| Abstract: | | | | to develop a plan, and finding your niche. Contrary to |
| The latest frontier in search engine technology is | | | | popular belief, the world is not your customer. Often |
| social search. Born out of the social networking | | | | the focus is on pure traffic results, but none of that |
| boom, social search will attempt to humanize search | | | | matters if you're not hitting your sales goals. Answer |
| results thereby providing users with consumer driven | | | | these: |
| answers to their queries. Considering that 50% of | | | | - Who is your ideal customer, what does he look like? |
| queries go unanswered, social search could be the | | | | - Do you merely want 200,000 hits per day or do |
| biggest breakthrough since page ranking. | | | | you want 200,000 hits from people that have a |
| Overview: | | | | problem your product or service can solve? |
| As search giants, Google, Yahoo and MSN continue | | | | - What complementary products or services do they |
| their fierce battle to become king of the search | | | | buy? |
| engines, internet marketers are faced with increasing | | | | - How often do they make purchases, when? |
| challenges to dominate in the rankings. As algorithms | | | | Take the time to identify your target market before |
| and methodologies change, savvy entrepreneurs and | | | | you launch a marketing plan. Make sure to also include |
| Madison Avenue continue their heated battle for a | | | | complimentary offerings through popular email |
| coveted Top 10 spot in search engine rankings. | | | | courses, as in: to educate your audience first. Then, |
| Social search is not officially here but the debut is not | | | | sample them via a survey, to find out more about |
| far off. Yahoo, MSN and Google are all purportedly | | | | them. And, because you gave them something for |
| working on methodologies to converge search and | | | | free, they'll be more willing to fill out the survey. |
| user generated content all while walking the tightrope | | | | Now that you have identified your niche, you'll have a |
| known as "privacy." Yahoo has been beta-testing | | | | much easier time capturing them using SMM. |
| Yahoo Answers since December 2005 and has hired | | | | Marketing whether online or off is all about relevancy, |
| powerhouse, Raghu Ramakrishnan, the co-author of | | | | visibility, and credibility. As an internet marketer you |
| Database Management Systems and co-founder of | | | | want to dominate your niche market by establishing |
| QUIQ. Mircosoft is in talks with Eurekster.com, a | | | | yourself as the expert in your area, delivering |
| company specializing in social search and Google is | | | | content to your potential customer that is relevant |
| experimenting with Google Base Beta. | | | | to their needs and preferences and have greater |
| Why are these internet behemoths investing so | | | | visibility than your competitors. |
| much in social search? Social networks such as | | | | Steps that you can take to achieve expertness with |
| MySpace and Friendster are threatening the | | | | SMM: |
| domination of established search giants. | | | | 1. Become an expert source of information. |
| Social networks are pulling in a significant and | | | | Use the bookmarks and article submission features of |
| increasing share of web traffic. | | | | sites such as Digg to establish yourself as a credible |
| Social network sites are actively working to improve | | | | and recognizable source of information. |
| their internal search capabilities and provide an even | | | | 2. Hitchhike on a blog. |
| richer experience for their members. Search giants | | | | Post relevant and informative content on high profile |
| such as Google, Yahoo and MSN must accelerate | | | | blogs in your industry. Contributing to a blog on |
| their social search efforts or they may be left out of | | | | relevant subject matter will increase your visibility and |
| the search game that they now dominate. Search | | | | credibility with your target market. |
| giants must step it up or they will get left behind. | | | | 3. Share, share, share. |
| Why now, what drives this apparent sudden change? | | | | Create a Squidoo lens, write and publish articles to |
| It is hard to believe that in the early days of the net, | | | | online article banks (i.e. ezinearticles.com), contribute |
| there was an underlying assumption that technology | | | | to wikipedia. Issue quarterly press releases through |
| would replace or hinder human interaction. There | | | | PR Web. Providing content will establish familiarity |
| were those that believed users would prefer getting | | | | with your name (the "haven't I heard of you?" |
| their information from a computer rather than a | | | | effect) and enable you to cement your expertise |
| person. Social networking is really something old made | | | | with your audience. You will then drive pre-qualified |
| new by bringing it online. It turns out we humans still | | | | users to your site, who has already established |
| rely on other humans and technology simply allows us | | | | interest in what you have to sell. |
| to expand the boundaries of our social networks. | | | | 4. Create your own friendly network. |
| Studies have proven what we already knew | | | | Link sharing with complementary products and |
| intuitively, we pay attention to recommendations | | | | services is still a great way to expand your social |
| from real people. | | | | network, and hence your visibility. |
| Social search, viral marketing and social networking | | | | 5. Build on your existing foundation. The technical |
| are not at all new concepts. Social search is really the | | | | aspect of search will not be eliminated with the dawn |
| technology derivative of asking friends and colleagues | | | | of social search. Rather social search will augment |
| for recommendations. In the long ago, dark ages | | | | technical search. Thus, it is important to continue |
| before we "googled", if you needed a mechanic you | | | | utilizing the tools and resources that drive technical |
| asked your neighbor, your colleagues and your | | | | search including optimization techniques and paid |
| friends for a recommendation. We now google for | | | | inclusion. |
| mechanics and visit websites to gain information that | | | | 6. Apply innovation directly to your site. Here's an |
| will help us in our decision. | | | | example: that we are using, and it's a free service. |
| Social search will enable users to combine the two | | | | Summary: |
| for a robust result that combines user driven content | | | | Social search will not entirely replace the traditional |
| or the human element with the power of technology. | | | | technical driven search but does open up yet another |
| Pretty heady stuff, when you contemplate the | | | | avenue for internet marketers. One of the more |
| impact of this new era of search. | | | | exciting aspects is that smaller businesses are better |
| What does all of this mean to the internet marketer? | | | | positioned to make the most gains from the social |
| The internet marketer's goals remain the same - | | | | frontier. We have seen the power of the "regular |
| drive traffic and convert that traffic to profitable | | | | Joe" community in driving site popularity and |
| sales. | | | | outpacing Madison Avenue marketing efforts. |
| Social search will not change the foundation of | | | | YouTube, MySpace and Facebook owe their growth |
| marketing but it will change the way in which you | | | | to the power of viral marketing. Big Business has not |
| present your information to generate leads. In other | | | | yet mastered the art of getting up close and |
| words, you will still need to apply good old fashioned | | | | personal with its users providing savvy entrepreneurs |
| Public Relations and Marketing tactics to the new | | | | with the opportunity of a lifetime. By using the simple |
| fangled Social Search Medium, fondly dubbed SMM by | | | | techniques outlined in this article you will be well |
| some. | | | | poised to take advantage of that opportunity. |
| Drive traffic to your site from social search and | | | | Social Marketing Resources: |
| search engine optimization | | | | Digg, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Flickr, StumbleUpon, |
| To take advantage of social search, the first step is | | | | Newsvine, LinkedIn, Del.icio.us, MySpace, Ma. |