SEMPO Canada Updates

Few people in Canada know that I have been working pretty hard over the last 3 years as Co-Chair of SEMPO Canada with Ken Jurina from Epiar.com in Edmonton. I feel we have had little recognition so far but this is about to change. This week, we have a lot to celebrate. With the help of our sponsor, Acquisio PPC Management Software for Agencies, we were able to purchase a professional booth for our representation in trade shows and conferences in Canada.

Check this out:

Another one with Martin Le Sauteur, CEO of Acquisio.com

I was not sure how much more recognition & credibility this would provide and I must say, I have been delighted from the experience being at SES Toronto this week. I must have talked to 150 people in the search marketing community, coast to coast. As such, I feel privilege to be at the forefront of SEMPO Canada and having the chance to invite everyone to be part of our Canadian search marketing community. 

This may not seem much to a lot of people, fighting for the cause (with a new booth) may not seem worthwhile but I feel this is the only thing that must be done around here. 9 years of working in search marketing in Canada leads straight to the creation of an non-profit neutral entity that is all about learning, from courses and from each other. I have lots of reason to be excited about it.

That being said, I can’t wait for next year. There will be other conferences where you will be able to see us. Everyone with a website in Canada must learn more about search marketing & SEMPO Canada is the best place to get the process started properly.

Please find information on how to become a member & join SEMPO Canada on Sempo.ca.

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SEMPO Canada will be at SES Toronto in June, and all SEMPO members receive a 20% discount. Here is some more info about SES Toronto.

SES Toronto is returning for its 6th year, with a program designed to appeal to intermediate and seasoned marketers looking to advance their SEM and SEO skills.  This year’s line-up features the new “Geek Track” sessions, which take the conversations to the next level on advanced topics, the year’s biggest trends, and the future of search. Tara Hunt, author of “The Whuffie Factor”, and Co-Founder/Chief Marketing Officer for the Citizen Agency, will also be joining this year’s SES Toronto conference as the keynote speaker.

Register now and use the code 20SEMPO to receive a 20% discount off the current online registration price.  Book Prior to April 17th and save $370 CAD off the regular registration rate.

View the entire conference program by visiting our Agenda Overview.

Expect to Find:
* Advanced program topics on hot button search engine marketing issues like mobile search, video optimization, and paid search advertising.
* Extreme makeover site clinics, which have returned to SES Toronto, giving you one-on-one feedback to your specific SEM issues.
* Unique networking opportunities with fellow marketers and search engine industry professionals.
* Access to the thought-provoking speakers who are developing and tracking search’s next direction, and who know the ins-and-outs of search engine marketing.

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WAKEFIELD, Mass., April 8, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)—Online advertisers are embracing new marketing platforms and showing an increasing willingness to pay more for targeted reach through behavioral targeting and local search, and to expand marketing channels through video and mobile search, according to the data findings of the 2008 State of the Market survey of advertisers and agencies by the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO), http://www.sempo.org.

Social media also continues to build market share as more than 40% of advertiser respondents report they are using in-house marketers to actively promote their brand on social media. Of respondents using social media, Facebook is the leader: more than four out of five advertisers are using Facebook to promote their brand.

SEMPO previously reported that survey findings project 2009 SEM spending to rise to $14.7 billion, with long term spending to reach $26.1 billion in 2013. SEMPO’s detailed online survey by Radar Research was completed by 890 search engine advertisers and SEM agencies and administered via IntelliSurvey, Inc. The executive summary is available to the public online at http://www.SEMPO.org.

“When you look at long term growth of the search marketing sector, it is evident new forces such as mobile advertising and contextual video ads will fuel increased online ad spend. These forces are still in the early stages but clearly the consumer is embracing these new channels with enthusiasm,” notes Sara Holoubek, SEMPO president and corporate strategy consultant.

Here are key survey findings on trends:

Behavioral Targeting:
Respondents are overwhelmingly interested in behavioral targeting opportunities: 75% say they would pay more for clicks targeted to in-market consumers. There is also significant interest in demographic targeting such as age and gender. Advertisers, on average, would pay 10 percent more for demographic targeting and daypart targeting, and 13 percent more for behavioral search targeting. Two in five advertisers said they are not currently targeting or retargeting searchers but plan to in the next 12 months.

Local Search:
Almost a third of respondents has tried locally targeted search ads and thinks “it works great.” About a third (34%) had tried locally targeted search and thought “it works okay.” More than three out of five marketers (62%) are willing to pay a premium of 1%-5% for local targeting, up from two in five advertisers last year. Beyond that, one in five claim they are willing to pay between 6%-10% premiums, dropping from one-third in 2007.

Google and Yahoo Dominate Local Search:
Google AdWords Local Targeting has solidified its lead as the most popular local search advertising program, used by 80% of advertiser respondents. Some 56% of advertisers reported using Yahoo! Search’s Local Match paid placement program.

Video Search:
Some 54% of respondents said they would be interested in contextually targeted advertising attached to video search results. Two in five advertiser respondents claim they want to pay the same for video search as they’re currently paying for traditional search. Among advertisers who report the willingness to pay a premium for video, most prefer to pay 20% or less as a premium.

Mobile Search:
Respondents are also warming up to mobile: some 48% said they would be interested in contextually targeted advertising delivered to mobile search users. Almost two in five advertiser respondents claim they want to pay the same for mobile search as they’re currently paying for traditional search. Among advertisers who report the willingness to pay a premium for mobile search, they show an unwillingness to pay more than 30% premium.

Social Media:
Among advertisers doing social media marketing, more than four out of five are using Facebook to promote their brand. Digg is the second most popular social media site, with more than two-thirds of advertisers using it. Del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Reddit and Technorati round out the most popular sites to promote brands.

“Online advertisers are redefining the touchpoints which extend search and keyword targeting, all of which provide additional opportunities to reach the consumer. We know that consumers don’t look exclusively to search engines for information; while they are communicating they are also gathering information,” says Kevin Lee, SEMPO board of directors member and Chairman & CEO / Co-Founder, Didit.

About the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO)
SEMPO is a global non-profit organization serving the search engine marketing industry and marketing professionals engaged in it. Its purpose is to provide a foundation for industry growth through building stronger relationships, fostering awareness, providing education, promoting the industry, generating research, and creating a better understanding of search and its role in marketing.

Representing thousands in over 30 countries, SEMPO has more than 850 members. It represents the common interests of companies and consultants worldwide and provides them with a voice in the marketplace. SEMPO’s education and outreach initiatives are funded in part by Microsoft, Yahoo!, Google, Superpages.com, ABC Search, SMX and Search Engine Strategies. For more information, or to join the organization, please visit http://www.SEMPO.org.

The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2228

About Radar Research
Radar Research is a Los Angeles-based research and consulting firm aimed at the nexus of media, technology, culture and commerce. It was founded by two former Jupiter Research analysts, Marissa Gluck and Aram Sinnreich. Radar conducts research on behalf of both corporate clients and non-profit organizations, such as DoubleClick, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Nielsen//Netratings, the Online Publishers Association and The Norman Lear Center. For more information, please visit http://www.radarresearch.com.

CONTACT: Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, Greg Jarboe, 978 549-9537,

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On April 1, 2009 Alexandre Brabant, Co-Chair Of SEMPO Canada Search Marketing Association and President of eMarketing 101, as well as many members of SEMPO Canada, will be attending Massive Tech Show in Vancouver (BC) Canada. For this occasion, SEMPO Canada will have a booth (#111 - near main entrance) in the tradeshow area and you will be able to drop by and ask any question about Search Marketing. Everything you need to know about Starting your own Search Marketing campaign from people who eat, sleep and breathe Search Marketing. Darcy Foster, President of VKIStudios.com and his team will also be present. Massive Technology Show Vancouver will be held at Robson Square UBC in Vancouver (BC) Canada (800 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC). The show starts at 9h00AM.

Here is more about the Massive Technology Show Vancouver:
The Massive Technology Show is a three-part, interactive forum that showcases technology to the general business community. This one day event connects business professionals with high tech companies, offering them a chance to learn about new technologies for business in a user friendly environment.

We have free tickets for the tradeshow area & conference, so please get in touch with me if you would like to receive one. Thanks!

Alex Brabant
Co-Chair
SEMPO Canada
alex{at)eMarketing101{dot}ca

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SEMPO Canada is organizing a Free educational webinar for anyone interested in saving on their PPC Investment. The use of negative keyword lists can improve your ROI dramatically and we are fortunate to have an expert in our group to present this cost saving tool for PPC Management. 

Please RSVP to attend the webinar as there are only 25 spots available on a first come first serve basis. Please e-mail Ian Walker at if you plan to attend.

Date & Time:
Tuesday, October 28 at 9h30 MST (8h30 PST)

Duration:
30 minute presentation with Q&A to follow

Topic:
The webinar will cover:

- What negative keywords are.
- What free tools, reports and techniques are available to create extensive negative keyword lists
- How to generate and get the maximum benefit of the up to 10,000 negative keywords allowed by Google.
- Actionable steps, how to’s and relevant case studies will be shown.

Who Should Attend?
SEM Vendors, In-House PPC Managers, SEMPO Members and anyone who is interested in saving 10-40% on their PPC Investment.

How to Attend?
1) RSVP to to grab one of the 25 spots available.

2) To join the webinar please click on the following link minutes prior to the webinar:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/441572604

3) Please join the Toll Free conference call portion of the presentation:
Toll Free: 1-800-240-3895, Participant Code: 3458 then #

Speaker:
Ken Jurina, Co-Chair of SEMPO Canada and President of Epiar Inc.
Ken is a frequent speaker at SEO and SEM conferences internationally who just recently presented at SMX East in NYC and Digital Marketing Mixer in Scottsdale, Arizona on the benefits and extreme cost saving of using advanced negative keyword lists in your PPC campaign.

Extra Info:
This FREE webinar is not a promotion for any service or company but rather an educational webinar for SEM Vendors, In-House PPC Managers, SEMPO members and anyone who is interested in saving 10-40% on their PPC investment.  Please note that we have a limit of 25 people who can attend this Free Webinar. Register Quickly. RSVP to

Feel free to forward this invitation to any companies or individuals whom you think would benefit from this webinar. They do NOT need to be SEMPO Canada members to participate in this webinar.

For any additional questions, please address them to Ian Walker, . We hope you can make it!

Alexandre Brabant & Ken Jurina
Co-Chairs SEMPO Canada
Sempo.ca

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As a lot you know, dear fellow readers of the eMarketing 101 blog, for the last year or so I have been actively involved in the promotion of search marketing in Canada through the creation of SEMPO Canada: Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization in Canada. As I prepare the material for our attendance to the Massive Tech Show in Vancouver (BC) on April 01, 2008, which I invite you all to come, I was thinking it would be appropriate to share what SEMPO is and what we are doing to promote search in many countries, including our own. As such, I came across yesterday a good introduction and explanation of SEMPO made by Massimo Burgio, Chair of SEMPO Global, which SEMPO Canada is part of. He explains the advantages of becoming a member and how the organization evolved form the last 5 years. Quite interesting. Here it is:

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SEMPO Canada, the Canadian Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (www.sempo.ca), needs your input to help grow the awareness and use of search engine marketing services by Canadian companies and organizations.

To date only 60 companies in Canada have answered the SEMPO Survey on Search Marketing. We’re Canadian, we can do better than that!

Time is running out. We NEED your support to get an accurate and trustworthy sample size.

Please take the time to answer the following survey, now:
http://www.sempo.org/learning_center/research/sempo_research/sempo_2007_state/

Why is this survey so important?
Canadians do not get Search Engine Marketing! We need to know why. There is a lack of understanding of the benefits and value Search Engine Marketing offers. As a result SEMPO Canada, a non-profit division of SEMPO.org, has raised the funds to invest in identifying how Canadian companies view and use search engine optimization and marketing. An international study has been commissioned which is now cross-segmented to include and isolate results specifically from Canadians . The results of this survey will be published by SEMPO in a free report on the status of Search Marketing in Canada. We really need your help to increase the number of Canadian respondents in order to provide valuable feedback to the Canadian Search Marketing Industry as a whole.

Your participation counts more than you think.

If you are willing, we ask you to please blog about this survey. Feel free to use copy from this e-mail or from this blog post.

Lastly, please email people who you know in Canada personally to ask them to take the survey. We appreciate any help you can give us!

With your help, we are hoping to bring the sample size of Canadian respondents up to (at least) 100 in the last week of the survey. Deadline of the survey is February 1, 2008.

More on SEMPO Canada:
SEMPO Canada, the Canadian Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, is a non-profit association working to increase awareness and promote the value of Search Engine Marketing in Canada. This Working Group was founded in November 2006 by Ken Jurina and Alexandre Brabant and focuses on improving the growth, awareness and understanding of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) in Canada, including best practices in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Link Building, and Pay Per Click Management, and how it uniquely pertains and is of relevance to Canadians worldwide across any sector, vertical or industry.

Your help means a lot to us in improving the growth of Search Marketing in Canada.

Thank you for your support,

Alexandre Brabant & Ken Jurina
Co-Chairs SEMPO Canada

Canadian Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization
www.SEMpo.ca
www.SEMpo.org

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I have been a strong supporter this year of the 4th Annual State of the Search Market Survey. In this role, I would really like if you could take a few minutes of your time and fill out the Survey, especially if your are Canadian. A special portion was created for Canadian advertisers this year and we will soon be able to report back on it and assess the state of the Search Marketing Market in Canada. Here are some great reasons why it’s worth 25 minutes of your time to complete the survey:

You could win a 8 Gb iPod Touch

You could win one free pass to a North American Search Engine Strategies (SES) Conference

You’ll be the first to receive the summarized results of North America’s most comprehensive snapshot of the search marketing industry

You need to let Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and the other major search players know your thoughts, observations, and concerns about where search is and where it’s going. We have heard directly from them and they all rely on this survey for information!

The survey is conducted by Radar Research, and all responses are kept strictly confidential. All results are aggregated and anonymized. The more people who complete the survey, the better the data we’ll be sharing with you.

Also, please pass along the invitation to any clients or friends who also use search as a marketing channel - this survey is not limited to SEMPO members.  If you have any questions about the survey, please contact . You can also reach Kevin Lee, SEMPO Director and Survey Team Lead () or Gordon Hotchkiss, SEMPO Chairperson () for more information about the Survey and how the data will be used.

Thanks for your support.

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As you might know, SEMPO Canada, the Canadian Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization is involved in the launch of SEMPO’s 4th annual State of Search Marketing Survey. Whether you are seasoned in SEM or still wet behind the ears, your input is valued and needed! Therefore, if you have been involved in the preparation and/or implementation of a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Plan in 2007 or if you know someone in your organization, we want to hear from you.

Please take a few minutes to answer the 4th Annual SEMPO Survey.

If you are not involved in Search Marketing, please forward to the appropriate Canadian people within your organization and network. Your help means a lot to us in improving the growth of Search Marketing in Canada. Feel free to blog about it and thanks for you collaboration!

More on SEMPO Canada:
SEMPO Canada is Canadian Non-Profit Professional Search Marketing Association working to increase awareness and promote the value of Search Engine Marketing in Canada. This Working Group was founded in November 2006 by Ken Jurina & Alexandre Brabant and focuses on improving the growth, awareness and understanding Search Engine Marketing (SEM) in Canada including Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Link Building, Pay Per Click Management best practices in this new field of marketing and how it uniquely pertains and is of relevance to Canadians worldwide across any sector, vertical or industry.

Thank you so much for participating.

Alexandre Brabant & Ken Jurina
Co-Chairs SEMPO Canada
Canadian Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization

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SEMPO, the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, just launch a section on YouTube where they put all their videos from various sources. You will find videos there from many people sitting on the Board of Directors where they talk about SEMPO, SEMPO Institute, SEMPO Research & Marketing and all the other SEMPO committees. These are the leaders shaping the Search Engine Marketing industry worldwide and it is very inspiring to hear them speak about their respective responsibilities as part of SEMPO. I selected this one for your review, where SEMPO Director Dana Todd talks about SEMPO and the SEMPO Institute.

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It is with a lot of regret that SEMPO Canada announced last week that Nurun / Ant Interactive decided not to renew their SEMPO membership and therefore withdraw from all SEMPO-related activities involving the growth of Search Marketing in Canada. They simply stated that they were not getting enough of this relationship and this position was shared by every member of the Nurun / Ant Interactive team. In an industry that is in development, especially in Canada, I would like to take a moment to ask for your feedback on the nature of these relationships between SEMPO but especially the underlying expectations that business people may have in regards to SEMPO, SEMPO Canada and the Canadian Search Marketing Industry in general.

It is becoming a common understanding that the Canadian business community expects more out of this industry than they contribute to its growth. We are facing a scarcity of Search Marketing talent in Canada since very few schools, colleges or universities have a search engine marketing learning curriculum. The industry does not regenerate itself yet, which is why it is adequate to raise the question why we would see such a major icon in the Canadian web economy leaving our organization.

I have been working hard to launch and support SEMPO Canada in order to create an entity that anyone can call upon when they need support on Search Marketing and as such I would like to ask you for suggestions, criticism or any type of input that you may have so that we can fulfill your expectations in a way that would entice you to stay in and contribute. In the long run, everyone will benefit from it.

We are all in this together.

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It took a few rounds of iterations but we finally finished it. Ken Jurina and I completed a 5 Question article/interview that has just been published on Onedegree.ca. It presents our current and future initiatives to foster awareness and stimulate the growth of search marketing in Canada through our work with SEMPO Canada. Read about it here.

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Here we grow again. SEMPO Canada Working Group which I am a Co-Founder is pleased to announce a new member on the team. Linda Gharib from Microsoft Corp. is joining the Canadian Search Marketing group of experts and we are very pleased that her experience in Search Engine Marketing along with her strong relationships will help us grow the Search Marketing industry in Canada. Here is some more info on Linda as you may also find in the SEMPO Canada Members area.

Linda Gharib is a Search Media Analyst at Microsoft Corp. based in New York. She partners with Canadian and Fortune 500 companies advertising on the MSN network, to optimize their search marketing campaigns, to improve ad relevancy, and to increase return on investment.

Before joining Microsoft, Linda was responsible for managing the marketing and investor relations functions at Kaplan Fox, a law firm specializing in securities and antitrust litigation. Linda developed integrated marketing strategies mainly targeting pension funds and institutional investors. Linda interned at the Legal Marketing Association and worked on marketing campaigns for the Direct Marketing Association.

Linda holds an MBA in Marketing from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College and a BA in English & Media Studies from Hunter College.  She also studied Art in Italy and International Marketing in Switzerland.

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SEMPO Canada Working Group which I am a proud Co-Founder is pleased to announce a new member on the team. Ezra Silverton from 9th sphere based in Toronto (ON) is joining the Canadian Search Marketing group of experts and we believe his extensive experience in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) along with his leadership skills will help us grow the Search Marketing industry in Canada. Here is some more info on Ezra as you may also find in the SEMPO Canada Members area.

Ezra Silverton works with small to multi-national companies making use of Internet marketing solutions to achieve client objectives. In 1997, he co-founded 9th sphere, now an award winning website solutions company in Toronto. Ezra has a degree in Business Commerce with a focus in marketing, a Qualified Google Advertising Professional and a Yahoo Ambassador. He also writes articles around Canadian website best practices on 9th sphere’s blog.

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I am working on something these days for SEMPO Canada for different interview formats that are coming. As I was making research about it, I came across a very interesting blog post interview done by Manoj Jasra from Enquiro.com. He interviewed Dana Todd, Member of SEMPO Board of Directors on the new SEMPO Institute.

Massimo Burgio & Dana Todd from SEMPO

The SEMPO Institute is an online distance learning program that allow you to learn every aspect of Search Marketing. Manoj asked a few questions to Dana such as:

* The SEMPO Institutes’ Target Market
* The Grading Scale of Courses
* Benefits of the SEMPO Institute courses
* The Advanced curriculum offered in March
* The strategies behind keeping the course content up to date
* How SEMPO plans on working with post secondary institutions

Listen to the full interview here. 

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