Search Engine Marketing is Dead…at least as we have come to know it in the past. The days of bid power have dwindled, and a time of synergy has emerged. Synergy between account structure, keyword bids, ad copy and landing page quality is now the undeniable recipe for search success.  Never before has a thorough understanding of the mechanism or funnel of search been more important. In fact, not being an expert on the various pieces of search will leave you in a constant state of bewilderment: Why can’t I get to the top of the listings for my best converting terms? Why does the chart mapping my ROI show a continued movement toward higher CPC’s and less profitibility?

The answer is easy…its called Quality Score Optimization (QSO), and it’s the only way to professionally approach search engine marketing in 2007.

***Gotta take some credit here. During a brain storming session earlier this year with fellow Pepperjam execs (myself, Kris, Ken, Aaron, Brock) we came up with the concept of Quality Score Optimization (QSO) - to be fair, it was Ken Mohn, Jr., Pepperjam’s VP of Search that came up with the term. We’ve been building out our SEM management offering around the concept of QSO ever since and the results are incredible.***

Here at Pepperjam we spend countless hours testing the various synergies that are encapsulated by the paradigm of QSO. Through an unyielding dedication to testing, an advertiser can find the perfect quanity of keywords in an adgroup, the best CTR generating ad copy, and tie it together with professionally managed bid strategy and landing page destination.  The perfect synergy of these factors is truly the “Holy Grail” of SEM, and any agency taking a different approach is driving your account into the land of the Obsolete.        

QSO is where it is at…..it is as simple as that.  As CPC costs consistently rise across just about every vertical market on the web, arming yourself with QSO will shield you from this ROI busting click inflation, and allow you to thrive where the competition is literally priced out of the market.  

QSO is mandatory on Google right now, and will be so on Yahoo and MSN inside of three (3) months.  If search is an important advertising channel for your business I would find out all I can about QSO right now…..the life of your SEM initiatives literally depends on it.   

NOTE FROM VIDEOGRAPHER ROBYN MARTIN:

Here we are, week 17 of Meet the Pepperjam Team, and we have one of the Pepperjam veterans…Maggie. Maggie is our HR Director and is probably one of the most outgoing and fun people on our staff. She loves her job, loves the people that she works with, but definitely loves Roxy above all. She, being Roxy’s sitter, has formed a connection with her, unlike anyone else’s on the staff (besides for Roxy’s mom who happens to be writing this article).

Just to tell you briefly the type of person Maggie is, she eats dinner with her entire family at least 2 times a week, has pictures all over her desk of her nieces Nora and Claire, along with her new nephew Nate, and will literally drop what she is doing if her closest family and friends needed her. Don’t you wish you had someone like that in your life? She is a gem and we love her. Everyone, meet Maggie…

For those of you who don’t know the “rules” behind the Meet the Pepperjam Video Series, here they are:

Every Friday Pepperjam will post a new video interview of a member of our staff - everyone will be included - affiliates managers, executives, search-engine marketing managers, directors, software engineers, assistants, online media buyers, and interns. The person being interviewed won’t know he / she has been chosen until about 30 seconds before the interview - this way you’ll get an unrehearsed, real world look at the employee…hopefully, this will make it interesting and non-corporate, which is what we are known and respected for across the internet marketing industry.

Why are we doing this? Well, I am proud of our team and I think you’ll find them as interesting and intelligent as I do. Also, I’m a student of viral video and the social media space and I want to test the waters as it relates to what corporate america is doing (and not doing) to spread buzz and build next generation work places.

Finally, I just thought it would be cool to put some people in front of a video camera that have never done so before, have a little bit of fun, and see if Pepperjam can spread some additional buzz about why we are the leader in online marketing.

FYI - all videos will also be posted to YouTube. If you think what we are doing is outside-the-box and interesting please blog about it and share the story with the world.

Our previous videos include:

Maura Goodwin
Tara Lou
Dean Karasinski
Kim Noler (dated YouTube founder)
Stephanie Yachim
Roxy (Pepperjam’s English Bulldog)
Kris Jones
Katharine Dempsey
Ken Mohn Jr.
Mandy Foley
Tara DeGiusto
Robyn Martin
Kate Sarnak
Aaron Baker
Michelle Foley
Mike Jones

Other fun Pepperjam Vids:
“What would you do for a One Year Supply of Energy Drink”
Naked Crazy Man Video
Pepperjam Adds Ping Pong Table to Pepperplex
Roxy with the Tony Robbins Beach Ball

Let me start by saying that I am blown away by this new move by Microsoft. Word is out today that the software giant reached a deal with aQuantive (owner of Avenue A/Razorfish) to buy them for 6 billion in cash. This news just throws gasoline on the white hot fire of current internet advertsing consolidation.  

We are without doubt in the hottest markeplace on the planet and all serious companis in the online advertsing space should be feeling good right about now. 

My prediction is further consolidation as we are lilkley to see ValueClick aquired in the next few months (my guess would be Yahoo).   I will follow up shortly with more information as the details unfold.

WARNING TO PEPPERJAM STAFF: What’s gonna happen when 100 employees feed lunch to Roxy day-in and day-out?

Please stop feeding Roxy.

I’m a huge fan of AuctionsAds.com and not because Shoemoney (founder of AuctionAds) is a friend of mine.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with AuctionAds, it allows you to monetize your website traffic by displaying LIVE EBAY auctions via the Auction Ads widget.

With AuctionAds, you have the ability to serve ads based on the content of your website via a keyword search technology.

For instance, if you own an “iPod Review” website you simply tell the widget to search EBAY in real-time for related “iPod” products. The Auctions Ads technology delivers the ads on your website via placement of a simple JavaScript code.

When a user clicks on your ad unit and performs an action (i.e., bids on a product, purchases something via “Buy it Now,” registers, or simply wins an auction, you make money.

If you haven’t sign-up yet for AuctionAds you can do so HERE.

Here are 10 Reasons why you must sign-up and display AuctionAds on your website:

1) AuctionAds was created to let users easily leverage the very lucrative eBay affiliate system but in a way that is easy for publishers to use. New users can be running ads and making money with AuctionAds in as little as 5 minutes after signing up with AuctionAds.

2) Geo-targeting - We have relationships with every eBay country programs and automatically geo-target your international traffic for you. If you’re not geo-targeting, you’re giving up valuable revenue.

3) Huge inventory - The depth of items on eBay gives site owners in even the smallest niches the opportunity to show their visitors items they will be interested in.

4) Editorial control - With many advertising programs you give them the power to determine what your page is about and match you to the best advertiser. Many times this can result in ads that are either not related or worst-case could be advertisements you want to avoid.

5) Publisher referral program - Each time your ad is displayed it also includes an automatic link to AuctionAds with your referral id. Many people see the ads and want to run them on their own sites and if someone signs up from your ad you will earn a 2% bonus. Interested in signing-up for the AA Referral program, CLICK HERE.

6) Net-0 payments - Stop waiting 15 to 45 days to get paid. AuctionAds pays the 1st of every month for the previous month.

7) Option to open in a new window - One of the biggest gripes of publishers is that in order to get paid from other advertising programs a user must leave their site. With AuctionAds publishers have the option to open the eBay auction in a new window. This way when they are done shopping on eBay they can resume where they left off at your website.

8 ) Leveraging the highest tiers of the eBay affiliate program - The eBay program has many levels of payouts based on volume. The users of AuctionAds pool together volume to give everyone the highest payouts possible from the eBay program.

9) Additional revenue stream - Due to the pictures in ads and unique nature of AuctionAds you can feel free to run it in conjunction with other popular programs like Google AdSense and Yahoo Publisher Network. If one of these other programs are already working for you, AuctionAds can be a nice additional income stream for you.

10) Great Looking Ads related to your content - AuctionAds can really spice up the look of your website with relevant content. Between the international targeting and the huge inventory of the eBay system its pretty safe to say that AuctionAds is the most flexible advertising program ever.

Welcome to Week #17 of “Meet the Pepperjam Team!”

Can you believe Pepperjam’s YouTube videos are approaching 150K views combined? I don’t know about you but I think that’s great!

This week I conduct an interview with Michael C. Jones (Boner), Pepperjam’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) / General Counsel.

Boner was Pepperjam’s second employee (I being the first) and is an intregral part of the fabric of Pepperjam. Simply stated, without Michael there would not be a “Pepperjam” as we know it today. Mike’s leadership has been extraordinary and his creativity and insightfulness have been monumental to Pepperjam’s success.

Thanks to Mike’s leadeship Pepperjam is one of the fastest growing companies in the Unites States. More importantly, we are the most aggressive, innovative, and fun internet marketing agency in the known world.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy Mike’s video:

For those of you who don’t know the “rules” behind the Meet the Pepperjam Video Series, here they are:

Every Friday Pepperjam will post a new video interview of a member of our staff - everyone will be included - affiliates managers, executives, search-engine marketing managers, directors, software engineers, assistants, online media buyers, and interns. The person being interviewed won’t know he / she has been chosen until about 30 seconds before the interview - this way you’ll get an unrehearsed, real world look at the employee…hopefully, this will make it interesting and non-corporate, which is what we are known and respected for across the internet marketing industry.

Why are we doing this? Well, I am proud of our team and I think you’ll find them as interesting and intelligent as I do. Also, I’m a student of viral video and the social media space and I want to test the waters as it relates to what corporate america is doing (and not doing) to spread buzz and build next generation work places.

Finally, I just thought it would be cool to put some people in front of a video camera that have never done so before, have a little bit of fun, and see if Pepperjam can spread some additional buzz about why we are the leader in online marketing.

FYI - all videos will also be posted to YouTube. If you think what we are doing is outside-the-box and interesting please blog about it and share the story with the world.

Our previous videos include:

Maura Goodwin
Tara Lou
Dean Karasinski
Kim Noler (dated YouTube founder)
Stephanie Yachim
Roxy (Pepperjam’s English Bulldog)
Kris Jones
Katharine Dempsey
Ken Mohn Jr.
Mandy Foley
Tara DeGiusto
Robyn Martin
Kate Sarnak
Aaron Baker
Michelle Foley

Other fun Pepperjam Vids:
“What would you do for a One Year Supply of Energy Drink”
Naked Crazy Man Video
Pepperjam Adds Ping Pong Table to Pepperplex
Roxy with the Tony Robbins Beach Ball

We are happy to announce that Brian Knapp, aka BlackbeardSEO, has been chosen the Elite Retreat - Orlando (June 8 - 9) Golden Ticket WINNER!

Allow us to congratulate Brian as he will receive Free Admission to Elite Retreat Orlando, two days free lodging, and free meals (breakfast & lunch) during the conference.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our contest!

We received more entries than all past Elite Retreat contests combined and we were blown away by the thoughtfulness of the responses we received!

Based on the quality and quantity of applications we have received from internet marketers all over the world, Elite Retreat - Orlando is likely to sell-out within the next few days. As a result of strong demand and limited supply we strongly encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to guarantee our consideration.

Official Sign-up - CLICK HERE!

Questions? Please contact Tara at tara@eliteretreat.info.

Here are the details of the event:
DATE: June 8 – 9, 2007
PLACE: Hilton in the Walt Disney Resort, Orlando, Florida
PRINCIPAL SPEAKERS: Jeremy “Shoemoney” Schoemaker, President, Shoemoney Media Group (Online Monetization Expert); Lee Dodd, President, Earners Forum (Community / Forums Expert); Kristopher B. Jones, President, Pepperjam (Search-Engine / Affiliate Marketing Expert); Neil Patel, CTO, Pronet Advertising (Social Media Expert); David Adams, President, CPA-Affiliates.com (CPA Expert).
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Alex Zhardanovsky, Co-Founder, AzoogleAds

Hey Guys, Brock Siegel here. I just wanted to introduce myself since this is my first post. I am the VP of Business Development here at Pepperjam and I want to say, THIS PLACE ROCKS!! On a daily basis I cannot believe the fun that we have here and the amazing people that I work with. From dealing with Fortune 500 companies on a daily basis, to schooling Mike Jones and Ken Mohn Jr. in Ping Pong, Chugging cans of Red Bull and making viral videos, I cannot believe that I actually work here. On the other side of the coin we worked SUPER hard to get where we are, and we are so HOT right now, the leads that come in on a daily basis range from legitimate “I can’t believe they just called us, they are a publicly traded company” to the slightly insane.

Every morning when I get into my office I sit down and look at my overflowing inbox; I must have hundreds of unread emails. One of my favorite things to do though is to just weed through the 500+ leads that we get a week. We need to be very selective with the clientele that we take on these days especially when you have emails in your inbox like this one:

“After first hearing the voice of God speak to me, I was shown creation as it truly is and was instructed to not only write about it but also teach it. On the following website www.prophetormadman.com there is a little more info as well as a short clip. What I am most interested in is developing a marketing champagne to promote understanding in this world. I believe that a good place for people to begin is to read Prophet or Madman first. Later plans call for developing a spiritual center to teach spiritual awareness rather then focus on organized religion. After reviewing this site, it appears that Kristopher is open minded enough to understand the message I want to present. If possible, I would very much appreciate it if whoever looks at this shares it with him. Thank you in advance. With Love and Light Brother”

Needless to say this lead made me chortle enough to want to post it and share it with the faithful pepperjamBLOG readers. So what do you guys think? Should we take them on as a client? Think we can take them to the top?

Please feel free to share your own client stories with us here on the blog, just post some love in the comments section.

Til’ Next Time

Brock

WOW! What a whirlwind of a week, first we have a wildly popular YouTube Video and as a result of that we have won a years supply of free energy drink from Who’s Your Daddy? and now we have a great video from Michelle Foley.

Welcome to Video #16 in the “Meet the Pepperjam Team” series.

This week on Meet the Pepperjam Team. Michelle Foley, A Senior Search Marketing Manager, tells us about her love of the finer things in life such as golfing, backpacking in Europe, studying in Spain and Cooking. Watch and Listen as Michelle tells us about her love of the NCAA Tournament, Joe Paterno, why she LOVES working at PepperJam and her love for Jam Bands. Michelle is full of Love. (Must be all that Grateful Dead)

Michelle is relatively new to the staff but you would never be able to tell based on how well she manages her accounts. She is a PSU Alum, who has come back to the area because of the great opportunities available here. Michelle brings with her worldly knowledge and a zen like attitude that has helped her to become a great account manager.

Lets take a stroll down Shakedown Street with Michelle and see what she is all about!

For those of you who don’t know the “rules” behind the Meet the Pepperjam Video Series, here they are:

Every Friday Pepperjam will post a new video interview of a member of our staff - everyone will be included - affiliates managers, executives, search-engine marketing managers, directors, software engineers, assistants, online media buyers, and interns. The person being interviewed won’t know he / she has been chosen until about 30 seconds before the interview - this way you’ll get an unrehearsed, real world look at the employee…hopefully, this will make it interesting and non-corporate, which is what we are known and respected for across the internet marketing industry.

Why are we doing this? Well, I am proud of our team and I think you’ll find them as interesting and intelligent as I do. Also, I’m a student of viral video and the social media space and I want to test the waters as it relates to what corporate america is doing (and not doing) to spread buzz and build next generation work places.

Finally, I just thought it would be cool to put some people in front of a video camera that have never done so before, have a little bit of fun, and see if Pepperjam can spread some additional buzz about why we are the leader in online marketing.

FYI - all videos will also be posted to YouTube. If you think what we are doing is outside-the-box and interesting please blog about it and share the story with the world.

Our previous videos include:

Maura Goodwin
Tara Lou
Dean Karasinski
Kim Noler (dated YouTube founder)
Stephanie Yachim
Roxy (Pepperjam’s English Bulldog)
Kris Jones
Katharine Dempsey
Ken Mohn Jr.
Mandy Foley
Tara DeGiusto
Robyn Martin
Kate Sarnak
Aaron Baker
Megan Rogan

Other fun Pepperjam Vids:
Naked Crazy Man Video
Pepperjam Adds Ping Pong Table to Pepperplex
Roxy with the Tony Robbins Beach Ball

Pepperjam, the world’s most wildly fun and innovative online marketing agency, announced today that Who’s Your Daddy, Inc. has awarded them a contract for a free one year supply of energy drink.

Also, don’t be surprised if you see Pepperjam rolling around on the conference circuit with some badass Who’s Your Daddy swag.

I don’t know about you, but I think this is totally cool.

What’s the inside scoop? How did Pepperjam win a free one year supply of free energy drink?

Two days ago I blogged about a video that was created by Pepperjam Media as part of a quest to win an energy drink contract. No, Who’s Your Daddy, Inc. didn’t have an official contest, but we informed them ahead of time that we wanted to create a viral video and place it on YouTube under the title, “What would you do for a free one year supply of energy drink?” They agreed to send us enough product (and some swag) to cut the video. I personally didn’t have anything to do with the production or the direction of the video; instead, I just told my team to add some subtle product placement throughout the video.

The purpose of the video was to be outside-the-box and not overly professional - we definitely accomplished that based on the success of the video. As I write this post we have received 95,558 views, 328 ratings, 157 comments, and 11 Honors, all within a time span of 72 hours.

Prior to shooting the video we had one and only one thing in mind: free energy drink. We figured a jackass style production with a featured character (Cremenator) would work best. Yes, we could have kicked Cremenator in the scrotum and watched him suffer, which would have been funny, but instead we decided to dress him up like an action hero and roll him like a bowling ball down our hallway into a stack of razor sharp boxes. The risk of a serious paper cut was for real and we had a medics staff close-by in case of injury. Not.

Note the mostly subtle product placements - I think the guys did a great job without going overboard.

I should mention that while we fully anticipated displaying our social media optimization (SMO) skills, I was surprised by the viral nature of this video and how quickly it caught fire. I was also surprised that so many comments were controversial or in some cases outright negative, but I guess that goes along with the jackass-style we chose and the fact that our main character (Cremenator) was rolled through a pyramid of harmless boxes instead of barrels of sulfric acid.