Archive for April, 2010

Apr 29 2010

New SearchIgnite 4.0 Driving Increased SEM Performance for First Rate Clients

SearchIgnite has updated their search management platform to 4.0. This latest release includes a number of major enhancements such as ROI forecasting, Predictive Paid Search Optimisation and Advanced Cross-Channel reporting. All First Rate SearchIgnite clients now have exclusive access within New Zealand and Australia to SearchIgnite 4.0.

Search Marketing ROI Forecasting

Current performance metrics can be compared to predicted performance across multiple metrics.

SEM ROI Forecasting

Predictive Paid Search Optimisation

Set your ROI targets such as leads, transactions or revenue and the SearchIgnite SEM search technology algorithm will optimise your account to get you the best possible results for your budget.

Obviously the PPC account needs to be configured best practice using optimised Ad Group clusters based on relevant keyword themes – as well as smart ad copywriting! This ensures that the SearchIgnite search management technology can be fully leveraged for maximum impact.

Predictive Paid Search Optimisation

Landing Page Optimisation

SearchIgnite will test multiple landing pages and automatically optimise your ads against conversions, to ensure ads lead searchers to the best performing landing pages.

PPC Landing Page Optimisation

Contact us to find out how First Rate and SearchIgnite can help your business.

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Apr 23 2010

New Dove Men + Care Deodorant (+ Rand Fishkin..?!)

Published by NZ Editor under Only NZ, Other

Rand Fishkin Billboard
Follow @randfish on Twitter, here.

You’d be excused for asking “Seriously, what is going on with the billboard advertising in downtown Auckland, New Zealand?”

Rand Fishkin (CEO and Co-Founder of SEOmoz) is “pretty big” in the world of SEO. What we don’t understand is why he’s partnering with Dove and infiltrating downtown Auckland on a massive scale..?

When we spotted Rand on the billboard, we had to take photos to document this monumental occasion; thanks netconcepts for coming along on the ride with your billboard generator!

Dove + Rand

Here’s the billboard in question (Google Maps):

billboard - new Dove men+care deodorant

And here is a recent photo of Rand, taken straight from the SEOmoz press page, see what we mean..?!

Is Rand Fishkin the new face of Dove Men?

Obviously Dove were after a bit more of a rugged look, hence the more well-developed beard in the billboard.

It’s a bit of a shame though that Rand’s personal liking of yellow Pumas wasn’t featured at all!

Dove has obviously missed out on a real opportunity here to really speak to the fashion conscious Aucklanders out there. Yes, we care about fashion too.

New Zealand is not just about sheep, you know.

Rand Fishkin's yellow Pumas are his personal fashion trademark

As well as the yellow Pumas, considering Rand’s extensive SEO expertise and industry profile, we’re a bit puzzled why Dove wouldn’t want to take advantage of this to target the SEO community.

No, there isn’t an above-average need for deodorant – this is simply a great niche targeting opportunity, too good to miss! (Just like a good opportunity phrase discovered from keyword research).

Here’s our take of what the billboards could look like if Dove had targeted the billboards at New Zealand’s SEO community:

Alternative #1 – Link Building Focus

Mate, why beat around the bush? Just come out and say it. Let’s get real.

I'm Rand Fishkin. When I'm link building I use Dove.

Alternative #2 – SEO Basics

Even Kiwis know that search engine optimisation requires military-style discipline and a commitment to getting the basics right to be successful.

We would think this sort of element of care is inherent in Dove’s new deodorant range so there is great messaging synergy here, aye?

Get the basics right and the results will follow

Alternative #3 – Linkscape

A direct reference to one of SEOMoz most useful SEO tools does make sense. Let’s just all be really honest about it: A clean, fresh index is what it’s all about.

Linkscape: For the fresher, cleaner link profile

Alternative #4 – SEO Performance

Anyone who has spent days writing SEO specification documents, or has built links late into the night, would agree that quite undeniably personal hygiene becomes an important factor if you want to last the distance.

Top notch SEO performance requires serious personal hygiene

Alternative #5 – SEOmoz

I’m not sure if downtown Auckland would fully understand the concepts presented, but the overall approach would resonate well, we think.

Most Aucklanders are indeed concerned about white marks.

And generally speaking the only time we’d be wearing black hats is when the cricket is on. In that event every bloke and their cuzy is wearing one.

Anyway, here’s alternative #5:

SEOMoz: For when you don't want white marks or black hats

Your Turn!

What would your billboard say?

Let us know and we’ll publish the best here (or link to your site, whatever you prefer).

Send your billboard to billboard@firstrate.co.nz or leave a comment, or use the billboard generator.


Source: @KevinMSpence


Source: @perfectmarket


Source: @rosenstand


Source: @SEOconnoisseur


Source: @WillEgan


Source: @StephenTallamy


Source: @LondonSEO – “Not the first time you’ve been on a billboard in New Zealand, Rand (image by @everywhereist)”


Source: @SBTTraining


Source: @msftkitchen


Source: @jagadeeshmp


Source: @Super_Carly

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Apr 14 2010

SEO Trends & PPC Insights: Banking on Search Performance

Published by Forsyth under Industry Reports, Only NZ

In terms of online spending on advertising, our banks are right up there amongst the biggest spenders in NZ.

In 2009, according to the IAB New Zealand Online Advertising Landscape Overview, BNZ were the 10th biggest online advertiser in the country with a ratecard spend of $809,000. Westpac were next at $634,000 and Kiwibank 14th with $599,000. No other banks featured in the Top 20. (Source: Nielsen Media Research Advertising Information Services 2010 / IAB NZ).

Banking on Search Performance: SEO Trends & PPC Insights

We expect that much of this budget was spent on what we would term non-performance advertising: No measurable outcomes were necessarily attached to the campaign objectives. Other agencies would probably call this sort of activity “branding”. At First Rate we believe in branding too, but with an attached performance marketing benefit: Both SEO and PPC can most certainly be utilised with branding intent!

With the literally hundreds of thousands of online searches each month in New Zealand for banking services, how is the massive online spend taking advantage of this opportunity?

BNZ’s search performance is, like its spend, market leading – but National Bank provides clear proof that you don’t need huge budgets to be competitive.

And Kiwibank demonstrates that competitive advertising budgets don’t necessarily mean competitive performance.

Read the full report here: SEO trends and PPC insights for the New Zealand banking industry.

Search performance in Banking

In terms of online spending on advertising, our banks are right up there amongst the biggest spenders in NZ. In 2009, according to the IAB [link?] BNZ were the 10th biggest online advertiser in the country with a ratecard spend of $809,000. Westpac were next at $634,000, Kiwibank 14th with $599,000 and no others featured in the Top 20. (Source: Nielsen Media Reasearch Advertising Information Services 2010)

We expectt hat much of this was what we would term non-performance advertising: it didn’t necessarily have a measurable outcome attached to it. What agencies call “branding”…With the literally hundereds of thousands of online searches each month in New Zealand for products and services the banks provide, how has this online spend translated into an ability to take advantage of this? BNZ’s searhch performance is, like its spend, market leading but National Bank provides clear proof that you don’t need huge budgets to be competitive whilst Kiwibank demonstrates that competitive advertising budgets don’t necessarily mean competitive performance. Read the full report here…

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Apr 09 2010

Get to know SEM Technology

In an open letter to marketing directors, Tom Skotidas, head of marketing for First Rate, explains why they should learn about the technology agencies use to manage search engine marketing.

AdNews article: Search bid managment technology

Dear marketing director, I hope this letter finds you and your search engine marketing program well. I am writing because I am concerned that you might be missing out on a key part of your SEM performance.

I want to discuss SEM technology – or as it’s commonly referred to, “SEM Bid Management Software”. This software uses bidding algorithms and rules to automate and help manage a company’s SEM program.

For years now, SEM technologies have proven to be outstanding add-ons to agencies’ consulting work. Leading platforms in this space include Kenshoo, Marin, Efficient Frontier and SearchIgnite – my agency’s own.

But instead of being treated as an add-on tool – a servant to the surgeon – SEM technology often ends up becoming the main feature of the agency. Unfortunately, SEM technology often replaces the very people you think are working on your account.

And this begs several questions: Does your current agency use SEM technology? Have you even been shown what the technology looks like? If so, what is the contribution of your agency’s consulting team, beyond mere software management? Have you been invited to contribute – at the strategic level at least – to the bidding and optimisation process?

I’ve spoken to hundreds of ecommerce and marketing managers over the past three years. I’ve discovered many are aware of the concept of SEM technology, but are not familiar with their agency’s actual technology offering and its impact on their SEM program.

Why is that?

Click here to download the rest of the article, as published in the April 2010 edition of AdNews: Get to know SEM technology.

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