On September 16-18, 2009 Alexandre Brabant, Co-Chair Of SEMPO Canada Search Marketing Association, will be attending the Internet Marketing Conference in Vancouver (BC) Canada. For this occasion, SEMPO Canada will have a booth (TBD) and you will be able to drop by and ask any question about Search Marketing. Everything you need to know about Starting your own Search Marketing campaign from people who eat, sleep and breathe Search Marketing. Many members from the local Search Marketing Community & also members of SEMPO Canada will be present. The Internet Marketing Conference Vancouver will be held at the (hotel to be confirmed) in Vancouver (BC) Canada.

Here is more about The Internet Marketing Conference Experience:
Speakers and participants from Europe, the United States, Canada, and Asia are traveling to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to take part in Internet Marketing Conference (IMC) on September 16-18, 2009. To this occasion, all aspects of doing business online will be covered: web analytics, strategy, content, search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO), e-mail marketing, social media, on-site behavioral targeting, multivariate testing, and much more will be covered.

Learn how to acquire and retain customers by optimizing your marketing:
The program will mix presentations with discussion panels and networking opportunities. Meet with those who have dared, pioneered, and succeeded. Learn from mistakes by others. Whether you’re an advertiser, a marketer, or a business analyst, our goal is to provide you with valuable and actionable knowledge. Newbies and seasoned Internet marketers alike will find something they can take back to the office. IMC is produced by experts, for experts, and for all of you who’d like to become experts. Over the past nine years, it has been held in eight North American and European cities.

Check this out:

Another one with Martin Le Sauteur, CEO of Acquisio.com

I was not sure how much more recognition & credibility this would provide and I must say, I have been delighted from the experience being at SES Toronto this week. I must have talked to 150 people in the search marketing community, coast to coast. As such, I feel privilege to be at the forefront of SEMPO Canada and having the chance to invite everyone to be part of our Canadian search marketing community. 

This may not seem much to a lot of people, fighting for the cause (with a new booth) may not seem worthwhile but I feel this is the only thing that must be done around here. 9 years of working in search marketing in Canada leads straight to the creation of an non-profit neutral entity that is all about learning, from courses and from each other. I have lots of reason to be excited about it.

That being said, I can’t wait for next year. There will be other conferences where you will be able to see us. Everyone with a website in Canada must learn more about search marketing & SEMPO Canada is the best place to get the process started properly.

Please find information on how to become a member & join SEMPO Canada on Sempo.ca.

A lot of cool new Google search options got revealed recently at the Searchology conference.

Check out this video to learn more about them:

NEW YORK, NY - April 27, 2009 - Hitwise(r) , an Experian company, today announced plans to measure Internet usage in Canada. Hitwise will report on 85,000 Web sites across more than 160 industry categories based on the Internet activity of 100,000 Canadian Internet users from all provinces and territories. The Hitwise Canadian data sample comes from partnerships with Internet service providers and opt-in panels.

“In order to grow and protect market share, businesses must have sound data to base decisions on,” said Chris Maher, president of Hitwise. “Hitwise provides the most timely and comprehensive intelligence about Internet usage and will now help marketers better understand the specifics of the Canadian market. And as in all our markets, Hitwise clients will receive the service and support they need to go beyond the data, take action and generate immediate return.”

The Canadian service will provide clients with data on Web sites traffic rankings, Clickstream, search terms and demographic segmentation. Clients also will have access to additional tools to create custom categories, search term portfolios and customized dashboards.

Follow Hitwise Canada on Twitter.

* How search engines list Web sites for free and through paid placements;
* How to get free “organic” traffic by building a site that pleases search engines and your visitors;
* How to efficiently purchase listings guaranteed to rank your company at the top of search engine results;
* How to calculate the ROI of your search marketing efforts by tracking your visitors from the time they hit your site until they buy? and get tips on improving conversion if they don’t;
* How to build links that generate traffic to your Web site, and how to avoid the penalties of “spamming” the search engines;
* What’s coming next in the constantly evolving world of Web search, and how you can profit from those changes.

Search Engine Strategies Toronto 2009 will be held on June 8-9, 2009 at Metro Convention Centre, 255 Front Street West, Toronto (Ontario).

For more information on SES Toronto, please visit the SES Toronto Conference website.

Acquisio Search PPC Management Software is now officially the proud sponsor of SEMPO Canada, which will be present at Search Engine Strategies in Toronto.

SEMPO Canada will be at SES Toronto in June, and all SEMPO members receive a 20% discount. Here is some more info about SES Toronto.

SES Toronto is returning for its 6th year, with a program designed to appeal to intermediate and seasoned marketers looking to advance their SEM and SEO skills.  This year’s line-up features the new “Geek Track” sessions, which take the conversations to the next level on advanced topics, the year’s biggest trends, and the future of search. Tara Hunt, author of “The Whuffie Factor”, and Co-Founder/Chief Marketing Officer for the Citizen Agency, will also be joining this year’s SES Toronto conference as the keynote speaker.

Register now and use the code 20SEMPO to receive a 20% discount off the current online registration price.  Book Prior to April 17th and save $370 CAD off the regular registration rate.

View the entire conference program by visiting our Agenda Overview.

Expect to Find:
* Advanced program topics on hot button search engine marketing issues like mobile search, video optimization, and paid search advertising.
* Extreme makeover site clinics, which have returned to SES Toronto, giving you one-on-one feedback to your specific SEM issues.
* Unique networking opportunities with fellow marketers and search engine industry professionals.
* Access to the thought-provoking speakers who are developing and tracking search’s next direction, and who know the ins-and-outs of search engine marketing.

WAKEFIELD, Mass., April 8, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)—Online advertisers are embracing new marketing platforms and showing an increasing willingness to pay more for targeted reach through behavioral targeting and local search, and to expand marketing channels through video and mobile search, according to the data findings of the 2008 State of the Market survey of advertisers and agencies by the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO), http://www.sempo.org.

Social media also continues to build market share as more than 40% of advertiser respondents report they are using in-house marketers to actively promote their brand on social media. Of respondents using social media, Facebook is the leader: more than four out of five advertisers are using Facebook to promote their brand.

SEMPO previously reported that survey findings project 2009 SEM spending to rise to $14.7 billion, with long term spending to reach $26.1 billion in 2013. SEMPO’s detailed online survey by Radar Research was completed by 890 search engine advertisers and SEM agencies and administered via IntelliSurvey, Inc. The executive summary is available to the public online at http://www.SEMPO.org.

“When you look at long term growth of the search marketing sector, it is evident new forces such as mobile advertising and contextual video ads will fuel increased online ad spend. These forces are still in the early stages but clearly the consumer is embracing these new channels with enthusiasm,” notes Sara Holoubek, SEMPO president and corporate strategy consultant.

Here are key survey findings on trends:

Behavioral Targeting:
Respondents are overwhelmingly interested in behavioral targeting opportunities: 75% say they would pay more for clicks targeted to in-market consumers. There is also significant interest in demographic targeting such as age and gender. Advertisers, on average, would pay 10 percent more for demographic targeting and daypart targeting, and 13 percent more for behavioral search targeting. Two in five advertisers said they are not currently targeting or retargeting searchers but plan to in the next 12 months.

Local Search:
Almost a third of respondents has tried locally targeted search ads and thinks “it works great.” About a third (34%) had tried locally targeted search and thought “it works okay.” More than three out of five marketers (62%) are willing to pay a premium of 1%-5% for local targeting, up from two in five advertisers last year. Beyond that, one in five claim they are willing to pay between 6%-10% premiums, dropping from one-third in 2007.

Google and Yahoo Dominate Local Search:
Google AdWords Local Targeting has solidified its lead as the most popular local search advertising program, used by 80% of advertiser respondents. Some 56% of advertisers reported using Yahoo! Search’s Local Match paid placement program.

Video Search:
Some 54% of respondents said they would be interested in contextually targeted advertising attached to video search results. Two in five advertiser respondents claim they want to pay the same for video search as they’re currently paying for traditional search. Among advertisers who report the willingness to pay a premium for video, most prefer to pay 20% or less as a premium.

Mobile Search:
Respondents are also warming up to mobile: some 48% said they would be interested in contextually targeted advertising delivered to mobile search users. Almost two in five advertiser respondents claim they want to pay the same for mobile search as they’re currently paying for traditional search. Among advertisers who report the willingness to pay a premium for mobile search, they show an unwillingness to pay more than 30% premium.

Social Media:
Among advertisers doing social media marketing, more than four out of five are using Facebook to promote their brand. Digg is the second most popular social media site, with more than two-thirds of advertisers using it. Del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Reddit and Technorati round out the most popular sites to promote brands.

“Online advertisers are redefining the touchpoints which extend search and keyword targeting, all of which provide additional opportunities to reach the consumer. We know that consumers don’t look exclusively to search engines for information; while they are communicating they are also gathering information,” says Kevin Lee, SEMPO board of directors member and Chairman & CEO / Co-Founder, Didit.

About the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO)
SEMPO is a global non-profit organization serving the search engine marketing industry and marketing professionals engaged in it. Its purpose is to provide a foundation for industry growth through building stronger relationships, fostering awareness, providing education, promoting the industry, generating research, and creating a better understanding of search and its role in marketing.

Representing thousands in over 30 countries, SEMPO has more than 850 members. It represents the common interests of companies and consultants worldwide and provides them with a voice in the marketplace. SEMPO’s education and outreach initiatives are funded in part by Microsoft, Yahoo!, Google, Superpages.com, ABC Search, SMX and Search Engine Strategies. For more information, or to join the organization, please visit http://www.SEMPO.org.

The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2228

About Radar Research
Radar Research is a Los Angeles-based research and consulting firm aimed at the nexus of media, technology, culture and commerce. It was founded by two former Jupiter Research analysts, Marissa Gluck and Aram Sinnreich. Radar conducts research on behalf of both corporate clients and non-profit organizations, such as DoubleClick, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Nielsen//Netratings, the Online Publishers Association and The Norman Lear Center. For more information, please visit http://www.radarresearch.com.

CONTACT: Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, Greg Jarboe, 978 549-9537, pr@sempo.org

Francouver.ca changes its name for Frogcouver.ca

Press Release
Vancouver April 1, 2009. In order to better fulfill the expectations of Vancouver’s francophiles, francouver.ca is proud to announce an official name change to frogcouver.ca.  The new name comes with a new logo and company name. You can check it out on the new website: frogcouver.ca. The official launch party will be held at 8:00 pm on Thursday, April 2 at 104-2181 W 38th Avenue in Vancouver.  The launch party will feature maple taffy on snow while chef Normand “Jumpy” Auclair will present his latest gastronomic creation: the frogs legs poutine.  To mark the organization’s new colors and orientation, frogcouver.ca asks that guests wear something green.  The organizers are also requesting that all members return their francouver.ca T-shirts; these will be replaced promptly with new design T-shirts.  To further support the new orientation, members are also asked to change their pictures and avatars on the site with a picture where they will be wearing a frog costume.

On November 8, 2008, francouver.ca was officially launch.  Its goal was to network Vancouver’s francophone and francophile community through a large number of fascinating activities.  After 5 months, this goal has been very successfully achieved amongst francophones: over 300 new members have joined and francouver.ca has the highest Google rating of all the French websites in Vancouver.  However, Anglophone francophiles were slow to respond.  Alex Brabant, one of the co-founders of the site and director of web and promotion development and activities, ordered a market study of francophiles in greater Vancouver.  This study showed that a name change was necessary.  It turns out that francophiles are not interested in fascinating activities; instead, they prefer cultural and intellectual stimulation.  Moreover, despite its political incorrectness, this study showed that francophiles were much more receptive to the new frogcouver.ca name than they were to francouver.ca.  The new orientation will also be reflected in frogcouver.ca partys.  Instead of partys held in French, with popular French music and cheap beer, the new partys will be multicultural events featuring internationally recognized Canadian artists such as Diana Krall, Nellie Furtado, Barenaked Ladies, Kashtin and Céline Dion.  The French repertoire will henceforth be limited to the French Canadian folklore and will feature artists such as La Bottine Souriante and Le Vent du Nord.  According to Mario Beaudoin, director of cultural activities at frogcouver.ca, the new orientation “should reach a target audience that is much more sophisticated and demanding of our artistic direction while remaining relevant to our original public, the one that made our partys the hottest partys in town”.  Finally, the official hockey team will change its name from Le National to Les Frogs.  The official jerseys will also be changed and will take on the colors of the former hockey team that represented the French network of the Vancouver CBC (Radio-Canada).

For additional information on the name and orientation changes, please contact Alex “Ribbit” Brabant () or Mario “Kermit” Beaudoin ().

So they spend money on magazines… but have no budget where people are actually looking.. online and though search… amazing stuff.. Source : here and here

On April 1, 2009 Alexandre Brabant, Co-Chair Of SEMPO Canada Search Marketing Association and President of eMarketing 101, as well as many members of SEMPO Canada, will be attending Massive Tech Show in Vancouver (BC) Canada. For this occasion, SEMPO Canada will have a booth (#111 - near main entrance) in the tradeshow area and you will be able to drop by and ask any question about Search Marketing. Everything you need to know about Starting your own Search Marketing campaign from people who eat, sleep and breathe Search Marketing. Darcy Foster, President of VKIStudios.com and his team will also be present. Massive Technology Show Vancouver will be held at Robson Square UBC in Vancouver (BC) Canada (800 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC). The show starts at 9h00AM.

Here is more about the Massive Technology Show Vancouver:
The Massive Technology Show is a three-part, interactive forum that showcases technology to the general business community. This one day event connects business professionals with high tech companies, offering them a chance to learn about new technologies for business in a user friendly environment.

We have free tickets for the tradeshow area & conference, so please get in touch with me if you would like to receive one. Thanks!

Alex Brabant
Co-Chair
SEMPO Canada
alex{at)eMarketing101{dot}ca

Still don’t believe in SEO?

This is a very special project I am bringing on and I am especially happy about this one, since it is a pro-bono agreement. It is the first one I do as eMarketing 101 and I am going to tell why this is so close to my heart. The Zajac Foundation for Children is an non-profit organization that raise money for children with serious and chronic illnesses and disabilities who might not otherwise have a chance to enjoy a summer camp experience. So when Jason Brice came to me and ask for some help with their search marketing plan, the answer was obvious. The idea here is quite simple, kids with a medical condition have the camp from June to September. The rest of the year, the Zajac Ranch for Children rents the facility for groups of all kinds: conferences, private groups, weddings, kids, associations, churches etc. The Ranch itself has everything you can ask for and you can bet that if you scratch yourself on the horseback riding trail, the on-site hospital has everything you can ask for to… love included apparently. 

A lot of my close friends know this but I will share it with everyone now. 10 years ago, I had testicular cancer. A pretty rare one too. I found that having cancer at 27 years old was a pretty disturbing but yet enlightful experience. 3 surgeries later and countless trips to the hospital still seem like a small ordeal compare to what kids with cancer or serious illness have to go through. I considered myself lucky in the end, not having to deal with chemotherapy or radiotherapy but some people are not as lucky, which is why your help counts.

There is a common misconception that has been going around too that I just want to clarify. Alex the man still has 2 balls, but Alex the legend has only one. So the myth continues. 

Please visit the Zajac Ranch for Children & Zajac Foundation when you have a minute and please reserve your spot for your next year’s corporate event or whatever you are responsible to organize.

So where did you look at?

Here is some of it:
Just because the economy isn’t doing so hot right now, doesn’t mean that every business is doomed to fail. But what it does mean is that we as publishers could really use a good brainstorm on how to build out our own business model in ways that are more profitable than costly.

One avenue that has been consistently popular with publishers is adding a job board to their website network. In general, websites that sell job listings are self-service and require very little maintenance from the publisher.

For the full on article: http://www.mequoda.com/articles/website-design/is-there-room-for-an-online-job-board-in-your-business-model/

Our invitations for the last francouver.ca monthly party of the season have started and we invite everyone in the Vancouver (BC) area to come and join us and celebrates our bilingual cultures in our next party which will April 18 at the Anza Club. Here are the details and I hope you can make it:

Francouver.ca Monthly Party For Francophones & Francophiles
Saturday April 18, 2009 at 8h00PM
Anza Club, 3 West 8th Avenue

We are very excited to invite you to sign up to become a member of francouver.ca, a brand new & useful site for the francophones & french speaking enthusiasts living in Vancouver. Also, we invite everyone to our next monthly party because we want to celebrate our bilingual Canadian cultures with you guys. The francouver.ca next party will be at the Anza Club on April 18 2009 from 8h00PM until late. During this party, there will be an open mic with Vern, Marc Laverdière, François, myself and numerous others starting at 7h30pm..., francophone music with DJ (to be determined) & more. Since it is a party, there will be a bar and lots of fun. Music starts at 7h30PM with the open mic and later, you will able to dance on the greatest French songs (and others) from the last few decades.

Every francophone, french speaking, french culture enthusiasts & those who appreciate our bilingual country are invited to this unique monthly event. We hope you are going to be part of it. Activities will be organized throughout the year so stay tuned for more on francouver.ca

Monthly Party Details:
* francouver.ca Monthly Party
* Saturday, April 18, 2009
* 8h00PM until late
* Door: $10
* Drinks: beers, wine & cider, only $4

Anza Club:
* 3 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver

What is Francouver.ca?
Francouver.ca is a personal initiative made possible by Alexandre Brabant & Mario Beaudoin, which focuses on getting to know all francophones, french speaking & french culture enthusiasts living in Vancouver and giving them the ability to network and share their Frenchiness through a lot of activities. In order to do so, we want the site to become a facilitator for these exchanges. The site itself also works as an efficient promotional & communication vehicle for the various activities & events we will organize moving forward. We will also promote all the other events that are happening in the french community in Vancouver & BC as well as discuss important topics related to the community. The site will have a calendar of events, 2 blogs, discussion forum, monthly parties, summer & winter activities, sports teams, travel and more.

Sign-Up Online for Free at Francouver.ca:
Sign-Up Online now at francouver.ca in order to receive all the infos, news & events on the francophone community in Vancouver. This is your site and it is free: francouver.ca

Questions?
For more information, please communicate with Alexandre Brabant at or (778) 371-9988 or Mario Beaudoin at or (604) 228-8554

Vancouver Digital Marketing Group Members use code sempo1 for a 10% discount!
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/247294665?discount=sempo1

2/11/2009 AdWords 301: Advanced Account Optimization
2/12/2009 AdWords 302: Advanced Conversion Optimization

Where:
Four Points by Sheraton Vancouver Airport
8368 Alexandra Rd
Richmond, BC V6X 4A6
8:30 am - 5:00 PM

What are Google(tm) AdWords Advanced Seminars?

The AdWords Seminar for Success Advanced series are two days of interactive education that will help you make the most of the time and money you invest in AdWords. Officially sponsored by Google, you can trust that you are receiving the most accurate and up-to-date information on the best practices for advertising with Google AdWords.

You can choose to attend only one day, or receive a 10% discount if you choose to register for both days! Plus, if you register today, you will also receive:

AdWords Seminar Bonuses
* $100 AdWords Credit ($50 if you register for a single day) **Must Register 7 Days in Advance
* 2 USB Thumb Drives with Presentation Materials (1 for each day)
* Other Google Goodies
* Bonus Presentations:

Day 1: Marketing in a Down Economy: Superior Profits on a Minimal Budget

Day 2: Actionable Items: Step-by-Step: How to Maximize Results for Your Limited Time

Advanced AdWords Seminars Overview
AdWords 301: Advanced Account Optimization focuses on best practices for Keywords, Ad Copy, and Landing Pages in addition to a deep dive into Quality Score, the Content Network, and Geographic Targeting. This day is jam-packed full of tips and techniques you can functionally use to improve your accounts overall perofrmance. You can see the in-depth curriculum here.

AdWords 302: Advanced Conversion Optimization concentrates on how to increase your conversions and your profits! Topics include Bidding Types and Strategies, Tracking Conversions, Split Testing, and Account Organization. The information included in this session can have a positive, dramatic impact on your bottom line - this is a must attend event! You can see the in-depth curriculum here.

Who should attend these seminars?
The 301 and 302 Advanced AdWords seminars are designed for seasoned Search Enginge Marketing professionals. If you are an experienced ppc analyst, manager,or executive these courses are for you.

To see the full course curriculum and to register go to: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/247294665?discount=sempo1

I have been working hard from the last few weeks with James from Adhack and Dan from 67video.com to produce the first video ad for eMarketing 101. After all is said and done, this is what we came up with. Please do provide some feedback as we would like to make another one soon.

eMarketing 101 Ad

The Enquiro webinar series on Search Marketing topics is the best you can find out there and here they strike again with a really cool & important topic: Tactical Methods to Coordinate your SEO and PPC Campaigns. The webinar is this week, Thursday December 18, at 11h00PST (2h00PM Eastern). If you do SEO and/or PPC concurrently to some degree, you have to attend this webinar. Please find some more below about it.

How do SEO and PPC teams work together on achieving joint targets?  What real estate, like the Golden Triangle or “top shelves” of the search results page, can the marketer control?  On December 18, B2B search marketing agencies, Enquiro and Covario, will present tactics and demonstrate how they best leverage one another based on real life examples.  As an attendee, you will also have a chance to interact with the presenters by posting questions during the event, which will cover:
- How to leverage paid search ads to drive organic traffic
- Know when PPC ads compete with, and when they enhance organic listings
- How to measure cannibalization or synergy that comes with joint PPC/SEO efforts - the best testing methods.
- How organic traffic changes when a PPC campaign starts up
- Using paid search as a testing bed for SEO strategy, messaging and keyword exploration

We recommend this webinar to:
Interactive Marketing Managers and Directors, as well as search marketing practitioners.

Register for the webinar now

Date & Time:
Thursday December 18, 2008
11:00am Pacific, 2:00pm Eastern
45 minutes including Q&A period

Panelists:
Gord Hotchkiss, Kyle Grant, and Matthias Blume

Please see bio’s below

Gord Hotchkiss
President and CEO, Enquiro

In understanding search user behavior, no one is a more respected voice than Gord Hotchkiss. He and the research team at Enquiro have built a solid reputation as the leading experts in understanding not only what happens on a search portal, but also why. Gord’s voracious personal curiosity extends into areas as diverse as neurology, psychology, genetics, sociology and anthropology, always with the goal of understanding why we do the things we do and what that means for marketing strategy.

In addition to being the CEO and co-founder of Enquiro, Gord is a director and the past Chairman of SEMPO, a columnist for MediaPost and Search Engine Land, a regular presenter at all the industry shows and a popular keynote speaker.

Kyle Grant
Senior Search Marketing Strategist, Enquiro

As Enquiro’s senior sponsored search strategist, Kyle provides strategy for some of the company’s most demanding and complex B2B and B2C paid search accounts. He has a wealth of experience designing and managing behaviorally targeted local campaigns to multi-million dollar international e-tail campaigns. He is able to combine his skills in data analysis and marketing ability to develop highly targeted ad messaging and campaigns, aiming to not only access the correct target market but to speak to them with the right language. Kyle is also a student pilot and applies the same thoroughness and critical analysis to his sponsored management strategies that keeps him safe in the air.

Matthias Blume
Chief Analytics Officer, Covario

Dr. Matthias Blume develops advanced analytics capabilities to help Covario’s large advertising clients better manage cross-media optimization and to drive automated decision management.  He invented Covario’s patent-pending Paid/Organic Synergy Score and True ROI assessment that are now available in Covario’s Paid Search Insight and Organic Search Insight products.
Prior to Covario, Matthias led targeted marketing, fraud detection, and government R&D projects at Fair Isaac Corporation, Reticular Systems, MESCO Engineering, and the Rockwell Science Center.  Matthias earned his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, San Diego and a B.S. in Applied Physics from the California Institute of Technology.  He has been active in neural network and statistical pattern recognition research for 20 years and has authored over 25 papers, book chapters, and patents.

About the B2B Expert Series
To address current questions facing business to business marketers, Enquiro launched a package of online seminars titled the B2B Expert Series.  The webinar series brings together industry researchers, analysts and practitioners and covers topics such as web analytics, sponsored search marketing, and website user experience. The webinars can be accessed at www.b2bexpertseries.com.