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Hanging Ten on the Next Big Net-Wave: Social Search
By Jon Rognerud (c) 2006

Abstract: The latest frontier in search engine technology is
social search. Born out of the social networking boom, social
search will attempt to humanize search results thereby providing
users with consumer driven answers to their queries. Considering
that 50% of queries go unanswered, social search could be the
biggest breakthrough since page ranking.

As search giants, Google, Yahoo and MSN continue their fierce
battle to become king of the search engines, internet marketers
are faced with increasing challenges to dominate in the rankings.
As algorithms and methodologies change, savvy entrepreneurs and
Madison Avenue continue their heated battle for a coveted Top 10
spot in search engine rankings.

Social search is not officially here but the debut is not far
off. Yahoo, MSN and Google are all purportedly working on
methodologies to converge search and user generated content all
while walking the tightrope known as "privacy." Yahoo has been
beta-testing Yahoo Answers since December 2005 and has hired
powerhouse, Raghu Ramakrishnan, the co-author of Database
Management Systems and co-founder of QUIQ. Microsoft is in talks
with Eurekster.com, a company specializing in social search and
Google is experimenting with Google Base Beta.

Why are these internet behemoths investing so much in social
search? Social networks such as MySpace and Friendster are
threatening the domination of established search giants.

Social Networks are Pulling in a Significant and Increasing
Share of Web Traffic

Social network sites are actively working to improve their
internal search capabilities and provide an even richer
experience for their members. Search giants such as Google,
Yahoo and MSN must accelerate their social search efforts or
they may be left out of the search game that they now dominate.
Search giants must step it up or they will get left behind.

It is hard to believe that in the early days of the net, there
was an underlying assumption that technology would replace or
hinder human interaction. There were those that believed users
would prefer getting their information from a computer rather
than a person.

Social networking is really something old made new by bringing
it online. It turns out we humans still rely on other humans and
technology simply allows us to expand the boundaries of our
social networks. Studies have proven what we already knew
intuitively, we pay attention to recommendations from real
people. Social search, viral marketing and social networking are
not at all new concepts. Social search is really the technology
derivative of asking friends and colleagues for recommendations.

In the long ago, dark ages before we "googled", if you needed a
mechanic you asked your neighbor, your colleagues and your
friends for a recommendation. We now google for mechanics and
visit websites to gain information that will help us in our
decision. Social search will enable users to combine the two
for a robust result that combines user driven content or the
human element with the power of technology. Pretty heady stuff,
when you contemplate the impact of this new era of search.

What Does All of This Mean to the Internet Marketer?

The internet marketer's goals remain the same - drive traffic
and convert that traffic to profitable sales.

Social search will not change the foundation of marketing but it
will change the way in which you present your information to
generate leads. In other words, you will still need to apply
good old fashioned Public Relations and Marketing tactics to the
new fangled Social Search Medium, fondly dubbed SMM by some.

Drive Traffic to Your Site from Social Search and Search
Engine Optimization

To take advantage of social search, the first step is to develop
a plan. Who is your ideal customer? Contrary to popular belief,
the world is not your customer. Do you merely want 200,000 hits
per day or do you want 200,000 hits from people that have a
problem your product or service can solve? Often the focus is on
pure traffic results, but none of that matters if you're not
hitting your sales goals. So, what does your ideal customer look
like? What complementary products or services do they buy? How
often do they make purchases? Take the time to identify your
target market before you launch a marketing plan. Make sure to
include complementary offerings through popular email courses,
as in our SEO Email Course  http://www.microsaw.com/myform.htm

Now that you have identified your niche, you'll have a much
easier time capturing them using SMM. Marketing, whether online
or off, is all about relevancy, visibility, and credibility. As
an internet marketer you want to dominate your niche market by
establishing yourself as the expert in your area, delivering
content to your potential customer that is relevant to their
needs and preferences and have greater visibility than your
competitors.

Steps That You Can Take to Achieve Expertness With SMM:

1. Become an expert source of information.
Use the bookmarks and article submission features of sites such
as Digg to establish yourself as a credible and recognizable
source of information.

2. Hitchhike on a blog.
Post relevant and informative content on high profile blogs in
your industry. Contributing to a blog on relevant subject matter
will increase your visibility and credibility with your target
market.

3. Share, share, share.
Create a Squidoo lens, write and publish articles to online
article banks (i.e. ezinearticles.com), contribute to wikipedia.
Issue quarterly press releases through PR Web. Providing content
will establish familiarity with your name (the "haven't I heard
of you?" effect) and enable you to cement your expertise with
your audience. You will then drive pre-qualified users to your
site, who have already established interest in what you have to
sell.

4. Create your own friendly network.
Link sharing with complementary products and services is still
a great way to expand your social network, and hence your
visibility.

5. Build on your existing foundation.
The technical aspect of search will not be eliminated with the
dawn of social search. Rather social search will augment
technical search. Thus, it is important to continue utilizing
the tools and resources that drive technical search including
optimization techniques and paid inclusion.

6. Apply innovation directly to your site.
Here's an example: Microsaw Social Search
(http://microsaw-swicki.eurekster.com/) that we are using, and
it's a free service.

Summary: Social search will not entirely replace the traditional
technical driven search but does open up yet another avenue for
internet marketers. One of the more exciting aspects is that
smaller businesses are better positioned to make the most gains
from the social frontier. We have seen the power of the "regular
Joe" community in driving site popularity and outpacing Madison
Avenue marketing efforts. YouTube, MySpace and Facebook owe
their growth to the power of viral marketing. Big Business has
not yet mastered the art of getting up close and personal with
its users providing savvy entrepreneurs with the opportunity of
a lifetime. By using the simple techniques outlined in this
article you will be well poised to take advantage of that
opportunity.

Social Marketing Resources:
Digg, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Flickr, StumbleUpon, Newsvine,
LinkedIn, Del.icio.us, MySpace, Ma.gnolia, Yahoo Answers,
Reddit, Technorati, Squidoo, Shoutwire, 43 Things,
YourElevatorPitch, Ning, Yahoo 360, BlinkList, Shadows,
Wetpaint, Jotspot.

Article Banks:
Ezinearticles, GoArticles, SubmitYourArticles (fee required),
Buzzle, Articlealley
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Jon Rognerud is a recognized authority on the subject of search
marketing, and has spent over 10 years developing websites and
marketing solutions at companies like Overture and Yahoo. His
website, http://www.microsaw.com, provides a wealth of
informative articles, resources and free email courses,
including complimentary site ranking reports at
http://www.microsaw.com/emailpage.asp
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