In a recent article entitled “Companies to Spend More on Internet Marketing This Year – Survey” written by Nina Varghese from PlanetInsane.com, Nina talks about how Google and Bing are set to see in increase in ad budgets because more companies who were recently surveyed will allocate more money to Internet Marketing than the previous year. The article also goes on to say that many of the retailers surveyed, will put more dollars into Bing/Yahoo. However, what the article did not mention at all was Facebook Ads, which has seen an increase in Ad revenues over the past year. According to SoftPedia.com, they project that Facebook’s Display Ad Network will beat rivals Google and Yahoo this year. Moreover, another interesting thing to note from the SoftPedia Article is “the new revenue doesn’t even come from other web advertising budgets, it’s mostly drawing from budgets previously reserved to traditional venues, like TV.”

So, now that we are starting to see a trend where more and more companies are continuing to shift more Ad dollars to the Internet, I want to know where “Tactically speaking”  will they be spending them. I would like to know the following:

• Search Networks
• Google Re-marketing
• Yahoo Behavioral Targeting
• Display Networks
• YouTube
• Mobile
• Facebook Sponsored Stories
• Facebook Fan Pages
• Facebook Ads (external)

More Ad Dollars means Better Efficiency:
According to Nina at PlanetInsane, she states “About 41 per cent of the companies surveyed said that they would divert some spend on Bing, for their Internet marketing. The latest technology enables advertisers to move search campaigns to Bing.” Now, the AdCenter Desktop Editor is easier than the Bing Platform, but still is not as efficient as the Adwords Editor. On the other hand, there are much better alternatives than these Editors. In fact, software companies who focus just on the PPC Industry provide features which would significantly reduce the headaches of all of the “day to day in the weeds”. For example, Acquisio’s PPC Management Software and Performance Media Platform offers the following:

• Google Search & Display
• Display Retargeting
• Yahoo/Bing, Facebook Ads
• Tracking and Attribution
• Bid Automation & Rules
• Terrific Reporting

 
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According to Google, “Call Metrics works by assigning and placing a toll-free forwarding number next to your ad text on Google search pages. When a user sees your ad and calls the number, AdWords registers the call and forwards it to your business.”

Google’s Call Metric Stats So Far to Date:

• Google says they have connected 5 million+ calls for thousands of businesses.
• Calls generated from ads using Call Metrics last six minutes, on average.

New “Bells and Whistles”:

• Reporting is now available at the ad group and campaign level for manually-dialed calls (subject to minimum volume).
• Continue to segment reports to compare how many calls were received from mobile clicks-to-call and how many were manually dialed after the ad was shown on a desktop, notebook, or tablet computer.

New Pricing Structures:

• A $1.00 USD (or equivalent in CAD) charge applies to manually dialed calls completed to your Google forwarding numbers. These calls occur when a potential customer on a desktop, notebook or tablet computer sees your ad and dials the number shown.
• Pricing for mobile clicks-to-call remains unchanged, whether you use Call Metrics or not. They continue to be charged as regular mobile search ad clicks.

Most Interesting:
One of the most interesting pieces of this post, is their mention of a future release called Ad Rank calculations which identify Ad Position and CPC. Google states the following:

“In a future release, we plan to incorporate calls into Ad Rank calculations, which determine an ad’s position and cost per click. At that time, you’ll be able to influence your ad position by specifying a bid per call greater than $1.00 USD. This will parallel the way that clickthrough rate (CTR) and max CPC bids can influence Ad Rank today.”

In Conclusion
Google continues to provide it’s advertisers more ways to spend money and at the same time take out the competition for those 3rd party companies offering additional services (outside of Google) to enable the advertiser to get the most out of their investment. However, Google is very smart to be developing these tools for free because they are continually finding ways to get more advertisers dollars. With every Google release of a new tool for the platform, it forces 3rd party software companies to push the envelope and come up with more innovative ideas and that is not necessarily a Bad thing (from an advertiser’s view of course)

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Question #1:
Can you tell us a little more about the new Trellian Direct Search Network as well as the benefit it provides for the typical advertiser who is already using Traditional Search Engine Marketing?

Answer:
The Trellian Direct Search Network is a direct navigation platform. Direct search or direct navigation as most of your audience knows, is a search performed in the address bar followed with a dot com. Trelllian Direct Search Network platform provides publishers and advertisers with highly targeted traffic redirected to their website.

Direct navigation is powerful because this is the fastest route a customer can take to your site. Research shows that direct navigators convert nearly 50% greater as users are presented a website highly relevant to their search. Because direct navigation by passes search engines altogether the Trellian platform provides marketers a powerful extension to any search marketing campaign.

Trellian controls the destination of 200 million unique visitors every month.

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Question #2:
Can you explain to our audience the unique differences between Trellian Direct Search Network and the very familiarized Search Engine Google, Yahoo and MSN/Bing?

Answer:
Search Engine marketing without search engines. Direct navigation bypasses search engines altogether. With this method, the visitor is redirected straight to your website. Unlike organic or paid search your customer does not have to decide which ad or listing to click. No competing ads, no banners, no organic listings.

Recent independent studies by Mozilla and UCLA confirmed that direct navigation is a major part of the web user experience. Researchers discovered that direct navigators behave differently to traditional search engine users in three key ways: Far higher purchase intent-Not browsing, looking to buy -Not looking at alternative products or services.

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Question #3:
Trellian in the past has been recognized for it’s KeywordDiscovery Tool and other reputable products. Why are you now entering the Search Marketing Industry with such as unique vertical? Has this idea been in the works for a while or was this just something that sort of happened overnight?

Answer:
Trellian is a global leader in innovative web based services and solutions for SEO/SEM, advertisers, publishers, web developers and domain portfolio holders. Since 1997, Trellian has delivered quality products and services for government, fortune companies, online marketers and SEM professionals.

Trellian is acutely aware of the market shifts and needs and creates solutions to serve those needs.. Search engine marketers are seeking alternative traffic sources with higher conversions opportunities at a lower cost. Trellian Direct Search Network is our answer to delivering quality targeted traffic .

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Question #4:
How does the Trellian Direct Search Network model work?

Answer:
The Trellian bid interface is a bidding platform where you pay for unique visitors PPV. If you are used to running a PPC campaign then our interface is going to feel very familiar to you.

Enter a keyword with an option to add stop keywords, for specific targeted keyword campaigns. Trellian delivers matched, targeted unique visitors from domains in our network. Our PPV is, on average, 70% less than that of the average search engine CPC, without the competition. Trellian Direct Search Network delivers a platform that compliments current search engine campaigns.

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Question #5:
With the emergence of PPC Software Tools such as Acquisio, ClickEquations, etc… in the marketplace, is the Direct Search Network compatible with these tools? If not yet, do you have any plans for this integration?

Answer: Much like our KeywordDiscovery tool the Trellian Direct Search Network provided an API for clients or agencies performing volume bid buys. TheDirect Search Network API can easily be implemented in any PPC tool. Requirements are posted in the API manual

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Question #6:
Web Analytics plays a huge part in the continued success of any online advertiser. Does the AdNetwork provide detailed reports and analytics needed to monetize efficiently? Can your platform support additional Google or other web analytics tracking?

Answer:
The network provides reports of traffic that is sent to your campaign. In the campaign set up we recommend that advertisers add their own tracking code or implement our suggested code to manage and track results.

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Question #7:
Why Should an Advertiser Choose Trellian’s Direct Search Network?

Answer:
Trellian makes Direct Navigation Marketing effective because we have the three key requirements covered: know how,infrastructure, and meaningful amounts of traffic. Advertisers need to know that they are working with someone that can be trusted. Trellian is the name behind many of the leading innovations in Search Engine Marketing and controls the ultimate destination of over 200 million Direct Navigation searches every month.

The Trellian Direct Search Network may not be for everyone. A Trellian account manager works with advertisers to identify specific needs and assist in creating a campaign. If we cannot help in specific areas we will be the first to tell you.

SemGeek is excited to announce that this year's 2nd annual Search Camp Philly Conference will not only include Search Marketing Pioneer Mike Grehan, but also a chance for one lucky attendee to win a full one (1) year subscription of Trellian's Keyword Discovery Software (that's worth $600). The SearchCampPhilly Conference will be held on October 3rd & 4th (Sat & Sun) at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. The two day conference is a very affordable $21 bucks, so it's a "no-brainer"

My good friend and Search Expert Liana Evans of Serengeti Communications and Search Marketing Gurus.com states on the SearchCampPhilly website "We're
back with the 2nd annual Search Camp for Philly! SearchCamp this year will be
October 3rd and 4th, 2009. Talk about an exciting time to be in the Delaware
Valley and to be in online marketing with all that's happening with search marketing
and social media – we've got one heck of an agenda focusing on all of that!

This is our second foray into a "somewhat unconference" conference
(the IM-DV group came together to plan the agenda, but there's open slots
to do your own thing if you like), we've teamed up with PodCamp
Philly to present a weekend of great information by great speakers with
a whole bunch of fun. If you don't walk away with some new ideas, and great
things to implement, we'll be thinking you might have been sleeping through
the sessions.

LIST OF SPEAKERS:

We've got a heck of a line up for Search Camp Philly, from authors to
professionals who oversee the bigger conferences, and marketing experts
who've been in the industry for 10+ years, we've got them all.

• Mike Grehan – Search Engine Watch & Search Engine
  Strategies
• Wil Reynolds – President of Seer Interactive
• Liana "Li" Evans – Director of Social Media for Serengeti Communications,
  Owner of Search Marketing Gurus
• Greg Meyers - President of iGESSO, LLC and SemGeek.com
• Kim Krause Berg – Usability Expert & Owner of Cre8asite
  Forums

Click here to Sign-up for SearchCampPhilly 2009

SemGeek

About Craig Danuloff:

Craig has been at the forefront of online commerce and marketing since 1994, when he founded iCat Corporation, one of the first ecommerce software companies. He has been profiled in Forbes, featured on CNBC, and in 1997 was named one of the ‘100 Technology Elite’ by Red Herring Magazine. Before founding ClickEquations, Craig was President and COO of eColony, an early stage venture fund formed by Internet Capital Group.

Once upon a time, Craig built one of the nation’s first desktop publishing service bureaus, and authored over two dozen computer books published by IDG, Sybex, Dow-Jones Irwin, and others. He has a degree from the University of Colorado College of Business and Administration.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

QUESTION #1. Can you explain to our audience what is the driving force behind the creation of ClickEquations? Was there a specific opportunity you wanted to capitalize on?

ANSWER: We were a search agency managing large and medium sized PPC accounts, primarily with Omniture SearchCenter. But we also had tried other tools over time, and took a pretty good look around the market to evaluate our options. We weren’t satisfied with the depth and accuracy of the data, the flexibility of reporting, and more importantly with the direction they were heading. These tools were built to help manage paid search but we didn’t find them efficient or effective. Our management team had experience building software companies, so we raised venture capital and morphed the business into a software company to build the tools we wish the market had provided.
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QUESTION #2. In all of Paid Search Marketing, there are users with many different levels of experience. Can you give us some insights into ClickEquation’s main target market? For example, your service appears to be targeted to both Search Marketing Agencies and Individual Advertisers? Which market is this platform best suited for?

ANSWER: There are many ways to break this market down – in-house or agency as you suggest, large advertiser and small, retailer vs lead gen or other verticals, etc. We tend to think of it in terms of sophistication or seriousness if you will. Some PPC managers have very little time, or perhaps little background in paid search, and they have certain needs and expectations from the paid search tools. More experienced and active managers have different needs and expectations – and this is where we aim and fit best. We’ve built a power-tool for search marketers who need a lot more than a slightly modified version of the AdWords interface or even Adwords Editor.

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QUESTION #3. For just about every PPC Guru in the world, the Google Adwords Editor is the most widely used Adwords management tool on the market. It’s also attractive because it is a FREE Desktop Tool. What makes ClickEquations more valuable than the Adwords Editor?

ANSWER: That’s a great question and one every search manager should ask of their tool. I agree that AdWords Editor is a fantastic tool. The obvious first answer is management of Google, Yahoo, and MSN in one single interface. That’s important for convenience and efficiency, and in terms of being able to copy/clone ad groups from one engine to the other, can have a big impact on results. But that’s not the real differentiation.

In terms of pure editing – just adding keywords and changing bids or match types – there isn’t much advantage. I don’t think anyone could really build a more efficient editor. The one exception is in bulk editing, where our support of Excel Import/Export enables mass changes and additions much faster than even in the Adwords Editor.

But paid search requires a lot more than just editing. In terms of reporting features we have a dedicated reporting interface which presents a lot more data than AdWords Editor (or Adwords itself) including additional Google Metrics (like Impression Share), additional Conversion Metrics (like Net Profit and ROI based on actual SKU-Margin), additional User Metrics (like search queries for all three engines and user geography reporting). We also provide our Excel-based ‘CQ Analyst’ which enables all kinds of cool one-button-update dashboards and deep analysis of Quality Score, Revenue Attribution, and much more. Finally, our Bid Rules enable much more sophisticated bidding control – automation entirely lacking in Adwords Editor.

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QUESTION #4. During this Economic down-turn, is ClickEquations concerned at with the overall decline of PPC Budgets? If so, what strategies are in place to try and make the best of the situation?

ANSWER: We haven’t seen budgets decline in our client base, but we have seen a stronger focus on results. I think this is partially the economy, and partially a natural progression as PPC budgets have grown both in absolute terms and as a percentage of overall marketing budgets. Paid Search is no longer in the ‘other’ column. Senior Management now wants to really know what’s being done and if it’s worth the investment. Many of the reporting dashboards and in-depth analysis reports in ClickEquations make it a lot easier to satisfy the desires of management and clients who are asking hard questions about PPC.

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QUESTION #5. Can you provide our PPC audience with anything new and/or exciting enhancements in ClickEquation’s Development Pipeline? Are there any announcements that you would like to make to this search marketing audience?

ANSWER: We’ve spend the first half of this year expanding our core editing and bidding features. We’ve added international support, multi-account support, robust bulk editing and cloning, new graphic analysis and much more. One very popular feature in ClickEquations has been something we call ‘Guidance’. Many of our Analyst reports highlight opportunities and risks in your account – making it easier to prioritize work that can provide quick-wins in revenue increases or cost savings. I can’t get too specific right now, but we’ll be extending our lead in that direction, making it even easier for managers to determine use their time very efficiently and make highly effective changes to their accounts.

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QUESTION #6. ClickEquations, as well as many other PPC Applications such as Omniture SearchCenter use API tokens to communicate to the Search Engine Accounts in real-time. What makes ClickEquation’s API interface any better than it's competitors?

ANSWER: We talk to all the search engines bi-directionally via their API’s. I’m not sure it’s a place where anyone can differentiate. It happens invisibly in the background, as far as users are concerned. All changes made in ClickEquations are processed in real-time, and users see confirmation only when we receive acceptance confirmation from the search engines.

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QUESTION #7. What would you say is the "secret sauce” of the ClickEquation’s Platform? Is it a specific tool or a combination of functions?

ANSWER: I think our customer base would tell you that our ‘secret sauce’ is our deep understanding and real-world experience as paid search managers. What people get excited about is how our interface and features address the real-world needs of full time PPC managers who are working hard to maximize their results. As you know, the truth is most search managers are massively constrained by the limitations of their tools. We’ve knocked down at least some of those limits, and have our sights on many more.

Already, our ability to match search query with the associated keyword and match type is one example. Or to show you all the keywords currently below the Google First Page Bid Estimate. Or to review top performing keywords on one engine and show which ones are missing or performing poorly on another engine. These have real world advantages and to me knowledge none of our competitors offer any of these capabilities.

Question #8. Can you suggest some ways to learn more about ClickEquations?

Answer: Absolutely! We would be happy to provide links to Webinars, White Papers and more. They’re great examples of the way we look at paid search, and they’ll be helpful to anyone regardless of their management tool or philosophy.

• View the ClickEquations Product Tour Video
• Download our FREE Paid Search White Papers
• View the Paid Search Videos and Webinars
• Request a ClickEquations Demo

About Larry Kim:

As Founder and VP of Products of WordStream, Larry is responsible for designing the next generation of Keyword Management tools for PPC & SEO.

Larry Kim has 8 years experience managing PPC and SEO campaigns both
in-house and through his own agency. He's also an electrical engineer
with experience with software development and product management and
recently founded WordStream, a provider of keyword management solutions
for PPC and SEO. For more information, or to contact Larry, check out
his blog or message him on twitter (@larrykim). Larry lives in Central
Square, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Question #1. What's the driving force behind the creation of WordStream? What specific opportunity were you trying to capitalize on?

Answer: Many people equate SEO with keyword research and PPC with bid management, but in my experience, the key to success for both paid and organic search marketing is the work that takes place in between—the analysis, organization and prioritization that happens in the middle. These middle steps—what we call keyword management are both the most critical and the most overlooked part of search marketing.

A few years back, I had my own search marketing agency, and I was weary of all the time I spent on repetitive yet necessary tasks like scrubbing keyword lists, breaking them into smaller, more relevant groups, etc. I looked for tools to assist with this but found that these tasks were completely ignored by PPC and SEO tool vendors. Anyone doing keyword management type tasks was using Microsoft Excel, which wasn’t designed for search marketing and is less than ideal for this kind of work. So I designed my own software, initially to make my life easier, but I realized search marketers and agencies everywhere could benefit from it. The idea became WordStream, the world's first keyword management solution. WordStream is an innovative approach to discovering, analyzing, grouping, organizing and acting on large numbers of keywords to optimize PPC and SEO campaigns.

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Question #2. Google AdWords Editor is the most widely used AdWords management tool on the market. It’s also attractive because it is a FREE desktop tool. What makes WordStream more valuable than AdWords Editor?

Answer: Well, for starters, we're clearly not a replacement for AdWords Editor. Our focus is keyword management. Where WordStream and AdWords Editor overlap in functionality is PPC campaign creation and optimization, but even there, we take very different approaches. For example, to create a PPC campaign in AdWords Editor, you make an ad group, add keywords and write ad text – kind of a top-down approach.

I don't believe in a "one interface fits all" view of PPC. The WordStream approach sacrifices some up-front flexibility in exchange for far more robust campaign organization. The result is that PPC campaigns created in WordStream are better organized and easier to optimize than campaigns created manually in AdWords Editor. The keyword organization aspect is critical, since it impacts relevancy, a single point of leverage that affects just about everything going on in your PPC account, including Quality Score, minimum bids, actual CPC, impression share, click-through rate, and even conversion rates. Better organized campaigns can also lead to all sorts of additional benefits, like simplified PPC reporting, easier team collaboration if multiple contributors are working on a single account, and can enable more effective bid manipulation strategies. Another key difference is productivity – WordStream suggests the next step to do, and then helps you do it, which is a lot easier, faster and more effective than trying to figure out what to do, then doing everything manually.

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Question #3: Are there other differences in the approach between Google AdWords Editor and WordStream?

Answer: Sure. Here are a few other examples:

Essentially, all of these differences stem from our unique approach to campaign organization. AdWords Editor is more of a blank slate, and if you're already a PPC guru, you can make it work for you. WordStream is an expert system. It's designed to learn and help you build success into your campaigns from the ground up.

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Question #4. Can you give us some insights into the level of experience of WordStream's main target market? Is it targeted to seasoned professionals or novices wanting to start a new career in PPC?

Answer: The software in its current form tends to resonate better with intermediate and expert-level search marketers, as well as agencies. WordStream helps these users do most of the work they were previously struggling to do manually in Excel, like aggregating keyword data, organizing and grouping the keyword lists, keeping keyword research up-to-date, etc. But we're working on simplifying the product to appeal to beginner search marketers too, since we've found that the software can help them better understand concepts like the long tail of search, keyword grouping, ad-text optimization, and negative keywords.

Because we're a search marketing tool, not a platform, anyone can use the product. For example, just because you're using an expensive PPC management solution, it's not like you can't still use WordStream to database your keywords, and WordStream helps you make sense of all that information to better inform and optimize your PPC and SEO efforts.

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Question #5. During this economic downturn, is WordStream concerned with the overall decline of PPC budgets? If so, what strategies are in place to try and make the best of the situation?

Answer: First of all, despite the recession, we've seen that a lot of businesses are actually increasing PPC spending. Even companies with lean budgets are willing to make a new purchase if there's clear ROI.

Much of WordStream's value is derived from increased productivity. Better software means spending less time on iterative tasks. The software is also designed to improve campaign organization, increasing relevancy and Quality Score, which lowers your cost per click and improves conversion rates. Many of our customers see significant gains in traffic and conversions without raising their PPC budget. And keep in mind that at $300 a month, we're a lot cheaper than PPC platforms or consultants that bill on a percentage of ad spending.

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Question #6. What would you say is the "secret sauce" of the WordStream platform? Is it a specific tool or a combination of functions?

Answer: The secret sauce isn't any one feature, but the design philosophy of the product being dynamic and actionable.  I believe it will be a game changer, as people catch on to the importance of keyword management for PPC and SEO.

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Question #7. WordStream also offers conversion tracking for its customers. Does that mean WordStream wants to play in the Web analytics space?

Answer: WordStream is a kind of Web analytics tool, but it's stripped down and keyword-focused. For example you can drill down and see what search queries led to what conversions on your website. The difference is, Web analytics are generally "read only." You can learn a lot about your site by running fancy reports, but you can't directly do anything with that information. Google Analytics doesn't improve your PPC ROI or search engine rankings —it's just a dashboard. Typically people run an analytics report, paste the data into a spreadsheet, and then get to work interpreting, organizing and applying it. There are several program disconnects between initially gathering the information, manipulating it in Excel and publishing new ad groups or Web pages.

WordStream, on the other hand, has a workbench orientation, meaning you can actually "do stuff" with the data. If you find junk keywords that aren't performing, you can weed them out then and there. You can analyze keyword performance, organize keywords into relevant groups and publish ad groups and ads all in one application. We’re finding that integrating workbenches and dashboards provides a big boost to both productivity and relevancy!

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Question #8. Can you suggest some ways to learn more about WordStream?

Answer: Sure! You can…

• Sign up for a free trial
• Request a demonstration
  
• Read a white paper
• Watch a 4-minute video tutorial

Here are just a few questions that this SemGeek has been thinking about:

• Will the Adwords Interface be a secondary means to manage advertising dollars?
• Would all of this advanced technology, such as intelligent bid management, business rules, etc… put a hurting on their overall Ad revenue? (you know so the cafeteria can keep serving Filet Mignon with Italian Gelato)
• Since most of the companies rely on API's, would Google be forced to constantly enhance and provide additional support to maintain them?
• Would the ease of "cross-management" amongst the other search engine (Yahoo, MSN) put a little dent into the Google market share?

So, with the questions listed above, does Google have a plan in place to deal with this, or are they just going to go with the flow and begin to work more closely with these companies to continue to get as much Ad dollars as possible. Who knows. However, Google should be a little concerned that they might lose existing users of their Analytics, Optimizer and Editor products/services because many of these software companies offer much more advanced keyword research tools, ad testing software, custom analytics and intelligent business rules. (I am sure there are other features not mentioned in this post)

The BIG Concern: AD DOLLARS
I think that the biggest concern Google might have would be the Ad Budgets. Currently, and for the past year or so, PPC Advertising budgets have been declining. Even though Google still controls the majority of the search traffic, it's been tailing off. Now, with all of these new "money-saving" tools that these software companies are providing, will this just increase the decrease (huh????) in overall ad spend. Hey, no one knows if this will fluctuate between the different search engines, but it could be a big enough issue to become a "real" concern for Google.

What are the Risks for these Software Companies?
Well, the obvious concern is how much will the typical advertiser be willing to spend on the service and will the "benefits outweigh the investment." The second concern is competition. Google has the FREE Adwords Editor, Analytics, Optimizer, etc… Perhaps, it will be the traditional search marketing agencies who will be the best target market for them. Handling multiple client accounts more efficiently and saving valuable overhead by managing different SE accounts within the same interface.

In Conclusion: What Does the Future Hold for PPC?
Hey, lets face it. This multi-billion dollar industry keeps getting smarter everyday. We went from (1) pay your way to the top, (2) $70 CPCs, (3) quality score and (4) now sophisticated 3rd party software companies trying to get a piece of the Google Pie. These companies have broken through that technological barrier to allow Advertisers to bypass Google's interface and force customers to use their own software to control the what, where and how their Ad dollars are being spent. If I had to make a prediction, on how this will affect the Industry, I would say that the 1st Place winner in all of this, goes to the Software Company because they have the technology to make to work. The 2nd place goes to the Advertiser (if they can afford it). And at a "tentative" 3rd place goes to the Search Engines because everyone will have to wait and see the results before questioning if this shift in PPC Management will benefit or hurt them financially. 

One company came to me and asked me for a review of their product and not only was that a great experience to be in a position to review this software from an entrepreneur perspective, but also as a SEMGeek. Now, even though they provided me with very small compensation for my time and I did not want to give away the farm, I simply reviewed their business model, asked questions regarding methods/techniques and general audience targeting questions. After looking back from this experience, it reaffirmed my previous thoughts that the market is telling us that the future of PPC is going to be about saving time and streamlining the processes rather than strategic hands-on implementation. In addition, I am not so sure that packaging PPC software as an "all-in-one" solution promising amazing results based on automation and marketing it to the mass public is the correct answer.

Another company contacted me recently and also asked for me to review their software product. I did not review it yet but this one is a little bit different than the previous company. This software is geared to building a solution to help agencies and Search Marketers effectively and simultaneously manage/create campaigns for Google, Yahoo and MSN all in one place like the Google Adwords Editor. Ironically, this company contacted me based on my past article entitled 2008 Wishlist: Universal Adwords Editor for Yahoo Search and MSN AdCenter which is exactly what this company is doing.

In conclusion:
In a world filled with entrepreneurs, great ideas and a booming industry, it’s very easy to expect this movement from companies. The part that scares me a little is the intentions of the software firms. The last thing we want is for some software firms to preach what they want you to hear so they can profit from their evangelistic endeavors. What I mean is, if they created a solution for which "they" think is important doesn’t make it right or even factual. Also, as Google, Yahoo and MSN continue to change their algorithms and push towards a more viral and contextual marketplace, how are these companies complimenting their efforts for that? Does it matter to them? Is it just a matter of time and already in the pipeline to lure in more investors? Who knows!!