WebpageFX is looking for an enthusiastic Internet marketing guru to plan, manage and execute client campaign strategies.

Required skills/competencies/qualities:

• Bachelors in Marketing, Journalism, Communications, Information Systems, Business, Statistics or related major {Please include GPA on resume}
• Minimum of 1 year experience as SEO or Internet Marketer
• Expert knowledge of SEO
• Expert knowledge of Google AdWords
• Knowledge and experience in the use of social social media
• Experience with email marketing
• Experience as an account representative
• Expert knowledge of Google Analytics
• Working knowledge of HTML
• Capable of working concurrently on several projects
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

Responsibilities:

• Optimize client websites for search engines
• Manage significant budgets on top tier search engines (Google, Bing & Yahoo!)
• Calculate ROI and prepare monthly Internet marketing campaign reports
• Provide social media consulting, monitoring and management services
• Consult with clients about their business goals and propose solutions and strategies that meet their needs
• Create and implement email marketing, website conversion analysis and online advertising programs
• Play a key role in formalizing company Internet marketing standards and procedures
• Direct the design of web pages and develop web content, assuring that content is consistent with standards and up to date, and assuring that all web functionality is operating properly

Fringe Benefits:

Excellent health, 100% dental, 401K, flex start time, 15 days vacation, employee coffee bar, pool table, casual dress & many other new media agency perks. Our space: http://goo.gl/yiRD9

Relocation Assistance: Yes

Salary range: $32K to $44K {Potentially higher based on proven results or graduation w/ high honors}
Closing date: Unknown
More info from: http://www.webpagefx.com/employment.htm#seo
Contact: Send resumes via online form: http://www.webpagefx.com/employment.htm#seo

For more search industry job vacancies or to post a vacancy, visit Search Engine college Jobs Board.

EyeTraffic Media, A Penton Marketing Services Company, is actively seeking a Search Engine Marketing Coordinator to support client service managers in initiating, developing, optimizing and reporting on key search engine marketing campaigns. The SEM Coordinator should have fundamental understanding of SEO and paid search program execution and best practices. He/She will also analyze internal special assignments across other tactics as needed. This position requires an individual who will be dedicated to exceeding client expectations, as well as working with existing vendors and partners to ensure that revenue goals are achieved.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Prepare timely, accurate and concise reports on SEM campaign and conversion data, with in-depth analytical analysis for ongoing recommendations.
• Conduct extensive keyword analysis for SEO and PPC campaign implementation using internal and external management tools.
• Help manage new and existing PPC client accounts, including day-to-day optimization efforts such as keyword expansion, ad copy development, bid strategy and budget monitoring.
• Set up tracking for SEM campaigns using internal and external software. Integrate data from partners, client and vendors into Penton Marketing Services’ reporting templates. Closely monitor program analytics and report findings to the client services managers.
• Work with vendors to develop SEM proposals for prospective Penton Marketing Services clients and assist client service managers in negotiations and finding new distribution partners.
• Present new features and upgrades within Google’s evolving search engine marketing products to SEM practice lead.
  Contribute to the Penton Marketing Services blog.

Desired Experience and Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in business, media or communications related field
• 1+ years of search engine marketing experience or certification completed
• Advanced MS Excel skills are a must
• High level of attention to detail and coordination/project/team management skills
• Experience working directly with clients; giving presentations and handling negotiation and pricing conversations preferred
• Working knowledge of Google Adwords and Analytics

Salary range: Unknown
Closing date: Unknown
More info about company from: http://www.eyetraffic.com/
Contact: Send resumes to careers[at]penton.com with ‘SEM Coordinator’ in the subject line.

For more Search Industry jobs, or to post a vacancy, visit Search Engine College Jobs Board.

MarketShare is an analytics company that enables businesses to grow efficiently by revealing what really drives results. Founded in 2005, MarketShare has a track record of ground-breaking innovations in data, modeling and software and has worked with nearly half of the Fortune 50 and 8 of the top 10 global brands. MarketShare’s platform provides a combination of technology, data, modeling and business intelligence solutions that lead to improve decision-making for businesses. They are high growth, venture-backed company solving some of the toughest marketing investment optimization problems in the industry. The company is based in Los Angeles, California with offices in San Francisco, New York, London, Tokyo and Bangalore. For more information, please go to: http://www.marketshare.com.

Position Description:

MarketShare, a recognized and award winning leader in marketing analytics and technology for measuring and improving the return on marketing investments is seeking a Senior Manager of Online Marketing. This key role will grow MarketShare’s business through generating awareness and demand through web and social media channels. The Senior Manager of Online Marketing will be a highly creative, resourceful and successful communicator with a passion for, and experience in, the latest online marketing channels and technologies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Direct and manage multiple web properties to effectively and creatively communicate brand and value to all audiences including prospects, customers, and investors.
• Research, strategize, define and plan online marketing campaigns across owned and un-owned channels to support company awareness and customer acquisition objectives.
• Repurpose company, product and offer messages into appropriate forms for a variety of communication channels.
• Actively participate in relevant conversations on social media platforms to amplify the message through the “ripple effect” increasing exposure and engagement.
• Design and test new ad copy, creative images and landing page concepts on high volume PPC sources such as Adwords and Bing.
• Establish, track and report on key metrics together with insights and recommendations.
• Automation of online processes for campaigns, lead capture and e-marketing nurturing.
• Management of multiple vendors.

Critical Skills/Aptitudes Required:

• Deep knowledge of Internet marketing, reporting with strong focus on driving scalability and ROI.
• Thorough understanding of SEO practices and strategies and online media buying (CPC, CPM, CPL and SEM).
• Experience maximizing exposure and acquiring customers using web and social media.
• Proven track record of highly effective and creative communications through online channels.
• Through understanding of website strategy, design and management.
• Experience using Joomla, Drupal, PhP, Google Analytics, AdWords, Photoshop, Illustrator.
• Self-starter, self-motivator with ability to diagnose needs and solve problems independently.
• Effective multi-tasker comfortable in a fast-paced environment collaborating with others.
• Big-picture, strategic outlook while dealing with tactical issues.
• A can-do professional approach/attitude to business and a willingness to be held accountable for results.
• 3-5 years social media experience, 2-3 years SEO and CRM experience.
• 6+ year track record of expanding online marketing responsibilities.
• Marketing or relevant undergraduate+ degree.

Salary range: Unknown
Closing date: Unknown
More info about company from: http://www.marketshare.com/connect/jobs
Contact: Send resumes via online form: http://www.marketshare.com/connect/jobs/…A8eJe4bk1X

For more search industry job vacancies, or to post a vacancy, visit Search Engine College Jobs Board.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a rugby NUT and an All Blacks tragic. So I’ve been following the Rugby World Cup action very closely over the past few weeks. The thing is, I’m finding this particular RWC season to be almost unbearable from a media perspective.

First it was the media coverage following the All Black’s 41 to 10 win over Tonga. The New Zealand media were bad enough, claiming the All Blacks played poorly and that the 41 point victory wasn’t decisive enough.  Which prompted me to ask Twitter:

“If a 31 point win margin *fails as a decisive victory* then how many freaking points did the #allblacks need to win by?”

Then there was the Wall Street Journal piece, written by someone who clearly doesn’t know anything about rugby (“New Zealand – nicknamed the All Blacks due to their attire” – REALLY?), claiming that the All Blacks “failed to inspire” and that “the win wasn’t sufficient to reassure fans”.

Of course, there have been the expected digs at the All Blacks team by the Australian media, about how they were going to choke, just like the last World Cup and Aussie television news anchors having a good old chuckle at the done-to-death sheep / Israel Dagg jokes wheeled out by the sports reporters. Commentators Andrew Slack and Ken Sutcliffe for Channel Nine in Australia clearly find it difficult to hold back their bias when it comes to their coverage of Wallabies matches. But in my opinion, there is a clearly defined line between light-hearted fun poking and outright racist commentary.

Today, New Zealand’s TV3 stepped over that line, in my opinion. With their One Eyed Kiwi Commentary of today’s game between the All Blacks and the Wallabies, I think 3News have sullied New Zealand rugby with their offensive, juvenile and racist pre-match banter. I wanted the All Blacks to win as much as anybody, but that promoted commentary was simply embarrassing.

Think I’m over-reacting? Here are some extracts:

• “Well here we go… the big one, the All Blacks totally dismembering our Aussie cousins from across the ditch and marching on to hand a hiding to the limpet mine-carrying nation in the final.”
• “Refresh your browser occasionally. We’ll warn you when video is up with the words ‘VIDEO UP’ (even an Aussie could follow that)”.
• “…here’s some friendly folly fire at the convicts from the island.“
• “The first Wallaby has been seen inspecting Eden Park.” (accompanied by the picture above of a giant convict carrying a rugby ball and chain).
• “What do you call an Aussie with half a brain? Gifted.”

And on it goes, with more crude anti-Australian jokes thrown into the mix. Based on his tweets, the content appears to have been written by a post-grad journalism student called Michael Oliver who is apparently about to be employed by TV3.

Now my main problem with this is not so much the content, as juvenile as it is. You can see this type of immature trolling on Twitter or Facebook about any big sporting event. No, my problem with this lies in the way it is presented on the 3News web site. It is published as *official* RWC content. There is no banner or byline indicating this content is written by a guest blogger or a student. The content is simply presented as endorsed coverage of what is likely the most important game of the World Cup, on the site of the official media sponsor covering the event.

I am concerned that the content will be viewed as offensive, if not outright racist and by allowing it to be published, TV3 is endorsing those views. As an Australian, I was quite offended, even though I (mostly) live in New Zealand and am a hugely vocal supporter of the All Blacks. I can only imagine how Wallabies supporters would feel upon reading that. And the petty limpet mine (Rainbow Warrier) reference is really quite a controversial and dangerous topic to bring up with so many French media representatives in NZ right now.

What’s worse is how proud the author is of his field day approach:

@mj_oliver : I’m manning tonight’s live updates for 3News.co.nz. We’re gunning for the most parochial commentary known to human kind. #RWC2011 Link to tweet

@mj_oliver: Sanctioned trolling. I love my future job. http://www.3news.co.nz/One-eyed-Kiwi-VIDEO-LIVE-UPDATES-All-Blacks-Vs-Australia-semifinal-2-RWC-2011–highlights/tabid/1534/articleID/229706/Default.aspx Link to tweet

With millions of international viewers studying New Zealand closely right now, can TV3 really afford to be seen as endorsing such potentially racist drivel? I don’t think so.

TV3 have a very strict policy when it comes to comments left on their site:

• No comments that seek to cause offence on the grounds of race, sex, sexuality, religion, age or ethinicity will be tolerated
• No comments that are obscene, offensive, pornographic, vulgar, profane, indecent or otherwise illegal
• No comments that are defamatory in nature

Right. But that apparently doesn’t apply to their own contributors?

I left the very first comment on the page, politely expressing my concerns, but for some reason, @3newsnz seems to be only publishing positive comments. When I tweeted Mr Oliver about this, he claimed he didn’t have control over comments.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your comments. And unlike the team at 3News, I’ll actually publish them.

POSTSCRIPT 1: Since I started writing this blog post, TV3 have put up a pseudo disclaimer in red text on the page. It reads:

“Thanks for tuning in to tonight’s completely biased commentary. It was all in good fun, and no offence to our friends across the ditch was intended. The Wallabies weren’t allowed to play, and that’s entirely due to their opposition being on another level.”

Yeah, that’ll fix everything.

Who They Are:
A team of interactive media professionals who are obsessed with optimization and conversions. They design promotions and products that turn online users into real-time buyers.

Their IDEAL Candidate:
YOU are a multitasking magician who has the ability to look after every aspect of the Sales and Marketing team. You understand the various distribution channels of online marketing, and work well with teams to maximize campaign performance and distribution. You’re a fast learner, and can quickly apprehend how to utilize and maintain AI’s tracking software to troubleshoot all tracking issues and discrepancies, and optimize campaign performance. You’re proactive and possess a high level of business acumen, communication skills and professionalism as you interface with key technology executives on a daily basis. You have a team-first attitude, and thrive in a creative and dynamic work environment where you’re at the center of optimizing strategic growth.

…if this sounds like you, PLEASE keep reading!

What you’ll be doing:

• Supporting the Sales and Marketing Team
• Working with Direct Advertisers on email and display advertising via our email distribution and web properties
• Managing Advertisers in the Affiliate Marketing Channel
• Managing tests, contracts, deliverables and transmission reports
• Administrating contracts, creatives and deliverables
• Monitoring campaigns to ensure ongoing campaign success through reporting and analysis

Still with us? Excellent!

What you’ll also be responsible for:

• Analyze data from previous campaigns & measure the effectiveness of specific email promotions
• Optimize campaigns and report revenue and database numbers to management
• Identify and solve problems in a fast-paced environment and communicate solutions to superior
• Interpret, analyze and make recommendations against campaign and database metrics
• Apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency and distribution of campaigns
• Collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions on campaigns performance
• Realize maximum revenue opportunity in accordance with goals and objectives of company
• Report stats and recommendations for company growth to management on a weekly basis

Good so far? Great!

Your Must-Haves:

• Bachelors degree in Business, Marketing, or related field
• Strong analytical skills, including ability to identify and quantify financial impact of opportunities with limited data
• Numbers-oriented
• Advanced skill level with statistics and Excel
• Extremely organized and detail-oriented
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment
• Comfortable with identifying and solving problems
• Fast learner – able to learn new programs and skills quickly
• Excellent computer skills – Word, Excel (advanced level), PowerPoint, Outlook and Internet Explorer
• Excellent Written and Oral Communication Skills
• HTML, graphics and web page knowledge or Internet Marketing experience (preferred)
• Any internet marketing or account management experience (preferred)
• Got the “must-haves”, too? Then they want to talk to you TODAY!

About Acquinity Interactive:
AI was created by a group of individuals with a passion for online marketing and a belief that there’s a better way to do it. With a little savvy and a whole lot of passion, they’ve created a proprietary technology system that works, and they prove it to their very satisfied customers every day. How did they reach that level of success? By finding creative, dedicated individuals like you, who are just as passionate about getting it right – and willing to go the extra mile to make it happen. Plus they play as hard as they work, with regular team-building events, fun contests and a whole lot more!
 
Compensation:
Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
Individual & family medical insurance, dental insurance & vision care options.
 
Acquinity Interactive is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Salary range: Unknown
Closing date: Unknown
More info from: www.abso.com
Contact: Send resumes via online:  www.abso.com

Here are the deets:

Job Title: Online Product Manager
Job Reference #: 15219
Position Type: full time / remote
Name of employer: Xtend-Life Natural Products
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand / Telecommute from anywhere
Date Posted: October 2011

Position description:

This is a new role with one of NZ’s most successful online businesses. Work remotely from the location of your choice. Head office is based in Christchurch, New Zealand where you will be required to be from time to time. The purpose of the role is to drive profitable sales of skincare products through a broad range of e-commerce, web and social media communications, delivering on an integrated product and sales marketing strategy.

Responsibilities:

Using your strong product lifecycle planning experience you will develop a deeper relationship with existing customers, reach new customers, and enhance the company’s brand and values.

Required Skills:

• You will be degree qualified and have a number of years of experience in product management.
• You will be an expert in online marketing.
• You will be passionate about website design and development, email and social network marketing, search engine optimisation, web 2.0 and mobile media applications.
• You will be an attentive listener and forward thinker you will be a strong and capable manager able to lead and motivate people, develop effective relationships and operate across all levels from warehouse to board.
• You will have drive and energy and an unwavering customer focus.

Company Description:

Xtend Life Natural Products is a manufacturer and global distributor of natural dietary supplements and skin care products.

Each of the dietary supplements and skin care products in Xtend-Life’s exclusive range was developed to meet specific needs, using only natural ingredients from the best sources around the globe.

Since the first products were released in 2000, Xtend-Life has enjoyed a steady growth thanks to an ever increasing foundation of loyal customers who purchase products every month and refer their friends and family to Xtend-Life as well. This has enabled the company to develop additional products and continually refine those it has. The company’s manufacturing facilities are world class and because of the efficacy and quality of its products, it now supplies customers in more than 95 countries.

Salary range: Unknown
Closing date: Unknown
More info from: Paul Heath via paulh@powerhousepeople.co.nz or Jeannie Stirling on (+64) 4 931 9444
Contact: Send resumes via online form at: PowerHouse People

For more search industry job vacancies, or to post a vacancy, visit Search Engine College Jobs Board.

Art Clokey was the pioneer of stop motion clay animation, bringing to life Gumby and his horse Pokey, who first appeared on the American kid’s show Howdy Doody. Art Clokey died last year, but to celebrate what would have been Clokey’s 90th birthday yesterday, Google’s home page featured the tribute doodle you see pictured.

The initial image shows a toy block and 5 balls of colored clay representing the letters in GOOGLE. Clicking on any one of the clay balls launches a delightful animation of the clay taking the shape of one of Clokey’s famous animated characters. A link above the doodle takes you to SERPs for Art Clokey and his life.

One of Google’s better doodles!

This issue includes an article about trademark usage on Google AdWords, as well as a series of Q and A’s from this blog.

From early days learning SEO, I went ahead and did all my meta descriptions with a bit of blurb about the page but my *Guru* has told me this is incorrect and I should include only the title of the page in the meta description, eg “Antique Dining Chairs” whereas I had put in “Antique Dining Chairs – over 500 chairs on display at the Glebe Antique Centre. Dining chairs to match your table, occasional chairs for that special place in your home”.

Any thoughts before I go and change everything yet again?

Christine

————————————–

Hi Christine

From where I’m sitting, your *guru* is wrong. Remember, your meta description tag is often used as the snippet on the search results pages to describe your site.

So apart from including keywords, it has to do the job of convincing people to click on it. A nonsensical list of keywords is not going to convince people to click so you have to balance it out with an appealing sentence, preferably including a call-to-action or reason to click.

Yes, it’s important to put your keywords at the start of the tag if you can, but you have up to 160 characters in that tag indexed by search engines, so you should use the space to your advantage. Having a short, unimaginative meta description or simply copying your title tag is not going to make any difference to your overall rankings and is more likely to turn your potential visitors off.

Google admitted that it no longer considers the meta description tag in their ranking algorithm anyway, so, other search engines aside, the main job of the tag in Google SERPs is to convince people to click on the link and visit your site.

Put it this way: if you were in the market for an antique chair and you saw the following two listings in Google, which one would you click on?

• Site1.com – “Antique Dining Chairs.”
  
• Site2.com – “Antique Dining Chairs – over 500 chairs on display at the Glebe Antique Centre. Dining chairs to match your table, occasional chairs for that special place in your home.“

I’m thinking Site2.com – am I right? And – oh look! The longer tag managed to include *dining chairs* twice and a whole bunch of other keyword phrases as well: *dining chairs Glebe*, *chairs Glebe*, *occasional chairs*, *Antique(s) Glebe*.

Case closed.

———————————————–

Struggling to get better search rankings? Download our Free SEO Lesson. No catch!

I heard it from a client who lives one mile from Apple headquarters and was awoken by helicopters over his house at 4.30am. But most people heard about it via social media. Within seconds of an official statement released by Apple, the first tweets started to appear.

“#ThankYouSteve for the magic you brought to people’s lives.”

“iSad. RIP Steve Jobs for leaving your mark on technology.”

“My iPhone made all the difference during earthquakes on 4 Sept, 22 Feb & 13 June – it found my kids & reassured my family #eqnz #ThankYouSteve”

“Life is the only thing Bill Gates has beaten Steve Jobs at. #ThankYouSteve”

“Steve Jobs changed the world. We have lost a true pioneer and American visionary #iSad #ThankYouSteve”

Twitter users started spreading the news of Jobs’s death, adopting #SteveJobs #iSad and #ThankYouSteve hashtags attached to their tweets. For the first few hours, the rate of Twitter activity about Job’s death looked like it was going to break the tweet per second record of 8,868 tweets per second, set after U.S. R&B artist Beyoncé announced her pregnancy at the MTV Video Music Awards in August.

Australian social media monitoring firm SR7 estimated that Twitter activity hit 10,000 tweets per second following the announcement:

“We’re awaiting the official Twitter data to be released, however, from the numbers that we’ve been monitoring through the day since the announcement it’s certainly been trending to break that record,” Peter Fraser, co-founder of SR7, told the news agency Agence-France Presse.

TwitSprout went even futher, claiming tweet activity reached 42,000 per second at one point.

But it was Twitter who finally revealed the truth. In a statement given to Forbes last night, a spokeswoman from Twitter said that their internal data showed a rate of 6,049 tweets per second. That’s faster than tweets following the death of Osama bin Laden (a little over 5,000 TPS), but below the 8,868 tweets per second that followed Beyonce’s pregnancy announcement.

But even though the death of the technology icon failed to break the all-time tweet record, Steve Job’s death *did* break Twitter temporarily. The site fell over for around 2 minutes under the weight of the heavy initial tweet load.

Apart from anything else, it’s an interesting insight into the growth of Twitter. Consider this: following Michael Jackson’s death in 2009 there were just 493 tweets per second being sent, yet this was still enough to crash the service.

As a final tribute to Steve Jobs and the impact he had, Twitter staff put together a fascinating infographic portrait, consisting of a visualization of public #thankyousteve Tweets, sent over about 4.5 hours yesterday.

RIP Steve Jobs.