Search is changing. Again. Everyone is in a tizzy about Google Instant.

Anyone talking about it either loves it or hates it. Or thinks its faster. Or thinks its slower.

All I'm concerned with is how it can help me get better results within the search engines.

What's this Google Instant thing you say?

This is simply Google's newest solution for trying to figure out what it is you're trying to search for online. Google will try its very hardest to guess what you're looking for and auto-complete the search words you're using. (gESP anyone?)

I typed "J" and Google tried (and failed) by guessing my intent was Jet Blue. When I typed "Jus" Google's amazing auto-complete algorithm guessed right and served me up more Justin Bieber results than I'll ever need.

How can this help you gain more targeted traffic to your site?

Google believes this solution helps the person searching by finding different search terms. By delivering better alternatives, users will click on those terms they feel better suit their needs. At that time.

What if a refined term doesn't fit the user's mood? Is it suddenly less relevant to the user? One common question I've seen is if this will make some terms receive less traffic than others? Can Google manipulate traffic to those terms they deem more worthy of traffic simply because they can charge more for them within PPC campaigns?

Where are they getting these keyword alternatives from? Google Suggest of course. That can only mean keywords provided in the auto-complete fields will receive higher traffic. Whether or not Google stands to make more money from this strategic move isn't the point. That's another discussion. (And if you happen to think that's just Google being evil & you think they'll profit from these changes, then I suggest you buy Google stock & share in the profits. But then again, wouldn't that just make you evil as well? Hmmm.)

One Solution? Optimize your site for those terms being shown in the auto-complete fields if they're relevant to your content.

How are you adapting?

Posted orininally on: http://whatdidericsay.com/2010/09/wtf-is-google-instant/

If you're still searching for the secret sauce why people like your Facebook page, here's 12 great reasons. This helps put some perspective on a continuous debate...

Here an Interesting graphic showing the comparison between referral traffic received from social media channels vs. Google, for eight very diverse major brands.

Sure, it may not be the perfect apples to apples comparision to our industry, the point being made here is how the referring site traffic mix has changed & the power of a diversified mix of online channels can impact your referral traffic source. (Note: Referral traffic is different than search traffic)

How is the advent of the mobile browser & mobile marketing campaigns changing the way people interact with social sites & the Internet in general? How will these trends continue to affect automotive social media?

Coutersy: FlowTown.com

Click image for detailed view

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Hat tip to the PPCBlog.com for this masterpiece.

Are you tracking how many of your Facebook Fans hide your content?

Whether you grow fans organically or via sponsored ads, you should monitor how many people hide your content from their content stream.

1. On your Fan Page, click the "See All" link within your insights box on the left sidebar
2. On your insights page, scroll to the bottom left graph & uncheck "Total Fans"
3. The graph shows the total number of fans who hide your page's activity
4. (Default drop down selections may need to be changed if these steps don't show the info)

If the percentage of people hiding your content is high, you may want to rethink what you're pushing to your fans.

And, if you're paying for fans, this may be an item you want to pay attention to...

Our fan base is a lot lower than many dealers as its cultivated organically - no ads, no invites - people "like" us on their own. (FYI: ~495 total fans as of today; 5% elected to hide our content - I can live with that)

No ROI, simply ROE. (Return on Effort)

Are you watching other significant analytics elements within your social sites?

Looking for new data to help guide your automotive marketing activity?

Here's a nice HubSpot report w/a detailed overview of online marketing results & trends from '09 and '10.

50+ Charts and Graphs of Original Marketing Research

The Social Media train left the station a long time ago. Stop chasing it. Stop trying to "decide" if its for you. 

A new train has been pulling away and it's headed everywhere. Everywhere consumers are that is. It can be in the form of Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, Rally Up, Whrrl, SCVNGR, MyTown, Miso, Mopho or Google's geolocation API.

Confused about location? Curious about it's utility? Simply tired of reading stale SM content? Here's a great presentation deck showing 20 excellent examples of brands leveraging location beyond a special for the Mayor. (Credit to: David Stutts - Digital Enthusiast)

OK, you joined Driving Sales, you've read everyone's blogs & discussions and you finally wrote your first blog post.

Then you waited anxiously for the comments; checked for email notifications and refreshed your browser. Nothing.

Here's 9 things to help you write an effective blog post and generate more comments and discussion around your topic. 

1. Add your picture to your profile - People want to see who you are - without it you're reduced to a witness-relocation silhouette outline avatar.
2. Complete your Driving Sales profile - Use your LinkedIn profile to copy/paste your info to your online bios, simple & consistent.
3. Write your blog post title in the form of a question or a numbered list - See above if you've already forgotten the title of this post:)
4. Share a tip, trick or a secret - Sharing great content is the basic premise of the Driving Sales community; everyone loves to learn something that can make them look good to other people.
5. Be controversial or contrarian - Offer an opposing view to stimulate a different way of thinking about something. This doesn't mean be a jerk - be tactful & professional.
6. Use bullet points, numbered lists & short paragraphs - Nothing scares off readers faster than a giant block of text. Look how quickly you got to item #6. Painless.
7. Reply to other people's posts - They're hoping for comments just as much as you are; they'll remember you the next time you post an article.
8. Add an image to you post - Simple, people like pictures. Make your post stand out.
9. End your post with a question - Easiest way to create interaction is a question. Think of yourself as a talk show host - ask good questions to get great answers.

What works for you?