Leafing through the pages of the latest issue of DMNews, I saw an interesting article that got me thinking about the role of superlative keywords (i.e. “best” , “greatest”, “most exciting”) in search engine optimization for ecommerce websites. Customer reviews have become an integral part of the online shopping experience. Reviews provide potential buyers with more information about the e-store’s merchandise and can grow the customer’s trust in the transaction. Most major online retailers allow customers to submit product reviews. Amazon.com and Walmart.com are two online retailers that probably house the largest base of buyer reviews on the web.
Intent of the Superlative Search
The superlative search engine query provides a lot of insights about the user’s intent. For example, the query “best seafood restaurant in Massachusetts” can imply the following:
the searcher is likely planning to go to an eatery in the near future.
the searcher is likely seeking the advice of other seafood eaters, food critics, or from the restaurants themselves in selecting a restaurant.
the searcher could be seeking information on how to evaluate a seafood restaurant.
the searcher is likely looking for only one restaurant, the best restaurant.
the searcher is looking for information which may be subjective or qualitative.
My conclusion about the superlative search is that it is innately a social query. In other words, people are using search engines to find opinions written by past purchasers, presumably to act on the information they find at a future point. This is different than a basic informational search. For example, had the user typed the phrase “seafood restaurants in Massachusetts” (without the superlative) we could conclude that a simple list of Massachusetts restaurants could suffice as response. The second conclusion is that the the superlative query has both an explicit informational component and a prominent, but implicit action component. The user is looking for information that will help him or her do something.
From a search engine optimization standpoint, it may not simply be enough to have a website that ranks algorithmically if the searcher includes a quality modifier. You’ll get a click, sure, but will you get the user’s patronage without third party confirmation? Unlikely. The fact is that the searcher is not expressly looking for information about your product; the user is searching for the opinions of others regarding the merchandise or services you offer. Furthermore, the self-declared best of something must be supported by another party for the assertion to be meaningful. This is where hosted user evaluations (such as the ones on Amazon.com) and review websites such as Yelp intercede.
Hosted Product Reviews and Search Engine Optimization
The problem with using superlative adjectives on ecommerce website is that they cannot be integrated into product descriptions without compromising the objectivity of the narrative users must read in order to understand the product offering. Product descriptions are intended to tell the shopper what the product is, how to use it, and present technical specifications. Product descriptions are much more important online because the user does not always have direct access to the product or service to inspect first hand. So, using words like “best” and “greatest” demote the objectiveness of the product description and can often sound like unsubstantiated salesman speak. How confusing would it be for buyers if every product description found in an online store used the word “best”?
This is why many online retailers capture and display customer comments next to product descriptions. A glowing review from a satisfied customer is worth much more to a user and to the bottom line of a website than an evangelical product description. Additionally, review pages can give a website a boost in search engine standings. Superlative phrases in comments left by past customers can help increase the website’s ranking for queries containing quality modifiers. In this way, creating good products, providing timely delivery, and offering great customer service can aid in the SEO of a website. Thus, online shopkeepers should leave the singing of praises to their customers, and instead focus on making sure the search engine spiders have a path to find user reviews on their website.
Review Websites and Search Engine Optimization
Yelp and Epinions are two popular review websites. Review websites, in addition to providing unbiased (in theory, but not always in practice) reviews, are also crucial components of online reputation management. Customer opinion websites can cosign any claims of positive superlatives made by sites promoting a product or service. There exists an interesting relationship between search marketing and online customer review aggregators – although a listing in the search results for an opinion website may initially attract a user’s click for a superlative search, they are unlikely to be the user’s final destination because these types of websites do not resolve the implicit action component of the superlative query. After reading the opinions others have posted on the website, the user is likely to go to another location to act on the information they have obtainedeven if it is at a much later time. To resolve the action component the information seeker may then look for information about the company or product encountered on a review website using a search engine or by navigating to the website directly. In some ways, a good user review can be as valuable as a direct link from a review forum both in terms of providing referral traffic or by leading a user to conduct a search for information about your business, resulting in an increase in your website’s natural traffic volume.
I’m a big fan of education in all its glorious forms: traditional classroom learning, online education, and on-the-job-training. Having completed graduate school in 2008, I needed a new set of educational goals. More specifically, I wanted to learn a web programming language.
For the past three weeks, I have been taking a non-credit Ed2Go course entitled Introduction to PHP and MySQLoffered through the University of Maryland Baltimore County Training Centers. Ed2Go provides six week long online courses that cost between $95 - $120. I must say, that I am thoroughly impressed with the presentation of the material and the quality of the instruction. I am especially impressed with the knowledge and responsiveness of the course instructor. Ed2Go classes have flexibility build into assignment deadlines to accommodate working adults. Lastly, the intuitive e-learning platform means that you don’t have to “learn the platform”, instead you simply learn PHP.
Why did I sign up for an Ed2Go class?
I briefly considered enrolling in another Masters program (which I still may do in the future), however I couldn’t bear the thought of having to amass another pile of student loans obtaining a second graduate degree. So, I asked myself what do I really want to get out of going back to school?. The answer was simple: I want to learn about web programming. This is different than desiring to earn a degree in a subject, or wanting to do firsthand research in an academic environment, or all the other responses my heart could have given.
I had failed in the past at completing self-paced enrichment courses because they lacked deadlines, structure, and were low stakes - meaning I wouldn’t waste tuition money or receive a failing grade for not finishing them. For me, options like MIT’s Opencourseware, although amazing in many ways, aren’t practical.
I have always had a healthy interest in software programming and application testing and despite not having much formal academic training, I have a “better than expected” knowledge of the methodologies of both. As an undergraduate, I took a C programming course that provided me with an introduction to the data structures and program flow controls common in every programming language. Soon afterwards, I began developing simple, yet effective procedural programs using Autoit 3.0 to streamline my tasks as an application integration tester.
Ed2Go and Career Changes
Ed2Go classes are great for professionals seeking to acquire new skills to help advance their careers or for lifetime learners desiring personal enrichment. Although, they won’t help you transition into a new career like a certificate or degree program can, Ed2Go courses can certainly give you the opportunity to test the waters of a career change before spending thousands of dollars on tuition.
I’m still working my way through Introduction to PHP and MySQL but so far, so good. I’m even considering signing up for Intermediate PHP and MySQL which starts in a few short weeks.
Posted in Social Media by Everett Whitehead
July 15, 2008
A few minutes ago, I saw something on TV I don’t think I’ve ever seen before - a nonpolitical commercial that advocates a plan to detoxify this country from its dependence on foreign oil. Have a look-see for yourself. Although, I instantly recognized the old fellow in the video as mega-billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens - this being the election season - I still expected to hear the phrase “Paid for by supporters of ____”. Imagine my surprise when no such endorsement came (did you feel the same way?). Curious to find out more information about the so called “PickensPlan”, I jumped over to PickensPlan.com and did some clicking around.
Now, regardless of what you may think about T. Boone Pickens as a human being, or his political beliefs, business practices or philanthropy, you have to admire the way he (or his online marketing agency) is putting the power of Internet social media to work. It’s all there right down to the web 2.0 blue color scheme of the website. With chicklets leading to every social media network that matters, a video blog, a forum, badges for webmasters to post to their site, he’s making savvier use of social media elements than a group of teenage girls the day after a high school prom. And this is exactly how it’s supposed to be done.
I’m willing to bet Mr. Pickens’ social media blitz won’t play any small role in getting people to do verbs such as write, organize, and collaborate once they’ve viewed the print and television commercials. Despite budgeting nearly $60 million to promote his plan, the site has all the look and feel of a true online grassroots movement. The main page is designed as a gateway to get people interested and educated about the PickensPlan, while offsite islands of social networking pages on Facebook and MySpace serve to help new evangelist spread the message to members of their personal network. It’s hub marketing. Pretty clever. I urge folks not to be so quick to chalk this up as an act of charity from a kind old businessman who has had a good run and now wants to do something good for the rest of us. Pickens’ company has a considerable amount to gain if the plan comes to fruition. However, I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say fossil fuel won’t last forever.
Here’s the PickensPlan in case you were wondering what all the hype is about:
© 2008