aimClear® Search Marketing Blog

Cash and ROI from ecommerce is easy to calculate. Measuring income from AdSense and other affiliate revenue is simple for publishers to weigh, in order to validate investments in content, SEO or arbitrage. Leads are easy to count, as are associated PPC expenses.

However, evaluating a website’s ongoing profitability is often not quite so cut and dried. In these times of budgetary duress, short-sighted thinking too often fosters short-sheeting the corporate web presence. Here are 6 less obvious cash-in-the-bank criteria, by which to measure a site’s hidden success. Start with the statement, “a website could be considered profitable if it:” Read the rest of this entry »

We’re pleased to announce aimClearBlog’s expanded coverage of Search Engine Strategies San Jose 2008. Our stable of bloggers, packing off to the lovely California sun, includes terrific writers like Todd Mintz (Portland), Jennifer Osborne (Toronto) and Charlene Jaszewski (New York).

Kicking off August 18th and running through the 21st, SES is one of the true granddaddies of mainstream search marketing conferences.  With over 70 cutting edge sessions, thousands of attendees, keynotes and even a mass excursion to the GooglePlex for the famed “Google Dance,” this year’s show looks fabulous. Read the rest of this entry »

SEM industry writers, conference organizers and attendees are passionately defending, disparaging and debating ethics surrounding so-called “gray/black hat tactics” presented @ SMX Advanced Seattle. I was surprised to find such virulent threads in BruceClay Blog and Sphinn. The contrast of post-show buzz caught me off guard and now over initial reactions, I have a few reflections. Read the rest of this entry »

Securing SEO, PPC, social media and analytics advice can be risky, like buying diamonds from a jeweler you don’t know. The premise of the purchase is sometimes a customer’s (enthusiastic) lack of understanding of criteria by which to judge the actual value of products offered, a dynamic dangerous for both parties.

I personally gravitate towards buying bling from a trusted friend who’s family has owned a classic jewelry store for 3 generations. My personal friendship with the proprietor helps me feel safe about purchases. Most SEM shoppers don’t have the same luxury. Read the rest of this entry »

This morning, in a post over @ SearchEngineWatch Blog, you’ll find my set-up coining the phrase “IT fiedom.” Here’s the frightening back-story.

1: The It Manager handles hundreds of thousands of PPC dollars, is in charge of SEO (organic optimization) and has a three person staff who don’t have job titles, can’t explain what they do, and double as Microsoft Word Install-artists on 347 company computers that break. They do whatever they do between stints on the help desk and make paper brochures in Microsoft Publisher and PhotoShop. Read the rest of this entry »