The title caught your attention, didn’t it? Like most things, that statement is both true and false, depending on your perspective. The good news? It’s true that Microsoft has revamped their Paid Search Platform, making it very user-friendly and accessible for the small and local business market. If you have tried this tool in the past and found it difficult to use, follow this link and give it another try: http://advertising.microsoft.com/small-business/grow-your-business
So what’s the bad news? You still have to pay for every click. Before you start this process it’s best to ask yourself, “Have I done everything I can to optimize my website and place pages?” Before spending money on paid ads, make sure your business is well represented in the organic areas of the search engines. Find the words you are not ranking for and think about targeting those with your paid search budget.
Will Apps be the next frontier for online searching? The jury is out but the future looks clear. Have you ever heard of Quixey? Most people – even the so-called tech-savvy – haven’t. Throw it out at the next cocktail party and play the part of the well-informed guy! Apps present an interesting dilemma in the universe of online searching. Here’s the reason why: Apps represent amazing pods of content. Just think of all the Apps you use to record the exercise you do, the food you eat, and the music you listen to!
Currently, the search engines do not index these Apps. (The content inside the App is not indexed.) You guessed it: someone figured out a clever way to bridge the gap. Enter the new breed of search engines! Interestingly enough, one of the primary investors of Quixey is Eric Schmidt, a founder of a little company called Google. Quixey is branding itself as a new kind of search, which is an important distinction. As the App-iverse grows it needs an engine to help make sense of it all.
Some say the rise of HTML 5 will bridge this gap and that the App engines will be consolidated into the “big” algorithm. Regardless, it is an interesting way to make sense of the App universe. Rest assured, there are those who will not stop until all that content can be indexed and entered into the overall search landscape.
