Similar to the way Starbucks made gourmet coffee available to the masses, the explosion of Smartphone devices has taken search to something consumers do not just enjoy at work or at home, but anytime and anywhere they please. The capability of browsing the Internet is now available wherever a smartphone user has service. From finding customer reviews to specific applications that enhance travel or shopping experiences, search functionality is fueling the consumption of mobile marketing.

In fact, the flood of helpful applications is one of the components in the staggering increase in mobile search. Many recent studies, including one just released by Compete (Kantar Media company), display a significant boom in the use of local search, social networking and gaming on smartphones. The quarterly Smartphone Intelligence survey provides behavioral and survey-based insights into how consumers are using iPhones, BlackBerrys, Android devices and other smartphones.

This information comes on the heels of the 90% increase in mobile searches reported by comScore from April data. Compete’s study provides deeper insight, divulging how consumers are enjoying better Smartphone experiences to search for local businesses.

Among other findings the study revealed consumers increasingly rely on their mobile phones to search for retailers. Nearly one in three smartphone owners has called or visitied a local business after finding it using a local search application. In Q1 2010 alone, close to one-third of Android and iPhone owners discovered at least two new businesses that they were not previously aware of as a result of using local search applications.

“With the increasing popularity of local search, retailers should ensure their sites are optimized for mobile browsers,” states Danielle Nohe, Director, Technology and entertainment for Compete. “Making it easy for consumers to discover businesses via their devices opens local companies up to a whole new customer demographic, and savvy businesses should make sure they’re maximizing this opportunity.”

Just like it has been for years on desktops and laptops, Google is the leading search engine on mobile devices. Remarkably, the search giant has an even stronger statistical dominance with some reports finding more than 95% of all mobile searches happening via Google. Granted, being the default search engine on the iPhone and building the main competitor to Apple’s smartphone does provide an unprecedented edge. And we all should have known the mighty Google would be at the forefront of this financial windfall after what eMarketer revealed about the mobile search game in 2007: “Competition for the US mobile search market promises to be fierce, thanks to the large US online ad market and strong pushes by portals. By 2011, mobile search will account for around $715 million, or almost 15% of a total mobile advertising market worth nearly $4.7 billion.”

This insightful nugget into an emerging financial boon, fuels the current Internet versus telecom industry gold rush for control of the consumer mobile search business. From what I understand, in this complex quest each side harbors significant advantages and limitations. The only truth that can be uncovered is nobody really knows which side will win. Fortunately for most of us, it really does not matter. We’ll just reap the rewards of better capabilities and functionalities.

So the takeaway here is pretty straightforward. Make sure your search presence extends well into the mobile scene. The search is on and the stakes are high. If consumers do not find you, they are likely to find your competitor.

• 49% of marketers stated they will reallocate more budget dollars to search marketing from print advertising according to a recent report from the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization

• 55% of Online Video Viewers OK with Web Ads - eMarketer

Barona Resort & Casino is a premiere entertainment destination in San Diego County and a tribally-owned enterprise of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. The property features a 400 room hotel, an award-winning golf course, a luxury spa, fine restaurants and a large casino featuring a multitude of slots and table games.

Late last year, Barona Resort & Casino contracted Rhythm Interactive to provide services for email marketing needs. We migrated them from their old platform, “PostFuture,” into our integrated direct marketing platform, “RhythmMail.” This step alone was a major decision and based on our ability to provide more sophisticated tools and a platform that can scale with their needs.

In addition to supplying the platform to conduct email marketing, we provide strategic consulting and best practices for email campaign execution. Our services have enhanced their in-house capabilities resulting in a continuous stream of targeted and personalized email messages to their growing customer base and prospects.

Barona Resort & Casino also extends opportunities to us for other interactive marketing initiatives such as specialized campaigns consisting of microsites, social media and email. Recently Barona’s Online Marketing Manager, Michael Krupinsky participated in our successful Social Media Seminar as one of the panel speakers, sharing his insights on the successes the brand has seen in their integrated social media approach with their fan base.

We greatly value the relationship we have developed with Barona Resort & Casino. They are not only a great client to have, but are a pleasure to work with as well. We congratulate them on their designation as client of the month and thank them for their continued business and partnership.

Arguably the biggest competitor to challenge Google for PPC dominance is Facebook. The context of the user experience is different through this channel, in that people are interacting in a social media platform, rather than actively searching for information on a search engine like Google. However, it is relevant since the PPC model has been dominated by placing sponsored text ads on the platform. Facebook allows large brand advertisers to take advantage of their banner advertising through a PPC model, enabling even small advertisers to participate in smaller ad placements that combine text and a small image. What is exciting is the ease-of-use for small advertisers and the targeting features available. All that information being stored in everyone’s Facebook profile, is allowing advertisers to segment their audience and deliver targeted ads in an efficient manner. As more advertisers come on board, this will challenge Google and Yahoo for their dominance in various PPC models.

LinkedIN deserves attention as well. Earlier this year, they launched their own program similar to Facebook. Of course the context of LinkedIN is all business, enabling B2B marketers to benefit greatly from this channel. The program is easy to use and allows users to choose from a CPM or PPC model. Segmentation tools allow you to choose three of six criteria to build a target audience for each ad. Criteria include geographic location, job title, company size and more. Again the ease-of-use is incredible and I expect this program to become a big success for LinkedIN, taking more bites out of the traditional search engine PPC model.

Applications mustn’t be forgotten when it comes to PPC opportunities. With the exponential rise of apps on the iPhone, iPad, Droid and other platforms, more people than ever before are engaging with these interactive experiences. It is no secret that with the people flooding to applications, advertisers are bound to follow. App networks are starting to appear on the scene touting PPC models for monetizing their app traffic. The iAd network recently announced by Apple should be incredible. All these apps means more variety and avenues for advertisers to leverage and should continue to drive down the rising prices of PPC advertising on Google.

The block party just got bigger for PPC and the neighborhood is swarming with participants. The question for you is which house on the block are you going to spend time at or are you even coming to the party? As I mentioned earlier, the PPC world was getting pretty stagnant but this year begins an exciting new phase of PPC advertising. The trends of social media and apps are here to stay which means that Search Engines will not solely dominate the PPC market for much longer. This will also create a need for potential advertisers to seek out Search experts to have them navigate the most cost-effective channels for a particular advertiser. Let’s see where it evolves by next year, but above all else, don’t miss the opportunity to party!

Inbound links are an important part of the correct approach to getting search engine visibility.  Most SEO experts will agree that keyword dense content is “King” and while I completely concur, it must also be said that inbound links are “Queen”.  The simple truth is, that in order to achieve desired rankings, especially in a competitive space, both content and inbounds links must be utilized to win the rankings battle.  I personally feel that on a percentage basis, the breakdown is approximately 65% content and 35% inbound links.  However, regardless of the mix, the key take away is the two parts must be employed to get the best possible rankings.

Until social media came along, inbound links were typically established by targeting complimentary websites and then contacting the webmaster with a link request.  Some sites would respond by either rejecting or fulfilling the request, others would want a reciprocal  link (which does not really help improve rankings) and some would want to charge.  In addition to the simple link request strategy (which is still effective), there are also less than unorthodox tactics such as link farms that should be avoided as the risks are high.

Today, one of the best ways to generate inbound links is through social media.  People use social media for many different reasons and a good portion of them use it to tell and/or recommend information to others about products, events, services, etc. This means that social media, by nature, involves people listing links to third party websites within their posts and messages to others. Understanding this is key to establishing an effective inbound link program.  In a nutshell, your strategy should focus on leveraging various social media channels to take advantage of content and networks that have already been created by others.

Here are a few examples:

Blog Commenting - This tactic begins with research to identify industry related blogs that have traffic and a good reputation.  The next step is to post comments on recent posts with links back to relevant content sections of your site.  But, be careful not to overdo it.  You must make sure that your comments are related to the content in the post and that the link that you are suggesting offers related content that is of value.

Blog Influencers - This tactic builds off of the first.  The goal is to identify key bloggers in your industry that have a strong following and that write content that is complimentary to your business strategy.  Once you identify these industry champions, reach out to them.  Let them know that you like what they write about and ask if they’d be willing to write a post about something that your company is doing that would provide value to their audience. If you’re able to get a few key influencers to include information and a link back to relevant content on your site, it’s a huge score!

Networking Communities - There are many communities on the Internet where individuals network with each other.  Some are specialized and very focused on specific subjects.  The key here is to find communities that would be interested to know about your products, services, thoughts, ideas, etc.  Then, join the community and become active in it.  When it makes sense, share information by posting comments that contain links back to relevant content on your website.

Twitter - Just like blog influencers there are extremely active tweeters out there.  The goal here is to identify those that are focused on your industry, products, services or something related to them.  The approach is to Direct Message these individuals with valuable information that they in turn will post to their extensive group of followers.  The challenge is to identify these individuals and then to provide them with content that they will view as something they should share.

These tactics are just some examples of how social media can be leveraged to generate inbound links. Taking advantage of them will greatly help your SEO efforts and in general work to drive traffic to your website.  Social media is a vast movement within the online landscape and it offers many different channels to network through.  From an inbound link perspective, narrowing down the sea of possible targets by focusing on relevant and complimentary websites, blogs and network communities can and will improve SEO.

With this knowledge in hand, business owners clamor to find the secret sauce to quickly climb to the top of Search Engine Result Pages (SERP). The basic recipe is simple: find the right set of ingredients (keywords), mix properly into website copy, bake for a few months (approximate time it takes to attain meaningful rankings) and taste the fruits of victory in the form of a business boom.

However, the means of earning and maintaining the most lucrative rankings is much more troublesome. This causes some to fall prey to sneaky tacticians who often attempt to trick their clients in the same fashion they toil in chicanery with the mighty search engines.

This is the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), where symbols of the Wild West have always been front-and-center. Here Google, Yahoo! and Bing continue to lay down guidelines to halt undesirable behavior. Those who follow the letter of search engine laws are considered White Hats (the good guys). These are allies of the search engines who preach and practice the prescribed formula for SERP success. They practice straightforward, well-conceived and proven methodologies.

Meanwhile, those who continue to pursue top billing by any means necessary are Black Hats (the bad guys). These lawless rebels live their lives in a constant showdown with Search Engines. They view the pursuit of top billing as a conflict with the search engine algorithms where victory should be achieved by any means necessary. This often leaves them hiding in the shadows, hoping to survive and thrive without being noticed. They can win a few short-term battles along the way, but sooner or later their cover is blown and in the end the search engines win the war.

Once a search engine catches onto an illicit practice, it will shoot down your site with a significant drop in ranking or in some cases ban your site from the search engine altogether. Incidentally, both outcomes have the same impact, removing your product or service from the eyes of millions of would-be consumers. After all, being on page three or lower in search engines makes your business virtually invisible. The sentences from the search engine judges can lead to a long road back to any prominent placements. In fact, many companies are forced to scrap their existing websites, find a new URL and start from scratch. Often this is a quicker remedy than fixing a tarnished site’s legacy.

Can your business afford to be in the middle of a gunfight? Probably not. So here are a few common black hat techniques to avoid:

Cloaking – showing the search engine spider content to rank highly but display different content for human visitors.

Keyword Stuffing – cramming as many keywords—or repeating keyword phrases—onto a single page making it nearly unreadable for users. This goes for your code and meta data as well.

Hidden Text – hiding keywords in text or links that are invisible to the website visitor but can be seen by search engine spiders.

Doorway Pages – developing pages that are often no part of the regular site navigation because they contain worthless content that solely exist to rank well in the search engines.

Redirect Pages – misguiding users from the listing they clicked on to a different page altogether. Usually the page that earned the ranking is a keyword-stuffed landing page that quickly redirects to the real page.

Duplicate Content – setting up multiple websites with the same content or having several pages on a site with essentially the same information but different keywords inserted here and there.

Code swapping – gaining high SERP by submitting a text heavy version of a web page to the search engines, then once the page is well-ranked changing everything to be more desirable for human visitors. Keep in mind search engine spiders return to every page on a routine basis, especially when content is changed.

Bad Neighborhoods – linking is a critical component to SEO success, when done properly.  However, links from unrelated sites or groups of sites with questionable practices can be detrimental. Be cautious and smart about who you are linking to and receiving links from.

Link Farms – grouping of sites that are all interlinked to one another with no informational relevancy, but simply in an effort to boost the link popularity of the sites.

SEO Spam  – providing the web with countless worthless pages of meaningless content, created specifically for the purpose of ranking well in the engines. The listing looks great on a SERP, but once you land on the page there is just a bunch of ads or listings of other sites.

Some warning signs your SEO provider may wear a black hat include:

• Out of the blue solicitations claiming they saw a flaw on your site, which should be treated in the same manner as fad diets and ‘performance’ enhancement offers.
• A gaudy guarantee of top ranking in Google, Yahoo! or Bing. Especially if they do identify if the listing will be organic or paid.
• Speaks of “special relationships” with major search engines such as Google, Yahoo! or Bing. While some lower-tier and vertical search engines might have these backdoor deals, the real trusted sources of the searching masses do not.
• Fails to give you proper insight for their secret sauce. If you can’t see the logic in an SEO plan, odds are there isn’t one in place and search engines will realize shenanigans are going on.
• Forces you into linking to the SEO company itself or any of their client sites that is not relevant or desirable for your site to link to.

At Rhythm Interactive, we wear White Hats and believe this approach is best for our clients. Our team follows the best practices prescribed by the top search engines. For more information on what these search engines want, check out these links:

Google Webmaster Guidelines

Yahoo! Search Content Quality Guidelines