Are the days of blue links gone? Are the days of traditional SERP pages history? These are the first two questions that I asked myself when I entered my first search query into Searchme. Immediately, I was presented a blend of multimedia search results that consisted of full size web pages that I could flip through, similar to flipping through a magazine. Searchme is the first search engine that allows searchers to see what they are searching for by providing images of actual web pages, which helps consumers know what they are getting before they click on an ad; searchers get to try before they buy. Another great feature about Searchme is their one-click Twitter button and the ability to post search results on Facebook, as well as other social networks, which makes sharing your search results with your friends that much easier.

What does this mean for search marketers? The Searchme Ad Platform allows key-word based ads to be placed within search results. This means that ads are presented as visual views. For search marketers, it allows the inclusion of more design concepts into their campaigns. What does this mean for search marketers? First, it means more qualified clicks, as searchers are able to see the web page before clicking on it. Secondly, it means that there is an increased chance of a conversion.

You can learn more about Searchme and hear what GroupM Search’s, Chris Westmeyer, has to say about the search engine in Search Engine Watch’s article here.

Stay tuned, as Chris will be sharing a Searchme Q&A session that he had with Searchme CEO and Founder, Randy Adams.

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At a search marketing event in late 2008, 67% of pre-registered attendees attended, leaving a whopping no show of 33% of pre-registered attendees. As the economic recession has burdened families and corporations alike, and as companies are adjusting budgets to cut corners, I can’t help but ask, has it also affected the attendance at tradeshows and industry events? Are companies looking to save dollars?  Are they not willing to put forth the costs associated with sending staff or having presence at shows because of the economic slow down?

As an attendee of last year’s SES San Jose and SMX East, I felt that attendance at these shows has dramatically dwindled compared to similar or previous events.  Could it be that the content of the sessions is outdated? Are there so many interactive and search-focused shows that content seems redundant? Is content not in tune with the attendees needs? Or is it that advertisers are looking for vendors and partners through other channels?

At search marketing events in 2008, I personally found the session content to be valuable and the speakers to be knowledgeable about the latest trends and technologies in search.  That being said, as I walked the exhibitor floor of SMX East (yes, I was looking for more than cool swag to take back to the office), I noticed that there were not as many attendees walking the floor as there were at SES San Jose; other exhibitors I stopped to speak with, who also attended the same shows agreed with me.  SMX is newer and is a different event than SES, and there’s something to be said about a smaller, more-focused crowd. But this observation led to discussions about the cause for lighter attendance at recent events. Most obvious is the conclusion that companies are starting to cut costs where they can because of the economic recession and that they are willing to absorb any pre-registration costs to save on the other expenses that are associated with attending the show, such as the added cost of travel or the $5,000 to rent booth carpet.

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As January 20, 2009 marked a historical moment for the United States of America with the swearing in of the 44th President, Barack Obama, it also marked a historical moment in social media with the partnership that CNN and social platform, Facebook, made to create, what is seen by many, as the first ever ‘social inauguration.’  While an estimated 2 million people flocked to Washington D.C. to see the inauguration live, others chose to watch the inauguration on the internet because they were either working, or because they would rather interact with their online friends.  This is the first time ever that a Presidential Inauguration, when coupled with social media, performed so well.

So there are a few questions one might ask themselves.  Were the results of the partnership that phenomenal? Was this partnership really that big of a deal?  Does social media really have a place among events such as the Presidential Inauguration?  The answer to these questions are yes, yes and yes! The results and turnout that Facebook saw through this partnership with CNN Live was astonishing; over one million people had signed up for the opportunity to update their status’ via the CNN Live page.  It was reported that there were 4,000 Facebook users updating their status per minute during the broadcast, and that there were 3,000 people commenting on CNN’s page per minute.  It was also reported that there were over 1,000 comments on President’s Barack Obama’s wall that morning alone.  The 44th Presidential Inauguration also captivated a larger audience than the 2008 Superbowl (which had a record high of 94.5 million viewers! – good luck topping that audience Superbowl XLIII).  Even the New York Times took advantage of the opportunity to run video engagement ads on Facebook that would connect users to the New York Times page and engage them to participate in answering a question about what they think that Barack Obama should address first as President.

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