, which only cost $45 by the way, I sat down with James to go over the creative brief. The creative brief contains the thought process by which you must go through in order to come with the killer idea that will make the ad to stand out. Here are some of my notes:

Goals:
The ad must raise awareness towards the existence of a better dish rack out there that destroys the one you currently have. The initial hypothesis is that you endure your old dish rack because you have never thought that there could be a better option. Dish racks are usually not something we shop for or think about. (I found it by accident and I have never shop around for a dish rack before)

Audience:
People who already have a dish rack: most likely old (the dish rack!), ugly with faded colors and too small. The audience is urban and they live close to where they work.

Context:
We thought that the best context to come across this ad would be in a urban-type setting, like in public transit for instance. The setting must be somewhat relaxed in order for the audience to open up the idea that they should replace their old dish rack.

Promises:
Ad promise (story): The ad is a personal testimonial based on my discovery of a new product & the delight in finding that product. More than just a dish rack, the experience of doing dishes is becoming augmented because you now think about where you are going to put the dishes. As in any intellectual games, doing dishes is becoming like a puzzle game, which transforms the experience completely.

Potential tag lines:
Now, I look forward to do the dishes
Makes a Mundane Task Extraordinary

Product promise: It is more than just a dish rack, it looks good. It is also very functional, versatile, flexible and customizable. You can also consider it like a game where you need to construct a puzzle with all the dishes you have. There are multiple options on where to put the dishes, which makes the experience fascinating.

Proof:
I am the proof. The ad is a personal testimony which gets its authenticity by the person who does it (me).

Tone:
Fun, Playful, Brisk

Requirements:
Not applicable

Directions:
Not applicable (yet) - experimentation

Executions:
Not applicable (yet) - experimentation

So after a few minutes of playing around with these ideas and picnik, a free photo editing online provider, I actually came up with something quite different than what I envisioned initially. This is the first test:

I do think that the polaroid treatment puts the product in the right category and convey the idea that it is so much more than a dish rack. Who would photograph a dish rack, unless it is really good quality? This still needs some work done, which is why I post it. If you have comments or would like to help me make it better, please let me know.

If you want to know more about the company, please go to simplehuman.com

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Today, SEMPO, the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization released the results of its 4th annual State of the Search Marketing Market Survey and the results indicate the that the search marketing industry has exceeded the projected search investment trends. Results for the Canadian Search Marketing portion of the survey will come shortly.

Search Marketing exceeded projections in 2007 and that the overall consensus from marketers it that the industry will continue to positive growth.

Here are key findings from SEMPO’s State of the Market Survey:

- The North American SEM industry grew from $9.4 billion in 2006 to $12.2 billion in 2007, exceeding earlier projections of $11.5 billion for 2007

- North American SEM spending (investment) is now projected to grow to $25.2 billion in 2011, up significantly from the $18.6 billion forecast a year ago.

- Marketers are finding more search dollars by poaching budget from print magazine spending, web site development, direct mail and other marketing programs.

- Paid placement captures 87.4% of 2007 spending; organic SEO, 10.5%; paid inclusion, .07%, and technology investment, 1.4%.

- Google AdWords remains the most popular search advertising program, but both Google and Yahoo sponsored search spending has decreased from a year ago.

Google, Yahoo Most Popular Search Media Companies:

SEM Is Getting Budget From Both Online and Off-line Marketing Programs:

North American SEM Expenditures to Reach $25.2B in 2011:

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I am not sure what to think about this, if this is true or not, and I would really like to have your comments. I just got an email from Quebec about a new search engine (sic), ecogle.fr, a supposedly greener approach to our beloved Google. They claim that white pixels take way more energy than black pixels and as such we should turn to their solution instead. We would still get Google search results but with a different (black) user interface essentially. As such, this is what it would look like:

Please try it and let me know what you think. I am not convinced that I would like to search in the dark. I think the claim of saving energy would better suit traditional media people because of the insane amount of junk mail we receive and as such, we should leave Google alone for the time being, but that is just me.

Here is the original email, en Français:

Comme vous le savez, l’état de notre planète est de pire en pire. Effet de serre, pollution des océans, etc. Nous nous devons de faire des économies d’énergie, et ce pour la protection de nos enfants, de toutes les espèces animales, végétales, pour la protection de la Terre en général.

Un blogueur canadien a démontré il y a quelques temps que si le site Google était noir, on pourrait économiser 750 mégawatts-heures par an, soit toute l’énergie produite par 1000 petites éoliennes ou par 26 turbines du barrage des Trois Gorges en Chine (barrage dont la construction, faut-il le rappeler, a engendré le déménagement de plus d’un million de Chinois, qu’ils le veuillent ou non). Cette économie est dûe au fait que les pixels blancs nécessitent plus d’énergie que les pixels noirs pour s’afficher sur vos écrans.

Suite à cette démonstration, un nouveau moteur de recherches noir est né, Écogle (ecogle.fr), moteur de recherches qui utilise toutes les données de Google.

J’incite donc tous ceux qui reçoivent ce mail à mettre Ecogle.fr en page d’accueil, ou au moins à changer cette habitude d’aller sur Google, et d’utiliser Ecogle. Un geste qui ne coute rien, et qui à grande échelle, aura une influence sur la santé de notre environnement.

Merci de votre attention, et merci de faire en sorte que notre planète resplendisse à nouveau.

Bertrand Caussin
Président
Greenpeace France

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In the last 2 hour session of a 10 hours intensive coaching program on PPC (Pay Per Click) Management to the students at Masters of Digital Media last month, we fooled around with Megan’s camera and experimented a little with the lights of the projector on a typical Google Adwords MCC (My Client Center) in the background. In this picture, we can recognize (in typical order) Sonu Sharma, Megan Cole, Nadia Aly and myself, which constitutes the PPC & SEO Workforce. We had a lot of fun taking these shots and this is what we ended up with:

Sonu Sharma, Megan Cole, Nadia Aly and myself: MDM PPC & SEO Workforce Team

Alex explaining PPC (Pay Per Click) Management 101

Here is the full set of pictures from that same PPC Coaching session.

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As a lot you know, dear fellow readers of the eMarketing 101 blog, for the last year or so I have been actively involved in the promotion of search marketing in Canada through the creation of SEMPO Canada: Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization in Canada. As I prepare the material for our attendance to the Massive Tech Show in Vancouver (BC) on April 01, 2008, which I invite you all to come, I was thinking it would be appropriate to share what SEMPO is and what we are doing to promote search in many countries, including our own. As such, I came across yesterday a good introduction and explanation of SEMPO made by Massimo Burgio, Chair of SEMPO Global, which SEMPO Canada is part of. He explains the advantages of becoming a member and how the organization evolved form the last 5 years. Quite interesting. Here it is:

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