Thinking about this impressive and diverse lineup on my train ride into Toronto excites me, and I begin reading Seth Godin’s The Purple Cow for the second time in anticipation.

I arrive at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre shortly after 8am on this cold Tuesday morning to find hundreds of other marketers and salespeople eager to begin the day’s events. First up, Barbara Corcoran to talk about Sales Success and Personal Branding.

Barbara Corcoran

Real estate mogul and super sales woman Barbarara Corcoran takes the stage in a full yellow outfit, dancing Ellen style. Her energy gets the early morning crowd excited. Her topic of the day: Personal Branding. As she tells us her life story of New Jersey rags to New York City riches, Corcoran offers advice and lessons along the way. First, she stresses that perception creates reality. If you create the perception of success, and are confident with it, it will become a reality. Lesson 2 from Corcoran was that everybody wants what everybody else wants. Create demand, limit supply, and increase the price. Speaking like a true saleswoman. Next she tells us that you should always expand before you’re ready. It will act as a motivator for you to grow and succeed. She follows this by ruthlessly advising us to “Shoot the dogs early”. Give you employees clear objectives, provide support and then review after 3 months – and then cut the bottom 25%. “Complainers are toxic” she warns “They can bring down a whole team of positive leaders. Find them, and get rid of them.” Her next tip: know your strengths and your weaknesses – and then find someone who is amazing at all the things you’re bad at. She continues by discussing how competition and personal recognition are better motivators than money. Don’t grind your employees down too much. Hard work and competition is important, but fun is vital. Ensure that you foster a fun environment for your employees because fun leads to relaxation and relaxation leads to creativity.

Seth Godin

Next up is one of my favourite authors, speakers, bloggers and marketers: Seth Godin. To be honest, I consider the man a genius. Godin begins by talking about the great salesmen of our generation – Zig Zigglar, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and even Don Draper. He says that guys like this changed how we sell. Sales used to be about 3 things: The transfer of information, transfer of brand and transfer of emotion. Today, we have the Internet. 80% of people that walk into a car dealership already know everything they want to know about a car. Transfer of information is no longer the duty of the salesperson. Neither is the transfer of brand. In a world where more is better, consumers are flooded with products. Have you developed an emotional attachment with your customers? If one day your product disappeared, would they notice? The record industry used to be perfect. Today there are more people listening to more music than ever before, but the industry is dying. We are seeing a revolution as big as we have ever seen before. Interruption marketing is done, today it is all about permission marketing. Are people expecting you message? Or are you springing it upon them?

Godin continues by delving into his well-known theory of Tribes. People like doing things with others. They don’t like to be average, but they also don’t like to be alone. Nike invented this theory of “tribes”. Before Nike, the long distance runner didn’t exist, really. But today there are literally millions of them. “The Beatles didn’t invent teenagers, they just showed up to lead them.” Godin says.”They did so by creating something new, something different. By creating art.” There are people out there waiting for you to lead them. Are you being boring? Are you following a script, or are you making your own map? Are you being an artist? “What is your Sgt Pepper?” Godin asks, referring to The Beatles.

In an online world, competence is no longer a scarce commodity. We all have access to the same information. For decades our education system has trained students to memorize. We have lost the ability to solve interesting problems. Go figure out something that no one has figured out before. People say that “failure is not an option” becuase they are afraid of it. By failing, you learn and get better at what you do. Don’t be afraid to take a chance on something.

“In times of radical change, the only people that win are the ones that are willing to do revolutionary acts” Godin says “What we need is for you to lead us. I hope you’ll do that.”

As always, Godin was thought provoking, motivating and inspirational. I highly recommend you go see him speak if given the opportunity, or read any one of his amazing best-sellers.

Keith Ferrazzi

Keith Ferrazzi is an expert in the field of building, and foster relationships and using them effectively. His outgoing nature and positivity captivates the crowd. He begins by talking about our reptilian brain, the part fo the human brains where fear comes from. The part that tells us we are not good enough or that we are going to fail. In today’s world, you are no longer selling a product – you are selling solutions to problems. Build your relationships early, and often. Ferrazzi praises tools such as LinkedIn to do so. Ferrazzi asks the crowd “Who has a to-do list?” Virtually everyone. “Okay, now who has a Personal Relationship list?” No one. Ferrzzi explains that you should keep a list of 5-10 people that you want to meet or get to know at all times.

Keith goes on to share with us his list of 7 missions to master relationships.

• Mission 1: Always ask who, no matter what the goal
• Mission 2: Prioritize your relationships. Are they very close to you, acquaintances, tarnished relationships? How can you leverage them?
• Mission 3: Expand your currency and do your homework. Make a connection right off the bat, and move forward from there.
• Mission 4: Skip over your prejudgement of people and find a way to care
• Mission 5: Build, develop, foster and grow your lifelong relationshi[ps
• Mission 6: Build your brand using Social tools such as LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Mission 7: Lead with generosity – sometimes the pinnacle of generosity is letting someone else help you.

Sally Hogshead

Sally is another positive upbeat presenter who captivated, and most importantly fascinated the crowd. And that’s what Sally spoke about – being fascinating. She explains that it is something that you are born with, not something you learn. You simply have to unlearn being boring. Your brain is hardwired to fascinate, and is hardwired to be fascinated. Fascination requires an intense emotional focus. It doesn’t matter that you are the best at something, if nobody notices you, if you are not fascinating them, then no one will care. The Internet has diminished our attention span as humans from about 2 minutes to 9 seconds. “Yes, we are all goldfish” she jokes. So that means that you have 9 seconds to make an impact, to be fascinating. “In marketing, stand out or don’t bother” she exclaims. “Boring messages just don’t waste money, but they hurt your brand. You can either innovate, or you can be comfortable. You can’t do both.”

Hogshead then delves into the seven ways that you can captivate and fascinate someone.

1. Power is all about authority and control
2. Passion is about connecting through emotion
3. Mystique is about arousing curiosity
4. Prestige is about increasing respect
5. Alarm is about highlighting the negatives by creating urgency
6. Rebellion is about taking the status quo, and turning it to find a different way to interpret the facts
7. Trust operates differently than the other six becuase they can be performed instantly, but trust takes time and effort and care.

Jerry Greenfield
The final speaker fo the day was Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream co-founder Jerry Greenfield. Mr. Greenfield, a very pleasant and soft spoken man, told the story of how he and his old friend Ben stumbled into the Ice Cream business, and the challenges they faced along the way. The two rebellious non-students loved food and found a niche in the college town of Burlington Vermont. An admitted “hippy”, Greenfield discussed their strategy and emotions as they became businessmen, something that they despised growing up. They didn’t want to become just another cog in the economic machine. That’s where Ben and Jerry’s corporate responsibility came in. “We’re not about making money for ourselves” Greenfield says “Yes we have been successful, but we made the most effort to share that success with our community.

Greenfield tells a charming story that ended up defining the Ice Cream company in today’s society. When they will still relatively small in the mid-1970s, Ben and Jerry’s had just been picked up by a few larger distributers in New England. One day their largest distributer came to them with some grim news. Pillsbury, who owned Haagen Dazs (the world’s largest ice cream brand) told them that if they did not stop carrying Ben and Jerry’s that they would drop them. Fiscally, the distributer had to listen to Pillsbury, despite the fact that they loved Ben and Jerry’s. The team laughed at this, and wondered why this food giant was scared of two hippies out of Vermont, and in true hippy form they protested. They started a campaign called “What is the Dough Boy Afraid of?. They printed this on tshirts which they sold for $10 a piece, on their ice cream containers, flew it behind banner planes, etc. It became somewhat of a viral campaign, similar to Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” It proved wildly successful and eventually Haagen Dazs backed down. Greenfield says that was the moment they knew that they were doing something special. Make an amazing product, put your face on it, support your community and be transparent. That is how you become successful.

All in all it was a great day full of inspiration and takeaways. I left The Art of Sales with many questions and thoughts as I walked into the cold Toronto streets. I’m looking forward to applying many of these skills and tactics as well as reading all of the amazing books published by these accomplished authors.

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The Art of Sales Toronto Recap is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

Guest Post by James Katz

As commerce over the Internet gains momentum, the economic value of Domain Names will continue to increase. This economic value is derived from the Domain Name owner’s exclusive right to direct traffic to that Domain Name’s corresponding website, to exclude anyone else from using the same Domain Name, and from the fact that no one else can register the same Domain Name at the same time. Put another way, Domain Names have economic value due to their desirability (i.e. their ability to help guide traffic to their owner’s Internet site) and their scarcity (no two Domain Names in the same registry system are identical). It is because of this recognized economic value and the rights given to Domain Name owner’s that Canadian Court’s have recently confirmed what most businesses with a presence on the Internet already knew: that Domain Names are a form of personal property, and as such, can be used, managed and leveraged like any other asset of a business.

Like other types of personal property, Domain Names are often the subject of ownership disputes between parties. A cost effective and quick way for a complainant to seek redress is to rely on the private arbitration systems put in place by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (“ICANN”), which regulated the popular dot-com, dot-org, dot-net, dot-info and other registry systems, or the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (“CIRA”), which administers Canada’s own dot-ca system. In all cases, owners of Domain Names (termed “registrants”) are required, as a condition of ownership of the Domain Name, to submit to and be bound by these dispute resolution processes.

As alluded to in my blog post back in August, CIRA’s dispute resolution policy was recently amended to more closely mirror that of ICANN’s policy. So, since August of this year, both dispute resolution policies can now be used to cancel or transfer the registration of Internet Domain Names that a complaining party successfully proves were registered in bad faith. Under both systems, in order for a complainant to succeed, it must prove a) that it has rights in and to the trade-name or trade-mark that comprises the Domain Name at issue; b) that the offending Domain Name is confusingly similar or identical to the complainant’s trade-name or trade-mark; c) that the registrant of the offending Domain Name has no legitimate interest in the Domain Name; and d) that the registration of the offending Domain Name was done in bad faith.

The threshold element for exerting ownership over a Domain Name is demonstrating to the arbitration panel that you have acquired and maintained trade-mark rights in the words that make up the Domain Name itself. This means that you will have to prove that the words that you are seeking a monopoly over act to distinguish your business’ wares and services from those of others in the marketplace. In Canada this is most easily accomplished by registering your trade-marks with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). Once a business has a registered trade-mark, the registration acts as prima facie proof that the trade-mark in question is valid, and is the property of the registered owner.

Although registration of a trade-mark is not a prerequisite to being successful in a Domain Name dispute, proving that you have acquired “common law” trade-mark rights will require that you, as the complainant, file additional evidence, such as proof of sales and other sensitive business information, with the adjudicating body.  This will also add to the time and expense required to make out your claim, which will far outweigh the fairly low cost of obtaining and maintaining a registered Canadian Trade-Mark.

The lesson is therefore clear:  if you are serious about properly controlling your business’ Internet presence, you should, at the very least, register your business name as a trade-mark in Canada.  Even with only a Canadian Registered Trade-Mark you will be more easily able to secure ownership over a confusingly similar Domain Name held by persons in other countries.

It also goes without saying that protecting your online presence should also include purchasing all available Domain Names that are, either by how they are sounded or appear, closely resemble your trade-name or trade-mark.  Given that Domain Names can often be secured for a nominal fee, there really is no downside to putting this type of protection in place as soon as you contemplate an online business presence.

One final note on this topic: using the dispute resolution procedures set out by either CIRA or ICANN is not your only remedy should you have a Domain Name dispute.  Depending on the facts of a given case, the Superior Courts of the provinces (such as the Ontario Superior Court of Justice) will adjudicate Domain Name disputes, just as the Courts will adjudicate over any other dispute concerning property.  In fact both CIRA and ICANN policies allow for this to take place, and those organizations will defer to the judgment of the Court.  The major drawback to initiating Court proceedings to rule on a Domain Name ownership issue is the higher cost associated with launching a Court action (relative to proceeding under CIRA’s or ICANN’s policies), the length of time it takes to achieve a result (often many months or years), and the danger of having to pay the other side’s legal costs should your claim be rejected by the Court.

In closing, unlocking your online business potential includes understanding the ownership rights and potential of your Domain Name, so that, if needed, you can properly exert those rights in order to protect your online business presence.

James Katz is a lawyer with the Ottawa law firm BrazeauSeller LLP. His practice focuses primarily on Internet, Social Media and Trade-Marks law.

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Domain Name Disputes: From a Canadian Perspective is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

What is a Google Places Page?

 Formally known as Google Local Business Center, Google Places is like the Yellow Pages of the Internet. Think of it like a Google local web page or an online listing of your business. This local listing can display information about your business in text, image & video format and is tied into Google Maps. According to Google, 97% of consumers search for local businesses online. And… over the past year, the Search Engine’s local algorithm in Canada has resulted in more visibility for local organic search results on Google.ca.

Google Places and Google Maps appear in a Google SERP in the organic section. It’s important to understand the placement. In a previous blog post, we addressed the layout of a Canadian Google Search Engine Results Page in terms of Organic Search vs. Paid Search as well as where the engine displays Google Maps and Places. It is very prominent. Check it out if you require better understanding.

With Halloween just around the corner, and people searching for pumpkin picking farms in Ottawa, we decided to feature a local Places page.

Here is an example of a Local Ottawa Google Places Listing:

Google Canada Place Profile for a Pumpkin Farm in Ottawa

Business Information Section
This section is ideally provided by the business owner. It includes the name of the business, relevant categories, a short description, address, website and photo number. A web visitor can phone you, visit your website for more information and get directions via Google Maps (Canada).

Photo Section
Business owners and Google users can upload photos. These photos generally include storefront, products sold and people behind the business. They must, of course, follow Google’s guidelines. Videos can also be uploaded.

Review Section
“What people are saying” about your business in a review format falls under this section. Reviewers must have a Google account to post. Owners have the ability to respond to positive as well as negative reviews.

Related Content Section
Related places that appear in this area of your profile are generated by Google. It’s based on the Google Places algorithm. Google displays other related Places pages in your geographic area. If you are positioned properly in Local Search, you will also appear on your competitor page in this section.

Google Maps Section
This section is also generated by the Search Engine based on your Places listing. Google displays a street view with a map icon to indicate your location. Web visitors can click on the map for a large view and get directions by car, bus, walking or by bike (if applicable).

Google Ads Section
Unlike your listing that is free, this section is for paid ads. This is where Google Ads (known as AdWords) are displayed. While you cannot remove these ads, you can certainly place your text ads on Places Pages.

How does this relate to SEO?
From a SEO perspective, your Google Places profile page can give you visibility in the SERPs beyond your website. Think of it as an additional web property. Depending on your industry, and relevancy from a Google perspective, your Places listing can even outrank your website based on a local branded geo-search. You can also rank in Places for generic searches based on related local non-branded keyword queries. And… your business listing can send you qualified web traffic via the inbound link on your page (SEOs’ love this!).

Your business can also appear on other Places pages under related places and/or in the ads section. From our perspective, this means more visibility in local search!

At least 20% of Canadian searches are local. People search Google.ca and Google Maps to find local businesses. Claim it, optimize it, monitor it -and measure it!

Can you get found?

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SEO & The Anatomy of a Google Places: From a Canadian Perspective is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

Delaney Turner, originally from the radio world, now works with IBM as their Social Business Strategist. He commences his presentation with an up-beat video celebrating IBM’s centennial. Delaney talks about how IBM is evolving into a Social business while keeping their core competencies of intelligence and the emphasis on thinking. He claims that they are much more dynamic and entrepreneurial than most people believe. He even references some mock acronym meanings that people have associated with IBM, such as “I Block Momentum”. Turner ensures us that this is definitely not the case. “Our world is becoming smarter – it is now instrumented, interconnected and intelligent” says Turner.

IBM began their internal social movement back in 2003 with a board called ValueJam which they crowd sourced behind the firewall. From there, they continued to grow socially. They understand that Social Media is like any other new technology. He gives the example of the phone. Don’t restrict it. Allow people to learn, discover and use it efficiently. If you treat people like adults and give them autonomy, they are more likely to use the tool responsibly.

Turner goes on to talk about the limitations of email, and how it is inefficient, and in a way, anti-social. “Email is where information goes to die” Turner says. It is a closed, limited and siloed was of storing and sharing information. Instead, IBM has integrated Social into everything they do. Every morning they have meetings with all of their brands and subject matter experts to strategize how to use Social more effectively.

Next, Turner explains the value of blogging. He says that through blogging, IBM employees have been able to create an enormous amount of buzz and awareness by increasing social interactions and ranking higher in search results for specified keywords. Given the tools and autonomy, IBM employees have been able to share their expertise and capitalize on the power of the Social space. Today, not a single campaign or event goes out the door without a huge social component.

These are some of the things that are making IBM an Social Business. There is an important distinction between Social Media and Social Business. “It’s not just having a Facebook Page for your brand.” says Turner, “A Social Business embraces networks of people to create business value. It is engaged, transparent and nimble.” In order to encourage social integration into everyday business at IBM, they implemented education resources for employees interested in engaging with Social Media. Provide them with the tools to do the job and you will see results.

Despite their efforts, IBM still has some challenges when it comes to Social. Do these efforts lead to more sales? How do we effective measure the ROI of all this? As a global company, how do we approach Social across different languages? What is our strategy for dealing with negative feedback?

This morning’s talk was very interesting and thought provoking. I left the event with a flurry of thoughts and questions in my mind.

Thanks to Delaney Turner of IBM, the organizers, The Great Canadian Theatre Company, Cara Rowlands for her incredible muffins and to all of the attendees a for making this another very successful Social Media Breakfast. Stay tuned for the next Social Media Breakfast Ottawa on November 23rd with Sean MacPhedran. I hope to see you there!

You can follow Delaney Turner on Twitter at @DTurnerBlogs and at @IBMSoftware.

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Social Media Breakfast Ottawa 25 Recap: Delaney Turner is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

Last night marked the inaugural SEMPO Ottawa Meetup at The Hard Rock Cafe in the Byward Market. Dozens of Ottawa area marketing professionals and students gathered for a night of networking, education and discussion. WebFuel in association with McGill Buckley and SEMPO Ottawa hosted Google Canada’s Agency Lead Nectarios Economakis who spoke about the emergence of Mobile Marketing and why it’s still not too late to be early. Working the registration table I got a chance to see a lot of familiar faces, as well as meet many new people. Thank you to everyone who made it out, and for those who couldn’t attend, here is my recap of last night’s event.

Mobile Marketing: it’s still not too late to be early

The event’s MC Steven McGill of McGill Buckley took the stage at 7:00 pm sharp to welcome everyone to the event and to introduce our speaker, Nectar Economakis. Dressed in a sharp suit, he exuded confidence. Despite some minor microphone problems, Nectar captivated the crowd with his calm nature and strong voice. Nectar began by asking the crowd “Who owns a smartphone?”. Pretty much everyone. The majority had iPhones. Another sizeable chunk were BlackBerry users and one or two people used Android. But remember, this crowd is unique – we are mostly marketing nerds and geeks (sorry, but it’s true). Look at our entire population as a country – by the end of 2014, half of Canadians will own smartphones. That’s pretty incredible. Furthermore, mobile is expected to exceed desktop usage in the next 3-5 years.

“Mobile is ramping up faster than any other technology we have seen in the past” – Mary Meeker, Kleiner Perkins

He goes on to explain that in past years, the trend with desktop usage is that it drops during the holidays – people are busier, they are out shopping, at family events, etc… But so is not the case with mobile. In fact, Mobile usage actually increases during the holidays. People’s mobile device have become their own personal shopper to help them find stores, items, best prices, reviews, etc. Also, how easy is it to pull out your mobile device at the table and show everyone a funny Christmas commercial on YouTube? Very easy. The thing with mobile is that it is always on, and is always on us. It allows constant connectivity.

So how is Google adapting to this shift?

Google operates under the assumption that people carry their mobile device with them everywhere. Based on that assumption, Google wants to build applications that will allow people to be more productive and entertained. Bottom line is that mobile should always come first. The mobile device has become an extension of the body. The camera is it’s sight, the microphone enables hearing, the speakers enable voice and the screen allows touch.

Nectar went on to show us a few video examples of how people are being both productive, and entertained using some of Google’s mobile applications. My favourite example was a video that featured a group of kids playing the classic game “Chubby Bunny” using Google Voice as the referee. Not only did this video make us laugh, but it showed the power of Google’s apps.

Key Mobile Trends Moving Forward

What does Google see for the future of mobile? The first has got to be entertainment. People don’t stand in lines anymore. They stand in lines and browse their smartphones. Here are a few stats for you – 125 years of Angry Birds is played everyday and there are 200 million mobile playbacks a day on YouTube. Wow!

Mobile is also immediate. At any point in time we can pull out our phones and make a call, write a review, send an email, book a hotel. We have so much immediate power at our fingertips.

Mobile compliments other media. During the SuperBowl in February, mobile searches on GoDaddy.com increased 315 times compared to 38 times on desktop. Why? People saw the ads and were intrigued. But when you’re sitting in the living room with your buddies watching the game, you’re not going to get up and go to your desktop – you’re going to pull out your smartphone.

Mobile is local. In fact, 1 in 3 mobile searches are local. After looking up a local business on a smartphone, 61% of users called and 59% visited. That is pretty amazing.

Last but not least, mobile is the ultimate shopping companion. 74% of users have purchased due to using their smartphone while shopping and 79% of smartphone users use their smartphone to help them shop. Whether it’s reading reviews, finding directions to a store or comparing prices, your mobile device is hands down your best shopping companion.

Three purposes for accessing the mobile web

1. Entertainment – make the brand experience fun with a game or engaging video content
2. Information – provide consumers with information about brands and product categories
3. Transaction – help consumers get what they want, faster and easier

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SEMPO Ottawa Google Event: Mobile Marketing Recap is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

Guest Post by James Katz

Let’s start with some interesting news about imminent changes that will affect how Canada’s dot-ca Internet registry system is administered.

It has recently been announced that the rules governing disputes over confusingly similar dot-ca domain names will change, effective August 22, 2011. The goal of these changes that the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) will be implementing is to bring CIRA’s policy in line with what has already been in place in those registry systems governed by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) for many years.

For those Internet domain owners who have never heard of CIRA or ICANN, or their dispute resolution policies, then a quick review is in order. Essentially, both CIRA and ICANN are non-profit organizations that were set up to control the “unique identifiers” used on the Internet that are commonly called domain names. As mentioned above, CIRA was set up in Canada to control the domain names used in the dot-ca registry system. ICANN’s mandate is much larger, covering the dot-com, dot-org, dot-net, dot-info, dot-biz and other registry systems. Both CIRA and ICANN have dispute resolution policies in place that can be used by domain name registrants (or those that would like to block the use and registration of a domain name) to quickly and (compared to court proceedings) cost effectively seek either the transfer or the cancellation of domain names that are confusingly similar to trade-marks owned by complainants and which are registered in “bad faith”. CIRA’s policy, which is called the CDRP (Complaint Dispute Resolution Policy), had been in effect since 2002. ICANN’s policy, which is called the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), had been in effect since 1998. Under either policy, a complainant, who is the owner of a trade-mark, can apply to CIRA or ICANN to have a domain name that is confusingly similar to its trade-mark either cancelled or transferred to it, upon the complainant establishing that the registrant registered the domain name in “bad faith”.

Although both dispute resolution policies were similar in scope and language, the major difference between the CDRP and UDRP was in their respective definitions of what constituted registering a domain name in “bad faith”. While the UDRP policy defined that term in a non-exhaustive manner (in other words, these factors can be expanded over time), the CDRP’s definition of “bad faith” consisted of a list of exhaustive factors. Essentially, under the CDRP, “bad faith” registration of a domain name only occurred when a) the registrant acquired the domain name in order to sell it back to the complainant (the legitimate owner of a trade-mark which the domain name in question is confusingly similar to) at a profit; b) the registrant, as part of a pattern of registering domain names, has done so in order to prevent trade-mark owners from obtaining those domain names; or c) the Registrant obtained the domain name primarily to disrupt the business of the complainant.

Although the goal of defining “bad faith” in this restrictive fashion by CIRA was ostensibly to limit the application of the CDRP to cases of classic cyber squatting (that is, the purchase of a domain name consisting of a trade-mark or trade-name that the registrant then wanted to sell back to the respective trade-mark or trade-name owner for a profit), the narrow scope of this “bad faith” definition saw many legitimate rights holders failing to have these confusingly similar domain names cancelled or transferred to their rightful owners.

Therefore, under the amended CDRP that will come into force later this month, those criteria constituting “bad faith” registration of a domain name (listed above) can be considered, but without limitation to other possible circumstances where bad faith can be proven to exist. In other words, it will be up to those interpreting the CDRP (an arbitration panel) to consider and expand the definition of “bad faith” on a case-by-case basis, much as courts in Canada do with the common law. In fact, the new CDRP also lists an independent forth criteria for establishing bad faith registration, and that is when a registrant obtains a domain name in order to direct Internet traffic to it (for commercial gain) by creating a likelihood of confusion with the complainant’s trade-mark. The full version of the new CDRP that will come into force this month can be found online.

This latest criterion for establishing bad faith registration, which more closely mirrors what also constitutes trade-mark infringement in Canadian law, appears to have been directed at what, for trade-mark owners, was the most vexing problem with the soon to be defunct version of the CDRP: the misuse of a trade-mark, in the form of a domain name, that did not constitute traditional cyber-squatting, simply because the registrant was in fact using the domain name to run its own business (which was often considered good faith use by the registrant) and that use of the domain name didn’t “disrupt” (that is, didn’t cause direct interference with) the business of the complainant.

Based on the UDRP experience, the revamped CDRP will almost certainly lead to increased rights for trade-mark owners in cyber-space, as new criteria for establishing bad faith domain name registrations come into existence. For example (and this is an expansion of the definition of “bad faith” that I would like to see, and which has already occurred under the UDRP system), complainants who have trade-mark rights may now be able to stop registrants from using confusingly similar domain names which direct traffic away from the complainant’s own website in order to defame the complainant’s business or products, an occurrence that I have seen far too often in my practice.

Domain name owners in the dot-ca system should therefore be aware that due to this broadened test, brand owners will be policing dot-ca domains more closely, in an effort to further control their brand identities. Conversely, dot-ca domain owners, or those that will be purchasing such domains in the future, should do their due diligence before investing countless hours branding a website, because they may be forced by CIRA to relocate their web presence (losing customers and client contact in the process) at a later time.

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Domain Name Dispute Resolution Set to Change for dot-Ca Domains is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

What are Sitelinks?

Sitelinks are the additional links that appear underneath the first search result. They allow Google searchers to go directly to specific pages that are deeper within the website. They appear in organic search results based on search queries on branded terms.

Here is an example of sitelinks in a Google SERP (Search Engine Results Page) that have not yet been expanded. You will note that there is a single row of links. In this case, a total of four links to key web pages within the site appear.

Here is an example of the new sitelinks layout. The first search result listing remains the top domain and the same in terms of format (title, URL and short description). The new additions relates to the extended listings in this full two-column sitelinks layout. Rather than just a link, it now includes a title, URL and one line of the text snippet. The maximum number of individual sitelinks that can appear per query are now 12 (up from 8).

How does it work?

Google determines sitelinks based on their algorithms. They are generated and ranked based on link structure of your website. Yes – site architecture has just become even more important if you are serious about Search.

Why sitelinks?

This addresses the issue that some web searchers still use broad queries such as “government of canada” rather than more specific search keyword phrases in terms of what they are attempting to find. This can also be very valuable for improving the visibility of unique sections of large and complex websites. In addition, a link could send traffic to directly to their portfolio of photos (IE sites with image galleries such as a wedding photographer). As you can see, this goes far beyond the regular results from a few years ago. And… it will, of course, help you understand your web traffic from a Google Analytics perspective.

Like all things Search-related, generating good sitelinks, and optimization thereof can improve your website conversions.

Got Sitelinks? Are they optimized?

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Google Canada Expanded Sitelinks is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

What is a SERP?
A SERP, which is an acronym for Search Engine Results Page, refers to the web pages displayed by the Search Engines as a result of a search query. Each major Search Engine shows the results in a slightly different format.

Here is an example of a Google Canada (Google.ca) SERP.

Vertical Navigation
There are now two vertical navigation menus that gives the Google user the option to search different verticals, such as images, videos, news, places, maps etc… A Vertical Search will result in a more limited index. The default is “Everything”.

Search Query Box
The search query box is designed for the web searcher to enter keywords or keyword phrases based on their Search. It is displayed on the SERP for reference. Next to the search query box is the option to perform an Advanced Search or a Search via Google.com (rather than Google.ca).

Results Information
This section displays the estimated total number of search results for the search query along with the time it took Google to return these results. This number should be used as a rough estimate only as it is not highly accurate.

Organic Search Results
Organic algorithmic results or natural listings (also known as unpaid) appear in the left section of the SERP with a white background. This section also includes Google Places (formerly Google Local Business Center), which has become very visible in local search queries. It corresponds with Google Maps now displayed in the top right section are also organic results. These results are generated from the primary indexes of the web. In this case, Pages from Canada. Ranking is based on relevancy determined by the search engine – which is based on their complex (and constantly changing) algorithms.

Paid Search Results
Typically the paid search results will be found to the right of the SERP page (under Google Maps if displayed) and often above the unpaid results. Paid search advertising is identified simply as “Ads” (formerly Sponsored Links) by Google. These text ads are generated by Google’s search ad platform – AdWords. Ranking depends on a number of factors including relevancy, bid amount and quality score.

Google is forever testing new formats and changing their SERP’s layouts. Generally beta testing occurs via Google.com – and then is rolled out to the other English language versions such a Google Canada.

How are you appearing and ranking in the SERPs?

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Anatomy of a Google Canada SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

Here at WebFuel we are extremely proud to be Canadian. We also love Social Media. So when a company like Ipsos releases a report that combines two of our passions, we get excited! It’s no secret that Canadians embrace the Internet and technology. For years we have been early adopters and heavy users of a variety of online technologies; including Social Media. According to recent report from Ipsos, Canadians are continuing to embrace Social Media at an increasing rate.

Social Media Use in Canada

Half of Canadians are on Social Networks – and 60% of all Canadians online are there as well. To put that in perspective, that’s over 17 million people across our great nation. While the number of Canadians on Social Networks has only grown by 4% since 2009, the frequency of Social Media use amongst Canadians is on the rise – big time. In 2010, 35% of online Canadians visited a Social Media site at least once a week – that number has now grown to 50%. Furthermore, in 2011 35% of online Canadians visited a Social Networking site everyday; a number that was only 19% a year ago. While 15% of Canadians stated that they use Social Media less than they did a year ago, 35% say that the time spent has increased.

There is a stereotype out there that Social Media is only for male teenagers and young adults. It’s no surprise that the 18-34 year old demographic is by far the heaviest users of Social Media in Canada, with 86% of that age range active on Social Networks. But older age ranges have significantly increased their Social Networking activity in recent years. Almost 2/3 of 35-54 year olds and over 40% of those over the age of 55 in Canada are now actively using Social Media. This isn’t to say that Social Media in Canada is getting “older”, but it is expanding its reach among the entire population.

And sorry guys, but the women take the cake on this one. 37% of online Canadian women say that they visit a Social Media site at least once a day, compared to only 24% of online Canadian men.

Who is the Canadian Social Media King?

There’s no surprise here – for years Facebook has dominated the Social Media game not only in Canada, but all over the world. With over 750 million users worldwide, Facebook continues to be king. In fact, 86% of all Canadians using Social Media are on Facebook. But they are not the only player in the game – we can’t forget about Twitter and LinkedIn, both of which have gained ground on the Social Networking giant. In 2009, less than 1% of Canadians used Twitter. Today that number has grown to almost 20%. Similarly, LinkedIn users in Canada have more than doubled to 14% from 6% in 2009.

And let’s not forget about the newest player in the game, Google+. Only a few weeks old, Google+ has made some serious noise by amassing over 10 million users worldwide. While it is still too early to tell the long term impact of Google+ on the Canadian Social Media landscape, it will definitely be interesting to watch unfold.

How often do you use Social Media? Which sites do you visit most frequently? We’d love to hear what you have to say!

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Canadian Social Media Statistics 2011 is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

1. WebFuel Celebrates Canada Day: Why a Dot Ca?
   It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas…Canada Day! Today marks the 144th birthday of our beautiful nation. Here at WebFuel we are extremely proud to be 100% Canadian. But when it comes to the online space, what does being Canadian mean? We believe that the best way to brand yourself as Canadian online is by using the “Dot Ca”. What do we mean by that? Well let us tell you…no…let us SHOW you! Read more. 

2. Search Marketing Expo Toronto Recap
   SMX Toronto is a conference held annually for Search Engine and Social Media marketing and professionals of all skill levels and experience. This conference features a star-studded cast of industry experts and pioneers who share their tips, ideas, solutions and insights about marketing in the new digital space. Topics included Search, pay per click campaigns, online reviews, the emergence of mobile and Social Media marketing techniques and best practices. Read more. 

3. Can Your Business get Found in a Canadian Search?
   Having a web presence is only the first step in getting found in a Search. The next step is appearing in a SERP (Search Engine Results Page) in Google or one of the other major search engines. If you are a Canadian company and/or you are targeting the Canadian market, you will need to get found in a country-specific search. Read more.
   
   
4. Google AdWords and Trade-Mark Laws: From a Canadian Perspective
   Here at WebFuel, we love inviting guest bloggers. Why? Because they bring fresh ideas to the table, while providing great insights from their specific area of expertise. This week we welcome back Lawyer and trade-mark agent Kathryn Szymczyk. In the past Kathryn has blogged for WebFuel aboutGoogle’s new Canadian AdWords policies as well as protecting your brand on the Internet. This week Kathryn will be writing about Google AdWords and trade-mark laws from a Canadian perspective. Read more.
   
   
5. The Art of Marketing Toronto
   Well folks, it’s finally here. The event that I have been waiting for all year: The Art of Marketing Toronto. The amazing lineup of speakers included analytics expert Avinash Kaushik, online marketing pioneer Gary Vaynerchuk, venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki, brand strategist Jeffrey Hayzlett and Columbia University Business professor Dr. Sheena Iyengar. Over 1200 eager marketers file into the magnificent Metro Toronto Convention Centre, creating a great atmosphere. Read more.
   
   
6. Top Ten Social Media Sites of 2010 (Canadian Version)
   As 2010 winds down we look back at which Social Media sites Canadians visit the most. Facebook took home top prize on last year’s list. Where will they stand this year? Which new sites have emerged?  So without further adieu, here is our list of the top ten most visited Social Media sites in Canada in 2010. Read more.
   
   
7. Google’s New Canadian AdWords Policy: From a Legal Perspective
   As a result of litigation in Canada and throughout the rest of the world, Google has recently changed its AdWords policy in Canada to be less restrictive to advertisers. However, using the trademarks of third parties can still result in your advertisements being removed or, possibly, a trademark infringement action against you. As such itis important to be careful when using trademarks registered by third parties in any aspect of your online advertising. 

Google’s New AdWords Trademark Policy for Canada. Read more. 

8. Movember Canada: The Challenge
   Today is November 1st…or should I say Movember 1st? Yes, that’s right folks! Movember is officially upon us! Movember is an annual charity event in which men grow mustaches to raise awareness and money for men’s health, most notably prostate cancer. A few weeks back I wrote a blog post about how Social Media can be used for Social Good. Movember is another great example of this. Read more.
   
   
9. Targeting Canada, Eh? Google Analytics & Map Overlap
   Google Analytics, Eh? This is the first in a series of posts covering what data to analyze in Google Analytics if you are targeting the Canadian marketplace, starting with Map Overlay. Read more.
   
   
10. Celebrating Canada: Social Media Eh?
    WebFuel believes that Canada will only continue to be a search and Social Media pioneer. The conversation about your brand is happening. Are you listening? Are you engaged? Are you building relationships with your consumers? You should be.We are Canadian. Our clients are Canadian. We specialize in Canadian Search and Social Media. Read more.

Happy Canada Month everyone! Which of these is your favourite of our Canadian posts? We’d love to hear from you!

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Canada Month: WebFuel’s Top Ten Canada Related Blog Posts is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel