Well it happened again. Another announcement from Google has spread across blogs, twitter feeds, and news sites. This time it was Google’s release of its Knowledge Graph search enhancement that began rolling out on May 16, 2012.

Google has been adding more information than just links on its search engine results page (SERP) for some time now. Search for “Major League Baseball” and the first result is a group of scores from recent and upcoming games. Search for a movie and you’ll get show times at local theaters. Knowledge Graph continues that trend by adding more information to the right side of the SERP.

What is Knowledge Graph?

Knowledge Graph delivers more in-depth information to search queries. Google has compiled data from many sources, including Wikipedia, CIA Factbook, and Freebase, with the goal of connecting the dots and delivering useful information from a simple keyword search.

For example, a search for Taj Mahal typically includes links to sites about the monument in India, the musician, the casino, and perhaps a local restaurant or two. You could be looking for any of those. Knowledge Graph provides you with more relevant information about ‘things’ and their relationships to each other, and less about just keywords on otherwise random websites.

The right side of the SERP becomes a mini-resource complete with basic facts, related searches, and other popular topics and people related to your search. The screenshot from the official Google blog shows what the SERP will look like for a search for Taj Mahal.

How Does Knowledge Graph Affect Your Web Strategy?

The immediate answer is that we just don’t know yet. It often takes a bit of time for the consequences – both intended and unintended – to really start to affect search rankings and traffic. Although in this case you’ll be able to tell pretty quickly whether searches relevant to your site include the Knowledge Graph. What won’t be as clear is how that will affect clicks and traffic.

There is a chance that Knowledge Graph could work too well, at least in the minds of webmasters who work for sites other than Google. Is it possible that users will get all the information they need without ever leaving Google’s SERP? Possible, but probably not likely.

It’s also not yet known how many searches this will affect. So far the Knowledge Graph information appears only for searches that Google feels are relevant. And if your site doesn’t deal in facts, think of sites similar to Wikipedia, then you might not be affected at all by this change – for now.

Quality Content Matters

One thing is certain though – Google, and the other search engines, are trying to move away from search results based only on keywords. The recent Panda and Penguin updates from Google were part of this transition. Those updates attempted to penalize weak content and minimize spam in SERPs.

Google is trying to adapt its search algorithm to the way a human would search for information. Instead of just counting links and keywords and picking the site that has the most, it wants to return information that is useful and answers questions. Ultimately Google wants to deliver valuable results to ensure that the user comes back for future searches.

With that in mind, creating quality content that appeals to humans is key. Yes, you have to use keywords that can be picked up by search engines and crawlers, but that’s no longer enough. In fact, if the content just has keywords but offers little or no value to a person, soon it won’t rank at all.

Think about how to structure your site and your content to help answer questions from your customers or readers. If you focus on a good and meaningful user experience, the search engines will reward you – and you won’t have to react to every algorithm change along the way.

Bridgeline Digital Can Help

Still not sure how the recent changes in the search environment have affected your site? Bridgeline’s Digital Strategy Group (DSG) can help.

Think back a ways, to when people started learning how to use Google Images for search (think recipes, hobbie pics, house remodel pics, etc.).  The addition was absolutely amazing.  Now, sometime later, the problem with Google Image Search is the quantity of spam and viruses that have been allowed to dominate the service.  Google has been so concentrated on their normal search algorithm that they’ve all but ignored Image Search, and spammers know this.  There are now so many random pictures you can click on when doing a seemingly simple and harmless search (let’s say “chicken soup” for example), that when you do click on an image you’re instantly taken to a spam site that doesn’t let you exit until after clicking on all the wrong buttons, many requiring you to answer frustratingly confusing questions… “If you want to leave, and want a virus, click yes.” – wha?

Anyways, this brings me back to my original point: Pinterest.  When Pinterest started, I was instantly hooked.  It had exactly what I expected from Google Image Search, but without all of the spam, viruses, frustration and downright snake oil shilling.  I think it’s fair to say that this was a major reason we all fell in love with it – a website capable of doing search by image alone, I’m in heaven!

But after the past few weeks, things have changed. The site is FILLED with spammer attempts.  Yes, the network admins have provided the dreaded “report” button, but I’m not sure how effective it is – after 100+ people have already pinned and re-pinned an image (half of which likely never even clicked through… they just liked the image).

But that’s not all.

I know there are plenty of web savvy people out there, but I also know that my parents (and a lot of my friends) are not among them.  If they were to click on an image and it took them to a site that looked just like Pinterest, but had a subtle URL change to (for instance) p.interest.com… they’d never notice.  And, like any blind fool to online predators, they’d probably give away way to much information to a site that they think is merely their comfortable, crafty and image-search friendly network, rather than a grifter’s haven.

Looks like Pinterest needs to figure this wormhole out or another company will quickly be there to take over.

“Hint-hint,” Google…

In order to get ahead – and stay there – in today’s marketing world, it’s becoming more and more necessary that you and your team of salespeople, project managers, designers and developers know the jargon, and that they can teach it to your customers. Nothing drives a customer whose main concern is to run his or her business crazy faster than the challenge of trying to decipher what the web is supposed to be doing for them. It’s hard enough to work with the medium in the first place – especially if it’s a new process added to the brick-and-mortar store.

But – don’t worry – Bridgeline is here to help. Before you tie up your tongue trying to explain the meanings of so many, take a look at our list below. We’ve assembled a glossary of acronyms and their definitions that should help most anyone quickly explain what, exactly, they mean when they’re describing the CPA inside their CMS, how it relates to B2B versus B2C and which KPIs help prove their SEO and show a significant MoM, and YoY, increase in their BL.

Let Bridgeline DSG help you dig through the complex acronyms and endless jargon and improve your UX so you can get back to learning other important acronyms – like on FB.

DSG:

The Digital Strategy Group at Bridgeline Digital is a powerhouse team of marketing gurus with strong experience in journalism, advertising, DS and UX. From content strategies to intelligent marketing, the DSG teaches you to make sure your website works as well for the SEs as it does for your users – leading to increased CR and ROI.

DSG is the only acronym that you need. Follow the Jump to peruse a pretty impressive glossary of some of the acronyms you’re probably using every day. Now you can let everyone know what they actually mean….

A Glossary: Digital Strategy Acronyms & Abbreviations

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Special Characters

In this third installment of our series on “The 3T’s of Modern Marketing,” this post is focused on the technology your team (by now an undoubtedly well-oiled machine using near-perfectly appropriate tools) needs to be using to help insure consistent success of your digital strategies.

Does your business plan warrant an enterprise solution, custom- built and proprietary to it?

Is the ever-popular Open Source market/movement a good place for your needs?

Does your company’s main focus and process rest on a single function that would benefit from a self-hosted, self-supported and perpetually licensed solution – which would justify all the extra overhead? Or can you operate a spry, quick-moving business using a SaaS (sometimes called “Cloud”) hosting model and save on that extra hardware, IT and development cost?

Whichever sounds more appealing to you, there’s little doubt that you’re going to need to explain to someone – or a board of someones – exactly why you need it done just that way.  Bridgeline Digital recently published a whitepaper to help you make that assessment, and to come up with a truly informed answer. We’re also holding a webinar on Tuesday, March 27th, from 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST, to give you even more solid background information.

Our webinar will feature a Digital Marketing Expert panel that includes Joe Pulizzi (Content Marketing Evangelist and Founder of the Content Marketing Institute), Tony White (Founder & CEO of ARA Logica) and Brett Zucker (CTO of Bridgeline Digital).

To get in on this action, download the whitepaper, and then sign up for the webinar.

Read on for a sneak peek of what’s coming up…

Technology should breed efficiency

The final ingredient for successful digital marketing is the right technology. In order to tackle the new landscape effectively, consider which technologies will serve you best. Will you benefit more from installed tools, or a cloud-based, Software as a Service (SaaS) environment? While open source options seem appealing – they don’t always provide a model that fits. Many tools can come from many providers, but what about integration?

Installed versus SaaS

Purchasing the code and architecture and hosting it all on your own hardware – with perpetual licensing – may or may not be the right scenario for you. Meanwhile, SaaS options are exploding in popularity across the digital landscape, with concrete benefits, efficiency and cost options. A few basic considerations:

• Upgrading, patching, new features are easy with SaaS. SaaS environments, which by default are hosted in the cloud, mean upgrades are performed for you, every time. No need to ramp up, test, invest in new hardware, etc.

Enterprise versus Open Source

Is your business plan hearty enough to use an enterprise solution, or is Open Source more your personality? Some basic considerations:

• Initial and ongoing costs are affected by a few factors. While enterprise solutions require a stated investment, Open Source solutions are often billed as being free. Remember, though, that much of Open Source code requires customization to get your project off the ground, and constant in-house IT support to keep it running well, often bringing the cost inline with implementing an enterprise solution.

_____________________________________________________

To get more guidance on building the right team, download our latest whitepaper. And be sure to sign up for our Exclusive Webinar, taking place on Tuesday, March 27th, at 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST.

In a second installment of our Modern Marketing series, after our last post from a few days ago, today’s is focused on the tools your (now solid and sensible) team should have in their arsenal for digital success. It’s not enough to have the coolest CMS platform – although that helps a lot – or to run the most complex and multi-faceted analytics solution. In fact, it’s more about the integration of all of your tools, and how they work together to make your digital strategies work, than any one solution.

You’ve got to have a pretty clear idea of which tools are most appropriate to your goals and  make sure you’re using them correctly to make that happen. Bridgeline Digital just recently published a new whitepaper and will be holding a webinar to assist you in doing  just that.

Our webinar on Tuesday, March 27th from 1:00 – 2:00PM EST, will feature a Digital Marketing Experts including moderator Scott Liewehr (Web Content Management strategist, analyst and consultant and President of the Board of Directors at CMPros), Joe Pulizzi (Content Marketing Evangelist and Founder of the Content Marketing Institute), Tony White (Founder & CEO of ARS Logica) and Brett Zucker (CTO of Bridgeline Digital).

To get in on this action, download the whitepaper, and then sign up for the webinar.

Read on for a sneak peek of what you’re in for …

Make sure you’re using the best tools

To support a well-rounded digital marketing plan, it’s important to have a strong foundation in content management, analytics, eMarketing and if appropriate, eCommerce. This product foundation will give your team the power to create, manipulate, test, execute and optimize digital marketing initiatives, making sure you maintain constant relevance and drive success.

Content Management

The cornerstone of any marketing program is communication with accurate, compelling storytelling. A few basic concepts that make content management effective include:

• Content is still King, and drives digital marketing the same way fuel drives a car. It needs to be relevant. Great content builds credibility, and credibility creates loyalty;

eCommerce

eCommerce is fast replacing the prevalence of traditional commerce, and as more tablets and mobile solutions continue to pop up, the trend is towards putting even more products and services online. Effective tools need to encompass these developments:

• There are more buyers than ever online. More than 120 million households in the US shopped online in 2011, a number expected to grow exponentially. By 2013, global eCommerce will reach $963 billion in total transactions.

• Feedback from customers is more prevalent than ever before. 59% of 2011 online purchase decisions were made based on customer reviews.

_____________________________________________________

To get more guidance on the right tools, download our latest whitepaper. And be sure to sign up for our Exclusive Webinar taking place on Tuesday, March 27th, at 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST.

This constantly expanding interactive landscape now covers the entire planet, and the world’s become much smaller because of it. Another outcome of the digital expansion: access. A path for you to get into the fracas has become a hot commodity. In 2010 alone, $8.5 billion (28%) of all money generated by marketing agencies was spent on digital services, according to AdAge. Other predictions show that marketers in the U.S. will increase that spending in 2012 by 3.7%.

80.8% of smartphone and tablet owners now research products regularly online. A whopping 41.4% of those make purchases from their devices regularly according to eMarketer – and sometimes they do both while in the store. It’s no surprise, then, that successful digital campaigns take full advantage of all of these trends.

At Bridgeline, we’ve learned that despite the increasing complexity, there’s a very basic recipe for digital success that blends three major ingredients: the right team, the best tools and most effective technologies, all in appropriate proportions.

To get a handle on the new marketing landscape, and to wrap your mind around exactly what’s going on, it might helpful to give your perspective an upgrade. Bridgeline Digital has published a new whitepaper to help you do just that, and we’re holding a webinar on March 27th, from 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST, to help foster that change, too.

Our webinar will feature a panel of Digital Marketing Experts including moderator Scott Liewehr (Web Content Management strategist, analyst and consultant and President of the Board of Directors at CMPros), Joe Pulizzi (Content Marketing Evangelist and Founder of the Content Marketing Institute), Tony White (Founder & CEO of ARS Logica) and Brett Zucker (CTO of Bridgeline Digital).

To get in on this action, download the whitepaper, and then sign up for the webinar.

Read on for a sneak peek of what’s to come…

Building the best team

Marketing team structures have evolved and don’t necessarily look like teams of the past. When assembling your team, it’s important to consider some primary areas:

• Pay strict attention to individual experience, especially in leadership roles.
• Recruit experts to focus on specific roles.
• Consider pros and cons of in-house vs outsourced team members.

Leadership is Critical

You’ll need strong, dedicated leadership to preside over marketing and branding. This cadre of “digital czars” mingles focused initiatives with appropriate team members fulfilling these updated roles:

• Oversight – Responsible for facilitating tasks, deadlines and resources;
• Brand Protection – Responsible for preservation of branding;
• Emerging Trends – Responsible for trends in media, etc. that affect success.

Be sure team members aren’t so specialized that they develop cross-focused intentions. Nothing kills synergy like conflict – ensure that everyone works toward common goals.

_____________________________________________________

To get more guidance on building the right team, download our latest whitepaper. And be sure to sign up for our Exclusive Webinar taking place on Tuesday, March 27th, at 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST.

With the cacophony – or symphony, depending on your viewpoint and comfort level – of brand messages being transmitted to today’s average consumer, it’s hard to believe that Facebook has made disseminating many of these messages for businesses easier.

Arguably, though – with opinions varying wildly according to whom you ask – that seems to be exactly what the social networking giant has done with its new Facebook business page design, by introducing the soon-to-be-forced “Facebook Timeline.”

And yet, the new timeline template now “available” (read: compulsory) for businesses to display Facebook Pages has many users questioning the change.

Modifications by Facebook to personal profiles are confusing enough, and notoriously cause discomfort at first, but users eventually adapt and settle into their new digital abodes. In time, users even begin to advocate these all-too-regular (judging by the short furor they always seem to cause) profile page updates. Take all of the new photo display features introduced in early 2011, which allow users to view more photos, faster, without losing their Facebook place, for example. Hard to find anyone really complaining about that update – at least, not anymore.

However, with the new Facebook Timeline profile, that comfortable pattern doesn’t seem to be quite as comfortable this time. A boatload of Facebook users – the vast majority of which are consumers – fear their right to privacy is being infringed upon with this new change. And with businesses in the mix, those consumers are beginning to wonder just who they can really trust.

So, what does Timeline mean for businesses?

How can businesses restore the faith? What can be done to re-insert calm into the minds of consumers with this new feature? According to Facebook, increasing interactivity, transparency and engagement will quickly become the new business norm for success in social media – and Timeline is the platform on which these new tenets seem to be best displayed, and they leave plenty of room for optimization.

Facebook’s Timeline, featuring a new, huge cover photo, a larger, more prominent profile photo, customizable views and apps, an administration panel and a fairly robust messaging feature gives those businesses who have just adapted to the onslaught of social multimedia madness with much more to digest. Even businesses with significant tenure on Facebook potentially face some fairly major branding decisions when they launch their Facebook page in the new format. To see just how much, read more from Hubspot about the specifics of all the additional features that come with the change.

The idea of the new page design seems to be just this: the more emphasis is placed on visual content, the more engaged everyone will be. We know this to be true with the visually oriented – and massively trending – Pinterest. Larger and more prominent photos, charts, info graphics and more are proven to generate more traffic than other types of posts.

Content management is also increasingly important in the new timeline. Businesses need to be increasingly aware of exactly what they’re saying, when they’re saying it and to whom everything’s being said. With Timeline, Facebook, as a market leader and proven trendsetter (at the very least), is emphasizing the importance of keeping prime content at the forefront of any business page by allowing increased customization, while ensuring that content management is anchored to a format that makes sense.

Important Takeaways:

With the new Facebook change, there are many things that are noticeably different. Here are the most significant – and difficult – changes for companies to grasp.

• Companies can add “milestones” to their page, allowing specific points in a brand’s history to be highlighted, and detailed further.
• The cover photo is the new landing experience. Red Flag: Calls-to-action and promotions are prohibited in this new space.
• The profile photograph or “avatar” on the sidebar is gone.
• All visitors will land on the Timeline by default. This means welcome landing tabs are gone.
• Tabs are more prominent now since they’ve been moved to the top, just below the cover photo.
• Both positive and negative historical activity will be shown.
• The administration panel allows page managers to view notifications and page analytics, respond to messages and edit page content from a dashboard right at the top of the page.
• The pin feature allows posts to stay at the top left of the page for a maximum of seven days.
• The highlight feature allows prized content or milestones to stand out from other posts.

Mandatory implementation of the new page design begins March 30th for all business pages. Make sure you’re ready.

Images courtesy of socialfresh.com and mashable.com, respectively.

With a basic understanding of this valuable online tool you can reap the benefits of direct communication with your audience.

What is different about email marketing from other forms of online communication?
The most effective use of email marketing uses opt-in lists or double opt-in lists. Email users consider their inbox “by invite only.” They have the ability to choose who may contact them, how frequently, and penalize those who abuse their privacy. Understanding and respecting the privilege to email your audience will foster an ongoing and successful relationship.

How does the government, yes, government, regulate email marketing?
Under the Federal Trade Commission, the CAN-SPAM Act regulates how businesses (that’s you) communicate with consumers (your audience). As the name states, the CAN-SPAM simply outlines a few regulations so that you can email your audience while protecting the consumer. Although following the guidelines is easy, one misstep can cost your company heavy fines.

Is CAN-SPAM my only SPAM concern?
Nope. Just because you are following CAN-SPAM regulations, you now need to jump the hurdle of SPAM filters in order for your email to reach your audience’s inboxes. Spam filters exist to help us all avoid unsolicited and often dangerous emails. Not sure what I am talking about? Open up your SPAM folder now and take a peak. You’re likely to find emails for cheap prescription drugs (you know the sort), free millions your long lost Aunt from Zimbabwe left you, and emails written in Asian characters.

You may be thinking, “But I’m not offering any of those things.” Hopefully that’s true, but because SPAM filters work on computer logic you have to understand how the filters “think” in order for your emails to avoid being marked as SPAM.

For specific information on the CAN-SPAM Act and how to avoid SPAM filters, download Bridgeline’s free guide on how to avoid becoming spam.

The answer to your quandary might be to build yourself a Microsite. A Microsite is a smaller, more simple website – a subset of your main website – that’s extremely focused for a specific reason. Usually Microsites are heavily optimized for a small set of specific keywords and phrases, are geo-targeted and meant for a particular demographic or to achieve a particular goal.

Think of Microsites as another channel in your digital marketing toolbox, somewhere between email marketing and SEO of your main site. Like email, a Microsite is targeted for a certain subset of your audience, complete with targeting and specific calls-to-action. And, like your main site, it’s a live website with a full complement of keywords and SEO, designed to attract a certain segment of online search for a specific purpose.

When you’re considering a Microsite to handle a subset of your online business, keep in mind these 8 advantages they offer marketers:

• A Microsite can be developed with highly specific optimization, which will drive Search Engine traffic more quickly than a traditionally optimized site.

Since your Microsite will feature content more focused on a particular functionality or subject than your more broadly focused main site, Search Engines will find it much more attractive, and easier to index. Search spiders and bots thrive on focused, targeted content that shows common relevance – the kind that makes delivery of relevant results to searchers that much easier. Target your Microsite, and your results should skyrocket relatively quickly.

• Microsites keep your visitors focused on the item or service at hand

Positioning content to attract and service a specific marketing segment gives Microsites the power to focus on a single core concept, product category or service. Since the Microsite is so focused, there’s usually no navigation or information that’s not directly relevant to its purpose that would serve to distract visitors from converting.

• Your Microsite is the perfect way to appeal to a new and different audience

If you’re widening your prospects by introducing a new or different product category or service than the one on which your main site is focused, you can use a Microsite to target and attract the right demographic segment very effectively – one that may not even visit your main site now.

• Microsites are supercharged lead generators

With highly targeted, clean SEO and focused content, visitors that are likely to find your Microsite are genuinely interested in exactly what it has to offer. Since they’re already searching for it, your Microsite is much more likely to encourage them to convert to a strong lead – or even a paying customer. These kinds of vetted leads usually don’t come cheap any other way – but offer more than most!

• Microsite domain names can be keyword rich

Since your Microsite is so focused, you can easily assign it with keyword rich domain names that directly relate to positioning (such as eCommerce, Fulfillment, Warehousing Solutions or Logistics). Search engines heavily favor URL keywords  in results for specific queries, which will push your Microsite to the top of SERPs.

• Microsites give an aspect of your business some website real estate it deserves

Building a Microsite for a particular aspect of your business such as a new service offering or new targeted demographic  shows that you’re serious about devoting resources to that particular facet. Showing this level of commitment improves conversions and builds customer confidence in a big way.

• Microsites present exceptional design opportunities

Microsite designs can be completely customized to appeal directly to its target audience. By contrast, most websites are designed to appeal to many possible visitors, with much more general interests. This focus gives your design team an opportunity to impress a specific audience segment, or show off a new association or product offering. In this way, Micorsites are perfect for preserving another partner’s branding within yours if your efforts are being combined for a single purpose.

• Microsites help your business promote global vs local

Microsites lend themselves to be used for particular geographic audiences, which makes extremely local targeting possible. Content can easily be hyper-localized to allow for cultural differences like colors and imagery, colloquial language, currency, specific spelling and alternate pricing.

Microsites are a perfect way to add more tightly focused targeting to your overall digital strategy. And, considering the benefits that rigid, focused targeting can offer, Microsites are among the stronger tools you can work with to get significant results quickly.

Download our new whitepaper & then register now for Tuesday’s webinar.

eCommerce has accelerated the creation and exponential growth of the web as the  largest marketplace in history. The rewards of global e-commerce are nearly endless – and by now you must realize that a global view for your online store is absolutely critical.

A company that can successfully expand and embrace a global market – with tactics to address internationalization (i18n) and localization (l10n) – immediately gets access to seven billion potential buyers, from hundreds of cultures. These aspects, however, if they’re to be done right, are anything but small tasks.

To get a jump on the competition, or to check your current process against solid, winning results, download our most recent whitepaper,” Key Factors to Consider When Going Global with Your eCommerce Initiatives,” and then plan to join us for a free, live webinar on the subject.

Bridgeline teams up with UPS and FitForCommerce for this presentation, hosted by Direct Marketing News, to be held Tuesday, December 13, at 1:00 pm ET (10:00 am PT).

We’ll break down technology, cultural, and logistics issues that stand between you and those seven billion potential customers.

Attend the webcast and you will learn how to:

• Make it easy for customers to buy, no matter where they are
• Make sure they can pay you
• Build a framework on your site that can accommodate various cultures and habits
• Use merchandising wisely in international settings
• Adapt logistics to fit individual markets
• Maintain localized consistency at checkout

The webinar presenters include:

Bernadine Wu, Founder & CEO, FitForCommerce

Joey Rosenberg, US International Marketing Supervisor, UPS

Moderater: Juan Martinez, Senior Editor, DMNews.

So download the informative whitepaper, and then join us for this insightful and helpful webinar and panel discussion on Tuesday, December 13^th at 1:00 pm EST (10:00 am PST)

Location: Online

Cost: FREE