Thursday, June 28, 2007

How to Merge 2 LinkedIn Accounts

Having screwed up and accidentally invited people to join 2 LinkedIn accounts. This left me with a need to merge both LinkedIn accounts but It seems that there is no simple way to merge the accounts. Here's one solution to merge LinkedIn accounts.

It's not ideal, but I hope you find it useful.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Tag Clouds - SEO Function, Passing Fad or Web2.0 Design Standard

Fact 1: User generated content (UGC) encourage the exploitation of the long tail of search.
Fact 2: User generated links (UGL) encourage the exploitation of the long tail of search.

Tag Clouds have become the design standard for displaying a weighted list of links based on frequency and user input. The links flow juice down to pages lower pages in the hierarchy, throught contextually relevant anchor text therefor they have SEO benefits to large websites.

Are tag clouds just a passing fad?

Yes! I think Tag Clouds could be perceived as a passing fad, in so much as they have become a Web2.0 design standard. Design standards change! Drop shadow effects (Web1.0) replaced by Reflections/Wet Floor effect (Web2.0)

However, tag clouds or label clouds in general provide a dynamic link structure which doesn't require human maintenance and is powered by participation. Perfect if you're business is heavily effected by seasonal variations or driven by pop-culture.

See this example of a Superbreak's new destination cloud. (Built very quickly by Stu - AKA Bluegroove)

Monday, June 25, 2007

Manchester United - Adding Fanaticism to the Affiliate Marketing Mix

Since I mentioned micro-niche affiliate opportunites in a previous post and since I've also posted about how to ride mass media driven affiliate opportunities.

So this time I thought I'd post another micro niche opportunity that taps into big budget, media driven demand but this time I've adding I've added heavy fanaticism to the mix.

Fanaticism - Fans are fanatical by nature!

The benefits of targetting a marketing campaign which leverages fanaticism are (in retrospect) obvious! I learned this first hand when I took on a chart topping UK pop band as a client. As well as redesigning their website, built their e-commerce, optimised their site for the search engines and managed their email marketing.

The conversion rate for this band was like NOTHING I'd seen before and was driven by the fact that I was targetting a fan list... and fans, by their very nature are FANATICAL.
  • Fan's don't care about price point (although to be fair all their merchandise was competitively priced and good quality.)
  • Fans want the product NOW!
  • Fans don't want to miss out on a limited availability!
  • Fans can be mobilized easily!
Here's what to do to leverage mainstream fanaticism...
  1. Find a mass media driven brand with a fanatical following.
  2. Target their fans.
  3. Find some product that the fans will love.
  4. Sell it to them!
This all seems quite obvious and it is. Ticket touts have been making money like this for a long time.

Man United! Hmmm they've got a reasonably fanatical following...

For the sake of this experiement. I'll use Manchester United as an example of a brand with a massive media driven fan base.

Once again I'm using Superbreak's affiliate program to supply the micro-niche product. Largly due to Superbreak's high EPC (average earnings per click) - a product of high commissions and great conversion.

To make this quick and easy, I've built a squidoo lens dedicated to Manchester United Museum and Tour - The lens is still under construction, so watch this space.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Getting dangerously addicted to MyBlogLog

Having made a few friends on MyBlogSpot.com I thought I'd post my profile here. So please drop by and say hi! Hardly surprising Yahoo snapped this property up. It's the glue that's sticking the largely ego driven blogosphere together. :)

Seth Godin's Viral Monster, Squidoo - keeps on growing and adds new reporting features

Squidoo.com has recently added new reporting features including keywords, traffic sources, and referring domains - very useful in enabling users to see where their long tale reaches.

The ability to tag lenses in a single click is also an inspired move. The downside is that squidoo is fast becoming a spammer's paradise. I only hope Google don't set Domain_Flow_PageRank=Null. ;)

Squidoo enables users (usually affiliates) to go from 0 to 60 in no time at all (depending on when the Googlebot next visits.)

... In the spirit of Web2.0, anyone can use it's simple interface. Affiliate marketing can be done by anyone.

Last seven days keyword tail for my London Hotels Near Millenium Dome Lens....

Keywords Number
hotels near o2 arena +
48
hotels near the o2 arena
33
hotels near millenium dome
18
millenium dome hotels
15
o2 london
14
hotels near o2 arena london +
14
hotels near the o2 +
11
hotel near o2 arena +
10
hotels near o2 london +
9
hotels near o2 +
9
hotels near the millenium dome
7
hotels near o2 dome +
6
hotels by o2 arena +
5
hotel near millenium dome +
5
hotels near the o2 in london +
4
o2 arena london hotels +
4
hotels near london o2 arena +
4
hotels near the o2 london +
3
hotels near the o2 arena london +
3
hotels near o2 in london +
3
o2 arena accommodation +
3
cheap hotels near millenium dome
3
hotels millenium dome
3
o2 arena hotels +
3
hotels in london near o2 arena +
3
hotels o2 +
3
hotels close to o2 arena +
3
accommodation near the o2 arena +
3
hotels near millenium dome london +
3
hotels near the millennium dome +
3
the o2 london +
3
hotels in greenwich near dome +
2
o2 dome hotels +
2
hotels near the o2 dome +
2
hotels near o2 arena in london +
2
o2 hotels +
2
hotels near millennium dome +
2
hotels near to the o2 arena +
2
hotels close to o2 arena london +
2
o2 dome accommodation +
2
london hotels o2 +
2
hotel near the o2 +
2
hotels the o2 london +
2
hotels in london near the dome +
2
hotels near the o2 arena in london +
2
london hotels near the o2 +
2
hotels near the dome +
2
millenium dome accommodation
2
hotels at o2 dome +
1
london hotel near o2 arena +
1
hotels millenium dome uk +
1
hotels near millenium dome special offers +
1
hotels at the millenium dome +
1
accomodation near the o2 +
1
hotels near o2 arena greenwich +
1
hotels near london o2 +
1
the o2 arena (millenium dome) +
1
hotels near o2 greenwich +
1
hotels near to the millenium dome +
1
"o2, london" +
1
the o2 arena accommodation +
1
budget hotels millennium dome +
1
millenium o2 london +
1
london hotel o2 arena +
1
the o2 hotels +
1
millenium dome near: london +
1
hotel near to the o2 +
1
london o2 access +
1
the o2 arena hotels +
1
accomodation o2 arena london +
1
where to stay for o2 arena +
1
hotels london near o2 arena +
1
"o2 millenium" +
1
cheap hotels near o2 arena in london +
1
millenium dome hotels near +
1
hotels
1
access to the london millenium dome +
1
millenium dome hotels +
1
o2 arena hotels near +
1
hotels the o2 +
1
hotels near the o2 millenium dome +
1
london hotels for o2 arena +
1
o2 londen hotels +
1
london hotel near by o2 arena +
1
accommodation near the o2 +
1
list hotels near the dome, london +
1
accomodation near the o2 arena +
1
accommodation near o2 arena london +
1
airports near london's o2 +
1
cheap hotels near o2 arena london +
1
accommodation near o2 arena +
1
hotel near the millenium dome +
1
hotels close to o2 dome london +
1
accomodation o2 arena +
1
hotels near the the o2 +
1
hotel near o2 arena in london +
1
where to stay near o2 dome +
1
hotels near the dome london +
1
the o2, london, +
1
hotel near o2 arena london +
1
hotel o2 millenium +
1
accommodation near to o2 arena +
1
o2 hotels london dome +
1
hotels near o2 arena +
1
o2 london hotels near to +
1
hotel millenium dome +
1
where to stay near o2 +
1
how to find the o2 arena +
1
o2 arena in london hotels +
1
hotels near to o2 +
1
hotels near o2 dome london +
1
hotels near the o2 arena, london +
1
4 star hotels near millenium dome +
1
london o2 arena accommodation +
1
hotel near millennium dome +
1
london hotels near o2 arena +
1
hotel near the o2 arena justin timberlake +
1
accommodation in london, near the o2 arena +
1
hotels near the dome in london +
1
airports near the millenium dome +
1
o2 london +
1
hotels at the o2 +
1
hotels london o2 arena +
1
hotels or b +
1
accommodation close to o2 arena london +
1
hotels around o2 arena +
1
cheap hotels near the millenium dome +
1
cheap accommodation near millenium dome +
1
near hotel o2 arena +
1
london hotels near tutankhamun +
1
greenwich hotels near millenium dome +
1
london hotels at o2 arena +
1
accommodation o2 dome +
1
hotels close to the o2 arena +
1
london hotels near o2 arena london +
1
hotels london, o2 arena +
1
london hotels o2 arena +
1
london hotels close to o2 +
1
hotels by the o2 arena +
1
accomodation near o2 arena +
1
hotels by millenium dome +
1
hotels near 2 dome +
1
o2/millenium dome +
1
where can i stay near o2 arena +
1
o2 millenium dome +
1
hotels near to the o2 +
1
cheap hotels near o2 dome, london +
1
hotels millennium dome london +
1
hotel close millenium dome +
1
accomodation close to millenium dome +
1
address of o2 millennium dome +
1
cheap hotels near the o2 arena in london +
1
the o2 arena and hotels +
1
hotels near the o2 arena hotels +
1
hotels near o2 centre greenwich +
1
cheap hotels close to millenium dome +
1
hotels near o2 arena london +
1
hotels near o2, london +
1
hotels in london near millenium dome +
1
hotel millennium dome +
1
millennium dome london hotels +
1
o2 london en hotels +
1
luxury hotel millenium dome +
1
o2 london hotels +
1
hotel near london dome +
1
hotels near to o2 arena +
1
hotels by o2 london +
1
london hotels - o2 +
1
hotel in the o2 +
1
london hotels near dome +
1
hotels near the london dome +
1
arena o2 hotel +
1
o2 arena place to stay +
1
hotel near o2 london +
1
hotels by the london dome +
1
5 star hotels o2 arena +
1
cheap hotels in london near o2 +
1
hotels the o2 +
1
hotels on the millennium way london +
1
millenium dome where to stay +
1
hotels by the the o2 +
1
the o2 london address take that +
1
o2 arena hotel +
1
hotels close to the o2 london +
1

Also...

Alexa Growth for Squidoo

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Evangelizing Your Affiliate Network - Give Them The Cream

Some time ago, when I was an affiliate marketer selling online hosted (ASP) solutions and information products. I recall a number of instances, where new products were rolled out to the affiliate network, prior to them being made available to Internal mailing lists and indeed existing customers.

This conveyed a clear message to me... That the affiliate merchant was prepared to put the affiliate publisher first!

They removed the dominant competition of the merchant, enabling the small, agile affliliate (like myself, to quickly benefit)

As a result, I become more and more evangelical!

Today, Superbreak will launch a brand new airport hotels section with 2 new micro niche products. Providing their affiliates with the following benefits.

1) Better conversion - addition of airport specific landing pages.
2) New product 1 - airport lounges
3) New Product 2 - airport rail tickets

Here's the best part!

They're NOT providing specific pages for airport lounges!! or airport rail tickets!

So… The smart affiliates who quickly optimise pages for these terms will benefit from the micro-niche products WITHOUT competition from the merchant - Superbreak.com

Looking at the Overture keyword suggestion results for Airport Lounges in particular, this means easy money for the agile affiliate marketers (providing they can rank well for airport lounge variations.)

Searches done in March 2007
Count Search Term
2106 airport lounge
237 airport lounge at newcastle
205 manchester airport lounge
174 heathrow airport lounge
148 usa airport lounge
147 newark airport lounge
141 gatwick airport lounge
100 edinburgh airport lounge
98 airport lounge at glasgow
85 aberdeen airport lounge
80 stansted airport lounge
76 airport cardiff lounge
72 bristol airport lounge
72 airport lounge luton
70 airport lounge access
69 airport liverpool lounge
65 airport bradford leeds lounge
62 executive lounge at manchester airport
60 airport executive lounge
53 birmingham airport lounge
39 airport humberside lounge
38 vip lounge manchester airport
33 east midlands airport lounge
32 airport lounge pass
29 airport executive lounge pass priority
22 airport lounge norwich
21 access airport edinburgh lounge
21 airport area gatwick lounge
21 dubai airport lounge
21 airport lounge leeds
20 airport harbour island kermits lounge
18 escape lounge manchester airport
18 airport executive gatwick lounge
18 airport glasgow lounge sky
17 aberdeen airport executive lounge
17 uk airport lounge
17 airport vip lounge
16 airport lounge offer
15 airport knoxville lounge
14 airport boca lounge raton
14 lounge sanford airport
12 airport akron lounge
12 airport albuquerque lounge
12 airport beach daytona lounge
12 airport belfast lounge
12 book airport lounge
12 cheap airport lounge
12 airport el lounge paso
11 airport lounge terminal 3 heathrow
11 airport lounge heathrow terminal 4
11 airport executive lounge newcastle
11 airport lounge worldwide
10 airport and business and lounge
10 credit card airport lounge
10 airport lounge card
10 airport doha lounge
10 glasgow airport executive lounge
10 airport fresno lounge
10 airport harrisburg lounge
10 airport lounge priority pass
9 airport executive lounge access
9 executive lounge birmingham airport
9 airport city lounge oklahoma
9 airport free lounge
9 airport lounge membership
8 1 airport lounge manchester terminal
8 free airport lounge access
8 airport lounge manchester airport
8 airport aviance lounge
8 bcp airport lounge
8 airport cairo lounge
8 heathrow airport executive lounge
8 vip lounge at gatwick airport
8 airport lounge nassau
8 sydney airport lounge
7 2 airport lounge manchester terminal
7 airport arrival lounge
7 athens airport lounge
7 diner club airport lounge
7 discount airport lounge
7 airport dominican lounge republic
7 dublin airport lounge
7 all executive airport lounge at stansted
7 airport free heathrow lounge
7 airport gatwick lounge viewing
7 heathrow airport vip lounge
6 access airport card credit lounge
6 airport ba lounge
6 bangkok airport lounge
6 airport book dominican lounge
6 manchester airport business lounge
6 cheap airport lounge at heathrow
6 hong kong airport lounge
6 airport lounge moi
6 airport lounge orlando sanford
6 airport lounge schiphol
6 airport lounge tucson
6 airport lounge wilmington
5 airport amsterdam lounge
5 airport book lounge schiphol
It looks like quite a gold mine

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

How To Cash In From The Grease is the Word TV Phenomena

In the last post I talked about how the Grease theatre breaks and how their demand is heaviliy influenced by the viral-as-hell Popstars/Pop Idol 'type' shows.

Search engine demand is very heavily influenced by mainstream TV, and many moons ago I had a little fun with this demand myself, driving easy traffic from the keywords “Pop Stars” and “Hearsay” and monetizing it by selling information products to wannabee popstars. So having seen the media influencing Theatre demand here are a few ideas for easy affiliate profits from theatre tickets and theatre break packages.

Yes.. its well worth taking these kind of TV shows seriously from a search marketing standpoint.

The key is to act quickly and get your pages/niche promo sites in the SERPS as soon as you anticipate the inflated demand. Your gut feeling should tell you whether you feel a show is going to be a hit.

Here are the obvious things to look for...
  • Show format – is it an evolutionary or devolutionary step from a proven formula
  • Panel of judges - who’s on the panel are they currently en-vogue?
  • What channel does the show go out on?– is it aired on the major terrestrial channels or is it on an obscure cable channel?
  • When does the show air – is it prime-time Saturday tea time or is it aired somewhere between Jeremy Kyle and This Morning?
These four factors will give you a good idea of whether the show will be a hit. If all these factors are favourable, then it’s definitely worth looking at ways to monetize it through organic search and affiliate marketing.

Grease is the Word - Viral Buzz Marketing Also Works On Stage

There's one thing that Popstars, PopIdol, Fame Academy all managed to do very well - They generated word of mouth on a massive scale. Since then the successful model has been tweeked and optimised for maxiumum effect.

These shows have sold millions of singles, albums, items of merchandise, countless tours, spin offs and now west end theatre tickets. So not surprisingly specialist tour operators are getting in on the action.

Theatre breaks are big business, but theatre breaks supported by this kind of TV show are huge. The supporting TV shows Grease is the Word and Any Dream Will Do are set to drive record breaking sales for Grease theatre packages and Joseph theatre breaks respectively.

Ray "Theatre Breaks" Jones offers his thoughts on the phenomena, having seen first hand the influence "How Do Solve a Problem Like Maria?" has on the stage production of The Sound of Music.
“TV series had an enormous impact. The Sound of Music always looked to be a winner, but it was the TV show and Connie in the lead role that set fire to public demand. The fact that she makes an excellent Maria helps too. I saw the show on the opening night and she was simply superb. When she became ill demand slowed and now that she is back and in great voice the show is topping our sales charts.”

Email Subscribe

Receive the latest posts via e-mail.. don't worry, I promise I won't spam you and the email delivery is managed by feedburner so you can unsubscribe at any time.

Subscribe to Feed

Labels