Spinfield: Powered by IdeaStar, Inc.

We've Moved!

2008-04-23T17:14:00.003-04:00

We've grown -- and so has our blog -- so we created a new space!

Please visit our new Web site at http://www.spinfield.com.

You will be redirected to our new site within 10 seconds. If this does not happen, or you have JavaScript turned off, pleases click on the link above to visit our new digs.

Oh -- one more thing: our new RSS feed is located at http://spinfield.com/feeds/ -- don't forget to change your RSS Reader!

Is A/B/C really as easy as 1/2/3?

2008-03-17T15:16:00.004-04:00

Maybe for the Jackson 5, but in the web, it takes a lot of time and effort. I am talking about what is normally referred to as A/B testing. It is the science of testing multiple versions of something in order to achieve the most optimal results from your web sites visitors.

There are many things in which we do A/B testing for. From simple things like buttons and graphics on the web page itself, to more complicated things like pay-per-click ad text, landing pages and forms.

It takes time and effort, patience and investment to do A/B testing but it is definitely worth the rewards. For example:

Proper landing page testing can actually decrease your cost-per-click in Google.
Optimizing the ad text for your pay-per-click campaign can help you to get quality traffic to your web site and increase your return on ad spend.
People might react differently for a different color button on your web site, therefor increasing the click-through rate into your shopping cart or application.
A different way for your visitors to fill out a form might influence them to complete the transaction more, there by increasing the conversion rate of your web site.

As you can see, there are several different ways to conduct A/B testing. Give some of these a try on your own site and see how the results vary. You'd be surprised at the results that some little changes can make.

Adding Google Search To Your Websites

2008-03-06T11:49:00.004-05:00

As a search engine optimizer, I am always looking for information of how people are searching for information. I've read all the reports, I study analytics and I have my sites registered with Google's Webmaster tools. Recently, I came across the Google Mini search appliance. The Google Mini is an actual server that you can buy directly from Google and it comes loaded with all the Google search functionality. With this little piece of hardware heaven, you can configure your sites search functionality to run from the Google Mini's server.

The statistics you can get from the reporting on the Google Mini is priceless. It tells you all the ways people are searching for information on your own site, what keywords they used, searches where results were found and even searches where no results were found. This information can help you optimize your site and give you great insight to how actual users are looking for information.

Visit the Google Mini web site for more information on the Google Mini.

Searching a site within Google Search Results

2008-03-06T10:38:00.014-05:00

Google revealed a new way to make searching for exactly what you are looking for a bit easier. They now include a site search box within some of their search results. Based on research, Google found that often when a person is searching for a specific site, such as the Internet Movie Database, the first thing they do when they get there is to conduct a more refined search within that site. By including a site search box directly in their search results they give users a convenient way to find exactly what they are looking for within a site. Find out more at the official Google Blog.

Yahoo developing a unified ad platform

2008-03-03T15:08:00.000-05:00

Yahoo's President Sue Decker announced that they are working on creating a new ad platform this past week at the IAB conference in Phoenix. Apex, or Advertiser Publisher Exchange, will bring together several of their ad products for an all-in-one platform. With this new platform Yahoo is “trying to revolutionize the online advertising industry."

Ms. Decker explained:
"We are building a cutting edge ad platform that runs across all formats, whether it is search, display, video. It is capable of harnessing the power of Yahoo and the power off Yahoo. But it will also take advantage of emerging formats like mobile, all in an easy to use system."

Yahoo did not reveal specifics of the new platform, and the announcement is not a launch. Apex is still in development and will “involve many releases over several years.” Ms. Decker also discussed the announcement on the Yahoo Blog, explaining that the new platform "simplifies the process for advertisers when buying targeted, guaranteed and non-guaranteed advertising inventory across Yahoo!’s owned and operated network, partner sites, and other advertising networks. And furthermore, this new platform will be a web-based, hosted application that harnesses the power of collaboration across the Internet."

Depending on how intuitive the new platform really is, this release could be very exciting for the future of online advertising. We will be watching for additional announcements and are looking forward to seeing what Apex has to offer!

Google Working with Cleveland Clinic

2008-02-25T16:02:00.000-05:00

An interesting new move for Google is their partnership with the Cleveland Clinic to make health records available online for patients. Last week Google announced that they were working with the Cleveland Clinic to test and implement Google's new secure model for sharing health records online. The patients must give permission for their records to be added to a Google account that they can then access. Google says this is their test run but they have been working with several other insurance plans, medical groups, pharmacies and hospitals.

This new process would give the patients access to their records safely and options to manage them, when this can normally be a difficult or lengthy procedure. Many patients work with different doctors, insurance companies, or pharmacies. This new online initiative would give them the opportunity to contact and interact with these different entities through a simplified process.

At this point the option is not open to everyone, only a select few for testing the system. It is something to keep an eye on as we all know how quickly Google's endeavors can spread! They always seem to be coming up with ways to make our lives easier!

Marketing Trends for 2008

2008-02-13T11:53:00.001-05:00

We found a list of the top marketing trends to watch in 2008 from MediaBrains, Inc. We wanted to comment a little bit on each of their trends for the online marketing world.

1. 'Green is Growing'
As global warming and the environment become hot topics these days, companies are changing their habits to be more 'green'. There are sites dedicated to green topics, social networks for green promoters, and organizations of green enthusiasts showing up everywhere. 2008 should be a big year to promote environmental changes and making a difference.

2. 'Social Networks: Join the Club'
Social networks keep popping up all over the internet on any topic you can imagine. They are groups of people that create an environment to share ideas and opinions and express themselves. There are social networks that embrace the masses (ie. MySpace and Facebook) or social networks that focus on a certain niche (ie. Care2, Last.fm, Flixster) or social networks for career networking ( LinkedIn). Social networks continue to grow and help marketers more specifically target their consumers.

3. 'Capitalizing on Online'
Online marketing has been growing every year. There are new mediums and developments making it easier to reach consumers. Marketers for many companies have been allocating more funds to their online marketing budgets. According to Forrester Research, interactive marketing spend will more than triple over the next five years, reaching $61 billion by 2012.

4. 'Mobile: The Hottest Web 2.0 Yet'
Mobile Web has always been a topic of conversation. The platforms used on cell phones always looked different than the format on a computer screen. However, now with the Apple iPhone for example, mobile Web technology is developing and becoming a more viable option.

5. 'Video Content is King'
Video content provides the option to present a much more personalized experience for the user. Videos allow you to not only tell the user what or how to do something, but actually SHOW them as well. This creates a more interactive and personal experience for the consumer. With sites like YouTube videos are accessible to anyone on almost any topic imaginable.

6. 'Lead Generation'
Lead generation relates back to being able to reach a more specific market through online mediums. The ability to reach the consumer that is interested in your product is a major value-added option and saves valuable resources in the process.

7. 'Targeted Messaging'
The ability to see a significant ROI of marketing relies on being able to target the right consumers. Instead of wasting money on marketing to the masses that may not be interested in your product/service, online marketing helps narrow the field. You want to be able to reach the consumer at the right time, whether they are in the process of research or ready to purchase. Whether it be through pay-per-click, SEO, banner ad placement or social networks targeting can be much easier online.

8. 'Segmentation'
Along with targeting, is being able to segment your consumers. You need to develop your messages based on the audiences you are trying to reach. You may have several different audiences you want to reach with your product and online marketing allows you to segment different messages. Again, whichever online mediums you may be using, you need to keep in mind the consumers' wants, needs, and position in the purchasing process.

We think that these trends will be very apparent in the upcoming year. They are all important to the future advancement of online marketing. It will be very interesting to see how they all develop! Keep an eye on these items in 2008!

SES Chicago!

2008-02-05T14:11:00.000-05:00

Several of us here at IdeaStar had the opportunity to attend Search Engine Strategies (SES) Chicago back in December. There was a lot to learn in four days! Our schedules were packed with knowledge from experts in the field.

There were many interesting facts that we learned to help shape our online marketing approach for clients. We learned that search from '05-'06 increased by about 20 billion searches/year and from '06-'07 it grew by about 35 billion searches/year! The average internet user submits 74 queries per month in search engines. Another interesting tidbit is that about 85% of 'online consumers' buy offline. They go online to research or compare products but actually make purchases offline. These facts are essential when it comes to devising an online marketing plan for your business.

During the week a large emphasis was placed on what the difference is between traditional and online marketing, so I wanted to explain this for others to understand. In the past, through traditional marketing and advertising products were pushed out to the consumer. It was most important to see HOW MANY consumers could be reached.
Online marketing changes things. Advertisers need to figure out what consumers want before creating their message. It allows them to be in the right place at the right time, when the consumer is actually looking for their product! Therefore, the most important question becomes WHO you are targeting. Search allows the marketer to be there at the exact moment the consumer is searching with targeted keywords.
So, even though all forms of marketing have the same goals and ideas online marketing introduces many new aspects to consider.

Google also announced many new concepts as they continue their search dominance. They have added tracking for internal site searches, event tracking and outbound link tracking (to see where people are going from your site). They have also been testing all different forms of advertising through their AdWords application. What began as simply pay-per-click campaigns has grown to placing ads on television, radio and in newspapers through the same interface.

The world of online marketing and search continues to evolve, with new ideas surfacing all the time. By attending conferences such as SES, we ensure our team is up to date on all the latest marketing trends to provide the best experience and knowledge for our clients.

Great Search, Bad Functions Result in Wasted Effort

2007-07-25T09:53:00.000-04:00

Imagine having a credit card in hand. You search Google, or Yahoo, or whatever, and several promising sites pop up above the fold. You go to the sites and discover a perfectly optimized page.

All the titles and keywords are there, strategically placed throughout the copy. Everything is as it should be for good placement in the search engines. And you are HOT TO BUY!

But you don't, because the site is not set up for easy shopping. Where are the prices? Where are the descriptions? Where are the pictures? Where is the easy check-out? Where is the intuitive organization? Why can't you find what you want?

It's clear the owner of the store spent time, effort, and funds to have the store appear toward the top of the search engines. It's too bad he or she didn't invest the same in how the store would be used. That's too bad. It leaves a bad mark for e-business, with the owner thinking "this online shopping thing just doesn't work."

Well it does. Just make sure your have all your ducks in order - with a well-designed Web site - that is convenient for shoppers to use. Then, combined with a good search effort and competitive pricing, a store has to succeed.

Where Have I Seen That Before?

2007-06-05T16:18:00.000-04:00

At a recent SMX Conference in Seattle members asked panelists questions about issues they had been having with duplicate content. Panelist Danny Sullivan offered his insight into this matter.

He began by telling his own anecdote when he went looking for a laptop model on the Web and found ten different sites with the exact same description. Sullivan then offered suggestions and went into how these solutions may help fix or in some cases only add to the problem at hand. Click here to listen to the intriguing conversation and hear what he feels may be some answers to the issue of duplicate content.

A New Look for Google Analytics

2007-05-24T16:08:00.001-04:00

Google Analytics, that wonderful FREE service designed to help you learn about where your Web site visitors come from and how they interact with your site, recently released a new version of its reporting interface.

Most of the information data collected and presented remains the same, but all under a shiny, more easily read look. Google states in the new version, “reports have been redesigned for clarity, greater visibility of important metrics, and ease of use.” Some of the new features include:

"• Email and export reports: Schedule or send ad-hoc personalized report emails and export reports in PDF format.
• Custom Dashboard: No more digging through reports. Put all the information you need on a custom dashboard that you can email to others.
• Trend and Over-time Graph: Compare time periods and select date ranges without losing sight of long term trends.
• Contextual help tips: Context sensitive Help and Conversion University tips are available from every report."

The new design is awesome! It’s easy-to-use and easy-on-the eyes. So if you haven’t already signed up for Google Analytics, now is a good time to get started. Thanks Google! Take a tour of the new version.

Location. Location. Location. Where to Build a Blog

2007-05-17T15:29:00.000-04:00

To blog or not to blog is no longer the question in the business world. The advantages of a good corporate blog are many. They are great for online reputation management, getting visitor input, maintaining focus, presenting a human face, and a little bit of search engine encouragement.

The main question now seems to be where to blog. If you have the resources, the best option is a custom blog solution that can be customized for your users. Integration of comments, feeds, archiving, sub-pages, and categories should be considered. And, blog users will thank you everyday if the content management system is easy-to-use. OpenSourceCMS has options to help you along the way, if you decide to build a custom blog.

But for most people, online blog services seem to meet the need. Choose from Blogger, WordPress, Movable Type and Typepad. Simply follow the instructions and you will be up and blogging in no time.

Linking Within Your Web Site is a Good Thing

2007-05-09T16:12:00.000-04:00

When it comes to search engine optimization, a lot has been written about the importance of solid, relevant links coming into your Web site. But what about linking pages within your site? Is it just a waste of time? Or is it a valuable tool? Let's take a look.

Some search engine optimizers say no. A link within the page simply serves as a self-reference. Why would a search engine count your self-promotion?

But other search engine optimizers say yes. Pandia Search Engine News writes, “Admittedly, such links will not boost the ‘prestige’ of the whole site vis-a-vis the search engines, as they cannot be counted as a vote of confidence from other sites in the Web community. But we believe that they may help the page you are linking to when it comes to particular search phrases.”

Apparently, search engines look at the anchor text of inbound links when they are determining a page's subject. That could be a nice little boost for the search engine ranking of that page, especially for more obscure niche terms. Just be sure the word or phrase appears in both the anchor text and on the linked page.

And let's not forget about site users. Yes, search engine rankings are important. But you want the site user to stay within your site as long as possible. Linking from page to page keeps them there longer. And, those links can make navigating a Web site so much easier.

So I'd say yes! In-site linking is useful not only for the search engines, but your Web site users. That's gotta make it worth the time and effort.

Naughty or Nice? It's Better to Stay Nice.

2007-05-01T13:11:00.000-04:00

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

Thinking of being just a little naughty in your search engine optimization practice? Don’t! You really could go to Hell. Google Hell, that is.

Forbes.com posted an article April 30 entitled Businesses Scramble to Stay out of Google Hell. Actually, Google refers to it as the supplemental index, created with the best intentions.

It seems the search engine has so many pages to index, it developed a special place for questionable Web sites. The only problem is they won't tell you the rules so you can avoid ending up there. And, once placed in the index, it could be months before your Web site is allowed out, if ever.

The Forbes article mentioned skyfacet.com as one site stuck in the Google backwater. The diamond and jewelry sales site suddenly dropped from the search engine last year after a search engine consultant made changes, resulting in a substantial loss of traffic and sales.

It seems Google is becoming even more stringent. So it's best to stay as clean as possible – no duplicate copy, buying unrelated links, keyword spamming, etc. – and try not to anger the Google gods.

Avoiding Click Fraud

2007-04-25T15:48:00.000-04:00

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

Click fraud can be defined as the act of purposely clicking online ad links without intending to buy from the advertiser. Anytime somebody clicks on an ad, it costs the advertiser money.

Some suspicious clicks may be from people seeking legitimate information. The clicks which cause concern, however, are from those clicking to increase their revenue or to deliberately use-up an advertiser’s pay-per-click campaign fund. (Your competitors wouldn't do that. Would they?)

So what’s a pay-per-click advertiser to do? Major search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN take click fraud seriously, and have detection and prevention systems in place. For instance, Google only counts one-click per day per address for any given ad. But as an online pay-per-click advertiser, there are a few things you can do to avoid paying for click fraud.

• Be alert! Watch your ad campaigns and keep track of your daily budget. A large spike in clicks, or repeatedly depleting a daily budget may indicate click fraud.

• Address click inflation issues as soon as possible. Google has been kind enough to grant a refund when suspicious clicks have been pointed out.

• Track your return on investment carefully. The number of conversions or leads produced through your pay-per-click campaign indicates whether or not it is a success.

• A third-party auditing system can be used, but be sure to include a careful selection process.

Yes, click fraud does happen. Fortunately the major search engines can filter invalid clicks out before an advertiser is billed for them. And, they are quick to respond to reports of click fraud and either offer an explanation or credit your account. The main thing is to be vigilant, and watch your ad campaign for anything suspicious.

A Few More Voices

2007-01-12T14:17:00.000-05:00

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

IdeaStar’s Spinfield Search Engine Marketing department is growing. While I've appreciated providing a few glimpses into search, I've decided it's time to expand.

Starting next week, I'll share the pages of the Spinfield blog with my new team members Brent Williams, Andi Hoppes, Steve Lamb, and maybe even Becky Rawlings. We'll be sharing online marketing information, as well as a few snippets about life in general. After all, we can't think about search all the time. So stop back next week. Online marketing Manager Steve Lamb is first in line for his comments and observations.

A Little Zeitgeist for 2006

2007-01-02T16:49:00.000-05:00

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

Zeitgeist is defined at "the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era." Google has taken a look at 2006, and come up with a list of the most searched on subjects - all combining to project the Zeitgeist of the closing year.

Learn what was hot and what was not at the 2006 Year-end Google Zeitgeist.

Google Really Doesn't Work This Way

2006-12-20T13:37:00.000-05:00

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

At DigitalPoint Forums, a blog owner wrote he received an e-mail from a Web site owner requesting he lower his ranking for a keyword phrase. Obviously, the Web site owner said, his online store was more important than the lowly blog.

Well, anybody who knows anything about search engine rankings knows it does not work that way. Simply asking Google or Yahoo to change your rank - up or down - won't get you anywhere.

Subsequent recommendations are a hoot. Read all about it at Search Engine Roundtable.

See Your Web Site the Way Google Sees It

2006-12-08T11:49:00.000-05:00

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

Want to see what your Web site looks like to the search engines? It may or may not be a pretty picture. The Smart Consulting IT Web site has a free Googlebot-Spoofer which allows a glimpse into what a search engine reads.

Type in the URL for any Web page, select a search engine, and it will show what that search engine "sees." Don’t be alarmed if there are a lot of red 404 messages. They just indicate image URIs. They're OK.

I often mention the importance of text on a Web page, and the importance of keeping the content fresh. It gives the search engines something to index, and written properly, can increase your rank. So use the Googlebot-Spoofer to see if there is enough text to feed the search engines.

Clickriver Offers Sponsored Search on Amazon.com

2006-11-14T15:04:00.000-05:00

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

There is a new option for running online pay-per-click advertising campaigns. Amazon.com, the largest online shopping site and one of the most widely known e-commerce sites on the Web, just launched its own sponsored search product, Clickriver Ads.

The new online advertising program, currently in beta, "allows businesses to place sponsored links on Amazon.com®, next to search results and on product detail pages. Clickriver Ads presents a unique opportunity to advertise services and products that complement the selection on Amazon.com, an online marketplace with tens of millions of active customer accounts."

Sponsored links, simple text ads, will be strategically placed throughout related Amazon product pages. Advertisers only pay if somebody clicks on their link. And because of the ad location, the people who click are most likely interested in your product or service. Sounds a little like the highly successful Google pay-per-click business model.

But that's OK. Google will remain the "Big Daddy" in the search market. Clickriver just offers the opportunity to reach another segment of consumers searching on Amazon and ready to buy.

Adwords Anybody?

2006-11-09T17:11:00.000-05:00

IdeaStar Google AdWords Professionals (L to R): Susanne Svette, Steve Lamb, and Becky Lovejoy.

Need a few good AdWords? IdeaStar can help.

IdeaStar's Spinfield online marketing team now has three Google AdWords Professionals ready to run your search engine marketing campaign. To earn the distinction, each passed the Google Advertising Professionals Exam - a comprehensive test for all things Google ad-campaign related.

They not only know the nuts-and-bolts of running an AdWords pay-per-click program, but some of the more quirky aspects as well, such as:

What happens with Chinese or Japanese characters in the Ad Title, Ad Text and Display URL.
What Google Smart Pricing is and how it works.
What the EU VAT tax is. (Come on Steve. You remember.)

Susanne, IdeaStar's general manager and long-time search engine expert, was first to earn the title several months ago. Steve, who recently joined IdeaStar as online marketing manager, and SEM specialist Becky just passed the test. Three SEM experts at IdeaStar ensures a well-run AdWords campaign.

Google AdWords allows you to advertise your business on Google and its advertising network. The best part is you only pay if people click on your ads. You can't beat that.

If you want to know more about Google Adwords or search engine marketing in general, give Business Developer Laurel Baldwin a call at 216-674-1600 ext. 110. She has a lot of good search engine marketing tips to help your business, and she can put you in touch with our Google AdWords Professionals.

Make Them Shop Until They Drop

2006-11-03T15:47:00.000-05:00

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

You've spent a lot of time and effort getting people to your Web site. Your pages are all optimized to attract attention, and your pay-per-click program is up and running. You've got a good amount of visitors for you Web site.

But the next - and maybe biggest question of all - is how many of those visitors are buying your product or service? How do you know if those Web site visitors become customers? And if not, why?

The Google AdWords blog recently announced the release of the Google Web site Optimizer to help promote your landing pages. It allows you to test various changes on your pages, such as different headlines, positioning, etc., to see what works best.

So visit the Adwords Web Site Optimizer overview section to see what goodies it has in store for you.

Something New at Yahoo!

2006-10-27T10:30:00.000-04:00

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

Yahoo! Search Marketing has a new search advertising platform, and a new blog to keep you informed.

The new service is touted as “a completely new, completely redesigned ad platform that provides businesses with an easier way to connect to customers, and will provide more tools and capabilities to advertisers, along with an enhanced, more relevant experience to users.”

Some of the enhancements include:

Automated keyword bid management - saves time and frustration
New marketing console - helps track the success of your online marketing campaigns
Geo-targeting - Allows targeting of customers for specific areas, large or small, helping to control ad costs
Fast ad activation - Most ads go live in a few minutes
Redesigned control panel - Easy-to-use features help keep track of campaigns
Easy ad testing - Allows testing of multiple ads to find out what works best
Campaign budgeting, forecasting and scheduling - Take control of your online ad budget and advertising campaigns.
Product submission - Easy entry into Yahoo! Shopping
Travel submit - Easy submission into Yahoo! Travel

The new blog is designed to help advertisers get to know and use the new Yahoo! Search marketing system. So if you are looking to learn more about search engine marketing, you may want to visit often or sign-up for an RSS feed.

We all know Google is THE major search engine, but Yahoo! gets a fair share of searches. Google users tend to be much more technical and business oriented. While Yahoo! users tend to be more casual Internet users. However, they still have great buying power and you may want to include them in your search marketing plans - especially now that they have a shiny new search adversing platform.

Wow! SEOBOOK has Great SEO Tools Online

2006-10-18T12:52:00.000-04:00

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

SEOBook is a blog written by leading search engine optimization consultant Aaron Wall who writes "a new chapter everyday." It's a great resource whether you are just learning about SEO or are an old pro.

One of my favorite sections of the site is the FREE tool page and particulary the SEOBook Keyword Suggestion Tool. Just enter your main keyword or phrase and watch what happens. SEOBook cross references Yahoo! (Overture), Google, WordTracker, Keyword Discovery, regional search volume estimates, and various bid prices. The feature I find most helpful is "Google Synonym" which presents you with, what else, synonyms! This has come in handy many times when I just can't come up with alternatives to some of those more broad keywords and phrases.

I love that I can go to one place to access the information quickly and accurately. Thanks Aaron.

SEOBook is always coming out with new tools to keep up with the trends of the search engines. Enter your e-mail address to be alerted about the latest and greatest. And don't forget to check out SEOBook daily at www.seobook.com.

Big Fish and Search Engines

2006-10-05T16:42:00.000-04:00

By Susanne Svette, IdeaStar Search Engine Specialist

As you may know, Google is the Big Momma of search engines. When people are looking for information on the Internet, most turn to Google for the most relevant results. But other search engines do exist.

So if your Web site is not ranking well in Google, perhaps you should try one of the others. After all, some people say it is better to be a big fish in a small pond, than a small fish in a big pond.

The other major search engines are Yahoo, MSN, and Ask. Some of the criteria is the same, but you should still optimize your site according to Google rules, including incoming links, content, metatags and titles.

What's the difference? Yahoo and MSN allow a longer and more specific title tag, and both allow submission. While Google will eventually pick up your site on its own, you can submit your URL to Yahoo for $299 per year, encouraging a quicker listing. MSN listings are free, but if you would like help in posting, they charge a minimal fee.

You may also want to consider your audience when posting your Web site in a search engine. Google draws the most technically literate crowd. Yahoo tends to draw searchers from its e-mail subscribers. And MSN draws a less Internet savvy group who are drawn there mostly for the news. As for Ask, it has been undergoing a lot of changes lately, so I'm not sure what their focus will evolve into.

Still, many people use all four search engines. So build your site for Google, and submit it to the other search engines. Even if Google is getting 60 percent of the searches, that still leaves 40 percent going to the other three.